KeithHall

I actually have more today! LOL

BTW....I used to love hearing the stories about Upstate NY corps from Dick Hoppe and Tom Peashey! Talk about a wealth of information! They should write a book!

I loved going to rehearsals 2 nights a week and loading up on a bus Saturday morning to go to a show in NY, PA, OH or Ontario. Being with 60 to 100 friends is pretty cool! Sweating your butt off to get better at marching and playing is priceless. We ate at fast food places ALL the time! We drank soda/pop and water wasn't a big deal then (different times). We competed against a lot of corps and usually different corps every week. One Saturday you could see Derry Patriots, Cambria Cadets, Precious Blood Cardinals, Royal Crusaders and the Buckeyes. Next Saturday....Squires, Greece Cadets, Syracuse Marauders, Mello Dears, Alpine Girls, Mark Twain Cadets. Next Saturday....Opti-Lancers, Seneca Princemen, Etobicoke Crusaders, Durham Girls, St. Johns Girls, Flying Dutchmen. Then off to Marion, OH and Butler, PA to compete against 30 plus corps that you haven't been up against before. What kept me in? I was the oldest of 5. Although I played sports with my friends a lot, my mother wouldn't let me play football or hockey. My father was an alcoholic and the more I could stay away with that the better I was. My dad was just not home and was never abusive. I just didn't have a father that I could talk to. My "father"was the corps director (John Hathaway) and some of the other dad's that helped out. I loved playing and marching and the fact I had so many friends, some of which I went to school with. After I served in the Army I continued to instruct but over 10 years ago I lost interest. I hated going against the same corps every show. There was no variety as many corps died off and it became boring. If you know me you know that it's never about accolades and definitely NOT an ego thing. I will never be in any hall of fame for drum corps. What I did as a marching member and an educator means more to me than anything. I didn't march with a DCI top 12 corps, I marched with an "A" Class corps from upstate NY that I enjoyed as a teenager! I learned from some great people and hopefully it helped me to be a better person.

Why was this decade so great for drum corps? What pulled you into the activity and stay with it?

There is a good chance that if a new stadium is built in Buffalo it'll be an indoor facility.

Buffalo has gotten better and better downtown and there is a good chance in the next few years a new stadium will be built. There is work in progress to see if a new football stadium and hockey arena would happen!

What city can pull in the most fans?

Name 4 cities that DCI could hold Championships (not including Indy) on a rotating basis. What cities would attract the most fans? Buffalo Whitewater Philadelphia Boston

Reality

.Not sure that this would be a good idea ...... Is this more Politically Correct?

Should there be a section called "Former DCI Corps?"

My fav was 1976! It was the Bicentennial year with celebrations happening all over the US. We started out the season in Canton, OH and the Memorial Day weekend 2 shows in Michigan. By the second week of June we had "new" uniforms and an entirely new look. The attitude changed and we had our biggest horn line ever. Our drum line was bigger as we marched 7 snares too. We won a few shows for the first time ever and also won "A" Class at the NT Open. DCI in Philadelphia was a tough one as our director resigned before we left. We took 18th place but should have played and marched better to get a higher score and placement. Will never forget that wonderful year. The next year the corps was left to merge and it went down hill.

WOW!!! This just really STINKS!!! For the longest time this was the best thing about DCP. Looking back.....no more

Since the 1970's many cities held competitions....Marion, Butler, Toledo, Lynn, Allentown, Whitewater and many others. In your opinion, what was your favorite and why?

What year was your favorite year marching and why? Was there one show that you recall that stands out? What was special about your corps that year? You can have more than one year!

LOL

How about breakfast at Marion Cadet Hall? I remember going there in 1972 before going to Open Class Prelims. Speaking of prelims....I think it may have started at 8 am because it went on ALL day and then (I think) A/All Girl Finals were that night. 30 Open Corps and 36 A corps (which included 6 All-Girl corps. This was a GREAT drum corps city!!! It was sad toward the end. I remember going there when I was on staff with the Rochester Patriots.

I was just thinking if the offer by a city was a good offer that gave DCA a great stadium and other perks that were better than anything they would get from a NE city. Several years ago when Renegades, Kilties, MBI and other western corps they were able to make it to Rochester, Scranton, etc

Our first year (1972) we stayed at a closed school on the main road. It had toilets that flushed as soon as you stand up! Our rehearsal space was on the playground which we had to march around playground equipment. All we actually rehearsed was going out of concert due to the shortened performance time in '72. 1973 we stayed at the Fire Hall in the downtown area. Not sure where we rehearsed. 1974 we stayed at a church/school down the street from Bob's Big Boy. We rehearsed outside of the school. I do remember walking down the street to hear Blue Devils rehearsing.

.......for the heck of it.......some town/city in the Mid West made an offer to DCA that was cheaper AND better than Williamsport, Rochester or any NE city. Would DCA and its corps accept it?

To bad Pootsmen didn't continue on!

I wonder what kind of survey could be sent to current marching members, former members about the corps, season, etc. Maybe they can get some answers. Even a survey to the fans at every show to see what would they like to see. I mean they do pay money to watch a show and the marching members have a financial interest in their corps too.

Our "A" Class corps would make a big deal going to Marion, OH and Butler, PA. In 1972 we headed to our first US Open but before we went there we did a show in Bellefontaine, OH (Beverly Cardinals, Marion Cadets, Mello Dears, Cleveland Buckeyes, etc), stayed at Mount Vernon, OH at the Elks Club (fun times). Then on to Marion where we presented a shortened show (No Concert number). Stayed with Greece Cadets who we did beat. Shows every Saturday in NY, Ontario and Pennsylvania. No real long tour other that a July 4th weekend in Illinois (shows and a parade or two). What was your tours like in 1970's?

Just thinking back a few decades....... I remember in my younger days in Junior corps how I disliked Senior corps. What I saw was some corps "stealing" our better players and there we are stuck rebuilding. I hated DCA back then. Forward to 1990 and being asked by both Empire Statesmen and Rochester Crusaders to march and seeing how fun and hard it was! 10 years later I went back to Crusaders and had a few fun years with them. Got to learn from some fantastic people ( Donny Allen, Steve Cooley, Chris Bernotas and Jimmy Steele). DCA was different and is different than the Senior corps of the 1960's and 1970's. There is an education there for the marching members!