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My love of drum & bugle corps…

Don’t get me started (too late)…

Even though I never marched a single season of competitive Jr. corps (I did march with a marginally competitive Sr. corps – I’ll explain Jr. and Sr. and more about drum corps in a minute), I’ve been a huge fan of the activity going back long before I even knew it was an ‘activity’ and it’s remained a major passion in my life.

I’m always moved to tears when Phantom Regiment (Rockford, IL) plays ‘Amazing Grace’… or Casper Troopers play ‘Battle Hymn’… or the Madison Scouts (Madison, WI) sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ (their corps song)… I have to jump to my feet when the Boston Crusaders play any part of ‘Conquest’ (their trademark)… and I get chills when ANY of the ‘big boys’ play Sousa!! Maybe that’s old-fashioned but hey – I’m old!! OK – ‘I’ve seen a lot’… and that’s what this site is about after all… Now where to begin because there’s so much I want to share…

What Is Drum & Bugle Corps———-How and Why Did I Get Hooked———-My Experiences

Avant Garde Almuni Drumline———-Avant Garde Reunion Corps

A MIDI Drum & Bugle Corps

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Let’s start with this…

What is drum & bugle corps?? For those of you unfamiliar with the drum corps activity I encourage you to read on… It is one of the most exciting and truly unique musical activities in existence!!

Drum & Bugle Corps is a marching musical ensemble comprised of upwards of 70 brass players, 30 or so percussionists and about as many in the color guard tossing and spinning flags, sabers, rifles as well as more unconventional items.

The drum corps activity, in recent years referred to as ‘musical sport’, has two levels – juniors and seniors or ‘all age’. The juniors are the cream of the crop… you ‘age out’ on your 22nd birthday and can no longer perform with a junior corps… some colleges actual give college credit for those who march a full season with a competing corps. The corps rehearse all winter then embark on a competitive tour during the summer months.

The juniors are governed by…

Please click their logo to visit DCI’s site.

There are shows all over the country during the end of June, July and early August culminating in the world championships which in 2013 will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. For 32 years (2012 being sadly the last) there was a junior show in nearby Glens Falls, NY (at East Field) every year called…

2024 Update… Also, sadly, the activity has seen dramatic changes in the last 12-15 years… it’s no longer a community activity but more geared to white-collar kids and college students… I couldn’t afford the membership / tour fees beck in the mid-70’s but now it costs each member thousands of dollars for EACH of the two summer tours!! The switch from G-bugles to Bb brass instruments (and even woodwinds in some cases), introduction of electric instruments, microphones and full blow PA systems as well as a new uniform design every year are huge reasons for the increased costs… gone are the days of face-melting horn lines and iconic uniforms… technically, these ‘corps’ shouldn’t even be called ‘drum & bugle corps’ since there are none of the latter… and the ticket prices DCI would need to charge just have a show at a small venue would be extremely cost-prohibitive which is probably why they only schedule stadium shows… small town shows with corps practicing at small town schools and lighting the marching fire of small town kids is long gone… consequently, marching bands are rapidly disappearing from schools… I live in Upstate NY… when I was a kid drum & bugle corps were everywhere but there hasn’t been a single corps in NY state for years now… fee 

If you can make plans to attend a show I would still recommend it (the schedule of shows can be found on the DCI website)… the shows are entertaining in their own way…

If you can’t attend the show but would like a glimpse into the world of the corps… the corps arrive in town the day of the shows, early in the morning (some are lucky enough to arrive the night before) and rehearse all day at area schools. The rehearsals are open to the public… the mornings are usually marching / drill or sectional rehearsals (drums, brass, guard and ‘pit’ working separate from each other) but you can usually catch the full corps together in the mid afternoon as they clean and prepare for the evening’s competition.

The senior or ‘all age’ corps are a whole other story… no age limit… no ‘tour’ as it were – shows are on the weekends… significantly less rehearsal but no less dedication…

Up until 2023, the seniors were overseen by DCA… but in 2022 DCI announced plans to take over the all-age division too…

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How did I get hooked on drum corps of all things?? My parents were the first to expose me to drum & bugle corps when they took me to a sunset exhibition by the Green Sabres of Schuylerville, NY down on the river back in the mid ’60’s – that would make me maybe 5 or 6… I remember having this old 78RPM record of the corps and playing it over and over and trying to play along.

My desire to march in the original Avant Garde Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps started in 1974 – even before there was an AG – when the Bethesda Emerald Knights Drum & Bugle Corps held some sort of dress rehearsal at King Phillips Campsite of all places… just up the road from where I lived at the time… A year later they would merge with a couple other corps to form Avant Garde…

I saw my first drum corps competition in 1975 in Saratoga Springs, NY with one of my best friends and drumming partners from high school Jim Crawford. Looking back, the show was sort of a coming out for the newly formed Avant Garde Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps of Saratoga Springs, NY – the product of a merger of two local corps – the Bethesda Emerald Knights of Saratoga and the Speigleaires from Speigletown. The other corps in the competition were ‘OK’ and included the Garfield Cadets from New Jersey who went on to become The Cadets of Bergen County and now simply The Cadets from Allentown, PA and are still a Junior corps super power… But we were waiting for the ‘home town’ corps…

As Avant Garde began ‘Russian Easter Overture’ we were in awe… by the middle of ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ we were blown away, and by the time ‘Summertime’ had concluded we were 15 and we were hooked!! But while Jim joined up a couple years later, I had already begun my professional music career (age 15 – remember?) and was relegated to the sidelines. As I said earlier, junior corps are the best in the activity but you ‘age out’ on your 22nd birthday. Looking back I wish I could have found a way to tour with one – even for just a single season…

Jim and I marched in the Lake George High School Marching Band together and were so inspired by drum corps as to start spending our free time in school listening to recordings of cadences and street beats and trying to play them – one on snare, the other on tri-toms. In parades we’d take turns between the triples and a set of double tenors… in the picture at right, that’s me on the left and Jim C on the right (I still have my beret). The LGHS band had learned our version of the Avant Garde walk-beat that we had heard and taught the line as best we could remember. It must have been pretty close because a couple years later, after Jim had become a member of the corps, he was told the story about some the members hearing what sounded like the AG walk-beat and… let’s let one of the AG members who was there tell the story… here’s Tom Newell flanked by another former member Neil McBride (right) and Corps Director Jeff Perkins (left)…

One of the things I enjoyed most about being around the corps was everyone being on the same page – there were no detractors like there were in our high school (Lake George) where I can still hear Coach Kimball ask me directly about the marching band, “What are you guys doing out there?? You look like idiots!!”  Professional educator – yeah right!!

