I'm about to sign off my computer in work, go teach the Ryan-ites and then get ready to leave early in the AM for Rochester, NY! We've been waiting all year for this trip...all of the hard work, all of the sweat; all of the nonsense comes down to THIS!
I've said it before...this is a strange year for us at Bush. I still don't really have a handle on what kind of corps this is. There have been times where I thought they were fighters, and there have been times where it would have been really easy to just give up. Tomorrow we have rehearsal from 2-8. I would say that by about 4 we should know what kind of weekend we're going to have.
Just in talking to a lot of the members via email and other communication outlets, it appears as though the corps is fired up. And why shouldn't they be? We're ranked 5th. Does that suck? Yeah...by our current standards it does a bit, but to put it in perspective, there are years where we would have killed to be ranked 5th. There are corps that won't make finals this year. We're very fortunate to be where we are, regardless of whether or not it's exactly where we want to be. And, we're still in this thing.
In 1986 the Bushwackers won the first show in their history...DCA Championships. They were ranked 3rd after prelims going into finals. It can be done. Are we slotted? Do we have a chance? Does it even matter?
I don't think it really matters. The only thing you can control is your own performance and let the numbers take care of themselves. This is a championship caliber show. If we pull it off and execute...each one of us having an awesome show at the same time, who knows what can happen.
Either way, I'm going to have a fun weekend. This weekend, for me, is a celebration....not just of the season, but more so the 12 seasons I've been a part of. This year is a milestone for me...10 years as a drum major, both in corps and in band. A decade is a long time to do any one thing, especially something as lonely as being a drum major. I consider myself blessed and lucky to be the longest tenured drum major in the history of the Bushwackers. I have tried my hardest to fill the shoes of other great Bushwacker drum majors of lure, like John Gough, Laurie Kunzel, and Laurie Nielsen-Hall.
In my experience here I have run the gamut of emotion and competitive success (or lack thereof some years). I have been scared, like in 96 when I was a rookie ADM filling in for a legend while she had a baby. I have been proud, like in 2001 when we surged from 10th in 2000 back into the top 5. I have been angry, like after retreat in 2000 after coming in last...I turned around and my drum corps had already left the field. I have been upset, like in 2005 when we got a penalty that dropped us from 2nd to 3rd (we have never placed 2nd in our history). I have been nostalgic, like in 2007...um, now! I've been in love, I've been out of love, I've been in love again and now I'm getting married. I've conducted victory concerts, and I've consoled a drum corps defeated. I've been booed, I've been cheered. I've been told that I'm a classless A hole, and I've been told that I'm the best drum major in the circuit.
In the end, I just want to be known as a Bushwacker who did his job to the best of his ability, and did all that he could to put his corps in a position to succeed. I love the Bushwackers. I love the silly name, the logo, the people, and the memories. I don't love everything ABOUT it, but I love the philosophy. I live QUALITY. I am a Bushwacker.
...and no matter what happens this weekend, or what my future holds...I will always consider myself a Bushwacker at heart...and that's where it counts.
If we have internet access in our hotel, I plan on posting my thoughts and impressions immediately upon returning from the hotel on Saturday and Sunday. I hope you tune in. Root us on.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Winding Down...
I missed blogging last week due to band camp. I look forward to band camp every year...taking time off from work to work harder than I work at work. :) It's definitely worthwhile if you have the energy to keep kids focused on goals instead of each other for 12 hours a day. The show is coming along great, the student leaders are really stepping up and taking ownership of the program, and we're having a good time. It's nice.
As for drum corps, we've had two shows since last I wrote...one in Scranton, PA and one in West Haven, CT. Scranton seems like a month ago, so I don't know how much I can really write about it. It was a very cold day and night. It was awful for tuning, because the temperature kept fluctuating...but we had a solid show and gained back a bunch of ground that we had lost with our lack-luster performance in Kingston. The corps was really satisfied with the effort and had a great rehearsal in Weeeeeeehawken, NJ on Sunday.
This past Saturday we landed in West Haven ready to go. We had a great day of rehearsal and really had a pretty darn good show on Saturday night. There was a lot of energy being exchanged between the corps and the crowd, who gave us multiple standing ovations during the performance. That's one of the best feelings as a drum major...to be standing in the middle of that energy exchange...it's amazing. I can't even describe it, but in that 10 minutes I remembered exactly why I do what I do.
Drum corps is powerful when it's emotional.
We did not score as well as we had hoped. The fact is that we leave too many points on the table. The design is there, but we give away the little things. Horn angles, uniform approach to dynamics and articulation, etc, etc. We're good at all of that stuff...but we're inconsistent. Other corps are not. That's fine. We have 3 rehearsals and 2 shows left to get the details nailed down...and then let the chips fall where they may.
