I "less than three" you, Regiment...

[The Tsar]

You're never going to be everybody's cup of tea. There will always be those who dislike something about you, be it your personna, your choice of literature, your staff, your alumni, your current members, your uniform, your visual program, or even the colour of the seats inside the staff bus. Human beings are good at finding things to hate. And because classical music has always had the connotation of being snobby and uppity, I think sometimes that perception gets passed on -unfairly- to you.

But I don't care...I love you, Phantom Regiment. I genuinely do. I try to kid myself over the years that drum corps is out of my system, and that I can watch passively and unemotionally...but every summer proves me wrong. I still get excited by the shows. I still get excited by the prospect of a Finals surge. I still get excited at the literature. And my heart still races whenever I smell diesel fumes. It's NOT out of my system. I don't think it will EVER be out of my system. And that's fine with me. Oh, I know that the love I have is not for an actual thing...it's for the concept of Phantom Regiment.

For four years I marched with you: some good times, and some bad times as well. I marched alongside people whom I cared deeply for, and also alongside people I disliked...but no matter what, they were still my brothers and sisters, and in a fight I would have had their back and they would have had mine. I marched in the cold, in the heat, in the rain, and even in the snow. I marched on high school football fields, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and gravel parking lots; on artificial turf and real grass, on asphalt and concrete. I slept in cold gyms, and in hot gyms, and on two ocassions on no gym floor at all. I took cold showers and hot showers, and once showered with a sprinkler. I traveled the miles with you around me, through the metal canyons of big cities and the prairies of middle America. I even went to the mountains and the ocean with you.

I learned some of the greatest lessons of my life with you: Hard work, determination, perseverence, patience, and above all, love for something greater than yourself. I learned about compassion, and about dignity and class above all else. I learned to sacrifice, and I learned how to do laundry. I learned to compromise, and I learned how to use a phone card (remember those?). I learned to comfort others, and I learned how to dye white skivvies with tea bags, so they wouldn't look goofy under the white unis and the bright lights. I learned to be a man, but I also learned how to wonderlike a child.

The years I spent with you were some of the best years of my life, and not a day goes by where I don't put to use something that I learned from those four summers. Although I live far away from all my old friends, I still keep in touch with them now and again, and still miss them and wake up sometimes from dreams in which I am young once again, and my friends are with me. You could come in second place for the next 10 years, and I would still owe you a debt of gratitude that I can't ever repay, except maybe by helping steer youngsters like I myself was toward you, in the hopes of continuing the tradition.

This year, you truly made me appreciate what it is to be an alumnus of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. 12 years removed from my last show, I still get excited watching you do what you do, Regiment. Oh, I've been a critic. There were years where the direction of the corps left me scratching my head, and nursing my heart. There were years when many of us old alumni felt hopeless and helpless as we saw our brothers- and sisters-in-arms sweat and toil and fail to achieve the goals you set for us all. I've never been shy when the shows have been uninspiring to me, and to others...a good family keeps itself in check, does it not?

But this year! What can I say that hasn't already been said? How can I put into words what I felt when I saw you marching onto the field in Atlanta? How do I speak of the lump you put in my throat at the end of "Ave Maria?" How can I tell you about the way that the aggressiveness of the Corigliano made me feel 20 years old again? How do I sum up the intense pride I feel for the corps, and those who now tend it, some of whom I shared a football field with all those years ago? As good as I have always been with words, they simply fail me in this moment, for they fall short of explaining my pride, my love, my loyalty to you, always and forever.

Congratulations seems like such a trite and cliched thing to say to you for this season, but I say it nonetheless. You gave me, and many others, a show we could be proud of, a show that moved us, a show that your members will never forget marching in. You gave me moments I will relive forever.

I am a Regiment Borg. Resistance is futile. And I'm ###### proud of it. My life would simply not have been the same had I not taken the chance 15 years ago. Fifteen? Has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday sometimes, especially in the summer time, when it is easy to think of such things. I heart thee, Phantom Regiment, just as I would love any member of my family...because you defined me, and helped me grow. Thank you a thousand times over.

