Celebratory mood - just watched, live online, the annnouncing of scores at the Drum Corps International World Championships, from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiannapolis. My old corps, the Blue Devils of Concord, California won their 14th world title with a convinving score of 98.90.
So here I am at Boda, having a real drink (and some peanuts) to celebrate.
From far back in my school career, high school in the 70's, actually, drum corps has been one of my measures of excellence in the performing arts.
Not in terms of content - I love to listen to a good jazz quartet (or a tango one), a symphony, a string quartet playing one of the Bartoks, modern dance by Wideman or Graham - any creative endeavor that leaves the soulnjust a little (or a lot) bigger than before.
But drum corps?
Like Cirque du Soleil (my other exemplar) it uses sound and movement to connect with the audience at a gut level, a breatheless "Oh My GOD" evocation of surprise, emotion and joy.
My biggest moment came at the end of my finals performance in August of 1977 (there's a PBS closeup of me to prove it). We finished the last note of "Rocky" - this WAS 1977, after all - and my horn came down, my eyes snapped up to see almost 40,000 people jump up to applaud.
Actually, they were screaming their fool heads off.
... and that rush, that sense of pride and connection - or affect - was what I wanted my students to feel in my public school teaching - that kind of performance and drive.
Christ, no wonder I got fired.
So tonight is a strange night, a kind of musical-magical demarcator that marks the line between Summer and Autumn. A cool, moist wind is blowing down Congress Street. I feel the end of one adventure, the start of another, rebirth by means of a quiet death.
When I was Equipment Manager during the 80's this was the day I packed everything up, checked in uniforms and horns, flags and drums, secured and locked the truck for the last time, handed my keys over to Mike Moxley, our manager, and got dropped at the airport to fly East to Maine, while the busses, now full of just kids wanting to get home to work or college or just a soft bed and home-cooked food, they all headed West.
And so this strange magic returns to my life again thanks to a short broadcast on a website. I'm connected and I'm seperated and I'm a very, very proud and lucky person tonight.
Perhaps every night.
-- Post From My iPad
Location:State St,Portland,United States
1 comment:
Hi Jim, I hear casper troopers for the first time 1969 and now in 2011 it gives me goosebumps and my eyes well with the memory of music, drums and the snap of a large group moving as one. My days with the Andrews sabres in standstill in some auditorium in mass or NH. drumcorps is in my blood too it is such a visceral experience, like no other. I saw the youtube show the "flames" put on and realized how much drumcorps is still alive.
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