A trio of drummers with a rich drum corps history raised $1,500 to benefit the American Cancer Society at a concert last week at East Meadow High School in East Meadow, NY.
The group, known as the "Hip Pickles," won six Drum Corps Associates (senior corps) percussion ensemble championships from 1989-94. Tenor drummer Chris Scherer won two DCA Multi-Tenor Championships and founder Chet Doboe is a former snare drummer for the Babylon Islanders and the Long Island Sunrisers. The third member, Jeremy Fischer, marched in the Sunrisers and Hawthorne Caballeros.
When Chet Doboe's brother contracted the disease, Chet wanted to do something positive to help out.
"What can you do?" Doboe said. "You can give money to people to do something good with it."
Doboe and the Hip Pickles organized the concert, which also featured the Leon Petruzzi Jazz Orchestra and the East Meadow High School Drum Line.
"It was a nice feeling of achievement that we brought the community together," Doboe said. "I'm probably like many other people; I probably don't do enough, so it was nice to do something positive."
The crowd was very appreciative of the music and the cause.
"It was really good," Doboe said. "The jazz band was one of the better jazz bands in the greater NY area. They were smoakin'. My group was burnin'. And the high school band did a good job."
The full proceeds will go to aid research, education, advocacy and support for the Cancer Society and cancer patients.
"What's nice is there's some place to turn to to deal with it," Doboe said. "So we felt cool about that warm feeling."
The Hip Pickles have performed for Regis and Kathy Lee, the US Open tennis tournament, the UN Peace Summit, at half time for the New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls, as well as at various music festivals around the country. They have performed with or shared the stage with drumming legends such as Terry Bozzio, Dennis Chambers, Alex Acuna, Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Wil Calhoun and Chester Thompson.
Doboe, 53, has been the manager of the Hip Pickles for 16 years and has performed in drum corps-related situations for most of his life.
"I would not be a professional musician if it wasn't for drum corps," Doboe said.
