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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 20, 2020 3:52:27 GMT -6
A Small Band With A Big Sound - The Marching Admirals
Years ago when I watched the old MBA Grand Nationals on video, one of the bands I found very enjoyable to watch was the Danville HS 'Marching Admirals' from Danville, KY. This band rose to success during the 1970s as a strong small school band. They had their biggest success in 1981 and 1982 when they made Grand National finals and won the Grand National Class A Title. In fact, in 1982 they became the first band to win back to back Grand National Class A titles. On a side note; a little bit of trivia here: 1981 had the most Class A bands in the fall GN finals (there were 4 including; Danville KY, Maconaquah IN, Hanover PA and John Battle VA). In 1982, Danville became the first Kentucky band to win a BOA(MBA) regional title, edging out up and coming power Rocky Mount.
Back in 1981 and 1982 Danville had a total number of brass, woodwinds and percussion of around 70 members. Together with the guard, their total band size was around 90; small even back then for a Grand National finalist. In their 1981 show, they had a section of asymmetric drill during the percussion and concert piece. At one point the band breaking out in vocals was another innovative thing for 1981. In their 1982 show, they band broke out into a little free form at one point, also innovative for the early 1980s. 1981 and 1982 were the only years that Danville made GN finals. They lost their director after the 1982 season; often a big loss for a small school band program. While I imagine they were close in 1983 as they had a strong show, they missed making finals. The band then went into a slow decline thereafter, but still maintained a relatively strong small school band program.
Here are the videos of Danville's 1981 and 1982 GN finals performances. Note: the text superimposed at the beginning actually has their finals placement incorrect. Oops. Also note in these early 80s video that at the start of the show a pistol shot can be heard. That signaled that the field judges could enter the field. Within about a minute or so left, two pistol shots were fired that signaled the field judges off the field so that the ending would not be judged by the field judges. I believe it was in 1985 that that practice ended.
1981 Danville - 6th Place and Class A Champion and winner of best flags award.
1982 Danville - 5th Place and Class A Champion and winner of best flags award again.
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Post by madisonbandman1 on Oct 22, 2020 17:21:15 GMT -6
Good Evening, It has been quite some time since the last time that I posted on this forum, and I would like to say that I love that the history channels are going strong! It seems as if they are going into more depth now that there is virtually no marching band to keep track of at the same time and people are spending less time away from home than they normally would. Either way, these posts are much appreciated and I hope you all keep it up. By the way, boahistorybuff, please check your PMs whenever you find the time. Thank you!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 26, 2020 4:18:56 GMT -6
The Early Days of Electronics
At Grand Nationals in 1981, Warren Central HS from Indianapolis used a synthesizer in their show. This was a year before the pit was allowed. The synthesizer was plugged into an amplifier that was marched around on a cart. It was used to create a very unique sound in this performance. Warren Central was a Grand National finalist twice. They finished 7th in 1981 and 9th in 1982 before failing to make finals in 1983. The video of their 1981 performance is not on line but the audio (copied from the LP) is online. I have posted it below. The audio files did still had better sound quality than the videos did back then. If the video of this performance was shown, you would see a very strong marching performance (I mean they are an Indiana band after all). Back in the early 80s, Warren Central was still using an auxiliary line separate from the flags and rifles. Their auxiliary used pom poms and danced extremely well. They were actually the visual highlight of the show. Warren Central won the high auxiliary award in both 1981 and 1982.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 27, 2020 7:09:07 GMT -6
A Small Town Band That Made A Huge Impact - Herscher HS
It seems to me that back in the 1970s and into the early 1980s, high school marching bands often seemed like they were trying to sound either like a drum corps or a college half time band. One of the bands that came along that really altered that style was Herscher HS from Herscher, Illinois under the direction of future DCI Hall of Fame Member Tim Salzman (who was notably credited for having increased the musicality in drum corps performances). What Mr. Salzman did with Herscher HS in the early 1980s (and very notably in their 1981 and 1982 performances) was have them perform more like a symphonic wind ensemble on the field. Their music performances had many soft moments and often featured woodwinds much more efficiently than what other high school bands were doing at the time. Their music was often arranged to have more tempo variations than what was typical for a high school band in that day and overall seemed very balanced between brass, woodwind and percussion features. They were doing this at a time when Greg Bimm of Marian Catholic and Ken Snoeck of Lake Park both from nearby metro Chicago schools were in the process of developing national caliber marching bands. Interesting that both Marian and Lake Park become notable for their symphonic band style during the later half of the decade and really took what Herscher had done to a whole new level. I have to wonder if Herscher was one of the big influence in the Marian and Lake Park music style that emerged during the 1980s. That highly sophisticated musical style of Marian and Lake Park (and to some extent a few other notable bands like Rocky Mount NC, Westfield TX, Ben Davis IN and West Genesee NY) ended up influencing marching bands across the county. That seems to suggest to me that Tim Salzman and Herscher HS had enormous influence on competitive high school marching bands.
