Geneva

Joe, thanks for the information. I have met Frank. I bet it must have been great to have him as an instructor. Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall him telling me that the soloists were brothers.

Today I had some time on my hands and I was recalling the sweet soprano solo that year in "Pieces of Dreams", so I went to the Fan Network and viewed the performance for the first time. What I saw was like a breath of fresh air, but first let me preface by saying this is not by any means a bash on modern drum corps. I appreciate the musical excellence of today's corps and still attend my share of shows. But what I saw made me smile. It reminded me of the straight ahead appeal which a lot ot the corps back then had with their simpler approachs. Garfield came charging off the line drum majors with high leg lift and double arm swings. Horn line honking, especially the contras. Certainly not high marks for musicality, but what a statement! The military bearing in high gear; there is no smiling in drum corps ! The rep was completely disjoint, just a collection of nice tunes. Who needs a theme? It was an interesting time in drum corps history with the transition to two valve from valve-rotor just beginning with the sopranos. You can see the sopranos carrying their previous year's model on their waists just waitng for the hand off to the guard members for the show finale with 70+ horns (shades of the future). I wondered (at least when not totally distracted by the young ladies' hot pants) how many of the guard members were actually playing . And what I had tuned in for, the solo. I was surprised at the youthful (?age 17-19) poise of the soloist. Nice lip trill and easy range. Anybody know his name? I wonder what he is doing now at age 50+. His baritone accompanist was not too shabby either. Smooth sound and nice loooong double G. Great arranging and section playing by the sops after the solos. The next tune (Chuck Mangione piece, I believe) included a hot solo by the drum major going old school an a valve-rotor horn puffing away. Yes, it reminded me of a time when drum corps was simpler, but still very effective. Making a statement was the primary mission and if that could be accomplished while staying musical, even better. Sure, there were a lot of warts with overblowing and some dicey intonation which was part of the package with G horns, but the command was beautiful to behold. Oh, and I just remembered, I was in that Denver audience! Today's drum corps stand on the shoulders of the giants of the past. Not bad for a corps that tied for the final postion in that year's championships.

Cathie, I, too, thought that MB was a gas. They were a real breath of fresh air. They had a neat theme and image which seemed regionally appropriate with Minnesota being home to more than a few of Swedish heritage. The thematic adaptation took some of the best DCI ideas while not seeming like a clone. There was humor (loved the ram's horn calls) along with great design and just plain great playing. Congratulations Minnesota Brass. I am so happy for you!

I think that a G horn would present some challenges from an intonation standpoint (G-D even more so than G-F) in a match up with a harp. While these instruments get my nod in outdoor playing conditions due to their timbre, I think you would be better off sticking with a cornet for your purposes.

Cathie, thanks for the kind words about Boston and your review in general. To answer your question, yes, we are on G bugles and enjoy the difference. I was so glad to see an alumni corps make it all the way from California (where I once lived). I enjoyed your mini-corps as well.

I thought that might be her when she came out to play her trademark solo in Blue Devil's "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor". When I heard her lip trilling with abandon, I felt my hunch was correct! Thanks, Bonnie, for the entertainment and the trip down memory lane.

Bluecoats 2010

Hi from your seatmate at Allentown. Enjoying your pics. Go Boston!!!

Grandpa, nice post. I also agree that the pendulum has swung too far toward over-amplification, goo-makers,and pits stepping on the natural wind and percussion sounds. My view on pits is really retro in that I would not miss them if they went away entirely (not that, that will ever happen). Just think of how much money the corps could save in equipment and transportation costs! My last year in corps (1974) was the first year that keyboards were legal in DCI. As a lead soprano, I really hated having my part doubled by the tinkling of the bell player. Now, the use of the percussive keyboards has come a long way since that time and I can appreciate the nuance and texture which they can add when used right. However, I still maintain that the marginal enhancement which they add does not in most instances justify their expense. At worst, they detract from the core essence of the drum corps sound. The reality is that after 38 seasons of evolution, pits are not going away and the best we can hope for is that we do not completely lose sight of the basic beauty of the sounds which brass and drums together produce. At the least, I hope a rules change regulates the finger on the pedal tone key!

Well, I was there in section Q as well. I thought BD was very good, just not my favorite show and I sensed that the lesser response that they received was an index of that. Bachrach's (sp?) music is beautiful, just not emotionally wrenching like that of most of the final corps block. I much prefer it to last year's selections, but I do not believe it shows off their talent to best advantage. The response they get is about what I would expect from "elevator music" (drum corps on Valium). I would like to add that Boston Crusaders' performance was exciting and visually stunning. It made me proud to be a homer for the corps. They have matured noticeably over the summer. If this corps has good member retention (they are young), they will be a force to contend with next year. I did feel that the point spread between them and SCV was too great (I actually thought they were better than SCV). There were a couple minor ensemble tears and the "hidden" factor of percussion which may have spelled the difference. SCV show is interesting, like a drum corps connoisseur's type of show filled with nuance and delayed gratification. It felt to me like one long development which did not culminate until the last few moments of the show. Maybe I am just an impatient and boorish fan, but I don't like shows that make me feel guilty Cadets' show is growing on me. The performance was powerful and compelling to say the least. I think that it is the best show on the field this year and hope they take it all in Indy!!

