Walter

Let's say you were given a chance to change anything in DCI, what would that ONE thing be. I know that's a loaded question but I curious to see what you would change. Either in the 70's, 80's, 90's or now. I would change.......let me think about that. I'll get back to you later, I'm tired and I just can't think right now. -_- -_- -_- -_- -_-

Baribrian: When you say albums I think about all the old drum corps albums that I have in my basement. I wish I still had my turntable!!! I miss hearing the judges starters pistol, and the two shots that came at the 11:30 point of everyones show. Since I never got to be one of the top 25 when I marched, I have two favorites that I first saw in Racine Wisconsin in 1973. They are Santa Clara Vanguard and the Troopers. My all time seeing these corps I was in awe. (still am) I have other corps which I always cheered my butt of for but these two are deep in my heart, for obvious reasons. ^OO^

ptr250 Which do you regret? Not winning the fight with the cop? or Not marching with SCV? This is a no brainer, right? The cop was obviously bigger right? LOL Just Kidding. :P :D

I think everyone that saw the Troopers in the late sixties and early 70's wanted to run away and join them. I did, unfortunately I was 15 and my parents wouldn't let me. I've always loved their music style of marching etc. My only regret was not talking to Jim Jones in Racine, Wisconsin in 1973 when I had the chance. Just a bit too shy back then I guess.

To Kaboom: I saw them four times in 80. Each time they kept getting louder. I'll stick by my earlier comments. :P

Kind of sounds like WE shot ourselves in the foot eh gang. We had a good thing, we complained about the breaks and they shut us down. Look in the mirror boys and girls those are the people that got drum corps taken off LIVE TV. I wonder what it would take to get it back on or even a day later (to get the VCRs hooked up) Besides a couple hundred thousand dollars!!!! :( :( :(

Almost better than *** , NOTE: ALMOST. My last corpsgasm.

Thanks Kevin, I thought there was something they hadn't tried yet. I know that in 1994 in Foxborough Mass. they had satellite feeds to various sites, I was in Lansing Michigan. Maybe another reason PBS doesn't show it live is the people that watch it US, don't donate enough money to make it worth their while. Just a thought. :P

Just to add my my two cents to this, in 1975 and '76 Gene Reyburn of Match Game fame and his lovely wife were the commentators along with I think it was Tim Moxley, formerdrum major of SCV, in '75 and I don't know who else it in '76, maybe Rondo. This was on a day delay basis and showed every corps plus retreat. If DCI really wants to make some money why don't they try pay-per-view. It just seems that every year it just keeps getting less and less of the real action and more stories of people that nobody really cares about. Why not give the people who built DCI, former marching members of every corps what we DESERVE real drum corps action of all twelve, PLEASE!!!!!!! :sos:

With regards to the Muchachos disqualified, wasn't there a soprano soloist play the charge of the bulls at finals from the back stands and didn't the crowd go nuts? I wasn't there but thats what I had heard. Could someone that was there please elaberate!!! ^_^

I'm with you Baribrian. The next thing you know they'll won't have 10-12 contras on the field, they'll have guys playing bass guitars at full blast from the back of the field. Now I know how the guys from the 50's & 60's felt when the pit became popular. nobody is carring tympani around any more. It kind of makes you wonder who is running DCI, the executives or music companies. Some times you just want to do this

To Maedhros: Splooei???? I'm a old schooler, I think I missed that class!!!!!!!!! Would you enlighten me??? Thanks. ;)^

Sue: When I was starting my drum corps career, I often got De La Salle and the La Salle Cadets or (Cadets La Salle) mixed up, don't ask me why. I like both corps but I liked you guys a bit more because I don't speak French and whenever we used to go somewhere in the States and I thought I would try to impress the girls I'd say "De la Salle". I don't know about the other guys but I always had fun. Thanks for the pics, I too had a few flashbacks. :P :D ^OO^

