What Sparked your Drum Corp Interest?

[FPonzo]

My Father...Tommy Ryan Hawthorne Caballeros 1949 -1966

Although I never met Mr. Ryan.......

[FPonzo]

WOW.....this is an awesome topic!!!

For me....well....back when I first leaned how to play the saxophone in 7th grade (1977), I always wanted to be in a HS Marching band. (I know....that REALLY sounds lame....just wanting to be in a HS Marching band!) Growing up in Washington Heights, NYC, I really knew nothing about Drum & Bugle Corps. My best friend was taught the trumpet, and I was taught the Saxophone. We used to practice every day together, even switching instruments occasionally to see how we would do. I had no chops for the trumpet, and stuck with the sax. I moved to Long Island in the summer of 78, and directly across the street from where I lived was a Fire Deparment. One night, I heard a ruckus over there. Lots of drums, and horns. I had no idea what this was. I asked my dad if I could go over and check this out. (mind you...I was a 14 year old kid, and really not knowing much about my neighborhood yet. He was a little hesitant at first, but he said ok. (looking back now, I think he knew exactly what it was!!!)) I went over there, met the director, a couple of other members, and their lead snare drummer (Chris Bauer). Next thing I knew, the director told Chris to take me into a room and show me how to play a baritone. (true story....all your fault Chris!). From then on, I was hooked. I joined the HS Marching Band (actually, all band members were required to be in the marching band....and when I tell you were were the worst marching band in NYS, I really mean it!!) I stayed with the sax in 10th grade, and switched to Baritone Horn in 11th grade, and Trumpet in 12th grade, making it to first chair in the HS Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band my first year playing the trumpet. I stayed with this fire department D&B corps until I started college (where I was a trumpet music major), and I knew I wanted something more with this marching activity. The brass instructor for the corps was also a member of the Sunrisers. I heard of them thru the years, but never really saw them in person. (by this time, Chris Bauer was the center snare for the Hawthorne Caballeros) I started college, and at the same time, I joined the Sunrisers in the fall of 1981. 1982 was my first ever drum corps field show (I had never seen a field show in person before that)!!

So...about my dad.....

It turns out that later in the year 1982, I had a rehearsal on the same day as one of my infamous family reunions. I stayed at the reunion for a while, but then really needed to get to rehearsal. When my Aunt Maryann (my father's younger and ONLY sister) asked where I was going, I had to try to explain that I was kinda in a marching band that competes in the summer. She looked at me and with big eyes she said..."YOU'RE IN A DRUM CORPS"? Well.....for those of you who don't know, My Aunt MaryAnn was in the color guard of the St Joe's Patron Cadets, and St. Rita's Brassmen in the late 60's and early 70's. I had no idea about that, but my dad knew....boy did he know!!!! LOL......He HATED Drum & Bugle Corps!!! BUT....I now had my Aunt on my side, so any time I had rehearsal and had to miss a family function, my Aunt would always smooth things over!!!! And like so many others, all downhill after that!!! LOL

Weird how things turn out......

[Fastone]

WOW.....this is an awesome topic!!!

For me....well....back when I first leaned how to play the saxophone in 7th grade (1977), I always wanted to be in a HS Marching band. (I know....that REALLY sounds lame....just wanting to be in a HS Marching band!) Growing up in Washington Heights, NYC, I really knew nothing about Drum & Bugle Corps. My best friend was taught the trumpet, and I was taught the Saxophone. We used to practice every day together, even switching instruments occasionally to see how we would do. I had no chops for the trumpet, and stuck with the sax. I moved to Long Island in the summer of 78, and directly across the street from where I lived was a Fire Deparment. One night, I heard a ruckus over there. Lots of drums, and horns. I had no idea what this was. I asked my dad if I could go over and check this out. (mind you...I was a 14 year old kid, and really not knowing much about my neighborhood yet. He was a little hesitant at first, but he said ok. (looking back now, I think he knew exactly what it was!!!)) I went over there, met the director, a couple of other members, and their lead snare drummer (Chris Bauer). Next thing I knew, the director told Chris to take me into a room and show me how to play a baritone. (true story....all your fault Chris!). From then on, I was hooked. I joined the HS Marching Band (actually, all band members were required to be in the marching band....and when I tell you were were the worst marching band in NYS, I really mean it!!) I stayed with the sax in 10th grade, and switched to Baritone Horn in 11th grade, and Trumpet in 12th grade, making it to first chair in the HS Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band my first year playing the trumpet. I stayed with this fire department D&B corps until I started college (where I was a trumpet music major), and I knew I wanted something more with this marching activity. The brass instructor for the corps was also a member of the Sunrisers. I heard of them thru the years, but never really saw them in person. (by this time, Chris Bauer was the center snare for the Hawthorne Caballeros) I started college, and at the same time, I joined the Sunrisers in the fall of 1981. 1982 was my first ever drum corps field show (I had never seen a field show in person before that)!!

