Rules Congress in the Books...

Another DCA Rules Congress is in the books and now we can focus on the 2009 season and know exactly what we're working with.

It was an interesting weekend that started with our percussion caption head, Bob Cizmarik, meeting me at my place on Friday evening after work and driving both of us up to Ridgefield Park, NJ where we met up with our director, Jaybo. Jay blew up the engine on his truck pulling our enormous trailer at the open house, so he had a nifty rental...some sort of big Buick thing that had heated seats and lots of room for...nothing, really. Because we're men, we each had one small bag for the weekend and a 12 pack of Miller Lite. :)

We started our trek to the great white north and had lots of great conversation about our corps, other corps, DCI, DCA...and basically anything having to do with the marching arts activity. If there's anything you can say about the three of us it's that we're extremely opinionated and never at a loss for words...so the trip went pretty fast.

Rochester, NY is not close. It was a 5+ hour drive from NJ, and add the hour and a half it took for Bob and I to get up there, and it's just a butt numbing ride with nothing whatsoever to look at.

Rochester, NY is cold. There's plenty of snow on the ground, and it's just a huge, walk in refrigerator. It's cold in Philly, but it's really cold up there. I quickly remembered why I moved out of Upstate NY in 2003. I just couldn't take the weather any more.

We rolled in at 3:30am, had a beer, talked some more, and hit the sheets. We had a 7am wake up call which sucked big time...but we had to be there for roll call, so we made the sacrifice for the good of the DCA. :)

Day 1 started out eventful. We broke into caucuses and began the debate on the language of the sheets, the various captions, combining captions, eliminating captions, etc, etc. We had a great joint caucus with the percussion and things were moving along swimmingly. We ate lunch and everyone was feeling good. Then, after lunch they voted to completely undo everything we had done, and we went back to the drawing board.

An astounded and bewildered brass caucus met again and decided that work still needed to be done on our sheets and a task force was named and I was honored to be picked for it.

I know, I know...I'm being very vague with all this. Details don't matter. These things can always be extremely frustrating, and the rules congress of 08 was no different.

We came back to the super cool museum where we met all day around 6:30 for a reception. Famous Dave's BBQ catered the event, and it was awesome. There was an open bar which was awesome. I got to catch up with my friend Hank Manfra, who I marched with for a bunch of years and is now on the staff of the Buccaneers. That was cool. I also got to hang out with some of my Fusion Core buddies who I have a lot of respect and love for. Good times with good folks.

Later on that night the administrations got back together and voted on some more stuff...mostly rules that don't directly effect the Bushwackers, so I didn't pay too much attention. One rule that did get passed and that we proposed was to do away with the 60 second warm up rule. Now, you have your normal 17 minutes to enter the field, play, and leave the field...same as always. At least 10 minutes of that time must be your judged performance...same as always. Now, you can do whatever you want with the remaining 7 minutes. No more dumb penalties for playing a 62 second warm up. You can enter the field however you want...playing the whole time if you want...setting up your show and getting the crowd ready for whatever it is you're about to deliver. Does this effect our "psychotic circus" show? Absolutely. :)

The next morning was by-laws stuff, so Bob and I didn't bother going into the meeting. For all I know they voted to ban all brass staffers named Chris. I don't think so, though, because I wasn't fired.

There were some interesting side things and some stuff that just makes me laugh and/or shake my head at the absurdity of it all...but I'm not going to write all that now. All I know is that, for the most part, I feel good about where the circuit is and how we're going to be judged this summer. I still firmly believe that we need to combine the ensemble brass and ensemble percussion captions, but whatever. At the end of the day, the corps that's the best should win. I still think our system (when judged correctly) achieves that goal. That's all I can really ask for.

Now it's time to look forward and continue planning our January 3rd and 4th camp. Our location has been determined...the VFW post in Garfield, NJ. It's a nice place...clean...convenient. It doesn't have a ton of space to break into sectionals and that sort of thing, but it doesn't matter. We should have show music at that camp, and there's a ton of other stuff for us to work on. I'm looking forward to it and taking that next step as a drum corps.

Rochester bound...

One of the many fun things that come along with being a DCA caption head is a free trip to Rochester, NY in December. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It's a rules congress year, so I'm going up along with Bob Ciz and Jaybo to help represent the corps' interests. There are some interesting things on the table this year, so I'm looking forward to being there to check it out.

I'm also very much looking forward to attending Jim Dugan's seminar on show programming in DCA.

I went to one of these before the 2003 season. That was the one where we proposed multi-key brass, got approved, and got slammed for ruining drum corps. It's not the first time we've been accused of that, and it surely won't be the last. We did, afterall, propose pit amplification for this rules congress. :)

One of these years we'll finally roll out those t-shirts I've been wanting forever that say "The Bushwackers - Ruining Drum Corps since 1981"...but that probably won't happen.

So, we'll see how the weekend goes. I love drum corps, so while these meetings aren't "drum corps" in and of themselves, it'll be fun to be around drum corps people, talk drum corps, and take some time with Bob to plot world conquest over a few pints.

Enjoy the following picture of Twisted Sister for no reason whatsoever.

Open House in the books!

The 2009 season has finally begun! I've been looking forward to this with great anticipation and excitement since I accepted my new job with the Bushwackers back in September. I didn't really know what I was walking into, since I hadn't been around last year at all...but I was hopeful that enough people would return after, what by all accounts was a pretty rough summer and that we could move forward together and bring this corps back to the top of DCA.

Of course, that's a lofty goal! I like to set the bar high for myself and my members and expect them to achieve it (that includes me!). Humans are amazing creatures and are capable of FAR more than we ever give ourselves credit for. Each one of us has greatness inside us, but the trick is being able to discipline yourself and overcome the desire to be lazy or become distracted by things that don't really matter. If you have a good work ethic, a positive attitude, and the desire and hunger to be the best at what you do...there's not a whole lot standing in your way.

That's my philosophy for the Bush Brass in 2009. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. Joe Exley, Dennis Argul, Durand Thomas, and all the other caption heads before me...Bushwackers' brass programs have been built on solid, proven pedagogy for years. How am I going to come in here and throw out everything that Joe did the last few years (that led us to a caption championship in 2006, by the way)? I'm not. That's dumb. What my staff and I bring to the table is structure, a positive approach, tenacity, and high expectations. Build this on top of a proven technique program and a horn line that can think on the fly and deal with adversity, and I think you have a winning combination.

...but with all change, your members have to buy in. I went into the open house with the hope that vets would show up and act like vets....showing the newbies how we roll here at Bush, setting the example, etc. I hoped that they would recognize what I was there to change, and what I was going to leave alone. I hoped that they would see that the staff truly believes in this and is completely dedicated to doing whatever it takes to not only bring a world championship back to the Bushwackers, but also to provide a fun, educational, positive experience to the members...an experience that they won't forget, and the opportunity to truly belong to an elite, world-class organization on a mission.

My hopes were realized on November 30th. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and we took that step in a big way. We couldn't have everyone there that wanted to be, which was disappointing, but at least we know where they were. I had no idea what kind of numbers we were looking at...and now at least we know where our starting point is and where we need to recruit and spent our efforts bringing in members. I was very pleased with the low brass turn out. This was a problem area for the corps last year, and it seems that we have a lot of new faces and a lot of enthusiasm in those sections. The upper brass was solid, but we could use a few more horses. The talent we have is better than I was expecting...we just need a little more of it...and that's fine.

I don't get hung up on numbers. I don't change the way I approach a rehearsal because 10 people showed up instead of 50. The staff doesn't either. We're all on the same page that whoever is in front of us is going to be the best at what they do...and we're going to lead them there. Do I want 60+ brass? Um...YES. Is that going to happen in year one of this new project? I don't know. If you're reading this and not in the horn line yet, perhaps you should come out!

Right now, I'm very pleased with the numbers. I'm very happy with the talent. Most of all (seriously), I am completely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, dedication, and drive of this horn line.

The vets have bought in. I feel that they trust me and the staff to do the right thing. We'll do our job, they'll do theirs, and we'll all be fine. Good stuff. The new folks had a great day, and many of them are sold and in for 2009. That's very exciting. You can't teach that stuff...but the attitude of the corps is one of those "make it or break it" things that you need for a successful year.

Now, we need to keep pushing. The members are fired up. The staff is fired up. The administration is working hard behind the scenes to keep all the gears moving. Everything is shaping up very nicely. I'm very happy to be back.

Our next rehearsal is going to be on January 3rd and 4th. We'll have the location announced really shortly. If you're out there in the blogosphere right now and you're feeling like you might want to pick up the old axe again and have a great summer...seriously, check us out. The show is going to be ridiculous!

