Mellodoug1

I totally agree with this statement : "Fusion uniforms look stunning" ..... the color is rich ...... the embossed left arm ..... is awesome. The plumes and hats set off the uni top perfectly. It was my favorite uni of the weekend ..... looks great in the sun & @ night...... Just Love It ..... Good job & Hats off to the design team.

Hamburg Kingsmen powder Blue & Silver late 60's Hamburg Kingsmen 75 (RCA circuit) actual West Point Cadet uni's / secured from congressman Jack Kemp Of Course "Ghost Riders" new uni since 2008 a true copy of the Troopers uni .... not original at all ....following the original concept birthing "Ghost Riders", set out in 1995. Our mission: to be "America's Corps" (Senior or All-Age Corps, as it is now called). If the Junior circuit could have this title and look with the Troopers, then why not the "All-Age" circuit ?? It seems that thought process worked, the fans love the "Ghost Riders" mini corps, the America theme concept and continue to back us. Thanks !!! Just a stat : We have placed (@ DCA Championships) in the TOP 4.......11 times in 15 years. The uniform stays .... the theme stays ..... we are "GHOST" !!

A "Big Time" Thanks from Ghost Riders ......... we admire your hard work, excellent style and musicianship. The commaraderie and willingness to work together with the competing mini corps speaks loudly for your organization .... See You in Rochester. Thanks, Doug Mellenthine & Rod Keppel / co/directors Ghost Riders mini corps

I hardly ever agree with Strutta "ever" ..... but soloists x 2 through the entire show 2nd place ? ..... I think this should be left in I&E "individuals playing duets" !!! Ensemble playing, blend and section features, woven through the presentation is and should be what mini corps competition is all about. Oh did I forget to mention GE or programming ? Maybe if it's just GE, then it doesn't matter ...... Blow solos through the whole presentation that seems to work too !!! Go Figure ..........

Barring any plane foopa's ........ leaving this morning ..... sitting at the airport as I write this. The temp in Orlando has been hovering between 32 & 42 degrees since we arrived last Friday. Getting back to Batavia (parts unkown) won't be that much of a shock temp wise. Very much looking forward to seeing all the returning GR personel and I too welcome any new faces to our Open House Friday night. Happy Trails, Doug

There seems to be many ..... many ..... old timers on this thread !! I guess I'm just one more. I played sop single valve G bugle with the "original" St Johnsburg Fire Co Drum Corps (parade corps), located in the Town of Wheatfield , Niagara County, NY. Our big competition was the Shawnee Indian Fire Co Drum Corps and the Cataract Cavaliers out of Niagara Falls, NY. My audition was conducted in the truck room downstairs - I passed @ age 11. The rehearsals were held in the upstairs and instucted by Rudy Coumont from Lockport, NY. We were taught by wrote/ear. He stood sideways and told us to play and follow his thumb on the piston as he tapped his foot on the floor. These memories are very vivid in my mind. 1959 sure was a long time ago !!!! Drum Corps "Fleetwood" records purchased by me were played continuously scratches and all ....... those were the days !!!!! It does seem like only yesterday, but then I look in the mirror !!!

LOOKING BACK & FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME : 2007 saw us with a huge guard of 36 and Crusaders made the top 10 in DCA finals ; 2008 was better all around and we held our position in the top 10, albeit increased competition banging on the door ; 2009 proved to be more challenging with a corps that was reduced in size, this kept our score down through the year, but we never gave up and worked our tails off. No, we did not make the top 10, that is history, the larger southern corps prevailed in their quest. Actuality: What made 2009 special was a warmer sense of friendships between the membership. Everyone worked (in my opinion) harder than in the 2 previous years. The reward was a great feeling of accomplishment and commaraderie amongst us. A very strong nucleus !!!! Recruiting has been positive to date and the staff expects to see a much larger corps in all sections this year. The music will be enjoyable and challenging at the same time. We will prevail. "GO CRU" !!!! Be a part of Crusaders and experience "Good Music ; Good People ; Good Times" . Stop in @ the Open House this Sunday and check us out !!! Doug

