cin4057

What a wonderful time I had. Got myself lost on the way. I saw quite a bit of New Jersey. LOL I never want to see New Jersey again! Thought I'd never get out! I'd had practice with The Music Express the previous evening and crashed at a members home. Thank you again Deb. How I got lost is still in question. LOL I guess I blinked and missed a turn. Reading Buccs. Alimni put on a spectacular show this weekend. It was held at the Twin Valley High School in Elverson Pa. featuring Buccaneers Alumni Buccaneers Brass Band Yankee Rebels Skyliners DCA Corps Reilly Raiders Skyliners Alumni Jersey Surf DCI Junior Corps Music Express And the DCA 2005 Champions, The Reading Buccaneers What a spectacularly rounded line-up. Way to go Buccs.! Having arrived late I missed warm ups with the Yankee Rebels,Mybad!, but I did arrive in time to dash into the school and head straight for the stage to warm up with the Music Express. That was no fun. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I really like arriving early. Much more relaxing. My hands shook.~crap~ The whole Reading staff was warm and inviting and had a very satisfying buffet prepared. It was like Thanksgiving dinner. Having the whole family together. I sometimes stand in these rooms and look around at the faces, wondering at how I could walk up to any one of them and strike up a conversation. With a perfect stranger. It's one of the things I like best about drum corps. I really hope that the young people involved in drum corps today appreciate,WHY, the alumni do the things that they do. I hope that they realise that one day they to will be,"clears throut",how they say...HAS BEENS. I'd really like to hear their input. I really loved seeing 3 generations of drum corps in the same show. DCI, DCA and Alumni. There seemed to be a very good audiance turn out. Personnaly I didn't get to see much of the show. I totally missed the DCI and DCA performances.~DARN~ Having arrived late I thought it important to practice.Get focused and all that crap. I hope noone thought I was a snob. I pretty much wandered alone that evening. Just feeling the atmosphere. It was really nice.The weather was perfect.The rain held off. I would like to add that, Larry Kerchner passed up attending his induction into the New Jersey Drum Corps Hall of Fame cerimony. on this evening so he could lead Yankee Rebels and Music Express as our director. We appreciate his sacrifice. It ment alot to us. Thank you again Larry and congratulations. Your honors are well deserved. Maybe someone else who attended can fill in the blanks. Fran? What'd ya think buddy? He MCed for us.

Great responce. I couldn't have said it better. I liked the "Tribal entity" part. LOL I think that the music selections are extreemly important in a drum corps performance. I understand that the difficulty of the music is important in the judgeing, but the audiance has to be given careful concideration. Any drum corps, has to strive to touch their audiance. You want that music to bring a lump to their throut or make them jump out of their seat. You especially want to make that audiance walk out of that stadium whisteling your music. VERY IMPORTANT! If you cant do that then you've lost. It doesn't matter what the judges say. The recognisability of the music can be very important. But if it's not something the audiance knows at least make them cry or make their heart pound with excitement.

It's pretty cool, Huh?

From my short experiance with a DCA corps I know how all consuming it is. I lasted 7 months till my muscles cried "Enough already!" LOL For what ever reason we have to, stand down, and get back to the real world. Drum corps will always be there waiting. Some of you go for years without a break and you all owe it to yourselves to do so, from time to time. Just take a year off and relax. No guilt. They'll survive without you.

I'll be at rehearsal on the 7th. Bummer. Please keep me up to date.

Some of you have left drum corps, but... No matter how much time passes, you will more than likely get sucked back into the line. Keep in mind all you folks with health ailments, there is always alumni corps. All ya gotta do is sit on your but and do a few parades, if ya can. It's all good. We'll be waiting for you. Genevieve, I feel fortunate to have heard you play. If you never pick up a horn again it would be a SIN. You'll burn in ####.LOL You have a gift. Dont ever forget it.~grins~

Drum corps families. I've felt that way all my life. All 48 years. When I was away from the activity, life just wasn't the same. I feel complete now that I'm back. Home. Of course my family is bigger than your family. ~grins~ I remember dreaming as a kid of living in a housing development solely for drum corps people.~grins~ Now I'm thinking more along the lines of a retirement home for drum corps nuts. LOL Yea I know. I'm sick with it!~grins~

I'm gnashing my teeth as well. Next to The Harrisburg,Serenade In Brass I really look forward to the first taste of DCA, in Wildwood. I got a look see at the Cabs. in Harrisburg. For the season opener they were in fine form. Not counting the fact that they were nearly naked! No uniforms. It was quite starteling to see them out of uniform.~gasps~ Well of course they had cloths on! Tee shirts and black pants. But with that Cabs pride thing, they got going on. They must have FELT naked.~grins~

