up4479

Through the years we have seen many mergers. Did they help or hurt drum corps? Having lived though 2 official mergers and one virtual merger I feel that mergers could help and hurt at the same time. I'm not sure the answer is black or white. The mergers I lived through as well as others in my time were the final acts of desperation as a result of one or more of these reasons. In simple terms, no more money. Poor recruitment and retention numbers. Physical displacement. The "grass is always greener" factor. The "bigger is better" factor. The "I'm taking my ball and going home" factor. The adults (management, staff, etc.) just upped and walked out on the activity and the kids wanted to stay together, with any corps. Fill in the blanks. When two viable local corps merged only for the glory of it all, then the activity suffered the loss of one more corps. This was bad. Some of the mergers allowed kids to march after their other corps would have folded. This was good. Some mergers didn't last but then again the original corps were about to collapse. This was good if it lasted but was only neutral if it didn't because it only put off the inevitable for a short time. There were always adults and kids that got hurt during these mergers. Some of the enmity has lasted decades. This was bad. Overall, I suppose that by counting the surviving mergers today one could say they pretty much all eventually failed. This is perhaps neutral because the original corps probably wouldn't be around today either. Steve Solombrino

I agree with most of this. There were other factors that involved the structure of DCI itself. Many tried to fight this structure but were pushed aside. Let us not forget that the original member corps were brought together by invitation only. They were for the most part the elite, high level corps of 1971. While they had some serious complaints they were but a very small minority of the activity. (I would guess they were less than 1% of the activity at best.) After the first DCI championships in 1972, the top 25 finishers were the only voting members with a few exceptions. All corps were encouraged to attend the DCI national rules congress where DCI policy was discussed as well as DCI rules for competition. At first, at least several scores of corps attended these meetings. When decision time came, only the top 25 were able to vote. The rest of the corps directors were in polite terms asked to voice their opinions then shut up and sit down. My father was there and along with some notable other corps directors of both large and small corps. Even though my father was well respected in the activity and knew many of the original DCI corps directors personally, he was the director of a smaller corps. Despite his other credentials, he was sidelined along with mostly everyone else outside of the top 25. He and others organized a large group of these marginalized corps and they would have their own side meeting and made their collective voices heard on many of these issues and others. Essentially, the top corps, who for the most part also had the strongest financial support, voted in their own best interests or at least voted for what they felt they wanted and excluded the opinions of the rest of the community. ( Think of a referendum question on a state ballot where 25 voted yes and 175 voted no and the the 25 yes votes won because the 175 no votes weren't counted at all.) The non member corps who were present were worried about the financial costs of many of these decisions and the obvious negative effects these decisions would have on their collective futures. They were for the most part proven correct over time. In fact, I know of at least 2 directors of DCI founding member corps who decades later admitted that their original model was not such a good idea and over time that model in part hastened the demise of many fine corps. They both stated that they wish they could go back in time and structure the organization in a way that all corps would have a voice. Perhaps cooler heads would have prevailed and preserved more corps over time. Perhaps others could have been included like the show promoters, judges associations and the local and regional circuits who were specifically excluded from participation. The fact that these groups were left out was quite amazing when you think about it. None of this was rocket science then or now. Steve Solombrino

In 1976 the 27th Lancers were in Denver for Drums along the Rockies. We won that night and a few of the corps went to Casa Bonita. There were about 12 bus loads of kids, maybe more. We wondered if there would be a problem feeding everyone and if the close quarters of a restaurant would increase the friction between such fierce competitors. It turned out that the place is so huge and everyone was having such a blast that nobody cared about corps rivalry. The place was in full swing. The all you can eat thing was perfect for kids on tour who don't care what they eat as long as it cheap and available in large quantities. We even made some new friends! Those were the days!

So if any DCP members marched in a circuit other than DCI or you know something about them, here's your chance to share and save some history. This might be our best chance to let the newer members learn about the path Drum Corps traveled to get where it is today. Here's a few names to get things started. For junior corps: CYO Eastern Mass Mayflower Yankee Nutmeg All American Northeastern Great Plains Garden State Drum Corps South Greater NY Eastern States There were groups in Canada: Les Amis du Drum Corps Quebecois Federation des Associatins Musicales du Quebec Ontario DCA There were and are many indoor circuits for both color guard and percussion groups in both the US and Canada. For seniors there is DCA and there were others. Let's not forget there are and were several circuits outside of North America for junior and senior corps as well as indoor color guard and percussion. This is a huge topic. IMO a list of all known circuits and their member organizations is a gigantic and worthwhile task. Many of these organizations also had competitions for bands and drill teams. Lets not forget the separate judging associations that made these circuits work. Are we collectively up to the challenge? Steve Solombrino

Sorry, Piper. I was on the field in 1976. White jackets were after my time. This is a 1976 photo.

