1983

[Fran Haring]

I also think you're a tad harsh on Westshore's drum line. In some ways no one's percussion was really close to Sun's that year

Some ways?

No offense to any other percussion section that year.... but Sun's line was in a league of its own that season. Look at the recaps from various shows, including Finals.... Sun's spread over its closest competitors came largely from the percussion caption.

[Fran Haring]

1983 Westshore was a really interesting corps. One of the things you mention is sort of pivotal - i.e. Shore's drill. The question of better or worse is really out there because it was very "different" in my opinion from what DCA had put out there to date.

Cool drill that year. Sweeping visuals and great field coverage.

Caballeros had an excellent visual show that year, too. IMO, that was Dan McBride's best work with them.

The show I referred to earlier... about Westshore "coulda shoulda woulda" topping Sun.... was the Lewisburg show, when Sun (well, at least Sun's horn line) left their best show on the rehearsal field that day, and Westshore did a terrific job. I was on Sun's truck-driving crew that weekend..... and during the scores, we didn't exhale until we heard Westshore's name in second place. Honestly, I thought Sun very well might have gotten away with one that night.

[BigW]

Yeah, Billy Joel's "The Entertainer", a neat song was one of the chinks in the armor. Gary Ulrich, the Show Coordinator should have told whomever to go back to the drawing board.

As for drill-- One of those Drama-inducers also didn't want to use form awareness in any way shape or form. "I'm supposed to march to the spot in the drill book!" Yeah, but what about when the field's not lined right or the people down the form are screwed up or not quite right!? This person marched next to me, and as any ex-Westshore people will know, even if some clot (ask someone from Kidsgrove what a clot is if you don't know) was 7 parsecs out of a form, or half a beat out of phase and marching drunk, if I was anywhere NEAR that issue, guess who was to blame? THAT nearly caused a fight at Lewisburg in a rehearsal. No one wanted to tell this individual they were wrong even though they were spouting "I march to my spot in the drill book" like a parrot!, even though they were a know it all rookie who came from a "GREAT" band program! (That alone should tell you something, esp in 1983 unless you were from the Largo Band of Gold, Live Oak, or Lake Forest, which they were NOT... what a bando!)

I don't think Baldy to this day realizes how close he came to me flat out coming after him after he started blaming me for this person's screw-up which left me trying to read a broken form over and over- maybe he does, I'm unsure. Tones of voice got to 90%+ 'let's rumble' levels...

Ray- I can't name names, I'll divulge some more stuff about these three people later on the Westshoremen thread-- We had that one in the Horns- who I was FORCED to march next to because they finalged things when I got Viral pneumonia and was laid up for a couple of winter rehearsals and nearly put in the hospital- again more on THAT-- the one in the Guard- who I nearly strangled in my sleep-- And one in percussion-- who I try not to speak to at all when I see them because of the damage they did to my family because of their Drama Empress crap. (Ream! Don't you get any ideas by being THAT big of a doofus to get me to shut up! )

I think you might know one of them- most of the guys who were in the corps know who they were pretty quickly when they think about it.

[Jeff Ream]

I've seen hints on there with the "Drum Nazi" tidbits. OY VEY! (and I'm Lutheran). I was thinking about it when I posted.

LOL, things were so much nicer before the Internet let us get the behind the scenes stuff.....

s/ Guy who didn't know who won 1996 DCA until he listened to the cassettes in early November.

the Orlando trip will amaze people that we were still a corps, let alone one that won

[JimF-LowBari]

the Orlando trip will amaze people that we were still a corps, let alone one that won

Dave Fisher told me some stories at the Reilly show....

I'm amazed ya'll didn't burn out your sinus cavities from the unis

"Mommy who does that band smell?"

But I digress.... LOL, 1983 I finally had a job where I didn't work rotating shifts. Was thinking about doing corps again but Westshore had kicked major butt in 1982 and didn't want to get in that heavy. Dang near checked out that green corps down south a bit but never did, think I had the wrong address or something. Turned out they disbanded around 83/84 and would have been in the middle of more turmoil. 20 years later I found them (better directions).

