Star of Indiana--how did they do?

[byline]

Whew...I think I got it covered! I was honored to have been apart of something from every year... Mickey to Medea!!!!!

Thanks so much for this in-depth explanation! Star's alumni guard was fabulous!

[SACMellos2010]

The ladies of the guard worked their tails off last week and then rocked it Friday night!!!

[ahquad]

I couldn't find it in this thread, but was Star Alumni playing on B flat or G horns? Were the chart's keys changed at all from the original marching arrangements?

I just gotta say that I loved the performance, still regret choosing another corps to march with back in the day instead of Star, and I so miss that horn sound and would just love to hear they still "got it" with Bb horns.

Edited August 16, 2010 by fahquad

[packetslave]

I couldn't find it in this thread, but was Star Alumni playing on B flat or G horns? Were the chart's keys changed at all from the original marching arrangements?

I just gotta say that I so miss that horn sound and would just love to hear they still "got it" with Bb horns.

Bb. They used Crown's horns from 2009.

[Callawyn]

There was another big reason for not marching a drill: about 20% of our hornline are also current staff for DCI corps. Our Drum Major for Medea, Matt Harloff, and his brother Ben (played trumpet for us), are the brass gurus behind Crown's success. Frank Sullivan (trumpet) and Josh Talbott (mello) fill similar roles at Blue Stars, also Jason Buckingham at Blue Knights. There are at least a dozen more that I know of teaching other corps, and at least 3 DCI judges performed with us. Some of you may know that Jim Mason took over the Madison Scouts this year and restaffed with mostly Star people. Nancy Brown (pit) is tour manager for Madison Scouts, Lori Soules works for Phantom (and is married to their director), her brother Brian is on Visual Staff with Bluecoats (I think - he almost didn't make the show, was handed his uniform in the tunnel just before we stepped on the field). There are many more that I know of that I haven't named, and I'm sure there are even more that I'm not aware of.

It would have been unthinkable to have performed our show without these people in our line. Not just because of their contributions in the past but because some of them were directly responsible for putting the Alumni corps together. You can't march a full show when such a large part of your line is running back and forth between their competing DCI corps rehearsals and Star Alumni rehearsals. Most of them were only able to attend a few hours of practice time with us all summer.

Anyone who doubts Star's influence on the activity need only look at the resumes for current staff of the DCI corps, good luck finding a corps without at least one former Star member on staff. Crown, Blue Stars and now Madison, in particular, have a number of key staff positions occupied by Star Alumni.

Also, there's a big difference between an Alumni corps for a corps like 27th that was active for 20 years and inactive for 8 at the time of the alumni show, marching 70-s style drill, and a corps like Star that was active for 9 years and inactive for 17, with rotating boxes and cross to cross to recreate. Ask anyone in the Bridgemen Alumni - after 15-25 years off, marching/playing at the same time doesn't necessarily come back. The entire guard and I believe the entire drum line were all original corps members, the hornline was about 85% original members, the rest filled with ageouts that had been taught by Star Alumni, mostly former Blue Stars taught by Josh Talbott and Frank Sullivan. 27th in 94, the final tally as I recall, we had 42% was former 27th, the rest were recent age-outs from other corps. Personally, after a 15 year absence, my first performance back was a St Patty's day parade, playing Danny Boy, which I'd played a million times in 27th, I've known it by heart for most of my life. We'd practiced it a number of times, but when we stepped off to play it on the march I completely forgot the music, we were 3 phrases in before I figured out the whole marching/playing at the same time thing again.

As for the disrespect shown the old corps, it didn't start in the 90's, it started from day 1 ("M-I-C, cee you at finals! K-E-Y, why because <insert nasty comment>". It didn't end in the 90's either, if you don't believe me go to Rochester and watch Star United perform. Over the past couple of years there has not only been booing but rude comments shouted during the performance to ruin the recording. I warned some of the Blue Stars kids that were with Star this week that they might hear some booing, "Wear it as a badge of honor" I told them. Barry Hudson, a tough kid from Boston that was our soloist in '87/88 Star who still plays hockey for fun, was telling us one night how he asked himself, back in the day, if he was tough enough to wear pink.