The photo was not from 1976.

Heck - some of us marched DCI before narration !!!! That's nothing. To show how much of a villain I am I played a chrome plated G bugle with one valve and a slide! In fact its worse than that. I still have one of those horns and play it! I also agree with Gary. When there are no longer and drum and bugle corps left, the activity itself will be vilified because people often glorify themselves by ridicule of others. What is must be better than what was. IMO, the old days were great because they were. Before anybody gets hot under the collar over this and all kidding aside, I respect today's corps even though I don't enjoy watching them. I'm sure what little that's left of drum corps is great today, its just not my cup of tea. I don't ridicule today's activity. It is what it is. It's the same activity, it's just different. That's OK with me. I even throw some money at them from time to time. I just wish that the different generations would show some respect for each other. Collectively we're still a small activity. We're really all connected by similar experiences, we just had our experiences in different times. Take a clue from the Classic Cavaliers who had people on the field this past summer from all 60 years of the corps history. They learned many things from each other including how much alike they were despite the generational differences. Just ask them. We had a similar experience with 27th's 94 corps even though we only had a 19 year history. Don't underestimate the bonds we have together and learn lessons from the past. Breaking into factions will only hasten the coming of the end. Steve (still playing after all these years) Solombrino

Bottom line I think drum corps still holds it's roots in tradition. People who marched in the 70's think it was the be all end all of Drum corps, and I'm sure fans from the 40's thought the exact same thing older fans do now. "It's not real drum corps, they have timpani on the field, and tuned bass drums, back in my day we had animal skin drum heads and rope tensioners" Now people gripe about amps, and show style. People thought the world was going to end when cavies played the Carnival show, and it didn't then, and it won't now. Drum corps changes, fans don't and it's a shame people are so close minded as to either boo a corps, or refuse to enjoy it because it's not the "good old days". Which by the way were only good because you were young. Kids still love to participate in drum corps, you don't like what they play. Well go ahead and cry about it, but it's not going to change, in fact it's going to continue to get further away from what you think drum corps should be. So I'd go ahead and copy your old DCI finals tapes to DVD, if you can handle using technology. New fans will replace you if they haven't already, and the world will continue to turn. Have you noticed that those that cast insults around here hide behind anonymity and don't state their drum corps credentials? IMO it makes discussions like this more interesting. People can paint others with a broad brush, call everyone too old, inept and stupid as well as assume that everyone is incapable of being open minded and objective and not being capable of determining what we like and don't like. IMO people like pvt_cairns, who appears to be looking to add controversy , doesn't understand that most of us won't continue a serious discussion after being insulted unless we know who we're being insulted by and that perhaps knowing that person's credentials may open us up to either enlightenment (from one who "knows" more about ourselves than we do) or open us up to a real debate. So let me put in my too old, stupid, closed minded and inept opinion here because I'm too old, stupid and closed minded to keep my mouth shut and remain anonymous. I'll say that after watching every minute of last year's quarter and semi finals I still don't like what I see and though I like some of what I hear, I'm still really not interested in watching today's drum corps. Since I'm stupid, closed minded and inept I'll watch another drum corps show in a year or two and see if I feel different but in the mean time I'll relate to drum corps in an historical context using technologies that I'm too old, stupid and inept at using and express another too old, stupid, closed minded and inept opinion that IMO in the future everyone will be relating to drum corps in an historical context because if things keep going as they have, that's all anybody will have. (Some could argue we're already there.) I'll crawl back into my too old, stupid, closed minded and inept life now feeling good knowing that there are already enough drum corps fans today so I can keep my money away from today's and tomorrow's drum corps and just go play my G bugles (4) and my too closed minded to own B flat trumpets (2).

