New Guy Thread

[gls]

Hello people. I marched for a short time long ago, but never got it out of my system. Still, I haven't paid real close attention for a few years, other than watching DCI every year on PBS until this year, on ESPN2.

Anyway, keeping up with the convos is like drinking out of a firehose. Your threads move quickly, and if your out of date like me, you get lost immediately.

So, my bright idea is to lurk the active threads, and when i have a question worth posting, I'll post it here so as not to pollute other discussions with my remedial stuff.

I feel like Rip Van Winkle. Everthing is different, some ways I expected, some ways not.

Anyway, just have a heart for my questions.

[Matt_S]

Welcome back! :)

I hope you enjoy what you see these days. I sure do. This place moves pretty fast, but the little icons are handy for telling you which topics have new posts, and which topics you've posted in. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, but be ready to stand your ground. If the occasional flames don't bother you, you'll do fine. :)

[gls]

Thanks for the welcome. Flames are fine, LOL. I make my living by flame wars (law) so I'll survive, and in fact truly appreciate good zingers. I generally only flame for pay.

More importantly, I'm gonna be an innocent bystander for the emotional issues since I haven't been involved in so long, I don't have hardened opinions. I'm just happy to see the activity thriving. When I left for good in 1978, I never would have imagined where corps would be today. I suppose how you see the state of the activity depends on how involved you have been lately. Glass looks pretty full to me, though.

Okay, I've got a free minute so I'm gonna ramble here. You've been warned.

I once read that hardly anybody bought the Velvet Underground's first album, but everyone who did started a band. I think that the Drum Corps equivalent of that album was the 1973(approx) film on the Santa Clara Vanguard. Hardly anyone watched it with me, but most of us joined a corps in Denver called the Eldoradans.

I marched the 74 season as a mellophone. Loved it. It changed my life. I was arguably gifted as a baseball player. Didn't care much for playing after I met Drum Corps. Which is why my Dad hated it. When he bought me a trumpet, he didn't mean for it to go that far. Who knew?

Being a military family, it was time for us to move in Jan of 75. To Sacramento. While I was trying to find information about the Stockton Commodores, someone told me about the Capital Freelancers. I contacted them, was welcomed, and joined. As a soprano.

75 would turn out to be a bad year for me. In April, we found out that we were moving again, this time to Belleville Il. Marching the season with the Freelancers was not an option (I was 15). I say it was a bad year because it was an exciting time to be a Freelancer, IMO. The corps was on it's ascendancy, and anything seemed possible. After all, old timers will remember that it was at about that time that a major power shift was occurring in Drum Corps. For example, corps like the Kingsmen, Kilties, Troopers etc. were starting to fade, IMO. On the other hand, I remember that the Blue Devils and the Phantom Regiment hadn't really done ####, but were talking aggressive about the future (how'd that work out for 'em? heh heh). I, and others , I believe, looked to them as the model organizations of the moment. Ultimately, it didn't work out as well for the Freelancers, but I wish I could have been there with the team. Too bad.

When I got to Belleville, I met the Black Knights Director, and went to a rehearsal. Another former power on the wane. Surprisingly, I just wasn't "feeling it" with the Black Knights. Plus, the family battles were taking their toll. It was easier to renter the mainstream. So long Drum Corps, hello football.

In 1977, a stroke of luck. A guy down the street from my house was listening to drum corps records in his garage. I go in, introduce myself. Turns out he was a Black Knight Alum. What was more, he had started a Senior Corps called the Brass Unlimited. I auditioned in the garage that day, and got a spot as a mellophone. Best luck I'd had for a while. Cool people, great music (a guy named Keith Markey was the arranger, some of you might have heard of him; he was a cool dude). Best of all, it didn't interfere with football, which kept the peace at home.

That lasted until I went to college in 78. football continued, Drum corps ended for good.

Believe it or not, that was a windup for my real point:

One of the things that I have been seeing repeatedly on various forums is how kids only want to march in the elite corps, and what can be done about it.

First off, that troubles me too. Is there no love for the game? You gotta jump on a bandwagon to make it worthwhile? Ok. I'm feeling my age right now. What I really mean is that it seemed to me that back in the stone age, the coolest thing to be was in one of those corps that was one day going to knock off the Vanguard, the Scouts, whoever. The Blue Devils and the Phantom Regiment had that right. The great accomplishment was in building the beast, not maintaining one that someone else built.

Sooo, it seems to me that part of the problem is providing some incentive for kids to opt for rising corps rather than established ones. Maybe regionalizing early competitions does the trick, maybe strenghtening the DCI brand so that it is not overshadowed by the individual power corps will do it( does this sound like parity in the NFL? Sorry).

Maybe the problem isn't that big. But it does strike me as a problem, if it exists.

Ok. Pardon the rant. Looking forward to reading yours. I hope that I have at least given you some context about me.

[ravedodger]

    The great accomplishment was in building the beast, not maintaining one that someone else built. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. Build the beast!

Welcome to DCP!

[PJS53]

Nice to see an older "newcomer" to the site. Lots of interesting stuff to observe here and like you I only post when I feel moved to do so. Be sure to check out the Historical Corps threads. I'm sure you will find a lot to relate to there. I took about a ten year hiatus from drum corps in the 80's and found a lot had changed when I came back. However, I've learned to love what the corps are doing today and appreciate the exceptional talent and enthusiasm of the modern day corps. Welcome and have fun.