SUTA!

[festive]

Bravo, Nikk.

Woot to you, Phantom Regiment.

[stockman365]

Wow....that is an amazing letter! I am sure there are several on here with many of the same thoughts and would not say it here on DCP, so thank you for sharing your passion!

[aleigh]

Very eloquent Nikk - I really wish you were at finals this year.

PR played their hearts out. I wish you were there to see the grins on some of those faces!

This corps literally improved every day.

And all the love we gave them, they gave right back to us.

[The Tsar]

Very eloquent Nikk - I really wish you were at finals this year.

PR played their hearts out. I wish you were there to see the grins on some of those faces!

This corps literally improved every day.

And all the love we gave them, they gave right back to us.

Sigh...

I can only hope that whatever college I land a job at next year, there will be a show nearby. Or a corps. I wouldn't mind helping out part time with a corps as my schedule allowed...

...though, however...I doubt anyone would take the offer. I've probably been too "loud" over the years here and on RAMD.

Oh well.

I hope you and Chris had a great time....two more great people I met thanks to Regiment! :)

[justanopinion]

great letter.

Congrats Regiment!

Edit: oops...or is it Phantom?

Let's just go with Congrats Phantom Regiment!

Edited August 15, 2006 by justanopinion

[aleigh]

Too loud? From what I heard LOUD IS GOOD.

And should we be in your part of town, I would love to watch your corps.

And you will land a good gig - I am sure of it.

And when you do please postmark two tickets to us.

When they announced that BD got 3rd, Chris and I turned and

looked at each other. We didn't yell, we didn't jump up and down.

We just stood there kind of glassy eyed watching those grins

right above those silver chains on all of our Regiment "kids"

It was really unbelievable.

Edited August 15, 2006 by aleigh

[prdrd]

You're never going to be everybody's cup of tea. There will always be those who dislike something about you, be it your personna, your choice of literature, your staff, your alumni, your current members, your uniform, your visual program, or even the colour of the seats inside the staff bus. Human beings are good at finding things to hate. And because classical music has always had the connotation of being snobby and uppity, I think sometimes that perception gets passed on -unfairly- to you.

But I don't care...I love you, Phantom Regiment. I genuinely do. I try to kid myself over the years that drum corps is out of my system, and that I can watch passively and unemotionally...but every summer proves me wrong. I still get excited by the shows. I still get excited by the prospect of a Finals surge. I still get excited at the literature. And my heart still races whenever I smell diesel fumes. It's NOT out of my system. I don't think it will EVER be out of my system. And that's fine with me. Oh, I know that the love I have is not for an actual thing...it's for the concept of Phantom Regiment.

For four years I marched with you: some good times, and some bad times as well. I marched alongside people whom I cared deeply for, and also alongside people I disliked...but no matter what, they were still my brothers and sisters, and in a fight I would have had their back and they would have had mine. I marched in the cold, in the heat, in the rain, and even in the snow. I marched on high school football fields, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and gravel parking lots; on artificial turf and real grass, on asphalt and concrete. I slept in cold gyms, and in hot gyms, and on two ocassions on no gym floor at all. I took cold showers and hot showers, and once showered with a sprinkler. I traveled the miles with you around me, through the metal canyons of big cities and the prairies of middle America. I even went to the mountains and the ocean with you.

I learned some of the greatest lessons of my life with you: Hard work, determination, perseverence, patience, and above all, love for something greater than yourself. I learned about compassion, and about dignity and class above all else. I learned to sacrifice, and I learned how to do laundry. I learned to compromise, and I learned how to use a phone card (remember those?). I learned to comfort others, and I learned how to dye white skivvies with tea bags, so they wouldn't look goofy under the white unis and the bright lights. I learned to be a man, but I also learned how to wonderlike a child.

