Women in Drum Corps History

[Michael Boo]

Malibu and I could probably co-write a great Ralph Pace tribute ^0^

Go for it, and anyone else who wishes to write about their favorite instructor(s).

boomike@dci.org

[KeithHall]

Sandra Opie was already mentioned but how about

Bonnie Ott and Marcia Hansen. There was also another PR DM but I forgot her name.

I want to also add a fantastic percussion arranger and teacher in Marcia (Stroebel) Fattey. She played snare with the Lakeview Shoreliners (NY) and then went on to teach and write for them and then Imperial Regiment. I would also like to add Beth Fabrizio who was a DM and brass instructor for the Rochester Crusaders.

[elphaba01]

"Famous Females":

Bridgeport CT and it's surrounding communities produced more than a few outstanding female performers. The Bridgeport PAL Cadets fielded a tremendous all girl color guard in both the "Field & Floors" arenas of competition, as well as effective drum majors in the persons of Lillian Gaudette (World Open Champion DM 1964, and today a DM for the Park City Pride) and Alice Dobson.

The Milford Police Cadets-Shoreliners had a fine conductor in the person of Loraine Torre, Barbara "Murph" Finch played a mean French Horn Bugle for the St Anns Loyalaires, and the all girls corps sponsored by Notre Dame High School, fronted by the lovely Pat Callahan, did very well in GNY Circuit competition.

MANY of these girls grew up into "Grand Mothers" and are now marching in all sections, with the Park City Pride.

Elphaba

WWW

Edited September 18, 2007 by elphaba01

[Puppet]

As Mike Boom knows, I am very passionate about my Drum Corps and it's history and I have some trepidations about sharing them sometimes because of all those in threads like these don't go back as far as I do. I was gladdened however to see the post by the ex Queensmen - I, a few years later marched in my first Drum Corps as a Queenaire from Queens NY. We actually wore the cast off uniforms from the Queensmen. We were a co-ed corps and as a fourteen year old rookie I had no perceptions about women in our Guard. That's just what it was. As for the "guard" of today? Why do they still call them that? Aren't they just dancers? I don't see the American flag on the field? What are they "guarding?" I think musicians are musicians - they are only good or bad, no male or female. I marched for 3 Drum Majors in St Joseph Patron Cadets and St Rita's Brassmen. Kathy English in 1964.

Both she and Kathy Bartholomew until 1969 and then Maria Costa 1970. I have nothing but the highest respect for all three. They had nothing to prove - they were our Drum Majors and when they said "Hit the line!" We did it. As to women needing to prove themselves in any section or for some sort of approval or self gratification - that sounds like a question maybe Dr Kinsey would have asked in the 1950s. It's moot. Look around - By dancing instead of marching, the women who join drum corps and are not musicians are the ones who are taking that giant step backward into subservience. I mean, who wants to be fluff?

These are probably not the answers you were looking for but they are my honest opinions.

[byline]

By dancing instead of marching, the women who join drum corps and are not musicians are the ones who are taking that giant step backward into subservience. I mean, who wants to be fluff?

Depends. Do you consider ballet dancers -- who work incredibly hard and put their bodies through enormous punishment -- "subservient" or "fluff"? Are they any more so than athletes who put their bodies through similar punishment?

Also, many guards are co-ed now. So does dancing make these men "subservient" or "fluff", too?

While I understand your points, there are many elements that disappeared from drum corps long ago, yet we still retain the historical designations. As an analogy: I work in the newspaper business, and there's plenty of terminology that has its roots in the old "hot lead" days, which went obsolete long ago . . . yet we still use the same terminology.

[Puppet]

Depends. Do you consider ballet dancers -- who work incredibly hard and put their bodies through enormous punishment -- "subservient" or "fluff"? Are they any more so than athletes who put their bodies through similar punishment?

Also, many guards are co-ed now. So does dancing make these men "subservient" or "fluff", too?

While I understand your points, there are many elements that disappeared from drum corps long ago, yet we still retain the historical designations. As an analogy: I work in the newspaper business, and there's plenty of terminology that has its roots in the old "hot lead" days, which went obsolete long ago . . . yet we still use the same terminology.

Ballet - different subject. Those women are not fluff and neither are the men who put themselves through similar torture to create great art. I work in advertising as a writer, producer. Many of the same terminology issues as yours. However "guard" should be there to protect something - such as the flag. We BTW had a coed guard in 1973. Our rifle section was all young men. As I may have said in a previous post, we all respected each other and our roles in making the corps as a whole a coherent unit.

Dancing - as opposed to marching. Color me old.

And a "thumbnail" will always be a "thumbnail" whether you do it on a cocktail napkin or a MAC.

[byline]

However "guard" should be there to protect something - such as the flag.

Then the terminology should've been changed as soon as guards stopped guarding the national colours, eh? That happened long before the advent of dance-dominated "pageantry" that prevails now.

[Puppet]

Then the terminology should've been changed as soon as guards stopped guarding the national colours, eh? That happened long before the advent of dance-dominated "pageantry" that prevails now.

Hey, I aged out in 1973. But I've seen photos of Corps from 1974 and beyond where the American Flag was still on the field. And then maybe someone can tell me when The Flag was banned from Drum Corps. BTW from the late sixties until our demise, St. Rita's Brassmen featured events that ranged from our Contra line attacking the American Flag running and "sirens and gunfire" in our Woodstock Show; A Knife Fight scene in our West Side Story Show; and even the "Perils of Pauline" during which a hapless Pauline is dragged toward a buzzsaw. All of those shows featured a Color Presentation.

G

[Puppet]

Here's a photo of the two Drum Majors I mentioned in a previous post.

Kathy E and Kathy B after competition and retreat that night on Randall's Island, NYC.

[byline]

Hey, I aged out in 1973. But I've seen photos of Corps from 1974 and beyond where the American Flag was still on the field. And then maybe someone can tell me when The Flag was banned from Drum Corps.

I don't think the American flag (or the Canadian flag, or any other national colours, for that matter) were ever "banned" from DCI competition (though I could be wrong). More accurately, they ceased to be a requirement in DCI field competitions. I'm not sure of the exact year. But I believe by 1980 (or thereabouts; 1980 was my age-out year, and I'm pretty sure that was the first year we didn't carry the Canadian flag on the field) corps were no longer required to carry their national colours on the field. In other words, it became optional, rather than mandatory. And, because corps needed all the bodies they could get, most dispensed with carrying their national colours at that point.

So, going by your opinion, I no longer marched colour guard in 1980, because we didn't carry our national colours out onto the field (though we did in parades). :)