brassensemble

You have nothing backing up what you say besides your opinion.

I am very proud of the work that Seth Pearson has done as our Guard Caption Head for the past seven seasons. There is no more of a dedicated person than he was for our Pioneer Corps! He has done a whole lot more than teach! He has been a great positive role model and mentor to every person he has been with in our Pioneer family. I am also very proud of the great work that Mike Marcantano has done as our Staff/Program Coordinator this past season. He is a great organizer and his attention to detail was very evident. Mike also helped the guard and was not afraid to go the extra mile for us. The entire staff and management would like to thank both of these great individuals for their extra hard work and their positive influence on those they worked with. And to answer someone's speculation, Pioneer will continue to have a coed guard! OK, I am not finished! 107 of us have acknowledged these two great instructors, but there is one other person who has done much for our Pioneer Family. He is LANSING DIMON! Lanse has spent several years with us in both teaching and management roles. He has been our communication guru and has done a lot helping me to learn and benefit from his technology experience. He has kept our Pioneer Parents, as well as Members and Staff up to date. He was also right on with our Prospects. He is an unsung hero who did more behind the scenes than anyone can realize. I guess it hasn't hit me that he will no longer be with us. But his work as head band director of WSMA and BOA's Waukesha North's Northstar Marching band, a full time plus responsibility and use of his talents, is really showcasing what Lansing can do as I witnessed a week ago at their home show! Lansing, thank you so much for what you did benefiting the many members, staff, and management that you have served these past several years. Sincere Appreciation! Murray

I would like to personally thank all 132 hardworking members of the 2015 Pioneer Corps. Your Better Every Day attitude proved to be successful and was very evident from the progress shown from show to show. The highly entertaining Exodus production became a crowd favorite. Our goal was to be as entertaining as possible, and it is my opinion that you succeeded.Your dedicated staff did an excellent job of bringing the entire corps with many rookies and loyal vets together givng their best for 80 days. Kudos to the entire staff. and also our management team of Roman Blenski, Charles Miericke, and Mike Marcantano should be complimented for their untiring efforts to make sure that the members were well taken care of. Last but not least a very special thank you to Daphne and Pete our great food service helpers as well as our Pioneer Drivers. Yes Pioneer Family, BE PROUD ! You truly are a WINNING CORPS. Don't let any subjective numbers "scores" rain on your parade! What you have done to beef up your corps was amazing. I, as many, am extremely proud of you! md

You are making some pretty bold statements about Pioneer's staff. Can you back them up with facts??? It's almost as ridiculous as judging teachers' performance and skills by the results of standardized testing. How could Pioneer's staff inhibit members from growing? How can you objectively know anything about our teachers' abilities or lack of? What do you know about the corps' recruiting efforts? What do you actually know about Pioneer's rates of retention? Sorry, but I feel that your careless accusations do nothing more than kicking someone when they are down.

Because Pioneer is a DCI World Class Corps since 1997 and has earned that right. Nothing against the Open Class Corps. We were in "Division II/II" for several years and are proud to have been part of it, as well as of our accomplishments there. We have put on highly entertaining performances for World Class contests, and have every reason to be proud of the products we have turned out. We dwell on being Better Every Day. That has very little to do with existing for the sake of numbers on a recap. So to answer your question: 1) We were proud to be part of DCI and yes, DCM's Divisions III/II/and I, and are and will continue to be proud members of DCI's World Class Division.

HAND-BELLS ANYONE ???? The Pioneer Corps is looking to borrow, rent, or accept donations of some large bells! Our summer show, "JOY" needs to have bells rung by hand on the competition field as well as a HUGE STATIONERY SWINGING BELL . Perhaps some school's band or orchestra has some from a previous production (1812 Overture) that we might be able to use!Yes, we are serious about this! We want to ring in some loud JOY this summer.....Can you help??? Roman Blenski: 414-327-2847 or 414-333-2235-or dbcpmilw@execpc.com Thank you!

Pioneer Corps is in need of FOOD SERVICE HELP We need food serving help in early June in the Milwaukee area. Also we need food truck help on the road....1 day....or 1 week...or 1 month. Enjoy being with extraordinary youth in a life-changing experience for everyone involved. Contact Pioneer Corps Director, Roman Blenski at 414-327-2847 or dbcpmilw@execpc.com DRIVERS FOR HIGHWAY COACHES OR SEMI TRUCKS Drivers are needed for late June until mid-August. We have good equipment and a busy but enjoyable schedule through the Midwest, South, and a bit of the East Coast. 1 day....1 week... 1 month...any help that you could give would be much appreciated. Contact Roman Blenski, Pioneer Corps Director at 414-327-2847 or dbcpmilw@execpc.com

Yes, Pioneer still uses the King horns. They have held up very well with very little maintenance other than the normal preventative keeping them in good shape. King (Conn-Selmer) has been very good to us and their customer service has been a definite plus

Pioneer began its relationship with the field Band Foundation and its Director, Retha Cilliers in 2001. Since that year they have sent the corps some of its finest members. The brass players from South Africa are trained by music major students from the University of Norway. Several of the students who came to Pioneer were given a scholarship to attend the University of Norway after their stint with Pioneer. Several former South African Pioneer members are now teachers for the SA Field Bands. Our very first member from South Africa, now teaches brass technique and music theory. It is a true pleasure to watch these young people with their love for music, develop into fine young musicians as well as very decent and respectable young men and women.

