AlanAndreasen

Dutch Boy - always one of my favorites. Come back strong - you will be missed this year.

Aerobed is awesome. Now selling at half-price. Aerobed

During my years I marched (rope tensioned, pig skin head, aged 8) tenor drum, snare drum (Premier royal marine), tenors (3 drums), Bb no valve bugle (local army surplus store), Bb no valve bass bugle, Bb trumpet (B & H - the cheapest available), a G (yes a G) piston/rotor baritone, Bb baritone, Eb tuba, and finally a Bb tuba. The best time I ever had was marching tuba - until Sunday, April 11th, 2010.

Ha! The oldest is a high school freshman (he's gung-ho), the middle child is in 7th grade and on the fence, and the youngest she's only ten. Those are the three I know about He-He-He.

I found corps in 83 and have loved every minute. I'm a start to finish watch every corps viewer. Every show teaches me something new. That's what brings me back and this year I have at least one child marching their rookie year. Doesn't get any better than that.

1983 Marion, Ohio. OMG talk about a depressed community. The first time I ever saw houses that were leaning. Also, the same year, Miami. When the gym lights were turned on the floor moved - a buhzillion bugs and none of them small. We were warned by the cops not leave the building if we could help it. Butler, PA 86 & 87 we stayed in an old fire house (at the time functioning as an armory)no field; no showers; one toilet; one sink.

Actually, I did. I remember going on a school field trip to London and to McDo's for the first time. I took the paper tray liner home and hung it on my bedroom wall. That may have been the first time I ever ate a burger - a BigMac - what an introduction. I think that was about the time Pizza Hut hit the old country. By the time I was 19 I was managing a high-end burger restaurant. Late night got to be a drag with Oxford being a college town with drunken students rolling out of the pubs after last call.

As my daughter would say with major attitude... Well, Duh, Boo.

Jack did 8 months of marching band/pep band - free. Other than a pair of black socks.

The money thing worries me. This family has three potential world class marchers (at the same time). Children of two college educated parents. It won't be a free ride by any means for them but at today's prices we're talking about finding at least 6K.

I've been called worse. Ha!

Could be 20 - wouldn't a championship toe ring be way cool!

Two things you will never hear from serious fans... "Why is she dancing with that hat, why, why's she dancing dancing with that hat?" (Garfield at the Moline show) "Why are they called the Blue Devils?" Response "Because they're dressed in blue."

I am so with you. Hey, anyone who marched under JJ can't be wrong. I can still hear your space chords. LOL.

Slightly OT but at least it has to do with rain... 1971 (I was 10) I never marched in the rain. The rest of the group did, me Nah. Why? I played a rope tensioned tenor drum with pig skin heads. Water + pig skin = mush.

You know, this only turns players against each other. I've seen it. Who is the weakest player? Cut 'em... (If you want me to name names then pm me) I worked with an A60 drum line that graduated individuals who eventually marched Madison, BAC, PR, and the world champion 89 SCV. They all got be where they wanted to be and without a push up. There was one guy who was a time bomb. For three years he ticked beyond all imagination. He knew it, he worked at it, and yes to our surprise he made a top 12 snare line. Do you honestly think he'd have stuck with it if the whole line had to drop every time he ticked? There are folks that marched with him that were way more skilled and they remember him fondly because he made it happen. There is a lot more to drum corps than being the "least suckiest." I'm sorry if I come across as being preachy, although, really I'm not sorry. This is my two sons' rookie year and one is sailing through and the other is not quite cutting it. They both know it - not one push up will change anything. Same genetics, go figure. Ha!

My 0.2 Yes, I'm literally a wet back liberal. But here it comes anyway... instructors are teachers. If they don't get that then they don't deserve to be there. At the most fundamental level teachers do this "This is what I see, this is where I'd like you to be, this is how you can get there, and (here's the most important part) please trust me." And if you're thinking I'm one of those who believes "They're all winners" - I don't. I still love it that BAC slams their horns into the buckle. My two sons have been to their first two camps this past month. In my opinion, they will return because they were treated with respect (one could march wherever he wants and the other is busting his gut to stay in step). If they were treated poorly there is no way they would return. Again, my 0.2

I would have to say that corps really go out of their way to help international potential marchers limit their costs. My personal experience is that when marchers cross an ocean or a continent they really, really want to be here. They are people who (quite often) have spent years working hard for a shot at this amazing activity. They pack their lives into one or two suitcases, jump on a plane, and throw themselves headfirst into an adventure. In the 90's I had the opportunity to encourage members to come and march from England and the Netherlands. If nothing else, the cultural exchange was amazing. A bunch of small town, midwestern, young adults became life-long friends with folks who grew up 5,000 away. Any corps director worth anything gets this. I take it you have an EEC passport. Into the US this should allow you any visit for "pleasure" (Ha!) for up to 6 months. You've started your journey the right way. I wish you all the luck in the world, but I'm also guessing you'll not going to need it. Oh, and if we ever meet, lunch is on me.

Gotta say this, and I am a huge fan of both corps... Crown 09 (green?), and SCV 93 (chicken **it yellow - on the drum trim too!). Just baaaad.

I know some folks that have left letters on the field. Wouldn't it have been great if someone had archived them. To be able to suggest to someone who doesn't "get" drum corps that they can read age-out letters and see how it shapes young adults. That would be priceless.

I'm flying out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa to London in two weeks time for $400 dollars less than 2 years ago. I'm not sure what what the cause is but US/Britain flights are currently the cheapest in at least ten years.

We're lazy so it'll probably settle out to be twenty ten. How about "two tens ten"? Ha!

Vanilla with... a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon or a teaspoonful of blackberry preserve (the kind with blackberry pieces - seeds and all)

Fruit loops and Captain Crunch. Yep, all we could eat. The Emerald Knights came from Cedar Rapids the home Quaker Oats and General Mills. Heck, we used to give cases of the stuff to corps at our home show. Oh, and cheesy peas and fried chicken. 86 & 87 we ate high off the hog. The corps was cash rich - we ate steak at least once a week, even gave ten $500 scholarships (dues were only $300), and I don't think ground beef was ever on the menu.

He doesn't smoke it anymore. Instead he makes a wonderfully refreshing herbal infusion.