[84BDsop]

Barry Hudson, a tough kid from Boston that was our soloist in '87/88 Star who still plays hockey for fun, was telling us one night how he asked himself, back in the day, if he was tough enough to wear pink.

He was.....my GOD, the breath control at the end of his 88 solo.....

[amberwaves]

It’s an interesting thing, perception.

I don’t surf around DCP that much. Maybe it is because I don’t have time. Maybe it is because I don’t want my perceptions changed by the observations of others. Maybe it is because it brings out emotions buried long ago. Maybe it is because it makes me wistful for the corps and family I miss so much. I’m not sure, really.

The fact of the matter is that perception is truly your own. No one but you has ever walked in your shoes. No one but you knows how events in your life nurture you, shape you, change you.

Here is my perception…here is what it was to be in my shoes from 1991-1993.

I was 15 years old when I auditioned for the Star of Indiana in the fall of 1990. Hearing Praise Ye that summer forever changed the way I would feel about music. I HAD to be a part of the organization that shook me so violently. I showed up to winter camps bright-eyed and eager to learn. While I was mature beyond 15 years, I was not a mature brass player. I refused to give in to that and eventually ended up on tour as an alternate at the age of 16. By mid-season, I was wholly and securely in the brass line. This was no small feat. I marched 7 drill spots between dress rehearsal and DCM Championships. I switched instruments and parts and learned an entire new book while on tour. I changed from a mousy high schooler into a hard core diesel fumed ##### in a few short weeks.

And then the booing started.

No matter how hard core you are, no matter how thick your skin, no matter how mature you are, no matter how many discussions are had about what the booing does and does not mean – it hurts you. It scars you. Nothing anyone says will help you to understand why anyone would be so hurtful to something you’ve poured your soul into.

After a while, I came to need the booing. I felt I had done my job when we got booed. I felt that people wanted to be me when we got booed. I felt like a goddess of brass when we got booed. Make no mistake – we were booed at EVERY show in 1992 and 1993. Even at our own home show. It wasn’t always during the show. Sometimes it was after. Sometimes it was when scores were announced. Sometimes it was while we marched in twos back to our busses. But it was there, like a roach, or a bad penny. It was there. It was ALWAYS there. It changed me.

I embraced the Medea show. I loved it. I loved performing it every night. I even loved it in a baseball diamond in Massachusetts and at two in the morning in the deep south. I loved it while we ran. Medea was the ##### I needed. She was the ##### I loved for drum corps fans to hate. She helped me bury the hurt I felt and become the strong and independent person I am today. She changed me. Now maybe you’ll all understand what “the emotion on that girl’s face” was that night in August 1993. It wasn’t about aging out. It was about letting go.

Having the opportunity to be in front of drum corps fans one last time Friday night was just what I needed to release those demons forever. I hope that all of you were able to enjoy our performance even a fraction of the amount we enjoyed performing it for you.

We made sacrifices along the way. We sacrificed time with our families to be with our Star Family of old. We sacrificed marching to attain the sound only the Star of Indiana could be content with. We sacrificed part of our camp schedule to get more people to participate. We sacrificed parts of our beloved book to stay within a reasonable performance time. We sacrificed our vacation to rehearse in 95 degree heat. We loved every minute of time we got with each other, with drum corps fans, and with our staff. We are forever changed yet again.

I do not share this to change your perception or your opinion. Those are your own. I share this so you all can understand and maybe learn from my experience with the Star of Indiana.

No matter your opinion, no matter your likes, no matter your dislikes, no matter your appreciation – it is NEVER ok to crush a young person’s efforts, work, soul, and life changing experiences by booing. Find a better way.

Forever changed by amazing people – My STAR Family,

Amber Waves

[PunkRawkBandGeek]

It’s an interesting thing, perception.

I don’t surf around DCP that much. Maybe it is because I don’t have time. Maybe it is because I don’t want my perceptions changed by the observations of others. Maybe it is because it brings out emotions buried long ago. Maybe it is because it makes me wistful for the corps and family I miss so much. I’m not sure, really.

The fact of the matter is that perception is truly your own. No one but you has ever walked in your shoes. No one but you knows how events in your life nurture you, shape you, change you.

Here is my perception…here is what it was to be in my shoes from 1991-1993.