So...about my dad.....

It turns out that later in the year 1982, I had a rehearsal on the same day as one of my infamous family reunions. I stayed at the reunion for a while, but then really needed to get to rehearsal. When my Aunt Maryann (my father's younger and ONLY sister) asked where I was going, I had to try to explain that I was kinda in a marching band that competes in the summer. She looked at me and with big eyes she said..."YOU'RE IN A DRUM CORPS"? Well.....for those of you who don't know, My Aunt MaryAnn was in the color guard of the St Joe's Patron Cadets, and St. Rita's Brassmen in the late 60's and early 70's. I had no idea about that, but my dad knew....boy did he know!!!! LOL......He HATED Drum & Bugle Corps!!! BUT....I now had my Aunt on my side, so any time I had rehearsal and had to miss a family function, my Aunt would always smooth things over!!!! And like so many others, all downhill after that!!! LOL

Weird how things turn out......

I don't know if you remember but, the first thing you said to me when we met was "hey you marched with my aunt" lol

[FPonzo]

I don't know if you remember but, the first thing you said to me when we met was "hey you marched with my aunt" lol

Actually Frank, I DO remember!!!! LOL

[Skydrummer9]

I was hooked by first and foremost my Father as he was a Soprano player in the Field Corps since 1994, but what really solidified me was after watching a Sky Field Corps rehearsal at the Garfield Anthrax and biological weapons disease manufacturing plant....Ummmmm I mean the Garfield American Legion Post. Bobby (Jomba) O'Connor showed me a few things on a drum pad (holding the sticks, etc) and for some reason, it felt that this corps could be one of the best things in my life. Although my first time around the Skyliners was actually at an Alumni Corps rehearsal at the same, and some how still open, physical location of just about every Violation of Federal Health Code regulation, back in 1998. I was about 7 or 8 at the time and screwing around with my brother Harry on the stage during horn line rehearsal.

What I remember most about that rehearsal in '98 was afterwards before going back home, I remembered seeing a TV trailer for the Samuel L. Jackson's version of Shaft. Then I saw Ricky Lane for the first time and some how made the connection and thought he was Shaft. I told my dad this when I thought of it and I thought that no one else would have heard, but someone did and that is how Ricky Lane got the nickname "Shaft".

[Loiswt]

My first exposure to drum corps was the Dream Contest sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to see but when I got there I was hooked for life. My favorite corps were Yankee Rebels and the Caballeros. They are still 2 of my favorite corps! Who would of thought I'd be involved with the Buccaneers????

[royal-air canada]

