KeithHall Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 So lets hear about your experiences back then. Favorite instructor and why, favorite piece of music, worst show, best place for a show, best friend, etc Have fun and smile! Remember this is about the 1970's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amadorj Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) THE TIME: The early '70's was an exciting time for Drum Corps. You saw the end of the VFW/AL control of Drum Corps and the start of Drum Corps International or DCI which allowed Drum Corps to blossom to much of what you see today. New exciting shows like Madison Scouts (Alice in Wonderland) and Santa Clara Vanguard (Fiddler on the Roof) started to appear and that changed the face of strictly military bearing drum corps shows to new entertaining productions. Entertaining shows that wowed the audience that were complete productions versus a bunch of known songs thrown together to make up a show. Pre-show inspections became a thing of the past (remember spit shined shoes and boots!). Crowds started to get more excited about Drum Corps - they quickly adapted to the new changes. BEST PLACE: In the early '70's (IMHO) Racine, WI seemed to be the defacto mecca for Drum Corps as the crowds there were like none I'd ever seen before (or since). The Racine crowd either loved you or they hated you and they didn't hide their feelings in the least bit. If your Corps was on that night the crowd would go absolutely berserk. I'm talking standing on your seat spilling beer screaming at the top of your lungs nuts! Close on the heels of Racine, WI was the World Open in Mass. It was a great time to be in Drum Corps! -Jesse Edited November 18, 2008 by amadorj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apoch003 Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 But... my tenure started in 1980! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppet Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 So lets hear about your experiences back then. Favorite instructor and why, favorite piece of music, worst show, best place for a show, best friend, etcHave fun and smile! Remember this is about the 1970's OK. I only marched for 3 years in that decade so I'll do it in installments. By the way - I always counted 1970 as the last year of the 1960's but that's just semantics. 1970 - 1 word. Rebuilding. 28 horns. A co-ed guard. A memorable trip to Miami with some of the most naive group of teenagers who look like baby representatives of the U.N general assembly experiencing our first look at real racism in Jacksonville Florida. One that shook us so badly we couldn't get it together for the VFW Nationals Prelims placing 13th. Then 6th at both The CYO Nationals and World Open in a tie with Anaheim. 1970 Repertoire *Tonight / Jet Song / One Hand One Heart (from West Side Story) *Corral Nocturne *Fist Full Of Dollars *Three Blind Mice In Symphony Hall *Jim On The Move *Entrance of the Gladiators *Billboard March *Make Our Garden Grow The songs in bold are some of the best and most fun I ever played. If you were there that year you could hear every horn caressing every note of our beautiful exit from Candide. Hy Dreitzer used every single chord to it's full advantage with our small line and was certainly accentuated by the drum parts crafted by Eric Perrilloux. Makes me a little weepy to think of that year. Not afraid to say that, either. Puppet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Rott Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 1975 PAL Cadets - from Philadelphia Favorite instructor? - I honestly don't remember the instructor's name...even though I played Contra, my favorite instructor was..I think his last name was Brady...instructed the guard... Favorite piece of music? - our show....The Lord's Prayer...a competitior's show?...tie between the openers of the Muchachos and the Polish Falcon Cadets Worst show? our home show when my shoe came off during the opener Best placement...4th/5th at the Kentucky Bluegrass Invitational...or something like that... Best Friend - Jim McDevitt...played soprano...went to Father Judge High School...played soccer, I think. We were the two from the corps nominated for the Philadelphia Good Citizenship award. He was a great friend...but I lost contact with him a long time ago....if anyone knows him or how to reach him...I would LOVE to rekindle our friendship... Good times back then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Okay, my favorite instructor was Ted Key who came down from Toronto, wrote the brass charts and really started to develop a nice horn line. My favorite year was 1976 as we changed uniforms and started to win some shows in NY. We won the NT Open "A" Class competition that year. Second favorite was Steve Cooley who I had the pleasure to work with at Rochester Crusaders 30 years later (he looked almost the same!). My favorite shows to march were US Open and NT Open. The field at North Tonawanda was one of the best kept football fields anywhere. My favorite piece of music was a medley from "Porgy and Bess" where I was the soprano soloist. My favorite corps was.....well I had a couple...Santa Clara Vanguard, Argonne Rebels and 27th Lancers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Kingsmen Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 In the early '70's (IMHO) Racine, WI seemed to be the defacto mecca for Drum Corps as the crowds there were like none I'd ever seen before (or since). The Racine crowd either loved you or they hated you and they didn't hide their feelings in the least bit. If your Corps was on that night the crowd would go absolutely berserk. I'm talking standing on your seat spilling beer screaming at the top of your lungs nuts! Close on the heels of Racine, WI was the World Open in Mass. It was a great time to be in Drum Corps! -Jesse Some my favorite shows, too, except for the mosquito's in Racine!!! My favorite instructor was my first guard instructor, Brenda (Markham) Murray. We are still friends and I treasure our friendship. I loved 'Legend of the One Eye Sailor' and 'Channel One Suite'. Santa Clara's 'Bottle Dance' was awesome and still brings tears to my eyes as does 'Send in the Clowns'. Yes, Jesse, it was a great time to be in Drum Corps! Now that it's the time of year that corps are holding auditions, it reminds me that I NEVER auditioned for a spot in drum corps!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amadorj Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Some my favorite shows, too, except for the mosquito's in Racine!!!My favorite instructor was my first guard instructor, Brenda (Markham) Murray. We are still friends and I treasure our friendship. I loved 'Legend of the One Eye Sailor' and 'Channel One Suite'. Santa Clara's 'Bottle Dance' was awesome and still brings tears to my eyes as does 'Send in the Clowns'. Yes, Jesse, it was a great time to be in Drum Corps! Now that it's the time of year that corps are holding auditions, it reminds me that I NEVER auditioned for a spot in drum corps!!!! Funny you should say that! I was caught cutting school (by Gail Royer) who for punishment made me come to a drum corps practice (and I thought I was going to detention). That got me into the Sparks and hence the Santa Clara Vanguard. No auditioning!!! -Jesse '66-'72 SCV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdiddle Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Since we're starting on the West coast: Got beaten at AL Nats in Portland by that upstart corps from Santa Clara Stood at the ready line behind the Blue Devils Drum and Bell Corps Met a skinny kid in Lynwood Diplomats named Tom Float Never were able to beat the Kingsmen blue machine Ties to the East were Bob Devlin at a few drum camps, a drill by Ike Ianessa, and Bob Bunce as horn arranger and caption head Came in 25th one year at the World Open, but hey, we were in the top half Saw Yankee Rebels Requiem show, my most moving, ever Cried every time I heard the Bottle Dance coming All good times that only get realized for their importance with time and age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppet Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Some my favorite shows, too, except for the mosquito's in Racine!!!Now that it's the time of year that corps are holding auditions, it reminds me that I NEVER auditioned for a spot in drum corps!!!! True that! Kenosha had some dive bombers, too! Shows, shows - We've all touched on them at one point but I don't think I'm out of line mentioning that no matter how good the show in the Midwest were including the Open but back east we had Danny Thomas, CYO and the other Open in like a period of two weeks. It was awesome in the early '70's all populated by people who (all together now) NEVER auditioned for a spot in drum corps!!!! Puppet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.