I have heard that people were upset with the quality of the DVD's this year. I received mine today and here is my take on it. I listened to the CD first and expected some good ....full sound..... It was played on a very high quality audio sytem. The cd was not EQ'D in post production. This gives you a top treble sound with missing base. Had to turn the volume past normal loud ..... appx +12db. I popped the CD out of the blue-ray player and inserted the DVD .... It started up and played ..... blew me back, the volume was way high (due to settings on my system that needed to be there for the previous CD). I was OK with the sound after listening to the audio CD. Now to the picture quality. When you compress video and put 14 mini corps performances on 1 DVD you loose major picture quality. Unfortunately this is the case on this years audio and videos. My consolation is I have history documentation. It's just too bad we couldn't have had a better product in our library.

I'M GOING !!!! I traveled to NYC and was with Joey at his opening show, "The Metropolitan Room in NYC". It was quite the night. I know how hard Joey and his band has been working the last few weeks, tightening down the small stuff. I sat in on a rehearsal prior to his Met Room appearance and noticed how smoothly things went with Joey moving the band through their paces. I know they will "KNOCK THEM DEAD" @ Feinsteins. When Joey and I spent so much time together working music and playing horns in my home / back yard / and garage ....many times I would just put my horn away and just listen, most times uncomfortable due to my inabilities in comparison. I knew then how special his abilities were. Now the critics who really know their stuff, are coming up with experlitives that do put Joey in this special category. IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO NYC ...... Joey would be very glad to see any and all of his friends @ FEINSTEINS !!!

A Huge "THANK YOU" for your comments on Ghost. After 14 years @ DCA mini corps championships we also know that never before has GR played with the quality we had this year. This comes about due to many factors and mostly hard work over the past 3 years. It has been a building process. Donny Allen has been a tremendous help in getting our sound blended, balanced and musical. Show design has been on the money with choice of music very pallatable for the fans and judges alike. The solo fests of the 90's (you could win then with it) are pretty much a thing of the past. I'm somewhat concerned however that the sheets that are being used by the judges do not have blend and balance as a criteria. We knew when we completed our program the crowd loved us. That was our reward for the year. When the DVD of the night shows up in the mail, we'll watch it ..... scratch our heads here @ Ghost Riders Central in "Parts Unkown", say to each other Fran and his group were right and begin again for next years run. Thank you to Star for putting that bar so high ...... it surely has developed the quality of this show for all the fans to enjoy. We will not stop ...... We did it in 2000 ..... I remember that magical nite and the feeling it left us with to win this thing. One more time ..... Go Ghost

I watched another video last night from the trumpet side. The audio was better. Just a side note here ..... for those who really are interested in a quality picture and better recorded sound with wide frequency response, I personally recommend purchasing the audio and video's. When I received mine last year I was very pleased with the quality of the sound, especially when played back on my home audio/video system.

A video of The Ghost Riders performance of Aaron Coplands "Red Pony" has been uploaded to You-Tube. Enjoy. Search Ghost Riders 2009.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the next time mini corps comes to a city near you. Plans are in the works @ MCA to have appx 4 shows a year. This may become a reality as soon as March 2010. You may have to travel to Long Island; Parts Unkown (Batavia, NY); Boston Mass; Harrisburg, PA,........ but your mini corps fix just may come much sooner than you think in 2010. Ghost Riders will be performing their 2009 production on Sept 26th in Batavia, NY ...... a "special cause" concert. Look for the upcoming advertizement concerning the event on DCP. "Happy Trails"

