BRASSO Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) There were many elements of the "teen gang", culture mingled within the drum corps community back in the fifties and sixties, long before the "professionalization" of drum corps. In many cases, the primary goal behind getting young kids into Drum Corps in this era was to get them off the streets and keep them occupied and out of harm's way and trouble. We sometimes talk about the fights in Drum Corps in these days, but sometimes overlook the fact that ror many of these marchers had they NOT been in Drum Corps they might havre gotten into much more serious trouble and in WAY more fights without Drum Corps accomplishing for thousands of youth across the country precisely what its goals were. Its different today in that many of the marchers are there primarily to enhance their already developed musical craft. Most are way more advanced in their musical craft and talent abilities than we could even dreamed to have had back then. They are a joy to behold and most have wonderful attitudes and with a good head on their shoulders. Drum Corps is not a matter of Life and Death for them at their age now either. Edited February 21, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I know one thing... It was ALWAYS the other Corps fault. ( haha) Quite true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 The majority of mm from 40+ years ago were from the the same neighborhoods within cities, had no formal musical training, and hung around together when not practicing. When many band kids, who read music, began marching in D&BC, the rough edges of a corps personality began to soften up. LOL, when my old Sr got back on the field in the mid 70s we added a lot of HS and college age people who could read music, etc. Including some short ###ed Bari player who was 16 and name escapes me at the moment. Only real clash of age based mentalities was when one of the older members got half a bag on and started complaining that the "kiddies" weren't taking this seriously. Then he infamously said "if you want to beat the <racial term> in the <corps name> and the <another racial term> in the <another corps>..". Corps staff freaked that all the "kiddies" would be offended or freaked out and leave. Turns out most of us shrugged and asked amongst ourselves "what the #### is his problem". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankarls Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I remember one time in Wilmot Wisconsin in 66 or 67 when Norwood and the Racine Scouts somehow got mixed up with townies, who came around after the show to start something. Both corps got together and started moving towards the seriously outnumbered townies, and suddenly, Rick Maass came out of nowhere and started picking up corps members and literally throwing them towards their busses while uttering a loud stream of "you better get on your busses if you know what's good for you" in other, more colorful terms. And that ended that fight. No one was going to mess with Maass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) I remember one time in Wilmot Wisconsin in 66 or 67 when Norwood and the Racine Scouts somehow got mixed up with townies, who came around after the show to start something. Both corps got together and started moving towards the seriously outnumbered townies, and suddenly, Rick Maass came out of nowhere and started picking up corps members and literally throwing them towards their busses while uttering a loud stream of "you better get on your busses if you know what's good for you" in other, more colorful terms. And that ended that fight. No one was going to mess with Maass. I recall a Corps " back in the day " going to practice one early evening and finding the local High School football had completed their practice, their Coaches had left the field, but a few others hung around the football field tossing the football around and stuff after changing clothes in the lockerroom. The Corps Director went over to the remaining football players and asked them... politely too... to leave as it was time for his Corps to practice, and they only had so much allotted time. They disregarded the plea of the adult Corps Director and apparently said some flippant things to him, pretty much telling him to " get lost ". The Corps Director went back to the sidelines and thought about what he'd do. He then went back a second time to again... politely, but firmly... requesting them to leave. Again, they essentially blew him off. So he returned to the sidelines, where some of the marchers were getting out of their cars and proceeding to the sidelines. They asked why the players were still out on the field, and the Director told them. 2 of the marchers, one 20, the other 21, coincidentally were once H.S. players on a nearby rival football team, and were itchin to go out there. Initially, the Director balked, as the players continued to play on the field. The Director then went to the school to talk to the Coaches but the doors were locked and it appeared the Coaches by now had left. So he comes back to the sidelines, and for a 3rd time asks them to leave. A couple did, but about 6-7 or so still wouldn't budge. Then one of the players, knowing his coaches had gone home suddenly gives the finger to the Corps Director and the marchers standing about 100 feet away along the sidelines. He saw that, and so didn't the marchers. They begged to go out there. The Director, frustrated, turned to the marchers and said" you've got 3 minutes, then I call the police". About 12 of the older marchers went out to the field in a sprint. One of the High School players... recognized one of the marchers (a former H.S. football linebacker,now 20 or 21, and a contrabass player in the Corps) when the marcher got close up, and the player looked like he was about to poop his pants. The Corps marchers told them to get of the field..... NOW !!..... or they'd kick their behind. They did. They turned and took off, every one of the 6-7, ... not a single air punch was even thrown in the incident either. This became a legend in the area as.... " the day the Drum Corps ran the football team off the football field ". Edited February 21, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankarls Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 The joke in our time was that drum corps was an activity that was designed to get troubled youth off the streets of your city and put them on the streets of other people's cities. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 The joke in our time was that drum corps was an activity that was designed to get troubled youth off the streets of your city and put them on the streets of other people's cities. ... and they succeeded in this! ( haha!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstar82 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 This is not about a fight but a scary situation one of my corps had to endure. We did a parade in Big Bear, California in the early summer and I don't know if a biker rally was also going on in town that weekend, but we were scheduled to march in a parade for their local "town" days. We marched the parade but not w/o some incredible taunting and name calling from the bikers who had lined up along the parade route. And I'm not talking a dozen or so members, but hundreds thru the entire route. As we stayed as composed and professional as we could, it was very rough on all of us keeping our focus as a lot of the bikers decided to break and dance thru our ranks, bang on the drums, and grab of few our girl's behinds. A few even decided to ride their bikes thru us. Man, they were as drunk and high and obnoxious as you can imagine. We were so relieved just to get outta there w/o somebody doing something stupid to get us hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstar82 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I made friends with a couple of members of the CMCC Warriors at some shows we appeared in together. They were from the street so to speak, but they enjoyed music and were using drum corps as a way out of "that life" back home. But I remember them telling me they would go at it with anybody who disrespected them. They were cool cats but I wouldn't have crossed them for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mucs75 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Biggest badd ### corps i knew were bronx kingsmen and boston, sac. Although many said my corps was rough and arrogant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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