from those who were there
A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON ON THE ORIGIN OF BLUE ROCK
(Thank you to Mike Batten)
Prior to World War ll the Jacob-Ferdinand -Spear VFW Post 615 in Wilmington, Delaware (Elsmere on DuPont Rd) sponsored a senior Drum and Bugle Corps call “615 Post”.
Predominately a parade Corps until the start of the war, when many of the members went off to serve their country! When the war ended, many former members came home and reformed 615 Post with a greater sense for serious competition. By 1949 they had earned enough money to go to the VFW Nationals in St. Louis, Mo., only to be refused sponsorship by their own post!
With this incredible disappointment they went on to find their own sponsor. The Blue Rock Post 7598, which by the way was a vacant lot in Elsmere.
Many of the officers of this post had familiar Blue Rock names such as Sam Puff, Bob Manlove, and Bob Smith. The Post would pop up a few years later with Ted Sciarra as its Chaplain for a certain junior Corps by the same name.
The newly resurrected senior Corps would be named for its new Post...Blue Rock!
The new senior Corps was criticized for having an all girl guard.
The Blue Rock Senior Corps continued to struggle when they heard of a new gentleman in the area who had drum corps experience with the Gabarina-Mazarkos Skyliners. They quickly hired him to write and teach their drill.
His name was Ted Sciarra!
By 1958, Bob McGowan and Bob Smith decided to turn Blue Rock into a junior Corps, with the older members going to the Archer-Epler “Musketeers”.
Bob Smith lived in Delaware and Bob McGowan in Penns Grove, New Jersey. They were on a mission standing on street corners giving out flyers to any kid they could find. This new Corps also began attracting young people from both Stahl Post and the Diamond State Cadets, both small junior Corps in Delaware.
Once again they turned to the New kid from New York City who was playing snare drum with the Archer-Epler Musketeers...Ted Sciarra.
McGowan and Smith sat back and watched as Ted took on more and more responsibility, as Bob McGowan liked to describe Ted as having a strong personality. Along with the strong personality they saw more and more improvement.
Bob McGowan stayed on as the Director, while Bob Smith took care of the Color guard and Ted ran the Corps!
(Thank you to Mike Batten)
Prior to World War ll the Jacob-Ferdinand -Spear VFW Post 615 in Wilmington, Delaware (Elsmere on DuPont Rd) sponsored a senior Drum and Bugle Corps call “615 Post”.
Predominately a parade Corps until the start of the war, when many of the members went off to serve their country! When the war ended, many former members came home and reformed 615 Post with a greater sense for serious competition. By 1949 they had earned enough money to go to the VFW Nationals in St. Louis, Mo., only to be refused sponsorship by their own post!
With this incredible disappointment they went on to find their own sponsor. The Blue Rock Post 7598, which by the way was a vacant lot in Elsmere.
Many of the officers of this post had familiar Blue Rock names such as Sam Puff, Bob Manlove, and Bob Smith. The Post would pop up a few years later with Ted Sciarra as its Chaplain for a certain junior Corps by the same name.
The newly resurrected senior Corps would be named for its new Post...Blue Rock!
The new senior Corps was criticized for having an all girl guard.
The Blue Rock Senior Corps continued to struggle when they heard of a new gentleman in the area who had drum corps experience with the Gabarina-Mazarkos Skyliners. They quickly hired him to write and teach their drill.
His name was Ted Sciarra!
By 1958, Bob McGowan and Bob Smith decided to turn Blue Rock into a junior Corps, with the older members going to the Archer-Epler “Musketeers”.
Bob Smith lived in Delaware and Bob McGowan in Penns Grove, New Jersey. They were on a mission standing on street corners giving out flyers to any kid they could find. This new Corps also began attracting young people from both Stahl Post and the Diamond State Cadets, both small junior Corps in Delaware.
Once again they turned to the New kid from New York City who was playing snare drum with the Archer-Epler Musketeers...Ted Sciarra.
McGowan and Smith sat back and watched as Ted took on more and more responsibility, as Bob McGowan liked to describe Ted as having a strong personality. Along with the strong personality they saw more and more improvement.
Bob McGowan stayed on as the Director, while Bob Smith took care of the Color guard and Ted ran the Corps!
WHAT WAS BEHIND OUR NATIONAL CHAMPION DRUM LINE?
Thank you to Joe Marrella
PART ONE
The place was the high school in Wilmington where Blue Rock hosted their own drum corps contest.
Blue Rock put on an non-judged exhibition as the host corps always did at that time in drum corps.
Of course, I watched them carefully for a variety of reasons. Ted Sciara was always respectful to me when I was in Vasella. He saw our talent and would often engage me.I also knew some of the BR drummers from a distance.
