oldschoolVK

I'm hip to what you're throwin' down...

I've been staying out of this discussion, but that uniform idea is brilliant and something to consider. I did like one of the last "looks" they had, with the wild pants and long white jackets, but the skater culture thing is not bad at all. First things first though...let's see a very strong infrastructure and marketing/fundraising machine before we see corps on the field. Good Luck!

I resemble that remark! :P (Thankfully, there are only a few witnesses to this)

IMPULSE Brass Auditions Friday November 25, 10am - 2pm at Arroyo High School Band Room Saturday November 26, 10am - 2pm at Arroyo High School Band Room Sunday November 27, 10am - 2pm at Cerritos College Band Room (which is located on Alondra between theTheater and the bookstore) (This is a Free Event) Impulse's new brass caption head for 2006 is Tom Lukowicz. Sign in Starts at 9:30am Please bring a parent if you are under 18yrs of age.(not mandatory) If you play Trumpet, bring your own instrument. All others see "Brass audition info page" to know what to bring. Bring white or black gloves. 1 clean bath towel that you can use to place your instrument on when setting them down on the ground. Please Download the following information from the Impulse website: http://www.impulseyoutharts.org/index2.htm Brass Audition Info page (very important) Treble Clef Brass Music Bass Clef Audition Music Tuba Audition Music For more information or questions, e-mail us at info@impulseyoutharts.org

add to the list: 1987 and 1988 "bikini girl" popping out of the Uncle Sam hat.

At one time, the Board of Director and the staff was comprised primarily of VK alum. There are still quite a few of us managing Impulse and Impulse Youth Arts. There was no attempt to "take over the style" of VK, only to help put their style of entertainment back on the field. Semantics, I know. Nevertheless, Impulse has matured of late and anyone who has seen them in the last three years will tell you that they have developed a personality all their own. In my opinion, Jersey Surf does a terrific job at this style of entertainment as well, and they too have developed their own personality. They are no doubt influenced by the Bridgemen and by Velvet Knights, as Impulse is. Regards,

In its day, OLDS was bigger than Conn-Selmer! They employed over 400 workers and made thousands of instruments each year. Zig Kanstul worked there 18 years, eventually running the factory. Those Olds bugles were his designs! Zig also pioneered upright pistons in bugles, changing the activity forever. While working at King, Zig further advanced the production of marching brass. His designs were the inspiration for ALL modern marching brass. Period. Manufacturing horns under his own name for the last 25 years, his innovations continue to impact the activity.

Thank you for your support, Chris. Regards,

I'm proud to point out that four of the five brands on this list were designed, tested and built by Zig Kanstul - right here in Orange County, California.

I found this post very funny! thank you for saying it out loud!

Forget all that stress. Tell her to show up, display a great attitude, march like a pro and be receptive to their teaching style. They'll recognize the qualities they are require and would probably be patient with the slide-to-valve learning curve. Good Luck!

Yeah, I like Kanstul too :P Thank you for the kind words. Well, I'm confident that nobody would turn down a sponsorship (with or without drums) if we offered such. But since we are but a small company, and we do not.

...Standing up in the food line

Ah, the classic King two valve soprano bugle...a Zig Kanstul design. Check with Impulse - info@impulseyoutharts.org - they might have a few for sale.

The Kanstul M6 mellophone mouthpiece is an exact replica of the original Benge mouthpiece. The price is $50 and these are available directly from Kanstul (or any authorized Kanstul dealer) Regards,

Kanstul makes a three valve "flugel bugle" in G. Feel free to contact me at the sales office during business hours, Monday through Friday for price and specs. Regards, Charles Hargett Kanstul Musical Instruments

Thank you for the PM's everyone. The horns are still available, in very good condition and they would be ideal for the corps that is looking to update or upgrade their equipment. This is the time of year to "bite the bullet" and make that committment to change to Bb/F if this is the direction your corps is going, and this a a good opportunity to make an important purchase. Regards,

Argh. The early years of Impulse were marred by comparisons to VK. Yes, we have many VK alum and (former) staff on our Board and staff. Yes, we primarily seek to entertain. Yes, our fans often compare us to VK, and appreciate our entertaining shows. Thank you Sam. We have indeed been inspired by the Velvet Knights, and seek to return their legacy to DCI. But we have evolved. We play advanced literature, and play it well. We now seek to take modern "corps-style" repertoire and make it our own. We will indeed win over the judging community and show them that a combination of our signature entertainment style and quality execution can be competitive and pleasing to the audience at the same time. We took Sixth place this past season not because we were "funny" but because we executed our show well. VK is always near and dear to our hearts, and we will always bear the responsibility and values that they themselves represented. Impulse also represents "modern" drum corps values and we will stand on our own.

