elphaba01

"Tired of John Wayne": Why am I not surprised. US colors "Exit stage right". Had nothing to do with "Art". Elphaba WWW

Baltimore Caballeros: I understand that there is a group of Caballeros Alumni members commuting to Hawthorne from "DelMarVa". Elphaba WWW

"Adults/Staff Are NOT Performers": Bingo. If you want to "Eliminate problems with amps", my pretties, ELIMINATE THE AMPS. It's that simple.... Elphaba WWW

"Did NOTHING?": I "Believe" they actually DID "Something", guard their county's flag for starters. They actually "Did" participate in what used to be know as a "Color Presentation". DCI in it's "Great Wisdom" and in pursuit of an "Art Form" not only did away with the 'Color Presentation' but the National Colors as well. I'm sure they were quite proud of themselves..... DCA MANDATES the presence of the National Colors, and even awards a "Best Honor Guard" trophy at their National Championships. Elphaba WWW

He shoots, he scores..... Elphaba

"Outlawed": That may be "Partially" correct. The American Legion, initially, was dead set against the horn, with the VFW's Tony Schlecta (VERY surprisingly, knowing how ultra conservative he was) supportive of the instrument and allowing it to "Pass". There is a copy of a 1962 Drum Corps News that I have with a very impassioned letter written by the late Don Angelica urging the Legion to accept the contra bass bugle. Evidently he was persuassive, as the horn was used in competion by both Garfield and Hawthorne who won their respective American Legion National Championships in 1962. The contra bass bugle made it's debut in competition(s) at the 1962 Drum Corps News hosted "Eastern States Indoor Championships" in Boston MA and Newark NJ, being used by Garfield and St Raphaels. There are some really great "Cartoons" of the DCN indoor shows on the St Raphaels website. They were held in January, March and April of that year. Just TRY doing something like that today. Elphaba WWW

"Color Guard 'Drop'": Correct me if I'm 'wrong' my pretties, (And I'm sure SOMEONE will), but didn't the Cavaliers drop a guard MEMBER in their finale "Hit"? He was supposed to jump into a "set" of guard members, and they to catch him, but in this instance failed to do so. The contest was the DCI Fianls, and not only did they win the title, (With a record high score) but "Best Color Guard" as well. Elphaba WWW

"Cut the Arts": In our "Neck of the Woods" here in the "Emerald City" my pretties, a referendum for increased taxes to support the School District recently was shot down (And to pieces I might add) by the voters of the district. Personnaly, I was surpirsed that it failed to pass, but it seems that the voters are saying: "Enough is enough". I can't say how, or even if the "Arts" will be affected. The local high school's competative marching band program is funded entirely by the Band Parents Group. Elphaba WWW

US Open 1968: Blue Rock's BIG upset at Finals, winning their very first National Championship. Elphaba WWW

"Feline Feeding Frenzy": Priceless Elphaba WWW

"Drum Corps Nut (Ancient)": If you remember what STATE CHMPIONSHIPS were. If you actually competed in a STATE CHAMPIONSIP in Wildwood NJ, and survived "Kelly's". If you remember the 'Preview of Champions' and 'Dream' contests held at Roosevelt Stadium. If you remember the VFW Nationals. If you remember the American Legion Nationals. If you remember the World Open. If you remember the CYO Nationals. If you remember the North American Open. If you remember the Blue Grass Nationals. If you remember Earl Sturtze. If you can remember all the GREAT junior drum corps that were around, and no longer exist since DCI "Took Over". Elphaba WWW

"Olde Bugles": The "Piston Rotors" were around in the VERY early 1960s. I remember seeing them in 1960 on Getzen "Deluxe" bugles. They were very crude "stem" type "rotors" that broke off all too easily. The "Lever" rotors started appearing on the Getzen "Titleist" bugles in 1963. The "Slip Slde" was still in use on all the Getzen models well into the mid 1960s. The contras did, in fact appear (In competition) in 1962. Garfield Cadets, Hawthorne Caballeros, the USAF "DC" corps and St Raphaels Buccaneers were the first to have them. I "Believe" slides were provided on the earliest models. They were made by Getzen. The "Over the shoulder euphs" were just that. A "Small Contra Bass" looking horn used in the late 1960s. There was a picture of CMCC Warriors on the front page of DCN, with several "Shoulder Euphs" being carried at "Sling Euph" over the shoulder of the hornplayers. Elphaba WWW

