Capital Brass! to open Adirondack Drums

[brassomaniac]

It's almost here!

Capital Brass! Mini-corps will perform to open up our local DCI contest, in just 2 weeks!

Performing in the concession area for an intimate setting - appropriate for an up-close, in-your-face mini-corps performance - CB! wlll debut our newly updated mini-corps show.

The performance begins at 6:30 sharp, and will feature our NEW , surprise closer!

Don't miss a minute of our unique, Big Band - style show which will showcase the versitility of our young group; including exciting improv solo work, covering ALL of the voices, by Kevin Hendrick, Paul MacDonald , John Blood and Dave Sokol; additional solos by screamer Scott Thompson, Dan Hines and Tom MacDonald and a drum feature with Rob Cenci on set - along with some sweet ensemble work by the entire corps.

Then, we move to the stadium for a 7:00 performance of the National Anthem, which will open this great NINE CORPS DCI show.

This is THE big drum corps event for our area, and we are all very proud to be a part of it.

http://www.adirondackdrums.com/

Also, watch for the Capital Brass Ensemble AND Brass-O-Mania!, to be featured in SIX performances in 5 weeks, at the famous Saratoga Race Track; beginning with Opening Day, Wednesday, July 25th.

Edited June 18, 2007 by brassomaniac

[brassomaniac]

A week before the mini-corps appears in Glen Falls, The Capital Brass Ensemble will show it's versitility on Tuesday 6/26 (7pm), with a concert performance at the Poestenkill Historical Society.

The brass ensemble will perform tunes from our mini-corps show, PLUS a preview of the material we'll be using at the Saratoga Race Track this summer: including these selections and more:

Peter Gunn

Blues for Brass

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Everyday, I Have the Blues

Sway

Memories of You

Hey, Pachuco

The Grinch

Battle Hymn

America

Late in the Evening

A Nightengale Sang in Barkley Square

Batman Theme

My Funny Valentine

This gig was booked as a warm-up for our summer brass ensemble gigs, including the series at the Saratoga Race Track. The race track series is a very prestigious event for our brand new group to be included in. The event has live musc every day of the season, including some of the top jazz, bluegrass, blues and dixieland acts in the region.

Capital Brass Ensemble and Brass-O-Mania! will play SIX of the best dates: including Opening Day (7/25) and the premier date of the Summer Meet; Travers Day (8/25).

Quest TEAM and BHOF Championships

MCA Invitational

DCI Glens Falls

Saratoga Race Track series

Mardi Gras and Percussion Ensemble debuts, in local parades

DCA I&E

What a season for our new organization!

Edited June 18, 2007 by brassomaniac

[M&Mbozo]

Tom,

It seems that you guys are really cooking! According to your website you are from Latham, NY. There is another drum corps located in Albany, NY named Excelsior. Are you guys aware of each other? Is Latham and Albany close? According to Mapquest, they are only 12 miles apart. Both of your groups are saying that you are responsible for bring drum corps back to the area! Have you guys ever thought of merging? I think Excelsior is also a DCA corps(not sure).

This is the same thing that was happening a few years back in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas of Ohio. Both groups did very well for themselves but never made it big, but if they had come together they would have dominated. Just a thought. But nonetheless, it seems like you are cooking with Capital Brass/Brass-of-mania. Good luck

[brassomaniac]

Tom,

It seems that you guys are really cooking! According to your website you are from Latham, NY. There is another drum corps located in Albany, NY named Excelsior. Are you guys aware of each other? Is Latham and Albany close? According to Mapquest, they are only 12 miles apart. Both of your groups are saying that you are responsible for bring drum corps back to the area! Have you guys ever thought of merging? I think Excelsior is also a DCA corps(not sure).

This is the same thing that was happening a few years back in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas of Ohio. Both groups did very well for themselves but never made it big, but if they had come together they would have dominated. Just a thought. But nonetheless, it seems like you are cooking with Capital Brass/Brass-of-mania. Good luck

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I think we ARE really cooking... and we're JUST GETTING STARTED!

Although we rehearse in Latham we ARE, nominally, from Albany, NY.

Noble Callahan/Capitol Brass Senior D&BC, then Brass-O-Mania! and now the NEW Capital Brass! represent an unbroken string of music service to the Capital District of NY State dating back to 1985. We do not have a "DCA" corps in our area. In fact, Capitol Brass Ensemble remains the ONLY field competition corps (junior or "all-age") from the Capital District over the last 20 years.

Our new project (the Capital Brass! brand of ensembles) is fairly new - debuting just last December, but we already have met many of the goals we established for the group. And BOM!, now in their 14th year, is one of the most unique jazz bands in our area - an all-star band of area music educators and pros.