Oh...the show! The show is called "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus" and will be all original music by Key Poulan. Most people know key because he writes for tons of bands and is the arranger/composer for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Key is psyched about writing this show, because it's different...strange...weird...dark...aggressive............basically everything that we love about drum corps will be in this show. It's really going to be sick.



I spent all of my time with the brass, obviously...but I want to give the other sections some love here. The drum line is going to be even better than last year. We had a large turn out, especially for the snares, and we're just raising the bar all over the place in 2009. The guard had a good turn out, and they're going after another guard championship this year for sure. It's really going to be an incredible year.

January 3rd and 4th. If you've never marched but think you might want to...if you've marched other places before and would like to get back in the game...if you marched junior corps and think senior corps is a bunch of fat old guys doing easy crap....if you would like to make a junior corps in the future but want to get experience...if you marched other senior corps and hate the Bushwackers...if you were a Bushwacker...whatever.

THIS IS THE YEAR TO BE A BUSHWACKER

Make it happen.

New year, new show.

We had our first design meeting of the year this past Sunday at the old American Legion Post in Harrison, NJ. Most of us were there, and it was a lot of fun.

The Legion was home to many a Bushwacker party back in the early years. The corps partied there after their first show ever...and again after they won their first world championship in 1986. Apparently it became quite the hangout for not only Bushwackers, but members of other area corps as well. I've been there a few times...twice for design meetings, and a few times for drum line rehearsals back when I was drum major. I love the place and would LOVE to hang out there in the future. Hopefully we can do that.

Harrison itself was home to the corps for many years. All 6 DCA World Championships were won when the corps was from Harrison. We used to rehearse in this random parking lot..."TriChem" as it was affectionately known. No one ever went back there except Bushwackers, the folks that worked there (although we rarely saw them), and probably the kind of folks you'd see on the Sopranos. Cops came back only to make sure we were okay or to have a burger with us. It was great to be able to work your butt off all day and then hang out afterwards and blow off steam. I feel strongly that this is a big deal for us "weekend warriors"...and it's something we NEED to get back to at the Bushwackers. We have to find a way.

I just felt that it was appropriate for us to have our first meeting of the year in Harrison. I would love to find a way to re-locate the corps to Harrison once again. In a lot of ways, we need to get back to our roots...to the core of what we really are as the Bushwackers. Sure, there are aspects of the corps that had to change with the times, and our move to Ridgefield Park was absolutely necessary when it happened...but there is definitely something that has been missing these past few years. Maybe it has nothing to do with the location of the corps...but I think it has something to do with what goes on around rehearsals, not necessarily in them. We're still the same hard working, butt kicking corps we always were, but we're missing that hang out time. The fun stuff that adds that special layer to the season.

It wasn't the corps that provided the time or the resources for the fun times...it was the members who made it happen. We still do, but it was easier in Harrison because once rehearsal ended, we just opened up the coolers, fired up the grills, and blasted the music for hours. We couldn't do that in Ridgefield Park.

ANYWAY...the meeting went well. We have a definite direction for the show. We didn't talk too much about specific music, just about the direction we need to go, the theme of the show, the structure and storyboard...all that stuff. So, now we have a wire frame for the show, and it's up to all of us to start laying the bricks and working out all the details.

I'm very excited about the show and the direction we're going. Last year's "Gypsodic" program was quite popular. Lots of folks who don't necessarily normally like the Bushwackers were intrigued and entertained by the program. Expect another show out of us like that. Not from a theme standpoint, but from an approach standpoint.

Expect music with a flair for the dramatic. Expect a color guard that will take your breath away. Expect another drum line that makes your jaw hit the floor, and expect a larger, louder, aggressive Bushwackers Brass Line. It's going to be cool!

This weekend we have another fall brass clinic in Ridgefield Park. We'll be playing through a bunch of music and just having a good time. Hopefully we get a bunch of folks, but the REALLY important date is November 30th. That's our Open House and First Rehearsal of 2009!!! Everyone is invited, regardless of what you play, how long you've been playing it, where you've marched before, etc.

I have heard from people in the past that they have wanted to try out for the Bushwackers...but don't think that they'd make the line. They've gone elsewhere or just didn't march at all because of the fear of being cut from the corps. Of course, I know this is absolutely ridiculous because I've been around and have seen people who have never done anything like this go on to become major contributors. I also know that there are no "cuts" in the Bushwackers. Yes, that's correct...no cuts.

"Well, how the heck does that work?"

It works like this: it's our philosophy that the people who want to be Bushwackers will be Bushwackers. The people who don't have the desire and who aren't willing to do the work will cut themselves, and they almost always do.

I am a saxophone player. I marched baritone and soprano with the corps and was a drum major for 9 years. Now I'm the brass caption head! I have not only learned how to play brass, but more importantly I've learned how to teach it effectively.

The Bushwackers TEACH. At the same time, we don't shy away from writing challenging programs...shows that challenge even the most seasoned drum corps veteran. We've learned that if you set the bar high, and you educate and inspire your members...that they'll reach the bar you set more often than not. Will it always be pretty? Nope...especially early on in the winter and spring. BUT, what you have at the end is a killer show being performed at very high level by people who WANT TO BE BUSHWACKERS. That is the most important thing of all...and it's what makes the corps very special.

We've had drummers and guard members play brass instruments, and still win High Brass at finals. We've had 14 year old rookies who can barely keep their feet in time when they come to us go on to win world championships.

Make no mistake about it...The Bushwackers are dedicated each and every year to putting out a show and a corps capable of winning a DCA World Championship. We have an intense competitive spirit that drives us and helps fuel our performances. We mean business.

...but we will do it with the people who want to be here, regardless of their ability level or experience when they walk through the doors for the first time. If you do the work, take it seriously, and keep coming back for more...YOU can be a Bushwacker.

That's the deal, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

So, there are no auditions for my brass line. You won't have to perform solo pieces or sight read or play scales. All you have to do is walk through the doors at a rehearsal and jump in the line. After that, do what the staff and myself ask you to do and practice at home. Next thing you know you'll be taking the field at the DCA Championships saying "Wow...how did I get here!"

If you're a DCI age out, a trained musician, or someone with some serious chops...don't think that this is band camp here and we coddle people. That's not the way it is either. You'll get better too...and you'll have a great drum corps experience. We've worked hard to find that balance between educating and challenging our members...and it works. The results speak for themselves.

All of you are welcome, and I hope to see you on November 30th. If you're interested, email me or send me a message through here. More information is on our website at www.bushwackers.org. There's a big poster on the main page with all the info...click on that poster and it'll take you to the directions.

More to come soon enough!

I'm baaaaaaack...

...in more ways than just one.

#1, the blog is back. I haven't posted much of anything this summer, and that's for a lot of reasons. The main thing is that I was up to my eyeballs in responsibilities and other things going on. For one, I was running the program side of a corps in the hunt for a DCA Class A World Championship. On top of that, I was helping to plan my wedding, I had 7 bands to write for this year, two bands to coordinate programs for, band camps, etc, etc. It's been wild.

So, to catch you up in chronological order...


Fusion: My summer with Fusion ended with a 2nd place finish at the DCA World Championships in Rochester, NY. In only the corps' second season ever, Fusion placed 2nd in Class A by just tenths of a point and won the following captions: brass, visual, and colorguard. A lot of the percussionists blamed themselves for coming in 2nd, but really it was losing GE that did us in. The fact was, Alliance was a damn good corps and either one of us could have walked away with the big prize that night. It just so happened it was them. We made it close and had a great ride...that's all that really matters.

Finals weekend was a spectacular weekend of drum corps for us. We had our best attended, most focused, most productive rehearsals of the year...at the right time. It was a good way to end a great season. I couldn't be happier for the members or prouder of their accomplishments. The members of the corps are absolutely amazing and deserve the best drum corps experience available. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me, listening to me, and believing in the program. I told them it would be rough at times. I told them to believe and to work and that everything else would fall into place. It did. They did what it took to be one of the best corps on the field that night...one of the best in the world at what they do. Bravo.

Off the field, it was a frustrating, sometimes fun, awkward time. There was a lot of talking...mostly TO me. A lot of conflicting feelings and emotions. There was a lot going on in my brain because with the end of one season comes the beginning of another...and I had not yet made up my mind whether I was going to be a part of another season with Fusion.