I like the dedication and commitment, the organization, discipline and teamwork. At any level the commitment and work ethic is admirable both from the staff and the marching members and at the middle and higher levels the talent and musicianship is truly amazing. Back when I was teaching at the local community college and performing with the local concert bands comprised primarily of local band directors, I often found myself at odds with many of them when a local corps I was involved with would march in the same parade as their high school marching band and the corps would blow the doors of the band – not our intention by any means – we simply put in the time and made the effort to be the best that we could be. Of course the parents of kids in the high school bands wanted to know why their band didn’t look or sound as good as ‘that other group’… the kids looked about the same age which would put pressure on the band directors – most of which despised marching to begin with – many due to the extra effort and time required (and some from total ignorance of the genre)!! I know for a fact that many still refuse to put ANY meaningful effort into it for say the Memorial Day Parade but rather hand out the music a few days before, tell the kids to look at it and be at the school at whatever time the day of the parade… So these ‘music educators’ shouldn’t take issue with me or any organization that cares enough to put forth the effort to present a product they can be proud of!!! My old school, Lake George, hasn’t bothered to put a band in the Memorial Day Parade for years and it was this kind of attitude from the band directors and the repeated ‘head butting’ that eventually drove me out of the local concert band, symphony, etc. and even the musician’s union! Someday these people will have kids or maybe grandchildren in a music program somewhere and I wish these kids a better music educator than their relatives that I encountered!!

I have worked with the drum lines at a handful of area high schools and the band directors at these schools, at least during my time there, recognized the importance of putting a good band on the street and saw drum corps as an extremely positive activity and a great source of education, motivation, personal and musical growth – even encouraging their kids to participate!! As I said earlier, several colleges now offer college credit to students who complete a full season with a competing drum & bugle corps. In the past few years I have repeatedly offered to volunteer my time to help some of the local band directors and not a one has even seen fit to acknowledge the offer… explains a lot!!

What these people fail to understand (this is my theory anyway) is that the marching band is the ‘ambassador to the community’… Who goes to school concerts? Families and friends of those involved, maybe a handful of people from the community… Who goes to high school sporting events?? Again, families and friends of those involved and another handful of community members… Who ‘goes’ to a parade –  especially one as high profile in a community as the Memorial Day Parade? A parade is actually one of those few opportunities where the performing group actually goes TO the community… Then the answer becomes a good number of the tax payers in the community and impressionable out of town visitors who may not necessarily attend functions at the school!! My message to these band directors is the next time your school’s budget is so tight it puts the music and arts programs and your very jobs in serious jeopardy, they should ask themselves if it would have been worth a little extra effort!! I know many will still say it wouldn’t… too bad… OK – rant over.–

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Let me expand on my drum corps experiences a little… I worked on the writing and teaching staffs of the Golden Marauders (Port Henry, NY) and Volunteers (Troy, NY – at left) – both Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps and the Defenders (Waterford / Troy, NY), Freedom Knights (Rutland, VT) and Capital Brass (Capital District of NY) Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps… I was so corps crazy that I was driving an hour or more in both directions just to teach a tiny corps in the middle of nowhere with sometimes as few as 3 drummers TOTAL!!

Then in 1981 I was asked to join the instructional staff of the Vagabonds – a Sr. corps in Fort Edward, NY (below), about 30 minutes from where I lived at the time. Avant Garde (Junior corps out of Saratoga) was the big gun in the area then – probably the top corps in all of New York State at the time and was knocking at the door of the DCI top 20 (the junior circuit governing body) and maybe even finals (top 12). Their staff was largely former members with a couple ‘pro’s from Dover’ – the drum corps term for high-end instructors from top corps who would write music and/or visit about once a month to fix and polish what the locals had been teaching. Vagabonds hired some of the local staff from AG which was a major leap for them instructional wise (sort of a poor man’s ‘pro from Dover’). The only problem with this arrangement was that when AG left in June for their summer tour Vagabond’s lost their staff and were left to try to prepare themselves for their own senior (now called all-age) competitive season.

In the winter of 1982 I was invited to teach on Avant Garde’s drum staff along with Jim Crawford and Bob Dubinski (from the Bayonne Bridgemen and I believe Star of Indiana) – I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!! Throughout AG’s 10 year history I was one of their biggest fans and staunchest supporters – I would have done anything for that corps short of traveling with them because of my own performance schedule. I taught their bass drum line (Jimmy McHale, Spiro and the rest) right up until they left for tour that year.

I was still teaching Vagabond’s drum line too and with AG’s departure I became one of the few constants along with Matt Donnelly – from ‘The Upstarts’ band that I played with and an alum of the Auburn Purple Lancers and Rochester Crusaders drum corps – and we set about writing and teaching the rest of the show and cleaning it for competition. By mid August the drum line had come a long way and was actually outscoring some the big boys in competition! By the time AG’s season ended and the staff returned (usually a couple weeks before the Sr. season ended) they could hardly recognize the line because they had made so much progress!! Smitty, Fitzy, Sully, Flexon, Tim and the rest had really been busting their humps and it showed. However, the corps never really made any more progress and after an internal ‘schism’ in 1983 the corps split and about half the members left the corps to form their own corps a little closer to home in the Albany / Troy area becoming the Knights of Noble Callahan.

So we had two small, horrible corps struggling to get members and not embarrass themselves in performance… Vagabond’s decided to abandon field competition and perform only in parades but couldn’t get enough members to even accomplish that and folded up shop. Noble Callahan continued in field competitions with a consistently last place atrocity which concluded with their own implosion and a handful of staff / members running off with the corps’ equipment (much of it brand new) in the middle of the season. Vagabond’s equipment was in storage and when former director Brent Farnsworth heard of Callahan’s problems he sent his corps’ equipment down so they could finish their season. This gesture opened the door for the former Vagabond’s members who had previously refused to join arch rival Noble Callahan and in 1984 The Capital Brass was formed.

Capital Brass also hired the local AG staff as had Vagabond’s knowing that the staff would be leaving for the junior tour… Then Avant Garde folded after the 1985 season which gave Capital Brass the opportunity to have some of the AG staff travel with them to competitions which meant more organized and productive rehearsals which meant a better corps. By 1991 the corps had new uniforms and a huge following – mostly from their growing reputation as an enormously entertaining parade corps. On the field things were also starting to take shape – Jim Crawford took over the writing of the drum book, Paul Sanges was hired as brass arranger and I continued writing the ‘pit’ (non-marching unit on the front of the field featuring bells, xylophones, marimbas, vibes, timpani, Latin percussion and occasionally even a drum set, etc.). Having a full time brass arranger meant that the corps had someone who was writing specifically to the corps’ size and membership level which dramatically improved the sound.

The Capital Brass made its only DCA finals appearance in 1993 (albeit against pretty weak competition) achieving a top 12 world ranking. The corps then folded during winter rehearsals for the ’94 season.

