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[ED FAMULARE]

Hello DCP People,

My name is Ed Famulare and I'm an "old time" drum corps person (mid 1950's) and have recently been drawn back to the Drum Corps World--not as a member, but just an interested party. Drum corps was a BIG part of my life up until arouind 1969-70 when I had to give it up due to family and job committments. Unfortunanely I haven't been involved since.

I was a member in several corps over the years but spent most of my active drum corps life with the Dumont Police Cadets in Jersey. We lived in St. Albans, NY where I had a two week stint with the St. Catherine Queensmen, under the tuteledge of horn instructor and fantastic "Caballero" solo soprano hornplayer Bill Hayes (of "Cherry Pink" fame). My family moved to Jersey in 1955 (Dumont) and shortly thereafter I heard about and joined the Dumont Police Cadets as a "plebe" playing baritone. I was shocked at the first practice I went to and saw that Bill Hayes was the instructor. (small world isn't it?!). From there I played french horn and later solo soprano. I played with Dumont until they broke up around 1962-63 (after winning the Circuit Championship). When Dumont broke up they sort of merged with Fairlawn Cadets but several of us were against that and went our seperate ways. I had many offers to go with the Big Boys--Blessed Sac, Garfield, Hawthorne, etc. but passed them by. I was always an "underdog" kind of guy and wound up playing solo soprano with the C-W Townsmen and occasionaly with the Hackensack parade corps, Harry B. Doremus. I eventually joined the Skyliners around 1969 playing solo soprano under the famous Hy Drietzer!! What an arranger he was, one of the greatest!!! Again, family and job committments forced me out of the drum corps world and I've been disconnected with it since then.

Drum corps has come a long, long, way since the "one valve G bugle" days when I was active and I have mixed feeling on it. The present day music and drills are fantastic but have lost their military spit and polish that I grew up with. I still enjoy it, but still yearn for the old fashioned stuff I grew up with.

If anyone out there remembers the old days and corps I was affiliated with please reply and we can chat.

Ed Famulare

Naples, Florida

[sundown]

Hello DCP People,

My name is Ed Famulare and I'm an "old time" drum corps person (mid 1950's) and have recently been drawn back to the Drum Corps World--not as a member, but just an interested party. Drum corps was a BIG part of my life up until arouind 1969-70 when I had to give it up due to family and job committments. Unfortunanely I haven't been involved since.

I was a member in several corps over the years but spent most of my active drum corps life with the Dumont Police Cadets in Jersey. We lived in St. Albans, NY where I had a two week stint with the St. Catherine Queensmen, under the tuteledge of horn instructor and fantastic "Caballero" solo soprano hornplayer Bill Hayes (of "Cherry Pink" fame). My family moved to Jersey in 1955 (Dumont) and shortly thereafter I heard about and joined the Dumont Police Cadets as a "plebe" playing baritone. I was shocked at the first practice I went to and saw that Bill Hayes was the instructor. (small world isn't it?!). From there I played french horn and later solo soprano. I played with Dumont until they broke up around 1962-63 (after winning the Circuit Championship). When Dumont broke up they sort of merged with Fairlawn Cadets but several of us were against that and went our seperate ways. I had many offers to go with the Big Boys--Blessed Sac, Garfield, Hawthorne, etc. but passed them by. I was always an "underdog" kind of guy and wound up playing solo soprano with the C-W Townsmen and occasionaly with the Hackensack parade corps, Harry B. Doremus. I eventually joined the Skyliners around 1969 playing solo soprano under the famous Hy Drietzer!! What an arranger he was, one of the greatest!!! Again, family and job committments forced me out of the drum corps world and I've been disconnected with it since then.

Drum corps has come a long, long, way since the "one valve G bugle" days when I was active and I have mixed feeling on it. The present day music and drills are fantastic but have lost their military spit and polish that I grew up with. I still enjoy it, but still yearn for the old fashioned stuff I grew up with.

If anyone out there remembers the old days and corps I was affiliated with please reply and we can chat.

Ed Famulare

Naples, Florida

[sundown]

Hello DCP People,

My name is Ed Famulare and I'm an "old time" drum corps person (mid 1950's) and have recently been drawn back to the Drum Corps World--not as a member, but just an interested party. Drum corps was a BIG part of my life up until arouind 1969-70 when I had to give it up due to family and job committments. Unfortunanely I haven't been involved since.

