My daughter is in traveling soccer (she is 9). They practice at Bolingbrook High School on M, W & F.

Last night while at practice, the Bolingbrook High School Marching band was practicing. They are doing James Bond. As a Drum Corps alum, of course the first thing you listen for is execution. Well, the execution was fairly poor.

But because they were doing a James Bond theme, I was wondering if the Band Director was influenced by the James Bond Cavie show.

By the time soccer practice ended, the band was already leaving. Maybe next time, I'll get to talk to the band director. I'm wondering if I could teach the drum some drum corps sticking they could incorporate into their show.

Doesn't hurt to try.

What did you do in the Corps? Cymbals, Bass Drum, Tenor

What years were you a Corps member? 1980-1983

Give 'em a break, Jim! It's only August! That's like judging a drum corps in October.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

Haven't seen many college or high school bands in the past few years but do recollect UCLA and Ohio State marching bands playing Blue Devils (Wayne Downey) arrangements from the 1980s and 1990s. My wife is an OSU alum and bought a couple of their CDs a few years back. They credit Wayne Downey on two of their arrangements. The sound is very close to the Blued Devils of that earlier era except they are playing B-flat instruments. In fact today Ohio State's band (all brass) could pass for DCI corps on steroids from a sound perspective. Only difference is they play entertaining music and change their show every week.

Ohio State's band should be a big hit with some of the Holy Name/Garfield alums from the early 50s as the play (and seem to have always played) the French Nation Defile (Garfield's opener for a long time in the late 50s and early 60s) for their script Ohio formation. When we were first married and my wife heard a Garfield recording she asked why a corps was playing "Script Ohio." Maybe next year's Holy Name Cadets should copy that formation (although they might not have enough horns) and have a Holy Name alum come on the field and "dot the i."

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 1959 to 1961 Imperials 1962 to 1966

They'd have to have someone interview him first...

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

On second thought instead of Ohio they could spell Hopkins. And Hopkins could dot the i every show (after he does an interview).

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 1959 to 1961 Imperials 1962 to 1966

ROFL

I was wondering where you were going to get the 'i" from. I am also curious as to whether they could get all the way through the song and dot the "i" in Hopkins without saying something or going into some long boring dissertation as to the meaning of life or the essence of Hopkins. LOL

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

You guys crack me up!

Re: Hopkins. A strange guy.

On the PLUS side .. he worked hard to save the Cadets when they were really struggling years ago.

BUT ... by his strange ideas, he has changed the Cadets from a really great traditional drum corps into the "avant garde of weird".

Just my opinion.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63