One afternoon back in 1960 while in Fremont Junior High School in Stockton, California I went over to visit with a classmate of mine named Johnny Meza after school. While I was there he picked up a pair of drum sticks and started practicing snare drum parts on a practice pad. He said he had just recently joined a local junior drum and bugle corps that was starting up named the "Delta Thunderbirds" (I bet no one ever heard of that corps. #1) in Stockton, California sponsored by the Karl Ross Post of the American Legion and his twin sisters Mary and Jose were marching in the color guard. It had been formed by Al Mondragon and a few other fellows who had been alumni of the State Champion Y.M.I. (Young Men's Institute) "Joaquin Caballeros" (bet no one ever heard of this one either.#2) Drum and "BELL" Corps also from Stockton. There were no charges or fee's of any kind needed to pay to join as all cost of the uniforms, drums, flags etc. were to be covered by the parents organization and the members through various fund raising events like car washes, spaghetti dinners, even by the girls baby sitting fee's, etc. and of course any parade winnings. A few of the fathers of the kids even entered into a local Rodeo and won enough money to get things started out. Anyway John invited me to attend the next rehearsal which I did and I joined. Now my father had played lead soprano bugle in the Joseph P. Westnedge Post of the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps (bet nobody ever heard of that one either. #3) back in Kalamazoo, Michigan before we moved out to California in 1956 so I was a bit familiar with the concept of drum and bugle corps and what to expect. We started out marching with the boys in the drum and horn line wearing just black pants, with a taped, (medical tape) white stripe down the leg, white shirts and our black school shoes. The girls in the guard wore long black skirts, white blouses and white sneakers. The American Legion Post did give us a few old well worn out black shakos that looked like they had come from the World War I time period for the girls in the Honor Guard to wear, a few ancient snare and tenor field drums and a single very thin old base drum but that was pretty much the extent of their support except in name. Now back then there weren't many kids in the drum and bugle corps that had much if any experience playing on musical instruments (If the local high school band directors ever found out that you were marching in a drum and bugle corps you would be kicked out of their band) so they just handed to you either a pair of drum sticks or a straight "G" bugle, no piston or rotor and said go home pucker up and try blowing on it a few times until you can start sustaining some resemblance of a note. Then later once you had managed to conquer that to some extent you were handed a single (horizontal) piston bugle, still no rotors back then, (used vaseline on the tuning slides to keep them workable) and were brought into the horn line or drum line etc. The corps managed to do real well as we on weekends travelled by riding in our the parents cars to parades around the central and northern part of the state. We actually performed about a one minute drill with gates, squad turns, wheels etc. in the street while playing before the judging stands in the local parades in towns such as Salinas, Watsonville, Half Moon Bay, Napa, Yountville, Lodi, Murphy, Angels Camp, Sacramento, Stockton (Portugese Day Parades), San Francisco (Chinese New Years Day Parades) etc. which helped to get us a number of first places over the other junior musical units (high school marching bands etc.). By our second year of existence we had managed to raise enough money for the mothers to start sewing our new flags and uniforms. The blouses were Kelly green with two white stripes that went across the chest diagonally from your shoulder to the waist and black pants that had a single white stripe sown down the leg from waist to cuff. The boys now wore white "Bucks" for shoes and the girls wore white cowgirl (I call them) boots. We also had enough money to now purchase new white plumes and shakos for everyone that had a gray/black marble kind of look as well as a new set of drums that were a sparkling silver with a horizontal green stripe around the middle and two new "bass" Baritone bugles (no Contra's invented yet guys). In the spring of our third year we began learning a field drill and then began competing in northern California in a few drum and bugle corps shows against other and older junior drum and bugle corps like the "Hawks" from Richmond, California and the all Chinese "Knights of Cathy" from Chinatown in San Francisco (now maybe some one has heard of these corps.#4 & #5) and of course the "Joaquin Caballeros" Senior Drum and "BUGLE" Corps who had by now purchased bugles and hired Mr. Al Viera of the "Marksmen" (now I know you have heard of that corps. #6) from Springfield Mass. to move out to Stockton and arrange/teach their music. The Joaquin Caballeros then went on to win the American Legion Senior Drum and Bugle Corps state title for many years after that. A quartet from our (Delta Thunderbirds) drum line also took the American Legion State Championship in San Bernadino (I believe it was) that year. We also did quit well competing in the California State "Open" Championships in Santa Clara each year. This was all years before the Santa Clara Vanguard or the Stockton Commodores existed folks. The "Delta Thunderbirds" Junior Drum and Bugle Corps lasted about four years before finally folding at which time most all of the members then joined into the "Joaquin Caballers" Senior Drum and Bugle Corps (although none of us were senior age yet). It was during my marching the next year with the "Joaquin Caballeros" that I become a pen pal through a drum corps publication named "Drum Corps News" with a girl named Anita Tolvaysh who was a member of the color guard of the Chicago "Royal-Airs" (another corps that I know you have heard of.#7 ) from Chicago, Illinois. I decided to fly to Chicago during my high school Easter Break and visit her. I had payed the fee of ten dollars to join an American Airline's program for people under 21 years of age that allowed you to travel at half price on standby. While I was in Chicago I attended a few of the Chicago "Royal-Airs" rehearsals where Truman Crawford was their musical arranger/instructor. He had noticed my "Caballeros" jacket and during a break came up to me and asked if I had marched in the "Caballeros". I said yes but that I was not in the Hawthorne Caballeros from New Jersey but the "Joaquin Caballeros" from California. He (to my complete surprise ) had heard about their horn line and was aware of what the "Joaquin Caballeros" out in California were doing. (Later, in 1965, they even beat the Hawthorne Caballeros horn line out in Portland, Oregon at the American Legion National Championships). I believe that he had thought I had moved to Chicago as he asked one of the corps members to hand him a soprano bugle (at last a horn with a rotor) then asked to hear me play off of a sheet of their music which I did. After rehearsal he came over and asked me if I would be interested in playing in the Chicago "Royal-Airs" horn line? OMG. That question was a no brainer to a young fellow who had only listened to the "greats" from back east and the midwest on his well worn "Fleetwood Records" but had not even in his farthest dreams ever imagined what it would be like to be able to march and play in the "BIG BOYS". Two months later that chap flew back to "The Windy City" and began his next few summers of marching with the three time national champion (CYO, Boston, Mass. VFW, Chicago, Ill. and American Legion, Portland, Oregon) Chicago "Royal-Airs"...... And that is what sparked my interest and became the beginnings of my years in the drum and bugle corps experience.