To all the 27th Lancers of this day: My drum corps career was over by this point but I took off work to see the opening ceremonies ONLY because you were there. I had a party and had a bunch of my non-drum corps friends over. I sat there with the pride that I may have competed against some of you and that I was part of the ceremonies as well, sort of. Also you girls (guys?) were spectacular I loved every minute. It's just one of those things you don't forget. THANKS, :D

Out of all the kids I marched with in my ten years n drum corps, I would say I had five really close friends back then. Now four have moved away after they got married and come back from time to time and we get together. What happens to relationships after your drum corps career is finished. Do they just fade away or is it that the really good friendships have a tendency to stay intact. How many of us can honestly say you have developed lasting, give them the shirt off your back friendships. Like a lot of us it's simply because you lose touch, not that their not your friend anymore. I guess it's like a lot of things in life, here one day, gone the next. There were a few people that I didn't like in drum corps, we all have those however, as a marching member in the corps I was in, I respected every last one of them and still do to this day. I just wish I would have made more close friends while I had the chance.

To raveDodger: Glad you made it back to civilization....... Welcome home. Are you still in the army???? What are you doing now??

OK, gang, How many of us, old schoolers, age outs, whatever, enjoyed their experience in drum corps, but wished they had done something that they had always wanted to do in drum corps. Please be brief and remember, this is a family forum!!!!!

Ya I thought so. That was so darn long ago, 28 years to be exact. Yes I was with the Kitchener Northstars. I'm surprized you even knew that. A lot of corps called us that other corps from Canada, the other two were Oakland Crusaders and and the Seneca Optimists. We used to call the Emerald Knights the Fuller Brush Cadets. (But that was an inside joke)

Hey Baribrian: Who could forget you guys? In you lime green unis(?) Back in '77 every time we, Northstars, thought we had made some distance between us you were right there with us. Boy p'd us a lot. But it made us work that much harder. We didn't hate you for it, just the fact that you worked just as hard as we did. By the way, did you guys have the Roman helmuts with the brush on top? Just curious. Thanks for the rivalry, even though it wasn't a public one.

My OH My, Things have changed since the 70's and 80's. I don't expect them to stay the same. I've heard corps dues range from $600.00 and up. This a far cry from the $10.00 a month I paid in the late 60's and seventies. I'm glad I marched when I did drum corps was almost at it's peak and we had a lot of fun. Like everyone else on here three quarters of the fun times we can't put on these pages but when you get with your old corps buddies we all talk about them. Good luck to all those kids marching this year and don't froget you only go through this once enjoy it. To Mrshowfan: I'm from CANADA, and don't call me POP.

To Crest99 I'm not that up on too many things but I'll try. Back when DCI was spreading it's wings, I guess they wanted to separate the corps that were good from the corps that were the "Elite". To become an "Associate" drum corps of DCI you had to place 13th-25th. Also back in the seventies, you only had one shot at making finals. In the prelims, two days of ONE more time and that's all you get. If you had a bad show, too bad. Now you have three days of quarter finals, semi finals and the finals. It sounds like a money grab from DCI to me but I've been out of drum corps for so long, these ideas probably sound stupid to some people. What the heck it's my opinion, that's all. But then I never tried to figure out the way DCI do things.

To DRUMCORPSMOM Dutch Boy is the name of the sponsor. Dutch Boy Food Markets. Nothing we could do. They sold out to Sobey's Food Markets in the late 90's. There's no way we're changing our name to what? Sobey's drum & bugle corps? By the way how do you pronounce " Etobicoke "

OOPS, Who's fault was that? The drum majors or (Gail?)

In the late 60's and early 70's a corps from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the Cadets LaSalle, had a soloist, I believe his name was Jean LeBlanc, would end the show with a least a 20 second solo that would have the crowd on their feet before he finished. Back then corps ended their show with a closing fanfare or something. It was spine chilling, it had the hair on the back of my neck standing up, it was just great soprano playing. I loved it. Too bad I only saw him once. Boy could he whail. It was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it worth it to merge two corps to make one good one? Who wins in this situation? Was it really worth it? Have you marched in a merged corps? How did it go? When was the last time a merged corps won a DCI title? Just thinking about this. Discuss it amongst yourselves.