Sunday was our family day in Weeeehawken. A good amount of people showed up to watch the corps against the backdrop of NYC. This has been a very long season. With all that has happened, it's amazing that we are where we are. I'm looking forward to championships this weekend to see which Bushwackers drum corps shows up.
I plan on rehearsing this weekend as if it's my last. You never know where life is going to take you, and at my age with my number of years of service, my arthritic back and deteriorating rotator cuffs that probably need surgery in the near future...who knows what 2008 will hold for me. I hope the rest of my corps rehearses that way too...with a sense of urgency as if it is the last time they will ever march in a drum and bugle corps. I just hope we can throw it down two times and get the crowd up...make a few fans for the Bushwackers, and represent ourselves and our alumni well. The funny thing about alumni is that someday we'll all be one. I respect all of them for their contribution, and I hope that they can check out the scores online on Sunday or maybe make the trip to Rochester to see us and will cheer us on as we roll it out there for the 26th year.
As I say to my students, we can see the finish line...and now the decision must be made to walk to it or run like hell. I intend on running.
As for drum corps, we've had two shows since last I wrote...one in Scranton, PA and one in West Haven, CT. Scranton seems like a month ago, so I don't know how much I can really write about it. It was a very cold day and night. It was awful for tuning, because the temperature kept fluctuating...but we had a solid show and gained back a bunch of ground that we had lost with our lack-luster performance in Kingston. The corps was really satisfied with the effort and had a great rehearsal in Weeeeeeehawken, NJ on Sunday.
This past Saturday we landed in West Haven ready to go. We had a great day of rehearsal and really had a pretty darn good show on Saturday night. There was a lot of energy being exchanged between the corps and the crowd, who gave us multiple standing ovations during the performance. That's one of the best feelings as a drum major...to be standing in the middle of that energy exchange...it's amazing. I can't even describe it, but in that 10 minutes I remembered exactly why I do what I do.
Drum corps is powerful when it's emotional.
We did not score as well as we had hoped. The fact is that we leave too many points on the table. The design is there, but we give away the little things. Horn angles, uniform approach to dynamics and articulation, etc, etc. We're good at all of that stuff...but we're inconsistent. Other corps are not. That's fine. We have 3 rehearsals and 2 shows left to get the details nailed down...and then let the chips fall where they may.
Sunday was our family day in Weeeehawken. A good amount of people showed up to watch the corps against the backdrop of NYC. This has been a very long season. With all that has happened, it's amazing that we are where we are. I'm looking forward to championships this weekend to see which Bushwackers drum corps shows up.
I plan on rehearsing this weekend as if it's my last. You never know where life is going to take you, and at my age with my number of years of service, my arthritic back and deteriorating rotator cuffs that probably need surgery in the near future...who knows what 2008 will hold for me. I hope the rest of my corps rehearses that way too...with a sense of urgency as if it is the last time they will ever march in a drum and bugle corps. I just hope we can throw it down two times and get the crowd up...make a few fans for the Bushwackers, and represent ourselves and our alumni well. The funny thing about alumni is that someday we'll all be one. I respect all of them for their contribution, and I hope that they can check out the scores online on Sunday or maybe make the trip to Rochester to see us and will cheer us on as we roll it out there for the 26th year.
As I say to my students, we can see the finish line...and now the decision must be made to walk to it or run like hell. I intend on running.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Recovery
Sorry it's taken a few days for me to get my blog on. I needed a little time to put things in perspective and collect my thoughts. I'm not sure that I'm there yet, but it's probably as good as it's going to get so I might as well blog away.
I'm having a hard enough time figuring out what to title this blog...not to mention writing it!
Saturday found the drum corps in Kingston, NY...home of some historically BAD Bushwacker performances. We're not exactly popular in Kingston, and that's fine...but we have a bit of a history of laying an egg on the field and calling it a show. Saturday night wasn't really all that different...in fact, it lived up to history in a big way.
The unusual thing was that the day was stellar in many ways. The weather was cool, but REALLY sunny. It got warmer later on, but usually it's a hot, humid mess of a day in Kingston. Not so in 2007. Drill rehearsal was focused and productive. I hurt my shoulder a few weeks ago (actually I hurt it in 2001 and re-hurt it in a big way a few weeks ago), so I couldn't really conduct during visual rehearsal so I got to go out on the field and work with the mellophones a bit with drill. I love teaching. I love being out there in the trenches hearing the conversations, learning the personalities, watching someone's light bulb go off because of something I said or put a different way than they had thought about it before. It's so fulfilling, and it brings a part out of me that I really like...a positive, patient person who truly cares about his members. I can't say that's the kind of drum major I'm known for being. I'm more of a fiery, no nonsense, do your job and let's rock and/or roll type of major.
Anyway, the point is it was fun and we got better.