In my experiance, a person can learn to play anything if they have a strong enough desire."If it's to be, it's up to me" and all that. I am a very good example. I found using a tape recorder to be a very good tool in learning how to play my bari. I not only have the music recorded but the instruction as well. Start off in an alumni corps for starters, These corps are full of veterans who will gladly show her the way. If she can sing, so to speak, she'll know. If not, start her off in the cymbol line. See where she feels RIGHT.There is no shame in not having the lip. Some do and some don't.There is a place for anyone who has the will to perform in a drum corps. In this way she will see and learn thruout the year. She'll attend alumni shows as well as DCA. As she gains experiance she'll then be able to better decide what DCA corps to AUDITION for. nufsaid in that respect. The most important thing, is to, JUST HAVE FUN. That's really what it's all about. Lastly, don't ever get frustrated. It's a useless emotion in drum corps.It's all about music and the companionship of people who will come to be like family to you one day. The best kind of family. My happy place. LOL

I'm happy to say I was able to attend the performance in Harrisburg. Even though I wasn't feeling all that swell. I really look forward to this particular show. I can't believe I sat thru the WHOLE thing! MAN did it seem long.~giggles~ How cool was Westshore? I look forward to hearing them all year. Once a year is so mean! ~grins~But well worth the wait. I wish all alumni corps had the range of ages that are present in this corps. Very well rounded. What about that contra line? Very cool. Getting to see Cabs. sr. corps was a real treat. Poor babies didn't have their uniforms yet. The whole corps must have felt naked. LOL It seemed redundant in light of their great show this year. The music is in the grand style of Hawthorne. You guys haven't let us down. Who can guess what my favorite song is? My favorite drum corps song of ALL time! I really and truly can not wait till Rochester. To see your show in all it's glory. I think I smell some winning music. Of course I might just be biased because you're playing my song. LOL Seriously I got the Crawford ear. I know good music when I hear it.. It's this gift I have. In the blood. If I get goose bumps. nufsaid. The Naval Acadamy D&B is another corps that gave me goosebumps. I dug the HECK~grunts~ out of your performance. Very, very cool! Now I'm really sorry I missed the compatition there that rainy day. DARN! I was sick that day. Thank you so very much for those rightious seats. Almost on the 50. LOL My friend Bea sends her thanks as well. We sat next to two of the dearest old alumni. These old gentlemen were like the Odd couple. Felix and Oscar. What a delight to listen to their bickering and banter all night. LOL But you could see the love.Still makes me giggle to think of them. What a good memory this show will be. It was a full house and to those of you that blew this show off. ~grunts~ ~shakes head~ You really blew it.

I'm happy to say I was able to attend the performance in Harrisburg. Even though I wasn't feeling all that swell. I really look forward to this particular show. I can't believe I sat thru the WHOLE thing! MAN did it seem long.~giggles~ How cool was Westshore? I look forward to hearing them all year. Once a year is so mean! ~grins~But well worth the wait. I wish all alumni corps had the range of ages that are present in this corps. Very well rounded. What about that contra line? Very cool. Getting to see Cabs. sr. corps was a real treat. Poor babies didn't have their uniforms yet. The whole corps must have felt naked. LOL It seemed redundant in light of their great show this year. The music is in the grand style of Hawthorne. You guys haven't let us down. Who can guess what my favorite song is? My favorite drum corps song of ALL time! I really and truly can not wait till Rochester. To see your show in all it's glory. I think I smell some winning music. Of course I might just be biased because you're playing my song. LOL Seriously I got the Crawford ear. I know good music when I hear it.. It's this gift I have. In the blood. If I get goose bumps. nufsaid. The Naval Acadamy D&B is another corps that gave me goosebumps. I dug the HECK~grunts~ out of your performance. Very, very cool! Now I'm really sorry I missed the compatition there that rainy day. DARN! I was sick that day. Thank you so very much for those rightious seats. Almost on the 50. LOL My friend Bea sends her thanks as well. We sat next to two of the dearest old alumni. These old gentlemen were like the Odd couple. Felix and Oscar. What a delight to listen to their bickering and banter all night. LOL But you could see the love.Still makes me giggle to think of them. What a good memory this show will be. It was a full house and to those of you that blew this show off. ~grunts~ ~shakes head~ You literally blew it.

I'll be performing with Music Express for this show. I'm gonna feel like an imposter up there. LOL Seeing as how I've only been playing for a year and a half. So far I'm perfectly comfortable with the music. I'll be good to go by july 1st. Aw man, I can't wait. Gonna be soooo cool. See ya.

