The trombones thread reminded me of one of my first vivid memories of drum corps. My first year marching was 1988 Sky Ryders. At the end of my first Huntchinson camp we were sitting and eating a burger near the field at the famed "Bogey's" restaraunt. I don't know whether he wrote it or not, but Frank Troyka had the Sound of Music drill charts on the table in front of me. I was in the pit so all of that information was superfluous anyway.
Anyway, I was looking at it and saw that it was the first set. The entire hornline was in a vertical line on the 50 yard line in very close intervals. The battery and color guard was around that forming a treble clef. Pretty cool I thought.
I saw the close intervals and said....to a table full of staff and vets...out loud...
"Where are the trombones? Aren't they going to be poking people in the head with their slides?"
That was met with about 5 seconds of silence, darting eyes, and purse lips...followed by open laughter and mockery. I was a rookie in every sense of the word. totally clueless.
I'll never forget that. That embarrasment has somehow become a treasured memory.