JimF-LowBari Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) I go back to 1979, but I was fortunate enough to have an interest in history and individuals willnig to tell and teach me it. I would guess there are other young people like I was back then who are asking questions and hopefully have people who can help anwser those questions. My "age out" was this guys first year.. OK it was a Sr corps but I graduated college and got a job with rotating shifts so bye bye corps. Started 74 and first year rode with two members of the corps BoD who started in the late 50s or so. Next five rode with the equipment truck with a man who was around since the early 50s. LOL, he had the 1952 VFW National trophy in his bedroom. Found out when we visited during his recovery form hernia surgery (back in the days of lay in bed for two weeks). Yep, it was a great corps for learning history.... Amateur historian and love hearing the music and stories from before my time... Thank you Internet and folks willing to talk. Edited March 10, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Started marching and spinning in 1968 and kept going in one form or another (as my signature indicates). 'twas the best 20 years of my life! Now I'm a forever fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I got my start in the fall of 1960 in a local parish standstill/parade fife, drum and bugle corps in Rosedale, Queens. The corps was called the St. Clare's Golden Emeralds. I watched the St. Catherine's Queensmen rehearse in a local shopping center in 1962, and wanted to join so badly. I attended my first 'M&M' show in September, '62. That turned out to be the last weekend of the Queensmen's existence. I was sure I would someday join the Sunrisers, since my instructor, Cal Meyers, was a former Sunriser. But I was 'recruited' by the corps director, a Caballero, to try out for Hawthorne's snare line in 1966. I fell short of that goal - by May I was offered to play the bongos for my first year by drum instructor Les Parks. I got to play alongside the timbale player, Bobby Hoffman (Yes the same Bobby Hoffman of Bridgemen fame), and win the AL Nationals with the corps in 1966. In 1967 I moved to the snare line and played in the Caballeros until 1971, winning our first DCA title in 1970. I took off '72, and went back for one more year in 1973, when we went undefeated and the corps won its third DCA title. In March of 1994 the Alumni Corps was organized, and I became a charter member. Still there, and have been instructing the drum section since 2006. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I got my start in the fall of 1960 in a local parish standstill/parade fife, drum and bugle corps in Rosedale, Queens. The corps was called the St. Clare's Golden Emeralds. I watched the St. Catherine's Queensmen rehearse in a local shopping center in 1962, and wanted to join so badly. I attended my first 'M&M' show in September, '62. That turned out to be the last weekend of the Queensmen's existence. I was sure I would someday join the Sunrisers, since my instructor, Cal Meyers, was a former Sunriser. But I was 'recruited' by the corps director, a Caballero, to try out for Hawthorne's snare line in 1966. I fell short of that goal - by May I was offered to play the bongos for my first year by drum instructor Les Parks. I got to play alongside the timbale player, Bobby Hoffman (Yes the same Bobby Hoffman of Bridgemen fame), and win the AL Nationals with the corps in 1966. In 1967 I moved to the snare line and played in the Caballeros until 1971, winning our first DCA title in 1970. I took off '72, and went back for one more year in 1973, when we went undefeated and the corps won its third DCA title. In March of 1994 the Alumni Corps was organized, and I became a charter member. Still there, and have been instructing the drum section since 2006. Like John, my first "official" drum corps year was 1960.(Being bugler for Cub Scout Pack 333 in Cambria Heights provided some preparation.)That fall I was "recruited" into my high school parade corps at Xavier, in Manhattan. The following year, John Sasso replaced Jim Donnelly as horn instructor and I got "re-recruted" into the Queensmen. http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/2009/01/off-the-record-remembering-the-1961-queensmen/ The rehearsal John attended was at Green Acres shopping center and I was learning a soprano spot. I also marched that final Queensmen show in '62 at Union City. (Small world.) Garfield was the corps to beat then, too.(It's funny how history repeats.) I spent the next 11 seasons with the Sunrisers, while moving into teaching and arranging which have remained my passions since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Started 1970 as a 3rd sop and by 12 I was playing 1st. When I turned 13, all the "older" guys left the corps to go to a local senior corps and I moved up to the soloist spot until the corps folded in May 1977. We merged with Frontiersmen and then I was in the army. Later I taught and 1990, 2001 to 2003 I marched and instructed Rochester Crusaders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Doherty Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 My "age out" was this guys first year.. OK it was a Sr corps but I graduated college and got a job with rotating shifts so bye bye corps. Started 74 and first year rode with two members of the corps BoD who started in the late 50s or so. Next five rode with the equipment truck with a man who was around since the early 50s. LOL, he had the 1952 VFW National trophy in his bedroom. Found out when we visited during his recovery form hernia surgery (back in the days of lay in bed for two weeks). Yep, it was a great corps for learning history.... Amateur historian and love hearing the music and stories from before my time... Thank you Internet and folks willing to talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Doherty Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Jim, You said something today we don't say enough to the people who brought us along. "Thank You". Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 My sister was a member of a local drum corps colorguard. They were rehearsing one night at a neighborhood school. A small group of "troublemakers" (which included me) decided to go watch the rehearsal. We heckled them, made our own "parade block" and marched around, being as obnoxious as we could, until the police came and sent us away. One month later in 1968, I joined that drumcorps. The corps director still lives 15 minutes from me. He and his wife were the ONLY adults I obeyed without question, during that time in my life. I'm sure I've said this before, but it bears repeating: If it weren't for those two people, I would be dead or in prison. Of all the kids who were members of that corps, I am the only one still in the activity today, at 60 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antique Brass Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 My dad got our family started in drum corps when he joined the St. Amselm's Boys Fife, Drum, & Bugle Corps (Tinton Avenue, Bronx, N.Y.) in 1932, an organization that was dedicated to excellence for over 50 years. He played bugle and drum. My uncles, Jack and Alan were also members of the corps. My dad got me started in 1957 on a $5 U.S. Regulation "G" bugle. I'm still at it and probably will be for as long as I can hold up a horn. A lot of things have changed in our activity since my dad learned "Squads Right" but one thing has remained constant, when it comes to developing long lasting friendships nothing compares to the true "drum and bugle corps" experience. Here's a tip of the shako to all of the drum corps folk who have come before us and to all that will continue our activity when we're gone. Thank you my brothers and sisters and pick up your feet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyac Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 In response to cabalumnidrummer: Myself, brother & sister all attended St Clare's & were members of the Golden Emeralds. My brother a drummer, my sister a twirler & my dad, I guess considered a chaperone. I was the Majorett of the Gems. Lybaert is the name, what a small world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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