I was 15 years old when I auditioned for the Star of Indiana in the fall of 1990. Hearing Praise Ye that summer forever changed the way I would feel about music. I HAD to be a part of the organization that shook me so violently. I showed up to winter camps bright-eyed and eager to learn. While I was mature beyond 15 years, I was not a mature brass player. I refused to give in to that and eventually ended up on tour as an alternate at the age of 16. By mid-season, I was wholly and securely in the brass line. This was no small feat. I marched 7 drill spots between dress rehearsal and DCM Championships. I switched instruments and parts and learned an entire new book while on tour. I changed from a mousy high schooler into a hard core diesel fumed ##### in a few short weeks.

And then the booing started.

No matter how hard core you are, no matter how thick your skin, no matter how mature you are, no matter how many discussions are had about what the booing does and does not mean – it hurts you. It scars you. Nothing anyone says will help you to understand why anyone would be so hurtful to something you’ve poured your soul into.

After a while, I came to need the booing. I felt I had done my job when we got booed. I felt that people wanted to be me when we got booed. I felt like a goddess of brass when we got booed. Make no mistake – we were booed at EVERY show in 1992 and 1993. Even at our own home show. It wasn’t always during the show. Sometimes it was after. Sometimes it was when scores were announced. Sometimes it was while we marched in twos back to our busses. But it was there, like a roach, or a bad penny. It was there. It was ALWAYS there. It changed me.

I embraced the Medea show. I loved it. I loved performing it every night. I even loved it in a baseball diamond in Massachusetts and at two in the morning in the deep south. I loved it while we ran. Medea was the ##### I needed. She was the ##### I loved for drum corps fans to hate. She helped me bury the hurt I felt and become the strong and independent person I am today. She changed me. Now maybe you’ll all understand what “the emotion on that girl’s face” was that night in August 1993. It wasn’t about aging out. It was about letting go.

Having the opportunity to be in front of drum corps fans one last time Friday night was just what I needed to release those demons forever. I hope that all of you were able to enjoy our performance even a fraction of the amount we enjoyed performing it for you.

We made sacrifices along the way. We sacrificed time with our families to be with our Star Family of old. We sacrificed marching to attain the sound only the Star of Indiana could be content with. We sacrificed part of our camp schedule to get more people to participate. We sacrificed parts of our beloved book to stay within a reasonable performance time. We sacrificed our vacation to rehearse in 95 degree heat. We loved every minute of time we got with each other, with drum corps fans, and with our staff. We are forever changed yet again.

I do not share this to change your perception or your opinion. Those are your own. I share this so you all can understand and maybe learn from my experience with the Star of Indiana.

No matter your opinion, no matter your likes, no matter your dislikes, no matter your appreciation – it is NEVER ok to crush a young person’s efforts, work, soul, and life changing experiences by booing. Find a better way.

Forever changed by amazing people – My STAR Family,

Amber Waves

[N.E. Brigand]

It’s an interesting thing, perception....

Make no mistake – we were booed at EVERY show in 1992 and 1993. Even at our own home show. It wasn’t always during the show. Sometimes it was after. Sometimes it was when scores were announced. Sometimes it was while we marched in twos back to our busses. But it was there, like a roach, or a bad penny. It was there. It was always there. It changed me.

Wow. Thanks for sharing those troubling memories. I'm delighted I once had the chance to see Star perform, at the 1992 show in Mentor, where they deservedly won (over Scouts, VK, and Bluecoats), and I'm glad that the booing that evening was not in the stadium -- I would have been shocked.

[Jeff Ream]

I think they started to have real issues in 91 after they won and the Dinos became vocal in opposition of Stars notion of a new way to look at drum corps. IMO it isn't the notion that really matters....it's DCI rewarding it. THAT was beyond the patience of the general DC population and the tried and true vets specifically. But Stars show in 93' was so completely off the charts, and that coupled with their surprise departure (leaving the DC stage as quickly as they came) left all puzzled and with mixed emotions. Last night they came full circle.

funny tho....a lot of the dinos from then are long gone......and the corps was very well received by people 40 and under, now the prime ticket buyers for DCI. IMO, the issue with "the game changer" this year is the fact that the show was disliked by a far broader spectrum of ages ranges than those that disliked Star.

sitting in a group of people with ages from 12 to 60, the only person who really liked BD was the 60 year old...and they had family out there.