LancerFi

Although my all time favorite would be skirt/skort with boot, one of my favorite uniforms were the late 70's BAC rifle line, all black, pants tucked in boots, with a white Waldo on their top....the 2-7 rifle line loved that uniform so much (as well as that rifle line) that we bought the t-shirt that was all black with the white Waldo and we'd try to wear them together under our uniforms. Even though I've heard they despised us back during that time, it probably spilled over from the 60's - we loved them! Also loved their 2002 uni. I also loved BD's guard in their 80 uniform, which was most likely their 79 uniform....just class....the last 2 years of BD grew on me and I ended up loving them. I didn't really like many of what I call the bridesmaid era? But what came after such as the simple red Phantom uni, or the all black on SCV....both seem so classy - like the classic "little black dress"...you just can't lose. Of course although I hate to admit it I did love the uniform I got to wear the 5 years I marched with 2-7, but with skirts, not pants, although with either I believe it puts such height on everyone. I am sad I never thought even in 94 to try the aussie hat on. Both of my sisters marched prior to the red jacket and both wore aussies, I just wished I had tried one on when I was younger.... I've always loved the cadet style uniforms, but also loved the Troopers' guard uniform in the 60's and early 70s. There are probably so many I'm forgetting, there are just so many great ones!

Prior to sabers having rubber tips, etc. and a very long time ago, maybe 1970, a girl in a guard in the east was killed when she threw her saber up and for some reason it came down vertically and went into her neck, I believe right into the jugular. I think she died almost instantly, her Dad was there and I believe she also had siblings marching. This is the only death I've ever heard of attributed to the weapons that we used. I know it's a shocking story but I do believe her sisters still marched after that, and the parents knew it was just a horrible accident. I wish I could remember what guard and what year. My Dad who was involved in drum corps was a professional worrier, and he was just as happy that I was a rifle after that happened. Not that you couldn't be knocked out by a rifle, or whatever, but it just shocked everyone and people were so saddened by it. I've had minor pains in my hands and fingers which is only natural when you're whipping that rifle around, and the higher it goes, the harder it comes down, callouses are also common even with a full gloves. But I never wanted to go out and get a real gun, and never even thought of it in that context until the 1980 Olympics when it became an issue. I think it would be a great loss to drum corps if weapons were no longer used....I hope it goes the other way and they begin to use them as much as we did!

It's so nice to still be on a list 22 and 23 years later. W O W !

Sorry, I'm in overload and don't remember what I was saying nor what this thread was about. The effort we would expend trying to figure this one out may not be worth it! :P

She wasn't really like the "best" or had a very important "solo" part....it was just something thrown out there in the Bridgemen sort of way. Yes, she did have wavy curly hair come to think of it! CNAL-I believe you may have misunderstood me. I wasn't talking about talent level, they only show her for about 8-10 seconds on the "Brass Roots Vido" pretending to play a horn! I'm thinking I'll have to get the 82 DVD now when I pick my 5, but I only have 1 more day to get a free one don't I???? And I would rather have 83 for the Cadets. But this girl doesn't need support.... from my perspective. I wasn't talking about her talent! As far as I'm concerned, anyone that ever marched has got talent! Just to be able to make it through 1/2 of the things they asked us to do takes talent! As well, it takes a certain talent to figure out that drum corps is a good thing and will play a big part in your life and will most likely be one of the most memorable things you've done! When I was in high school they used to call anyone who marched "twinkies" 2 or 3 years later when we were practicing down on Revere Beach those same people (the clic/click?) happened to stop to see what was going on...after seeing the guard warm up, and then just 1 run through their jaws dropped and one of the more nastier guys said to me "I take it all back, I wouldn't even want to arm wrestle you" - You know he was the usual "captain of the football team type"... How the heck did I get from "well endowed" to here I'll never know...oh my, I'm old...sorry about that - in this case the I'm with stupid should be pointing at me...... :P

Great points Sue! I did forget to add one thing and that is, if at all possible, at rehearsals, try to put your stonger members up front. There is a lot of incentive not only for timing but wanting to emulate the strongest people in the guard. Yes it is a little bit of competition, but it's your own competition to be the best you can be, or at least try to emulate a very strong guard member. Whether it's a pyramid, file, whatever, there is a big incentive to keep up as it were, or go home and get it right! Zingali used to pull people out to show the whole corps (from a marching standpoint) and sometimes just the guard (equipment or body) how it was supposed to be done. A little embarrassing, and there were snickers here and there from people who had been there longer, but longer doesn't necessarily mean better! The heel toe or roll comes to mind as well as the high mark time without either of your heels ever touching or barely touching the ground. This done correctly would give no head bobbing what so ever due to the even weight distribution. Looonnggg stttoooorrryyy.... B)

