danfitz

Maybe another Sunriser?

LOL - I'm sorry! I (incorrectly) thought this cat was out of the bag!

Holy cow! I went to the last page when I logged in, and after I made my initial reply, I went back page by page to read about other GWs. Still didn't get there! I didn't know there was all this stuff too! I have to address the topic of what horns I played on what chart, though. On "4th Floor Walkup" I was playing a DEG two valve G-F french horn, and later an Olds Ultratone 2 valve G-F french horn. On "West Side Story" I was playing a Getzen Titleist G-D/slide french horn. The most impressive thing about the latter was what a great job Ray did in writing that chart (and solo) in a key that worked very well on that horn. Here's something not widely known in regard to "4th Floor Walkup": I picked the thing off of Bill Watrous' 33-1/3 RPM vinyl record album, a few notes at a time, playing the record at 16-2/3 RPM (talking book speed) and writing them down. Laborious! It was cool that my turntable did this! I realized that half speed playback is half "cycles per second", i.e. one octave lower. I didn't have a keyboard, but I had a guitar, and this turned out to be better for me. When I figured out what notes I wanted to be playing on the horn, i.e. what key to be in, I tuned my guitar to match that key, and played the notes along with the record. It worked for me.

Ray Fallon mentioned in an email to me that I was the subject of a "Guess Who"in DCP, so I logged in to check it out. You are all too kind! I've been very lucky to have played in horn lines taught by these arrangers/instructors (in approximate chronological order): Tommy "Cargo" Brennan, Bob Jennings, Truman Crawford, Lee Wolf, Mark Fulcomer, Ray Fallon, Tony Yaklich and Larry Kerchner. The last three people in this list had written things with me specifically in mind, and that is extremely flattering! My favorite pieces to play were "West Side Story" by Ray and "Sleepy Time" by Larry. I loved playing those pieces, and I'm eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to play for and learn from these great folks! Danny Fitz

The King Frost parade ( http://www.hamburgboro.com/king_frost_parade.htm ) is in Hamburg, PA (a few miles north of Reading, PA) and is scheduled for the evening of 10/30/10. We three alumni corps (Reading Buccaneers Alumni, Emmaus Sentinels Alumni, and Schuylkill Haven Belvederes Alumni) are combining for this parade. We're inviting any interested individuals to join with us. We're going to play RBA's "America The Beautiful" and the streetbeat of the Emmaus Sentinels. Anybody interested please let me know, and we'll get you the PDF music files and other info. Thanks, Dan Fitzpatrick danfitz01@verizon.net

The "Commandant's Own" ... when they're in a "civilian" parade or doing an exhibition of their "Music In Motion" drill, they're without the "Color Guard Of The Marine Corps". However, when they participate in a "Sunset Parade" at the Marine Memorial in Arlington, VA or an "Evening Parade" at Marine Barracks, the "Pass in Review" portion of these ceremonies includes the CGOTMC (as well as two Marine rifle companies of two platoons each, one platoon being the "Silent Drill Team". I now this doesn't help, but it always struck me as interesting.

Yes, it certainly would! Interesting trivia: Sometimes, an individual Marine bugler would have this work conflict because he had "duty music" on the weekend. This meant he had to stay home and switch from dress reds to dress blues and be attached to the barracks guard section. The job required sounding all the calls of the day from "Morning Colors" to "Taps" (sometimes the day started at "Reveille" if there was a new "Officer of the Day" on duty). George Bull was sooo cool! If you had the weekend duty, you could go to George and he would give you twenty bucks, which was the going rate to get another guy to take your duty for the weekend. USMC D&B reunions always have a YR component to them. The two corps go way back. It's cool to talk to old Marines who had also marched with YR, back in the fifties. They had the same problems we did, too with getting in trouble for marching with "civilian D&Bs".