Like many bands of the day, especially those in the Midwest, Herscher HS was active in both the summer and fall competitive circuits. During the 1970s, Herscher HS attended the June Whitewater Grand Nationals all four years. They made finals in two of them; 1976 and 1978. By 1980, Herscher had dramatically improved. Although they did not attend the new fall Grand Nationals in the early 1980s (I am sure travel costs were a big consideration) they continued to attend the Whitewater, WI nationals which were renamed the Summer Nationals. At the 1980 Summer Nationals, Herscher finished in the top half of finalist bands and won the Class A title. That fall, they won the de facto Illinois State Title (the overall title). In 1981, at the Summer Nationals, Herscher finished 2nd overall and were the Class A champions. That fall they again won the overall Illinois State Title. Then came 1982, their most successful season. At the 1982 Summer Nationals they again won the Class A title and placed first overall, being crowned the 1982 Summer National Champion. What was impressive is that they beat Chesterton (the reigning Grand National Champion) and Norwin (who would win Grand Nationals in the fall). They actually only beat Norwin by 0.05 points. That fall, they won the overall Illinois State Championships for the third year in a row. They also attended the MBA regional in Indianapolis, where they won, again beating reigning Grand National Champ Chesterton. This made them the first band from Illinois to win a BOA (MBA) regional title. After the 1982 season, Mr. Salzman left Herscher. I believe he left to focus on instructing drum corps. Back in those days the departure of such a hands on director, especially from a small school, was often a big loss to the band. That was the case for Herscher. While they remained a strong small school marching band, their glory years came to an abrupt end with Mr. Salzman's departure.
Here is the performance from the 1980 Summer Nationals.
Here is the audio file (video is not online) from the 1981 Summer Nationals.
Here is the performance that won them the 1982 Summer National title. Also included are some clips of the award ceremony.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 31, 2020 3:54:22 GMT -6
Before They Were a National Power
The Pride of Broken Arrow may not have been at the top of the national circuits in the 1980s but they were still a strong band. They won multiple Oklahoma State Titled during the decade, beating their chief in-state rival Union. This video is from the 1982 OBA State Championships where Broken Arrow beat out Union for the state title. Broken Arrow also took this show to Grand Nationals this year. I am not sure what place they got but I do know that they failed to make finals. They just were not quite ready for the national stage. It would be 16 years before Broken Arrow would attend Grand Nationals again; 1998. That year they did make finals; the first of what would be many appearances in Grand National finals.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 2, 2020 5:04:43 GMT -6
Vintage Knights of Norwin
To recap a little, the Knights of Norwin from North Huntingdon, PA remain the band with the most BOA regional titles. They have 29 spread out over a 40 year period between 1979 and 2019. They are the only band to win at least one regional title in every decade of BOA's existence. They are also a 9-time Grand National Finalist and the 1982 Grand National Champions. While they had a lot of ups and downs from 1985 onward, during the first half of the 1980s, they were extremely consistent and among the top bands in the country. They also were known to start the season strong so were a very tough band to beat early season. This is one reason why between 1979 and 1984 they racked up 9 regional titles. Very impressive in that there were far few regionals in those days. I will show videos of Norwin's shows from 1980 to 1984. While they were a corps style band, they had a very traditional style uniform, including tall white busby hats. They also marched an auxiliary line of dancers/baton twirlers up through 1983. In 1986, the band got new more stylish corps style uniforms. Back in the early 80s, Norwin often recycled signature musical selections and drill moves from season to season, which was pretty common back in those days. One of the things that set Norwin apart from most other high school bands of the day, aside from being so good, is that they played and marched to some very up tempo pieces of music. This fast pace made their shows a very high energy experience to watch. Norwin was also known as having an incredibly good percussion section and rifle line. Prior to 1989, awards for best percussion and rifles were given out at regionals and nationals. At the regional level, Norwin racked up more percussion and rifle awards than any other band. The Norwin drum majors also had some very interesting salutes (back in the 80s the salute at a the beginning of the show was a big deal) and the drum majors had a very unique (or somewhat odd in my opinion) conducting style.