May I add something that Ralph Pace once told us? Paraphrasing here: Practice does not make perfect...if you are practicing it incorrectly... Practice makes permanent - if you are practicing something incorrectly, it will always be incorrect, if you're practicing with technique, emotion, correctly, etc. then practice will make pemanent something close to perfect. But, I'm forgetting there is no tick system, so there is no need to go through each count and see where the hands/feet/head are supposed to be....I guess the above used to make sense, but in this day of judging...it may not matter. Anyway, from about 11 on, while at home I did basics, basics, basics that built up my arms. Also, for the 11 years I marched, I was one of the only left handed rifles , so I would also add that you should learn to throw out of both hands, rather than turn around like guards do now. You'll be a stronger rifle, and hey, maybe it will catch on again..... :P And if you find something you're weak at, practice that much, much more...I was 5'5" and weight 102 when I marched in 2-7 and prior to that in the Reveries was maybe 85 pounds...so to build up, I did my tosses when alone or during breaks from parallel-(straight across)-to get a triple and quad or even a 5 from there really can build some stamina, also out of both hands! However, I don't believe I did a 5 ever that way! I find the flag the most difficult, so I won't add anything to that. For saber, it seemed to me, once I knew how to spin a rifle, oh did that saber come naturally....albeit a litte too much emphasis, back then sabers were supposed to have finesse. And as far as dance, well that's all Japanese to me...not really, but we'll leave it at that..... ^0^ I only have my experience to draw on, that's why it's all about me - what I mean is I can only tell you in my terms how I did it....hope some of this helps... Hi Sue!!! Good luck to all who are beginning! Nancy Scopa-Vetrano

No, the young lady I'm seeing can not be the person you're talking about, I don't think. The well endowed part is missing...unless I go by a different standard...

The one I see is blonde with wavy/curly hair and it's back! For some reason I had thought that was from like 1992 or something....and I thought it was a different corps.....why, I don't know....

OK, I have that on video, I believe it's in the Brass Roots Vid, does she have gold on with a black hat? A very beautiful girl indeed!

CNAL - Back to the Videos for Me!!!

Beth who? I only know of Diane Brady, we were both captains in 80, she for more years than I, and through a friend - Jim Jordan. I also have a friend who's very good friends with Dawn R. and her husband Russell. Do you remember Dawn and Russell?

Jenn, sounds like pretty fast thinking to me, great idea!

I really enjoyed breaking my baby toe in Port Huron, MI in 1980...at the end of the first number there was a short drum break where the flags threw backwards over the rifles heads, the 2nd flip was a 5 with the flags behind us throwing from back to front, (both blind tosses) we caught the rifle kneeling down, unfortunately mine didn't get the last 1/2 revolution and I caught with the right hand and the rifle scraped the ground and slammed into my boot and my baby toes just cried and cried. There is no cure for a broken toe, maybe there is now, that was the Jurasic era, but we had a show the next day in Canada...loved marching with 1 boot and 1 black sock.....especially during retreat giving commands, um I kind of stuck way out.... The Scouts people should really enjoy those 2 blind rifle tosses as they were the first corps to beat us in 1980 as a hurricane came through Malden, MA. I asked Zingali if we could forego that last toss or make it a quad or a triple? Of course we couldn't....we dropped 9 rifles on that 1 toss....and the Scouts beat us...by 4 or 5 tenths...it was made into a quad after that!!! Sorry just checked the score it was 76.35 to 76.40...not 4 or 5 tenths But that was a looooooooooooooong time ago!

This is about a contra bass, but I'll add it anyway. Cliffy White won I & E at 1980 nationals playing Flight of the Bumblebee on contra, would that be something just that wouldn't work in 2003???

What year/years did this happen? I'll tell you, it would never have happened when I marched, more like we'd be getting the special treatment, B) boots shined, uniforms picked up off the van for us prior to show time....it's a different world.... You were a very lucky member to find a guard like that....first time I've heard of this side of any guard, but I was in the "militant" guards, so you can't go by this old lady!! It did also help to bring a few Best Guard Trophies home..... ^0^

Thank you Stephen, I appreciate you responding!

Not only were Boston's uniforms/costumes chic, but they in no way distracted from the corps uniforms which seems to happen sometimes. They also seemed to look very nice on everyone, and cream/off white/or white with gold is just classic in my book, even a little bit of gold! Then to add to that, the white was needed in the living American Flag. It was just a winner all around! My 2nd choice which really may have none of the above was BD. I may be one of the only people where both 2001 and 2002s uniforms actually grew on me. Of course it helps when 99% of your guard is in the shape they're in and can dance and move like they do, but I digress.... LancerFi

I didn't get to read the whole article. Did he mention Bridgemen dancing on tables in the late 70s or very early 80's? The mind is going-the years are melding into one... Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter who did it when. I'll have to ask someone what year that was, unless someone here knows?? LancerFi 27th Lancers I.C. Reveries