This was nobody's fault. I have no ill feelings towards the Fusion organization, the administration, the members at all. I don't hate the color purple, think the name is silly, or anything like that. I didn't get in a fight with the director or make ultimatums, or had ultimatums imposed on me...except one...that I make my decision on whether or not to return before my wedding. I wanted to wait until afterwards so that I had time to decompress and to think clearly without all of the emotions that finals weekend brings. That was not going to be possible, and so I made the decision to not return for 2009. I offered to write the show and was taken up on my offer...then later asked to not write at all.

I don't blame them for wanting a quick decision, but it was not something I was prepared to do at the time. I had a rough year...getting laid off twice, a wedding 2 weeks after finals...there was just too much going on at that moment for me to make a promise and a decision that would effect not just myself but my new wife, all the members of the corps, my family, etc.

Regardless, the end result is the end result and that's just the way it is. I enjoyed working with my friends again: JR, Al, Genny, Jess, Simon...etc. I made a lot of new friends in the process, including some of the staff I inherrited when I took the job. Hopefully we can all remain close and/or work together in some capacity somewhere someday again. Who knows. It was fun while it lasted.

Wedding: On September 13th I married Dena Berry (now Dena Kilian) in Dillsburg, PA with about 110 family and friends. It was a stressful time leading up to the wedding, but the day couldn't have gone off any better. She was beautiful (pictures to come), our families behaved, and nothing blew up.

We flew to Disney World the following evening, and had a blast. What a great spot for a honeymoon! She had never been there, and I hadn't been there since I was in high school. There is PLENTY to occupy and entertain adults down there! We made our dining part of the experience as well and ate at some incredible establishments such as Citricos and Wolfgang Puck's. Unreal food every night. Great times. Downtown Disney is awesome.

Bushwackers: Jay Morlot, director of the Bushwackers, contacted me after finals and we talked about me coming on board as the brass caption head for 2009. Apparently, Joe Exley was looking to take a step back and spend more time with his family and/or look into other options and situations as an instructor. Joe had asked me a couple times during the summer to come back in 09 and help or take his job or whatever...so I knew that the interest was there. I hadn't really given it any thought because I was happy with my situation at Fusion and wasn't really considering leaving until faced with the decision the day after finals.

I agreed, and once I came back from my honeymoon I set about the business of putting together a staff, organizing the caption, getting my arms around the recruiting and technology situations with the drum corps, etc, etc. There was/is a lot of work to be done to help get this brass program back to the top.

I'm excited to be back with the Bushwackers. I mean...I spent 12 years here. I was the drum major for 9. I put everything I had into the Bushwackers for a long, long time...so of course I'm elated to be back so I can help continue to build this thing again. I'm excited to work with the kind of people we have on the staff and on the design team. I'm excited about the opportunity to come "home" and take the reigns of a top teir brass program that is only 2 years removed from winning the caption at finals. BUT, there's no time to be excited or to bask in the wonderfulness of it all. I have a lot of freakin' work to do.

Last season, the Bushwackers had less brass players than we had at Fusion for most of the year. It didn't end up that way by finals, but that's a frustrating way to spend your season. I want to overcome that. There's no reason why the Bushwackers can't be full earlier. There's no reason why, out of the hundreds of thousands of brass players in the world, we can't find 45 of them to march Bush...

...but it takes determination and a lot of hard work. I have to convince the brass playing world that the Bushwackers is where they should be in 2009. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that...but I have to.

What I'm hoping is that those who have worked with me, marched for me, or marched with me in the past will see me in this position and decide to come check it out and give me a chance. I have been a program coordinator before, and I've done the arranging thing now...but I have not been a brass caption head. I've learned from some spectacular instructors, and I have a lot of great ideas myself. I've also hired two guys with a ton of knowledge and we have one of the best brass arrangers in the business. There are a lot of reasons why everyone should want to come check this out.

If for no other reason, just the fact that it's a young, yet experienced, hungry, competitive, fun staff should be enough for people to want to hang out and do the Bush thing. I hope they do.

It's going to be a very organized effort on our part...and a TEAM effort. This isn't high school band. I'm not here to yell at people all the time and hold their hands as we go through things...no. This is about me doing my job, the staff doing theirs, and the members doing theirs. If we all understand our roles and responsibilities...and we execute...there is no reason why, with the program we'll have in place, that we can't again be one of the (if not THE) best in the activity.

There's no magic potion. There's no drum corps fairy dust. Do your job. Believe in the program. Execute. Love what you do and put that into your performance.

Done.

If you're reading this and not currently betrothed to another corps for 2009 (which technically, almost none of you are because there haven't been any rehearsals yet really)...I hope you come check us out.

Band: Since coming back from the honeymoon, it's been band all the time. Both Ryan's and Penns Grove's shows are complete and both bands took home victories this past weekend. We're having some weird judging things going on that I won't go into here, but it's fun to see all the kids starting to have a good time. October is when band really starts becoming more fun than work...and I think they're starting to get that. I've enjoyed working with both programs. We'll see what next year brings, but I thinkn it might be time for me to try my hand at judging during the fall and opening up my schedule for more arranging. We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I'm still having fun most of the time teaching, and it's especially fun this year to hear two groups every week playing my arrangements and to watch one of those groups marching my first ever drill. Good stuff.

So...that's where we're at. I have a design meeting this weekend for the Bushwackers. The goal is to put together a blueprint for the 2009 show. There are a lot of cool and crazy ideas. A lot of people liked the Bushwackers last year. It was different, entertaining, hard, but accessible...fun stuff. This year, if we go down the road we're headed right now, will make last year pale in comparison. It's going to be very cool, very eclectic, and very cool. As usual, you just can't pin us down when it comes to style...but SUBSTANCE, you can always expect the best.

It's the offseason now, and there's not a whole lot going on in the drum corps world except behind the scenes stuff (which I'll share a bit of with you)until our open house on November 30th. Until next time, feel free to comment or email me at bushbrass@gmail.com Thanks for reading!

more soon...

Stay tuned. This blog lives...I just haven't posted in a while.

Lots of new updates and news to come.

I'm published!

An article I wrote for the industry newsletter that my company distributes was featured in this month's edition.

NEWSLETTER ARTICLE!

Check it out.

End of June

Well, another weekend in the books. We didn't have a show this weekend, so the whole corps was at our rehearsal facility in Rockaway, NJ for the entire weekend. We got a lot of work done, have about 2.5 minutes more show in and looking/sounding good, and we're in good shape going into Manassas, VA this weekend.

It really was a great weekend. Saturday's rehearsal was the best of the year so far. We had visual in the morning where we learned all but 2 sets of the end of the show. Next was sectionals where the drum line worked on the feature in "Ride" and the horn line spent a long time working on technique before getting into the show. The guard spent the whole day making drill changes to "Gift" and putting in work. We'll have them in for that song in VA, which will do wonders for our GE Vis and Ensemble Vis scores.

Our ensemble rehearsal went very well. The corps did their best job of the year at putting music to drill for the first time together. I was quite proud of their effort and their progress. We definitely got points...POINTS better on Saturday.

Sunday we began the day in sectionals so that the brass and percussion could learn the "tag" ending to the show. We're not quite ready to put out the entire closer, so we have a nice ending to put on the show for now. The mellophones were happy because they get a nice "open and one" 16th note lick at the end. They sound phenomenal with the new mouthpieces, and they're placed perfectly in the set where we're going to end, so I thought I'd exploit their awesome-ness for a while.

Sunday afternoon we went into a blended visual/ensemble block. It rained pretty good for about the first 45 minutes, but we stayed out there and blocked through the ballad in the rain. I came close once to calling it off and telling them to go to the parking garage where we rehearse when it rains, but I'm glad that I didn't. It eventually stopped and turned sunny and warm. By the end of rehearsal you would barely have known that it ever rained at all.

The rain did take its toll on the patience of the corps, however. It was definitely a more tense rehearsal than the night before, and everyone was tired from a long weekend. The corps pushed through 100%, but you could sense that they were frustrated with their heavy feet, with their fading chops, and with the weather. Regardless, we got done what we needed to do, did a full run through of the show that we'll be doing in Manassas and likely in Clifton, and finished the day. I was really pleased with their progress and work. I think we're going to be pretty damn good in VA if the corps retains the work we did and practices this week.

I have to make some musical changes to the opener. I'm not getting the kind of tension/release that was intended...probably because I was trying to be clever instead of writing what functionally needed to happen. Oh well...now I know. Don't try to be clever. If you're clever, it'll come out in the music.

Beginning this weekend we have a show every weekend in July up through the first weekend in August. We do have one weekend off in August that we'll just practice and refine the show. At that point, the show won't even resemble what we worked on this weekend. If the corps keeps working as they're working now, the show will be clean and good by that point. I'm excited to see where this journey takes us.

