Guess Who?

[ironlips]

Man, what a great story! No one will top that, but I'll bet there are a few other good ones in this crowd.

I was a cub scout, you know, blue uniform with some gold piping here and there, beanie cap, dopey look on my altar-boy face. We'd do 2 things: go to meetings, and march in the annual Sacred Heart School Bazaar Parade which was about 6 blocks long. In between, I watched TV, especially "Rin Tin Tin".

Those cavalry guys had uniforms too, and they were blue (though you couldn't tell on our B&W TV). I knew that from seeing a John Wayne movie. Best of all, they played a bugle call at the top of each episode. I pestered my parents incessantly until they caved and got me an Official Rexcraft Regulation Boy Scout Bugle for Christmas. I figured out how to make something resembling notes emanate from the correct end, and learned that "Assembly" call. In no time I was the bugler for Pack 333.

Around the 6th grade (1958 or so) we lined up for one of those parish parades. We had no band, but the pastor had decided to hire some music this time. Suddenly, from around the block, I hear this rumbling of drums, then they come wheeling around the corner and there's a roll-off. The sliver horns flash in the sun and this incredible music ( the Bill Hays arrangement of "Great Day") fills the world.

I had never heard a drum and bugle corps before and, ignoring the scoutmaster's orders, I broke ranks and ran down the street towards the tall red and white flags, and that sound. "I gotta be in this thing!" I'm thinking.

Then I see them. They're all girls! My God! My dream is shattered. Drum Corps is for girls! I was the most crestfallen cub scout on the planet.

Turns out, this was the St. Catherine of Sienna Marianettes, the Audubon of Queens. It would be three long years before I'd see another corps, when I got drafted into the one at Xavier High School...and (as the poet says) "that has made all the difference".

Edited May 30, 2014 by ironlips

[rayfallon]

As Frank said, I can't top that.

It was 1963 for me - in Babylon or Smithtown - I'm leaning toward Smithtown but not exactly sure - I was 12 after all, or actually probably 11. It was my 3rd year in the Oceanside Legionaires.

This was my first M&M Competition after 3 years of stand-still contests.

Most of the show is a flood of images and sounds - many are probably mis-placed in my memory - e.g. did the Freelancers play the "FBI" theme in '63?

I remember liking Smithtown, Babylon, there it gets fuzzy.

At any rate by a little after dark I'm wearing down and sort of hoping we'd get going...

You guys know I grew up idolizing the Sunrisers, starting that year, but that night, my first, was different.

As I thought the show was all done this huge line of red and black formed on the starting line - Sky.

From the first note to the end of the show I was mesmerized, blown away, converted. At that moment I was drum corps person.

That opener! YIkes.

Oddly one of the big memories was the guard on the closing "fanfare".

When I stop to think about what they were probably doing it seems so improbable, but that night it might as well have been a Vegas floor show.

Couple weeks later I found "The Pit" in Mineola and my life long love affair with Sun began, but that night it was all Sky.

Edited May 30, 2014 by rayfallon

[gsksun4]

Both great stories Frank and Ray and thanks.

It's always a treat to read how we all started this wild ride and how we cherish that ride now in our older years. I personally can't recall things I did five years ago, but I can visualize the sweat pouring down the faces after a Puerto Rican Day parade in Manhattan in 1962.

I'm sure many here have memories of how it all began, so please share if you will.

[Fran Haring]

Can't top any of those stories.

My older brothers Lenny and Marty joined the Raiders of 88.... in HIghland Park, NJ, next town over from Edison, where we lived.... for the 1967 season. The corps competed in the Garden State circuit, and for a first-year corps, wasn't too bad at all. I went to some shows with my parents... and I remember the Riversiders from NYC dominated the circuit that year... they had a great corps.

Turns out 1967 was the only season the Raiders were on the field.... the corps folded in the fall of '67. The reason why the corps went under is a story for another day... and not pretty.