Ray, I understand what you're saying. Here's my problem, which I never could solve: I'm an alumnus of the Yankee Rebels and the Reading Buccaneers. So, I'm in two alumni corps. I have too many friends and too much history with both of them to pick one over the other. I couple of years ago, feeling I had too much drum corps in my life, just put the horn in the case, telling both corps I was leaving it there until I wanted to play it again. I wanted to do other stuff. About a year later, when I did get the itch to play again, I simply could not fathom going back to one and not to the other. So, I found myself back in both. I do however, make sure I have all the music of both corps in my head and make any rehearsal and performance I possibly can. When the inevitable conflicts occur, and I cannot do two 7/4 parades at the same time (etc.) I make the best choice I can based on which corps is better able to have me missing at that time. That has worked for me and for them. I do agree with you that when I was competing I would never have done such a thing. Except, every now and then a bunch of us Rebels had to miss a gig or a rehearsal if "The Commandant's Own" was the source of the conflict!

Does anybody know what happened to Les Diplomats? I heard there was some kind of problem at the border having to do with performing for US dollars and not being allowed to take these dollars out of the country(?) Sounds really stupid, I know! The show announcer announced their having had a problem on the way to the show, and that some of them were in attendance as spectators.

The commonly used nicknames of corps are one thing; the names used by the announcer at the start of a performance are a different thing: My junior corps was sponsored by the local AL post and the local RC church. On Saturday nights we competed in the Mayflower circuit, and were announced as "The Golden Rays from Stoughton". On Sunday afternoons we competed in the CYO circuit and were announced as "Immaculate Conception - Stoughton". One corps, two different names. There was one other difference that I remember between the two circuits: In Mayflower, the girls in the guard had hemlines just above the knees, but in CYO, they were just below the knees :-)

Ray - To this day I continue to resist the notion that I'm as good as you allege. At the most recent GAS reunion I met for the first time in my life the french horn bugler whom I idolized all through my childhood. Being in a little corps like the Golden Rays, I never got to even see Buzzy Bergdoll, let alone talk to him! Heck, my corps was busy getting beat by St Kevin's Emerald Chips. As you probably know, they were the Class "C" feeder corps to the Class "B" Emerald Gems, who were in turn the feeder corps to the Emerald Knights. My corps got to class "B" before I went into the service, but I never got to class "A". Objectively, I think Buzzy's solo in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" is the coolest thing I've ever heard on a G-D slide french horn. I also remember Pat Cavanaugh beating me at Archie's I&E show years ago; and more recently I was beaten my a young man who was an assistant DM with Bushwhackers. I don't remember his name, but I really enjoyed listening to this guy! The people in Reading are really great, as this thread has shown. I love that they don't get all full of themselves. I've never talked with any of them about some day not winning a show, but when that day comes I trust they'll handle it with grace, and continue to do what they do. Their positive attitude and love for the activity starts at the top. Jim F - I don't remember the year that Farm show was, but I'm glad it didn't become a tradition!

Ray, I was at Reading today for Friends and Family Day and somebody suggested I check out this thread. I'm glad I did. There were a lot of posts which made me laugh, and a lot of truths expressed in a spirit of friendship. Because I have known you for so long and enjoyed playing under your direction while being entertained as well, I stuck it out all the way to the current end of the thread. Early on in the thread, when I came across your "Go masticate in someone else's thread - this is my Hurc's news update." I went back to verify that the first two posts in the thread were yours, and you first uddered the word "Reading". That also made me laugh! When you started this thread, did you imagine it would get to this point? Again, I'm glad it did, because I really enjoyed all of it! Danny Fitz ps - All this "cow talk" reminded me of an indoor show in Harrisburg, at the Farm Show Arena - the venue with the same floor surface and aromas as found in a farm. It was before the show and you were running rehearsal with Boston Sr corps. The horn line were not playing up to the stands, but angling downward toward the floor somewhat. Any good instructor would have corrected the horn angles, but you did it Ray Fallon style. You said (I'm probably paraphrasing), "You can play to the cow s**t, but cow s**t don't clap!" The point was made, and the correction was effected. I enjoyed hearing that, and it reminded me how much I enjoyed playing for you!