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!