The You Tubage was early in the season and many positive things have happenned in the Ghost camp since. Our percussionist's are none other than BillMcGrath Jr (DCA HOF MEMBER) and the addition of the extremely talented John Klein (2000 Ghost Riders Champion). We are very pleased to have John back with us this year. Our brass line is full and we are extemely pleased with their attention to detail and musical abilities across the line. The comments we continue to hear this year is how musical we have become especially over the last couple months. These comments are from Drum Corps and Non-Drum Corps people alike. Everyone will be on their game. The level of this competition has moved to amazing new heights in 14 years since Ghost Riders hit the stage the frist time. The idea and formation of the group had one purpose .... to compete again. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to work as hard as we have and continue this thing we call Ghost for 14 consecutive championships without missing one. Now as I become older I truly believe Ghost Riders will continue even when I'm gone ..... I hope I'm not going yet ..... I still have a show to play Friday night !!!! Good Luck to everyone and see you all in Rochester ...... break a leg !!!!!

Whew ...... that Donny, he's a real piece of work !!! Good thing I'm zonable ...... and don't have thin skin, or his brow beating would bother me. As far as my playing ability ...... just wait to you hear our mellie line, supported by that warm and fuzzy bari section of ours. Then add our trumpet section and magic happens. Yes, the show will be played FOR THE FANS of mini corps. Everyone wants to win and trys their best to get there. The only one who grabs 1st place and becomes the Champion is that 1st place corps. As my lovely wife Sherry Mooney says : Everyone remembers won won ...... the rest does not matter. That is the fact when talking on this post or archiving history of 1st place. The activity along with all the hard work is what makes it special when things click !!! Having a good time with pride in the performance and fun rehearsals is what mini corps is all about. Too much emphasis on getting that 1st place spot will sometimes remove the feeling of accomplishment from the membership and leave them very best dissapointed. We will come prepared. We had a great winter, a fun summer so far getting ready, and now finishing touches. THE FANS WILL WIN. If everyone worked with this kind of attitude, the entire show from everyone on stage that night would no doubt be much better for the entire DCA fan base. I can only hope that other corps (although I'm not sure how they work) believe in this concept as well. THE GHOST RIDERS MOTTO .... "GOOD PEOPLE ; GOOD MUSIC : GOOD TIMES". See You all in Rochester and let it rip !!!!! Later, Doug

Frank, great vision ..... Star wins ..... probably .... much talent and execution ability. 2nd place .... that is the ?. Mass Brass or Golden Eagles.? Do not count Ghost Riders out of the formula. This will be GR's 14th year in competition always in the hunt. Although mid 85 scores were the norm for a couple years running ..... last year saw an increase of 7-8 points putting GR in the 92/93 range. This was due to a superb bari line .... excellent trumpet and mellie line, great percussion with the late "Rick Rogers" and "Jackson Fink Jr". Not to mention a show design front to back 2nd to none......if you bought the DVD's and watched the show front to back this would be an obvious conclusion. Now it's 2009 and Ghost is coming ....... This year brings to the table a musical book that moves their approach to a higher level. Aaron Copelands "Red Pony" ; Ghost Riders Suite (an original composition penned by Donny Allen) ; followed by a let it rip "GR In The Sky". Sprinkles will be added with a jazz rendition of "Happy Trails". The crowd will be entertained, the judges will notice the complexity plus the diversity of the styles in music. Never count Ghost out. Golden Eagles are wonderful and put it all out there.....Frank makes sure of it. Strutta, Coulsen and the boys from Mass Brass play their tuckesses off. This will be a barn burner. DON'T MISS "GHOST RIDERS" THEY MAY SURPRIZE YOU ALL !!!!!!

The Ghost Riders send their condolences to the family and especially Bruce's mom. He talked of her much and made sure she was always taken care of. We will miss you Bruce .... but nobody as much as his mom .....

My understanding was a HUGE meeting was set today in the city of Auburn. Yes, they are excited ..... great for the community and drum corps fans alike. I'll go because "I have too" .... also let's not forget, because "I want to". Stay tuned for more exciting info as it unfolds.