Here are the videos:
1980; Norwin did not attend Grand Nationals this year. I think this video is from one of the MBA regionals. They won two regionals this season, becoming the first band to win two regionals in the same season.
1981 Grand Nationals in Johnson City TN. This was Norwin's first trip to Grand Nationals. Earlier in the season they won the Eastern Regional and then lost the Toledo regional by a very slim margin to Chesterton, even though they picked up most of the caption awards. At nationals, Chesterton widened their lead and won the title. Norwin did however finish 2nd and were the Open Class Champions. Not bad for being their very first appearance at nationals.
1982 Grand Nationals in Johnson City TN. Norwin was unstoppable this season. They won two MBA regionals and won them by a wide margin. At Grand Nationals, they placed 1st and were the Open Class and overall Grand National Champions. They won by the second highest score margin in history (still not quite close to Marian's 88 record). They remain the only Pennsylvania band to win a Grand National title. They also took the caption awards for Best Brass/Winds, Rifles and General Effect.
1983 Grand Nationals in Johnson City TN. While they beat out Rocky Mount to win the Eastern Regional Title, they were unable to beat them at nationals as Rocky Mount gave a stunning performance to win. Norwin actually finished 3rd this year behind both Rocky Mount and Ben Davis. Like many high school bands in 1983, Norwin experimented with a few sections of asymmetrical drill this season.
1984 Grand Nationals at the then brand new Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. This season they won two of the five BOA regionals. At the Eastern Regional they again beat out Rocky Mount. This made them a huge contender for another Grand National title. At Nationals however, they were unable to beat Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount had a more difficult show that peaked right at Grand Nationals). Norwin ended up finishing 2nd and won the Open Class Title (their third GN Open Class Title). Norwin also won the awards for best percussion and rifles. I am sure that after having narrowly missed out on the best percussion award at the previous three Grand Nationals while winning it at nearly every regional, it was nice to finally pick up that award at nationals.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 5, 2020 10:55:06 GMT -6
Another Early Texas Giant - Georgetown HS Marching Band
Georgetown HS from Georgetown, TX was the Texas UIL Conference 4A State Champions for six consecutive years from 1980 to 1985. This is a performance from their 1983 State Championship performance.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 14, 2020 5:55:53 GMT -6
A New York Power - West Genesee
During the early years of Bands of America, many of the top bands across the country simply did not participate in the circuit. Keep in mind, there were far fewer regionals in those days and less bands participated in Grand Nationals. In 1983, that was the case for the West Genesee HS 'Wildcats' from Camillus, NY. This band was incredibly good starting in the early 1970s and going well into the 1990s. They first participated in BOA in 1985 when the attended Grand Nationals and placed 3rd. Had they attended in 1983, I am sure they would have placed in the top half of finalist bands, perhaps even top three. In the 1980s, West Genesee had well designed and executed drill and a fantastic percussion section. This was also the case in their 1983 show. Here is a video of the 1983 West Genesee HS marching band, I believe from the New York State Championships.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 18, 2020 6:00:28 GMT -6
University HS - The Most Successful Band in BOA From Washington State
The Pacific Northwest region has had active competitive marching band programs going all the way back into the mid 20th Century. Both Washington and Oregon have produced successful marching bands over the decades. Obviously due to the great distance and limited BOA regionals in this region, many of these Pacific Northwest marching bands never competed in BOA. There was one band however that had much success during the early MBA/BOA years of the early 1980s. That band was University HS (U-High Band) from Spokane, Washington. I do not know much of this bands accolades from the 1980s, other than they were one of the best bands in Washington. They won both the 1980 and 1985 MBA/BOA regionals in Moscow, ID. To this day, they remain the only band from Washington to have won a BOA regional title. They never competed in the fall Grand Nationals. To my knowledge, no band from Washington State has competed at Grand Nationals. University did however attend the Whitewater Summer Nationals a few times. In 1980, they were a finalist, finishing in the top half of finalist bands. Their biggest achievement in the circuit came in 1983 when they were crowned the 1983 MBA Summer National Champions. Below are two of University HS performances from the Whitewater Summer Nationals.
