oldbaritone

My family and I are taking a cruise of of Boston to Bermuda on the Majesty (Aug 14th). Are any of the many Boston area drum corps alumni going to be on that cruise?

If they are going to enforce the only 21 member rule at MiniCorps this year, where is Crunchy Frog going to do its stuff at Scranton?

Now that we're on track to put some of the fun back in drum corps, consider this: First, do your Bridgemen thing in a park or parking lot in Scranton (let's say Saturday, early afternoon b4 prelims) then, invite others to play a tune with you. There are plenty of horn players and drummers roaming the Scranton area on Labor Day weekend. Post the music on your website. Sell t-shirts stating "I Survived The Bridgemen Concert Labor Day Weekend 2005" or "Associate Banana Labor Day Weekend 2005" or "I Played With The Bridgemen Labor Day 2005". It would be cool to have say, 200 horns playing some relatively simple drum corps classic just for the sake of doing it. B) B) B)

Okay, you can't compete in mini-corps because of the invocation of what I have to assume is the Crunchy Frog rule. And, no exhibition either. Well, find a convenient time and place (where you wouldn't be interfering with other stuff) and get out your horns and drums and play. I'm sure you'll attract an audience. I'd like to hear you and so would others, I'm sure. You don't need permission from anybody to just make some music.

Look, its not a question of having a "personal agenda" which implies some sort of ulterior motive, its a matter of opinion, in which we can agree to disagree. I have run this by my friends, who are former marines, and they just roll their eyes. I don't have a horse in this race, but I am an interested observer, having served with the Seabee attachment at Khe Sanh with the 26th Marines and I wear the globe and anchor "Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia" on my Vietnam Service Ribbon.

Okay, now I know that although member's of the President's Own Band do not go to boot camp, members of the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps and other Marine bands do. I do have a few other questions....how many Marine Drum Corps are there? I think there used to be corps at 29 Palms, Hawaii, Pendleton and, of course, 8th & I. I was also told that there was an official Marine drum corps at Chu Lai back in the middle to late 60's. Does anyone know if that was the case? And, I was talking to an old buddy of mine today, who was a Sgt in the 7th Marines in the I-Corps back in the day. He plays contra with us and tells me that our corps (Park City) is looking for up to 8 2 or 3 valve contras. Anyone having any tips about where to get them?

Okay, no offense, Semper Fi and all that. As to the 2 valve G horns...I still think that the Drum and Bugle corps would like to be distinct from the Bands. And, after hearing the Marine D&B in Harrisburg, there's a lot of music in 2 valve G horns.

My guess is that the Marine D&B will never go to 3 valve horns. They would never want to be confused with or consolidated into the Band. As I recall, members of the Marine Corps D&B had to go through boot camp and band members did not.

It was a good evening and its a really good photo. Is there any way I could get a copy of photo? That is my daughter, Kate, sitting in front of Maldonado, her friend, Emma in front of Kenton, my son in front of Frank Dorritie, and his friend, Cara, in front of Jim D'Amico. They seem to be paying rapt attention to Ace Peterson.

That's pretty accurate, I think, considering that drum corps contests were originated by the AL and VFW after WWI. One of my earliest memories is of a senior contest in 1948 and I remember the retreat (Hackensack won that one by the way). I have the 2 volume History of Drum Corps and I don't know if it addresses retreats but it sure does have some really interesting in it, especially the evolution of the bugle. B)

Okay, I'll take a stab at it. I was at Plymouth and I'll offer my observations, although I didn't see all the corps since I was particpating. Friday Night: I came into town late, but caught the last part of the American Originals' show. I'm from Connecticut and I'm pretty familiar with ancient corps, but the Orginals are pretty original. A lot of movement, a nice fife section and a great drum line. The Mass Brass were a real treat. 20 (2 contras, 6 baris, 6 mellos & 6 sops) horn playing musicians (speaking as a simple horn player) and 2 drummers. Their Malaguena was really good and worth the price of admission (if there was an admission price). The 20 horns were a perfect fit for the hall. I know that there has been talk of starting mini-corps competitions in the off season. Sounds like a good idea to me. I had to leave when the Top in Blue was coming on, so I can't comment on them. Saturday Parade: Great stuff. Good weather and many good musical units. Saturday Concert: I heard St. Kevin's warming up in St. Peter's church hall and was very impressed. Again, I didn't see all the corps; but, The American Originals put on a very good show with a "Drum Corps Medley" and a drum solo which included playing on the flag poles that was really entertaining. I didn't have a seat at the concert, but I did drift in and out and caught part of most of the corps. Hawthorne is, of course, Hawthorne. Great soprano solos and good to see Jimmy Russo out front. The Light Brigade playing "Danny Boy", Crusaders playing "Conquest" and The Connecticut Alumni did a particularily good job on "Caravan" with "Houie" playing sop solo. I didn't hear the other corps, but I heard that Blessed Sacrament did a great job with the "Navy Hymn". I'm not in a positon to comment on my corps, Park City Pride; literally, I was back in the bari section of 75 horns in front of the drum line and my ears were literally ringing in the small hall. But some folks who were not related to us had some kind words to say about our performance. I hope people enjoyed it. I know that I can speak for everyone in my corps when I say that we had a great time. To be performing again with B.S., Boston Crusaders, St. Kevin's was really beyond good. To hear those South Shore accents again brought us all back. Got a chance to speak with a number of men and women from the other alumni corps and it was a great weekend. Hope to do it again. I say to all the folks in the cutting edge, competitive corps...do you have any idea of the number of people who just want to go out and play their horns and drums and just be with the other corps. And they'll go to great lengths. One of our drums majors marched with a 102 fever and double pneumonia this weekend and is going in for a CAT scan tomorrow. The doctor wanted to do it last Friday, but he was going to Plymouth. I can't really give an impartial review since I wasn't sitting as a spectator and I was too emotionally involved anyway. Dave B)

