Guess Who?

[gsksun4]

In the winter of 62 into 63, there was a buzz about town that Loretto, Selden and the Queensmen (and maybe Floyd Bennett) were merging into what was known as the "original" Brassmen ... some guys even showed up with corps jackets at the Staten Island I&E show that winter ... I talked with Buscemi about this when he was inducted into the BHOF and he said the endevor did occur, but they couldn't get any parents to run the corps ... a few rehearsals were held by the "kids" and then it folded ... too bad ... could have been the first Jr. "super" corps of the decade ... maybe Dorittie remembers something ...

:-)

That's quite a talent pool Andy.

Edited January 5, 2015 by gsksun4

[cthurricane]

Getting a little away from the current conversation, a very good friend Tom Swenson a former member of the CT Hurricanes, FL Brass, CT Alumni and Park City Pride passed away this past Friday. Tom was also I believe on the board of the former Fairfield Colonnades. He loved drum corps and especially the Hurricanes, at FL Brass practices he would hoist the Hurricane flag in the third baritone section; RIP Tom-SOMF

[ajlisko]

Getting a little away from the current conversation, a very good friend Tom Swenson a former member of the CT Hurricanes, FL Brass, CT Alumni and Park City Pride passed away this past Friday. Tom was also I believe on the board of the former Fairfield Colonnades. He loved drum corps and especially the Hurricanes, at FL Brass practices he would hoist the Hurricane flag in the third baritone section; RIP Tom-SOMF

Nice guy ... quite a character (as are most dc people) ... called himself "The Ancient One", which I always thought was kind of unique ... RIP Tom

[rayfallon]

"...Who knows what will happen in the future if these take root again?"

For that to happen it will take some outreach from the BHOF to the currently performing competitive generation. So far, I don't see much evidence of that.

Ya know, your worship, this is one of the very few times I find myself disagreeing with you, which leads me to believe I'm wrong but follow me here - I think this one has to be on the "Build it and they will come" Kevin Costner/Darth Vader's voice school of thought.

I don't think the Staten Island Thunderbirds reached out to many of us - it was the thrill of getting up on a stage, mano a mano, or in our case lippo a lippo.

I think the important part is for us to build a solid, thriving entity and hope that kids will hear about it and try it out.

I'm trying to get my daughter in from Crossmen to some of the shows this winter, which is tough with their camp schedule and her distance from the East Coast, but I still think that most of what we need is to build it, and see how it floats.

At some point maybe we figure out a secondary approach - maybe you, Donny, Chez, the folks that still have a hand or two in the game can influence some kids.

All we can do is try.

Now I have to go figure out why I'm wrong... I must be... unless you were just kidding.

[rayfallon]

Getting a little away from the current conversation, a very good friend Tom Swenson a former member of the CT Hurricanes, FL Brass, CT Alumni and Park City Pride passed away this past Friday. Tom was also I believe on the board of the former Fairfield Colonnades. He loved drum corps and especially the Hurricanes, at FL Brass practices he would hoist the Hurricane flag in the third baritone section; RIP Tom-SOMF

I'm very sad to read about Tom's passing - I think I'm pretty much responsible for Tom's rise from non-player all the way to third baritone with Hurcs.

Tom was already close to 50 when he came to the corps, I think - although his hair was still pretty blonde so maybe early 40s? At that point that was a senior citizen with Hurcs as (except for Dougie) pretty much all the big guys had moved on and we were in heavy rebuild mode.

Like so many real drum corps people, Tom was undaunted by challenges like funding, membership issues, etc. - always saw the upside of everything.

My son's tuba guy from Philadelphia always said that tubas were the best people in music because they are selfless (unlike snare drummers and lead trumpets to name just a couple).

The lower baris at the Hurcs were very much like that as well - come to think about it most lower baris I've encountered have been those upbeat, selfless cats.

You're a good man, Tom Swenson. I'm sorry to hear of your going over. Rest in Peace, or raise hell in heaven, whichever option is presented to you.

[rayfallon]

Not sure about early 63 or right after the 62 season Andy. I always thought it was an age out thing, with guys like Chuck Ohlmiller, Bud Perry, Artie Greig (Now there was a DM with attitude), John Bailey, etc. Think I started in June of 63. Guess it was the draw of some age outs going to 63 Sky with others following. Never heard of a riff before.