1980
1983
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 21, 2020 4:48:37 GMT -6
A Cinderella Moment For The Pride
In this instance, I am talking about The Pride of Paoli HS Marching Band from Paoli, IN. Paoli is a small town band program from southern Indiana. The Pride of Paoli has had a competitive marching band going back into the 1970s. They have competed in ISSMA Class D and C (mostly D) for decades. Class D is for the smallest schools in the circuit. Paoli has actually won numerous Indiana Class D State Titles over the last several decades. One of their biggest achievements came in 1983 at the MBA Grand Nationals in Johnson City, TN. This was likely a very big Cinderella moment for this band. I think of a Cinderella moment in many ways. For instance, a band that makes GN Semi Finals that is unexpected; a band that wins the GN Title that not many saw happening or in this case a band makes Grand Nationals Finals unexpectedly. I also think of a Cinderella moment being something that a band does just once or an achievement that the band was not able to make the season prior or the season after. There have been many instances of this in Grand National Finals over the decades. As we go through this journey, I will try to highlight several of them.
In this case, it was small town band Paoli that likely surprised many by making Grand National Finals in 1983. This was the first and only time Paoli has reached this achievement. What was impressive is that they beat out bands like Danville KY, Warren Central IN and Center Grove IN for a spot in finals. They marched around 90 members this season, which was also one of the largest bands Paoli has ever fielded. Yes they were a Class A band. They were the third Class A bands in finals, behind Carroll OH and New Philadelphia OH. In fact, 1983 was the last time that more than two Class A bands were in Grand National Finals. I am not sure what they placed in prelims. In finals, they finished 12th. They also took the award for best drum major. In terms of total student population, Paoli is one of the smallest high schools to ever produce a Grand National Finalist band. Another interesting point about 1983 was that there were two bands in finals with female directors; Teresa Elliot of Paoli and Cheryl Anne Graham of New Philadelphia. I believe Martha Starke of the 1980 Gainesville Fl band was the first. Head director of a high school marching band has typically been very male dominated; yes that is changing.
Here is the video of their 1983 Grand National Finals Performance. Yes, they had a little whimsical moment when the rifles dressed as clowns and put on a little comedy routine. That and the more artistically dressed guard showed how non military style elements were slowly trickling into the look and feel of the design in that era.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 23, 2020 5:18:03 GMT -6
A Legend in Drill Design - Steve BrubakerDCI Hall of Fame Member Steve Brubaker did a lot of work with drum corps from the late 1970s into the early 1990s. He is primarily known for being the drill designer for the Cavaliers from 1982 to 1992. He was one of the early designer who pioneered the use of asymmetrical drill. His designs for the Cavaliers was said to have been like looking at a Kaleidoscope. His designs were notable for the way they incorporated the guard and drum line into the overall look of the show. His designs were also notable for the way they used complex geometrical shapes and for the innovative transitions between drill sets. His drill transitions were fast and very complex, which soon became the norm in both DCI and high school marching bands during the course of the 1980s and 1990s. This was all done without the aid of computer software; his mind was the computer. Steve was also the designer for many high school bands in the 1980s and early 1990s; most notably, Westfield TX, Spring TX, Prospect IL and Plymouth-Canton MI to name a few. Sadly, Steve Brubaker died young. He passed due to brain cancer in January of 1993. His last show design for the Cavaliers was the summer of 1992, the year they won their very first DCI World Title. Fortunately, Steve trained and inspired many designers so that the Brubaker style lasted long after his passing. Here is a DCI article on Steve Brubaker; www.dci.org/static/steve-brubaker-dci-hall-of-fameHere is a video tribute to Steve Brubaker which consists of some of his most famous designs for the Cavaliers.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 26, 2020 4:38:34 GMT -6
An Indiana Giant - Ben Davis
Between 1976 and 1993, the Ben Davis HS "Marching Giants" won 9 Indiana Class A State Titles. During the 1980s, they won more Indiana Class A State Titles than any other band. Although I am uncertain, I do not believe that Ben Davis participated in the MBA/BOA regionals of the early 1980s. They did however attend four MBA/BOA Grand Nationals. In 1981, they finished 9th in finals, which was probably a surprise and disappointment that they did not finish higher. In 1982, they placed 3rd. In 1983, they finished 2nd and won the Open Class Title and took best marching and maneuvering. That 2nd place finish is their highest ever at Grand Nationals. In 1984, they finished 4th and again took best marching and maneuvering as well as best coordinated auxiliary. 1984 was the last year they participated in BOA until 2000. This is despite the fact that they remained among the best Indiana bands for many years after 1984. True to their name, Ben Davis was one of the largest bands that participated in MBA/BOA during the early 1980s.
