chasing a ring/ not what you think

[oldtimefan]

I'm with you on lucked out...

My friends and I were all corps junkies in HS- Mr. Kuhn had worked our band camp a few times, as well as Marty (?) from SCV. I started going to shows in '83, had instructors who marched Cavaliers in '84, went to a Marty Hurley clinic in '85. Wanted to march after my senior year, and tried out for Sky in fall '86- crushed to get cut in December. Mr. Orwoll called in early June of '87 and asked if I'd like to join the Colts (I had a friend marching) and I accepted. Scott Stewart called a day later with an offer to join as equipment guy/back field conductor (had a former teacher in the pit) and a chance to play in the Madison front line in '88, and I explained that I had just said yes to Colts. He was cool, and said that he hoped to meet me on the road.

Loved my half year with Colts, but knew that they had openings at Madison, and I already knew the pit guys and instructors, as well as the fact that the Scouts were going to tour Europe. Showed up at auditions, played a bit, threw a frisbee and played four square, got an offer and joined Madison at Thanksgiving camp. The ring was a shock to me, the fact that we were really good was not... it was a special year, and I almost feel guilty for being there with so many vets and ageouts as a rookie. In the end, all four guys in my wedding party were Scouts, I still collaborate and teach with m' brothers 25 years later and marching in the alumni corps was so cool!

My corps was the right fit for me, and I hope that every marching member finds a perfect home sometime in their years in drum corps.

I love that you honored a commitment. It showed true class. I think a lot of people would have jumped ship and landed in a sea of hot water. I have recently met a friend who marched Madison and was soloist in 88. Eric Roethe. It was funny. My wife of 2 years was being indoctrinated into drum corps and I was showing her the 88 Scouts and she says, my friend from high school has his profile changed and he is in their uniform. Turns out he marched, etc. She had no idea about any of it. He felt the same thing about the ring. He had barely any drum corps knowledge at all. Said he just went to a show one day thought it looked cool. That was it. He marched.

[SACMellos2010]

My dad was involved in drum corps my whole life and took me to my first show at the age of 4 in 1975. I always wanted to march drum corps and made it clear that I would march as soon as possible.

In the fall of 1984 dad came to me and said I am taking you this weekend to audition for a new drum corps in Bloomington Indiana. I know the people involved and think this will be very special for you and a good fit. I was 13 at the time and he pulled up, had me grab my suitcase and sleeping bag and walked me in the doors of TLB. Signed me in, walked the halls to say hey to a few people and then said "see you Sunday superdude". So started then and aged out in 1992 but did take 3 seasons off in the middle because of sporting reasons.

Would not change the experience of first trying to make finals all the way to winning a championship and then coming back in 2010.

[MikeD]

My dad beloned to the local VFW post, as he was a WW II Vet. The post sponsored a pretty decent Garden State Circuit corps at the time, and it had a feeder corps. At age 10 1/2, my dad signed me up with the feeder corps as a drummer (1964)...I had a year+ drumming experience in school band.

As often happens, the grownups at the post fought, and the corps split apart, with the main portion of the field corps forming a second corps in town, in 1965. The feeder corps became the only corps at the post, and we then did parades for the next three years. We never did make the competitive field.

Finally, after the 67 summer, my dad relented and let me move over to the other corps in town so I could join a field corps, where I stayed for two seasons, 68 and 69. Desiring a higher level experience, after 69 I decided to move to a class 'A' corps, either Garfield or Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights. I spent the fall going between the two; BS was my personal favorite growing up through the 60's, but I had a lot of friends in Garfield who had left the GSC corps I marched with after the 68 season. BS was the 'better' corps, competitively-speaking.

I finally chose Garfield as the better 'fit' for me personally, so I marched with them in 70, 71 and 72, the end of my marching days. I was 19 1/2 at the end of the 72 season, but summer work called, so I had to stop marching.

[Fishbone]

Summer of 1990, just graduated high school and knew I had to march. Star was just 2 hours north from where i lived but I was looking for something different. Opened up an issue of DCI Today and went thru the list of corps names. Limited Edition jumped out at me. Opened up an Atlas and estimated Columbus was within driving distance (6 hours). Then i saw that they were only in their 3 season that summer and that was enough to get me to their first winter camp. The friendships i made at that first camp kept me there. I marched 91, 92 and had all intentions of aging out there in 93. We had one camp in the winter of 93 with a new director and staff and a huge turnover in membership. Waited around for info for the second camp that never came. One of my buddies from the previous year eventually called and asked me how i felt about LE folding. I told him that i had not heard anything from the director and had no clue what was going on. I guess i thought it was too late to make some phone calls to other corps nearby to find out of they had any holes to fill in their horn lines because i never did get to age out and i regret that decision to this day.

[ranintothedoor]

The very very first drum corps I saw was Yamato in 1999, playing "Bugs". It was cool and I thought, wooowww, they are soooo goooodd!!

... and then all the world class corps came out and I was just... floored.

Tried out for Cadets in November '99 because I thought "Big Apple" was the coolest show ever on the PBS broadcast. I was a freshman in high school and really hurt my back holding up my little tuba... very intimidated by the experience and not at all prepared.

In 2003, a friend told me about Scenic City and so we went down there. I committed, and finished the season.

I wasn't chasing a ring when I auditioned for '05 Cadets (I loved the Jethro Tull show, placement and all!)... I wanted some redemption following my (I felt) embarrassing experience in '99.