Edited September 17, 2010 by JimF-LowBari

[BigW]

Another issue that was really challenging and tough for the hornline was the BD-style 4-step intervals we used. You could hear yourself and the person to the left and right of you- you couldn't hear the hornline like you could in the past. A lot of trust had to be there and tweaking to ensure the balance and blend was perfect.

We trusted Dave and Frank implicitly, but still- we wanted to hear how good we supposedly were while we played and really couldn't, which was a tough thing for us- harder to jam out and get a feel for what we were doing and what the stands were hearing.

That was also an issue that came to mind.

We're not afraid to be frank about what went wrong at Westshore. Hey, if I'm gonna pick on a corps in a review, I have to also be tough on where I was, too. Only to be fair.

I will say, though-- we felt at this time, esp. 82 and 83- we had the best DCA Bari section bar none- definitely the leads. I think we'd have been able to hang with a lot of the lower end DCI bari lines in that era as well. We had really good people, lots of talent, well-educated, and a team approach along with some fantastic Frank Dorritie arranging for us when he figured out we'd play anything he'd write and we liked it a lot when he did that.

Really, any questions about how and what we did, I'd be glad to answer to the best of my ability about the arrangements, scoring, how we did things. We had no secrets other than a great instructional staff and people willing to buy into what they wanted us to do to the best of our capabilities.

[TennTux]

I saw Westshore and Sun on several occasions in 1983.... it was my first year not marching.

IMO, the huge difference between both corps that season was in percussion.

Sun's drum line was awesome, with one of the best snare lines ever... and I mean anywhere, DCI, DCA, pre-DCI, pre-DCA... in particular. Westshore's percussion section was not even close to Sun's. No offense meant to anyone from 'Shore who marched in the drum line that year.

Honestly, there was one show in particular at which I thought Westshoremen could have/should have beaten Sun (not the first show of the season, where in fact Westshore DID beat Sun...Sunrisers' only loss that season, but the show I'm talking about was later in the season).... except for the difference in drums. Both corps had terrific horn lines, and again IMO I thought 'Shore had a better drill... at least from a design standpoint... that year.

Edited to add: Almost forgot....Sun's guard was excellent that year, too.

Thanks for adding that Fran.... Now Donna won't be yelling about anyone forgetting Sun's '83 Guard.

[BigW]

Thanks for adding that Fran.... Now Donna won't be yelling about anyone forgetting Sun's '83 Guard.

Guard wasn't as huge in the equation those days, but I do know everyone was trying to win the guard trophy- heck when you only have 2 points with which to score and differentiate the guards, not much to go on- get a tenth or two max at the top off opponents with a much better guard.

Now- it's swung the other way, a dedicated guard judge, etc. Now, a fine color guard can open some gaps on people as I think it should be able to do if it's better.

Really- from the 1977-1984 period- Sun was a lot like Reading is now- they had a solid all-around effort from all areas. Maybe not the 'best' at certain things in a certain year, but never anything that was 'weak' or 'out of contention' against the rest of the madding crowd. I'd say the record indicates that- what, 4 chapionships and at least one second mixed in, it was a real purple patch for their corps. And even after that, they were in the thick of it a few times!

[Fran Haring]

Really- from the 1977-1984 period- Sun was a lot like Reading is now- they had a solid all-around effort from all areas. Maybe not the 'best' at certain things in a certain year, but never anything that was 'weak' or 'out of contention' against the rest of the madding crowd.

Well, through 1983 at least.

Good points, though..... from 1977 through 1983 Sun won six percussion titles in seven seasons. The drum line was the engine that drove the corps.... but the horn line and guard were always near the top, if not at the top. (High Horns in 1978 and 1983.... Best Color Guard trophies those years, too.)

With the notable exception of 1980, of course. Second in percussion.... and "whatever and wherever" in horns and color guard.

[Jaminbenb]

Well, through 1983 at least.

Good points, though..... from 1977 through 1983 Sun won six percussion titles in seven seasons. The drum line was the engine that drove the corps.... but the horn line and guard were always near the top, if not at the top. (High Horns in 1978 and 1983.... Best Color Guard trophies those years, too.)

With the notable exception of 1980, of course. Second in percussion.... and "whatever and wherever" in horns and color guard.

Was that the year Sky won??!?!