Fran Haring

Even though Woodwinds is starting way outside in the #20 post position... it might have enough to get to the rail and take the lead someday.

Then perhaps crow will be served? Those dining on it will get to choose two sides. LOL

And now they're setting him loose on the community!!!

Well said!!! (I shortened the quote just to save some space.) Similar situation with the local junior corps I was in from NJ. The corps was sponsored by a church... part of the corps' official name was that of the church (Sacred Heart Crusaders). But, as you've said with the Boston situations, the sponsorship, from I recall, did not involve the church giving the corps any money. We did get a rehearsal space, and a place to park cars when we were on the road for a weekend... but no, or minimal, money. We raised cash through various fundraisers.

So... you're saying that there weren't 30,000 fans in that 20,000-seat stadium???

And a reason why senior corps came into prominence after World War II. A number of teenagers... junior-corps members... who had served during the war returned home as 20-something young adults, too old for junior corps. As a result, numerous senior corps... Hawthorne Caballeros, NY Skyliners, Reilly Raiders, Yankee Rebels, among others... arrived on the scene.

I remember my mom not being happy when service stations stopped giving out Green Stamps with a fillup.

Absolutely... the NJ band scene changed drastically from the 1960s-70s "festival bands" to dozens upon dozens of competition bands arriving on the scene.

I marched in an Eastern States corps, and I'll second that. Some shows were well-attended... we did alright with our home show in Manville, NJ, in part because we promoted it as a "town event"... something to do close to home on a summer day/evening. Lots of locals in the stands. (Including a lot of parents/relatives of the corps members.) But several other shows... a whole bunch of folks dressed up as empty seats.

That is one factor, I agree.

It might snow here in Baltimore Wednesday. I'll save any other worries for after that.

I agree. Bad = tinny, overmodulated, harsh, whatever. Good = nice sound, an enhancement rather than a distraction. The band Mike Davis worked with in NJ a few years ago.... saw them a few times at the USBands shows and they were, IMO, a good example of how to use electronics, especially for a smaller group. Never really heard any tinny, obtrusive, or "artificial" sounds from them. Especially the year or two when they used a cello in their show. 1) The young lady playing the cello was terrific, and 2) the miking was spot on.

Exactly. You and the Raricks go way back. Heck... I remember seeing Tom as a kid on stage at the Forum, playing a snare duet with his dad.

Taco night here.

I hear ya, Mike, and I agree the corps want to keep current. Can't blame them at all. I just wish there was a tad more "truth in advertising" on the rollout of any of this stuff. Instead of saying "well... you don't have to give up your G instruments"...as I remember hearing during the rollout period... perhaps "the sooner you get on board with any-key, the better off your corps will be." LOL