"The life lessons of drum corps are hidden. Hard work. Dedication. Perseverance. Compromise. Selflessness. Love."
--Jeremy Triplett, Southwind age-out
TRADITION! Tradition is defined as a custom that is handed down from one generation to the next. The Broadway show and movie "Fiddler On The Roof" focused around the traditions of the Russian people. So, too, in our activity we have many traditions that are passed down from one generation to the next.
Thinking back to this past year's Summer Music Games in Buffalo, I remember seeing one of the junior corps still using an American Flag Party. This might be a good but rare example of a tradition that has endured through the years. True, many of the senior corps still use the "A" Party in their shows, but for the juniors it is something that has lost its meaning.
Due to the national ferver towards patriotism today, I am betting that the American Flag Party will become much more popular at 2002 drum corps events. But the "A" Party was not the tradition I was thinking of while standing on the sidelines while watching the joy and anguish of those facing their final year of an activity they have lived and loved.
As you may or may not know, it is a tradition to leave a little bit of yourself to be remembered by on the competition field during retreat of your age out or final year marching. This custom has not lost its passion from those who have participated in it generation after generation. The items often found on the field are as diverse as the people who leave them.
This year we had access to a number of items that were left on the field, and I thought it might be interesting to tell you a little more about the people who left a bit of themselves for the world to remember them by.
Often, kids leave letters talking about their experiences, years marched and feeling on their last night on a competition field. Worn out shoes are very popular, whether they are traditional color guard shoes or flip flops as left by Becki Forner, who marched Coachmen (‘98) and Crossmen (‘00-‘01)!
Sometimes it is a simple as a brimmer worn to a frazzle saying "Bones Forever" from an unknown person. Jessie Lynne Meranda of Pioneer left a drill book entitled "I HATE DRILL" for the world to find.
And Angela LaBonte, age out class of 2001, left a piece of a shirt. Written on the shirt was a entire marching career: Royal Columbians (‘93-’96), Knight Storm (‘97-‘98), East Coast Jazz (‘99) and Crossmen (‘00-’01). We also found a picture of a cute teddy bear owned by Nikki Lemon, claiming this bear had been on tour with her with Magic of Orlando (‘98) and Southwind (‘97 and ‘01).
Since the championships, I got curious about what other people had left on the field. Through a combination of e-mail inquiries and letters left on the field, we were able to find out more about the age outs of 2001!
Jason Hallberg, a mellophone and alto horn player, who marched two years with Spirit of Atlanta and one with Spirit said, "I was going to leave my University of Tennessee hat, but I accidentally left it at our housing site. I bought the hat two weeks before 'all-days' (daylong rehearsals) my first year in ‘99. I wore it out to practice everyday for three years. It was becoming pretty ratty before tour of ‘01, so I decided that my hat would be my memento that I would leave on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium."
It sounds like Jason did leave his best intentions, however.
Christopher N. Perez, a color guard member from the Cadets Of Bergen County 2001 said, "I left my practice gloves that I used all season long on Buffalo's field, because I worked so hard all season to get to where I was at that point in time. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to perform with the Cadets ever again, especially on that field, I left my gloves to symbolize to myself that my journey as a Cadet ended on that field.
"And I just wanted to leave a piece of me behind to show for that and prove to myself I made it."
Adam N. Street marched with Pioneer as a lead baritone (‘01), Vagabonds mellophone (‘00), Vagabonds lead baritone (‘96-’98), and Vagabonds tenors (‘94,’ 95, ‘99).
"What did I leave on the field?" he wrote. "I left a picture of myself and my best friend having a good time, a pair of shoes that I used for three seasons, eight dot (drill) books, and cards that said thank you! The picture meant a lot because it signified all the great times Baker and myself had together, we went though High School together, and marched together in corps for six years. The shoes were just my practice shoes I wore for three seasons. The eight dot books were one from each year I marched. The thank you cards were for all the people over the years that helped me in any way, cooking, teaching, driving, judging, applauding or just coming up to me and telling me how great you thought our show was."
Marie DeBellis played soprano in Boston Crusaders this year and it was her one and only year in drum corps. "I didn't leave anything on the field during the age out ceremony, but I will tell you my heart was left out on the field after that last show," she said. "I have never experienced anything so challenging and at the same time so rewarding in my entire life. It was my last opportunity to do that show with those people ever again."
Shannon Stegall, who marched Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, (‘97-98, ‘01) said, "I left my shoes! They were the worst shoes in DCI! Those shoes sucked! They hurt all of our feet so much! I was glad to get rid of them..." (SUBSCRIBE to DCW to read more reflections on aging out!)
FINALE...
I hope that reading these letters will ignite a fire in those who have come before to get out there and lend a hand to keep this activity alive for those who will come in the future.
For years, I have urged people through this column to take advantage of their love of the activity to help the activity continue. Work with a corps, start a corps, teach a corps, help fundraise a corps, help a show sponsor, contribute to a PBS station or to a corps to keep them going. These experiences have shaped so many of the youths who have lived the dream.
You can reach Bob via email.
