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JimF-LowBari

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Posts posted by JimF-LowBari

  1. Jeff:

    Great write up. This brings back lots of great memories. I do have to say that marching in the Westshoremen from 1976 - 1983 was not just marching in a drum corp it was making friends that last for a life time ( and who are more like family). I have friends that I made that I am still very close to this day. Westshore was more than a drum corp it was a family and an expierience that you never forget.

    My hats off to everyone who has kept the corp going it takes a lot of dedication and very special people. I heard that the forum show was a great success and wish I was closer and could have been a part of it (I think I still remember how to play) :) .

    Again thanks for a great article and i look forward to seeing everyone soon.

    Rick ("Ricky Lee" / Superman) Schomburg

    Westshore 1976 - 1983

    Reading 1984 - 1985

    Just wanted to second what Rick said. In the late 70s Westshore had a wide range of ages (HS to probably early 40s), economic status (had one guy who lived at the YMCA for a while), hair styles (ultra short to "Hippiefied") and just about every other difference you could think of.

    Still with all the differences we were there for the good of the corps and that's what came first. #### think Congress could take lessons off of us. For someone like myself who was in HS and college during this time it was a great lesson experience in real life. Hmm, wonder if thats part of why I'm tolerant of people with different looks or opinions. :wall:

  2. Ditto on Sun following Westshore at '80 DCA. My first year out of DC and remember a lot of PO'ed looking Sunrisers who wanted to beat Westshore that night.

    Two random memories that just poped up:

    1) Westshore DM Mark Plotz(sp?) walking reeeaaal slow up to the line of DMs for retreat. Could barely see it but he had a pigeon on one (both?) shoulder(s).

    2) Next year Westshores souvies sold a hooded sweatshirt. On the shoulder of one sleeve was the drawing of a pigeon with a 5 (for 5th place) in the middle. Sigh, gave that to Goodwill years ago as I got too fat for it.

  3. authors note....a few alumni have contacted me concerning hats in the early 80's. please feel free to correct what is here, i just went w/what Larry gave me

    :wall: Ain't getting late info fun.....

    Still got my Aussie down in the cellar, just found the gauntlets too..... :wall:

    Aaargh, something else I missed..... The Blue Devils unis were worn for the 1976 season, not bought after the season. When Westshore hosted the Jr show at Hershey in '76 we were practicing in the old BD unis when one of the Devils (literally) ran by. Guy stopped dead in his tracks, stared, then got this look on his face like "Oh yeah, wrong corps" and started running again. :P

  4. My sisters marched in the Reveries from the time they were about 13, then were charter members of 2-7....yes, they sat on the field, etc. LOL

    My sister went to one of her college classes in Doylestown, PA (near Philly) wearing a DC shirt. Her prof looked up and said "Oh, ever hear of the Reveries? I marched with them in the 60s." Sis hadn't heard of them so she asked me. I told her to ask the prof if he was part of the sit in. She asked and the prof almost fell off his chair. Turns out his last year was the year before.

    Heh, DC people show up in the strangest places.

  5. try a bigger mouthpeice. it will allow a darker thicker sound down in the depths of the 3rd part. alot of corps use schilke 51D's or 52D's. i personally prefer bach mouthpieces over schilke. dont ask why. I use a 1 !/2G for my bass t-bone and that would probably work well but i wouldnt recomend switching from the tiny 12c to the toliet bowl 1 1/2. and anyway i dont think they make those 1 1/2's in small shank so you would need a large shank baritone like a yamaha...... but dont go out and buy a yamha. PM me if you want an explanation. errr yeah go with schilke. those mouthpiece are pretty good for any bari player.

    Don't know how I missed this post for the last 6 weeks - Thanks for the explaination....