Anyhow... before the corps folded, I joined in September... along with my school friends George Marion and Mike Clougher. I was, what... 9 years old.

Tommy Swan, the Raiders' horn instructor, came over to me and put a French horn in my hands. "This is your instrument," he said.

And so it was. LOL. For 11 of the 12 years I marched, in junior and senior corps. My first year on the field was 1971, with the Manville NJ Sacred Heart Crusaders.

I had one year on mellophone... my last year with Manville, in 1976.

I hated playing mellophone.

I'm guessing mostly because I sucked at it.

[gsksun4]

Tommy Swan, the Raiders' horn instructor, came over to me and put a French horn in my hands. "This is your instrument," he said.

And so it was. LOL. For 11 of the 12 years I marched, in junior and senior corps. My first year on the field was 1971, with the Manville NJ Sacred Heart Crusaders.

I had one year on mellophone... my last year with Manville, in 1976.

I hated playing mellophone.

Looking back now, I think I like the French horn sound better. I never played one while marching, but I know how difficult it was. Paul Daunt and Billy Kirk while with Selden, did the horn justice. I know you marched with Daunt in the later Sun years, so you know what I'm talking about.

Interesting enough, Kirk had a solo in the exit number with Selden in 64 and it can be heard on the World Open record. One listen to that and you never want to play one of those, and he was top shelf material. Went on to play in Sky with that same horn.

Bob Bunce gave me a mellophone in the winter of 64 and after a few days, I gave it back. Ya don't want to be the only one playing that instrument. Didn't make sense to me, why only one.

Might be because he bought that horn himself. I do recall hearing I believe the 65 Chicago Royal-Airs wail on those things however. We had them in Sun, but when you have guys like Steve Buglino, Charlie Howell and I believe it was Tommy Leonard playing them, all you can say is wow!

Edited June 2, 2014 by gsksun4

[TennTux]

Looking back now, I think I like the French horn sound better. I never played one while marching, but I know how difficult it was. Paul Daunt and Billy Kirk while with Selden, did the horn justice. I know you marched with Daunt in the later Sun years, so you know what I'm talking about.

Interesting enough, Kirk had a solo in the exit number with Selden in 64 and it can be heard on the World Open record. One listen to that and you never want to play one of those, and he was top shelf material. Went on to play in Sky with that same horn.

Bob Bunce gave me a melllophone in the winter of 64 and after a few days, I gave it back. Ya don't want to be the only one playing that instrument. Didn't make sense to me, why only one.

Might be because he bought that horn himself. I do recall hearing I believe the 65 Chicago Royal-Airs wail on those things however. We had them in Sun, but when you have guys like Steve Buglino, Charlie Howell and I believe it was Tommy Leonard playing them, all you can say is wow!

I know Fran will agree with me about Paul Daunt..... "Unbelievably good" is a fair description of his abilities on the FH. It was an honor to have had the opportunity to be in front of Paul while he was playing...

[TennTux]

I think everyone will agree with FTD. "No one will top that"

As proof I'm not very good at writing or putting these things in a decent story line....

My Drum Corps history...

I’m not sure this would rise to a "good one" or not. IIRC, I’ve written this before somewhere.

I became aware of the Drum Corps activity sometime around 1958-59 (IIRC, I was about 5 yrs. old). I lived on Rt.107 (Western Ave, Lynn, MA) right across the street from Manning Bowl….

I remember standing on my mother’s second floor porch, which I could see over Manning Bowl’s front and side wall into the field. Watching and listening to all of the Drum Corps was something I hadn’t seen or heard before. (Though at 5 years old I hadn't seen or heard very much of anything!)