Melliegene .... that is indeed "The Farnum Flash" .... Cookie ..... DON Walker not Dan (DON was the Truck Driver from Farnum, played third sop in Hamburg). We see him on the gurney every year at the Buffalo DCI show. He is in a nursing home in South Buffalo following a major stroke that left him paralyzed about 5 years ago. Jack Gaylord makes sure he gets there every year....he was also in MSJ for a couple years. DAN Walker was also involved with Hamburg back in the day late 60's early 70's ... he came up with the Jamestown crew. Played 1st sop @ the time, Dan is our passed friend, not Cookie. Hope this clears up any confusion.

Gary, I believe you may have these 2 guys mixed up. Dan Walker & Don Walker were both in Hamburg back in the day. Cookie is Don Walker from Farnum "The Farnum Flash alias Cookie". Dan was a Jamestown guy with sight problems as lomg as as 10+ years ago. I believe I am correct here. Don Walker is still in a nursing home following a major stroke a few years ago. Anyone who can confirm this please do. Thanks, Doug

Donny ..... you better not be calling me a liar ...... I saw the sheets & it is fact !!! Sure that was Anaheims show ..... that was the whole idea .....Kingsmen on the East Coast as well as the West Coast. Hamburg did copy them & did pay for the show !!!! Ralph Hardimon was in for a couple rehearsals and so was Mike Duffy. They both were pleased with the performance in Hamilton and also disgusted, because of the low content scores we received. We were too small to be a player in the top 5 with only 6 banners and 3 snares. To be a stronger contender that year numbers of personel are necessary as you well know. However, the horn line really rocked with only 28. Phoenix was the real deal that year and the focus in 1975 ..... however, no one can take away from the fact that the product Hamburg fielded that year was one of the best they had ever achieved. Not by numbers or size, but by accomplishment and self gratification of bringing it back out, a quality product with a sense of pride an self worth.

Donny ..... you better not be calling me a liar ...... I saw the sheets & it is fact !!! Sure that was Anaheims show ..... that was the whole idea .....Kingsmen on the East Coast as well as the West Coast. Hamburg did copy them & did pay for the show !!!! Ralph Hardimon was in for a couple rehearsals and so was Mike Duffy. They both were pleased with the performance in Hamilton and also disgusted, because of the low content scores we received. We were too small to be a player in the top 5 with only 6 banners and 3 snares. To be a stronger contender that year, numbers of personel are necessary as you well know. However, the horn line really rocked with only 28. Phoenix was the real deal that year and the focus in 1975 ..... however, no one can take away from the fact that the product Hamburg fielded in 75 was one of the best they had ever achieved. Not by numbers or size, but by accomplishment and self gratification of bringing it back out, a quality product with a sense of pride an self worth. We all know that that's what it's all about.

Bruce we love you and pray for you ..... The entire Ghost Rider Family is with you and only hope your days are free of pain and peaceful, as you travel through this most difficult period in your life.

Those who paid attention to the RCA circuit in 1975 saw Phoenix take the title in Hamilton Ontario. Due to administration problems the Hamburg Kingsmen lost their position in DCA in 1974. They then fielded a smaller corps & joined RCA in 1975. They bought the book from the west coast and played Anaheim Music by arranger Mike Duffy. Ralph Hardimon charts were handled by the drum line. Although the horn line was much smaller (28 brass) they played with dynamics / blend / and double & triple forte pushes when needed. The horn line was extremely accomplished under the auspices and instruction of none other than Robert S LaDuca .... alias "Bobby The Dancing Bear". In fact at the first competition of the year Corky Frabrizio awarded the horn line a 9.8 out of 10 in GE horns. The closer was madeup of "Ghost Riders in The Sky" complete with sunburst circle drill (written by Mike Linton & Tom Burpo).....exited off the back sideline ..... a 10 measure re-entry "KING OF KINGS" was played and moved the corps to mid field ......where they restated the final statement of their opener "Folk Song Suite" with high leg lift and huge brass PUSH !!!! A little bit of History !!!! form the past !!!!