hairbear Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 In the summer of 1968 (If memory serves) I walked up the road to my local VFW post to take a look at this "drumcorps thing" my sister was a member of. The director of this drumcorps put a Baritone (valve/slide) in my hand and an instructor taught me how to get a sound from the horn. I wasn't all that interested in the horn, but the girls I saw in the colorguard were "interesting". That was enough to keep me there for the day. At the end of the rehearsal, I joined the corps. Doing so was a wise decision. If not for this corps director, I would most likely be dead or in prison today. Earl Huff is a name most of you won't recognize. He marched with a Cincinnati Corps named "Men of Ohio". He is retired now. He was a "father" when I needed one, a role model and a mentor. Something about this activity brings out the absolute best in a person, be they a marching member or a corps director. Earl never won a DCA championship. He isn't a member of the hall of fame. He doesn't have any rings or medals hanging on his wall. No, Earl Huff isn't famous. He just "slogged it out" on a VFW practice field full of inexperienced kids, day after day, year after year. This I can tell you: every one of those kids are today, successful adults. We are his championship, his hall of fame and his "ring". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastone Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) There are so many that it's probably impossible to list all, but the top tier includes Eric Perrilouix, Wes Meyers, Don Quinn, Bobby Thomson, Carman Cluna, Hy Drietzer, Sid Austin(Wynn Center Toppers),the 1966 Chicago Cavaliers and George Brown my first instructor who gave me an opportunity at the age of six to play with the big boys providing I practiced every day without fail. Edited January 25, 2013 by Fastone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhawtho1 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 A man by the name of Jim Kinne. Probably unknown in the drum corps world. He past away a few years ago. Jim created this small hometown drum corps where the Turning Stone Casino is now located. This was and still is a rural farm community, with the exception of said casino. Jim started this drum corps basically from the cash out of his own pocket. His family Im sure would attest to how little they had financially because most if not all went to the kids and this corps. It was initially a small parade corps that grew into a field corps that did pretty well in the Class A DCI circuit then. They best year for the Eagles of CNY was 1984 where we were just edged out of a finals spot by the Florida Wave. Had The Wave moves up to open class, we might have made it in. Anyways Jim created a corps that many local kids played in. These local kids eventually moved to the big leagues of Avant Garde, 27th Lancers, Cadets, Crossmen, Bridgemen, Madison Scouts, Les Eclpise and many more. Most of these kids went on to become great music teachers in the local area and academic teachers in the collegiate world. Some went on to play in the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and retired from the Marines. Jim literally gave the shirt off his back for the kids of this area. I sometimes wonder if he knew how important he was to our "growing up." My dad said the best thing I did as a kid was join that corps. Jim gave way more of himself and of his family than he should have had too. I will always look back on him with fond memories. He never had a championship or a ring. Few people will ever recognize the name. Tom Peashey might. Just a small town corps that provided many of us kids a way to play music, make friends and grow up to be decent human beings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 A man by the name of Jim Kinne. Probably unknown in the drum corps world. He past away a few years ago. Jim created this small hometown drum corps where the Turning Stone Casino is now located. This was and still is a rural farm community, with the exception of said casino. Jim started this drum corps basically from the cash out of his own pocket. His family Im sure would attest to how little they had financially because most if not all went to the kids and this corps. It was initially a small parade corps that grew into a field corps that did pretty well in the Class A DCI circuit then. They best year for the Eagles of CNY was 1984 where we were just edged out of a finals spot by the Florida Wave. Had The Wave moves up to open class, we might have made it in. Anyways Jim created a corps that many local kids played in. These local kids eventually moved to the big leagues of Avant Garde, 27th Lancers, Cadets, Crossmen, Bridgemen, Madison Scouts, Les Eclpise and many more. Most of these kids went on to become great music teachers in the local area and academic teachers in the collegiate world. Some went on to play in the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and retired from the Marines. Jim literally gave the shirt off his back for the kids of this area. I sometimes wonder if he knew how important he was to our "growing up." My dad said the