I enjoyed playing for the audience with the senior corps. It was a great crowd in a nice venue. They need to fix the PA system, though!! It was also exciting to see the kids pulling up on SCV. I was happy to be part of the crew helping out at the barbecue. It looks like it powered them to do their best. Time to rest my feet and lips. See you in Allentown. Go Cru!!

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I have one ticket for each night in section Q where the view and sound are great. $25 each (face value). I will be at the main gate to J. Birney Crum Stadium between 6:00 and 6:20 PM looking for an interested buyer. Just look for the dude wearing a bright green Appleknocker cap and a Boston Crusaders Revolution 2011 tour T shirt. An added side benefit (or not) is sitting next to someone with a 46 year perspective on the activity. (I wish my wife were a drum corps fan ).

Archie at the 1964 World Open was one of my favorite drum corps records. I always marveled at some of the technical soprano work. The triple tonguing in the fanfares was amazing! Listening to it always inspired me to practice. I understand that one of the players was hall of famer Ray Eyler. Jimbalaya, I would love to hear any stories that you have about that year and the people.

Whatever the origins of and motivations for low end synth "thunderous goo", one of the results is homogenization of the sounds of the competing corps. One of the things which I used to enjoy in drum corps was the unique ACOUSTIC sounds which each unit brought to the table. These were a more accurate reflection of the technical capacities of the players. Now I am often not sure what I am listening to.

About 150 in Revere, MA. Sound too low at the beginning better the last couple corps. I thought BD were pretty flat. I was surprised at the number of young faces. Seems like they had a lot of turn over. Screamers were good (nice double C early on), but I think Cavaliers' were even better. Love the foot precision of the Cavaliers. Very strong performance overall. The upside down multi-tom solo will be one of the memorable gimmicks of the season. I love Bluecoats' dark driving sound and was surprised that they did not place higher. For me, Crown was the most enjoyable performance which surprised me since I was skeptical about how well they would be able to sell a show based on rock music. I loved the counterpoint with classical music. I think the concept of how drum corps musicians are striving to be the rock stars of the student instrumental world is right on. Phantom's performance did not reach me and Elsa sounded underdone. Cadets were too frenetic for me, but a solid performance. SCV's show concept very cerebral and not fan friendly. It almost seemed like they were thumbing their nose at Cesario's preachings. Their drum line is a definite wow factor. Blue Stars win the "thunderous goo" trophy. I liked their show and the ramps/platform is an interesting staging mechanism. All in all, the corps were amazingly polished for the second show of the season.

Thanks for the reports. It sounds like they are primed to pick up where they left off last year! I am excited to see how it all comes together. They were my favorite corps last season. I would love to see them on top.

Craiga, thanks for filling in the blanks. I am looking forward to hearing the complete show for the first time on Friday!

I had a great time on the Boston harbor cruise with the junior corps despite the cold, blustery weather. It was nice to have the opportunity to experience modern drum corps through their eyes and to be able to share our mutual obsessions across the generations. We had an opportunity to sing songs and lock arms in singing the corps anthem, "Giant", together. Thanks go out to Jim and Ann Hughes who made this all possible. Next up is the Spring Fling in Newton, MA on Friday where we get to play for each other. Then, the corps' final rehearsal week push for their first competition in Pittsburgh the following Thursday June 23!! Best of luck and have a great time for what should be one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime.

As the season kick off looms, I know some of you will be interested in hearing news about Boston. I arrived in late afternoon following an hour and a half drive from Boston's northshore. It was 90 degrees and sunny on the beautiful campus of the New Hampton School. The corps was split into sections (trumpets, mellophones, baritones, tubas, percussion, guard). I watched for about two hours during which they were engaged in a micro-dissection of 1812 Overture. I counted about 68 horns, 30 percussion (8Snares-4Toms-5Bass-13 pit), and ? guard numbers (but looked big). The corps demonstrated an intensity and focus befitting a world class drum corps. The efficiency and communication during the rehearsal is remarkable. There is no dead time. It made me reflect on the relative cacophony of the rehearsals of my drum corps youth. The average age of the corps seemed younger than last year's contingent (or am I just a year older). All sections of the horn line sounded competent. Since the focus of this rehearsal was on phrasing in "1812", I can't comment on my impressions of the overall show. I did get to hear the full hornline in the accompanying drill and liked what I heard. Good balance and intonation and reasonably good rhythmic execution. I only wish I had more time to observe and report more. I am looking forward to meeting some of the corps members tonight on a planned Boston harbor cruise with the senior corps.

1964 World Open volume three was one of my first drum corps records-Cavaliers, Boston, Archer Epler, New Bedford Whalers. I remember that the Cavaliers horn line had an unusual quality on this recording. Not the brassy sound of most corps of the era, almost a symphonic blended sound!? Some incredible triple tonguing by Archie's sop soloists (?Ray Eyler).

Another great sounding corps at CNE stadium was the Canadian Commanders senior corps. I think it was 1966 Shriner's. They came OTL with a stop time fanfare of "The Man I Love". What a titanic sound!

The Olds Ultratones were some of the best G bugles ever made in my opinion (at least the sopranos). I still have a valve-rotor G-F soprano in mint condition. It plays better than the later three valve G bugles.

That is the general drift of it. Lore has it that more specifically the appellation was applied by the NY Skyliners when one of their members wondered at just where Winnek Post American Legion was located as the corps was starting to attract attention with the quality of their musicianship. "Oh, they are from somewhere in 'appleknocker land' ", referring to rural upstate NY.