  6. How about the combined corps playing Flamenco Cha Cha G and Bb playing on the same stage together what a sound.

    Always loved the Cha Cha from back when I played in the 70s. Adrian Kreuper (sorry about the spelling) told me about the combined corps doing the song and finally I got to hear it. My wife wondered why I was drooling and repeating "Over 100 horns, over 100 horns...." :P

  7. WOW, have a response to just about every post on this..

    Gil - Thanks for the kind words. This is the first post I saw on the show and the first non-biased opinion on the show. (Section 303 was Westshore members, family and friends, not quite objective :P .)

    Strutta - thanks for the link to Fly. Hear about it at the party but hadn't searched yet. (First time on the net since before practice Sat AM.) Glad the PA National Guard didn't stop youze guyz :rolleyes:

    Fran - Finally we meet! Hope next time it will more than just for a few seconds.

    Liz - Missed ya again unless we bumped into each other at the (over priced) food line at the hotel :P

    Jamie - my wife thought Nate was 12! OMG, look at the little kid...

    I still haven't come down from the show for quite a few reasons. First performance in 19 years. First time my wife ever saw me play Drum Corps. She hung around the horn line while we warmed up and kinda got an idea of what goes on before a show. And in two weeks I go to Coatesville for my first ever Lancer show (had practice at the Hanover AL Post this afternoon).

  8. Think NorthStar from MA was a result of about five corps merging within 2-3 years. NorthStar only lasted a few years but made DCI finals during that time. Not sure if you want to consider that a success (made finals) or failure (folded anyway).

    My old (Sr) corps merged with another corps in 1959 to form Westshoremen-Bonnie Scots which helped the corps survive until the late 1990s. In this case, both corps didn't have enough members to really compete.

    My thoughts are if merging helps the corps survive, try it. <bleep> try anything, you never know what will happen until you try.

  9. First Sr American Legion Championship was 1921 at the AL National Convention. General Custer Post (Battle Creek, MI) is listed as the winner but believe the full scores have been lost for years.

    First Jr AL Champ is Baldwin Patterson (Des Moines, IA) in 1937.

    The SAL (Sons of the American Legion) corps were started as a way to get younger people involved in the AL. After all the youngest original Legion members were pushing 40 and there would never again be a big War like the one in 1914-1918. *sigh*

    I'm going on the idea that modern Drum Corps started with the WWI vets after the war. I'm sure there were competitions before that. Some early groups had drums, bugles and fifes in the group.

    Gee, can't tell that I'm into DC history can you :silly:

    Also try srcorps.com for early Sr scores.....

  10. OK, I ripped off the Capital One commercial (What's in Your Wallet?) :P

    Wondering if anyone else has any older bugles/horns that they keep around and why they still keep them. No I'm not looking to buy, just wondering if others feel the way I do about the "old metal".

    I have a 2 valve Bari that I use for home practice and Westshoremen Alumni.

    Also have single valve Bari from before World War II (see avatar). Saw it on ebay and just could not resist. b**bs Yeah I play it once in a while too B)

  11. Ryan, any idea when VK used the 2 valve Baris? I bought a 2 valver off of ebay last year that supposed was used by VK. And yes it is a King....

    Thanks in advance.

    You mean when they FIRST used 2 valvers? I would defer to Charlie Groh on that one if that's your question. I'm sure he would know. I was using a King (I hope I'm right about that...Ron Zeilinger who was my section leader would probably remember better what we had) 2 valver in 1985, and we were still 2 valve in 1987 when I aged out.

    Did I get you the answer you were looking for?

    That's fine, thank you. I remember the 2 upright valves showing up in the very late 70s in DCI but wasn't sure when the 3 valves started being used. Just trying to get a rough idea for my own benefit.

    Funny thing is in Westshoremen Alumni there is an ex-BD 2 valve Bari and my ex-VK 2 valve. Talk about opposite ends of the DC spectrum. (DCI to Alumni) :)

  12. My THIRD corps horn...was a two valve KING (????) baritone with VK, where I joined in February and stayed with 'em to the very end.

    Ryan, any idea when VK used the 2 valve Baris? I bought a 2 valver off of ebay last year that supposed was used by VK. And yes it is a King....