best thing I did as a kid was join that corps. Jim gave way more of himself and of his family than he should have had too. I will always look back on him with fond memories. He never had a championship or a ring. Few people will ever recognize the name. Tom Peashey might. Just a small town corps that provided many of us kids a way to play music, make friends and grow up to be decent human beings Indeed David... anyone involved in upstate NY drum corps should know Jim Kinne... and you're right... his heart was as big as the entire state... My many decades of friendship with his successor as Eagles Corps Director - Don Briggs - allowed me to know Jim even better... and before you ask, Don and Mary are fine living in Northport FL - and son Chuck (Patriots, Crossmen and Truman's US Marine Corps Drum Corps Snare drummer) is well north of Miami and now has 3 kids and a beautiful wife... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twillms73 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Here is my "short" list, in chronological order: Dennis Dewey & Ron Frech (Sound of LI) Laurie Kunzle & Laurie Hall (Bushwackers) Tony Cataneo, Rich Guillen & Joe Vala (Sunrisers) Tommy Martin (Golden Eagles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucbari Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) Took this from the DCI page... Who are some people in drum corps who personally influenced you or made a large impact on your life? This was a good topic in the DCI section. I'll give the same answer here that I gave there, Wayne Paulson. He lived across the street from me and was friends with my older brother. We Called Wayne Old Lady because he ran like an old lady and one day he asked me if I wanted to come down and march in the Raiders of 88. This was one of the most lmportant decisions I ever made. I probably would have ended up in foster care or prison and Drum Corps gave me the opportunity to get out of the house and away from some bad things. I was 12 and never regretted getting into this thing of ours. A couple of DCA titles, traveling all over the country and marching in front of 2 of the best Drum Majors ever Tony White and George Parks, I think I did all right. PS: Wayne is Fran's brother in law and he met his wife Loretta in Drum Corps. Edited January 29, 2013 by Bucbari 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 This was a good topic in the DCI section. I'll give the same answer here that I gave there, Wayne Paulson. He lived across the street from me and was friends with my older brother. We Called Wayne Old Lady because he ran like an old lady and one day he asked me if I wanted to come down and march in the Raiders of 88. This was one of the most lmportant decisions I ever made. I probably would have ended up in foster care or prison and Drum Corps gave me the opportunity to get out of the house and away from some bad things. I was 12 and never regretted getting into this thing of ours. A couple of DCA titles, traveling all over the country and marching in front of 2 of the best Drum Majors ever Tony White and George Parks, I think I did all right. PS: Wayne is Fran's brother in law and he met his wife Loretta in Drum Corps. He still runs like an old lady. LOL. Seriously.... George, you're right.. Wayne was an early influence for me, too. And my brothers Lenny and Marty. And Mike Marsh.... one of the greatest guys ever, in drum corps or anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsBuff Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 (edited) If it weren't for my college roommate James who marched in Pioneer in 1997 (and then with me in the Reading Buccaneers in 2005) I never would have thought that a trombone player like myself could ever learn a valved instrument and play it at a competitive level in a drum corps. I also owe my high school classmates Adrienne and Bryan who marched in the Reading Buccaneers for introducing me to drum corps well before I ever considered doing it. Finally Mike Ryan and Josh Katz for bringing me to the Caballeros. Marching with my favorite corps of all time was a "dream" that I never thought I could accomplish (and wouldn't have been possible without those two individuals). Edited February 1, 2013 by CorpsBuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgil67 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 WOW Tom - Thank you! I am honored! Here is my "short" list, in chronological order: Dennis Dewey & Ron Frech (Sound of LI) Laurie Kunzle & Laurie Hall (Bushwackers) Tony Cataneo, Rich Guillen & Joe Vala (Sunrisers) Tommy Martin (Golden Eagles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry p Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I'll bite. '60's early 70's Sal Ferrara, late '70's early '80's Corky Fabrizio, Mid 80's Jim Wren, '90's Dennis Argul. From a distance and having only met him once JIm Ott. And only met him a couple of times Hy Drietzer. If you are in drum corps long enough you get to hire your friends. I hired Sal to write for Kilts and Dennis is writing for Govenaires. Gov Love, LP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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