There IS another dc group in the Albany area; although they lay claim to a dual "home base". I won't speak for them, but, I think that if you investigate closely, you'll find that we, at CB!, have a completely different vision for what we're bringing to the market; and that we are also well on the way to delivering on that vision, just 6 months since our debut. (just look at the events we're involved in - in our first summer together)

And, since we are not planning on a field corps, you may judge that we'll never make it "big"; certainly not in terms of what is being acheived by DCA corps today. But we'll make it big, sooner than you might expect, on our own terms. I believe that our track record with BOM!, over the last 14 years will give people a feeling for where this is going. I fully expect CB! to be just as successful as our jazz band.

Thanks SO MUCH for your interest.

Edited June 18, 2007 by brassomaniac

[brassomaniac]

One thing I should point of that's a bit different about our group: We are NOT building a corps to eventually make it to the competition field.

... our mission is to explore NEW venues for a drum corps/brass ensemble for the 21st century - and the goal was to hit the ground running with a quality product in BIG venues.

If we haven't already made it clear yet, with the QUEST, BHOF and MCA events, then by the end of the summer it WILL be clear that we've acheived our mission - producing a high quality drum corps to both perform in AND represent the Capital Region - on a shoe-string budget and IN UNDER ONE YEAR since we began the effort!

we're not "bringing" drum corps back to the Capital Region - IT'S BACK; IT'S EXCITING; AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET!

And now that we've done the hardest part; it's safe to come out and participate!!! You won't be embarrassed, overcharged or overworked. We ask our members to do one important thing...

JUST PLAY!

Thanks for your interest!

And STAY TUNED! .... MORE to come!

Edited June 18, 2007 by brassomaniac

[M&Mbozo]

Great. But, if you never plan on being a field corps, do you think a name change is in order? ie. mini-corps, brass ensemble, concert band? Calling your group a drum corps is implying that you march on a field...isn't it? I must admit, I have not been around this drum corps world all that long, I was born after your group was formed.

But, I think it is very misleading to call your group a drum and bugle corps if you do not ever march on the field.

So, is drum corps back in your area? And your jazz band sounds amazing, but what does that have to do with drum and bugle corps?

No disrespect intended. My father marched in DCI when he was young and has recently introduced me to the activity. (about 5 years ago). So, I do know the activity, but by no means am I an expert and not knowing you, I do not want to offend you.

Perhaps this is not the right forum for these questions, please understand these questions are asked with humility.

[27thAvantCadets]

Hey M&Mbozo,

On behalf of Excelsior drum and bugle corps, I would like to state that we at Excelsior support Capital Brass and wish Tom and his folks the best of luck. The Capital area of New York is plenty big enough to be home to both of our groups.

[brassomaniac]

Great. But, if you never plan on being a field corps, do you think a name change is in order? ie. mini-corps, brass ensemble, concert band? Calling your group a drum corps is implying that you march on a field...isn't it? I must admit, I have not been around this drum corps world all that long, I was born after your group was formed.

But, I think it is very misleading to call your group a drum and bugle corps if you do not ever march on the field.

So, is drum corps back in your area? And your jazz band sounds amazing, but what does that have to do with drum and bugle corps?

No disrespect intended. My father marched in DCI when he was young and has recently introduced me to the activity. (about 5 years ago). So, I do know the activity, but by no means am I an expert and not knowing you, I do not want to offend you.

Perhaps this is not the right forum for these questions, please understand these questions are asked with humility.

OK -Lots of stuff there. I REALLY do appreciate your interest, and I LOVE to talk about CB! - so THANKS!

These responses are not meant to be confrontational in any way - just to provide info from our vantage point.

1) You're right: BOM! has nothing to do with dc. It is a member of our music family here; was the model for creating the NEW CB!; is also our longest running and most successful endeavour so far; AND the Brass-O-Mania! team produces the new Capital Brass! - henceforth the brief mention here. Other corps often mention joint ventures with schools, orchestras, etc, which are not drum corps. And you might notice that BOM! has it's own, separate website and differentiation.

2) I do not mean to be mis-leading and am sorry for any confusion. We ARE trying to straddle the dc world AND the local mainstream music scene, here. And the group IS NOT marketed as strictly a drum corps, since we have a number of "personalities" to sell.

3) I do believe that there are MANY drum corps today who DO NOT compete on the field: mini-corps, parade corps; alumni corps (although many of these ONCE competed on the field). In fact, one of the aspects of creating the new group was to define FOR OURSELVES what dc could be FOR US; and to bring that vision to thousands of new fans in the Capital District. I fully understand, tho, that some will never accept us as a dc, according to their own definition - but that's a debate that's gone on here for some time.