[apoch003]

I'm feeling a movement!

Oh wait, that's just the Ex-Lax kicking in....

Welcome!

[gls]

I just wanted to put Michael Boo on the skyline for a minute.

Last month, I emailed him out of the blue, seeking the email address of an old drum corps friend that I have been trying to contact for about 30 years.

12 hours later, i was exchanging emails with that friend.

Thanks Mike. Because of your efforts, I may enter the Pacific Crest Fundraising Golf tournament, or at least contribute in some way.

I'll tell them to thank you also.

[PhillyDCIMontreal]

Welcome to dcp gls!

So, you were one of the few that saw the SCV film. Funny, I just saw Mark Romo this past Tuesday. He is the young rookie trumpet player the film follows.

There were 3 Romo brothers. Tony and Pete were in the Drum line.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts in the future. :)

[gls]

Thanks philly. Please send Mark my best. BTW, you do mean young soprano player don't you? If not, then i am even more ancient than I thought.

Anyway, thanks again.

[Dave Scott]

Thanks for the welcome.  Flames are fine, LOL.  I make my living by flame wars (law) so I'll survive, and in fact truly appreciate good zingers.  I generally only flame for pay.

More importantly, I'm gonna be an innocent bystander for the emotional issues since I haven't been involved in so long, I don't have hardened opinions.  I'm just happy to see the activity thriving.  When I left for good in 1978, I never would have imagined where corps would be today.  I suppose how you see the state of the activity depends on how involved you have been lately.  Glass looks pretty full to me, though.

Okay, I've got a free minute so I'm gonna ramble here.  You've been warned.

I once read that hardly anybody bought the Velvet Underground's first album, but everyone who did started a band.  I think that the Drum Corps equivalent of that album was the 1973(approx) film on the Santa Clara Vanguard.  Hardly anyone watched it with me, but most of us joined a corps in Denver called the Eldoradans. 

I marched the 74 season as a mellophone.  Loved it.  It changed my life.  I was arguably gifted as a baseball player.  Didn't care much for playing after I met Drum Corps.  Which is why my Dad hated it.  When he bought me a trumpet, he didn't mean for it to go that far.  Who knew?

Being a military family, it was time for us to move in Jan of 75.  To Sacramento.  While I was trying to find information about the Stockton Commodores, someone told me about the Capital Freelancers.  I contacted them, was welcomed, and joined.  As a soprano. 

75 would turn out to be a bad year for me.  In April,  we found out that we were moving again, this time to Belleville Il.  Marching the season with the Freelancers was not an option (I was 15).  I say it was a bad year because it was an exciting time to be a Freelancer, IMO.  The corps was on it's ascendancy, and anything seemed possible.  After all, old timers will remember that it was at about that time that  a major power shift was occurring in Drum Corps.  For example, corps like the Kingsmen, Kilties, Troopers etc. were starting to fade, IMO.  On the other hand, I remember that the Blue Devils and the Phantom Regiment hadn't really done ####, but were talking aggressive about the future (how'd that work out for 'em? heh heh).  I, and others , I believe, looked to them as the model organizations of the moment.  Ultimately, it didn't work out as well for the Freelancers, but I wish I could have been there with the team.  Too bad. 

When I got to Belleville, I met the Black Knights Director, and went to a rehearsal.  Another former power on the wane.  Surprisingly, I just wasn't "feeling it" with the Black Knights.  Plus, the family battles were taking their toll.  It was easier to renter the mainstream.  So long Drum Corps, hello football. 

In 1977, a stroke of luck.  A guy down the street from my house was listening to drum corps records in his garage.  I go in, introduce myself.  Turns out he was a Black Knight Alum.  What was more, he had started a Senior Corps called the Brass Unlimited.  I auditioned in the garage that day, and got a spot as a mellophone.  Best luck I'd had for a while.  Cool people, great music (a guy named Keith Markey was the arranger, some of you might have heard of him;  he was a cool dude).  Best of all, it didn't interfere with football, which kept the peace at home. 

That lasted until I went to college in 78.  football continued, Drum corps ended for good. 

Believe it or not, that was a windup for my real point:

One of the things that I have been seeing repeatedly on various forums is how kids only want to march in the elite corps, and what can be done about it. 

First off, that troubles me too.  Is there no love for the game?  You gotta jump on a bandwagon to make it worthwhile?  Ok.  I'm feeling my age right now.  What I really mean is that it seemed to me that back in the stone age, the coolest thing to be was in one of those corps that was one day going to knock off the Vanguard, the Scouts, whoever.  The Blue Devils and the Phantom Regiment had that right.    The great accomplishment was in building the beast, not maintaining one that someone else built. 

Sooo, it seems to me that part of the problem is providing some incentive for kids to opt for rising corps rather than established ones.  Maybe regionalizing early competitions does the trick, maybe strenghtening the DCI brand so that it is not overshadowed by the individual power corps will do it( does this sound like parity in the NFL?  Sorry). 

Maybe the problem isn't that big.  But it does strike me as a problem, if it exists. 

Ok.  Pardon the rant.  Looking forward to reading yours.  I hope that I have at least given you some context  about me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey GSL,

Check your PM.