uncle z Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Here's my take on the "old school" thang........... You KNOW you're old school when........ 1) You've been to a party where "Ken Kobold" provided the musical entertainment!! (Give yourself extra props if it was 8-track!) 2) The term "Midwest Combine' DOESN'T bring a mental picture of farming equipment. 3) You had a subscription to Drum Corps America. 4) The term "Marching Tympani" does not seem to be an oxymoron. 5) Any mention of an older corps brings a mental image of a Don Daber line drawing or a Paul Mc Cusker caricature. 6) You wore a T-shirt from U.S. Open/Key to the Sea/American Int'l show. 7) Sorry, StarContra4-85, but my "show" consisted of warm-up, opener, drum solo, concert, color pre, closer and reentry. (and then pass-in-review) 8) You went to a winter guard show where the accompaniment was two snares and a bass drum. 9) You can remember these corps in their "cadet" uni's: Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, etc............feel free to insert your own. (no 1948 Madison, though). 10) You can remember when Kilties were all-male. 11) You thought Chicago was the center of the drum corps universe because that's where Ludwig, Slingerland and McCormick's were from. 12) You can claim to actually have seen the following: Trooper sunburst, 27th rotating wheel, Kiltie wedge or SCV bottle dance. (and not just on the "Competitive Drum Corps" film with Stan Kenton) 13) You know what the "seventh place curse" is. 14) Your season went from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. 15) You thought that when someone marched with a PVC saber instead of a real one that it was sacreligious. 16) You had spectrum tape on your instrument, equipment, case or corps jacket. 17) You were too untalented to even be a horn plug or guard with a sling, so you were an "A-squad" member!! 18) You spent your lunch hour in high school in the band room trying to play Mitch Markovich's "Tornado"! (Sorry, I know that's weak, but it's true!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 I know I'm not old school, but doesn't Troopers still do the starburst? Last time I caught a show of theirs was '93, and they did it then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimedrummer Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Here's my take on the "old school" thang...........You KNOW you're old school when........ 1) You've been to a party where "Ken Kobold" provided the musical entertainment!! (Give yourself extra props if it was 8-track!) 2) The term "Midwest Combine' DOESN'T bring a mental picture of farming equipment. 3) You had a subscription to Drum Corps America. 4) The term "Marching Tympani" does not seem to be an oxymoron. 5) Any mention of an older corps brings a mental image of a Don Daber line drawing or a Paul Mc Cusker caricature. 6) You wore a T-shirt from U.S. Open/Key to the Sea/American Int'l show. 7) Sorry, StarContra4-85, but my "show" consisted of warm-up, opener, drum solo, concert, color pre, closer and reentry. (and then pass-in-review) 8) You went to a winter guard show where the accompaniment was two snares and a bass drum. 9) You can remember these corps in their "cadet" uni's: Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, etc............feel free to insert your own. (no 1948 Madison, though). 10) You can remember when Kilties were all-male. 11) You thought Chicago was the center of the drum corps universe because that's where Ludwig, Slingerland and McCormick's were from. 12) You can claim to actually have seen the following: Trooper sunburst, 27th rotating wheel, Kiltie wedge or SCV bottle dance. (and not just on the "Competitive Drum Corps" film with Stan Kenton) 13) You know what the "seventh place curse" is. 14) Your season went from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. 15) You thought that when someone marched with a PVC saber instead of a real one that it was sacreligious. 16) You had spectrum tape on your instrument, equipment, case or corps jacket. 17) You were too untalented to even be a horn plug or guard with a sling, so you were an "A-squad" member!! 