This is the 1991 Capital Brass of which I was proud to be Drum Major
for this was the year that the corps started to turn things around.

Please click the image below to see the 1991 Prelims performance…

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Please click the image below to see the 1993 drumline in the lot before their Prelims performance…

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Please click the image below to see the 1993 FINALS performance…

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Hard to believe but 2020 made it 27 years since I’ve been involved with a full drum corps… writing, teaching, long drives, sun burnt, no sleep, frustration, recruiting, sun burnt, long drives, long days, short nights, teaching, long drives, frustration… all day rehearsals, a cold shower, a 1 hour setup, get in uniform, a 30 minute warm-up, a 10 1/2 minute performance then tear it all down, load the trucks and start all over… I’d do it again in a heart beat!!!

In early 2004 I got word of a new corps forming in the Albany area… I received a few emails, played with some logos, even attended a couple of their organizational meetings. Excelsior Drum & Bugle Corps started rehearsals in November of 2004 and hit the street in the spring and summer of 2005. As of 2019 they’ve pretty much disappeared after struggling to get and keep members which makes it difficult to grow and compete effectively. I give them credit for hanging in there at all in an area with only a couple schools with respectable marching bands and only ONE within maybe 100 miles that competes!!

In 2006 Retro Brass formed – also in Albany, NY but soon merged into a new Capital Brass which includes a strong brass ensemble and competing mini-corps!!

Please click their logos to visit their sites

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As I said earlier, drum corps is one of the great passions of my life (and many other people I know) – once it gets in your system it’s almost impossible to get out… yet somehow I’ve managed to fight the urge to run off and join the nearest seriously competitive all age corps (which is at least a 3 hour drive away) after the original Capital Brass folded in 1994. Enter the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline in 2010…

Fortunately for me, in the late Fall of 2010, a couple former members of the Avant Garde Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps out of Saratoga Springs, NY (the last top ranked competitive junior drum & bugle corps in New York State), decided to try to put together an alumni drumline.

Comprised of like-minded players who have a passion for the activity, solid, corps-style marching percussion and a growing frustration over the lack of any quality drumlines in the area, we hit the street for the first time on June 11, 2011 in the home town of the original corps at the Saratoga Flag Day parade where we were greeted by the corps’ original director Jeff Perkins and were genuinely touched by the welcome we received by parade goers who recognized the name!! Please click the logo at right to visit the line’s website.

For me personally, it may have taken 35 years but I finally got to march with the Avant Garde!! Below you’ll find a ton of videos!!—

We learned a bunch of walk-beats, bought our own equipment and casual warm and cold weather uniforms which were printed and embroidered by our friends at Arca Ink… Then had a ‘dress rehearsal’ at the Greenwich School track in May to see if we all could still play AND MARCH… ‘just like riding a bicycle’ as they say…

Here are some pictures from that day – photos courtesy of corps alum Brain Haynes…

We were missing a snare and a cymbal that day (and the other cymbal is ‘hiding’ behind a snare)
but it was nice to find out we all could still march and play…

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…and here’s a shot of yours truely (in our 2010 summer parade ‘uniform’)…

And for those unfamiliar with the idiom who might be wondering why I would want to play bass drum I offer this… Quite often, the thing that sets a corps-style drumline apart from the rest is the ability of the bass drum line to execute intricate split parts. Each of the 5 members that comprise the AGAD bass line probably could have made the snare line.

Below is one of the more ‘tame’ samples of what the AGAD bass line is proud to be able to pull off…

Here’s a video of an early bass rehearsal if you’d care to follow along…

Each of the 5 pitches is played by a DIFFERENT PERSON!!

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AGAD History in Video Clips…

October 2010…

The beginning… October 2010… The first playing rehearsal and the first walk-beat… The Squid!!

June 2011…

The group hit the street for the first time – choosing to debut the line in the corps’ home town of Saratoga Springs…
…on a chilly, drizzly day, in the annual Saratoga Flag Day Parade…

Below left is AGAD organizer Jim Crawford – at right is Avant Garde Corps Director Jeff Perkins after receiving a new AGAD cap…

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Here is the full line and banner carriers posing with Jeff just before stepping off…

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Here’s Jeff waiting for us to make our way down Broadway…

As we finished the parade and were walking back to the beginning, we were a little surprised and very pleased by the
number of people that stopped us to say how much they enjoyed the line and that they
remembered the original corps and how good it was to see the name and colors again.

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The following week we braved the heavy rain and lightning for the Whipple City Days Parade in Greenwich, NY.

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July 2011…

The line would make its first appearance in the Fort Edward Heritage Days Parade
in Fort Edward, NY – former home of the Vagabonds Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps…

Jim C’s son Matt (#3 bass) couldn’t make it so Dad left the snare line to fill in… and Jim vowed to never march bass again!!
Was it something we said?!?

Here’s a clip my wife shot…
(please click the image below… sorry – it’s a little shaky… like a bigfoot sighting)…

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August 2011…

August 3rd would mark the line’s first exhibition at a DCI competition in Drums Along the Mohawk in Rome, NY…
Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps was a charter participant in the formation of the show
and in 1979 and the show became a fundraiser for the corps.

Here the line heads off to find a spot in the neighborhood to warm-up…

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We would play an exhibition at Intermission…

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… then return for the drum major’s retreat before the announcement of the scores…

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Then on August 7th we’d debut in the Turning Point Parade in Schuylerville, NY – former home of the Green Sabres Drum & Bugle Corps..—

September 2011…

AGAD’s first appearance in the Uncle Sam Parade in Troy, NY…

November 2011…

The debut of the new corps jackets as we made our first appearance in the annual South Glens Falls Holiday Parade on November 20th…

Click the icon below for a clip from the local TV broadcast…

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Here’s the original ‘off season’ (cooler weather) attire…

Hopefully you can’t tell but under my corps cap I’m wearing one of my daughter’s knit baby hats…

December 2011…

On December 20th we would warm-up while standing in several inches of wet snow while waiting to step-off in the Salem Holiday Parade…
Once the parade started, we soon realized that we were the only thing in the parade actually on foot – everyone else was on a float!!
And the whole parade soon left us behind to wander the dark backstreets of Salem until we emerged to a welcoming crowd on Main Street.

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January 2012…

January 8, 2012 – we had the extreme pleasure of playing for Father Parke’s retirement from the Bethesda Church…
The Avant Garde was formed by a merger that included the Bethesda Emerald Knights…
(Father Parke is also Dan’s (#1 bass) Father-In-Law)…

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May 2012…

The line rehearsed through the winter and spring – increasing it’s repertoire in preparation for our 2012 season
which kicked off with the Kingsbury Centennial Parade…

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On May 28th we’d debut in the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade… this would be a ‘keeper’… great crowds and a well planned route!!

