We Learned Most of Our Drill at April 23rd Rehearsal!
April 23, 2006

Liz Duguay in the color guard pondered, “So is there anyone here who at some point in their marching careers hasn't awaken to a cold, rainy morning and wondered 'why it is we do this crazy stuff called drum corps!?' I'm sure if we're all honest .... yes we've done it before, and YES, we did it this past Sunday again. “Yet, you would never know that thought had crossed anyone's mind by what was achieved at practice on April 23rd.”

The day began for some people loading the truck and demonstrating their commitment to the cause. The lower brass met under the stands at 11am for a baritone sectional, with contra Ken. Though the weather was drab, our playing was bright and intense! It was satisfying to see members of other sections listening in and nodding their heads in approval at how far we've come. Kevin Serfass of the mellophones helped out in leading the sectional. An MMA helping the BMO? Hey, we're all in this together!

Before noon, Director and drill writer George Lavelle decided it was best to bring the corps indoors. Arriving back at St. Andrew's, we set to work in the gym on basics and then the power push at the end of My Favorite Things which helped our progress later.

Liz said, “Once we got over the fact we were going to be stuck indoors for some time while Mother Nature made up her mind, we put our minds and bodies to work. In some ways the time indoors may just have worked to our benefit because we were able to hear George explain what it was we'd be learning when we got the opportunity to be out on the drill field later. Learning and practicing the ending of My Favorite Things indoors may have seemed like a way to kill time until the clouds cleared, but in the end it helped us push through those last few sets with the limited time we were left with later in the day.

“At 2 P.M. George took a vote on whether or not we should attempt to move rehearsal back to Veterans Stadium and it was a unanimous YES!!! Mother Nature continued to play her day long joke on the corps and opened up the skies the minute we got into our cars. We didn't let her stop us. After getting the new drill sheets from George we assembled in what had become a light drizzle and proceeded to get down to work. After a quick review of the drill we had learned for Pagliacci/Land of Make Believe, we made swift progress of learning the new drill.

“After not having the drummers with the horn line and guard at the last drill rehearsal, it was very nice to have the corps together as a whole. Additionally, having that solid beat they provide made the music come together and all the pieces fit perfectly.”

The drumline joined us back at Veteran's Stadium doing drill and playing with a renewed vigor. Arranger and instructor Dennis Delucia kept them hidden until he was satisfied that his drumline was playing their parts at the level of musicality he expects of his drumlines. You could see their intensity in rehearsal. And they're a lot friendlier now than back in the day!

The color guard showed the tenacity of hardened veterans as they laughed off the bad weather and were determined to make the most of our rehearsal time! It takes a lot to laugh off adverse conditions and our girls showed determination to nail their flag and rifle choreography while executing drill moves. Silks and rifles, we salute you!

With almost 70 horns in the line, we opened up with a wall of sound at times that was amazing! Good blend & balance, intonation, tone quality, dynamics, attacks & releases were on display while also thinking about breathing, timing, rolling our feet, and drill. Jim Reilly commented, “Hey, we have a REAL marching drum corps again!” We're still looking to fill three lower brass positions so if you know any baritone or contra players, drag 'em to next rehearsal!

Drum Major Jim Jordan proved again why he is the face of the Bridgemen on the field. He commands our field rehearsals and performances with style and intensity. He's also adept at costume changes. In the course of a half hour, he went from wearing a yellow raincoat, to a red and black jacket, to a blue jacket. He had more costume changes than Cher! Well Jim, we promise we'll never make you wear a clown suit again (1979)!

All in all, it was a REALLY good day for the corps, not only for the progress we made, but for the good time we had while moving our show forward. John Riccardi commented, “I'm really PSYCHED at how the corps is enthusiastic about our visual show. Despite our age, we're all moving really well. Just look at the pictures of that rehearsal! We're rolling our feet, our horns are up and popping to the box. This is GREAT!”

Liz added, “ Finally as we got near the end of our day, the sun came out just in time to dry off the ground before we did our run through. The applause of the spectators who had come out to watch, along with the looks on the faces of the corps members, made getting up and braving the elements totally worthwhile! With only 3 weekends of practices left before the Tournament of Stars on June 10th, it looks like the Bridgemen Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps has become an unstoppable force!”

Remember that next rehearsal on Saturday, May 6th begins at 10am at Veteran's Stadium. Please review your drill charts so we can hit the ground running. Dress warmly and bring sun block. We only have a few sets left to learn then we'll be cleaning the show. And getting better prepared to pull off the physical workout that is our 2006 show!


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