bob marino

Split parts are impressive and cool to listen to, but hearing a #1or2 bass doubling the snare part with mallets and no assist from gravity is amazing. refer to 2000/2001 Cadets

It was our son's first year with The Cadets so the excitement overwhelmed our senses quite a bit. What did really impress me were the acoustics in the stadium. Right from the ticking clock in the beginning to the last note, the sound was clean. we were on the 40 toward the top of the lower tier and could hear everything as clear as a bell. I also found Maryland to be a great venue, easy parking and well maintained. What's ironic is my son is now finishing his Masters at Univ. of Maryland after marching there as a High School kid in 2000.

Here's wishing the folks at Surf nothing but success and great times ahead. I've truly enjoyed your creativity and humor over the years. You've kept the fun in the activity for the kids but never lost the opportunity to pass along the life skills. You are a fantastic addition to the World Class Corps and I anxiously await your '09 show.

In the mid 1960's I marched with the Clifton H.S. Mustang band and we'd see Bergenfield H.S. every year at the Herald News Band Festival at Clifton stadium. There was never any scoring but there was always a great debate about which band was better. Clifton was/is a Big 10 Style show and Bergenfield drum corps style. The truth is both bands were magnificent and still are from what I've seen over the last few years. It proves how the proper leadership and community commitment can create a positive, life altering experience for young adults that transcends generations.

Terrific concept. I 've always felt corps that attempt extreme drills and music should be given some credit for reaching instead of being penalized for not being clean.I think it would be relatively easy to assign values to shows based on tempos,drill moves,tosses etc. The only issue I see is that there would be less room for last minute changes for finals because the show would have to be evaluated prior to finals and stay consistent in order to be fairly judged Worth some further consideration.

Thanks for a great post HasBeen. I couldn't get to finals but I made it to the movies for Qtrs and you helped restore my emotions from Thursday night. I was fortunate to see PR at Allentown just a week b/4 and I was blown away. They had it all this year; talent, performance level,design and enrgy. Congrats PR Does anyone recall if a corps came from the 4th seed to win it b/4? Thank you judges for demonstrating judging courage to get it right this year.

Another useful item is cereal. The corps I worked with always needed more supplies and a larger variety of cereal. I think most corps would prefer bulk over the individual bowls. The larger pack sizes should be available at a BJ's or Sam's in your area. The kids can eat cereal any time of day. That's a great gesture on your part.

Rather than brag about my son I'd like to recognize the contributions Drum Corps has made to his professional development which will sound like bragging but is really a testimony to this activity. He is currently the timpanist in the Army Field Band in Washington D.C. one of the highly selective military units in the D.C. area. His Journey to this point in his life truly started in drum corps. He spent 3 years in the Raiders from 97-99 where he first became infatuated with the activity then moved on to the Cadets 2000-2003. Those were great years to be in the Cadet drumline and he savored every moment.The fun and excitement he experienced over those seven years convinced him that music was to be his life. To that end he entered college at Eastman School of Music for undergrad and went on to Boston University for grad school all in percussion performance. What was interesting to me was how little respect Drum Corps received in the hallowed halls of those respected institutions. Even as he excelled over his classmates, professors didn't understand why his work ethic was unmatched. How was he able to play with such accurracy in an ensemble. Where did he learn to practice with such efficiency, intensity and concentration? How did he gain such confidence and stage presence? Finally where did he learn to always come prepared to practices as well as performances. These and many more life skills were all part of the Drum Corps experience. Even with a full concert schedule my son still manages to stay involved in the marching arts . He's taught at Madison Scouts, Boston University's Marching Band , two High Schools and this year at Cadets as well. Drum Corps has instilled a discipline, professionalism and confidence that few activities can match and it 's time our activity gets the proper recognition.