Anyone got a spare room on their block? At the Crown Plaza? I hate the thought of having to drive to the Days Inn? ~pouts~

Very nice to have met you as well Fran. Sorry I missed meeting you Tony.Heck, we probubly bumped shoulders and didn't realise it. LOL It was a busy day at the Stinger. I had a blast playing Yankee Rebels and Music Express's music. Especially M.E.. That music is so fun to play! I feel so honored to be playing with such outstanding musicians. I'm humbled. I'm really looking forward to this weekends entertainment. It'll be nice to sit back and enjoy the show for a change. I have 2 tickets waiting for me, hopefully at the U.S.N.A. table

We should decide where to meet with each other this weekend at Harrisburg. Whoever is coming. I still need to see about a ticket. OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG! That would really stink to get all the way up there, only to find out, sold out. LOL I can see me now with my ear glued to the outer door. Listening. There is always the after party. ~sighs~ Hmmm, how often have you ever heard of a drum corps alumni exhibition being sold out? It doesn't sound very likely.

Where sit ups are concerned. You don't have to pull yourself all the way to a sitting position. just go up half way and back. keep it up untill you can go up all the way. Personnaly I really don't think you need to. Either way you're still working your abdomenal muscles. Just remember you're breathing. There are other techniques. Sit back against a hard surface hands behind head and sit /lay back and then up.Good for at work. There is also an exercise ball. A ball as high as your knees. Sit on it, hands behind head, sit/lay back while pushing and pulling back and forth with feet. This exercise is spine friendly. You work more muscle groups as well. You'll find these in arobics classes.

Exactly! When I was on parade with Reading in 2004, our street beat was not to my liking. It got you confused and out of step. It wasn't just me. I've been listening and bopping along to street beats all my life. It was their schtic. I wasn't crazy about it at all. I remember the first time I heard it and wondered WTF is that?

Personnaly I like to see the whole thing. Ya just never know what you're gonna miss. I've grown to have a greater respect for what everyone endures to make their show the best. As painfull as that may be to listen to sometimes. LOL I have a problem with expecting perfection. Something that was bred into me. No disrespect. I'll be in Rochester. Looking forward to playing for everyone. I'm really improving. I'm playing with Larry Kirchners Music Express now. It's really awsome sitting there with all those Hall of Famers. But I'm not at all intimidated. I grew up around all of these people. I do want to impress them. I can't deny that.

There's nothing better than a good street beat. I can remember as a kid going to bed at night after a contest, with some good street beat in my head, to put me to sleep. My head would ring with the sounds that I'd just heard all the way out of the stadium and stay with me for days. The roar of the crowd. The music. Street beat has always had a signiture sound to me. You always new who was coming by their beat. But change is cool.Especially if it was good. Tap, tap, tapping bores the heck out of me. Irritates me. The alumni face the challanges of old bones. Parades can become a problem with wrists. I have the greatest respect for our seniors. Which I'm soon to become one of. LOL To have been on top of the game and to become hindered by age. Sucks. But hey! We're still DOIN' it. LOL God! It's so much fun. It's worth the pain.

LOL

Has beens and wannabes? I find them both offensive discriptions of drum corps lovers. It's always been THE most rewarding and remarkably exciting past times I have ever been around. Weather I was watching or participating. I don't care how good you are. WE are all in this for pretty much the same reason. It's in our blood. Let's not loose sight of that.

Has this idea died out entirely or what?

It was a truly remarkable show last year. We couldn't have asked for better weather. I can still see everyone rehearsing thruout that wonderful little park engulfed by these wonderful old buildings. This was to be one of my first performances with the Rebels. God! It felt so good. The best part of all? I wasn't at all nervous. I was with friends. The Marines performed as well. I was especially proud to perform for them. The party afterwards was within walking distance. And well worth the walk. A grand reunion indeed. In true drum corps style. I'm sad to not be performing there again this year as the Rebels had played there the last 2 years. But I'll be there to once again experiance the wonderful atmosphere of this must see, Serenade In Brass.

That show in Gettysburg is very nice. A beautiful setting all around. Plus the Marines are there in force. The D&B usually performs.You will see some very remarkable armored vehicles. As well as some military fighter 'copters. Afterwards the birds fly off to Seamuses for steaks and beers. D&B and armored vehicles to. LOL What a sight. Dad would always be in charge of serving up the beans at Seamuses steak and beer parties. I'm hoping to make it up to the next A.F.D&B reunion.

I can imagin how shocked you must have been. To actually hear the phrase "drum and bugle corps" said in the real world. LOL To hear any mention of drum corps on the radio or television is not an everyday occurance. No. Strike that. It just isn't something you hear, except for maybe once or possibly twice in a life time. I know! I'm exaggerating. But only a little. It's the saddest thing.