June 2012…

On June 9th we’d return to Saratoga for the annual Flag Day Parade (click the image below for video)…

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The next day we’d march for the first time in what we discovered was regularly the longest and hottest parade on the planet –
the Troy Flag Day Parade…

…and we met a new fan who obviously enjoyed the line…

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Then on June 23rd we’d encounter more heavy rain and lightning in the
Upper Hudson Valley Fireman’s Association Dress Parade in South Glens Falls…

We thought there was no way they’d let anyone march with the impending storm but the parade stepped off right on time unbeknownst to us
as the line had taken cover in a plaza on the opposite side of the building…

We ran through a Hannaford to try to catch up to our spot in the parade but it was long gone…
Thankfully one of the parade organizers slipped us in and we were able to march –
all the time seeing the lightning strikes out the corners of our eyes…
(no pictures or video available since we kept our phones and cameras safely tucked away due to the rain and constant lightning)…

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But the highlight of the month had to be the return of Avant Garde to the
Adirondack Drums DCI competition in Glens Falls, NY on June 29th.

 The corps marched in the very first Adirondack Drums show in 1981 and last appeared in 1985.
We were incredibly excited to end a 27 year drought
and even more proud when we learned that, sadly, this would be the last Adirondack Drums competition…

Click the graphic below to see the welcome we received and try to imagine how some of the members felt
stepping on that same field after all those years…

The announcer was also a corps alum and may have gotten a little choked up during the introduction…

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The next day we returned to the Fort Edward Heritage Days Parade…

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July 2012…

Our first time in the Argyle 4th of July Parade…

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This next one requires some explanation…

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It would get even crazier as the line would become the opening act!!

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But 2012 was not without sadness as ‘Mudcat’ (Mike Boivin – #4 bass) would lose his brother…
In July the family held ‘Buck’s Bash’ – a celebration of Buck Boivin in the Spa State Park…
There was huge turnout of family, friends and entertainers and an AGAD drum circle and exhibition…

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August 2012…

The month began with a return to Drums Along the Mohawk in Rome, NY on August 2nd…
The clip below features an odd warm-up and Wayne’s pep talk before we went out that ‘Animal House’ fans will appreciate…

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Then it was back to Schuylerville for the Turning Point Parade on August 5th…

The skies and radar didn’t look good but the parade went on…
As we stepped off it began to thunder off in the distance… would it go around us??
We made our way down Main Street, performed at the reviewing stand near the end then proceeded to the lot
where many of our cars were parked at the end of the route and just as we packed our gear away, THE SKIES OPENED UP!!

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November 2012…

On November 18th we’d return to the South Glens Falls Holiday Parade…

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December 2012…

December 8th we’d return to a slightly warmer than the previous year (well, there wasn’t any snow anyway) Salem Holiday Parade…

Then on December 29th the line would drive through a nagging snow storm (that was in the process of dumping over a foot of snow)
to perform at a surprise birthday party for AG corps’ director Jeff Perkins!!

Dan Crawford (#1 bass) was stuck in a plane in a holding pattern due to the storm and couldn’t make it in time
so I (#2 bass) covered his parts as well as my own – ever so thankful I learned how to read music… 🙂

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January 2013…

During the winter we were invited to perform exhibitions at indoor color guard competitions…

January 26th – our first indoor show at Shenendehowa’s Winter Guard Competition…

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March 2013…

In March we did an exhibition at Mohoneson’s indoor show…

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That would be Kevin’s last gig on cymbals as he would move to the newly added 5th bass position or ‘thunder bass’…
We would soon call him ‘THOR’!!

Here’s a clip of the bass line working the most ambitious chart to date – ‘Electric Wheelchair’…
Jim’s son Matt (#3 bass) was still away at college so Jim once again stepped in…
I guess we didn’t scare him too badly in Fort Edward 2 years ago…

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May 2013…

May featured a trio of Memorial Day Parades…

…a hilly, long Waterford, a rainy Stillwater and what seems to be an always beautiful day in Lansingburgh…
But more importantly, at least for the line, it marked the debut of the 5 bass line as Kevin moved from cymbals to thunder bass
and Dan’s (#1 bass) son Jackson moved from American flag to cymbals…

Here are some clips from the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade…

Bass feature ‘SCV’ from the Santa Clara Vanguard…

Anytime we marched in Lansingburgh or Troy we could always count on being greeted by a number of enthusiastic corps vets
AND playing for Kathleen’s (cymbal) Dad…

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More pictures from Lansingburgh…

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June 2013…

Then we’d make our return to the Saratoga Flag Day Parade – anxious to rattle the streets with 5 basses…

The one thing that those in the line that marched that day will remember most (apparently) is DJ literally stepping in it!!
Captured forever on video at about the 1:30 mark…

We will never understand, for as long as there have been parades and marching ensembles,
what in the world possesses the people who determine the line of march to put horses BEFORE any groups on foot.
Yet that’s what the Saratoga Flag Day people do every year and this year an AGAD member paid the price though,
to his credit, he – OK… I never missed a note, broke rank or even got out of step!!
I DID however have to spend a good amount of time cleaning horse crap off my white sneakers…

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Then, while walking back to our cars at the beginning, a tall, excited guy came running up to us asking who to contact about playing in the line…
Before long we were sending charts off to a 5th snare and preparing to welcome Flip into the line!!

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Then on June 9th we returned to the Troy Flag Day Parade and made the exceedingly long and always unbearably hot trek
from the correctional facility in the industrial park in South Troy all the way to downtown Troy (almost 3 miles)…
But we do it every year and will continue to do so because the route is always lined from start to finish
with a huge number of extremely appreciative and friendly parade goers and we look forward to seeing them every year!!

(What – no video?? Let us look into this…)

On June 22nd we returned to the Upper Hudson Valley Fireman’s Dress Parade – this time in West Glens Falls…
We were down a couple snares that day but made the most of it – like giving the newly expanded bass line some more reps…

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And on June 29th we had a very special guest jump in the line for the Fort Edward Heritage Days Parade…
…former Avant Garde and Suncoast Sound snare drummer Bill Bunyan was up from Carolina for a visit!!

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July 2013…

July 4th and we’re back in Argyle…

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Sadly, this was the year Father Parke of the Bethesda Church passed away… Jim and Dan represented AGAD at the funeral…

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August 2013…

August kicked off with what’s become an annual visit to the Drums Along the Mohawk DCI competition in Rome, NY on August 1st…
This year, in addition to playing at intermission and playing the drum majors on at the end of the night,
we performed in front of the stadium while fans were coming in!!