Unfortunately, there are not many videos of the early glory years of Ben Davis. The exception is 1983 where both their state and Grand National performances are on line. Below is the video of Ben Davis's Grand National Finals performance in 1983. While many bands had started introducing asymmetry into their designs that year, the 83 Ben Davis show maintained a symmetric design throughout. Their drill design was still very intricate and enjoyable to watch. It was one of the more detailed and difficult designs from the days of symmetrical design. Of course their music performance was quite strong as well.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 3, 2020 5:42:57 GMT -6
The Forgotten Finals Appearance
1983 Lafayette HS from Lexington, KY
I shared a video of this long time Kentucky power from the 1970s. Today I will share one from the 1980s. I call this the forgotten finals appearance because there have been many times over the past 15 years where I have heard their accolades mention them being a two time Grand National finalist (1995 and 2004). They are in fact a three time Grand National Finalist. Their first appearance in finals occurred at the MBA Grand Nationals in Johnson City, TN in 1983. Lafayette actually finished 6th in finals, which is the highest this band has ever placed at Grand Nationals. They also won the caption award for best percussion. As you will hear, the percussion was certainly a big highlight of this show. This is the finals performance of the Lafayette 'Pride of the Bluegrass' band.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 5, 2020 5:40:17 GMT -6
A Couple More Early Texas Greats
First up will be Austin Crockett HS. They won the Texas UIL Conference 5A Title in 1980 and 1981 and remained a Texas power throughout the decade. I could not find any videos of their championship seasons. The earliest I found was 1984.
Next is San Antonio MacArthur. They won the Texas UIL Conference 5A Title in 1984 and 1985. I will post both of those state championship performances. MacArthur really took to asymmetrical drill in these two seasons, which was very much on par with trends in the mid 1980s. Also, like most other Texas bands of the day, they were huge in relation to the typical size of high school marching bands in other parts of the country during that era.
1984
1985
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Post by Allohak on Dec 5, 2020 7:55:58 GMT -6
Ah, Crockett. Shame what happened in '93
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Post by Subito Fortissimo on Dec 5, 2020 8:03:36 GMT -6
Ah, Crockett. Shame what happened in '93 Honestly the biggest, most tragic travesty to ever occur in the marching band activity.
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Post by Allohak on Dec 5, 2020 8:08:21 GMT -6
Ah, Crockett. Shame what happened in '93 Honestly the biggest, most tragic travesty to ever occur in the marching band activity. Without a doubt. It's hard to talk about, even now, 27 years later
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 5, 2020 9:30:00 GMT -6
Ah, Crockett. Shame what happened in '93 Honestly the biggest, most tragic travesty to ever occur in the marching band activity. Oh boy
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Post by Subito Fortissimo on Dec 5, 2020 10:00:41 GMT -6
Honestly the biggest, most tragic travesty to ever occur in the marching band activity. Oh boy You disagree? 😐
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Post by jmike16 on Dec 5, 2020 18:28:50 GMT -6
What happened to Crockett in 1993?
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Post by josephbandfan on Dec 5, 2020 18:38:31 GMT -6
Oh boy
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Post by Allohak on Dec 5, 2020 20:30:18 GMT -6
What happened to Crockett in 1993? Well. It really isn't something which can be told. One must find out for themself. Be warned, it is truly devastating, and many who have learned have come to regret ever asking
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 7, 2020 4:50:44 GMT -6
What happened to Crockett in 1993? Well. It really isn't something which can be told. One must find out for themself. Be warned, it is truly devastating, and many who have learned have come to regret ever asking So let's on with this. Here is the story of Crockett 1993. Remember, you were warned.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Dec 7, 2020 10:21:20 GMT -6
Well. It really isn't something which can be told. One must find out for themself. Be warned, it is truly devastating, and many who have learned have come to regret ever asking So let's on with this. Here is the story of Crockett 1993. Remember, you were warned. All joking aside, I'm not sure who would have ever thought that was a good idea. It's no wonder no one ever talks about it.
