tommytimp Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I know this thread has taken off in several directions and most not that good.However, I still think that the original intent was a great one. This theory applies to all of life dealings, not just drum corps. We do tend to remember the good times and forget the bad. I really do not think the original poster was trying to lay a bad label on the "good old days", but to point out there were a few thorns with all the roses. How many times have you heard someone say, "yea, my life was rough, but if I had it to do all over, I wouldn't change a thing!" I enjoyed reading about the shortcomings they experienced because most of them, I did too. In short, call it "Confusing Nostalgia With History." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsksun4 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I know this thread has taken off in several directions and most not that good.However, I still think that the original intent was a great one. This theory applies to all of life dealings, not just drum corps. We do tend to remember the good times and forget the bad. I really do not think the original poster was trying to lay a bad label on the "good old days", but to point out there were a few thorns with all the roses. How many times have you heard someone say, "yea, my life was rough, but if I had it to do all over, I wouldn't change a thing!" I enjoyed reading about the shortcomings they experienced because most of them, I did too. Now here's a voice of reason. Nice work SCR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckdan Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I remember that in my final DCI tour I survived a 23 day tour on $20 and a box of canned food. (Note to self, make sure you spend the extra $.05 for the name brands. There was nothing quite like looking at a can of generic spaghetti and wanting to throw yourself out into traffic). Thanks again to Mr. Jones for buying me that lunch at Furrs on the way back from finals. I was down to two cans of food (thanks to someone else who "borrowed" my last cans of ravioli) and he realized that the bus seats were looking quite tasty to me. I remember seeing the open road, through the holes in the floorboards of Blue bus. I remember the aromatic stench of the soprano who took a shower once week (whether he needed to or not) and the group of us who took him into the showers at North Platte Nebraska High (the only high school in the entire country which refrigerated their shower water) and gently assisting him in his personal hygiene (with a large bottle of dish soap). I remember marching in my first two years with a absolutely pathetic piston-rotary baritone that I spent hours trying to fix each day. Then having the soloist grab my baritone in the middle of a show because his rotary litterally fell off his horn! I remember seeing Mr. Jim Jones, one of the titans in drum corps, standing on a scissor-lift at about 35 feet above the ground after he had combined his thyroid medication and a beer at lunch! The instructers were in a circle around the lift just in case Mr. Jones took a tumble (I firmly believe that any one of them would have "taken one for the team" if Mr. Jones had taken a pratfall). I remember in my first show having the American flag squad aiming for the 40 yard line instead of the 50 and the entire corps was off by 10 yards on their sets. I still do not know how we managed to gradually reset the entire show by the closer. After that there was an instructor standind (casually) at the 50. I remember being temporarilly blinded by a flag silk and guessing where I was supposed to be for about 5 minutes. I remember marching with about 45 horns in my first year, but about 10 of them (like me) were under pain of death banned from even trying to make a sound, and hearing the judges comment on how we sounded like 60 horns. I remember sounding like a bull moose in heat when I first picked up my horn and ending up playing lead in my final season. I remember struggling through two years of an extrememly poor overall corps then, by sheer will and hard work, finding a way for this corps to make finals. I remember seeing the tears of joy in the eyes of the members who had struggled through the lean times and made it back. I REMEMBER.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojo Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Bang...The worst part about the ride home wasn't the length...or the 1/2 full bus. It was the bus population getting smaller with each stop as we dropped off people relatively close to their homes. By the time we pulled into Concord, I was pretty depressed...5 days of saying goodbye really hurts. That's the best part of having marched in the 70's. Mostly local kids and just a handful of imports. I loved, loved, loved the trips home. The corps was relatively intact with little to no rehearsal scheduled (although we still had state champs to do when we got home). Tons of time on our own and the drinking age at 18. How great is that when you're a kid, lol? My parents always gave me the option of flying home after finals ... hahaha riiiiight, like I'm gonna' miss a party. We always took the scenic route home (or so it seemed). All the way through Canada east to west in 73. Seeing Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks. There's literally hundreds of places I've visited (and shhh what my parents don't know won't hurt 'em) and things I've done that I would have never seen or done were it not for drum corps. Actually I think it's too bad the kids fly nowadays. And actually I think it's too bad more of them aren't just plain old kids. And yes, there were bad parts and sure I remember 'em .... they're just not the memories that stand out for me. And hola Sam! Long time, no see. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 That's the best part of having marched in the 70's. Mostly local kids and just a handful of imports. I loved, loved, loved the trips home. The corps was relatively intact with little to no rehearsal scheduled (although we still had state champs to do when we got home). Tons of time on our own and the drinking age at 18. How great is that when you're a kid, lol? My parents always gave me the option of flying home after finals ... hahaha riiiiight, like I'm gonna' miss a party. We always took the scenic route home (or so it seemed). All the way through Canada east to west in 73. Seeing Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks. There's literally hundreds of places I've visited (and shhh what my parents don't know won't hurt 'em) and things I've done that I would have never seen or done were it not for drum corps. Actually I think it's too bad the kids fly nowadays. And actually I think it's too bad more of them aren't just plain old kids.And yes, there were bad parts and sure I remember 'em .... they're just not the memories that stand out for me. And hola Sam! Long time, no see. . I can relate to this post. Drum corps took me out of the ghetto. From school bus to coach, the travel was the education my drum corps years allowed me to see or pass through 40 States After visiting the mountains, I decided to stay in one place the old days were mostly good, thanks to drum corps thank you jojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsBusDriver Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 (edited) That's the best part of having marched in the 70's. Mostly local kids and just a handful of imports. I loved, loved, loved the trips home. The corps was relatively intact with little to no rehearsal scheduled (although we still had state champs to do when we got home). Tons of time on our own and the drinking age at 18. How great is that when you're a kid, lol? My parents always gave me the option of flying home after finals ... hahaha riiiiight, like I'm gonna' miss a party. We always took the scenic route home (or so it seemed). All the way through Canada east to west in 73. Seeing Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks. There's literally hundreds of places I've visited (and shhh what my parents don't know won't hurt 'em) and things I've done that I would have never seen or done were it not for drum corps. Actually I think it's too bad the kids flyowadays. And actually I think it's too bad more of them aren't just plain old kids. I can relate to this post.Drum corps took me out of the ghetto. From school bus to coach, the travel was the education my drum corps years allowed me to see or pass through 40 States After visiting the mountains, I decided to stay in one place the old days were mostly good, thanks to drum corps thank you jojo Oh my gosh Jojo, how about Niagra Falls or Yellowstone? I think I remember those places... :thumbup: You know what Linda? That's the great thing about Open Class Corps nowadays. They represent the "Olden Days" and the hundreds of VFW and American Legion Corps that didn't have the number of kids or money to compete against the "Big" Corps. Consider this, Open Class takes mostly the local kids who don't have alot of money and time and opens up their world beyond their city and state. How can us "Old Pharts" not support that? I wish more of us would open their eyes to the potential of Open Class Corps. Instead of clinging to days gone by, show your support today for your local Open Class Corps. Either volunteer a few days a year to them or sponsor a kid who will experience that beautiful moment of performing on the "Field of Honor". Who knows, maybe along the way, those kids will get to experience the vast USA from their bus windows... just like we did. Edited November 7, 2009 by MsBusDriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsBusDriver Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 (edited) Oops, never mind... Edited November 7, 2009 by MsBusDriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntheMood Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Oh my gosh Jojo, how about Niagra Falls or Yellowstone? I think I remember those places... :thumbup: You know what Linda? That's the great thing about Open Class Corps nowadays. They represent the "Olden Days" and the hundreds of VFW and American Legion Corps that didn't have the number of kids or money to compete against the "Big" Corps. Consider this, Open Class takes mostly the local kids who don't have alot of money and time and opens up their world beyond their city and state. How can us "Old Pharts" not support that? I wish more of us would open their eyes to the potential of Open Class Corps. Instead of clinging to days gone by, show your support today for your local Open Class Corps. Either volunteer a few days a year to them or sponsor a kid who will experience that beautiful moment of performing on the "Field of Honor". Who knows, maybe along the way, those kids will get to experience the vast USA from their bus windows... just like we did. What you are saying is so true. I am going to start supporting the Dutch Boy's more in 2010. I bought a hat or two from them last year at a show. I will be supporting them more this year. I have loved them since 74. SCV my favorite Corps of all time. Dutch Boy's come in at a close second. In my mind. The open Class is doing everything old skool behind the scenes. The Open class div. needs to stop being like the big boys and create their own identity as a Div. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the Div. went all acoustic with a lean towards more old skool style shows. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyfromhowardst Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I can relate to this post.Drum corps took me out of the ghetto. From school bus to coach, the travel was the education my drum corps years allowed me to see or pass through 40 States After visiting the mountains, I decided to stay in one place the old days were mostly good, thanks to drum corps thank you jojo Canadian Haiku? Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Canadian Haiku? Cool. Yes, I like poetry Haida is what I like now Group of Seven is what I liked then I want to do what the 7 did when I retire like music, like art and sports all cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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