I was a member in several corps over the years but spent most of my active drum corps life with the Dumont Police Cadets in Jersey. We lived in St. Albans, NY where I had a two week stint with the St. Catherine Queensmen, under the tuteledge of horn instructor and fantastic "Caballero" solo soprano hornplayer Bill Hayes (of "Cherry Pink" fame). My family moved to Jersey in 1955 (Dumont) and shortly thereafter I heard about and joined the Dumont Police Cadets as a "plebe" playing baritone. I was shocked at the first practice I went to and saw that Bill Hayes was the instructor. (small world isn't it?!). From there I played french horn and later solo soprano. I played with Dumont until they broke up around 1962-63 (after winning the Circuit Championship). When Dumont broke up they sort of merged with Fairlawn Cadets but several of us were against that and went our seperate ways. I had many offers to go with the Big Boys--Blessed Sac, Garfield, Hawthorne, etc. but passed them by. I was always an "underdog" kind of guy and wound up playing solo soprano with the C-W Townsmen and occasionaly with the Hackensack parade corps, Harry B. Doremus. I eventually joined the Skyliners around 1969 playing solo soprano under the famous Hy Drietzer!! What an arranger he was, one of the greatest!!! Again, family and job committments forced me out of the drum corps world and I've been disconnected with it since then.

Drum corps has come a long, long, way since the "one valve G bugle" days when I was active and I have mixed feeling on it. The present day music and drills are fantastic but have lost their military spit and polish that I grew up with. I still enjoy it, but still yearn for the old fashioned stuff I grew up with.

If anyone out there remembers the old days and corps I was affiliated with please reply and we can chat.

Ed Famulare

Naples, Florida

[sundown]

Hi Ed,

Like you, I’m old school drum corps. I marched in a junior corps called the Sundowners (Warren, PA) and hung around the big boys like St. Joes and Toronto Optimists when I had a chance. I played snare and tenor.

I started thinking it’s not the same when I saw keyboards and dance costumes take the field. My wife told me to get over it and accept the changes. I was doing well at that until they started calling soprano horns “trumpets” and contrabass horns “Tubas”. I then heard electronic synthesizers at a DCI show last month and decided they’d gone over the top.

It’s probably like anything. The activity will continue to change until it’s no longer called “drum and bugle corps”. There is one convention from the old days that I’d like to revive down here in Houston. All-girl corps once existed – MelloDears and Audubon Bon Bons, to name a few. I’m trying to develop interest in an all-girl drum line which would play for fun in the local area. We’d integrate the “spit and polish” you mentioned, but would also allow them to cut loose and improvise once in a while. The name would be the Houston Yellow Roses. Not sure if this concept will get off the ground; this all depends on interest level.

So, as you can see, we older veterans can still have some impact. I hope you get out your horn and blow a few notes for us old schoolers!

Randall Buerkle

[Ed McGaw]

Hello Ed,

I recognized your name the instance I saw your post. I too was a member of the Dumont Police Cadets in the mid/late 50s, but I doubt you will remember me as wasn't that great a horn player or that sharp at marching. However, I was also a high school classmate, my name is Ed McGaw . I totally agree with you and Randall that the days of military style drill and talent rather than technology made for much more interesting competition. I happened to come across a picture of myself in the all black uniform with the red and yellow diagonal stripes this morning and that's what got me researching the Police Cadets. I remember and completely agree with you about Bill Hayes, our music instructor (I even recall that he drove a  fantastic white and turquoise Mercury), he was a master player and showman.  Shortly after posting this message I came across the following link on the DCP site and felt I should go back and edit my msg  to share it with you: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/2020/02/wdchf-member-bill-hayes-1925-2020/ 

Some other names that come to mind from the Polic Cadets are Bill Colentrelli, Emilio & Frankie Torres, George Purland, Jon & Harry Stone, the Babich brothers, Claude Fontanella, and Carmella, the head of the Color Guard. John DeSanto was Liaison with the Dumont Police Dept. We would practice music on Tuesday at the firehouse on Veterans Avenue and drill on the DHS football field in warm weather and at Teaneck Armory in cold weather.

I'm really glad I read your post a hope you are doing well.

Cheers,

Ed McGaw

Melbourne, Australia

Edited April 9, 2020 by Ed McGaw
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