IMO, until DCI figures out how to survey the many thousands of former drum corps participants and fans that refuse to go to shows and support the activity because they don't like today's shows, then they'll just be reaching mostly those that are happy with what's out there today thus severely skewing the survey and not convincing people to come back and support the activity. There is a huge, untapped market of former drum corps nuts out there. I realize you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. I'm not saying the activity should go back to 1971 (or fill in your own date here) but there could be ideas floated for changes that might result in a large increase in the numbers of former drum corps people brought back into the fold. If you want a personal example then I'll use my family. Check out my credentials. Then consider my wife marched for 10 years and my father is a trumpet player who as a youth marched in 3 units at the same time (he marched the same parade 3 times in one day more than once), was a corps director, past president of a regional judges association and was on the sales staff of Fleetwood Records and Drum Corps News. Last week I thought that going to a DCI show in the next town would be a nice way for the family to spend a night together and greet old friends. My wife refused to go, my dad screamed bloody murder at the thought of "watching that (censored)" and my mother (she also marched as a youth) tried to throw me out of the house for agitating my dad. None of us went and I saved $200 for tickets and even more when food and souvenirs are considered. We had a very nice night without drum corps, thank you very much. I think I'll go play one of my G bugles now. P.S. I watched quarter finals in a theater and semi finals on the webcast on a wide screen TV last year so I've seen today's drum corps.

Today I attended the funeral of Patsy Bonfiglio. I've known the Bonfiglios since late 1965 when I joined the I.C. Reveries junior corps. After many years with the Reveries I marched with The 27th Lancers and was part of the "Once More In 94" corps. My parents were there for the founding of 27th and my dad was the director of the Reveries for several years. I got to see a lot of drum corps both on and off the field. I know not only the Reverie people but many 27th people before and after marching with the corps. There are good memories and bad and the histories and people of both corps are part of my life. I love all these people and I value their friendship and loyalty. At the wake and funeral all the expected things took place. Bonfiglio friends and family as well as the expected droves of drum corps people from all the Bonfiglio years with both corps came to pay their respects. There were lots of emotions and memories shared. A large contingent was at the church. A piper played Patsy in and out of the church. A former 27th color guard captain traveled far just to share her wonderful singing voice for the service. All the elements of a wonderful, respectful service for Patsy were there including a glorious, sunny day. Here's the most amazing part for me. After the grave-side service, a soprano player played Danny Boy while we all stood with Patsy. I was standing with two other 27th lead sopranos with our backs turned to whomever was playing. The three of us just stood there staring at the ground listening with tears in our eyes. We were all thinking the same thing. It was a wonderful send off for a wonderful person. None of us could have played through the tribute without breaking up. We didn't even take the chance as it was a forgone conclusion that we could not play Danny Boy without crying. Towards the end of the performance the player started to show some difficulty. Not anything overt but just the sort of things a horn player would detect in another. We did not dare to look at him. We could feel the tension of this guy trying to hold it together to finish and we were thinking we were lucky to not be him for we might have not finished and ruined a good thing. The guy finished. He played every note. Everyone around us was lost in the moment. Then we turned to see just who this amazing, brave individual was. It was a Boston Crusader! That's right. From the old days. From the 1960s when 27th and Boston banged it up (both on and off the field) every weekend for years. The biggest rivalry north of New York. This amazing person took it upon himself to bail us pathetic lead sopranos out knowing that all of 27th horn players probably could not do it as individuals or as a group. He didn't do it to show us up at a momentous occasion in 27th history. Don't even go there! He did it on his own because he opened up his heart, looked inside and found a way to help us during our grief. I'll not reveal his name because he seemed earnest and modest (he may jump in here later). His name is not important, the act was. I and others thanked him. Later in the day I took the 27th lapel pin off my jacket and presented it to him as a small token of the corps gratitude for such a wonderful act. That solo was the most amazing moment I ever experienced in drum corps. To me it shows what I've known all along. Drum corps people are the best! If he's reading this. Thanks again brother! I'll see you around my friend. 27 TIMES