4) We have two very DISTINCT drum corps ensembles: the mini-corps (Capital Brass!) and brass ensemble (Capital Brass Ensemble) - which use currently legal dc instrumentation and which have both competed in drum corps events THIS YEAR. In fact we hold Brass Ensemble titles from 2 drum corps events this spring. (OK - some of you know that we sometimes use an illegal instrument when we're not in competition - I think that there's also a popular alumni corps that uses amps, too). If you prefer , tho, to call us a brass band - well......, a group that markets itself as a brass band currently holds the the DCA BRASS ENSEMBLE title. So, suit yourself.

5) The NAME - drum and bugle corps is not in our NEW name - it is simply Capital Brass! - and although we also use percussion, we use only BRASS wind instruments - no electronics (so far), woodwinds, slide trombones, sousaphones or amplification. The various forms of Capital Brass! will continue to explore and promote the making of great, live BRASS music!

So, YES, I stand by my assertion that Drum Corps is back in Albany, NY, and that we'll bring it to a places it hasn't been before (for our area, of course).

Now FIELD COMPETITION CORPS has not been around in Albany since the original Capitol Brass was around (last competed in 1992). And we are still the only one to make the field, from Albany, in the last 20 years.

I don't begin to compare what we're doing to the enourmous and fantastic work that the "All-Age" field corps' are doing today. We are simply exploring other avenues for the activity, on our own terms, and in own own backyard.

If someone across town wants to define dc in our area as something different; then I say HOO-ray!! - more choices for participants and fans! - whatever the market will support.

So if you want to narrowly define dc as field competition corps, then ...NO we don't have that, and I doubt that you will ever see that considered. We hope that dc fans will accept us as a part of the activity, anyway. Some will; others not.

But, either way, we'll continue to test the boundaries and JUST PLAY!

Edited June 19, 2007 by brassomaniac

[BassClef8vb]

Just one thing I've just come to notice/accept is "Drum Corps" just seems to imply the instrumentation of the group, not necessarily that they're a marching group. Like for me when I hear the term 'jazz band' I almost expect to hear saxes playing and such. Classifications are such fine lines and seeing as the line with mini-corps and drum corps is getting thiner and thiner I've just learned to go by what composes the ensemble. Just my two cents while skimming

Great. But, if you never plan on being a field corps, do you think a name change is in order? ie. mini-corps, brass ensemble, concert band? Calling your group a drum corps is implying that you march on a field...isn't it? I must admit, I have not been around this drum corps world all that long, I was born after your group was formed.

But, I think it is very misleading to call your group a drum and bugle corps if you do not ever march on the field.

So, is drum corps back in your area? And your jazz band sounds amazing, but what does that have to do with drum and bugle corps?

No disrespect intended. My father marched in DCI when he was young and has recently introduced me to the activity. (about 5 years ago). So, I do know the activity, but by no means am I an expert and not knowing you, I do not want to offend you.

Perhaps this is not the right forum for these questions, please understand these questions are asked with humility.

[brassomaniac]

Just one thing I've just come to notice/accept is "Drum Corps" just seems to imply the instrumentation of the group, not necessarily that they're a marching group. Like for me when I hear the term 'jazz band' I almost expect to hear saxes playing and such. Classifications are such fine lines and seeing as the line with mini-corps and drum corps is getting thiner and thiner I've just learned to go by what composes the ensemble. Just my two cents while skimming

thanks Mike!

I hope that you're enjoying performing with CB!.

I'll add something else that's key here:

It's obvious that many performers consider drum corps to be only "field corps" or , at least, performing with one of the big-name alumni corps'.

I totally understand the dynamics at work there. There is something exciting and meaningful about being "in the big game" that is irreplaceable.

This little experiment of ours is, in part, meant to find out if players in the Albany area will support a "drum corps - type" group that does not work within that world. One that can bring a little part of the excitement of drum corps to participants and fans right at home. One that can redefine what drum corps can be, at the local level (at least, in Albany).

My intention is to try and provide a "fix" for our members who are dc vets by participating in mini-corps and brass ensemble competitions and contest exhibitions - to keep a connection with the activity, and to participate at least in a small way.

It would be A LOT easier for me to just start another "band" and work local gigs; but I'm going to great lengths, and expense, to try and build this with and for drum corps junkies.

Recently, we've added a half dozen excellent local musicians (both music eduactors and full-time musicians); and Kevin, Dave and I (the BOM! team) are really excited about where we can go with this.

CB! will continue to perform for local fans, with modern drum corps instrumentation and a corps style. And we'll do it at an increasingly high performance level. My hope is that more drum corps veterans will step up to take advantage of this opportunity to build something great that can represent us at National events like MCA and DCA.

We've already shown what can be done in a very short time, with a small core membership. With some time and hard work, this could go much further.

Otherwise, we'll just focus on local gigs, and make some money. It looks like the brass ensemble is going to perform a lot.

We'll be going back to work on the book for that version of CB!, right after the Glens Falls DCI show.

Edited June 19, 2007 by brassomaniac