OK. These horns have been well-cared-for first by Pacific Crest for a season and also by Impulse for full season. The price was set at $600 each because they are indeed in fine condition. Anyone care to make an offer then? Please contact me off-line or use the contact information in the original post. Regards,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Buena Park, CA – As Impulse Drum & Bugle Corps prepares for its seventh competitive season, we are pleased to announce the return of Ike Jackson and Caleb Rothe to the percussion staff as Caption Head and Front Ensemble Head, respectively. This marks Ike Jackson’s third season of involvement with the corps and as head of the percussion caption. He has brought a level of achievement and excellence to Impulse that continues to impress fans and judges alike. Ike connects well with the members, inspiring and motivating. His professionalism and willingness to handle tasks outside of the percussion caption make him a valuable asset. In Ike’s thirteen years as a percussion instructor he has worked with more than 35 different percussion programs at the high school, college, and drum corps levels. A prolific percussion arranger and drill designer, Ike has worked with various percussion ensembles all across the Southwest. Ike Jackson is currently a member of the Southern California Percussion Alliance Executive Board and a founding member of the SCPA. He is also a member of the Winter Guard International Percussion Advisory Board. Ike is a Yamaha Endorser and Featured Artist, a Pro-Mark stick and mallet endorser, a member of the Pro-Mark Indoor Percussion Development Team, and is a co-founder of Xymox pads. Ike has helped his percussion ensembles to earn 2 WGI World Championship medals, 8 WGI World Championship Finalist placings, 22 Regional Finalist placings and 10 Regional Championship titles. Caleb Rothe returns to Impulse Drum & Bugle Corps for his second season as the Front Ensemble instructor and arranger. Caleb has been a percussion educator in Southern California since 1997, working with more than 20 different high schools and independent percussion ensembles. He is a nationally sought-after arranger and has written for various groups across the United States; having written arrangements for groups of all levels. The Pro-Mark Corporation, Sabian Cymbals, and the Yamaha Corporation of America endorse Caleb. He is a member of Pro-Mark’s Indoor Percussion Development team. Caleb was also a founding member of the Southern California Percussion Alliance. He is a member of the SCPA Executive Board and serves as Secretary. Caleb is also a member of the Winter Guard International Percussion Advisory Board. His ensembles have collectively won 6 WGI medals; have been WGI World Championship Finalists 12 times, Regional Finalists 36 times, and Regional Champions 14 times. Together, Ike Jackson and Caleb Rothe are co-founders of the Pulse Percussion Ensemble. Impulse welcomes these two talented instructors back and looks forward to their best season yet.

Now is the time of year to make that change from G horns to Bb/F (if necessary, of course) [b]For Sale:[/b] 10 [i]Dynasty[/i] Mellophones - $600 each  Model M540  Silver plate  Key of F  Only two seasons old  Fine condition  Cases included  Buyer pays shipping, FOB Orange County, CA. [url="http://images.misupply.com/products/original/DEG/m540silver.jpg"]Click here to see factory picture[/url] Contact Ron Zeilinger by cell 714 239 4408 or ronzeilinger@hotmail.com

Now is the time of year to make that change from G horns to Bb/F (if necessary, of course) For Sale: 10 Dynasty Mellophones - $600 each  Model M540  Silver plate  Key of F  Only two seasons old  Fine condition  Cases included  Buyer pays shipping, FOB Orange County, CA. Click here to see factory picture Contact Ron Zeilinger by cell 714 239 4408 or ronzeilinger@hotmail.com

For Sale: 10 Mellophones - $500 each  Model M540  Silver plate  Key of F  Only two seasons old  Fine condition  Cases included  Buyer pays shipping, FOB Orange County, CA. Click here to see factory picture Contact Ron Zeilinger by cell 714 239 4408 or ronzeilinger@hotmail.com

I agree with all of the above: you've damaged/bruised your chops. This is a result of too much playing, or perhaps just simply spent too much time spent with the horn on your face. My personal rule of thumb when practicing on my own (something I don't get to do enough of, I'm afraid) is for every minute of actual playing (horn on your face) you should have an equal amount of time off your face. You should rest at least 50% of the time, particularly during your warm up. You should probably work up to this, as you are still a "new" player. Perhaps you should establish a routine of one minute "on" and two minutes "off". Many pros say that one should rest, or stay off the chops one day a week. I think that Scott Englebright recommends this, as do many others. However even Doc Severinsen plays seven days a week, for several hours a day. Remember, he's been playing decades longer than most of us have been alive. Years ago I played in a band at a major theme park. We played five to six days a week, and rarely had two days in a row off together. Our sets lasted about 15 minutes, with about 25 to 35 minutes rest between. It was brutal. By mid-summer, we had something one might describe as "tour chops" but more to the extreme. Remember, in corps rehearsals you are probably "bopping" some of the time, and your horn block is perhaps four hours a day pre-season. Imagine several (as many as 10 or more per day) full-out sets, plus some limited rehearsals before going into the park. Over a few weeks, a definite callous forms, and you can actually lose flexibility. One of the routines we brass players adopted was a "warm-down" period at the end of the day. This is a good habit anyway. Ask around or do a search on the trumpet forums and you can find many suitable routines and advice. For me it was gentle, quiet-as-you-can-play-while-still-producing-a-nice-sound longtones. At the end of the day this routine might actually last another 20 to 30 minutes. We eventually convinced the park to pay us this extra time, as it was pretty much required if they wanted us to sound good the next day. So if you are a "new" player, give it time. No one here became an advanced player over night. You should also find yourself a good teacher from which to take lessons. Good luck,

Hi Mike, My first question would be, what style of music do you play most? My second question would be, what model/set-up do you currently play? My third question would be what is it about your current horn that makes you most unhappy? Regards,