In your post and one other nobody seems to know why the members left for other corps. I marched in junior corps for 11 years and experienced the frustration of kids leaving a corps many times for all sorts of reasons all resulting in bad feelings all around. That said, back in the old days the local circuits around Boston has a release policy. If a member left a unit for another for any reason they had to obtain a written release from the original unit or wait until the next season to join another. This was originally implemented so that the smaller, less competitive corps did not get raided by larger, more competitive corps. In practice, kids who wanted to leave a unit, often due to personality issues (both management and kids could be and were often bad actors), could not obtain a release often due to spite. This often lead to a kid never marching again as the wait till the next season to rejoin the activity elsewhere often resulted in the kid finding something else to do or worse, falling in with the "wrong crowd" with the usual negative consequences. In my opinion, as both a marching member and the son of a corp director, it was always better to give the kid the release. If the kid was a problem in his original unit he/she could cause morale problems, reputation problems, legal problems and a whole host of other problems for that unit. I've seen all of that! If the kid went straight to another unit where he could get along better it was good for the kid, good for both units and good for the activity overall. The bottom line is this is a youth activity where the kids have to come first. The needs of the adults are secondary. Happy, well adjusted kids is what drum corps has always been about. Adult egos and unit rivalry over members has resulted in kids being turned away from the activity time and time again with negative results that can last a lifetime. I'm not sure what current DCI rules are regarding this issue but I would hope they would have learned from the mistakes of the past and understand that if the only way to make a kid happy is to let him/her go, then let them go. In the end its usually best for all.

Here's some of the reasons the Revere and MDC Police ignored drum corps kids. The Reveries, 27th, St. Anthony's and Revere High Band had lots of Revere and MDC cop's kids, neighbors and other relatives as members, past members and staff. They knew there would be hell to pay at home or back at the station house for busting any kid from a Revere marching unit. Besides, they had larger fish to fry than a bunch of music playing hoodlums that mostly just made noise on summer nights, drinking or not. Think back to how many times the Revere cops went behind Northgate to tell the Reveries or 27th that half the city was calling about the noise and then wanting to know when and were we were to perform, what current and future fund raisers could they help out at (for free) or contribute money to, and asking how their daughter, son, niece, nephew or neighbor was behaving, totally ignoring the official business they were on to begin with. Not to steal thunder from 27th hanging out in front of the MDC Police station but the Reveries used to hang out there for years before 27th moved in from across Kelley's Creme. The MDC knew there was drinking and other things going on but knew who we were and as long as we were discrete, picked up our trash and there were no complaints, they ignored us. In fact, one night, there was a rumble between the Reverie kids an the questionable group of guys that hung out in the pavilion (we hung out next to the pavilion, not in it). Even though the fighting spilled out into the Boulevard in front of theMDC Station House, the MDC cops only arrested the other guys. Later that night a MDC captain in uniform walked out of the Station House, crossed the Boulevard and told us he knew who we were, who we marched with, what we did while we were there and thanked us for cleaning up our empties and giving the MDC Police a good excuse to clean out the bad guys. He did suggest we not return to the beach for the rest of the summer but there was only a couple of weeks left so we took the hint and vanished until next year. Nothing was ever heard of the event. Somehow we got respect from the local law in those days. Of course things could be different on the road.

Due to a strange twist in my drum corps career I was in the stands for prelims and finals. I was blown away the whole time I was there. That may have been the best show of old time drum corps. Things changed rapidly from there on but that entire weekend was nothing less than fantastic. There was magic in that park as I found out myself in 76! Something drew out the best in all the corps, even those that didn't make finals. One of the few other times when it seemed that all the corps were flying was the 69 VFW also in Philly but across town. Must be something in the air!