    Thanks in advance.

  13. feel free to ask your own "Who was that guy" I just wanna know...........

    5) Who played Alice in Madison's 1971 show??

    Director William Howards daughter Bonnie. The first (only?) female to march with the Scouts. (History of Drum Corps Vol II)

    My question is did she march the VFW Championships? Madison had a lot of non-traditional bits in that show and the VFW heads would not let the Scouts use them without being DQ'ed. :silly:

  14. Olds student trombone bought through the elementary school in 1965.

    Payments were $7 a month for 24 months for a grand total of $168 or you could buy it for $150 up front. b**bs Next year the price went up to $159 (talk about inflation). And yes I still have it. B)

  15. Back in the mid 70s, organizers were trying to start an Explorer Corps in Milwaukee and they had a set of brand new Olds Duratones. The brushed satin finish was cool, but I always had the feeling it dulled the brightness of the sound?

    You better ask someone with better ears than mine Dan :P

    Forgot to mention that we got Contras with the brushed finish the next year (1975). For quite a few years people would walk up and ask "What's wrong with your horn, it's not shiney?".

    Got a one valved Bari from ebay a few days ago (my current avatar). That horn has the brushed finish also. Never knew the brushed look was done that long ago. b**bs

  16. My original Olds student trombone from 1965 - so far three people (including me) have learned to play off this horn. Absolutly NO laquer left on this horn b**bs

    Selmer trombone from 1974 - Nice concert horn but showing its age

    Nuss trombone from 1924 or 1928 (serial #2428 ot #2824) - made in Harrisburg, PA (my hometown) - nickle or silver plated with oddly shaped mouthpiece

    Alto horn I picked up at a flea market for $20 - from Chester School District

    2 Valve Bari I picked up on ebay a few months ago. Supposedly it was used by the Velvet Knights in the mid 80s. B)

    Also play DEG 2 valve Bari in one of the Alumni corps. BIG difference in size, weight and air needed between the King and DEG. In next few months should be getting a 3 valve Bari. Now I can play the ####### A flats. :P

    Just bought a one valve (and only one valve) Bari (with mouthpiece) off of ebay. Seller thought the horn was from the 50s. Thanks to Jeff and a few other people on RAMD I found out that the horn is pre WWII vintage and probably from the 1930s. b**bs Talk about owning a piece of history. :) :) :)

  17. Madison Alumni Corps, F. E. Olds Duratone valve-rotor baritone.

    Is that the one with the brushed (satin) finish? If so I played the same type with Westshoremen in the 70s. Still have the registration cards as we got them new in 1974.

    Yes, got it on Ebay a couple months ago, from a guy in Tennessee. Not pretty, but mechanics are good.

    That's the one!!! I emailed the guy selling it to see if it was my old horn. The serial numbers didn't match so I wished him luck and didn't bid. The only problem we had with the P/R baris was if the little connection piece between the rotor trigger and rotor itself was plastic they would break if people weren't careful with them. We had a guy who worked in a machine shop and he would make metal replacement pieces. Other than that the Baris worked like a dream. I didn't have a any problems in six years.

  18. Madison Alumni Corps, F. E. Olds Duratone valve-rotor baritone.

    Is that the one with the brushed (satin) finish? If so I played the same type with Westshoremen in the 70s. Still have the registration cards as we got them new in 1974.

  19. Thinking of changing mouthpieces from the Vinnie Bach 12C I have. Hey don't laugh (well don't laugh too much) that was one of the big time mouthpieces in the 70s. Anyway, I notice a lot of people on this thread talk about good mouthpieces for lead Baris. Any suggestions for us bottom feeders who play 3rd Bari? The Bari case has a 6 1/2 in it and the tip of the shank is pretty much dented. Should I spend the time to fix up the 6 1/2 or just buy something that might be better. I won't be doing field shows just parades and stand stills.

    You're never too old to learn. Thanks in advance.

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