Of course what I was seeing and listening to was local small Drum Corps circuits and Marching Band competitions as it would be several more years before the “World Open” would be held in Manning Bowl. By the time the W.O. had made it to Manning Bowl I was competing in it…

When I asked my mother if I could join the Corps across the street her reply was “When you can cross the street by yourself.” That happened at the end of the 62 season and by the 1963 season I was a member of the French Horn section with the Lynn Continentals! (I was moved to the Baritone section by the end of 63.) Fortunately my mother had no idea we were rehearsing more than 20 blocks away on the other side of Lynn. I know she would not like knowing a 9 year old was walking back and forth to rehearsals carrying the horn after dark. (Most DC folks have been to Lynn, MA. It’s not normally advised (especially a 9 yr old) to walk around town alone in the dark. LOL) By the time she learned where our rehearsals were I was walking back and forth with several other members of the Corps. (Amazingly that didn't make her any happier.)

There was a thread on DCP some time ago (the DCI side) and the OP was asking “How did you originally get involved in the DC activity? What Corps got you started?” I replied; “ALL of them.” I was fortunate to see quite a few Drum Corps, of course I thought they all were “across the street”… heh

Blessed with meeting Jimmy Centorino (he was teaching the Lynn Continentals horn line) and getting a “1960’s invitation” to join BAC for the 69 season, (“I’ll come by and pick you up around 5:30, have your horn with you”) I got to see this activity from a VERY different perspective than I had in the Continentals. Going from a very small Class “C” (then moving up to Class “B”) Corps to the Boston Crusaders was an eye opener to say the least. Most of what I do remember from the 1969 season was this 14 yr old keeping his mouth shut and only speaking when I was asked a question. (Which was not very often. LOL)

During the 1969 season we lived on Park St. in Lynn, I lived next door to WDCHoF Richard ‘Dick’ Doucette. (DM of the Renegades and an Alumni of the Lt. Norman Prince Princemen), when I was invited to join the Renegades (RCA Sr Corps from Everett / Boston, MA) after the 1969 season. “Sr Corps” was another eye opener… This is also where I met Donna, who I am honored to be sharing our 43^rd wedding anniversary this June! (2014) By the end of the 1973 season it seemed that the Renegades might not be fielding a Corps for the 1974 season. With several fellow members of the Renegades, John “Cupcakes” Curran, Fuzzy Vorell, (Sops) Paul Gaffney (Guard, Rifle Line) and a few others we all headed down to Shelton, CT to check out the Ct Hurricanes.

As the 74 Hurcs were still an “all male” Corps Donna was not able to march the 74 season but she still wished to so when Mike DeLorenzo Sr came up to Poughkeepsie, NY (where we moved to after the end of the 73 season) to speak with several of us (Tom Hart (Hurcs DM) and several Alumni of the Poughkeepsie Pacers) were in the process of starting a Sr Corps, “The Empire State Lawmen” (that never got off the ground) based out of the Poughkeepsie, NY area. There were originally 10 of “us” (The Poughkeepsie Crew) that drove down to Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NY and joined the Sunrisers for the 1975 season.

Though the 75 Sunrisers were not “knocking it out of the park” that season, there was something special about the group we were joining that year. Over the next couple of seasons several others, from the Poughkeepsie area, would commit to making that trip with us and joined the Sunrisers as well. That original 1974 October weekend trip down to check out the Sunrisers turned into a 10 year stay with 4 DCA Championship Titles. (77, 78, 82, 83) THANK YOU Mike DeLorenzo Sr for taking the time to drive the 3 ½ hours up to Poughkeepsie!

And in closing this mini-book of happiness, (with apologies for ending on a down note) my “carrier” with the Sunrisers, and my active participation in the Drum Corps activity came to an end on Saturday night / Sunday morning June 9, 1985 in Bridgeport, Ct sometime after 4AM. After the B’Port show several of us (Sun) were driving back to the motel we were staying at for the parade on Sunday. The road curved to the left and I didn’t. The right side of the rear fender of my van caught the road sign on the right side of the road and that “assisted” me in quickly swerving to the right. Right into “the oldest tree in Bridgeport”. (So the court papers said) If the saying IS true, “What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger”, then this did. I was given last rites the first day in the hospital in B’Port and twice in my life since then and I’m “still here”.