Sectionals went well, and ensemble rehearsal, while hot and exhausting, was one of the best ensemble blocks of the year. This had the makings of a throw down show.
Side note...another guard member had to go to the hospital on Saturday after unsuccessfully trying to catch a flag with his head. Brian is very talented and a real trooper...he went got done what needed to be done at the hospital and was in the show that night. I won't even pretend to understand colorguard one iota, but I think it's awfully telling that we have people who have aches and pains who sit out reps, and the guard is constantly getting whacked and hit and bruised and yet you would have to pry their hands from their equipment and chain them to the gate to keep them off the field.
I don't think they get enough credit for that. Yes, they talk constantly and wear "interesting" clothing to rehearsal...but you have to give it up. That which goes up must come down, and more often than not it hurts...and yet there they are with a smile continuing to perform.
Warm ups went okay, by all indications...I spend my warm up time with the battery percussion, so I can only go on 2nd and 3rd hand information for the other sections. I really thought we were primed to go out there and claim the top spot for ourselves. We certainly have it in us. We certainly have the show to beat anyone. We have the talent. We have the instruction.
We didn't have "IT" on Saturday night, though. "IT" = the intangible spark...that energy and intensity that makes drum corps cool. We didn't have it. I could tell from the first note of the brass warm up that this just wasn't going to be the night. I did everything I could do...people on the field were doing everything they could do...but it just wasn't there.
How do you manufacture "IT"? See...to me it's just something you have inside you...a love for the activity, the adrenaline rush of standing at the gate waiting for your enemy to get off YOUR field...the rush of seeing the crowd and the stadium lights, and the knowledge that you have the ability to make all of those people FEEL. We didn't. The crowd was apathetic, and so were we. We didn't want to be, but we were...and the judges gave us an apathetic number that we deserved.
I don't get it. It doesn't compute in my brain, and I can't identify with it. How do you lose intensity from warm up to the gate? How can you do drum corps without that inner drive and intensity inside of you? What is it going to take to light your soul on fire for 10 minutes while you hold the collective emotion of a few thousand people in the palm of your hand?
MUSIC and ART have the ability to elicit emotions, both good and bad. We did not do our jobs. We failed our art on Saturday night in Kingston. We did not make anyone feel anything except disappointment. The crowd was disappointed because they paid good money to see the defending brass and guard champions rock their socks off. We were disappointed because we KNOW that we have it in us to be WORLD CHAMPIONS, and yet we squandered a precious opportunity to make up ground. The judges were disappointed because they've come to expect more out of us.
But how do you "turn it on"? What is the key? Is it too late to teach this group, this young group of many new Bushwackers who have been to hell and back with this drum corps this season, how to flip the switch and become animals? I don't know. For me, I'm able to draw upon the experiences of the entire summer as my inspiration. I go out there with rage for how our winter went with the move to Franklin, the "corps hall", the move back to Ridgefield Park, the parades, the revolving door...all of it. We're still here! We're ranked 4th in the world, and were only 2.1 away from the #1 ranked team just 2 weeks ago! All that nonsense this year, and we're still right there! How do you not walk a little taller, puff your chest out and walk around like you OWN the place? How? Why? What is it going to take?
Well...maybe it takes getting your butts beat. In this situation there are only two ways you can go. You can quit and give up, or you can fight like hell. There is no middle ground. Status quo is quitting. Going full out from here to the end is fighting. What is it going to be?
I don't know about everyone else...but I know what I'm going to do. (so do you, if you've been reading this blog for a while.)
Let me say, for the record, that there is nothing unique to the Bushwackers about what I've said above. We're not an apathetic group of people. We're a passionate corps that loves what we do. We love our show and we love each other and for this to happen is a major disappointment because we know we're better than that. We've had electric shows...just two weeks ago in Chambersburg we lit it up. We have it in us and we know it.
Even the stuff about the move and the failure that was the "corps hall" experiment and the infamous "revolving door" is not unique to the Bushwackers. Many, many corps go through it every year. It's a reality for nearly all senior corps...even if they won't admit it or talk about it (which none of them will). It's the eternal struggle between weekend hobby and a way of life. I'm the latter, and many are the former. It's just the way it is.
We need to figure it out, though. We, as a drum corps, need to decide to go or stand aside. We need to decide between top 3 and making a hell of a run for the top spot, or bottom 5. This is not a bottom 5 drum corps. This is a championship caliber drum corps with flashes of brilliance.
I believe in the Bushwackers. I've been around long enough to know that every year has its own personality, but the Bushwacker in us always comes out at some point...that rabid fighter that refuses to go down without a battle of epic proportions. Even if we come in last, we're going to fight. If we can find that, harness it, and roll with it this weekend in Scranton...I'm telling you this thing ain't over...not by a long shot. You can dismiss me, but I know my corps and I know this circuit. I honestly, 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt still believe that this corps...the 2007 Bushwackers...are absolutely capable of winning a world championship THIS year. Don't even bother telling me that we can't.