OK, OK. My lovely wife Cheryl caught me looking at this thread. I'm now on the hook for a trip to the Newbridge and Kelley's on the beach. Here's my 27 cents worth. Newbridge. I lived 4 doors down the street for almost 30 years beginning at birth in 1957. Before the current owners bought the place in the 70's it was a front for a bookie operation called the Rainbow cafe. The neighbors would look the other way but would never set foot inside the door, ever. If you stood at the front door you could throw a rock and it would land in either Chelsea, Revere or Everett depending on the direction of flight. That corner is almost the point where the 3 cities touch each other. I never ate there until about 1993 when Cheryl insisted we go there. It was and still is all that its cracked up to be. Great steak or lamb tips! (Mandatory drum corps content.) In the spring of 1969 my father (very involved in Reveries and 27th at the time) was confined to the house for several months due to and illness. George B took the entire corps to the house on a Sunday afternoon where the most amazing park and blow performance was given at the end of Prospect Ave facing up the street towards the Newbridge. Needless to say, this then 12 year old, already with several marching seasons under his belt, was completely freaked out! I can still see 27th standing there when ever I'm there. George did this for others over the years with the same results. What a way to say thanks for your involvement! Kelley's. Nothing more to say except my little brother Scott owns the worlds largest limousine service and clients (the real rich and not so famous as well as many celebrities) from all over the world have requested a trip to Kelly's on the beach. This has gone on for the 30 years he's been in business. Not much anyone can add to that endorsement. Hilltop. Let's just say that Frank's gone and so went a legend. No sense beating a dead horse, er, cow. The Bay Side Lounge. This was a family operation. My family. My father's Uncle Bill, the patriarch of the Revere Sarno Klan, owned the place. We used to hold family parties there. A big drum corps hang out for about 25 or 30 years. Favorite of 27th staff as well as the Reveries. (Mandatory drum corps content.) I'll never forget the time around 1969 or 1970 when the Foley twins came around the corner of Zayer's and came to a screeching halt right in the middle of a Reveries practice in the Foley's 27th green VW bug. The two of them jumped out, opened the front trunk, grabbed my father, tossed him in, closed up and left rubber! They felt it was more important for my dad (Slushy) to have a few cold ones with 27th's staff at his uncle's place across the street! I figured out what was what and was laughing like an idiot while a lot of the Reverie kids didn't have a clue and thought the boss had been kidnapped by a local hit squad. When the Foley twins were wound up the most outrageous hilarity was about to overwhelm anybody in range.

The first 3 tracks from this! <http://www.michaelgiacchino.com/works/lost_world.html> This is the soundtrack from the video game. I think Giacchino did a better job here than Williams did for the movie. The rest of the tracks are not bad either, IMO. P.S. If you actually listen to the CD there is a hidden track at the end after a long pause. This would be great parade music.

Start here. <http://cardinalalumni.excitewebpages.com/page/1vsf/Contact_Us.html> Frank Raffa is the man you need to talk to.

Steve S - are you talking about the same guy riding the '08? I didn't think George B let him on a bus, and I do remember him thumbing all over creation to see us. Well I know he sat in front of us once. It may have been only that one time. Things are starting to get fuzzy. The rest of your account brings back more memories but his name remains a mystery.

We did have a hippy type that went on tour in '76. We called him The Guru. He rode the 08 and sat in front of Mad Dog and I. He wore the same T shirt the whole summer. It said "The Blue Who?" The best moment was when we were in Michigan for the Pontiac show and the whole corps sat in a circle in the lotus position holding hands with our eyes closed and levitated. I still say we all got some air under us that night. The staff was desperate for ideas and figured a levitation session couldn't hurt. IMO it didn't help much either.

Things I remember. The Reveries in their later years with the "Navy" theme were known to have removed a real cast iron boat anchor from someone's lawn while we marched by after leaving the field at a contest. (Saugus, MA.) AFAIK the anchor is still at the culprit's house over 30 years later. The stolen bowling ball from Butler that escaped and ran down the floor of the bus on a steep hill in the middle of the night nearly causing the bus driver a heart attack. The Foley twins (then 27th alumni) abducting my father (the corps director of the Reveries) by rolling up in the middle of drill practice in a green VW bug, tossing him in the trunk and speeding off to my father's uncle's club (The Bayside Lounge) for a few beers. Northstar taking my dad's clothes (still a corps director) while he was in the shower as they marched off across campus to the stadium. They left behind one person to take a photo when he snuck out to find something to wear thinking he was alone. (I've seen the evidence.) The Reveries swim team and Howard Johnson's in Revere. I think 27th had a competing team at the same venue. Never did figure out who won that contest. The Reveries Revere Drive In Theater team. (One car, 20 kids.) The horn line surprising the drum major and staff with Three Blind Mice while in a parade. (While very funny it did not go over too well.) The senior Reveries spreading bird seed all over the interiors of the Beverly Cardinals buses while the Cardinals were on the field. (You know. They might need a snack after they get off the field.) The drum major of the Marlborough Dukes marching the corps straight into Lake Quannapowitt at the end of the Wakefield 4th of July Parade. (Funny at first but someone, I think the drum major, got a serious injury from broken glass hidden in the mud.) I'm sure I've forgotten more than I can remember. The Reveries and 27th were always up to something hilarious.

This was a phased in situation that began in 1977 with sopranos.