They sure sure are and a special mention for Ruthe "Baritone Babs" Ploskunyak and Jan "Contrababe" McMoran. B)

Quite right, St.Anne's and the Royal Lancers had young women in the horn line way back....1959-1960. Don't forget the Leicester All Girls Corps from Leicester, Mass. And, there are the ND-ettes, all girls corps from Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, CT. They won the World Open All-Girl in 1970 and, I think, folded shortly afterwards. The girls had no place to play after that, no senior to march in. A note of interest is that when the Park City Pride Alumni Corps started last year,at least a dozen horn players from the ND-ettes showed up. And they showed up prepared to play. We have former ND-ettes on soprano, mello, baritone (Ruthe aka Baritone Babs) and contra (special mention to Jan "Contrababe" McMorran. At this point, it would be difficult to imagine not having them in the hornline. Actually, drum corps in general has always been quite progressive in social matters. As mentioned before, St. Anne's and the Royal Lancers had mixed gender hornlines and I don't think that was a problem back then. Of course, the PAL Cadets only had girls in the guard, but we didn't think about it and if they were put girls in the honrline I don't think it would have caused much of a fuss. I should mention here that St. Raphael's Golden Buccaneers had a girl guard at first, but the Bishop made them go all-male in around 1963 (some of the old St. Raphael's guard is marching with the Park City Pride and they are still unhappy about that decison. And I was talking with former members of the ND_ettes last night at rehearsal and they remember being really unhappy about not being able to march with a senior corps back in the early 70's. As recently as 1985 women weren't allowed to march with the Connecticut Alumni. I remember big arguments about that.

I remember, back in the fifties, reading about a drum corps named Satan's Angels from Bellefontaine, Ohio. Does anyone know anything about them?

Well, I think that the Doremus Post "Jersey Skeeter" from Hackensack, NJ wore Aussie style hats in the late 40's. Check out the corps' history on pages 244 and 245 of "A History of Drum & Bugle Corps" volume 2.

I should add that I remember the first time the PAL went on the field to do an exhibition in Bridgeport. We dressed in the high with Blessed Sacrament, Holy Name, Hyde Park, St. Vinnies and the BonBons. Wow, for a 13 year old kid who was just starting out,what an impression they made. :)

I guess I'm old school because one of my earliest memories is seeing the old Doremus Post "Jersey Skeeters" from Hackensack, NJ. The really cool thing was that I spent my Junior High and High School years with the same corps and same people. We grew up together year around. And what's even cooler, I play now with the surviving baritone line from the 1957 PAL Cadets (and, of course, with a lot of other great people from all the corps we used to compete against). :)

Wow, somone rememberd the PAL Cadets! Its been a long time. Oh, many of us are playing with the Park City Pride Alumni which was formed since the original posting date. As to who I would like to see.....Bridgemen & Velvet Knights and I guess I'll get a change to see the Bridgemen again. B)

I'd like to point out that the Hurcs playing soprano in the old uniforms included the following members of the Park City Pride Alumni: Art Hlywa (one of our horn instructors) Jim Nestor Tommy Eaton Mike Kasper Well done guys. b**bs

Nice photos. Appreciate you posting them. I had a good time in West Haven last night. Dave :D

Okay, let me just say that members, past and present, of drum corps do see a difference between players and fans. It has nothing to do with being able to read music (many if not most of the old timers cannot). Whatever the reasons, the difference is there. I personally do like to hear the USMC D&B and all the playing members of corps who I know also like them. I'm guessing that members and fans are looking for and listening to different stuff. And, don't be p***in' off the Marines. It takes awhile to calm them down. For the record, I am not a former Marine and I'm sure that Bill O'Reilly would call me a Liberal. On the other hand, I was at Khe Sanh in 67 and 68 with the Seabee Detachment and we have an understanding. Built Khe Sanh in 67 and was there again during the seige. The Seabees had the deepest hole, I kept on hoping we'd dig through to Madison, Wisconsin.

Bridgemen. I'm happy to hear that their Alumni Corps will be live in 2005. Skyliners led by Walt Winkelman. B)

You know, I marched with a junior corps a long, long time ago. We were a mainly what you would call inner city kids today. I marched for 8 years and I don't remember any incident of verbal or physical abuse. And, I don't remember any hazing or intra corps violence and we were considered a pretty rought corps by the other corps of that era. Maybe these instructors have seen the first half of "Full Metal Jacket" too many times.

Speaking as a member of the Park City Pride, I have to say that we had a lot of fun at the Barnum Festival and are staying together. Fielding about 75 horns at the present and I think 17 snares, 5 tenors, 8 bass drums and 4 cymbals. I can't even count high enought to get the guard and majors. In any case, we only started rehearsing March 7th of this year after a 35 year layoff for most of us. Any old drum corps people interested come down and join us. I think we're gonna cut the horn line off at 200. Joe Genaro is arranging for us. B)

Attended the DCI show in Uncasville last Wednesday. Speaking as a old drum corps guy, I don't necessarily dislike the amping of the pit, but I'm not sure I see the necessity since there is so much stuff there to make noise with. As to singing and narration...the Carolina Crown show was kind of cool and the thread connecting all the different kinds of Bohemians was witty in its way although I can't imagine that many in the corps of the crowd would be that hip to Kerouac. Boston Crusaders,that's a different story. The overblown voiceover describing the colors was totally unecessary and interfered with the show (this is my opinion and the opinion of everyone else around me). :(