Who Turned you on to Drum Corps?

[krazyivan]

I was "drafted"(what a few if us ended up calling how we got into the activity.) no, seriously i was. My sophomore year of highschool my band director wanted to start an indoor line and a bunch of us horn players and a coupple of woodwind players signed up thinking it would be fun. after finding out more people seriously wanted to do it than the school had drums for (or wantend to buy) we were asked as a group if we wanted to join a local drum and bugle corps. Our DM was already a drummer there and i had signed a list the year before as a freshman but decided i had too much going on to do it(i knew what drum corps was because of a airing of finals on PBS from the summer before i went to highschool). but when the band director looked at a coupple of us horn players we were told if we didn't show up we would be drug out of our houses. and when i laughed he pointed at me and yelled i know where you live. you live less than 2 minuts from where we practiced if you don't show up i will be at your house and drag you out, your parents will let me do it too. So since a coupple of my cloest friends were going to do it i figure what the heck. That was 7 years ago. and i'm still do it. and right now i think it's the only thing keeping my head locked on.

Thanks G.

[TennTux]

Half of my friends from school marched in a Drum Corps and the other half joined the Boy's Club. I lived across the street from Manning Bowl in Lynn Mass......In 1963 (at 9 yrs old) I joined the local Class B Corps (Lynn Continentals) and our horn instructor in '68 was Jim Centorino who "invited" me to join the Boston Crusaders for the '69 season.

Long story...short (no pun intended b**bs)

I lived next door to the DM of the Renegades (RCA) and went to a rehearsal with him in the late fall of 1969. (Richard Doucette, 2001 DCWHOF and Lt. Norman Princemen Alumni) Marched from '70-'73, met and married my wife (Donna) while we both marched in the Renegades. When the Corps was going to go inactive, and with some other Renegades members, I joined the Hurcs in '74. (we became the Hurcs "Boston Crew") Donna wanted to march again (in '74 the Hurcs were all male) and we were invited by Mike DeLorenzo Sr. in the winter of '74 to come on down to the Sunrisers. 10 yrs and 4 DCA titles there....wouldn't change one minute of any of the 22 yrs.

Tony B)

[cabsbari79]

OK here is mine another family one:

My dad joined the Hawthorne Caballeros in 1949 two weeks after he married my mom.My Godmother is Jim Costello's wife Mary.

I grew up around the Caballeros a one time mascot. In 1976 I joined the re-emergence of the West Paterson Royalaries as a drummer. I realized I didn't have the chops to be a drummer and became a baritone player in 1978. In 1978 we merged with the Dynamics of Oradell, NJ to become the Dynamic Royalaires. In 1979 at the age of 15 two weeks before the start of the season I joined the Hawthorne Caballeros and was there till 1998. In 1999 my mom got sick and passed away but did some work with Phoenix Drum & Bugle Corps as a Visual Tech. In 2000 I continued with Phoenix however after DCI went back to fill a mellophone spot with the Cabs. In 2001-2002 went back to the Baritone line with the Cabs.

Now I have to wait for my twins to grow up to get back involved. So now I do some teaching and Judging till that day comes when the 3rd generation of the Murray's take the field in competition.

[G-horns]

This probably has been done before....

Where did you learn about Drum corps?

My father. I started marching in 1958.

I remember:

--seeing the Cabs - when "Cherry Pink.." was new.

--going to the World Open Senior show in 1963 at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. First time I saw the Skyliners - and the famous Keesler AFB corps make top 10.

--the Berkshire Marauders and Empire State Grenadiers

--Boston Crusaders premier the double-bass setup

--Bridgemen in cadet style uni's

--when there were about 40 junior corps in Connecticut

...and so much more.

My Dad? He was VFW National Champion Drum Major in 1949 and 1951.

[Cabstuba04]

OK here is mine another family one:

My dad joined the Hawthorne Caballeros in 1949 two weeks after he married my mom.My Godmother is Jim Costello's wife Mary.

I grew up around the Caballeros a one time mascot. In 1976 I joined the re-emergence of the West Paterson Royalaries as a drummer. I realized I didn't have the chops to be a drummer and became a baritone player in 1978. In 1978 we merged with the Dynamics of Oradell, NJ to become the Dynamic Royalaires. In 1979 at the age of 15 two weeks before the start of the season I joined the Hawthorne Caballeros and was there till 1998. In 1999 my mom got sick and passed away but did some work with Phoenix Drum & Bugle Corps as a Visual Tech. In 2000 I continued with Phoenix however after DCI went back to fill a mellophone spot with the Cabs. In 2001-2002 went back to the Baritone line with the Cabs.

Now I have to wait for my twins to grow up to get back involved. So now I do some teaching and Judging till that day comes when the 3rd generation of the Murray's take the field in competition.

79 you are old LOL

Mike Ryan

[dday]

I moved to Nothern Mich in 69, and was told about the local corps, the Ironwood Blue Knights.

But because I had to spend my summers in Calif., I never marched.

After graduating in 75, I moved to Northern Calif. to attend school and live with my dad.

My nextdoor neighbor came over and asked if I would like to see a drum corps show: 1975 Pacific Procession.

(SCV, BD, 27th, Troopers, etc)

I liked SCV becuase they did Fiddler on the Roof. The musical I performed in as a freashman in HS.

After 75 tour, my nextdoor neighbor intruduced me to her son, an SCV Snare.

He and I became (and still are) good friends. As well as many other SCVers.

They started playing 73, 74, 75 DCI records. Kilties, Madison, Kingsmen, SCV. WOW

Once they found out I played trombone, it was over.

I was trying out that fall, no matter what.

I did, luckly I started on trumpet so treble clef and piston/rotor wherent that bizzare.

The rest is history and an addiction like no other.

PS - After making SCV and traveling to DCI Midwest, I was standing at parade rest waiting to go on, and I hear these voices calling my name.

I turn and there are a number of my friends from HS Band. Looks like DC was what they did when I was in Calif for the summer.

Edited October 31, 2006 by dday

[LancerFi]

Like so many others above, born into it.

[Cabstuba04]

Like so many others above, born into it.

Wow 27th Lancers in 80 how did you enjoy the Lake Placid Olympics.

[MuZiK11]

after i graduated high school i went back to teach one year .... i realized how much i missed marching, and regretted not being able to marching juniors .... well, the drum instructor was johnny oddo and he suggested i come down to the corps he was teaching at the time .... so i did, and the rest was history

[Robbie Ellis]

Again, family. My uncles were in the old St. James corps in Baltimore so my family went to the March of Champions & local shows every year. I looked forward to them like Christmas. I love the sounds and power so much even to this day. I eventually married the first time and the March of Champions was no longer when the Yankee Rebels disbanded in 1976 so I lost touch with the shows for awhile. I never marched Junior corps because I was into other things as a child so after my first marriage dissolved, I taught myself to play a bugle and revisited my interest in drum corps. I joined the Archer Epler Musketeers in 1986 and have never looked back. I married a bari player in Archie in 1990 and moved to Pennsylvania after living in Baltimore for my entire life. Now I travel BACK to Baltimore to play with the Yankee Rebels who finally saw the light and allowed women to join their Alumni corps. ^OO^ We are a great fit BTW!