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Post by jmike16 on Dec 7, 2020 19:05:52 GMT -6
Well. It really isn't something which can be told. One must find out for themself. Be warned, it is truly devastating, and many who have learned have come to regret ever asking So let's on with this. Here is the story of Crockett 1993. Remember, you were warned. Not cool smh. So basically Crockett 93' is a meme
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Post by Subito Fortissimo on Dec 7, 2020 20:27:38 GMT -6
So let's on with this. Here is the story of Crockett 1993. Remember, you were warned. Not cool smh. So basically Crockett 93' is a meme I suppose at this point you could call it a meme. Perhaps making jokes about it is the only way the members of that band can cope with the scale of the tragedy.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 8, 2020 13:00:29 GMT -6
They Left Us Wanting More - The Rocky Mount Legacy
When I came into the activity as a freshman, Rocky Mount HS, from Rocky Mount NC was just exiting the BOA world. I heard many stories about how great this band was, which I confirmed by watching their old MBA/BOA GN Finals performances on video. During my time in the activity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were many who were hoping to see this band return to BOA. Unfortunately, it never happened. Looking at the entire decade of the 1980s, yes Norwin had more regional titles and Marian Catholic had more national titles, but Rocky Mount may just have been the most influential. They openly embraced the changes that was enveloping the drum corps world. They also stepped it up a notch in comparison to what most other high school marching bands were doing at the time, both musically and visually. I have to imagine that they were a big inspiration for Marian Catholic, who then took things to an even higher level performance wise during their dominance the last three years of the decade. I wish all of the Rocky Mount videos from 1981 through 1987 were on line. They are not. But here is what is available.
First, I stumbled across a Rocky Mount video from 1979. This was before they became a national power house.
The is from a competition at East Carolina University
In 1981, Rocky Mount attended Grand Nationals in Johnson City for the first time. I am not sure to what extent they had attended MBA regionals prior to this performance. 1981 marked a big year for this band. Corporate sponsorships gave them a big financial backing. They would put that money to use in assembling a highly qualified team of instructors and designers. 1981 was the beginning of what would be a rapid rise to the top in the Marching Bands of America circuit. I do not have the full video to share. What I have is the audio recording of Rocky Mount at the 1981 Grand Nationals. Their music arrangement and visual designs made this show have a lot of audience appeal. I believe they had just slid into finals by finishing 12th in prelims. They ended up 11th place in finals in a tie.
I have not been able to find a video on line of 1982 Rocky Mount. I believe they finished 3rd at the MBA Eastern Regional and 2nd at the MBA North Carolina regional that year. They again had a complex musical and visual package. This time at nationals, they had improved upon their execution from 1981 and ended up finishing 6th in finals.
In 1983, Rocky Mount won the MBA North Carolina regional (their first regional title) and were 2nd at the MBA Eastern Regional, placing behind defending national champ Norwin. At the MBA Grand Nationals, Rocky Mount delivered a very strong performance. I would say they were simply head and shoulders above all the other bands from a musical standpoint, including Norwin. On the YouTube video, the audio quality is not the best. Rocky Mount was very on par with the latest trends; they had sections of asymmetrical drill and the guard wore a more artistic outfit. Take my word, the music was awesome. In fact, of all the videos of high school marching bands I have seen prior to the 1983, none have come close to Rocky Mount's music performance. They ended up placing 1st in finals and winning the Grand National title. They also won the Class AA title and took caption awards for best brass/winds, best flags and best general effect. Here is their 1983 Grand National Champion performance in two parts.
1983 (Part 1)
1983 (Part 2)
In 1984, Marching Bands of America (MBA) became Bands of America (BOA). Rocky Mount again won the BOA North Carolina Regional and finished 2nd to Norwin at the BOA Eastern Regional. They attended Grand Nationals which was held in the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis for the first time. To go along with the new look of nationals, Rocky Mount sported brand new uniforms this season. A good look for the defending Grand National Champions. Rocky Mount also had a more complex and difficult visual design compared to 1983. I imagine that by the time nationals rolled around, they had a much cleaner show than the one they had performed at the BOA Eastern Regional. In the mid 1980s, judging was becoming more focused on awarding achievement rather than deducting points. A well executed and difficult show was now being awarded nicely by the judges. I think that really benefited Rocky Mount. They became the first band to win back to back Grand National titles. They also won the Class AA title and took the caption award for best General Effect. Here is their 1984 Grand National Champion performance in two parts.
