Drum Corp Time Again, aka Mr. W. Hits the Road

Ok, I will warn you this post could be likened to having to sit through your uncle's 8mm home movies so feel free to skip on by if you must ...... but if you wish to awaken a different creative side of yourself, by all means do continue.

You have read my posts and probably wondered  about the bizarre travels of my husband for eight weeks each summer.  I did my stint for several but my traveling days with the group ended. Although I enjoyed every minute trust me I have been cured from ever wanting to run away and join the circus.


I hung up my sewing machine and stopped making uniforms and sewing flags and costumes 13 years ago.  Mr. W.  still hears the music call him to join the group and travels with these talented, wonderful, young people (ages 14 to 21) as they traipse about the country living out of gyms, buses and armories competing in various college and professional football stadiums.   Each year he handles the logistics of getting five coach buses, two tracker trailers and various support vehicles where they have to be while driving an RV or one of the tractor trailers.  It all culminates at Drum Corp International World Finals at the LukeOil Stadium in Indianapolis  mid-August each summer.

It is hard to describe or to even come close to an explanation of the work, pageantry, talent, joy and dedication these performers have as well as that of the staff and volunteers of the Jersey Surf.

Closing ceremonies at Finals are one of the most moving things I have ever witnessed.   The Corps enter the stadium in Olympic fashion circling to the backfield, marching by two's from sideline to sideline until the entire field is filled shoulder to shoulder, end zone to end zone with corp members.   At the University of Maryland in Silver Springs in 2000 my eyes filled as I watched and THEN they played and the tears rolled down my cheeks.  All the Corps on the field and I quickly did a back of the envelope calculation that there were thousands of musicians, playing together to the crowd.   Unbelievable.

Please let Janinia Gavankar (star in True Blood) explain.  The  ESPN video explains her passion; the behind the scenes version explains the making of the video; and the music video spotlights the song only...... you've really got to watch all threee.

ESPN interview from 2014 World Finals

Don't Look Down music video

Don't Look Down music video behind the scenes  with editorial comments from Janina

Now while this is not the kind of performance they do all summer it is the same talented young people performing on the video.




www.jerseysurf.org

.....And now we return to our stitching projects already in progress......