Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 10, 1990 TAG: 9007070151
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JENNIFER JABLONSKI NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Four of the six drum corps to perform, including the reigning national champion, were ranked in the top 15 corps of the nation in a Drum Corps World writers' poll released last month.
The competition will begin at 7 p.m. Admission at the gate is $9 ($7 for students and faculty, free for children 12 and under).
The Bergen County Cadets of Hackensack, N.J., who have been Drum Corps International World Champions for four of the last seven years, will conduct a free clinic at 4 p.m., also at Lane Stadium.
Drum corps competitions are judged in three categories: brass, percussion and general effect. Basically, the first two categories are the musical and visual performances, while the general effect is determined by the overall performance, including the level of intensity and excitement.
Tonight's competition will include a fireworks show donated by Vitalle of Pennsylvania before the scores announcement and awards presentation.
"Anyone who is interested in music in any way whatsoever should go to the show. It's something everyone should see at least once," said John Paganelli, a trumpeter in the Virginia Tech Marching Virginians.
The current champions were listed fourth in the writers' poll: Star of Indiana of Bloomington, sixth; Crossmen of Philadelphia, 11th; and Spirit of Atlanta, 12th.
The two other corps to compete, Florida Wave of Miami and Orlando Magic, a new Florida corps, also received votes.
This will be the second year that the Tech athletic department and Virginia Tech's Circle K, a collegiate community service organization affiliated with Kiwanis, have sponsored the competition.
"It's going to be a better competition this year because all the corps are more competitive," said Cathy Clark, secretary of Circle K.
The competition will cost about $10,700 to sponsor, she said. The admission charged will defray the costs of the show, and any profits will be donated to the Montgomery County Community Shelter.
"We feel that sponsoring a competition like this is an ideal fund-raiser because it's nice to help the homeless and it offers a unique experience to the residents of the area," Clark said. "The variety of music these corps perform - Bernstein, "Fantasia," "The Color Purple," "Gone With the Wind" - offers a wide variety of styles," Clark said.
National drum and bugle guidelines dictate a 128-member limit, including only brass and percussion, auxiliary units that provide visual effects, and one or two drum majors. Band members cannot be more than 21 years old.
The champion Bergen County Cadets arrived Monday to rehearse, along with four of the five other corps to perform tonight.
The Cadets practiced at Christiansburg and Blacksburg schools, slept on schools floors and showered in the locker rooms - accommodations commonplace to touring corps.
"There are always rumors about how awful touring is - that you can't shower for weeks, that you have to fight for food - but none of that's true," said University of South Carolina student Paul Jackson, who plays baritone horn with the Cadets. "It's really not that bad, and staying at schools is the best way to keep costs down on tour."
by CNB