"Led With Emotion": St Kevins Emerald Knights had some very flashy and dynamic "Conductors" back in the early 1960s. Wally Curtis and Frank Brisenden come to mind, along with their "Concert" drum major Barbara Bergdoll. The Boston Crusaders had the late great Jim "Stokie" Stokinger for the later part of the 1960s. Elphaba WWW

"Tromboniums": The horn itself appears to be a "Re Make" of a shoulder held bass baritone bugle originally manufactured back in the 1950s by Ludwig. The Washington DC "Blue Eagles" are pictured with them on their website. They pop up from time to time on EBay, along with the infamous "Horizontal Two Valve" bugles that were also made by Ludwig, back in the early 1960s, under license in Germany. Elphaba WWW

"The Transistor Era": Ahh yes my pretties, good old 1010 WINS in NYC. All those nights with "Murray the K"..... Elphaba WWW

"Wicked the New Musical"; Well. my pretties, what ELSE did you expect me to say? I would LOVE to see one of the "Big Guns" take this on and REALLY give the program the justice it deserves. I imagine that the "Royalty" on the charts use would be pretty pricey, considering the "Million a Week" gross that the show is currently pulling in..... Elphaba WWW

"Old Bugles": Mr Riggie Laus, the GREAT Pittsburgh Rockets soloist and many times National Individual Soprano Bugle Champion from the late 1950s through the 1960s, as well as a Charter member of the Buglers Hall of Fame is still performing on a Getzen GD VALVE SLIDE soprano bugle. And he sounds as GREAT as ever!!!!! Elphaba WWW

"Mr Sulu": George Takei was indeed a drum corps drummer "Way back when". He also has the "Distinction" of being "Interened" at Camps in Arkansas and Northern California, with his parents, his drum corps and hundreds of other Japaneese Americans that were rounded up after the attack on Pearl harbor, 7 December 1941. He and his corps continued to practice and perform in the Internment Camp, sending off several hundred men to enlist in the US Army's "Go For Broke" Japaneese-American Combat Team. "Mr Sulu" is among those who actually performed in a drum and bugle corps while IN an "Internament Camp". Elphaba WWW

"Loud Mellophones": The Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni "Phone Company" was nothing if not LOUD. In 2005 they had 20+ of them and they could definitly PRODUCE VOLUME. Elphaba WWW

"Coolest Jackets": The old "Chicago Cavaliers" satin corps (Members?) jacket was quite nice. I believe that this series was discontinued and replaced with the "Cavaliers" jackets when the corps became the "Park Ridge" Cavalers back in the early 1960s. If one of these jackets ever pops up on EBay it should set off a "Feeding Frenzy" among the "Old Timers". Elphaba WWW

"Famous After Drum Corps": James "Patches" Watson, a baritone bugler with the St. Vincents Cadets of Bayonne NJ in the mid 1950s went into the US Navy and became a "Plank Owner" in the US Navy's "SEAL" program. He is a "Founding Member" of the SEALS and has written a book about his career in the program titled "Pointman", in which he mentions his time in the St Vincents Cadets drum & bugle corps, as well as sevearl of the corps with which he compted such as the Audubon Bon Bons. He is retired from the US Navy, and curator of the SEALS Museum in Florida. Elphaba WWW

"Same, Same": St Kevins Emerald Knights had a tune written for them by their horn instructor, Frank Bergdoll called "Knights on the March". The New York Skyliners had a short fanfare from Hy Drietzer called "Skyliner". Way back in the very early 1960s, the Mineloa Sunrisers played "The World is Waiting for a Sunrise". Elphaba WWW

Got Sued & Wendy's: Westshoremen were at one time called the "Longshoremen". Elphaba WWW

"Junior Comeback to Senior": One well remembered and respected junior corps that could make it as a "Senior" is the St Andrews Bridgemen. At the time of this writing they are organizing as an "Alumni" corps for the 2006 season. Best of luck to you. Elphaba WWW

"Hello Olde Baritone": You most definitly nailed it. Had it not been for DRUM CORPS in our areas we would have had no musical ANYTHING to speak of. Elphaba WWW