CANDRUMMER

Shouldn't that be FOXTROT-TANGO-FOXTROT-YANKEE?????

Anyone from the 60's 70's era remember the ARC CARRIER? Theywere used for bass drums and triples "back in the day" Simple construction of a "Y" shape aluminium frame padded with 3 inch foam rubber that fitted over your shoulders from the back with two nylon adjustable straps.It put tthe weight of the drum or drums more on your back area than forward in the front like todays carriers.

At the recent year end party and Awards Night Friday Dec 9 the NIAGARA MEMORIAL MILITAIRES ALUMNI DRUM CORPS handed out 5 Year Service Awards to 5 current members Hornline members Don Price-Jerry Gautreau-Art Blanchfield-Don Toy, Drumline member Dave Preston. Sylvia Preston from the Glock section was given a "SPECIAL APPRECIATION" Award for her behind the scenes work with the Corps. Bill Muir a drumline member was awarded the JAMES L. DAVIES Memorial Award for his outstanding work with the Corps BINGO. Jim Davies was the founder of the original Corps back in 1949.The original Corps folded in 1964. Don Toy and Bill Muir both mentioned above marched in the original Corps. The Militaires have capped off another successful season with the aquisition of new uniforms and jackets, a number of new members and a 13 parade season from June to December. The Corps is standing down now until January 10 when we go "back to work" in preperation for the 2012 parade season. The Militaires would like to wish all our fellow Alumni Corps on both sides of the border a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS-HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I might be showing my age and perhaps bias but I HATE that word "tech" when it comes to INSTRUCTING!

You want a "tilt" use a SLING!!!!

For us old guys in Alumni Corps who didnt have the "luxury" of carrying back breaking snares or multi toms and grew up humping a 12x15 OR 12X16 snare or SINGLE tenor with a sling and leg rest it's tradition as well what WE are COMFORTABLE with!!! Ive tried playing flat with shorter sticks and just couldnt get it to work. Wonder how many DCI or DCA snare players could play as well, as fast playing on an angle with a sling and leg rest and the drum bouncing around. Most of us old farts didnt get play on nice flat ASTROTURF!!, most times it was a cow pasture aka football field with ruts divits pitchers mounds at times, no "glide and slide" on those fields!! In a nutshell its what you are used to or comfortable with.

We have 8 14'' DYNASTY "WEDGE MODEL" Snares and 1 DYNASTY 24'' Bass Drum for sale. All are black with silver hardware.Price includes drums-carriers-cases. Used less than 1 year. Asking $2,500.00 obo plus S/H from Niagara Falls NY

Great anology of WHY we do what we do. How many of the "youngster" Corps do parades any more??? Our Corps up here in Ontario marches through heat-cold-snow etc. to perform for ourselves AND the public. Just wish one thing though, that ALL parade routes are FLAT NO HILLS lol!!!!

We have a DYNASTY 24'' Black bass drum for sale Used ONCE Honest!!! Comes with carrier and case.Asking $350.00 OR will trade for a set of quads IN GOOD COND!!!

Corps in Canada Peterborough KRESCENDOS OYB Lamplighters Jungle Kings Marionettes Welland TROJANS Even one of Canada's greatest Corps was named after a building!! PRESTON SCOUT HOUSE!!!!! The Scout House was where they practiced and the HQ for the "Band"

Maybe not so much in San Fran though!!!!!!!!!!

I started out in one as well in Hamilton Ontario back in the early 60's,later took over teaching the drumline and guard in the 70's. It was attached to the Canadian Football League team here in town Hamilton Tiger-Cats hence the name Hamilton Tigerettes Baton and Drum Corps.The drumline would also augment the Marching Band for the team as well. BDC were big in Ontario HAMILTON FLASHETTES,SCARBOROUGH LIONS, BRAMALEA LIONAIRES,WELLAND ROSETTES,GRIMSBY SPINADETTES,SOUTH CENTER RANGERETTES,DALEWOOD DIABALOS, to mention a few. The drumlines were usually taught by guys in the local Sr.Drum and Bugle Corps. We had snare tenor bass cymbals and glocks. Met my wife of 38 years because of the Corps she was a twirler me a drummer.

Gas is now $1.35 per litre so multiply that by 4 and you get roughly $5.40 a gal. Although our Can. gal. is a it bigger than the US gal. its still BLODDY EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try Precision Drum Company.They make them.

You have said the rope has been replaced but WHAT type of rope is it? Many people used sashcord a cheap rope you can buy at a hardware store. Although inexpensive it does not keep tension very well and stretches very easily. Best bet as mentioned before is COOPERMANS,CARROLS DRUM SERVICE ,DRUMMERS HERITAGE or any other rope drum repair service. Most drum shops if any would know how to PROPERLY set up a rope drum. Using tennis racquet strings will give you a "THIN" snare sound not the deep gut sound you would get from proper gut again which you can get from Cooperman etc. Reroping a drum is not hard.The hardest part is making the 'PIGTAIL" at the end. But like anything else comes with practice.

Ive used FINALE PRINT MUSIC for years.Never had a problem with it.

Many of the Alumni Corps drum sections up here in Canada including the one I teach still use single tenors. Its part of our "heritage" if you will the same way the "pit" is part of the heritage for anyone involved from the 80's on. Our snares are 12x15 10 lug "Super Classics" aka Challengers now, our tenors are same 12x15 but have 8 lugs to give a lower sound. Oh yeah we use SLINGS!!!!!!!!!! Nothing like a crisp rudimental streetbeat augmented by a tenor drum section IMHO!!!

Its too bad the Drum Companies won't make an Alumni Corps drum thats designed as in the past similar to the Ludwig Challenger or Slingerland TDR. Us old guys have a hard time lugging those heavy buggers.Add the carrier and ya got more weight. We use 10 lug snare and 8 lug tenor LUDWIG "SUPER CLASSICS" aka Challengers in our Alumni Corps with SLINGS!!! Tracked em down on EBAY had them recovered in red sparkle look, sound GREAT!! What a drum should sound like IMHO if you want that "traditional" sound.

What he said!!!!!

For bass drums use TRIXON Field Series II. They are very light and VERY affordable. They can be bought at JIM LAAB MUSIC in Wisc. They come 18'' and up.We have 2 in our Alumni Corps and they sound great!!! Price INCLUDES the carrier as well.

Now that I think about I always wondered WHY Yamaha DIDN'T make 2 Valve "Gs" they made everything else!!!