I don't believe in slotting. I think that it's an aberration that bad drum corps believe in to justify their bad scores without having to look in the mirror.
I believe the windows of opportunity are just that...windows, and windows are made of glass...and glass can be broken.
I believe that emotion, not execution, fuels this activity...at least in DCA...and that even the most "esoteric" show can be entertaining if it's performed and emoted.
I believe in rage and anger...I also believe in elation and love...and I believe that you can harness them and put them into your performance.
I believe that the corps that wants it the most will get it.
I know I want it.
Yeah, I know...REAL Cadet moment there with all of the "I believe" stuff.
...but the time has come to put up or shut up. The time has come to drop the egos and do your flippin' job. In fact, it's been that time for months now.
You either are a champion or you're not. These next two weeks will complete the story of the 2007 Bushwackers. It's been an amazing story so far, with plenty of ups and downs...like any good story. It's been anything but boring. I just hope we have a good ending in us. I believe we do.
I'm having a hard enough time figuring out what to title this blog...not to mention writing it!
Saturday found the drum corps in Kingston, NY...home of some historically BAD Bushwacker performances. We're not exactly popular in Kingston, and that's fine...but we have a bit of a history of laying an egg on the field and calling it a show. Saturday night wasn't really all that different...in fact, it lived up to history in a big way.
The unusual thing was that the day was stellar in many ways. The weather was cool, but REALLY sunny. It got warmer later on, but usually it's a hot, humid mess of a day in Kingston. Not so in 2007. Drill rehearsal was focused and productive. I hurt my shoulder a few weeks ago (actually I hurt it in 2001 and re-hurt it in a big way a few weeks ago), so I couldn't really conduct during visual rehearsal so I got to go out on the field and work with the mellophones a bit with drill. I love teaching. I love being out there in the trenches hearing the conversations, learning the personalities, watching someone's light bulb go off because of something I said or put a different way than they had thought about it before. It's so fulfilling, and it brings a part out of me that I really like...a positive, patient person who truly cares about his members. I can't say that's the kind of drum major I'm known for being. I'm more of a fiery, no nonsense, do your job and let's rock and/or roll type of major.
Anyway, the point is it was fun and we got better.
Sectionals went well, and ensemble rehearsal, while hot and exhausting, was one of the best ensemble blocks of the year. This had the makings of a throw down show.
Side note...another guard member had to go to the hospital on Saturday after unsuccessfully trying to catch a flag with his head. Brian is very talented and a real trooper...he went got done what needed to be done at the hospital and was in the show that night. I won't even pretend to understand colorguard one iota, but I think it's awfully telling that we have people who have aches and pains who sit out reps, and the guard is constantly getting whacked and hit and bruised and yet you would have to pry their hands from their equipment and chain them to the gate to keep them off the field.
I don't think they get enough credit for that. Yes, they talk constantly and wear "interesting" clothing to rehearsal...but you have to give it up. That which goes up must come down, and more often than not it hurts...and yet there they are with a smile continuing to perform.
Warm ups went okay, by all indications...I spend my warm up time with the battery percussion, so I can only go on 2nd and 3rd hand information for the other sections. I really thought we were primed to go out there and claim the top spot for ourselves. We certainly have it in us. We certainly have the show to beat anyone. We have the talent. We have the instruction.
We didn't have "IT" on Saturday night, though. "IT" = the intangible spark...that energy and intensity that makes drum corps cool. We didn't have it. I could tell from the first note of the brass warm up that this just wasn't going to be the night. I did everything I could do...people on the field were doing everything they could do...but it just wasn't there.
How do you manufacture "IT"? See...to me it's just something you have inside you...a love for the activity, the adrenaline rush of standing at the gate waiting for your enemy to get off YOUR field...the rush of seeing the crowd and the stadium lights, and the knowledge that you have the ability to make all of those people FEEL. We didn't. The crowd was apathetic, and so were we. We didn't want to be, but we were...and the judges gave us an apathetic number that we deserved.
I don't get it. It doesn't compute in my brain, and I can't identify with it. How do you lose intensity from warm up to the gate? How can you do drum corps without that inner drive and intensity inside of you? What is it going to take to light your soul on fire for 10 minutes while you hold the collective emotion of a few thousand people in the palm of your hand?
MUSIC and ART have the ability to elicit emotions, both good and bad. We did not do our jobs. We failed our art on Saturday night in Kingston. We did not make anyone feel anything except disappointment. The crowd was disappointed because they paid good money to see the defending brass and guard champions rock their socks off. We were disappointed because we KNOW that we have it in us to be WORLD CHAMPIONS, and yet we squandered a precious opportunity to make up ground. The judges were disappointed because they've come to expect more out of us.
