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Inside the Arc - To Key, or Not To Key�


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-being a short anthropology of the bugle, more or less- The following is a Fractured Fairy Tale, though many of the details are absolutely true. As for the rest… As dawn broke in a boreal woods long, long ago, a drowsy Neanderthal trudged out of the brush and promptly tripped over an old Triceratops skull. […]

... Read the rest of the article here - http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/2014/05/inside-the-arc-to-key-or-not-to-key/

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Julius Generarius and Pepus Notarius??? Thanks for the lunch time laugh...

But after seeing "Fractured Fairy Tales" I'll be hearing June Foray (still with us at 96) in my head the rest of the afternoon. :tounge2:

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Julius Generarius and Pepus Notarius??? Thanks for the lunch time laugh...

But after seeing "Fractured Fairy Tales" I'll be hearing June Foray (still with us at 96) in my head the rest of the afternoon. :tounge2:

I'm glad you got a laugh from this bit of "back of the bus" narrative.

One of my percussionist friends suggested that drummers might take "umbrage" to the comment that they get to do "whatever they want". I suppose I could have said they got to "play on whatever they want".

Another colleague pointed out that though I called the first horn player a "Neanderthal", there is some evidence that drummers originated from an earlier branch of the evolutionary tree. Now that's a cause for umbrage.

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"How do you hold this #$%^& thing?"

The exact same words were spoken by Ren Schilke when I handed him a P/R flugel, seeking words of wisdom.

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Another colleague pointed out that though I called the first horn player a "Neanderthal", there is some evidence that drummers originated from an earlier branch of the evolutionary tree. Now that's a cause for umbrage.

Drummers: Proof that other solar systems exist. :tongue:

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"How do you hold this #$%^& thing?"

The exact same words were spoken by Ren Schilke when I handed him a P/R flugel, seeking words of wisdom.

I said about the same thing when the Sunrisers handed me a Smith (as in Mr & Mrs John Smith) baritone in 1974. Off balance, out of tune, dreadful sound. And as to the horn...

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I'm glad you got a laugh from this bit of "back of the bus" narrative.

One of my percussionist friends suggested that drummers might take "umbrage" to the comment that they get to do "whatever they want". I suppose I could have said they got to "play on whatever they want".

Another colleague pointed out that though I called the first horn player a "Neanderthal", there is some evidence that drummers originated from an earlier branch of the evolutionary tree. Now that's a cause for umbrage.

I assume from all the "cool" that this was about 12,000 years ago, the waning years of the last Ice Age?

Just guessing...

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>> Lips of Iron sez: One of my percussionist friends suggested that drummers might take "umbrage" to the comment that they get to do "whatever they want". I suppose I could have said they got to "play on whatever they want".<<

There's a certain amount of truth to that, Frank ... while rules had to be changes to allow for tymps and bells and varying degress of this and that ... I do not recall any discussion on going from 8 lugs on a snare (circa 62) to 10 lugs (circa 72) to 12 lugs (circa 80 or so) ... I don't recall anyone arguing with Remo when they had us "test" fiberglass sticks in the 60's ... or even apologizing for the "Carl Ruocco" (and he's my friend) model stick in the late 70's ... Kevlar heads? ... hmmm ... many a case of trigger finger from those ... ugh ... Silver Dot ... Pin Stripe ... plastic ... black max ... hybrid ... calfskin ... cat-gut snares ... plastic snares ... wire snares ... double snares (top and bottom - thank you Rogers) ... wood rims ... metal rims ... reinforced rims (which tore the lugs from the side of the shell)... OH MY ... all this stuff to help us "drum" better ... yeah, right ... we did anything we wanted ... or, were told to do ... LOL ...

Like Pepes Nortorious used to say: "WHERE'S THE DOWNBEAT??????" ... that's all that mattered ...

:-)

Edited by ajlisko
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Yup, that's what I'm talkin' about, Andy.

Besides, ever since Gerry Shellmer, drum corps percussionists were permitted to play on anything that could be slapped, scraped, struck, wiggled or hit with a stick.

"In my opinion, listening to a drum corps percussion section is as musically boring as a politician's campaign speech."

- Gerry's first "shot across the bow", in a letter to the VFW in 1969.

He was a force Nature.

Edited by ironlips
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