1984 (Part 1)
1984 (Part 2)
In 1985, Rocky Mount did not attend Grand Nationals. They did however win the BOA Eastern Regional title. I heard that 1985 was the best show Rocky Mount ever put on the field. I can not verify that however as I have never seen their 1985 show. 1986 marked a return to Grand Nationals by Rocky Mount. They also again won the BOA Eastern Regional title. While I very much like 83 and 84, this for me was my favorite of Rocky Mounts GN performances. They were just incredible in their Harry James Medley piece. Man they could play some jazz. I also found their guard to be a little stronger this season. What really impressed me was how abstract and difficult (both musically and visually) their closer 'Intrusions' was. They did a very good job with it. It seemed to set the bar for what is expected of a Grand National Champion performance. Rocky Mount ended up winning their third Grand National title this year, the first band to reach three GN titles. They also won the Class AAA Title (this was the first year of Class AAA as the Open Class was done away with) and they won the caption awards for best Brass/Winds and best General Effect. Here is their 1986 Grand National Champion performance in two parts.
1986 (Part 1)
1986 (Part 2)
In 1987, Rocky Mount did not attend Grand Nationals. With nationals being held in Michigan that year it was probably a more expensive trip. They did however win the 1987 BOA Eastern Regional. They broke 90 points, which I believe made them the first band to break a 90 at a BOA regional. I have never seen this performance. Even in 1988, people were talking about how good Rocky Mount was in 1987. A picture of a Rocky Mount color guard member also made the cover of the 1988 Grand National program book. Following the 87 season, Rocky Mount lost their corporate sponsorships and with that came the loss of a lot of financial backing. They did attend the 1988 BOA Eastern Regional and were a finalist, but several placements away from first. That was their last ever BOA performance. The Rocky Mount community fell on hard economic times over the next few decades, which I am sure has been an obstacle in trying to get this band competing back at the level it did during its glory years.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 14, 2020 7:57:30 GMT -6
A Guard To Remember - State Street Review
Anyone who followed winter guard in the 1980s was very well aware of State Street Review from Madison, WI. They won five consecutive WGI World Titles in Independent Open Class from 1985 to 1989. They were just an awesome guard. In earlier posts we saw how very military winter guards were in the 1970s. That started changing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with independent guards introducing the concept of a more artistically styled guard uniform. In WGI in the early to mid 1980s, winter guards rapidly become almost exclusively artistic in their dress and in their routines. That of course filtered into drum corps and high school marching bands. State Street Review took this concept to a much higher level. They brilliantly blended dance moves with their flag, rifle and saber routines. They, along with many other guards of the era, made their routine so much more fluid in comparison to the more fragmented military style routines of the 1970s/early 1980s. This of course trickled into drum corps and marching band guard routines. State Street Review was also brilliant in making their body movements in their dance routines give an added feature to the overall visual design. They really showcased how body movement can be effective in visual design. State Street Review was also a guard that helped pioneer things like costume changes, props and props that moved, and using props as a performance platform. These too are things that found their way into drum corps and marching band shows over the coming years and decades. This link gives a little more background on State Street Review wgi.org/ground-breaking-legendary-trend-setter/Here are some videos of this legendary guard: 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 17, 2020 9:12:03 GMT -6
DCI in the mid 1980s - A Star is BornThe DCI tour in the summer of 1985 featured a brand new Corps, Star of Indiana from Bloomington, IN. This was a corporately funded corps. In their very first season in DCI, they did the unthinkable; they made DCI World Finals. During the rest of the decade, Star of Indiana got stronger and stronger and slowly rose in placements and scores in competition. Then came the early 1990s when they delivered their most memorable performances. In 1990, they finished 3rd in DCI finals with their show 'Belshazzar's Feast'. They also seemed to really popularize that piece of music as many high school bands played that in the years and decades to come. In 1991, they won their first and only DCI World Title with their show 'Roman Images'. The transitions into mirror image crosses at the end of that show is still considered among the best DCI drill designs in history. Star entertained us with the highly patriotic 'American Variations' show in 1992 which garnered them 3rd place in DCI finals. In 1993, Star performed 'The Music of Barber and Bartók' in what I consider their best show ever. They finished 2nd in DCI finals but had a higher score then their 1991 championship performance. Many said this show was years ahead of its time, especially for the new ways in which members of the corps were using their bodies to enhance the visual. Interesting fact, in all of Star of Indiana's shows, they formed a large star on the field at some point in the show. The exception was their 1993 show. After their success of the early 1990s and after only 9 years of competition in DCI, Star of Indiana decided to turn their sights on something other than just a ten minute drum corps show. They ceased having a drum corps and founded Brass Theater. For so many years, DCI had been bringing elements of the stage to the field, this time Star of Indiana brought what was being done on the field to the stage. I will say that watching the 1994 DCI championships and not seeing Star of Indiana was almost surreal. In 1999, after several years of the highly successful Brass Theater, Star developed the stage show Blast! If you ever see some of the old videos of Blast!, you will see that there are several things that they did, particularly with body movements, that have ended up in DCI shows and high school marching band shows over the past decade. Here is a little more on Star of Indiana This video is DCI's tribute to Star of Indiana Here is a little more about their 1991 championship show.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 25, 2020 5:04:39 GMT -6
Merry Christmas
Russian Christmas Music - A very popular piece of music back in the day for drum corps and marching bands. I would say it is probably the most frequently used Christmas themed song on the field (The Nutcracker might be 2nd).
