Remaining Objective In My Old Age

Recently a good friend and marching buddy of mine came into a bit of a discourse.
We both grew up under the direction of Carmen Cluna. I will say unabashedly that having him "direct" a major part of my teenage years, was indicative of how I was to think about problem solving and how also to think on both sides of every issue. His ability to be honest to us and honest to himself was a very, very good role to follow. This is why although I have so many personal stories about Carmen
(let me put it this way - I was kicked out by Carmen for a various different reasons a number of 8 times in 7 years.)
But he instigated in me a gene of independence that allowed me to grow as a human and excel as a person who can do more. Hy did that, too but he never threw it in your face. So - when an old friend came down on me about what DCI is doing now I responded with this:
You missed my point.
Sorry but I was talking about how much I hate synthesizers.
The examples I used were what I used to feel when I saw shows without all the stuff you pretty much hate.
I personally think the last great junior corps was Star Of Indiana 1993. I don't care about Bb horns or the pit.
Didn't you realize that Drum Corps just like the size and power of our micro processors was going to change over the course of 35 years?
No, I do not like what DCI is doing!
No, I do not like that there are so few inner city Drum Corps playing on the National Level.
No, I don't like that those who do march have to pay dues give up thousands of dollars a summer to sleep on Gym floors and eat from second class food trucks.
No, I don't like that these same young people suffer bad knees, bad feet, bad legs, shoulders and backs long before their time because of a system that does not care about them.
It's bad. Really bad. I have spent my time as a part time lobby guy for Drum Corps and the people who march in them. I have written passionate letters to The past 3 Presidents and the Education Advisers with many State Senators, Governors and Mayors and City Councilmen as co-signers. I was getting somewhere early last year when the economy tanked.
You know how much instruments and teachers and staff and Real Estate, buses, and uniforms cost? Start up for a new Drum Corps - a small one who could possibly reach National Status in a few years is well over $400,000.00!
Then there's recruitment and attrition and encouraging our youngsters to be people who don't want to kill each other or to look for their next 'ho, or how to steal instead of work, or having them have parents who care (like ours, remember?)
That's what it is - we have to change the world. Change our world. I tried it with my son. It worked. He sings, he plays jazz on the weekends and he teaches. Literally one in a million. He's 38 today and it took him a long time to find his way. My daughter will be 18 next month. She runs world class track, plays soccer and is going to Rhode Island School Of Design next year to study fashion design. I have taken her to shows and she once expressed that she could "do that" after seeing 'Star's final season.
My point is this: Even if we change the world, get the funding, knock off the despicable things the current music, entertainment, media and educational systems are doing (not to mention iPhones, iPods, Computer games and all the distracting electronic outlets available, their world will not be what our world was. And Drum Corps as we knew it will never return. It can't.
Quite honestly, I wouldn't want my world to return to 1972.
Hell, if this was 1972 I would not be able to publish this blog or 'talk' to my old friends on Face Book or through emails.
I'm 60 years old and have seen recently my body turn against me for the first time.
I am going to continue to embrace change, progress and continue to compete and beat those uppity youngsters who think they can out think me just because they had gadgets. But in my business technology always takes second place to the idea.
Think about it - even Carmen and Hy and Eric knew it was the idea first then kick the stones out of the execution.
I can hate what's going on with how Drum Corps is run by the DCI but I will always stand with the young people who do it.
And I can wait for the time when I see a show and say to myself: ####, I wish Carmen had thought of that."
Because if he thought he could get away with it at the time; the different tempos, backwards marching ... any of it. We would have done it - and liked it - and we would have kicked it, too. You know that's word.
Those who know, know. Those who don't, won't understand what Carmen and Hy gave to us. For me, Carmen could be a task master, he could be a person you as a teenager could "fear" but only if you feared success. I was a little kid but I speak in a larger voice than my mere stature because Carmen gave me a voice and because when I was on the field he trusted me. More importantly he trusted all of us. We would do what he directed us to and as I said to my good old friend above, we would have executed any idea he came up with - and we did.
We ran first, we spun flags first, we had the among the first tympani line, we used props, smoke bombs, and knife fights. Oh my, would we have followed him/them into the pit of DCI - heh, ask anyone of the time: 1972 we would have placed in the finals! For sure.
We never had a big win - but we competed and ask those we competed against; we were always "right there."
Our short time was made important in the history of junior Drum Corps by the men who were to become legend and who helped me become the man I am.
Puppet