But how do you "turn it on"? What is the key? Is it too late to teach this group, this young group of many new Bushwackers who have been to hell and back with this drum corps this season, how to flip the switch and become animals? I don't know. For me, I'm able to draw upon the experiences of the entire summer as my inspiration. I go out there with rage for how our winter went with the move to Franklin, the "corps hall", the move back to Ridgefield Park, the parades, the revolving door...all of it. We're still here! We're ranked 4th in the world, and were only 2.1 away from the #1 ranked team just 2 weeks ago! All that nonsense this year, and we're still right there! How do you not walk a little taller, puff your chest out and walk around like you OWN the place? How? Why? What is it going to take?
Well...maybe it takes getting your butts beat. In this situation there are only two ways you can go. You can quit and give up, or you can fight like hell. There is no middle ground. Status quo is quitting. Going full out from here to the end is fighting. What is it going to be?
I don't know about everyone else...but I know what I'm going to do. (so do you, if you've been reading this blog for a while.)
Let me say, for the record, that there is nothing unique to the Bushwackers about what I've said above. We're not an apathetic group of people. We're a passionate corps that loves what we do. We love our show and we love each other and for this to happen is a major disappointment because we know we're better than that. We've had electric shows...just two weeks ago in Chambersburg we lit it up. We have it in us and we know it.
Even the stuff about the move and the failure that was the "corps hall" experiment and the infamous "revolving door" is not unique to the Bushwackers. Many, many corps go through it every year. It's a reality for nearly all senior corps...even if they won't admit it or talk about it (which none of them will). It's the eternal struggle between weekend hobby and a way of life. I'm the latter, and many are the former. It's just the way it is.
We need to figure it out, though. We, as a drum corps, need to decide to go or stand aside. We need to decide between top 3 and making a hell of a run for the top spot, or bottom 5. This is not a bottom 5 drum corps. This is a championship caliber drum corps with flashes of brilliance.
I believe in the Bushwackers. I've been around long enough to know that every year has its own personality, but the Bushwacker in us always comes out at some point...that rabid fighter that refuses to go down without a battle of epic proportions. Even if we come in last, we're going to fight. If we can find that, harness it, and roll with it this weekend in Scranton...I'm telling you this thing ain't over...not by a long shot. You can dismiss me, but I know my corps and I know this circuit. I honestly, 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt still believe that this corps...the 2007 Bushwackers...are absolutely capable of winning a world championship THIS year. Don't even bother telling me that we can't.
I don't believe in slotting. I think that it's an aberration that bad drum corps believe in to justify their bad scores without having to look in the mirror.
I believe the windows of opportunity are just that...windows, and windows are made of glass...and glass can be broken.
I believe that emotion, not execution, fuels this activity...at least in DCA...and that even the most "esoteric" show can be entertaining if it's performed and emoted.
I believe in rage and anger...I also believe in elation and love...and I believe that you can harness them and put them into your performance.
I believe that the corps that wants it the most will get it.
I know I want it.
Yeah, I know...REAL Cadet moment there with all of the "I believe" stuff.
...but the time has come to put up or shut up. The time has come to drop the egos and do your flippin' job. In fact, it's been that time for months now.
You either are a champion or you're not. These next two weeks will complete the story of the 2007 Bushwackers. It's been an amazing story so far, with plenty of ups and downs...like any good story. It's been anything but boring. I just hope we have a good ending in us. I believe we do.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Visitors
No show this past weekend...just a lot of work tightening down the show and getting ready for the stretch run. We all knew we needed to come in focused and ready to work. We also knew it was going to be ridiculously hot (and it was). We got a lot better this weekend, and we're all very excited to take the show to Kingston, where we go on last, and roll the dice.
I rented a car this weekend and brought the drum major and 3 of my 4 captains from Archbishop Ryan HS up to corps with me on Saturday. We use a very similar rehearsal system at Ryan (obviously), and I wanted them to get a chance to see things in motion, how they should be, etc. They spent most of the day on the scaffolding with me observing the corps, discussing various ensemble situations, etc. They were absolutely blown away by the drum corps, and it was obvious at rehearsal last night that they got a lot out of the experience. I spend a lot of time with our leaders, running clinics, talking to them before and after rehearsal, taking them to drum corps. It's important. Good solid student leadership is the foundation on which you can build sustainable success with any program over the long term.
We put in a new end to Part 3 that works a bit better than what we had. The ending of the show is new as well, and far more effective than what we had. The rest of the show is tightening up. Endurance is coming rapidly. I think we're going to be able to make some significant noise from this point on as long as what needs to happen happens.
