Drum Corps Family

[Robbie Ellis]

My 2 uncles were with the St. James Drum & Bugle Corps in Baltimore, Md. that I believe is one of, if not, the oldest drum corps in the country.

I met my husband when we were in Archer Epler and now we both march with Yankee Rebels. My brother is in the Rebel's guard and my nephew, his son, is in the Rebel's tonal bass line.

It's great to have my brother and nephew in the corps. It keeps us together and close and I've enjoyed watching my nephew grow up in drum corps. He used to move in his mom's tummy when he would hear the Marines D & B before he was born. A true drum corps kid.

[Fran Haring]

My older brothers Marty and Lenny marched in the Raiders of 88 junior corps from Highland Park, NJ. They also both marched with the Sunrisers. Lenny also marched with the Manville, NJ, Sacred Heart Crusaders junior corps.

My brother-in-law Wayne Poulsen marched with the Manville Crusaders, and the Hawthorne Caballeros. He's now a member of the Caballeros Alumni corps.

And of course.... my wife Barbara marched with the Westshoremen. And both of us are now members of the Westshoremen Alumni corps.

It's always interesting around the dinner table, when we get the "Caballeros vs. Sunrisers vs. Westshoremen" conversations going. :P

Fran

[Donny Drum Corps]

I marched with my 2 brothers at different times, we were all lead sops...and my dad was active as quartermaster for those drum corps as well. I have played next to my son at Crusaders, and will do it again at mini corps with Ghost Riders. I am working him in to a duet with me...

My brothers and I have taught DCA championship corps...Brigs and Empire.

My sisters have absolutely no interest in drum corps at all.

Donny

[Jimbalaya]

couldn't let this one get by.......right Joe?

I was fortunate to come from a drum corps family. My father, his brother and his sister all marched with the Sgt. Hamilton Fish Post VFW corps in the '30's. Both 'Pop' and my Uncle Al played soprano. Al also marched with Northern Liberties corps in Philly. I had the pleasure of having 'Pop' join Archie in '62 about a month after me and we played together for a lot of years until his passing in '89. Two of my daughters were guard members at Archie and my wife was the Choral Director for five years, during which the chorus won 3 out of the 4 DCA championships it entered. She was also my right arm in helping to run the corps. Actually, I was dating her since '63. Her father spent some time in a small boy scout corps in Philly.

[LegalEagle50]

Only child... only person in family to do drum corps.

ditto.

question ~ does your family just not get it?

[Cabstuba04]

Like Bobby Murray I am a second generation Caballero. My father marched from 1949 to 1966... I have marched from 1975 to the present..My Brother John Marched in the Muchachos in the middle 70's then joined the Cabs in the late 70's and marched through the Middle 90's. My Wife Terry marched from 1982-1991. My daughter Patricia from 99-06. She Married a baritone player from the Cabs so you never know maybe there will be a forth generation in the corps...and the hits just keep on coming.... Great thread...

[hurcwave]

My Dad marched St Mary's in the 50's then in 1959 he was one of the charter members and baritone player with the Torrington, Ct Vagabonds, then went on to be the director for many years, as well as being involved with the NorthEast Circuit

My 3 sisters and I all marched together in Fife and Drum corps when starting, then my sister Eileen and I went onto different Jr corps, then my sisters Eileen and Maureen, myself and my Dad marched Hurricanes together on and off for a few years.

My wife marched Hurcs 81-88 (thats how we met! well kinda!) .

My daughters marched as banner carriers with Heat Wave early on, and, this summer, my daughter Megan marched Teal Sound guard !!

2 of my uncles (Mom's brothers) marched in the 50's & early 60' (thats how my Dad and Mom met :) Uncle Vin and Terry with St Mary's, then Vin later went to Hurricanes and a cousin Pete with Vagabonds

Edited August 23, 2007 by hurcwave

[platypi25]

My sister and I marched together at Bush for 4 years, she's off at school now, though, too long a drive. I'm sure she'll be back eventually

[JoSaints]

I just did a quick calculation against the Saints corps roster from 1967-1977 ... of the 320 people listed, almost half (155) were related to someone else in the corps. That's not including a half-dozen or so who weren't related to someone else before they married another corps member ...

Yes, I know this is the DCA forum, but ... it's a fun thread!

jo

Edited August 23, 2007 by JoSaints

[zorf]

My two older brothers and three nephews march in the Harbor Springs, MI drum & bugle corps. Standard valvless G bugles with drums. This unit is pretty much a parade unit and I've had the opportunity to march with them a few times for what is arguably one of the best 4th of July parades anywhere. The unit leads the parade and then circles back and is the last unit in the parade. The parade route happens to pass by the American Legion post. So, on the final pass the corps makes a hard right turn into the legion post, plays through a couple bugle calls in the bar of the legion post that are absolutely deafening and then breaks for some well-earned cold brews.

Closer to home, I'm trying to spark some interest in my 13-year-old daughter to hopefully march with me in about 4 or 5 years. So far, the interest is luke warm. When I put in a drum corps DVD it usually elicits a response something akin to "Daaaaad! Are you watching drum corps again?" Perhaps a bigger challenge than sparking her interest may be in keeping my body functioning sufficiently over the next 5 years to be able to march. I'll be 56 and she'll be 17.