heyjude1202 Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 While you are getting your feast together tomorrow morning, make sure you are watching THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE on you NBC affiliate. THE JAMES BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND from AUSTIN, TX will be representing their school, city and state in this year's parade. Our son Greg will be marching with the 250 member band, he'll be easy to spot as he is the end snare on the left, and the tallest snare in the line. Greg was a member of Carolina Gold in 05 & 06 (when he was just 13 & 14 years old) This past summer Greg played timpani with Crossmen and will be returning to the Crossmen this summer. Enjoy the parade and the Bowie Band performance. Happy Thanksgiving! Any other drum corps members/alumni marching in this years MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuZiK11 Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 saw the parade - he almost got a close up on nbc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYSkyliner Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 (edited) Saw Copiegue (sp) H.S. Was waiting for Dreitzer (I'm sure you more seasoned members have heard of him) to come out and play the french horn solo in "Puttin' on the Ritz". Edited November 28, 2008 by NYSkyliner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyjude1202 Posted November 28, 2008 Author Share Posted November 28, 2008 saw the parade - he almost got a close up on nbc We have watched it a few times tonight...proud parents. It was so difficult to watch when it was live, it went by so quickly. He is going to be surprised how much camera time he received. He had great placement in the line, as a pit player, he was added at the end of the line for the parade, who knew it would be the center for the camera shot! Hope you enjoyed the band and the parade. All the bands were great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayre Kulp Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 Any other drum corps members/alumni marching in this years MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE? Not the MACY'S parade, but our other major at Shenandoah Sound was marching in the Philadelphia Parade with his college band. Saw him on TV yesterday morning. I think they said it was the bands first performance outside of Virginia too. Pretty cool. I was digging the fact that they played a unique arrangement for their camera performance and not the sale 'ol stock charts everybody and their brother plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 Glad you liked the Copiague arrangement Mike...LOL...a tribute! Donny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuyW Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 (edited) In the '60s, living in the DC hinterlands (San Diego, CA), we watched any televised parades we could from the east coast or midwest....hoping to get glimpses of real bugle corps... ...seeing marching bands in Macy's with mellophones, forward-bell baris, contras, and (veeery) occasionally, a drumline (forget about seeing a real colorguard)...really doesn't cut it.... I sure wish some alumni corps would march Macy's....if just for the public exposure of what real bugle corps look like... . Edited November 28, 2008 by GuyW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 The Caballeros marched in the Macy's Parade many times in the 1960's and early 70's, I marched in the 1966 parade and again in 1973. In '66, we were followed by the Hawthorne Muchachos. At Macy's, after our drill performance, we spread open to two files on the sides, the Muchachos marched in at extended interval, and we filled in between to march off as a single unit, playing one of our songs together! Blessed Sacrament, Garfield, NY Skyliners and others also appeared many times. I also recall the Rhode Island Matadors in the parade in 1977 or 78. Since then, the only drum corps I can remember were the 'All Stars' (1994?) which included DCI and DCA corps members, with the Skyliners' Honor Guard leading them. Not only does it take a lot of time and effort to apply for inclusion in the parade, it's my understanding that unlike years ago neither Macy's nor NBC pay the musical units anything. Like the Rose Bowl, they adopted the policy quite awhile back that you must raise funds to make the trip to NY for your appearance. My biggest complaint is the very limited air time all the bands get. If you consider the expense and sacrifice all these units, mostly high school kids, make to get there, couldn't they at least get 2-3 minutes of television exposure rather than the current 35-40 seconds? Unfortunately, you will never see anything like the combined production we were asked to do in 1966 ever again! Also, am I the only one who feels the sound pickup was terrible this year? Even the huge, excellent, James Madison University was difficult to hear clearly. I have a new television, so it wasn't the set. Sadly, the 'parade' has become mostly a series of promotional spots for the latest Broadway shows, or pop or country singers who are about to release a new CD or who have an upcoming television special. The bands are really given very little time and attention. I would rather see fewer professional acts, and more bands -- and/or drum corps -- or at least more time given them on air. Too bad we (Cabs Alumni) can't march the parade along with our competing corps. We could put a few hundred members on the street, and maybe we'd even get a little tv time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBbabe Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 I also recall the Rhode Island Matadors in the parade in 1977 or 78. Since then, the only drum corps I can remember were the 'All Stars' (1994?) which included DCI and DCA corps members, As a RI Matador who marched that parade I really appreciate the remembrance that we marched in it. It was in 1977 and we led off the parade which was a great honor. Now it's only bands who march drum corps style with lots and lots of members and mostly from the mid-west who are chosen to do this. A special was on one of the educational channels late yesterday afternoon which broadcast a show that gave the background on how the parade works, etc. You have to submit video of your group in order to perform and be chosen from many, many other musical units. The criteria is to march well, not who you might know. Maybe one of the drums corps in the area can produce an audition video for them (Macy's committee) and get drum corps back into the Macy's Day Parade. It would probably have to be someone local as you don't get paid to be in it and there would be virtually no transportation costs, etc. How about it drum corps members, are you up to the challenge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastone Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 I did the parade in 1965 with the Wynn Center Toppers and then again 27 years later (92) with the All Star contingent, both times were very cool. For anyone who hasn't been there the surprise would be how much room you don't have in front of Herald Square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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