Sunday we met in Weehawken, NJ at a brand new sports facility right on the banks of the Hudson River. If you face away from the drum major podium you have a beautiful view of all of Manhattan. This is inspiring and appropriate considering the theme of our show. It's also nice because we're so close to the water, and there's always a cool breeze making our day a little more tolerable. It's an astroturf field, with plenty of room for us to split up for sectionals. The corps will be there every Sunday for the month of August. A big thank you goes out to Brian Fallon who secured us the facility and asked for nothing in return. Brian never was a Bushwacker. He marched in the 60s and happened to find out that we rehearsed so close to his home last year. He came around to check us out, and next thing you know the guy has Bushwacker clothing on and is helping to unload our truck in the morning before rehearsal. Now, he hooked us up with easily the best rehearsal site this corps has ever had. While he never wore our uniform, Brian is most definitely a Bushwacker...and we appreciate him for his heart and genorosity.
Here are some pictures courtesy of Al Nielsen (click for larger image):
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Say Goodbye to July!
What a weekend. As usual, it was filled with its ups and downs…this one had more “ups”, at least for me.
There are years where I always know what to expect from the corps. They’re predictable in their behavior and in how they’re going to react to certain situations. Then there are years where I have no idea what to expect. This is one of those years.
Just like last week, this show was a bus trip. The corps loaded the buses at 6am and traveled to Harrisburg, PA to participate in the annual Pridefest Parade. Last week’s bus ride show day was less than successful, and resulted in a tired and generally unfocused drum corps. Throw an early morning parade into the mix (which equals less rehearsal time), and who knows what you’re going to get.
I rode up with our visual caption head, as did my fiancé and one of our euphonium players. I got to see my mother who lives in the Harrisburg area. We actually got to spend quite a bit of time together, which was really nice. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see her very often. She wasn’t going to be able to see us in Chambersburg because my sister and my 3 month old nephew were coming to visit (actually, my mother was going to Philly to get them and bring them back)…so she wanted to come see us in the parade and get her annual drum corps fix. I’m a little sad that she didn’t get to see us perform, but I understand. She’s a grandmother now, and that little boy is the most important thing in all of our worlds…especially since the boy’s father is a worthless piece of garbage. He needs all of the love he can get…and he gets lots of it, believe me. I could write all day about that little guy (picture below)…but I won’t. I will tell you this, though…he was all fussy last week and Uncle Chris (me) calmed him down by telling him how he could learn to play trumpet and march with the Vanguard some day…before becoming their drum major, of course. He liked that. So does Uncle Chris. J It’ll make his mother mad. (evil laugh).
There are years where I always know what to expect from the corps. They’re predictable in their behavior and in how they’re going to react to certain situations. Then there are years where I have no idea what to expect. This is one of those years.
Just like last week, this show was a bus trip. The corps loaded the buses at 6am and traveled to Harrisburg, PA to participate in the annual Pridefest Parade. Last week’s bus ride show day was less than successful, and resulted in a tired and generally unfocused drum corps. Throw an early morning parade into the mix (which equals less rehearsal time), and who knows what you’re going to get.
I rode up with our visual caption head, as did my fiancé and one of our euphonium players. I got to see my mother who lives in the Harrisburg area. We actually got to spend quite a bit of time together, which was really nice. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see her very often. She wasn’t going to be able to see us in Chambersburg because my sister and my 3 month old nephew were coming to visit (actually, my mother was going to Philly to get them and bring them back)…so she wanted to come see us in the parade and get her annual drum corps fix. I’m a little sad that she didn’t get to see us perform, but I understand. She’s a grandmother now, and that little boy is the most important thing in all of our worlds…especially since the boy’s father is a worthless piece of garbage. He needs all of the love he can get…and he gets lots of it, believe me. I could write all day about that little guy (picture below)…but I won’t. I will tell you this, though…he was all fussy last week and Uncle Chris (me) calmed him down by telling him how he could learn to play trumpet and march with the Vanguard some day…before becoming their drum major, of course. He liked that. So does Uncle Chris. J It’ll make his mother mad. (evil laugh).
Future Vanguard drum major, Nathan Kilian:
Anyway, it upsets me a little bit that no one in my family will get to see me perform this year. Most people in my family actually have no interest whatsoever in even hearing about drum corps…even though it’s such a huge part of who I am. Then they complain that they don’t know me very well. Hmmm. I’m sure a lot of you who march out there understand where I’m coming from with this. If you have a supportive family…even one who complains about it, but still comes to see you…you’re very lucky. Go give them a hug and thank them for caring, even if they won’t admit that they do.
The parade went fine, except for the fact that one of our guard members took it on the chin…literally. She got whacked with a flag on the chin during the parade, and was bleeding pretty bad. Luckily we were right outside of a hospital. Since a few of us had driven to the parade, we let the buses go and took her to the hospital where she received 4 stitches inside the wound, and about 5 outside. It was pretty nasty, but the doctors were quick and did a good job. Before long we were on the road again heading to Chambersburg where we would meet with the corps.