There was a post on DCP where I shared a pic of the tree and my van “after”.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106210&st=12300&p=2513622entry2513622

Now you know why I always say “Happy Saturday!” (or whatever day it happens to be.)

“Every day above ground is a GREAT day!” ~ Me

[Fran Haring]

I know Fran will agree with me about Paul Daunt..... "Unbelievably good" is a fair description of his abilities on the FH. It was an honor to have had the opportunity to be in front of Paul while he was playing...

What Tony said.

Paul was the best French horn player we had during my time with Sun, hands down. And easily one of the best I've ever heard on that instrument.

He was the whole package. Big, full sound.... great tone quality and control.

[ajlisko]

Great stories by all ... even the rookie, Fran ... ... mine is similar and yet different all in the same breadth ... in 58, by age 8, I was a veteran of watching both the Barnum Festival show and its grand parade on the 4th of July (yes, they actually had the parade ON the 4th in those years) ... I got to see the CT Yankees, CT Hurricanes, Bpt Troopers (yes, there was a Troopers pre-Casper), Hawthorne, Syracuse, Scout House and many more throughout the 50's ... then, three Jr corps were formed in Bridgeport in 57-58 ... St. Raphael's, Bpt PAL and St. Ann's ... my brother was recruited by St. Raphael's and I was the tag-a-long little brother ... Earl Sturtze took me under his wing and while the big boys were drilling and whatever, Earl took me to the side and began to hone my individual snare skills ... how lucky was I? ... it wasn't long before I was able to join the "big" boys and begin competing in the I&E shows of the 60's ... like many have said here, their first exposure to a BIG Sr corps was Sky ... my story is no different ... they put on an exhibition in Bpt in 1959 and my life changed forever ... little did I know that 10 years later I'd be sharing the same field with one of my heroes, Walter Winkelman ... I know the images many people have of Sky ... but, trust me, they were extremely appealing to the yout of America ... their sound was stunning ... their military unis were invincible ... they were like a Marvel comic book character ... I became close with many from Sky during my I&E days with the Bpt PAL ... I eventually joined them at the end of 68 and am a proud Lifetime Member - Sky's highest honor ...

C'mon ... let's hear s'mor from all of you ...

:-)

[donincardona]

Great stories by all ... even the rookie, Fran ... ... mine is similar and yet different all in the same breadth ... in 58, by age 8, I was a veteran of watching both the Barnum Festival show and its grand parade on the 4th of July (yes, they actually had the parade ON the 4th in those years) ... I got to see the CT Yankees, CT Hurricanes, Bpt Troopers (yes, there was a Troopers pre-Casper), Hawthorne, Syracuse, Scout House and many more throughout the 50's ... then, three Jr corps were formed in Bridgeport in 57-58 ... St. Raphael's, Bpt PAL and St. Ann's ... my brother was recruited by St. Raphael's and I was the tag-a-long little brother ... Earl Sturtze took me under his wing and while the big boys were drilling and whatever, Earl took me to the side and began to hone my individual snare skills ... how lucky was I? ... it wasn't long before I was able to join the "big" boys and begin competing in the I&E shows of the 60's ... like many have said here, their first exposure to a BIG Sr corps was Sky ... my story is no different ... they put on an exhibition in Bpt in 1959 and my life changed forever ... little did I know that 10 years later I'd be sharing the same field with one of my heroes, Walter Winkelman ... I know the images many people have of Sky ... but, trust me, they were extremely appealing to the yout of America ... their sound was stunning ... their military unis were invincible ... they were like a Marvel comic book character ... I became close with many from Sky during my I&E days with the Bpt PAL ... I eventually joined them at the end of 68 and am a proud Lifetime Member - Sky's highest honor ...

C'mon ... let's hear s'mor from all of you ...

:-)

i didn't know sturtze taught you. you were lucky. i'm surprised ya didn't end up with the hurcs. iwas was taught by colin campbell and steve gadd. guess i was lucky to.

Edited May 31, 2014 by donincardona