Edited November 5, 2010 by royal-air canada

[Jeff Ream]

birth LOL.

my Dad started marching with the Westshoremen in 1963. in 1965, a contra player at Westshore was dating his future wife, who was best friends with my mom. Dad and mom met, married in 1967, and had me in 1969. I'll just say we're all pretty sure I came to be DCA Finals weekend in 1968 LOL

In fact, half the drumline from Westshore was in our house when mom's water broke. I was at a rehearsal oh I dont know, maybe 2 weeks later.

Early on, I went to rehearsals, shows, and continued when Dad went to the yankee Rebels in 73, and when he went back to Shore in 78. I took my first drum corps bus ride at the age of 6...to Miami

I grew up around it, loved it, and when Dad stopped marching, he still took me to several shows a summer. Mom was dead set against me marching til after high school, but Dad taught bands, and eventually after years of just going and hanging out, he got me helping him. This just fueled the fire, and at Cavalcade of Band Championships, I walked up to Dan Delong, said I heard he was taking over Westshore's line, and to expect me at the first camp.

and I was there, but pretty much everyone expected at some day i'd march.

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

I started out as a clarinet player but wanted to play drums. I switched to drums just because I had enough natural talent to play 16th notes. But my HS band did bad show band and I wanted to get better. I joined a local drum and baton corps. But still sucked and wanted to get better. Then I went to a DCI show in Pittsburgh in 79 or 80, saw Finleyville, Garfield, Squires, Memphis and was hooked. I loved Garfield and RC, but Squires were so small and good! The kid playing tenors for Finleyville Doug Jefferson could really jam (4th 80 individuals) and that was a big influence. I joined Finleyville in 81, but we weren't able to field then or 82, but made a lot of friends who dispersed (after 82) either to SCA, Ohio Brass Factory and about 7 of us to Vagabonds. Drum corps taught me discipline and without that I would never have finished my education.

[mello ron]

Laying in bed on Friday nights listening to music coming from Goffle Brook Park. Mom said it was the Hawthorne Caballeros and I was hooked. I had to grow up an become a Caballero. I started playing trumpet in grammer school and then joined the Paterson cadets and when I aged out of Juniors my dream came true. I became a Cab. An now I'm im marching in the Cab alunni.