After the show, I was approached by one of Blue Rock’s snare drummers, who was a fan of Vasella's Snare Line … among many!
He asked what I thought of their (BR) drum line?
It’s here in the next ONE MINUTE that my life and Blue Rock’s history changed.
I remember vividly the conflict in my head…be POLITE or Tell the TRUTH. At that time, I was BRASH, ARROGANT &
certainly an Highly OPINIONATED young guy.
I decided to tell the truth (As I knew it to be) …I replied…”What the F—k did you guys do all winter”
I knew the comment was accurate, even if it was not kind! One sentence …just one sentence!
A few days latter, I got a call to come to practice to speak to Ted.
It was the call that changed my life and hopefully added to BR’s image, reputation and list of accomplishments over the next 6 years.
Thank you to Joe Marrella
PART ONE
The place was the high school in Wilmington where Blue Rock hosted their own drum corps contest.
Blue Rock put on an non-judged exhibition as the host corps always did at that time in drum corps.
Of course, I watched them carefully for a variety of reasons. Ted Sciara was always respectful to me when I was in Vasella. He saw our talent and would often engage me.I also knew some of the BR drummers from a distance.
After the show, I was approached by one of Blue Rock’s snare drummers, who was a fan of Vasella's Snare Line … among many!
He asked what I thought of their (BR) drum line?
It’s here in the next ONE MINUTE that my life and Blue Rock’s history changed.
I remember vividly the conflict in my head…be POLITE or Tell the TRUTH. At that time, I was BRASH, ARROGANT &
certainly an Highly OPINIONATED young guy.
I decided to tell the truth (As I knew it to be) …I replied…”What the F—k did you guys do all winter”
I knew the comment was accurate, even if it was not kind! One sentence …just one sentence!
A few days latter, I got a call to come to practice to speak to Ted.
It was the call that changed my life and hopefully added to BR’s image, reputation and list of accomplishments over the next 6 years.
PART TWO
I came to BLUE ROCK with all my experiences, my goals and my Drumming Idols.
I was a snare drummer in a line that was as precise and proficient as any in the activity. I promise you that is not an exaggeration. Our drum quartet beat any and all competition from everywhere in the country…everywhere!
During our tenure, our drum line won dozens of high drum awards as well as being in the top three at VFW NATIONALS by just 2 tenths. Ted knew our reputation as well as his drummers did.
John Flowers was the judge when we won the National Open Drum Quartet Championship by points. Eric Perilloux was the judge when our Drum Quartet won again at the Skyliners Individual Competition. Yes, we also won the Drum Quartet portion by points, but in addition, we received a second large trophy for having the highest total score that day out of 95 individual contestants from every single category. ..(Two judges that were known everywhere as tough and very knowledgeable adjudicators)
This was my foundation! This was my tolerance level. I compared everything I heard at practice to that pure sound in my head from Vasella.
Regarding drumming idols, in my opinion, there was only one in our section of the country…BLESSED SACRAMENT! To me they were Drum Corps Royalty…(They became the White Whale)
When NEW JERSEY STATES was on the horizon I set our sights on beating BS in DRUMS. If my memory is accurate,
BR had not beaten them before.
Another concept I truly believed in was that “SAME BEHAVIOR = SAME RESULTS!
Previously, BR went to Wildwood the morning before the State Championship. I wanted to change that arrangement…(Change that Behavior) …I wanted to go down the night before, practice in the park, get up, practice after a good night sleep than go out and beat Blessed Sacrament in drums.
Somehow the drummers backed my idea and we met at the park, drummed for a few hours, got up Saturday, practiced again …then BEAT BLESSED SACRAMENT IN DRUMS…
IT WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR ANY AND ALL IDEAS I SUGGESTED IN THE FUTURE!
I came to BLUE ROCK with all my experiences, my goals and my Drumming Idols.
I was a snare drummer in a line that was as precise and proficient as any in the activity. I promise you that is not an exaggeration. Our drum quartet beat any and all competition from everywhere in the country…everywhere!
During our tenure, our drum line won dozens of high drum awards as well as being in the top three at VFW NATIONALS by just 2 tenths. Ted knew our reputation as well as his drummers did.
John Flowers was the judge when we won the National Open Drum Quartet Championship by points. Eric Perilloux was the judge when our Drum Quartet won again at the Skyliners Individual Competition. Yes, we also won the Drum Quartet portion by points, but in addition, we received a second large trophy for having the highest total score that day out of 95 individual contestants from every single category. ..(Two judges that were known everywhere as tough and very knowledgeable adjudicators)
This was my foundation! This was my tolerance level. I compared everything I heard at practice to that pure sound in my head from Vasella.
