From: R.Vincent.Lamb@um.cc.umich.edu
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re:  Drum Corps Alias?
Date: 5 Nov 1992 16:19:48 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

 
In an article in alt.drumcorps, Gregory.Dilley@EBay.Sun.COM wrote (Re:  Drum Corps 
Alias?):
 
|>I had no idea the alias existed, and I've been at Sun for 6 years....
 
Well, alt.drumcorps has existed for less than a year, so you're excused for your 
ignorance :-).  I believe that Michael Fath (fath1@husc.harvard.edu) started it late 
last winter (Correct me if I'm wrong, Michael).
 
|>>You SCV alums don't talk to each other :-)?
 
|>Don't smile, it's not a funny subject. The Santa Clara Vanguard, though
|>having fielded a few good corps and some cosmic drumlines is a very
|>poor alumni oriented organization.
|> 
|>Once you've aged out, you're gone. Period.
|> 
|>Also, some things happened in 1980 which were not so pleasant.
|> 
|>I was in the snare line, and anchored in 1980. I remember.....
 
Sorry to hear that SCV discourages strong ties among its alumni.
Such is not the case with with many other corps.  On a DCI broadcast was a
segment about the Cavaliers having strong traditions that unite the members
with the alumni.  Boston Crusaders have a good alumni organization (at least they can 
play softball well!).  Even my main corps (North Star) has a strong alumni 
organization with a newsletter, activities, and a reunion every 5 years.
(It helps to be dead and have only alumni :-).
 
I think that your juxtaposition of weak alumni with the unpleasant things that
happened in 1980 (Great show!  I raved about it as so far ahead of its
time that no one got it--see later in the article) indicates a common cause--
Gail Royer's need to strongly control the corps.  A strong alumni group with an active 
corps may have been a threat to such a director.  Perhaps you and
other alumni could get together and convince the new director now
that Royer has retired.
 
When Greg read that in an earlier version sent as email, he replied:
 
|>Oh yeah? sheesh, it has been awhile. Seems like yesterday to me.
|> 
|>Who's directing? Bring me up-to-date!
 
I have no clue.  In the late, lamented moderated electronic newletter "Off-the-Line", 
I started a rumor that Gordon Henderson (UCLA's Marching Band Director) might take 
over.  This was only flame bait designed to cause trouble for El Gordo, as he had 
already been booted off SCV's staff.  He is now with Cavies, where he is doing 
wonderful things for their horn line.  Any other SCV alums or members heard anything? 
Anyone who is monitoring the drum corps discussions on Prodigy read anything?
 
Back to Greg's original posting:
 
|>It's been a long long time. Great to talk with somneone from back
|>then. Practically another lifetime ago for me.
 
Good to read from you, even though you're almost a complete stranger.
 
I think you'll enjoy reading this newsgroup and its likely successor 
rec.arts.marching.drumcorps (do your virtual community civic duty and vote!).  I think 
it's wonderful to log on any time and "talk" corps.  Next to smelling diesel fumes on 
a muggy summer evening, it's the most satisfying fix for my addiction.
 
|>Do you still see shows? Do you teach?
 
I don't teach drum corps--I'm too busy with grad school and my family.  I certainly do 
watch shows.  My children and I have gone to two shows each summer since I've moved to 
Michigan, the DCM show in Wyandotte and the DCI show in Ypsilanti and I report on both 
to alt.drumcorps.  This coming summer I'll be at Preview of Champions at Ypsi at the 
end of July.
 
In response to article <1992Oct30.031511.6643@vela.acs.oakland.edu> by Brad Halls, 
greg@antizen.EBay.Sun.COM () wrote (in article <1crupaINN33m@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM>):
 
|>Brad,
|>
<snip!>
|> 
|>I'm 33 tomorrow, and up to a few years ago, I still have drum corps
|>dreams about this....
 
A belated happy birthday to you, Greg, from someone who also turned 33 this year!  I'm 
sorry I didn't see this until I printed out your postings and read them today. 
Otherwise, I'd have sent you this wish earlier.  How did you like having a scary 
birthday growing up?
 
|>...the printer guy <alas..sigh>
 
What's this about?
 
|>I remember all of '78's opener, 
 
So do I, from a spectator's standpoint.  I was in Anaheim Kingsmen during 1978 and 
thought that "Fanfare for a New Era" was killer.  I never got tired of it, even after 
hearing it at nearly every show.  Great soprano/mellophone run near the end!
 
Speaking of 1978, do you remember Shari Horn?  She was in the guard and was short, 
with freckles and long wavy black hair.  She was also a mime.  I was her guard 
instructor at UCLA in 1980.  She took over the job in 1982.
 
|>but have inadvertantly blocked out
|>*all* of 1980's book, including Stone Ground Seven and in fact had not
|>even remembered it's name until you mentioned it.
|>
|>We were jamming with alot of different lines that year and everyone
|>was sooooo amazed at that solo. Some Scouts took us out into the
|>corn fields to get wasted and we played and played that damn solo
|>for them over and over again (actually just me and Jeff, another snare).
 
There was a thread on this group about how groundbreaking the 1980 SCV show was and 
how Gail Royer sabotaged it so that he could wrest creative control from the staff. 
The story was that he pointed out all the flaws to the judges during critique, leading 
them to ticks and performance problems they otherwise wouldn't have seen.  Those of us 
who saw it thought that without Gail's interference it was really a 3rd-5th place 
show, proving that history judged the 1980 show better than the judges.
 
|>Sorry for the long e-mail, hope you don't regret asking!
 
Hey, I enjoyed reading every line of it!
 
Vince
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