Jump to content

Skyliners Drum & Bugle Corps Caption Heads Return for 2017


NY Skyliners PR

Recommended Posts

September 15, 2016. The Skyliners Drum & Bugle Corps announce that all Caption Heads will be returning for the 2017 season. These include Jeff Crawford, Visual Caption Head who is returning for his fourth season with the Skyliners; Patsy Vankirk, Percussion Caption Head for whom this will be her third season; Shane Startzel who is returning for his second season as Brass Caption Head, and Brenda Perigrim, Color Guard Caption Head, who is in her third season since Skyliners’ return to the competition field in 2014.

Jeff Crawford, Skyliners Visual Caption Head, is the third of four generations of his family involved in drum corps. His marching experience includes: the Southern Tier Grenadiers Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps from Tioga county New York; Empire State Express from Elmira Height, New York; the Watkins Glen Squires, and 27th Lancers from Revere, Massachusetts.

Jeff’s teaching experience includes being on the Visual Staff of the Johnson City Wildcat Marching Band, and working with the Wyoming Valley West Marching Band as Assistant Band Director, Visual Designer, and Coordinator. He was on the Skyliners’ Visual staff for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and was named Caption Head for 2016.

Patsy Vankirk, Skyliners Percussion Caption Head, has been teaching percussion for over 30 years. She began teaching at Shikellamy High School upon graduation from there. Other high schools she has worked with while living in Pennsylvania were Southwestern and Bloomsburg high schools. She also marched with the Reading Buccaneers from 1998 thru 2000. She then moved to Rochester, NY and began performing and instructing with Empire Statesmen from 2002-2010.

She is currently in charge of the battery at Victor High School, Victor, NY. During her time there, the marching band has won 6 New York championships. She is also involved in the Victor Indoor Percussion Ensemble (VIPE), who are a 5-time state champion, including the 2016 New York State Percussion Circuit Champion. In 2010, "VIPE" were a Scholastic A finalist at WGI championships in Dayton, Ohio. In the last 12 months, Victor Percussion has been undefeated, both in indoor competition, and as part of the Victor Marching Blue Devils.

Shane Startzel, Brass Caption Head, also started teaching at Shikellamy High School. He was 2001 Brass and Visual Tech, and Brass and Visual Caption Head from 2002-2003. Shane has worked with the Victor High School Indoor Percussion Program (VIPE) from 2007 to 2011, was Visual Teach in 2007, and has been The Victor Marching Blue Devils’ Brass Music Instructor from 2008 to present. Starting as Contra Tech with the Skyliners for the 2006 season, Shane became Brass Caption Head mid-winter.

Shane’s marching experience includes being a member of the Shikellamy High School Marching band from 1988 – 1992; The Blue Coats (DCI) from 1991 – 1992, and the Empire Statesman (DCA) from 2003 – 2007.

Brenda Perigrim, Color Guard Caption Head, returned to the Skyliners’ Color Guard Staff in 2015 as Designer for Flag and Rifle work, and Instructor. She became Caption Head for the 2016 season. Brenda also has worked with the New York Skyliners Alumni Corps Color Guard over the last few years. She marched guard in the Speigleaires from Troy, New York from 1971 to 1975, and Avant Garde from Saratoga Springs, New York from 1975 to 1981. After aging out, Brenda taught Avant Garde from 1982 to 1983. Brenda is a Skyliner alumna who marched with the Skyliners from 1985 through 1996, and Winter Sky from 1992 to 1996.

In addition to teaching Avant Garde, some of the groups that Brenda taught include the Mohonasen Field Band (1997 to 2007), Mohonasen Winter Guard (1997 to 2007), the 1996 Duanesburg Winter Guard, the 1995 Cherry Valley High School Winter Guard and Band, and the Volunteers Drum & Bugle Corps of Troy, New York.

Under the guidance of these Caption Heads, The Skyliners established protocols and a competitive rehearsal program that fostered their growth to an 11th place finish at Drum Corps Associates in 2016. With further vital consistency in instructional direction and focus, the Skyliners expect to continue their re-establishment in the DCA community and achieve their long term goals of becoming a Finalist corps once again.

The Skyliners’ Open House will take place in November 2016. Details to be announced as soon as possible.

Keep up-to-date with us via our website, http://www.marchsky.org and join the Skyliners 2017 Interest Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/971700419546930.

For more information, please contact Larry Carbonell at director@marchsky.org.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...