The years I spent with you were some of the best years of my life, and not a day goes by where I don't put to use something that I learned from those four summers. Although I live far away from all my old friends, I still keep in touch with them now and again, and still miss them and wake up sometimes from dreams in which I am young once again, and my friends are with me. You could come in second place for the next 10 years, and I would still owe you a debt of gratitude that I can't ever repay, except maybe by helping steer youngsters like I myself was toward you, in the hopes of continuing the tradition.

This year, you truly made me appreciate what it is to be an alumnus of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. 12 years removed from my last show, I still get excited watching you do what you do, Regiment. Oh, I've been a critic. There were years where the direction of the corps left me scratching my head, and nursing my heart. There were years when many of us old alumni felt hopeless and helpless as we saw our brothers- and sisters-in-arms sweat and toil and fail to achieve the goals you set for us all. I've never been shy when the shows have been uninspiring to me, and to others...a good family keeps itself in check, does it not?

But this year! What can I say that hasn't already been said? How can I put into words what I felt when I saw you marching onto the field in Atlanta? How do I speak of the lump you put in my throat at the end of "Ave Maria?" How can I tell you about the way that the aggressiveness of the Corigliano made me feel 20 years old again? How do I sum up the intense pride I feel for the corps, and those who now tend it, some of whom I shared a football field with all those years ago? As good as I have always been with words, they simply fail me in this moment, for they fall short of explaining my pride, my love, my loyalty to you, always and forever.

Congratulations seems like such a trite and cliched thing to say to you for this season, but I say it nonetheless. You gave me, and many others, a show we could be proud of, a show that moved us, a show that your members will never forget marching in. You gave me moments I will relive forever.

I am a Regiment Borg. Resistance is futile. And I'm ###### proud of it. My life would simply not have been the same had I not taken the chance 15 years ago. Fifteen? Has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday sometimes, especially in the summer time, when it is easy to think of such things. I heart thee, Phantom Regiment, just as I would love any member of my family...because you defined me, and helped me grow. Thank you a thousand times over.

SUTA!

[prdrd]

Thank you for that TSAR. I have felt that way for for many years, those that I marched, taught, directed and helped in any way I could. I still to this day cannot repay the Corps for what it has done for me and I am sure there are many like you and I from other Corps who feel the same about their Corps. I am convinced I would not have entered the Medical field if not for the determination and work ethic the Regiment had given me those many years ago as I marched. I celebrate with the Corps the 50 wonderful years belonging to Rockford Drum Corps. This years' performance made me proud to be still a member of a wonderful organization. There were lumps in my throut during practice! The finals performance was a great way to celebrate our 50th year , with hopefull many more to come!!!

Dr D

[gellio]

Sigh...

I can only hope that whatever college I land a job at next year, there will be a show nearby. Or a corps. I wouldn't mind helping out part time with a corps as my schedule allowed...

...though, however...I doubt anyone would take the offer. I've probably been too "loud" over the years here and on RAMD.

Oh well.

I hope you and Chris had a great time....two more great people I met thanks to Regiment! :)

It is too bad you weren't there. They were amazing. It was without a doubt my favorite show this year. Everything about it was so beautiful. And, you're not the only one who had a lump in his throat during Ave Maria. It was the most beautiful moment of the night, IMO.

I know what you mean about it being in your system. I never marched my age out year. I don't regret it, but there are days I would give anything to get just one day back. I got emotional watching the Vanguard and Regiment practice, because it just brought back so many memories. I got teary-eyed over the injured Vanguard member wondering if his heart was breaking with every step because he wasn't out there on the field (in the same sense as everyone else). I got emotional when Bluecoats got that 4th place finish, because it must have been so exciting for them. It just sucks in a way - sometimes I wish I could put it behind me. Sometimes I wish when I watched any show that I just didn't ache to be out there. Anyway, your post was beautiful. It was such a great season this year, and you certainly would have had a hard time keeping yourself composed watching them (Regiment) Saturday night. They really did give one of those amazing, once in a lifetime performances. On Saturday night, it surpassed 1996 as my favorite Regiment show.

Kudos Regiment!