I never knew Auster till he came back in 64. His brother Robbie didn't return, but he might have been an age out. Paul was I believe 16 when he marched in Sky. Big kid with a crew cut that Paul. He messed with Charlie Johnson one time and it turned into a track meet. Never saw Auster run so fast.

In 65 people left for a variety of reasons which was a shame. Large corps early on, but the foundation was weak. Not sure when Bunce left for his project in the Bronx, but Buscemi took over the horn line after that.

I think the concept of "aging out" was very fluid during the 60s and early 70s, at least on the East Coast.

My brother Tom, well known to some of the mid-70s Sun people like Lenny and Marty Haring, joined the Brassmen after he left the USAF in 1972 (at the age of 23) and marched a couple of years until he joined Sun with me at the end of 1974.

[Fran Haring]

I think the concept of "aging out" was very fluid during the 60s and early 70s, at least on the East Coast.

My brother Tom, well known to some of the mid-70s Sun people like Lenny and Marty Haring, joined the Brassmen after he left the USAF in 1972 (at the age of 23) and marched a couple of years until he joined Sun with me at the end of 1974.

Heh... we had some overage folks in the Manville Crusaders when I was there, 1973 in particular

I think they had their own bus. LOL.

[ironlips]

"Build it and they will come"

You are correct here, your worthy lipship, but meethinks it's already built, at least to a degree.

Your attempt to connect still another of your talented daughters and her Crossmen buds to the effort is precisely my point. And wouldn't it be so cool if one or two of them could win at the North American Championships in Bridgeport this coming spring?

And then there's the 7th Regiment from right up the road (or the river, in this case). Don't you hold some sway there as well? You could be a one-man recruitment campaign for the entire movement.

[ironlips]

"maybe Dorittie remembers something ..."

Yes, but I often forget where I parked.

I believe I was the second-youngest member of the Queensmen when they folded. There was some buzz, as you say, but I was not among those invited to the party.

What did happen at St. Catherine's was an attempt to merge the remainder of the Queensmen with the Marionettes. I attended one of these rehearsals. The priest had hired Hy Dreitzer to instruct, and his approach was vastly different from that of Sasso and Hightower. He seemed like a good man to me, but his methods felt dated. ( They weren't. As if I was in any position to actually form an intelligent opinion about that! Hy continued to innovate right to the end of his days.)

The Marionette girls were somewhat older than the few of us ex-Q-men (Eddie Lawrence among us, if I recall correctly) and were just a bit icy, it seemed. I was 15 at that point and Hy placed me in the lead sop section, the only boy (at least at this rehearsal) among the 18-20 yr old chicks on that top part. They wanted no part of me.

I decided to "retire" from Drum Corps. After all, I had already marched at Roosevelt Stadium, ridden a bus all the way to Emmaus, and shared the field with the very best corps of the day. What was left, except to play baseball again?

One afternoon six months later, Ted Sasso called to say "the guys" were getting together after Sunrisers practice and asked if I wanted to hang out a bit. We'd have to "stop by" rehearsal, of course. We did. They were playing "The Lord's Prayer". Say "goodnight", Gracie.*

*or, in this case, "It's a Pity to Say Goodnight".

Edited January 6, 2015 by ironlips

[ajlisko]

"maybe Dorittie remembers something ..."

What did happen at St. Catherine's was an attempt to merge the remainder of the Queensmen with the Marionettes. I attended one of these rehearsals. The priest had hired Hy Dreitzer to instruct, and his approach was vastly different from that of Sasso and Hightower. He seemed like a good man to me, but his methods felt dated. (As if I was in any position to actually form an intelligent opinion about that!)

The Marionette girls were somewhat older than the few of us ex-Q-men (Eddie Lawrence among us, if I recall correctly) ...

Eddie never shared that tidbit with me ... what he did say is that his father was/became Director of the Marionettes ... I asked him why he went to the Bronx Kingsmen instead of Selden and he said: for a 13 year old kid, taking a bus, the Bronx was a lot closer than Selden ...

World of edjumacation we're gettin' here in Wholand!

:-)

Edited January 6, 2015 by ajlisko