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August 4th we returned to throngs of drum corps fans and more who line the route of the Schuylerville Turning Point Parade…
This year there was also a DCA competition following the parade hosted by the Excelsior Drum & Bugle Corps!!
There was a small crowd… the brief thunderstorm that blew through right before show time probably didn’t help
and competition only featured 4 corps, but we hoped this would grow and become an annual event as well!!

Here’s a clip from the parade and the exhibition that followed…

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September 2013…

September 15th we hit the Uncle Sam Parade in Troy, NY

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And of course we’d break ranks and play a special exhibition for Kathleen’s (cymbal) dad –
a tradition that started back when she was a member of the Capital Brass Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps back in the early ’90s…
Unfortunately, Eddie would pass away later that year…

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October 2013…

Several members would make an appearance with a drum circle at the Saratoga Fall Festival…

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November 2013…

November featured a double dose of holiday parades…

November 24th it was sunny and positively frigid as we marched in easily the coldest weather ever in the South Glens Falls Holiday Parade…
Knit hats and hand warmers all around!!
But once we hit the street and got a few reps under our belts, the gloves came off and it was just a parade…

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Then a week later we made one more appearance in the Salem Holiday Parade where we were introduced as the Avant Garde Drum CORPSE!!
We know some of us are getting older but didn’t think we looked that bad…

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January 2014…

For the 2014 indoor season we added the drum circle – playing a modified version of ‘Waldo’ on Latin and hand percussion,
then morphing back to the marching instruments…
We tried it out on the first of three indoor exhibitions at Shenendehowa and it became a ‘keeper’…

January 25th – Shenendehowa’s Winter Guard show in Clifton Park, NY…

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February 2014…

February 15th – Albany Winter Guard show… AND the debut of the new black w/ white lacrosse style uniform top…
(for outdoors we changed the cap to a black with a green paint splatter and just the Yin Yang symbol)…
(Oh – and that’s the gym lighting – none of us has Yellow Jaundice)

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March 2014…

March 15th – Johnstown Winter Guard show…

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May 2014…

After a few weeks off we returned to the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade…

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June 2014…

June felt a little strange this year with the Troy Flag Day Parade taking place on June 8th…
It was still the hottest and longest march we make all year…

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…and the Saratoga Flag Day Parade a week later on June 14th…
Dan (#1 bass) was pulling TRIPLE duty – covering mine and Mudcat’s parts as well as his own…
First AGAD show I’ve missed (playing a wedding with the band)…

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July 2014…

We took on a different parade for July 4th this year when we were invited to march in the Clifton Park 4th of July Parade…

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On July 30th we made our annual trek to Rome, NY for the Drums Along the Mohawk DCI competition…

I was particularly excited this year as my daughter decided to come along for the ride…

It started to sprinkle while we were playing in front of the stadium before the show…
Then it became a light but steady rain during the Port Chester exhibition corps…
But a few minutes into the first competing corps’ performance the skies opened up!!
Checking the radar showed this to be the only tiny ‘blob’ of rain in all of NYS that night
and it literally parked over Rome for almost two and a half hours without budging –
prompting the first cancellation of the show in its 36 year history.

We were camped under the stadium and put on this show for the volunteers…

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August 2014…

The Schuylerville Turning Point Parade was something special this year…
All of the corps that would be competing in the DCA show to follow marched in the parade!!

I can’t remember the last time I saw a parade like that and the folks in Schuylerville absolutely loved it!!!
And the DCA competition featured a full line up of corps, beautiful weather and a large, enthusiastic crowd…

Here’s our exhibition at the show…

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September 2014…

On September 14th we returned to the Uncle Sam Parade in Troy, NY and also kicked off the entertainment in Powers Park after the parade…
But the big news was the debut of Jason – our third quint player!!

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And who could resist when two adorable little girls (one in a colorguard t-shirt) come running over and ask the line to play for them…

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October 2014…

On October 25th the line was invited back to the Saratoga Fall Festival!!

Here are a few clips including one where we invited some of the kids in attendance to join us…

Clip #1          Clip #2          Clip #3 (with the kids)

and the debut of Carniva-Waldo

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More with the kids or future recruits…

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And the public debut of Dirty Eddie…

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Here are some more pictures…

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November 2014…

November 22nd was exciting as AGAD made its debut in the annual Schenectady Gazette Holiday Parade
which is believed to be the largest night time holiday parade in the country – well, at least in cold weather…

Despite being down two basses (Matt – #2 – working hard for college in the Midwest; and ‘Cat’ – #4 – who was vacationing in Hawaii)
and Jason’s quint… AND having to tolerate some knucklehead in a fire truck behind us blowing a siren
and every other thing that made a noise from the beginning to the end of the parade,
we were able to focus on entertaining the huge crowd that braved the sleet and rain
and even make an impression on local news anchor Dori Marlin who was announcing at the reviewing stand as you’ll hear later in the video…

We later received a call from the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce that AGAD had won some sort of award in the parade!!
We were at least third in “Stepping to the Music.” On December 10, we find out if we, in fact, won.
The rep was surprised herself that we “placed” that high our first year out in this event.

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Here are some still shots from Schenectady…

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Then the next day, November 23rd, we returned to the Post Star Holiday Parade in South Glens Falls
and were thrilled by the 20+ degree jump in temperature from the night before
but even more thrilled with the massive and enthusiastic turnout!!

Still down two basses but Dan, Kevin and I hit our stride so to speak and filled the holes nicely (if I do say so myself… I just did).

Here are more pictures from South Glens Falls… you’ll notice that it was warm enough that the quint line shed their jackets early on.
They were the only ones with the foresight to where the uniform jerseys under their jackets – the rest of us had to sweat it out…

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Next up – Salem Holiday Parade on December 6th!!

Last gig of the year in Salem with a smaller faction.
Cold, wet, rainy. . . .Brenda had the camera in a plastic bag, which is why all the shots look a bit fuzzy.
This parade is one block long… that’s it!! But they beg us to come back each year…
And, this gig also featured the debut of our new black soft shell jackets.

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This just in… We’ve been invited by RPI to appear at their big drum jam in April at the EMPAC!!
(Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center)

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January 2015…

January 24, 2015 – a return exhibition at the Shenendehowa indoor color guard competition.

Here’s some footage of us cramming for the gig backstage…

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Here the actual performance…

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January 31, 2015 – AGAD was invited to play at an Adirondack Flames hockey game ON THE ICE!!

I couldn’t make this because of a band commitment but here’s the on-ice performance (click the picture)…

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February 2015…

February 28, 2015 – we headed back to Mohanosen for their indoor guard show but with a twist this time
as we were joined by members of the ‘Mohon’ drum staff!!