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From Wikipedia
Russian Christmas Music is a musical piece for symphonic band, written by Alfred Reed in 1944. It is one of the most frequently performed pieces of concert band literature.[citation needed]
Reed was commissioned to write a piece of "Russian music" for a concert in Denver, Colorado. The concert's aim was to improve Soviet-American relations; as such, it was to include premieres of new Soviet and American works. Prokofiev's March, Op. 99 was supposed to be the Russian work, but it was discovered that the work had already been performed in the United States, and Reed was assigned to write a new piece a mere sixteen days before the concert. The piece was first performed on December 12, 1944, on nationally broadcast NBC radio.
Although Russian Christmas Music consists of only one movement, it can be readily divided into four sections:
The opening section, Carol of the Little Russian Children (mm. 1–31; approx. 3 minutes), is based on a 16th-century Russian Christmas carol. It is slow throughout; after a quiet opening by the chimes, contrabass clarinet, and string bass, the clarinets carry the melody. The other voices join in, and the section ends with a series of chords.
The Antiphonal Chant (mm. 32–85; about 2 minutes) is faster and louder, with the melody initially carried by the trombones, horns, trumpets, and cornets. The woodwinds join in, and the music becomes more and more frenzied until the section ends with a massive cymbal and tam-tam crash, suddenly dropping into calmness by the trombones, low clarinets and bassoons.
The Village Song (mm. 86–165; about 5 minutes) is much gentler by comparison; the cor anglais has two solos, with soli in the flutes, piccolos, and oboes and a solo in the horns at the end of each. The piece enters a time signature of 6/4; the band plays a series of cantabile two-bar phrases back and forth between the woodwinds and brass, with the string bass playing long strings of eighth-notes, which are passed along to the bells. The song becomes quieter again, and the section ends with another English horn solo.
The Cathedral Chorus (mm. 166–249; about 5 minutes) starts quietly, as the end of Village Song, but a crescendo in the trombones and percussion brings the rest of the band in majestically. The music builds to a climax, but then backs down for a final chorale in the woodwinds; the sound builds once again, and the piece concludes with a thundering chorale marked by liberal use of the chimes and tam-tam as well as soaring horn counterpoint.
A typical performance of Russian Christmas Music lasts 14–16 minutes. As it was written to convey the sounds of Eastern Orthodox liturgical music, which uses the human voice exclusively, the entire piece must be played with some lyrical and singing quality.
Slavonic Folk Suite is Reed's arrangement of Carol of the Little Russian Children (here called Children's Carol) and Cathedral Chorus for a younger, less experienced band.
The song is also the official corps song of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps.
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Yes the Crossmen were the first to bring this song to the field. During the 1980s in particular, Russian Christmas Music was among the most popular pieces played by high school marching bands. During the latter half of the 1980s, there were actually dozens of bands that performed this music in BOA Competition each year.
Here are a couple clips from the Crossmen performing this piece in the early years of their existence.
Then in 1987, Santa Clara Vanguard used this piece in their Russian themed show. A show that garnered them the silver medal at the DCI World championships.
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