OK, I hate to be a pest, but TOMORROW is the LAST DAY that you can vote to help the Pioneer Corps win a $5,000. CITGO Fuel Card! PLEASE, if you can spare a couple of minutes, help our kids get down the road this summer by Voting TODAY and TOMORROW! Just go to www.fuelinggood.com and vote for us. Scroll on the following: "education" "Wisconsin" Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps" Thank you for your extra efforts! RB You can use the link above by RDevil12 that will make it even easier!

There is just 2 days left in Citgo's FUELING GOOD program. The top non-profit organizations getting the most votes will receive a $5,000. Fuel Card. That would be a great boost to help get our kids down the road this summer. Would you please make the effort by voting for us, once each day until this Thursday, February 9th. It would sure help and we would appreciate it a lot! www.fuelinggood.com "education" "Wisconsin" "Pioneer" Thanks!

Cheap shots like that only tend to hurt those young people who are giving it their all. Is that your intention?

Whose Board of Directors are you referring to? If it is Pioneer's Board, I, as a member, personally invite you to come and state your case! What are your "objective" reasons to support your calling for any change at the top? Are they based on how you were treated as a member of the corps? Are they based on your current knowledge as to today's internal functioning and operations of the Pioneer Corps? Are they based based purely on the numerical placing of the corps? If you were or are ashamed of having been a Pioneer, I pity you! The thought of you questioning Roman's ability to lead makes me wonder your real objectives. If you really cared, wouldn't you be helping out your corps and showing positive support rather than back-stabbing the very one who gave you so much, who for you and many others has gone way above and beyond the norm? If you actually saw the corps performance in quarterfinals (DID YOU???), I do not know how you could ridicule the corps director's leadership abililty of successfully putting together a highly respectable and entertaining product. He developed an excellent teaching staff, and under his leadership we recruited a corps made up of many new members who bonded together giving it their all as Proud Pioneer. We are so very proud of them. Roman's leadership by example is the glue that secures that bond. I am sure that our members are highly offended by a Pioneer alumnus biting the hand of the very person who gave him the many opportunities to learn and experience drum corps, both musically and socially. Yes, Bal, our members are very disappointed that the scoring did not reflect the the musical and visual progress of your Pioneer Corps, but they are exteremely proud of each other and their Pioneer Corps Family. Degrading statements about any of our staff, members, or management, only serve to try and break the bond of our (your) Pioneer family. I hope that is not your intention. I am sure that our members are highly offended by a Pioneer alumnus biting the hand of the very person who gave him the many opportunities to learn, grow, in an experience drum corps environment, both musically and socially. What is the "800 pound elephant in the room" that you refer to? If it refers to all of Roman's fine efforts of sincerely caring for each and every member, giving them a fine instructional staff and an entertaining show for them to perform, you fail to see the corps activity primarily being that of a musical youth activity for the benefit of each and every one of those young members. That is more important than mere numbers or standings. Don't get me wrong, we value being competitive, but the prime focus is on each and every member, far more important than status or numbers. So please, if you have anything constructive to say, please do. Would you like to be part of our alumni association? Would you like to come and offer some positive ideas to our board? Would you like to come and be of help during camps, everydays, or during the season? If so, call or email me. I would like for you to see and witness for yourself what our current staff, management team, and members are doing to make your Pioneer Corps truly, "Better Every Day!" Murray dbcpmilw@execpc.com 414-327-2847

To say that the Drum and Bugle Corps Activity is a fraternity of youth organizations that look out for and each other, was reinforced this past evening. The Pioneer's food truck was having some mechanical problems, and had to be left behind for some needed repairs. So the corps and its equipment proceeded to Charleston to compete. The Phantom Regiment, hearing about Pioneer's dilemma shared their evening meal with Pioneer. That was definitely an unselfish, brotherly act on their part. Pioneer and the Regiment share resources when the need arises. Pioneer makes one of their buses available to the Regiment for their use at winter camps. Pioneer's members and staff want to express their sincere thanks to the Phantom Regiment Corps for a wonderful and unexpected supper! Music City Corps, also finding out about Pioneer's challenge gave the corps food for today's lunch in case our truck is still in repair. Wow! this is an overwhelming expression of the "togetherness and friendship" that many of the corps share. And oh yes, an Executive Angel from the Michelin Tire Company from Greenville, SC has donated tires for our food truck to be installed as it is being repaired! People such as have been mentioned, not only make the Pioneer, but every corps, "Better Every Day!"

Yes, it is true. The 2011 music for its 50th Anniversary is an original work by Nicholas Golding. So far the audiences have been pleasantly surprised with this fast-moving upbeat show. The members are having a great time with it as you can tell watching them perform.