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Here’s the video from tonight…

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Now it’s time to start dusting off charts for the RPI gig where we’ll be playing our entire book!!
PLUS the debut of ‘T&P Combo’ by 311 with augmented instrumentation – electric guitar and bass!!!

Here’s a rehearsal clip…

April 2015…

But first, the Flames have invited the line back on April 18th… this time they’ll play outside before the game as well!!
I was at another band gig (100+ shows each year) but here’s the line playing as patrons wander in to the Flames game…

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And here they are back on the ice…

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A bit of disappointing news as we prepare for RPI…
We just learned that our most recent member Jason (quint) will be relocating to the south for a Naval reclamation project.
We wish him nothing but the best and can’t wait for him to return for a visit – hopefully when we have a parade!!

April 25, 2015 – AGAD headlines ‘Things You Miss’ – a drum show put on by RPIgnite!!

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Here’s the link to Part I of the RPI Drum Jam…

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…and here is Part II

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Funny – we picked the 311 tune because we liked the groove and we could adapt it.
A bonus that their drummer is actually a Drum Corps guy!!
Here is 311’s drummer, Chad Sexton, talking about his days
marching with the Railmen and then the Sky Ryder’s. He’s one of US!!

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Next up – parade season… but first, congratulations to our friend, Mohon drum staff member and 2014 Greenwich grad Zach Hewitt
on making it through a grueling audition process and making the snare line of Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps in Wisconsin!!!

May 2015…

Our annual visit to Lansingburgh for their Memorial Day Parade…

June 2015…

Our annual visits to Saratoga and Troy for their Flag Day Parades…

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July 2015…

One more trip to Rome for an exhibition at the DCI show…

August 2015…

And our return to the Schuylerville Turning Point Parade and DCA show exhibition…

November 2015…

One of our favorites – the South Glens Falls Holiday Parade…

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February 2016…

We decided to breakout T&P Combo at the Mohon show with the pair of Mohon students on guitar and bass…

First let’s brush the dust off…

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OK – that’s (almost) ready for ‘prime time’…

April 2016…

We were beyond thrilled to be invited to the Troy Boys & Girls Club as our good friend (and former judge) Joe Baker
is leading the effort to resurrect the Troy Skyliners Drum & Bugle Corps!!

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May 2016…

We look forward to the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade each year as our unofficial start to summer…

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A baseball legend once said,  “Let’s play TWO!!”
AGAD took that to heart and accepted an invitation to march
in the Wynantskill Memorial Day Parade the afternoon of the Lansingburgh parade…
Could we make it there in time??  At some of our advanced ages could we still march two parades in the same day?!?
The answer was ‘yes’ but apparently we were too tired to shoot any video… let’s verify that…

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June 2016…

A new addition this year – a Thursday night at the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade
and boy do these folks ever turn out for a parade – fantastic crowd!!

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Of course we’d follow that with our traditional Saturday in the Saratoga Flag Day Parade…

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…followed by Sunday in the Troy Flag Day Parade…

This parade has the reputation for being the longest and hottest but today at least it
was only long as temperatures were unusually cool – mid 60’s or maybe low 70’s and cloudy…

By the end of the almost 3 mile trek we felt like we could have done it again!!

We’ve learned to look for the contingent of Troy Muchachos Drum & Bugle Corps alums and always stop to pay homage…

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January 2017…

Exhibition at the Shen indoor guard competition… Missing some key people but still pulled it off…

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February 2017…

Mohon indoor guard exhibition… this time we’d be joined by some Mohon STUDENTS!!

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May 2017…

This year we were honored to be asked to make our debut in the Saratoga Memorial Day Parade on the Thursday of Memorial Day Weekend…
And it rained… constantly… so we didn’t get any video…

Then the following Monday we made our annual visit to the Lansingburgh where it was wet but looked like it might clear off for the afternoon…

But we were WRONG!! The afternoon in Wynantskill it rained so hard we didn’t even get pictures!!

That’s three very wet parades in a row!! This has to change…

June 2017…

Our second year at the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade… We think it gets bigger every year!!

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This year marks the 50th year for both the Saratoga and Troy Flag Day Parades!!

The Saratoga parade had a huge turnout and even with the depleted bass ranks we got through it…

But the 50th annual Troy Flag Day Parade was one for the books!!

This is the longest (almost 3 miles) and hottest parade we do…
Last year’s 60-70 degree weather was a fluke and long gone this year… It was hot… DAMN HOT!!

Here’s a shot before we stepped off…

We tried to take it easy before the parade because we knew what was ahead from previous years
but this was something else and made us long for the pissing rains from Memorial Day…

We were wilting in the heat well before the halfway mark – stopping for water and any shade we could find!!
By the end every member was feeling the effects of the day yet somehow everyone miraculously made it to the very end.

It must have been hot for the dignitaries at the reviewing stand (in the shade with their electric fans)
because when we stopped for our performance we heard, “OK boys – let’s make this quick!!”

You’re welcome…

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2018 – –

AGAD Usually spends their winters learning new material and performing exhibitions at indoor guard shows but this winter we took a break from the exhibitions to prep for the once in a lifetime Avant Garde Reunion corps (see below)!!

As long as we keep ‘picking ’em up and putting ’em down’ I’ll keep adding to this chronicle.

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June 7 – AGAD made what has become an annual visit to the Thursday evening Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade.  A warm-up for the big reunion corps now only 2 days away!!

Down a couple basses but up a cymbal AND a couple snares as we were joined by AG alums Ray Van Alstyne, Neil McBride and Bill Bunyon all the way from Carolina!!

Of course we had the usual first responders to contend with… right on our butts and blowing sirens and horns… This time it was so bad that at one break Dan (1st bass) went back and actually said something to them!! This helped for a while but as we got closer to the end it picked up again… I’m sure the kids love it but try concentrating with that crap blasting in your ears… 🙂

Then began of one of the most important weeks of my life (since getting married and adopting Selena)…

In the fall of 2017 we heard rumors that someone was attempting to assemble a horn line and color guard to go along with the alumni drumline… Why is this so important to me??

In 1975 two Lake George High School freshmen – both drummers – were in the audience at East Side Rec in Saratoga for something they’d never seen before – a drum & bugle corps competition. By the time the newly formed Avant Garde from right there in Saratoga finished their performance they were both hooked!! One would join a couple years later while the other (me) had already embarked on a professional playing career and would never know that thrill.

Several years ago the one who joined assembled AGAD (the alumni drumline) and I was invited to join. I have been excited beyond words to finally be able to wear the colors and logo as a playing member of the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline – never daring to dream that a full alumni corps would become a reality… but the rumors were TRUE!!

Before we knew it tunes were being selected, charts were appearing, uniforms were being chosen and membership numbers were being tossed around… this could be huge!! And with that the Avant Garde Reunion Corps became a reality with the sole purpose of marching down Broadway in Saratoga one last time in the annual Elk’s Flag Day Parade on June 9, 2018!!

