Geneva

As in TCI (Tri-County Incorporated).

His wife was a Geneseean.

He was a Rochester banker.

The initials AJC were one of his creations.

Tom, Thanks for the Portland post. The 1965 state has always been a favorite of mine, but I have never heard the nationals recording before. What a robust and tight sound! It must have been a rush to play in the super merger corps of 1965. It sounds to me like drum corps animals at play having a great time! Breaking Hawthorne's strangle hold on the championship must have been thrilling. I regret that I never saw the corps live that year.

1974. First year they held outside the midwest. Ithaca, NY.

He was my sponsor at the 2011 DCA I and E representing the Appleknockers. Our 1970 drum major was Karen McGrath.

Wow! Images from my youth of a past era. A listing of years would be interesting. Seems like yesterday, but I know otherwise!

On behalf of the Appleknocker family, our condolences to the Kleinhans family. Doug was our percussion instructor beginning in 1968. Under his tutelage, the line incorporated state of the art tonality and ensemble arranging. He was a welcome presence at our reunions.

I remember tip toeing around the landmines and inflammatory personalities of RAMD. When George announced his intent to found an alternative site, I was one of the first to come on board. Thanks so much to John and all the moderators for keeping the dream alive and allowing it to flourish.

Dan, I just got my application in the mail. I hope that being late is not a problem. Geoff Trumpet

Maggie, I became aware very early on of who SCV was. I remember standing on the ready line at Batavia, NY with the Geneva Appleknockers in 1969 at the National Preview show as Santa Clara stepped off playing "Procession of Nobles". I was completely blown away by how daring it was to attempt this piece in the marching format. I had just played it with my HS band and I thought it was a load in the sit down format. You very definitely put the west coast on the drum corps map! As has been already mentioned in this thread, this may have been the start of drum corps' respectability in the music world.

I had the pleasure of playing Mr. McBeth's "Divergents" in 1974 with the Auburn Purple Lancers. I always enjoyed the awesome splendor of its voicings and the conviction of its rhythmicity. I felt it was a great piece for drum corps. I still remember barreling off the line with the soprano line in a wedge piercing the stands with its incessant and insistent strains. Surely, these are some of my best drum corps memories. I am sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family.

I have played a Kanstul 1600 trumpet for the past six years. I am very happy with its tone, intonation and responsiveness. My only reservations are that the valves can be persnickety and the horn fills with water at a remarkable rate. In corps, I have played Olds Ultratone valve/rotor, Kanstul three valve, and Getzen Titleist three valve sopranos. I would rank them in that order as to my preference.

I knew Dick from my earliest days in the Appleknocker organization in the 1960's. His passion for the activity and his giving nature are part of the reason that drum corps has endured and thrived through the years. Thanks, Dick and RIP.

Hi Bill, Could you use any more players for the Sat afternoon performance? Geoff

1966 Fresh Air Fanfare Fleetwood recording-NY Skyliners, a lead line to die for!

I was at Roosevelt once (I was a spectator). 1972 DCA! What a show and atmosphere. Perhaps the greatest display in senior corps history top to bottom. Five championship performances. I was thrilled with the experience.

Yes, those DCA's at Aquinas were great. I attended as a spectator, but I was referring to The NY/Canadian shows where I competed in the junior circuit.

I liked Aquinas Stadium. Playing there was always special. Great crowds, a real drum corps showcase. We used to play there at the New York/Canadian championships. I can remember one finals in 1966, I think, where the whole horseshoe was full...even the back side! Of course, the big draw that year was the defending national champion Rochester Crusaders! Another special stadium was Cawley Stadium which was another concrete horseshoe in Lowell, MA north of Boston. I have sweet memories playing there in 1967 in the prelims of my only American Legion nationals.

At the 2005 Echotaps closing ceremony in Bath, NY I had my neatest and most unexpected drum corps encounter of the day. As the 800+ musicians filed away from the Bath ceremony field, I heard two elderly buglers engaged in an animated discussion of their performance, "Wow, every time I played today, I got better than the time before. I hadn't played Taps in 50 years!" I laughed and commented that now that he was in shape he should sign up with "Bugles Across America" and continue to play Taps. Somehow the discusssion turned to our prior playing experiences and I learned that these two had been long-time members of the Hawthorne Caballeros. The one fellow remembered the Geneva Appleknockers senior corps well from the 1954 AL nationals in Washington, DC. I mentioned that at that time Frankie Farr was a hot soloist with them and his comment was that Frankie was indeed very good, just ask him and he would tell you! He then said that he could keep up with Frankie...eating hot dogs and drinking beer, if not playing the bugle! As we parted and shook hands, he introduced himself as Ralph Silverbrand (legendary drum major of the Caballeros)!!

I don't know about "Bubbles", Tom. It always seemed so "light in the loafers" relative to Cozz's "blow the house down" style. At Geneva, we were amused to hear them play a song that made them sound like they were just skipping merrily along. There was a big difference between Joe's on Cozz and Joe's on Corky.

Agreed. The corps was awesome old school. Great lead line and drum line. I loved the way they entered the field to a single snare tap with the drum line carrying their drums perched on their shoulders. They would attach the drums to the slngs, then 4 snare taps and the drum line would rumble to life as the guard and horns would file in and snap one by one onto the starting line at attention then parade rest. Gives me chills just remembering!

I have always admired the 1995 soprano line as one of drum corps' all time finest. It must have been a thrill to play in that line.

My horn is a Kanstul 1600. I think it is a solid horn with nice all around playing characteristics. My only reservations are that the valves are high maintenance and the horn accumulates water at an uncanny rate.