It's been bumpy, but it's worth it. This weekend we'll take another step.

Penalties

I have a bit of a history with penalties. In 98 we were penalized at prelims because our baritone soloist went on a bit of a stroll towards the stands. He'd been doing it all year, but prelims seemed like a good time to start giving penalties. lol

The most famous incident was in 2005 when we famously trooped the stands at finals and were assessed a penalty that dropped us from 2nd to 3rd place. I've since been told by many sources that it should have been a fine and not a penalty, but it doesn't matter. We know what placement we earned.

Then there's Saturday night: new team, new tradition of penalties. lol We were assessed a 4.2 point penalty. People were in shock (not us...we expected it). They asked "What the hell did you do to get that penalty?", to which my response was "Excessive awesome." I guess DCA people don't have much of a sense of humor, but whatever. I was amused.

In truth, we just didn't do our closer. We only put out 7.5 minutes of show, and DCA decided that this year they weren't going to be lenient at the first show with timing penalties. So be it.

This show was way too early in the year for us to be going out there and really doing anything, much less putting out all of our show. Honestly, we only have 6 or 8 pages left to learn. We could have easily done 9+ minutes of show...maybe even 10, but I wasn't going to do that to the corps. It wasn't ready, I knew it wasn't going to be ready, and I wasn't about to send a young corps out there destined to fail. That would not be fair.

Nothing against the lovely people of Wildwood, but Saturday was not a productive day of drum corps for my corps. Yeah, it's nice to get in front of people, but we needed more time. It's a new corps, young and inexperienced membership...we just needed another week or two to finish pulling things together. So many adjustments, so little time.

Regardless, it's the hand we were dealt. We went, we had our day, we had an okay performance, and we left with a 4.2 penalty. On the positive side, we finally got out there, we did most of the show, everyone had a little bit of an eye opener, and we knew exactly where we stood in our progression. A lot of the staff's points were validated by the judges, and we were pretty armed and ready to go going into Sunday's rehearsal.

It rained in the morning, but we were able to get in the parking garage and do some work on technique and that sort of thing. After lunch, the sun came out and we were on the field in full ensemble. We had a great afternoon, got POINTS better, and are in a really good position going into this weekend...a weekend of nothing but rehearsal.

The plan is to get a lot of the closer out there for the Manassas, VA show. We'll likely not be able to put the entire thing out there, but we'll do our best. We only have so much time. In hindsight, our winter schedule hurt us a bit...and we all know it, so changes for 09 will definitely happen there.

...and that's really the whole thing. We're learning. Everyone in the organization is learning right now. It's exciting, new, and most people seem willing to work extra hard and just have blind faith that this new corps, this new direction, new philosophies are all going to pay off and we're going to be better for the experience.

Saturday taught us that adversity is inevitable. Things are going to be forgotten on show days. We're going to have bad shows sometimes. Things aren't always going to be idea...but we push on. We continue to move the corps forward, because we have direction, we have a vision, and we're on a mission to prove ourselves.

What I'd like to see next is some confidence. I'd like to see some of our younger members get comfortable enough with the show that they start to develop that big, tough, drum corps confidence. It's exciting to watch that develop in people who are new to the activity. Drum corps is where people can come to be badasses. Whether you are one or not in your "normal" life, you are when you're here.

It was a bumpy start to the season, but I've received tons of positive feedback from friends, strangers, fans, and people completely unaffiliated with us at all. I guess there's something in the show that is coming across, even though we're not clean. This weekend we'll move on a little more, and hopefully we roll into Manassas next weekend with little rehearsal time and more than a few parades under our belt, and we throw down for the crowd and have a good show. No matter what, if we get better every time we're at rehearsal...it's going to be a great summer.

Are you kidding me?

Seriously...you have got to be kidding me.

The week before the first show, and our entire ensemble block gets rained out? Seriously?

Yep.

We worked hard all day in drill and sectionals, and now the first time we'll see the fruits of our labor will be in Wildwood on the day of the first show. Oh, that's just freakin' great.

I'm all for rehearsing in the rain, but this wasn't rain...it was ridiculous. When it stopped raining briefly, there was still lightning...so we just ended up in the parking garage refining our visual technique and doing some standstill ensemble music. The guard was able to learn some new work and solidify the stuff that they have.

I didn't say it was a waste of time. We don't waste any time at Fusion. It does put us in a bit of a pickle as far as next weekend's first show is concerned. There are things we've never done as an ensemble before. There are things that really needed to be tightened down. All of that is going to have to happen the day of the first show. It sucks, but it is what it is, and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it.

Everything is really coming together nicely...at least musically speaking. I have yet to see most of the guard work because we've had so much sectional time lately in order to allow them to catch up. It'll be a surprise for everyone on Saturday. Can't wait.

What will save the day is if the members show up ready to work from the second they get off the bus. We go on first, and therefore don't have much rehearsal time on Saturday. We need to rehearse smart and efficiently...and that CAN happen if the corps has the right mindset. If they come in flat and not really into it, we're dead in the water. Saturday will say a lot about us as a drum corps, that's for sure.

I'm looking forward to seeing my old team, the Bushwackers. They have a great show this year, and my fiance is marching in the mellophone line. Hopefully I'll have the chance and won't be stuck listening to tapes while they're on.

I hope to have some pictures soon...maybe a recording or two. We'll see. I hope everyone out there in blog-land is well.

Feel the Heat!

Wow...what a scorcher this last weekend was! It was the first ridiculously hot weekend of the summer, and we made it through...barely.

Saturday was a great day. The corps got to spend the day in Wildwood, NJ so we could perform in the annual Elks Convention parade. We marched for the Penns Grove lodge, and they really seemed to dig us. The weather was hot, but we were so close to the ocean that it kept the temperature down to a reasonable level. I got BURNT to a crisp because I'm a moron.

The parade was good and the crowd seemed appreciative of us, so that was nice. Afterwards the Elks fed us back at the hotel, and we warmed up and performed a standstill concert of our 2008 production of "MOMENTUM" for them...to much hooting and hollering. They want us back, so I guess we must have been pretty good. The members and the staff weren't overly impressed...but hey...sometimes you have to take into account what the drum corps novice's opinion is. After all, many of the folks we'll be playing to all summer haven't ever marched.

The corps got to spend some time on the boardwalk in the afternoon just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. I, and much of the rest of the staff present, went to Kelly's...a bar that is well known as a drum corps hang out at events such as this. It was a good time, I got to bond with some of the staff and members, and I have an even better feeling about the summer and my place in my new corps.

Sunday was brutal. We rehearse on black top, which has its benefits for sure...but keeping you cool on a REALLY hot day sure isn't one of them. We lost a bass drummer almost immediately, and several people throughout the day had to take some time to regain their composure and re-hydrate. I refused to push them too hard, but didn't want to call rehearsal early. We do have to learn how to practice and achieve great things in all weather, but to me it didn't make any sense to mercilessly beat them because it was the first hot day, they wouldn't retain anything, and we're two weeks out from our first show. I didn't want to chance losing anybody.

That being said, taking steps back is never an option...so we learned more drill for the closer, we had sectionals for about 2 hours, and we did a full ensemble rehearsal to put music and drill together in Ride. It was about half way through ensemble that we really started having issues with health, so eventually I told them to get a drink and come back to ensemble arcs so we could just put music together and get some reps. We went right up until quitting time, and while we weren't in the greatest shape afterwards, I think we learned something about ourselves and what kind of preparation we need to do during the week AND during the weekend to be able to perform and practice at a high level.

As I said to the corps, it's not going to get much cooler. It's a summer activity and we have to condition ourselves to be able to perform in it. Weather is never an excuse.

I hope it's cooler this weekend, needless to say. We have a one day rehearsal this weekend (just Saturday), and then the following weekend is the first show...back in Wildwood! It's crunch time, and the show isn't quite ready for prime time yet. We won't be performing the closer in Wildwood, so this coming Saturday we won't be touching that at all. The whole day will be devoted to solidifying Kinetic, Fractal, and Gift so that we can put our best foot forward on the 21st and perform a solid, albeit incomplete show. After the first show we'll have 3 rehearsals to put as much closer in there as possible for Manassas, VA. I don't know if we'll rock out the whole thing...but we'll do a lot of it.

To me, Clifton is the big deal. I want the entire show done and cooking by Clifton. I think that's reasonable if the members do what they have to do. By and large I'm really happy with the staff and the way they have prepared the members to this point. The members work hard, and I'm constantly impressed with their heart. Right now we, as a whole, need to improve on the Monday to Friday aspect of drum corps. We have Saturday and Sunday down pretty damn good. M-F needs some work.

