ED FAMULARE

Hello DCP People, My name is Ed Famulare and I'm an "old time" drum corps person (mid 1950's) and have recently been drawn back to the Drum Corps World--not as a member, but just an interested party. Drum corps was a BIG part of my life up until arouind 1969-70 when I had to give it up due to family and job committments. Unfortunanely I haven't been involved since. I was a member in several corps over the years but spent most of my active drum corps life with the Dumont Police Cadets in Jersey. We lived in St. Albans, NY where I had a two week stint with the St. Catherine Queensmen, under the tuteledge of horn instructor and fantastic "Caballero" solo soprano hornplayer Bill Hayes (of "Cherry Pink" fame). My family moved to Jersey in 1955 (Dumont) and shortly thereafter I heard about and joined the Dumont Police Cadets as a "plebe" playing baritone. I was shocked at the first practice I went to and saw that Bill Hayes was the instructor. (small world isn't it?!). From there I played french horn and later solo soprano. I played with Dumont until they broke up around 1962-63 (after winning the Circuit Championship). When Dumont broke up they sort of merged with Fairlawn Cadets but several of us were against that and went our seperate ways. I had many offers to go with the Big Boys--Blessed Sac, Garfield, Hawthorne, etc. but passed them by. I was always an "underdog" kind of guy and wound up playing solo soprano with the C-W Townsmen and occasionaly with the Hackensack parade corps, Harry B. Doremus. I eventually joined the Skyliners around 1969 playing solo soprano under the famous Hy Drietzer!! What an arranger he was, one of the greatest!!! Again, family and job committments forced me out of the drum corps world and I've been disconnected with it since then. Drum corps has come a long, long, way since the "one valve G bugle" days when I was active and I have mixed feeling on it. The present day music and drills are fantastic but have lost their military spit and polish that I grew up with. I still enjoy it, but still yearn for the old fashioned stuff I grew up with. If anyone out there remembers the old days and corps I was affiliated with please reply and we can chat. Ed Famulare Naples, Florida