We had a drumline rehearsal on pads at Jim’s house in February to shake out the cobwebs and numbers and firm up who would be playing where… AGAD would stay in tact – particularly the bass line – but there were a lot of old and new faces… more cymbals… more quints… and more snares!!

The corps got together for the first time at a 2 day mini camp on March 3rd at Spa Catholic and, thanks to the good graces of the Bridgemen and Jersey Surf corps, had the necessary additional drum equipment driven up from New Jersey!!

The weekend would be dedicated to two of the corps’ signature ballads… ‘Somewhere Over the ‘Rainbow’ and ‘People’. We also hoped to be performing ‘Summertime’ – easily one of the most memorable numbers from that night back in ’75 – that was the challenge for Sunday’s camp.

I had to leave camp early Saturday for a Funk Evolution gig but as luck would have it, it was at the Hall of Springs – only 5 minutes away from the corps camp at Spa Catholic school (how did I get that lucky?)… My goal was to get setup and dressed then return to camp for full ensemble at 5:00 but it was going to be close… I was setup and ready almost before the light and sound truck arrived so I dressed and hauled ass back to Spa Catholic – arriving just as ensemble was starting!! The guys had moved my gear upstairs to the gym so all I had to do was find my charts and jump in line. What a major adrenaline rush it was to finally be part of the echoes of the Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps that were resounding off the Spa Catholic gym walls!! I had all I could do not to scream with joy or burst into tears!! It was amazing to look around the gym… people of all ages (one gentleman I’m told has been in drum corps for 72 years!!) and from all over the country… and I was humbled to be a part of it!!

Once we finished Jeff Perkins (corps director then and now) had some closing remarks then I headed back to the night gig…

Sunday we returned to see if ‘Summertime’ had any chance… after a full day of sectional rehearsal we ensembled and nailed it the first time!! That’s a keeper!!

The horns added ‘My Funny Valentine’ as a sort of choral and the drums added ‘Quartermaster’ – a short feature that AGAD plays – so the repertoire is set.

We’d rehearse again on April 29th… Here’s a sample of ‘Rainbow‘…

On May 30th we moved rehearsal to Greenwich schools to take advantage of their track and actually play on the move – something that many haven’t done for decades… or at least since the last millennium!!

We got a little wet in the beginning then it got cold, then hot… several of us managed a slight sun burn in only 6 minutes of sun the entire day… but despite the wacky weather, we were outside and it was most productive!!

June 8 – Avant Garde Reunion Corps uniform distribution and mandatory rehearsal!!

June 9 – The big day!! Something I’ve waited 43 years for… the day my drum corps fantasy – one that I never thought possible – finally became a reality… that was to march as a member of the Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps!!

We began checking in at 9:00am… checking equipment, suiting up and preparing to take the shuttles over to where we would line up for the parade… Before we left, the new banner was unveiled and the corps picture was taken…

Then, after 43 years of personal regret… after years of walking the route with the corps – watching others I knew perform… on June 9, 2018, I (finally) marched down Broadway in the annual Saratoga Flag Day Parade as a member of the Avant Garde Reunion Drum & Bugle Corps’ ‘One Last Time’!! We hit the streets with over 70 horns, 30+ drums (including 17 snares) and 40+ color guard!! The Elks who sponsor the parade are telling us that this will be the largest musical ensemble to ever march the route – 156 uniformed marching members!! This was an event and a half and I am absolutely thrilled I was able to be a part of it!!

As we marched down Upper Broadway past the other marching units, I tried to stay focused on my parts and my posture… the full corps played a couple times on the way to the awaiting crowd but it wasn’t until we crossed Route 50 on to Lower Broadway and people lined 6 or more deep on both sides that it hit me… as we performed ‘Rainbow’, I found myself sobbing like a baby… I’d waited a good part of my life for this moment and now had to pull myself together… had I joined back in my mid / late teens I’m sure I would have had the same reaction… 🙂

Here’s ‘Rainbow’ during the parade…

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Here we’re approaching the reviewing stand…

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Here’s Summertime at the reviewing stand…

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We would make our way to Congress Park to wait for the shuttles to return us to the Elk’s Club where the Elks would graciously feed everyone for which the corps would repay them with a full exhibition behind the club…

‘Rainbow’ at the Elk’s Club…

‘Summertime’ at the Elk’s Club…

—For more information please visit the Avant Garde Alumni Corps site!!

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2019 – –

Then the rumors started to swirl… so many people wanted to do it again and many more who didn’t do it the first time vowed not to miss it the second time around so ‘one and done’ became ‘two and through’ as the reunion corps was formed AGAIN in 2019!!

This year the corps welcomed special guest Chuck Mangione!!

I didn’t think anything could surpass last year but this might just do it… 

A few days later it was announced that the night before the parade we would be hosting a tribute concert for Chuck Mangione along with the HS jazz bands from Mohonosen, Saratoga and Schuylerville AND that Chuck Mangione would be there as our guest AND be Grand Marshall of the parade the next day!! I checked the calendar again and FE’s at Dango’s the night of the concert… I struggled with this decision for several days… in 44 years as a professional musician I’ve only missed 2 gigs – and only one of them was by choice… FE’s played with numerous subs at clubs and even weddings – even without our regular lead singer!! And this definitely qualified as a once-in-a-lifetime event in my mind (and I don’t have many of those left) so I was confident that no one would even miss me and I eventually blacked out the dates on the band calendar after emailing Rocco a long explanation.

The corps had rehearsed the night before and looked and sounded great!! The only downside was we learned that our #3 bass (Matt) was sick in Boston and wasn’t going to make either of the performances… I’d been playing his parts all through the winter camps so it wasn’t a big deal though I’d have to read charts but at least the middle pitch would be present in the performance…

After about 30 minutes we cleared out and headed for the corps picture with Chuck Mangione!!

The HS jazz bands were phenomenal!! Then the drumline made its way onto the stage where we’d play the hornline in as they marched down the isles and we all hoped we wouldn’t scare the hell out of everyone as this was going to be LOUD!!  And yes-there were people in all those front row seats (seen below) during the performance!!