And there it is...this Saturday is the LAST pre-season rehearsal. By the end of Saturday we'll know exactly who and what we're putting on the field on the 21st! I'm excited to see my first drum corps show ever under the lights, and I'm even more excited to watch the members throw down. Everything has turned out much better than I ever expected. I could have never anticipated this quick of a turn around. This was supposed to be a transition year...a building year. Now, here we are...a big class A corps (bigger than some open class corps) with a killer show and we're DOING it. They get it. I'm very impressed and excited.

Hope to see you readers out there (if there are any of you left! I have no idea if anyone actually reads this thing) at a show this summer. Hopefully it cools off a bit! 82 all summer sounds good to me!

Wildwood!

Finally...a "relaxing" weekend is almost here!

That statement is partially sarcastic...because we have drum corps all weekend. Fortunately for my own sanity, Saturday will be spent in Wildwood, NJ. We have a parade (the Elks Parade) down there on Saturday morning, which means nothing for me. Parades very much fall outside of my "world" as a P.C. We will have time before and after the parade to get in some sectionals and hopefully some standstill ensemble rehearsal...but nothing too major. Just enough to get everyone back into the swing of the show. Technically, I don't really need to be there for that, except the ensemble rehearsal...but I really wanted to go down and spend the day with the corps. I'm looking forward to being near the ocean, having a good time with my friends who are on staff, and hanging out with my new friends at Fusion.

Honestly, it should be a relaxing day...and I need it. I've been a terrible big ball of stress lately. I'm not really doing very well at all...but I'm working on it, and I'm getting better. I'm trying to enjoy things, but there just doesn't seem like there's enough hours in the day to get everything done.

Being P.C. at Fusion is pretty stressful. There's a lot of work to do during the week just so that on the weekends the staff can just worry about teaching, and the members can just worry about knowing their stuff. There's a lot of "stuff" I didn't exactly bargain for when I took the job, but I guess that's the case with any job...especially when you're managing things and working with as many people and various personalities as I am. It's okay...it's the gig.

I'm writing for 6 bands this year, which is cool. It's just hard to balance when shows aren't picked until April/May...and then every director wants their music all at the same time. Oh, and I work during the day, have an hour commute home in traffic, and teach bands 2 or 3 nights a week. It's a lot, and I want to give everything my all. I do. I always do. It just takes its toll, and I often feel like I can't do enough.

...but I chose that path for myself. I wanted to be the big arranger/program guy. I wanted to teach and help kids get a good experience in this activity. I knew I couldn't pay the bills doing it and that I'd have to work a regular job. I'm not complaining as much as I'm just blogging about what's going on in my life.

Had rehearsal with one of my bands last night. They have a lot of show music in their hands...have for a while now. The show is going to be cool if the students make the commitment to doing the work. It's about as "outside the box" as I've ever gone with design. It's very indoor-ish, Bluecoats-ish...but still cool. I just hope they figure it out sooner rather than later.

JR finished the drum book for Fusion a week or two ago. I've been done for a while. That means all the music for our 08 production of "Momentum" is completed. Sigh. It was fun...what a cool and creative process. I think that all of us, including Izzy, have gotten a lot out of the process. I've already informed the staff that I'm taking suggestions for next year's show beginning now. My plan is to start serious talking about it in August and have enough of it solidified that I can announce the show right after championships in Rochester. I want one season to hand right off to the next. I haven't received any suggestions yet...and I have some of my own. I know that quite a few of the staff members are excited about it though, and are giving it a lot of great thought.

The corps as a whole is doing pretty well. We had a weird day on Saturday. Didn't seem like the corps I've come to know showed up at first. We picked it up as the day went on, but playing catch up at rehearsals is difficult to do and still maintain your standards of quality. It poured on us at the beginning of ensemble so we took it into the parking garage and did standstill ensemble for the rest of the night. That was a KILLER rehearsal. Something in the rain soaked into the members and washed away all the BS...because we had one of our most productive rehearsals of the year. The drums seized the opportunity to really get the closer under their hands...something that needed to be done. They just needed reps really bad, and boy did they get them.

The brass is starting to find their inner ANIMAL. They're starting to play with a controlled ferocity that makes me happy! You can't learn to play loud without playing loud, and you can't approach drum corps with a scared, timid attitude. You have to go after it 100%, all the time. Drum corps is where everyone can feel free to embrace their inner badass. They're starting to figure it out, and it's wonderful to see the transformation.

The guard is still a bit of an enigma to me. I don't get to spend much time with them, and they're so busy trying to learn work and drill all at the same time...I don't really want to disturb them. What's been written so far is very effective and cool...right in their wheelhouse as far as ability level goes. We have some very, very talented spinners and dancers, and then we have some girls who are learning...but learning quickly. The great divide between the two groups gets closer and closer every weekend. It's really encouraging.

I'm personally pretty proud of the girl I drive up, Angelika. Last year she could barely get through her high school band show...now the girl is making herself do drum corps and is really showing a lot of improvement.

There are now 10 ex-Bushwackers on the staff of Fusion. I get a little bit of crap from both corps about it, but I don't care. There are people at Fusion who insinuate that I only hire Bushwackers because I'm trying to turn Fusion into the Bushwackers...or something to that effect. Then there are the Bushwackers who kind of bristle at the fact that so many 'wackers have come to Fusion. I understand both points. Of course, I'm not stealing Bushwackers...no one BELONGS to anyone. And I'm not trying to turn Fusion into Bush...it really is just that the most qualified people I know are/were Bushwackers. The people that I feel most comfortable working with...especially in my FIRST YEAR as the P.C., when I'm trying to establish my program and build a championship caliber drum corps that can sustain success over the long term...not just be a flash in the pan...are all Bushwackers! I marched there for 12 years and no where else. Who else am I going to know?

I haven't brought in any "duds" either, and I have tried to hire from outside my drum corps circle of acquaintances. The guy we hired originally to teach the pit was from central PA and never marched drum corps before. He ended up quitting because he got a job as a VP somewhere...pretty important. So what did I do? I brought in a Bushwacker to take his place! lol Hey...our pit deserves the best instruction I can find them...that's willing to come to a place that's completely un-established...that's willing to, frankly, work with a 2nd year Class A corps. The whole corps deserves world class instruction. It just so happens that I find what I'm looking for in several of the people I have worked with at Bush.

It's a good situation all around. I did the Bushwacker thing for a long time...I don't need to continue it somewhere else. We'll have our own style...our own approach to drum corps. We're going to play whatever we want and take programming to a new level in DCA. We're going to build something sustainable...something for the members of this corps to believe in. It takes a huge, coordinated team effort to build something like that from the ground up. So, I called people I trust and respect...and who trust and respect me.

So, yeah...if you're in Wildwood on Saturday, look for us. We'll be doing a standstill concert at whatever hotel we're at (Sandpiper Inn I think)...so check it out. Afterwards, I'll likely be at Kelly's or roaming the boardwalk just enjoying drum corps...and enjoying life. I need to do that more, and Saturday will be a good starting point for that.

RAIN

Great weekend. The weather held off long enough on Saturday for us to learn and then beat the crap out of all 18 pages of the ballad. This puts us at 61 total pages learned, and about 7.5 minutes of show on the field with music and drill.

We were unfortunately unable to attempt a complete run through of everything we know due to the weather. It started raining on us during ensemble rehearsal on Saturday night, and by the time we got to the point where we could do a run...there weren't any lines left on the lot. Those are important...right? Anyway, it started raining on Sunday during lunch. We broke into sectionals for a while, but called it quits altogether at 2:30. It was just getting too wet out, the pit and guard couldn't do anything, and it was just miserable.

Normally I'd freak out a little bit because of the timeline and everything that needs to be done (and there's still TONS that needs to be done between now and the first show), but because we got so much done on Saturday morning we're now able to take all of next weekend to review what we know...no new drill. Saturday is a tweak/change/solidify day with the goal of getting the entire show to a point that we can start doing runs in ensemble. I'd like to do 4 complete runs of the known show between Saturday and Sunday...we'll see how that goes. Building stamina in July doesn't make any sense to me. We need to start NOW.