Regarding drumming idols, in my opinion, there was only one in our section of the country…BLESSED SACRAMENT! To me they were Drum Corps Royalty…(They became the White Whale)
When NEW JERSEY STATES was on the horizon I set our sights on beating BS in DRUMS. If my memory is accurate,
BR had not beaten them before.
Another concept I truly believed in was that “SAME BEHAVIOR = SAME RESULTS!
Previously, BR went to Wildwood the morning before the State Championship. I wanted to change that arrangement…(Change that Behavior) …I wanted to go down the night before, practice in the park, get up, practice after a good night sleep than go out and beat Blessed Sacrament in drums.
Somehow the drummers backed my idea and we met at the park, drummed for a few hours, got up Saturday, practiced again …then BEAT BLESSED SACRAMENT IN DRUMS…
IT WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR ANY AND ALL IDEAS I SUGGESTED IN THE FUTURE!
PART THREE
I Remember vividly looking at the big clock in the far end zone, it read…9:31pm…August 20, 1971. Then I heard the starting gun, the sound of which echoed loudly throughout the entire stadium. I had been so close before to the Drum Trophy at the VFW National Championship in Detroit a few years earlier.
.2…two tenths of a point. (The irony that night was we dropped two sticks and they deducted it off the drum score sheet at that time)
Prior to the finals at VFW in Dallas, I made a decision that we would fine tune some special moments in our very challenging drum book. There could be more credit for the use of dynamics and its expert control in the VFW DRUM SHEET.
Because our drummers trusted me and I them, I added a few new moments that would be challenging dynamically, yet they would stand out even more than they had all season. (We had yet to lose a full drum show all season, at Prelims our Monster solo was omitted due to the time constraints)
The 8 snares would be the largest snare line to compete under the “Tick” system in decades or at any time I could remember (Generally, changing drum parts before a National Championship competition is extremely rare!)
But, I wasn’t going to lose by a couple of tenths again!
I never set out to change the configuration of percussion ensembles in drum corps & bands. I promise you that if we were 7th instead of First…no one would have copied our approach.
I had a vision and thought I knew the techniques to accomplish it. It worked because of the BLUE ROCK players and the confidence they had in me.
That night, we beat our chief competitor, Boston, by our biggest spread in months. Yet, we had never faced SANTA CLARA VANGUARDS until Dallas.
Yes, we won high drums at the VFW National Championship with SCV second. SCV went on to win many Championships in a row and it was an extreme honor to be in their elite category that one night August 20, 1971.
One final tidbit…it was the same date as my father’s birthday. He was the Director of Vasella and Vasella was the sole reason I was able to accomplish the honors, the Championships and be elected to several Halls of Fame in our beloved Drum Corps Activity!
I Remember vividly looking at the big clock in the far end zone, it read…9:31pm…August 20, 1971. Then I heard the starting gun, the sound of which echoed loudly throughout the entire stadium. I had been so close before to the Drum Trophy at the VFW National Championship in Detroit a few years earlier.
.2…two tenths of a point. (The irony that night was we dropped two sticks and they deducted it off the drum score sheet at that time)
Prior to the finals at VFW in Dallas, I made a decision that we would fine tune some special moments in our very challenging drum book. There could be more credit for the use of dynamics and its expert control in the VFW DRUM SHEET.
Because our drummers trusted me and I them, I added a few new moments that would be challenging dynamically, yet they would stand out even more than they had all season. (We had yet to lose a full drum show all season, at Prelims our Monster solo was omitted due to the time constraints)
The 8 snares would be the largest snare line to compete under the “Tick” system in decades or at any time I could remember (Generally, changing drum parts before a National Championship competition is extremely rare!)
But, I wasn’t going to lose by a couple of tenths again!
I never set out to change the configuration of percussion ensembles in drum corps & bands. I promise you that if we were 7th instead of First…no one would have copied our approach.
I had a vision and thought I knew the techniques to accomplish it. It worked because of the BLUE ROCK players and the confidence they had in me.
That night, we beat our chief competitor, Boston, by our biggest spread in months. Yet, we had never faced SANTA CLARA VANGUARDS until Dallas.
Yes, we won high drums at the VFW National Championship with SCV second. SCV went on to win many Championships in a row and it was an extreme honor to be in their elite category that one night August 20, 1971.
One final tidbit…it was the same date as my father’s birthday. He was the Director of Vasella and Vasella was the sole reason I was able to accomplish the honors, the Championships and be elected to several Halls of Fame in our beloved Drum Corps Activity!