shadow9339

As a member of the CMCC Warriors, you are right, we never won a national championship, but the corps has won VFW and AL Championships, Greater NY M&M titles Eastern M&M titles and have finaled at the US and World Open...not champions but we did keep D&B alive in NYC for awhile, imho

Legend CMCC Warriors concert number

I started out in the South Bronx marching for PAL (grafitti artist or vandel, you choose) I learned to play the tenor drum and progressed to snare....I lived only 2 blocks away from the CMCC D&B (174th St and Jerome Ave) would walk by and listen to the hornline playing (Hy Dreizer was the Music Arranger) man did it sound so good...I'd lean against the wall and let the music fill my very being...I was asked to come in serveral time by corps members and staff, but rejected their offers. Didn't think they wanted some hoodlum mingling with them and I had my own reputation to keep...Finally that music just got inside me that I would always walk by and listen for hours, even went on a sunday (didn't know they rehearsed at the Armory instead of their building. Finally I got up the nerve to walk in to their building, I was in awe, shiny bugles (side valve/rotor) drums of all kinds, some that I never seen before, flags and rifles....They were not only a Drum & Bugle Corp but a real Cadet Corps with uniforms and rank and mostly discipline. I was shown around the facility and I couldn't believe all they had to offer. I was asked if I played an instrument and I told them I played a snare drum(very weak player by the way). The drumline was full but there was openings in the hornline!!!!!! I was given sheet music a spare baritone and I froze. I didn't know how to read the music!!!! I was ready to say thank you and leave, but the horn sergeant took me to another practice room and played a note for me to repeat. The first ever note I played was "E" fast forward, all my music was by copying the sound on paper hearing it and within the start of the season, I had 13:10 mins of music all in my head and was sounding as well as a seasoned player!!!! I marched till I got blisters on my feet and sweat pouring down my eyes arms sore from holding up that baritone, even used a shoulder carry euphonium. My fondest memory was practice at the park across the street from Yankee Stadium and the people on the train platform above the street were screaming and shouting for more, my chest swelled and I stood taller and marched smarter, we all did, no green shirt could deduct a "tic" that spring afternoon. I could go on....I left the Corps early, never aged out because the Iranians had taken over the US Embassy in Tehran. I spoke with the Corps elders and members, no one wanted me to leave but, they instilled in me a discipline and pride for being an American, that I knew I had to do this, so after 5 South Bronxers failed making it to the Ranger Battalion, I became the first to be a Ranger in the 1st Ranger Battalion (Pre-75th Ranger Regiment). But thats another story. This is in memory of "Papa D" James Dixon Sr CMCC Warriors Drum & Bugle Corps Quartermaster and WWI Veteran, Thanks for believing in me, you are missed......Sons of blood and thunder......