18) You spent your lunch hour in high school in the band room trying to play Mitch Markovich's "Tornado"! (Sorry, I know that's weak, but it's true!!) I gotta em all but the spectrum tape. I even played the "torando" in the bandroom on my lunch hour, no lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsBusDriver Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 You KNOW you're old school when........ 8) You went to a winter guard show where the accompaniment was two snares and a bass drum. Boy, I must be REALLY old school because we never HAD snares or bass drums. Just the sound of our boots and equipment were what made the show. Heck, one year we did the YPG two tempo thing and knocked the socks off of everyone. It actually sounded pretty cool on a wooden gym floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobH Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 Wow! TORNADO (and don't forget STAMINA) by Mitch Markovich - now there's a flashback - I did Tornado for WI State Solo & Ensemble when I was around 15 or 16 (can't recall) - how about Badger Strut? fyi Mitch was a Cavalier early 60's and I believe was with Royal Airs Alumni Corps recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle z Posted March 22, 2004 Author Share Posted March 22, 2004 Rob H-- I was reading your post on "most influential instructors" and I decided to give you a "Sorny" recollection: 1) the date--winter '78 2) the place--Pioneer Winter Guard and Individual and Ensemble Fest/Cudahy 3) the story--a drum ensemble straight from the heart of Tom Sorenson! Remember, this was STILL during the totally military style of corps-mid '70s, so a drum ensemble typically consisted of 3 snares, 1 tenor and 1 bass, still kind of '60s style. Well, Sorny's plan consisted of 3 snares with suspended cymbals, grounded tympani with two basses laid on their sides on trash cans, grounded bells and xylophone with grounded cymbals. The music--Don Eliss' "###### Wiggle Stomp" in 7/8 at an extreme tempo. The uni--routine Marquis uniform with one exception--"#### kickers" with the laces undone instead of uniform shoes (the better to stomp and clap in 7/8). The entrance--bass drum beat in 7/8 with other ensemble players entering from the side in a shuffle/Groucho Marx pose--TOTALLY filling the hall with spectators. Well, I'm sure you can remember the kind of Sorny writing that filled the chart--extremely difficult and extremely showy, and in all kinds of meters--suffice it to say that 3/4 of the way through the book, the crowd was clapping and yelling and whistling so loud, I could barely hear the rest of the ensemble players. The outcome--after the requisite penalties for grounded instruments and uniform violations, STILL enough points to beat that Kilt ensemble!!! (So sorry). Sorenson grinning from ear to ear at the idea of his forward-thinking being able to win!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elphaba01 Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 "Old School Thang": Drum lines were "3 & 3 & 3", and the Chicago Cavaliers "Three "M"s) The late Bobby Hoffman as the Timbale player in the Hawthorne Caballeros. Hawthorne's "Dueling Soloists" Jimmy D'Amico & the late Don Angelica. Color guards were marched as a seperate part of the corps. Color Guards wore the same style UNIFORM as the 'rest of their corps'. Hornlines used soprano, French horn and bass baritone BUGLES. The first use of contra bass & mellophone bugles. Drum Corps Judges wore their Associations uniform. Norwood Park Imperials doing the "Circle Burst" PRIOR to addoption by the Casper Troopers. Penalties were levied for "Dropped Equipment" (The days before "grounding", and the "Pits") National Championships lost due to Flag Code violations. Reading Drum Corps News and Eastern Review to catch up on the "printed word". Drum Majors directed from the FIELD. You went to high school with kids from seven or eight other LOCAL corps. Elphaba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbreak Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 uncle z & Rob H, I'm with you on the Sorney stories. Very innovative and taking risks. Learned a ton from him. He turned the Marquis drum program around quickly with his style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffernbus3 Posted March 29, 2004 Share Posted March 29, 2004 (edited) You're even OLDER school when you can remember when color guard comps had NO percussion ensemble.....just beating feet! You're even OLDER school when you can remember playing tenor baritone bugles, probably the worst POS Getzen ever built. You're pretty darn OLD school when you can remember Maggie Bell as a teenager......that was back when my hair was dark brown instead of gray. Love ya, Mags! RON HOUSLEY Edited March 29, 2004 by ffernbus3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBrancheau Posted March 29, 2004 Share Posted March 29, 2004 *sigh* Did not know that Bobby Hoffman and Don Angelica were no longer with us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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