Rehearsal was already in progress when we arrived, and the guard member with the stitches jumped right in and rehearsed hard all day. Good for her! Unfortunately, we were on the worst rehearsal field we’ve had all year. No grass…lots of dirt. Oh, and painted yard lines don’t stick on dirt so well…so no lines either. I’m not going to go off on too much of a rant here about it, but I think that it’s BS to give any corps a “field” like that…especially when they’ve traveled hours to make money for this show sponsor…and especially when they’re a top 3 DCA corps that is a draw for fans, thus bringing in more money. Boo.
It was probably the most humid day of the year, the members were breathing in dirt, there were no yard lines, we took a bus for hours to get there, and we had already marched in a parade. Tensions were a little high, and people were a little down. It was like trying to push over a brick wall…no matter how hard you push, the thing just ain’t movin’. That’s frustrating, but part of drum corps (and really everything in life) is learning how to effectively deal with frustration and turn it into fuel.
In spite of all that, the run through was solid. Tempo problems we usually have at the end didn’t exist. Maybe it was because I decided to mark time there while conducting. Maybe it was because it’s just locking in now for some reason. Regardless, I’m not going to stop marking time. I’m not taking that risk. Lol
We left and went to the stadium to take the coldest showers ever. Not only was there no hot water, it was as if a pipeline from the Arctic Circle was pumping in freezing water just for us. I saw a penguin. No lie.
We had plenty of down time, which ended up saving us, I believe. We all got showered, relaxed, had some food, and then a nice relaxed warm up. Dena's parents were there and decided that we neede protien after working so hard...so they bought us some Italian hoagies for dinner. THANK YOU! Delicious, and it made me feel much, much better. I couldn’t tell what kind of show we would have. Everyone was pretty loose, which could be good or bad.
I could tell from how loud my voice sounded giving the commands that this was a “live” stadium, and that we were going to be able to fill it with some good sound that night. From the bari/euph duet at the beginning of the show I got goosebumps…the sound was really carrying and you could tell that the members knew it. Instantly, energy built up and we rocked for 10.5 minutes. It was a good show. There were still a few hairy spots, but the tempos locked in for the most part, we performed for the first time as a full corps, and we really pushed to the end. Stamina is coming quickly. People are more comfortable with the show. This doesn’t usually happen until August…
…which is why we have, what we call the AUGUST PUSH. Some people hate talking about it, and that’s fine. You can’t deny, however, that it exists. The Bushwackers are pretty famous for turning it on in August. There have been more than a few years where we’ve had our butts handed to us all year long, just to surge in August and bushwack them all…winning championships that way. Everyone knows it, and it’s just part of who we are. Ideally, we’d like to do our August Push all year long…coming out strong out of the gate and steamrolling through the season. That just doesn’t seem to work for us, though.
There is more demand in our shows than most, if not all of the rest of the circuit. The judges acknowledge that. Our designers know that. We don’t go out there playing easy stuff with 59 sets of drill in our show. We run around, we play a crap load of notes, and it just flat out takes a long time to build the strength and stamina needed to perform these shows at a high level for 10+ minutes. Plus, it takes us a couple months just to plug everyone in and have people comfortable with the show. It’s just the reality of the way we program shows. Is it smart? I don’t know…if we win, the designers look like geniuses. If we lose, they look like morons. But at least they take the risk. If you’re not willing to risk it all, why do it?
It appears, though, that we have reached this level of comfort and stamina a week premature this year. We’re now within 2.1 points of the top ranked team. That’s closer than we’ve been probably in years. We are a contender, regardless of what you may have read on the internet or heard from your drum corps buddies. I keep saying in this blog to not count out the Bushwackers. Why people don’t listen is beyond me. That’s okay, though….count us out. We haven’t counted ourselves out. We’re coming for you and everyone else. We’re cleaning. We’re getting stronger in mind, body, and in our family bond.
We believe.
Belief and a quarter will buy you…um…nothing, but if you want it…if you’re hungry, you have a chance. That’s all we’re asking for…a chance. Give us the show, get us to the stadium, and give us the chance. We’ll take it from there.
This weekend is a camp weekend for the corps. No show. We’re putting in some last minute changes (end of the show, end of part 3). I’m going to have my officers from Archbishop Ryan up there to check things out and clinic with the corps for the day. That will be fun. After that: Kingston, Scranton, West Haven, Prelims, Finals, DONE. We’ll learn a lot about the 2007 Bushwackers in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.
