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A Letter from Orlando

A Letter from Orlando

Dear Aunt Mildred:

Here I am, waiting for my plane at Orlando International Airport. I’ve just finished watching three days of the Drum Corps International Championships. Editor Rick, you may know, asked me to do coverage of DCI for Masters of the Marching Arts. Wow!! What a responsibility!! I immediately accepted the assignment. However, now I’m thinking, can I do this? Do I have the observational skills? Do I have the critical acumen? Did I pay attention enough to inform the thousands of readers who weren’t there what really went down in Florida? And, now I have to say that I’m just not sure. You see, Aunt Mildred, I want to write a classic piece on Orlando – something really memorable, but so far I’m staring at a blank sheet of paper.

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Drum Corps – It’s Still Good for the Soul

Drum Corps – It’s Still Good for the Soul

by James Hager, Jr.

I have been through my share of misfortune the past several years. Family members passing away, including my Dad this past March, close friends losing their loved ones, and life in general not being that rosy picture I had foreseen when I hit my 40s. Periods of anxiety and frustration that I never dreamed of, a lack of enthusiasm or passion that I had always found deep within, were trading forces around me. My friends were all experiencing similar doldrums.

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Hymie’s Inferno

Hymie’s Inferno

I, Hyman Roth, an erstwhile flugel player approaching the middle of life’s journey, one day found myself in a parking lot in Revere. In the wall of an edifice bordering the lot was a portal, above which were inscribed these words:

WELCOME TO DRUM CORPS HELL.
DON’T ASK AND WE WON’T TELL.

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What Are Your Favorite Arrangements?

What Are Your Favorite Arrangements?

The Question:  Of all the arrangements you’ve done for drum corps, what are your favorites?

The Answer: First of all, there is no way I can remember all of the arrangements I’ve written, let alone prioritize them. In fact, if anyone out there remembers something I’ve written, please let me know via the magazine. It would be fun to reminisce. (Probably embarrassing, too!)

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