The battery will be learning "Ride" this weekend. They have a really good grasp on the first 2/3rds of the show, and now it's time to just add on the closer. The brass has been working it for quite some time, and it's really starting to come together nicely. The pit knows most of it as well...although there are some really challenging parts that they're about to come up on. Unfortunately, we lost our most experienced mallet player. The rest of the pit has done a ridiculously awesome job of stepping it up and working hard. We have people who have been playing for less than a year flying all up and down the keyboards. The staff has done a good job with them for sure, but you have to give it up to the members in this kind of situation. We still need a marimba player, but it's not like the pit will suck without that position filled. They're doing a great job!

The guard began filling in work, and it looks great so far. So much movement and velocity in this show. I'm impressed with the product. I didn't know what to expect from the design team...including myself. The whole thing is turning out to be a mature, polished production...and I couldn't be happier with the way the whole team, including the rest of the staff, does whatever is best for the corps. They put their individual egos aside for what is best for Fusion. I think we're all getting used to each other, and the mutual respect is really beginning to happen. Good times lie ahead.

If you're reading this and are looking for something cool to do this weekend, come out to our Wal-Mart rehearsal facility on Sunday evening and have a BBQ with Fusion! We'll be doing a standstill performance of the show, I'll be talking about the show, the director will be talking a little about the year and what lies ahead...it'll be a cool day. We're performing around 6, but you can show up whenever and check things out. Hope to see you there.

Random Picture of the Week #2

so exciting...

Good Weekend

Hey there! Last weekend we had a skeleton staff, but we were able to get tons done. The corps learned the last 18 pages of "Fractal Speak" and we were able to do a full ensemble run of the entire song by EOD Saturday.

The drill is pretty effective, but it's the entire production together that really makes it. All the various elements compliment each other quite well, and the general impression you get from watching it is that the performers and the design are mature and aggressive...exactly what we were going for. I'll be interested to see how the guard work looks in the drill. Iz did a good job of integrating them into the design, so it'll be fun to see flags and weapons spinning around in there.

We were only in on Saturday due to Mother's Day, so hopefully everyone retains what we did so that we can move on this weekend.

This coming weekend should be nice...a full weekend with a full drum corps and staff. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be learning the drill for "Today is the Gift" and will hopefully be able to do a full run from the top of the show through to the end of Gift...approximately 7 minutes of show! We're in very good shape going into June...and we still have Memorial Day weekend! JR and I will probably block out "Ride" with Izzy this weekend so he can get crackin' on that. Before you know it, we'll be done!

Of course this time of year is all about finding the balance between learning new material and solidifying what you already have. The reality is that we have a show on the 21st of June...3 weeks before we were supposed to go out. Our entire winter schedule and timeline of design and education was designed around going out at Clifton. The DCA meeting changed that, and so some decisions are going to have to be made in June, like...how much of the show is ready to be performed in front of people??? That's huge for a corps like us. We're in our 2nd year, Class A, and we want to grow in the future. I've said all along that my goal isn't to win Class A...it's to win Open Class...a lot! I want to help build a corps that can enjoy sustainable success. Going out before we're ready and putting slop on the field simply isn't an option for us.

The difference in membership between going Class A or Open is huge and therefore having a great year is paramount. It's easier in the world of percussion than the other sections...here's how I break it down:

Class A Battery = 5 snares, 2 tenors, 5 bass (what we have this year)
Open Class Battery = 7 snares, 3 tenors, 5 bass (3 more people than what we already have).

Class A Pit = 9
Open Class Pit = 9

Class A Guard = 14 (what we have this year
Open Class Guard = 30+ (we have to at least double in size)

Class A Brass = 30 (10 trumpets, 5 mellos, 10 baritones, 5 tubas)
Open Class Brass = 54 (18 trumpets, 8 mellos, 18 baritones, 10 tubas)

Big difference in guard and brass. Of course, you don't NEED those numbers...unless you want to be competitive.

Having some success at this level as well as a comprehensive recruitment/PR effort is going to be a huge deal in future years. The thing with success in Class A is that much of the DCA world doesn't really take the Class A championship seriously. Really, it's highly competitive but there have been years where the Class A corps are not as good as one would hope. I personally think that good drum corps is good drum corps. If it's clean, it's clean. Unfortunately, the notion out there is that Class A corps aren't good enough to be big. That really isn't the case in our situation. Hopefully we can change that mindset a bit.

...but what would be better for us long term? Winning Class A finals, or placing top 10 in open class?

Yes, it's possible. On the night of prelims everyone is up against the entire field of DCA corps. If we, or any other Class A corps, happens to score in the top 10 overall, we're immediately bumped to Open Class and perform in Open Class Finals on Sunday night.

So which is better...win class A or to come in 10th in Open?

Honestly...I don't know. My initial feeling is that placing top 10 would be the best thing because we would have had to have beaten more corps...plus, it would establish us as being competitive with the larger groups. Then, on the other hand, it would be nice to put medals around the necks of my corps members.

When it comes down to it, we don't really have control over any of that. We could come in 9th in Class A for all I know. The only thing we can control is designing a good, solid show, educating our members, and the members retaining and executing the show. The rest will fall into place.

So, that's where we are. We're in good shape, but have miles to go before we sleep. This has been an interesting journey so far for me. I'm excited to see how it plays out.

Summer Time!

It's May now! That means, of course, that I'll be posting once a week about drum corps, the season, how things are going, etc. I know there are people who used to read...and I hope that you will again. As usual, I'll try my best to write about what's going on...without sugar coating anything.

Of course, if you're new to my blog, I'm extremely biased. Of course I am. In all cases I've been involved with the drum corps and bands that I like...so I'm a big fan. This isn't intended to be an unbiased blog about the drum corps activity in general...this is about drum corps and my life.

Maybe someday I'll have a generic drum corps blog where I review shows and talk about the way I think things should be done...but at this point, I'm in a position to DO drum corps the way I think it should be done...not just write about it.

This weekend is a one day camp due to Mothers' Day. We never rehearse that day. We also have Fathers' Day off, and as well we should. While drum corps and your drum corps family is important...we like to give people the opportunity to spend time with their real families.

Oh...another thing...On Sunday, May 25th (Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend) we'll be having a standstill concert and a little shindig at our outdoor rehearsal facility in Rockaway, NJ. Directions can be found HERE, and all are invited. I'll be giving a little schpiel about the show, and we'll celebrate the kick off of the 2008 season! I hope you join us.

Now, to introduce a new weekly segment that I hope not to forget about...the Random Picture of the Week!

April reflexions

April has come and gone...and we know a little more about ourselves as a drum corps now. I have a good sense for what the members are about, where the show is going, and what to expect from the staff.

We currently have 25 pages of drill learned...that's the entire introduction and just about half of the opener. Not bad...about 3 minutes. We could be further ahead, but attendance was spotty last weekend due to school commitments, so why push forward if we're just going to have to teach it over again. It wouldn't have been a big deal if we weren't off this weekend, but we are. No drum corps for the last time until September.

The staff has done a good job so far. There's still some adjusting going on...and that's to be expected. In each section there except the guard there is a combination of people who have come back and new people. Any time that happens there is going to be a period of adjustment as they get to know each other's teaching style and approach. I've never worked with any of them in the capacity I'm in...so everyone is getting used to me, whether they knew me previously or not. It's been quite the learning experience.

Honestly, I didn't know what kind of coordinator I'd be. I knew I could do it...and I've done it at the high school level, but drum corps is different...staff at the drum corps level are different. It's completely different when you're dealing with your peers or people older than you...yet you are the one responsible for the entire package. Luckily for me, there's a good amount of respect to go around. Everyone has an ego to some degree...because they're great at what they do. That's to be expected. The thing is to respect each other in spite of our own egos...that's huge, and that appears to be what we have.

Are things perfect? Not yet...but we're 4 months into a long term plan that's enormous in its scope. The goal is not to win A class this year, or next...the goal is to win Open Class...a lot...sustained success over the long term. We want Fusion to be the standard...to be able to weather any storm that comes our way, and come out on the other side successfully because of who we are. We're a long way from that...but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

...and not everyone will make this long journey with us. Hell, I might get fired or life might take me in an unforeseen direction that does not allow me to finish what I've started here. You never know. I just want everyone on our staff and all of our members to understand that whether they are here for one year or ten, that they are leaving their mark on the corps...their unique finger print...and they will never be forgotten.

That's one of the things that makes drum corps special...you never have to stop, or you can stop any time you want. It can be a hobby for one summer, or it can weave itself into the very fabric of what makes you YOU. For me, it's most definitely the latter...but I'd never begrudge someone for choosing the former.

The members of Fusion are still quite an enigma to me, as I'm sure that I am to them. The vibe is quite different than what I'm used to, but that's not a bad thing. I'm just still trying to feel it out and get comfortable with my new surroundings. Most of them have been welcoming and hospitable. Most of them, actually, are awesome...completely awesome people who want to be the best at what they do. I love that.