The parade went fine, except for the fact that one of our guard members took it on the chin…literally. She got whacked with a flag on the chin during the parade, and was bleeding pretty bad. Luckily we were right outside of a hospital. Since a few of us had driven to the parade, we let the buses go and took her to the hospital where she received 4 stitches inside the wound, and about 5 outside. It was pretty nasty, but the doctors were quick and did a good job. Before long we were on the road again heading to Chambersburg where we would meet with the corps.
Rehearsal was already in progress when we arrived, and the guard member with the stitches jumped right in and rehearsed hard all day. Good for her! Unfortunately, we were on the worst rehearsal field we’ve had all year. No grass…lots of dirt. Oh, and painted yard lines don’t stick on dirt so well…so no lines either. I’m not going to go off on too much of a rant here about it, but I think that it’s BS to give any corps a “field” like that…especially when they’ve traveled hours to make money for this show sponsor…and especially when they’re a top 3 DCA corps that is a draw for fans, thus bringing in more money. Boo.
It was probably the most humid day of the year, the members were breathing in dirt, there were no yard lines, we took a bus for hours to get there, and we had already marched in a parade. Tensions were a little high, and people were a little down. It was like trying to push over a brick wall…no matter how hard you push, the thing just ain’t movin’. That’s frustrating, but part of drum corps (and really everything in life) is learning how to effectively deal with frustration and turn it into fuel.
In spite of all that, the run through was solid. Tempo problems we usually have at the end didn’t exist. Maybe it was because I decided to mark time there while conducting. Maybe it was because it’s just locking in now for some reason. Regardless, I’m not going to stop marking time. I’m not taking that risk. Lol
We left and went to the stadium to take the coldest showers ever. Not only was there no hot water, it was as if a pipeline from the Arctic Circle was pumping in freezing water just for us. I saw a penguin. No lie.
We had plenty of down time, which ended up saving us, I believe. We all got showered, relaxed, had some food, and then a nice relaxed warm up. Dena's parents were there and decided that we neede protien after working so hard...so they bought us some Italian hoagies for dinner. THANK YOU! Delicious, and it made me feel much, much better. I couldn’t tell what kind of show we would have. Everyone was pretty loose, which could be good or bad.
I could tell from how loud my voice sounded giving the commands that this was a “live” stadium, and that we were going to be able to fill it with some good sound that night. From the bari/euph duet at the beginning of the show I got goosebumps…the sound was really carrying and you could tell that the members knew it. Instantly, energy built up and we rocked for 10.5 minutes. It was a good show. There were still a few hairy spots, but the tempos locked in for the most part, we performed for the first time as a full corps, and we really pushed to the end. Stamina is coming quickly. People are more comfortable with the show. This doesn’t usually happen until August…
…which is why we have, what we call the AUGUST PUSH. Some people hate talking about it, and that’s fine. You can’t deny, however, that it exists. The Bushwackers are pretty famous for turning it on in August. There have been more than a few years where we’ve had our butts handed to us all year long, just to surge in August and bushwack them all…winning championships that way. Everyone knows it, and it’s just part of who we are. Ideally, we’d like to do our August Push all year long…coming out strong out of the gate and steamrolling through the season. That just doesn’t seem to work for us, though.
There is more demand in our shows than most, if not all of the rest of the circuit. The judges acknowledge that. Our designers know that. We don’t go out there playing easy stuff with 59 sets of drill in our show. We run around, we play a crap load of notes, and it just flat out takes a long time to build the strength and stamina needed to perform these shows at a high level for 10+ minutes. Plus, it takes us a couple months just to plug everyone in and have people comfortable with the show. It’s just the reality of the way we program shows. Is it smart? I don’t know…if we win, the designers look like geniuses. If we lose, they look like morons. But at least they take the risk. If you’re not willing to risk it all, why do it?
It appears, though, that we have reached this level of comfort and stamina a week premature this year. We’re now within 2.1 points of the top ranked team. That’s closer than we’ve been probably in years. We are a contender, regardless of what you may have read on the internet or heard from your drum corps buddies. I keep saying in this blog to not count out the Bushwackers. Why people don’t listen is beyond me. That’s okay, though….count us out. We haven’t counted ourselves out. We’re coming for you and everyone else. We’re cleaning. We’re getting stronger in mind, body, and in our family bond.
We believe.
Belief and a quarter will buy you…um…nothing, but if you want it…if you’re hungry, you have a chance. That’s all we’re asking for…a chance. Give us the show, get us to the stadium, and give us the chance. We’ll take it from there.
This weekend is a camp weekend for the corps. No show. We’re putting in some last minute changes (end of the show, end of part 3). I’m going to have my officers from Archbishop Ryan up there to check things out and clinic with the corps for the day. That will be fun. After that: Kingston, Scranton, West Haven, Prelims, Finals, DONE. We’ll learn a lot about the 2007 Bushwackers in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.
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