George Zingali

[Cainan]

On March 6, 1992, the activity lost one of the true innovators (of ALL time) Mr George Zingali. To this day, we are touched by his greatness and vision. Be it from watching historical videos or watching todays corps with designs influenced by him, or created by people directly descended from collaborating with him.

I realise that strictly speaking, this may belong in a different forum, but I thought it would be nice to let people speak here about the man and his influence on this activity we all have such love for. This isn't meant to be a sad "RIP" thread. Rather, I want to hear stories from those who knew him... those who were taught by him, and those that were awed by his work. Additionally, I'd love to hear what todays generation of marchers make of the man> What do you know of him and what's your thoughts when you see his work?

As for me, I never knew him as such but did meet him on a few occasions on tour. I remember him as being this crazy whirling dirvish of activity. You could tell his brain was always "on". I remember that even though he didn't know me... I wasn't one of his corps members and had never been directly involved with him... that he took the time to make me feel important. I remember him saying to me (rather loudly) "Hi, I'm George (pronounced GOwagge). As if I didn't know who he was. I just met Superman!

[garfield]

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[drumcorpsfever]

http://dci286.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=3c1760a8-3cf4-48be-b89c-24ae97b6b041

[GUARDLING]

RIP my dear friend

[George Dixon]

Remember watching him at work with Star in 1990. Amazing teacher and visionary!! And a hoot!

[mfrontz]

Link to twenty-year-old RAMD thread started by yours truly (who never knew Zingali.) Nice stuff here.

[BRASSO]

I knew George Zingali.

He was from Revere, Massachusetts, and in his marching days he marched with his hometown Corps the 27th Lancers Drum & Bugle Corps.

So many stories to tell. Time and space do not permit however. If there is one thing I could share with others about him that perhaps a newer generation of fans may not have known, is how young he really was when he wrote some of the best drill designs for Drum Corps, and Winter Guard, that are considered even today as classic works of brilliant creativity. When he wrote many of DCI and WGI Championship drill designs and 1st place Guard winning design shows, he was still in in his 20's then later, just his 30's. For perspective, all the other great drill designers of that time were much, much older than he at the time. Some credit here should go to 27th Lancers Corps Director in the late 70's George Bonfiglio. Talk about taking a chance on a 20 Something, to be in complete charge of designing a World Class Division Drum Corps Drill design, and having never written a drill design for such a World Class Division Corps before. Talk about taking a risk. But Bonfiglio ( a H.S. Shop Teacher ), saw early on the potential of a MM that was marching in his Corps, and decided to give the young Zingali the enormous responsibility to write the drill, and the choreography, and in quick order, Zingali began to demonstrate his uncanny genius that he possessed.... the 27th Lancers Guard, with the rifles being rapidly spun in unison with the Guard on their backs.. this was his creation. The 27th Lancers placed 2nd in DCI Championships in 1980, losing to BD by mere 3 tenths. A few years later, The Cadets were struggling to make Finals, Zingali came in in the early 80's, wrote the Drill for them ( the famous " Z- Pull " was his creation ), the Cadets catapulted quickly to the top, and they have been there in the upper echelon of DCI ever since then. After Cadets, he was hired by Star of Indiana, and his Drill designs there helped catapult their Corps right to the top of DCI as well. The famous 1991 " Cross to Cross " segment of drill design at Star, was written by Zingali. That segment , written so well with the music being played, and in tandem with the theme as well, has people dropping their jaws with amazement to this very day on youtube.

As for his personality, George Zingali was a ball of energy. If there was a Corps staffer in DCI with more energy than him in Drum Corps at the time, I don't know who that might be. He threw himself completely into his work, and he loved it when his MM's ( almost his own age ) executed his show as he drew it up in his young mind. He was very expressive, always animated, loving, caring & compassionate.

He was only 40 years old when he was inducted in DCI's Hall of Fame. He left us too young... at just age 41. But his legacy in Drum Corps lives on.

Edited March 7, 2016 by BRASSO

[IllianaLancerContra]

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[Sideways]

Link to twenty-year-old RAMD thread started by yours truly (who never knew Zingali.) Nice stuff here.

Well worth the read from in RAMD archives. He passed two years before I got into the activity and everything in there simply echos the stories I have heard. The brightest stars truly have the shortest lives.

[ironlips]

Many writers continue to be influenced by the velocity George's designs generated. This came largely from his adherence to the Frank Lloyd Wright school of "form follows function".

Sitting at his dining room table in 1986 alongside Marc Sylvester, George read through the brass scores for the entire "Sondheim" show and had me highlight with a red marker every voice that had a lead part, however brief. "Don't worry", he said. "I'll put them all downstage."

"But that will be impossible", I replied. "There are too many, and they jump all over the place."

"Nah", said George. "It'll be pissah."...and it was.