Land of Make Believe (Concert)

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Hill Where the Lord Hides (Concert)

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America (Concert Encore)

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Walkbeat / Exit / Bass Bow (Concert)

The following morning the corps assembled at 10:00am at the Saratoga Elk’s Club for the corps picture and to catch the shuttles to our lineup location where we’d warm up and get a run through in…

In January 2020 word was spreading that there would indeed be an AG3 at the 2020 Flag Day Parade!! But no one could have predicted that a virus from China would turn the entire world upside down…

The corps committee behind it all is already making plans for 2021 and we’re all hoping that things are back to some sort of normalcy by then…

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2022 – –

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June 11… my first double header in quite some time… Avant Garde Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps in the morning and afternoon then a wedding with Body & Soul in the afternoon and evening…

5:45am – up and moving… heaping bowl of Wheaties and my doctor’s daily allowance (about a specimen cup) of Trop 50 orange juice to get me fueled up… I’d already packed my wedding attire (OK – 3 sets), laid out my corps uniform and polished my shoes… the only thing left to do was pack lunch, dinner and the day’s beverages so I had time to relax a bit before my ‘shit, shave and shower’ as they say… this also gave me time to print out some charts some drummers had requested…

7:45am – S-S-S and dress…

8:30am – munch a quick snack to top off my personal tank as once I arrived with the corps there’d be no time…

8:45am – hit the road with a quick Stewart’s stop for gas and a couple waters – one for the parade and one for the gig – then I was off to hookup with the 1975 World Open Champions!!

9:30am – arrive at the designated meeting site, finish some last-minute prep and cleaning on my drum, check that I have everything I need for this portion of the day, meet up with the rest of the drumline to clarify and play a few trouble spots…

9:45am – setup for the corps picture…

And then it was time to step off…

This year’s corps may have been one of the smallest in terms of numbers but the dedication was never better and when we crossed the intersection on to lower Broadway, you could feel the energy go through the roof!! Excellent job by all involved and I was very proud to be a part of it!!

Here’s the end of ‘America’, our bass line feature ‘SCV’ (giving the snares and quints a chance to rest their backs)
then an assortment of reps of the new walkbeat (revived from ’76 I think)… ‘I’m A Man’ by Chicago…

Here’s the full reviewing stand performance…

Oh – and our new friend and honorary member from yesterday’s rehearsal?? He was front and center – proud as a peacock in his corps shirt!! 🙂

We were missing our #4 bass so I covered his parts and it sounded pretty decent… except for the fire department directly behind us with the brightest LED lights we’ve ever encountered and every siren and horn known to Emergency vehicles… you’ll have no trouble hearing it in the video above… the guard couldn’t hear us and we couldn’t concentrate so we pleaded with them to back off a little and they did… for a while… then when we got near downtown they were at it again…

As we were walking back to our cars all that could be heard were sirens and horns… if there were any other bands we never heard a note… sadly, this might be a good parade for musical units to avoid if that’s all the organizers think people want to hear…

And it was windy!! The sun was out but with the wind it felt much colder than last night and there was no place to seek shelter so I just kept pacing to keep some circulation but it was a challenge…

Just before the parade stepped off we started playing our warmups and ran through the rep for the day… in that short time I could feel my body temp come back up and I was very comfortable by the time our division moved out…

As we hit the first signs of a crowd I noticed the wind had stopped and made the mistake of saying it out loud… as we approached the half way point I noticed a large black cloud approaching from our left and said, “Boys – I don’t see lightning or hear thunder but that’s SNOW and it’s gonna get us!!” Sure enough… for about the final third of the parade we were pelted with snow as the wind picked up again… You can actually see it in the first picture below with the guard and the American flag…

But the biggest difference on this day was the total LACK of sirens and horns drowning out the line!! The new organizers are lead by the local fire department and, while they may be struggling to line up the participants, they at least knew how to treat the musical units and we thank them very much for that!!

If you have a Facebook account, clicking the picture above will provide a short video… and here are some more pictures…

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A MIDI Drum & Bugle Corps

During my time with the Vagabonds around 1981-82 I started experimenting with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface – a protocol developed in the 1980’s which allows electronic instruments and other digital musical tools to communicate with each other) and using it to record the corps music just for fun. Then I realized that it would be a valuable teaching tool – especially for those members that couldn’t read music that well and learned by ear. I would hand out the music along with a cassette tape for them to practice with – complete with dynamics and tempo changes. Eventually I discovered that I could reverse teach people to read music – they were using the sheet music as a road map or reference point for starting and stopping in rehearsals by recognizing rhythms that they were already playing and associating that with the transcribed parts. Overall, it got to the point where I would sequence the entire show so the brass and percussion staff could hear it and make adjustments before any music was ever handed out or taught which cut down on the amount of wasted rehearsal time from having to re-teach rewritten parts. This also proved to be a valuable tool for the color guard as well!!

The 1994 Capital Brass’ show was to be a tribute to the great horn bands – Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chase, Chicago… and consisted of ‘When Two Minds Meet’ / ‘Boys and Girls Together’, ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’ / ‘Symphony For the Devil’ (percussion feature) and ‘If You Leave Me Now’. The book was completed and parts of the show had even been taught before the corps folded. I think I have the only recording (my MIDI corps if you will – the MIDI-Evil Knights – of the last revision of the show before it all ended.

MIDI-Evil Knights
Digital Drum & Bugle Corps

I have been experimenting with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) since it was born back in the 80’s and while teaching one of the local corps I started plopping notes into a computer at home, curious to see if I could hear what the finished product was supposed to sound like.

Then I realized what a tremendous asset this would be for players who couldn’t read music well or at all and for the color guard who normally had to wait until music was taught, then try to practice to a lousy, usually slower than intended, recording.

It also proved to be an indispensable tool for the musical staff in that we could hear the whole show before it was ever taught, make changes and hear them as well!! This cut down on the amount of in season rewrites and the frustration level of members!!

Here are some samples as performed by my ‘MIDI corps’ if you will:

1991 Capital Brass

Brass book by Paul M. Sanges, drum book by Jim Crawford and myself

El Tigre (full corps)

Fernando’s Fantasy

Summertime
(with drum solo)

Summer of ’42

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1993 Capital Brass – DCA Finalists!!!
(this is a drumline practice version with only minimal brass recorded)

Brass book by Paul M. Sanges, drum book by Jim Crawford and myself

Everybody Loves the Blues

Nuttville

Something

Mira, Mira
(with drum solo)

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1994 Capital Brass

Brass book by Paul M. Sanges and I wrote the percussion book

This is the show that never was!!!
After making DCA finals in 1993 we must have thought we had reached a pinnacle and assumed that the world would beat a path to our door
but between the loss of members and lack of successful recruiting the corps folded in winter rehearsals and never performed any part of this show:

A Tribute to the horn bands of the 60’s and 70’s – Chase, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago

When Two Minds Meet / Boys and Girls Together

You’ve Made Me So Very Happy / Symphony For the Devil
(with drum solo)

If You Leave Me Now

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1994 Capital Brass – battery and pit ONLY

When Two Minds Meet / Boys and Girls Together

You’ve Made Me So Very Happy / Symphony For the Devil
(with drum solo)

If You Leave Me Now