There are some, however, who have been somewhat less than welcoming. I figured there would be some backlash...new guy coming in trying to change everything. I get it. They don't want to sacrifice the family/fun atmosphere of Fusion for competition. I don't either. I don't think you have to make a choice. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, necessarily.

I know plenty of corps that have a great time, but are a dirty bag on the field. I also know plenty of corps that work their asses off, win all kinds of awards, and hardly anyone enjoys themselves. I think there is an impression out there that that's what I'm about...beating the corps until they're good and hoping that they find their fun in the blood, sweat, tears, and frustration of a drum corps season.

Definitely not. Of course, there is a sadistic side to drum corps. Why would we do this, otherwise? Why would we choose to spend all of our summer weekends and all of our money getting yelled at, marching on blacktop in 100 degree heat, marching in the pouring rain, wearing long sleeved/long pants uniforms in the summer (who's idea was that anyway???), and all the other nonsense that comes along with doing drum corps?

You have to be sick! Don't you? Yes...you have to be a little off in the ol' mental department. But, that's fine! That's where you get a lot of the joy of the activity...that's why the PAYOFF of having a great performance means so damn much! That's why grown men and women cry finals weekend. You face all the ridiculous adversity not as an individual, but as one of many...you face it together, and it's through the shared experience of all of the above that lifelong friendships are born. After all...if you can make it through a summer of drum corps together, can't you make it through anything?

...but I'm delusional enough to think that this is what it's all about. It's not. There is a social and fun side to drum corps and I want that for Fusion. I want them to hang out after rehearsals and have fun...get to know each other...do ridiculous things and laugh for hours about something that normally wouldn't be all that funny. I want that for them AND for myself.

But to me...in my mind...all that is magnified and becomes more fun when you're good. You could join a local community group and make friends to be yourself around. You can experience that in drum corps, but you don't need drum corps to experience that.

What you do need drum corps for is to enhance those experiences through hard work, and all of the "nonsense" of drum corps I listed above. Being good is fun. Having a killer show that kicks your ass until you kick its ass back is fun. Standing at parade rest in a parking lot in the blazing heat is FUN. Why? Because in drum corps, unlike many other sports and activities, you get out what you put in. Drum corps changes your life and enhances your friendships. The people you normally wouldn't hang out with become your brothers and sisters because of what you go through together, and what you collectively sacrifice for the greater good of the group. That's how you learn to bleed the colors of your corps.

I understand this because I've been doing it forever. Many of the people in this corps have not, and are learning. That's cool. I love watching someone "get it". I love watching people's lives change because of drum corps. You can see it. Sometimes it's progressive...sometimes it's an "epiphany moment". I've seen it a hundred times...when drum corps finally creeps into your blood. You can deny it, but it's there.

I love my job with Fusion. I love every member, whether or not they love me yet...because I know what they're sacrificing to be there. I love them for that. I respect them for that. The same thing goes with the staff. We're a second year Class A corps. There's no money in drum corps. I'm sorry to break it to you aspiring techs and caption heads out there. You have to be the luckiest son of a bitch alive to make any real money doing this. What I get paid this year won't even cover a third of what I'm going to spend...so I can imagine what everyone else is dealing with. God bless all of them...the entire corps...and all the corps. God bless everyone who makes sacrifices for the good of the corps. Drum corps is the ultimate team sport...and everyone from the director to the support staff person filling up a water jug sacrifices more than they ever should have to.

Why do they do it? Because nothing is like drum corps. Music is a language without words...the greatest of all art forms for its divine ability to convey emotions without words...to make you feel. Combine that with dance (guard), hand drawing (drill writing), and the intense intellectual side of drum corps...talk about living on the edge! There's so much thought, passion, and energy that goes into every single second of every single production...

...or at least there should be.

I don't think it's about the competition. It's about the art...the truly unique art of drum corps...a visual and musical masterpiece produced by many acting as one for those 10 minutes. When it works, sure...you have the competitive success...but you can't control that.

If we all strive to be the best in the world at what we do, imagine what we could create on that football field.

That's what I hope for Fusion. I hope that they will strive to be the best in the world at what they do...scores be damned. I look forward to every moment in that parking lot, and I hope that they get the payoff they deserve. If they continue to sacrifice as they have been...and if they just trust in the process and the program...what an amazing summer we are going to have!

First Weekend Outside...

...in the history books! Fusion took to the field (albeit an asphalt field) last weekend to begin drill and get used to playing outside. Spring training is here! It finally feels like drum corps!

There's just something about being outside...something about eating a PB&J while sitting on a cooler in the middle of a parking lot that, to me, says drum corps. The weather was supposed to be crappy, but the weather gods smiled and gave us an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day. I got my first sunburn of the year! As I type this I'm itching and peeling. It's like freakin' Christmas! :)

Most of the corps was there this weekend. Again, school commitments are just something that modern corps...especially it seems all-age corps, have to deal with. Lucky for us, the folks we have are extremely dedicated and come prepared. The corps is obviously working hard on their own during the week. Evidence: we've only ever blocked through the closer. All day I heard trumpets busting out the double tonguing and tubas playing the hard unison lick...and we hadn't even started working on it at that point! It's a hungry corps, and I like that. If they're able to maintain that hunger and enjoy what good drum corps is all about, it's going to be a fun summer.

...the trick is maintaining that intensity and desire over the marathon of a drum corps season.

Regardless, it was a great weekend. We got through the introduction to the show, visually speaking, and we were able to put music and drill together. Very cool...very successful first weekend.

This weekend we're back at it again. We'll review and move on. Every rehearsal we're pushing to conquer a difficult show and make an entertaining production out of it. It's very exciting to finally see and hear this whole thing coming together.

In other news, the Reilly Raiders Brass Ensemble had their first ever performance this past weekend. I wasn't there obviously, but they apparently represented themselves very well. The piece I arranged for them (an interesting combination of Danny Boy and Sing, Sing, Sing) was well received, and they did a good job. I'm excited for them, and I'm really looking forward to getting out there to hear them (and play with them) again in the near future.

My band shows are coming along. I had to learn Sibelius last week, which was interesting. The percussion writer for Penns Grove uses it, so I figured it was a good excuse for me to take the time and learn a new composition program. Man, was that first day painful!!! The logic of the program is, at times, completely different than Finale...and I've been using Finale since 1995, so that's one hell of a comfort zone to break out of. It was worth it, though...I really like Sibelius. It's a great program, and I'll probably start using it as my default program in the future.

The show for Penns Grove is coming out really cool. The show (click here for a brief description) is one of the more creative I've worked on. It'll be a lot of fun for the kids, that's for sure...it's just going to take an amazing amount of coordination. Luckily, she has a good, young staff that's dedicated...and the parents seem really eager to help out with all the building and other stuff that needs to be done to really pull a "production" show off. I'm having a blast writing "Spain"! Can't wait to hear it on the horns.

I signed on to write for and teach at Archbishop Ryan again this year as well. It's likely that they will, at some point, compete against Penns Grove, but I really don't feel bad about that. To me, this is about exposing as many kids as possible to a positive, fun, competitive experience. It's not like football where I'm going to watch film of the other team and then craft our offensive and defensive scheme accordingly. This is about me writing the best music possible for both groups, and teaching them to march and play clean. That's it.

Ryan is in quite the state of flux right now. The good news is that the program isn't going anywhere, and the new (and old) band director is committed to recruitment and turning around the junior band program. That's important. I'm interested to see who comes out for band. The sad part about it is that it seems like the placement at championships has tainted the kids' opinion of the show and the season last year. That's a real shame. We did a progressive show, sure. Was it entertaining? Probably not unless you like Stravinsky...but it was sophisticated and challenging. It was just different, and the kids loved it when they were winning show after show after show after show with it. Then we come in 6th at championships (out of 20 something, mind you) and all of a sudden it was a bad show.

Sigh.

Onward. I love designing shows. It's amazing to me that I get to do it on a quazi-professional level. I never thought I'd be writing for drum corps and multiple bands, but here I am...and I intend to make the most of the opportunity. I feel like I have a lot to say...musically.

...just an aside, my nephew Nathan turned 1 on Sunday the 13th of April. Happy birthday, Little Buddy. He's growing up fast, and I'm happy that I get to be here for him every step of the way.

Lucy M. (Bompadre) Kirkwood. My Grandmother.

Lucy M. (Bompadre) Kirkwood
KIRKWOOD
LUCY M. (nee Bompadre), age 83, March 18, 2008. Loving wife of the late Harry. Beloved mother of Ron (Betsy), Dennis (Rita), Kathy Marcinek (Len), Jeanne Kilian, and Carol Hosack (Fran). Stepmother of Denise Roth (Kerry) and mother-in-law of Rick Kilian. Cherished by 16 grandchildren and 7 great grand-children. Dear sister of Phil Maraini, Tony Bompadre, Alex Bompadre, and the late Sr. Amelia Frances, I.H.M. Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing Tuesday 9 A.M. at Our Lady of Calvary Church, 11024 Knights Rd., Phila. PA 19154. Funeral Mass to follow 10 A.M. Interment George Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, family prefers donations in her memory to Camilla Hall, P.O. Box 100, Immaculata PA 19345.

March

I hate March.

My birthday is in March. It used to be exciting, but now I just get anxious. It's not that I hate getting older, because the older I get the better life gets. It's just that I can almost hear the ticking of a clock in the background. Anxiety.

The weather screws with your emotions in March. One day it's in the mid 60s, and the next you're struggling to get into the 40s. That's how we know Mother Nature is a woman. lol :)

St. Patty's Day. I've only ever partied once on that day, and that was fun...but to me it spells PARADES! I hate parades. I hate them because you're marching in the cold playing music you barely know because you only play it once a year. What really kills me about it now that I'm not marching is that it eats up rehearsal time. We're going over a month without a real camp! I know it's necessary, but I don't have to be happy about it. Not by a long shot.

March is also the time of year when things start chugging along with my band arranging business. It's tough, because band directors are very busy this time of year with state band, region band, seminars, etc, etc, etc...but right around now is when many of them start looking at their list of things to do for the next marching band season and start making some decisions. I start getting emails about what they believe will be their instrumentation, we start nailing down show concepts and storyboarding things out. It's fun, and I love it...it's just the waiting that kills ya'.

Yes, I understand that I've pretty much just complained, but hey...it's a blog. I'm supposed to be able to vent here! I'm not one to just complain, fold my arms, and go sulk in a corner though...so I have to find ways to keep myself upbeat and maybe change some of the things I can so that March won't be what it usually is...the longest and most depressing month of the year.

So, here's the plan.

#1. Enjoy my birthday like a child, and just be happy and thankful for having made it this far. Many don't get the chance, and I've been blessed. Besides, this is the year I'm getting married. It's the year my first drum corps field show will hit the competition field. It's the first year for a lot of things in my life...things that will make (and have already made) my life better and more full.

#2. I will battle the cold weather blues by following spring training baseball and planning my honeymoon in sunny Florida. I know that I won't be going to Florida until September, but I can plan and dream. :)

#3. I can't change the fact that we have to do a lot of parades and won't have ample rehearsal time this month to accomplish what I need us to accomplish. All I can do is make sure that the next rehearsal we have on the 29th is run efficiently and that the members understand their responsibility to show up prepared and hungry for more music from us. This will be our final indoor rehearsal of the year, and we have improved light years...not only from when we started in December, but in some ways from where this corps left off at Championships.

People who do drum corps should understand that it's the staff's job to teach it once, and clean it the next time. It's the members' job to learn it at camp, PRACTICE it at home, and rehearse it at the next camp. If even one person does not adhere to this simple drum corps rule, that means the staff is re-teaching instead of rehearsing and cleaning. It has an effect on everyone in the organization. For us to be where we NEED to be this year, we're going to need everyone on the same page.

I have a great staff full of professionals who show up every camp prepared with a game plan, and who WORK and treated it as a job...the most important job in the world for the few hours we're together. That's great, and it's hard to find an organization where the entire staff is like that. The members here are great as well. They all seem to want to work hard and get done what needs to get done. They have no problem with us pushing them beyond their comfort zone, which is great. I just truly hope they understand the expectations I've explained here (and many times to them) and that it isn't just a "honeymoon" period where we're all excited about the year and the show and the new staff...but then the laziness factor creeps back in and we're back to square one.

It's much easier to destroy than to build. It takes months to build a solid, a$$ kicking drum corps or band...or anything, really. It takes moments to destroy it.

I just want it to be April. I want to be outside teaching drill, learning the final notes for the show (which I've finished, by the way!!!), and seeing this whole project FINALLY coming together. Before I know it, it'll be late August and we're getting ready for finals. I'm getting ready to get married and go to sunny Florida. My nephew will be walking and trying to tell his uncle how cool he is. My band shows will all be finished and I'll be helping a couple of them to achieve their goals by teaching.

I guess the moral is that when I get down in the dumps, I need to keep the finish line in my sights, put my head down, and run like hell.

FEARLESS

Tips on becoming fearless in performance.

February - Drum Corps Valentine!

Howdy again, folks. Just wanted to give you a quick update on what's going on in the land o' Fusion, as well as other news around the world of the marching arts...at least as it pertains to me anyway.

Fusion is coming along very well. JR and I both agree that we're further along than we really ever thought we would be. I don't want to come across as having come into this thing with a negative outlook or a pessimistic view of the situation...we just really had no idea what we were up against or what the situation was. We just knew that this was a Class A, second year drum corps. That's it.

So, we threw a tough show at them that keeps getting tougher, and we're just pushing along as if it's a corps that's been around 25 years and has won a few championships. The way I look at it is, you're a new drum corps until you stop thinking like one. You have to be forward thinking in order to move forwards at any rate of speed.

So, here we are...3 rehearsals left before we're outside learning drill to this beast and watching it all start to come together. A lot of careful planning and "architecture" has gone into this show and so far all of the designers and staff members have really held true to the vision and have worked hard to make everything happen that needs to happen. Again, I really didn't know what to expect with the staff coming in here as the new guy. No one held my position last year. This is a completely new deal for everyone, but we make a great team. I can't explain why, but there's a lot of chemistry and respect on this staff, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

We got the approval to make the new uniform jackets! We got a cool design by Sean McReady and now we're hosting a dinner on Saturday, February 23rd to help raise funds to make this happen. Again, forward thinking and forward progress...it's time to put away the first year vests and tux shirts and put on some badass uniforms that make us feel 8 feet tall.



If you're reading this before the 23rd, everyone on earth is invited to this dinner. We'd really appreciate the support! Just go to for more information. We're also accepting tax deductible donations.

Anywho, that's drum corps. As for band, things have taken a very unexpected turn. The band director where I've been teaching, Archbishop Ryan, suddenly resigned a couple of weeks ago which pretty much means the staff is dissolved and it's up to the new director to hire their own staff. With the massive recent budget cuts the school has imposed on all activities, including band, it's unlikely that the new director could afford half of the talent we had at Ryan last year.

It's amazing what we (the staff, supporters, and especially the kids) were able to accomplish over the course of the last 3 years. Competitively, every year has been better than the last. Sure, this year we came in 6th as opposed to last year's 2nd place finish...but the placement doesn't always tell the whole story. There were more high caliber bands in our division this year. We performed a much harder show that the kids bought into and performed like champions...but not every judge "got it"...especially the GE music judges. We took a dying program and turned it back into a championship caliber band. It's something to feel good about, but I can't help feeling like a little part of me died when the director told me that the "Ryan Project", as we referred to it, was over.

I love the kids, and I'll miss them dearly. If only they knew (and if only I could write) the reasons...the real reasons why all of this has come to pass. Archbishop Ryan is my alma matter. That's why I'm so emotionally invested. It's the only place I ever wanted to teach...and now I have...and now it's time to move on, I suppose. I'll just get more involved in the Band Alumni Assoc and try to make things better that way.

Fortunately for me, my fiancé is the band director of a high school that's close to my house and similar in a lot of ways to Ryan. I'll be taking over there as program coordinator, music arranger, and drill designer. We have a very cool show planned. I'm looking forward to getting started.

My fiancé is also still involved with the Bushwackers on the administrative side, although I would bet money that she'll end up marching before the year is through. She swears she's not, because of tan lines and the fact that we're getting married in September...but then again drum corps is a great way to lose weight so that you can really fit into that ridiculously expensive dress you only wear once (I'm so glad I'm a guy...seriously). We'll see what happens. It'll be nice to finally teach the same band together...but the summer will be hard when I'm off doing my thing with Fusion and she's off with the Bushwackers. Who knows...maybe it'll be a good thing! We shall see.

I hope all is well with the readers out there (if there are any left!). Comment, email me, or IM me at DrumCorpsChris sometime if you want to chat. Or, you could always come out to a DCA show this summer and say hi to me in person! Talk to you soon.