Front and Center with SCV

 Today as I type, Santa Clara Vanguard is broadcasting "Front and Center" Gala as a fundraiser for the Vanguard Music and Performing Arts.  7 hours of non-stop Vanguard.  Well, except for when they have technical glitches.  Ryan Turner, "The Voice of Southern California" is emcee for the fundraiser portion.  Hi, Ryan!

I ate my dinner way early (easy when I don't eat lunch), and popped my kettle corn for munching later.  Then I made myself a champagne/peach vodka cocktail.  Because it's a gala people!

I was too busy remembering to blog that I didn't actually see what they showed for 1967.  Lame Sherry.  

1972 

Show is in black and white, and looking sharp!  These are just clips of the shows, but it already more than another corps did on their fundraiser night.  Nice solo!

1975

Ooh, color!  Love that red uniform.

1976, 1977, 1979

I mean, how did they march around with that tympani and not just fall over every night?

1977

What are those big wheels?  The drummers are wearing green while everyone else is wearing the red jackets.

1979

I love those white color guard boots.  I want a pair.  I like that the kettle drums are red and white now to match the corps.  

Member profile: Troy, SCVC Drum Major, and first year member

1999 "Inventions for a New Millenium"

YAY!!!  That was our first year to go to Finals!  Hi, DM Michael! Hi, Kenji!  "VANGUARD!!!!"  Or because our friend Chun never came in on time, "Guard, guard, guard" (diminuendo, as an echo).

I told myself that I would donate a certain amount for each full show that they air tonight.  Now I'm scared.  Happy, but scared.

That's one so far, Sher.  

Oh, and I commented about the drill and the drums on YouTube, and the esteemed Ralph Hardimon of SCV percussion fame smiled at my comment.  Happiness!

Cooking with SCV:  They posted what ingredients would be needed earlier this week, and now they are making Chicken Broccoli casserole, which the corps loves to eat.  Bro is cooking as he watches.  Bro and I have talked to one of the ladies talking, Jo Blatcher.  Whip it! Whip it good!

SCVC bass drum ensemble, playing a piece entitled "Enterprise".  Being responsible and wearing masks.  

Robbie played synthesizer intro to 2013 Les Miserables show.  Nice!  

Hello, Mr. Bud.  You're about to make me cry with the "Send in the Clowns" background music playing.  1974 horn arranger.  They won Finals that year.  1975, they played it for warm up before Finals, and they got 3 perfect 10s in General Effect.  Bud thinks this was the start of the Clowns legacy.  Yup, tears.

RT is flabbergasted that we're already over $54K, and our goal is $100K.  It's only been 1 hour. Out of 7.

1987 snare member and current graphic designer talking some Vanguard history.  He's creating hand-painted statues.  He's showing the one from 1987 Russian Christmas music snare drummer initial step-out.   He can customize by year, very cool!  Ooh, and you can tilt the drum!!!  

Kristen dancing different moves throughout SCV time.  Nice cartwheel!  

Elise - mellophone player in her 4th year with SCV.  She is an Impulse alumnus.  Her first show to see SCV was 2014.  She talked about being amazed at someone being so detailed that they polish their shoes, and making sure her star is perfectly straight.  She goes to UCLA.  Go, Bruins!

Next speaker is talking about hearing about the corps in the Spring of 1967, and how he learned to play the soprano bugle, becoming soprano section leader that fall.  He has 4 questions for us, but it sounds like it's for corps alumni, so I don't need to answer them.

Loving the aussie with the green feather in the background as RT tells us that we're already 2/3 of the way to our goal before the 2nd hour is over.  Oh, and to remind us that we need to take the chicken broccoli out of the oven at 45 minutes so as not to burn the house down.

SCV history time again!  This time, actually with Dan Vannetta (RT announced him too early).  Starting with learning drill and catching rifles in 1965 and 1966.  They were all-age and didn't leave California at that time.

Looking back at some show highlights:

1980: I like that spiral formaton!  The SCV star!  "Evita" and other pieces.  The shows were so random back then before they told stories with their music.

1982:  Bottledance!!!!  

1983: Ooh, I like that jazzy brass piece.  Frilly umbrellas, how nice.  I just love any time SCV plays Appalachian Spring.

1984: Yay, they formed the SCV star!  I know I said that before, but it was a different type of formation, with the color guard, last itime.

Ooh, DCI Hall of Fame member Ralph Hardimon is about to talk to Dan Potter.  Ralph became besties with Fred Sanford after Ralph dissed the Ludwig drums.  They listened to Stoneground Seven and thought it would be a great drum solo, and used it in 1980.  He talked about 1981 being like magic, where everything clicked during Young Person's Guide.  They also talked about the meaning of "Vanguard".  

We're past the $70K mark, and I we're not even done with the 2nd hour.  Usually quite a talker, RT is speechless.  

Back to show highlights:

1985: That's a big green flag that they turned into a tunnel.  I wonder if that was the inspiration for the Scheherazade tunnel in 2004.  Oooh, it flipped into a flag of the shield!  Cool!

1986:  They now have a god sash, and the drum major is wearing a wig and beard.  They're telling stories now!  He's like some sort of wizard.  

1987: So I'm thinking right now, SCV did a lot of Russian shows in the 80s, during the Cold War.  Were there haters?  I like those green drums.  Nice contrast from teh red / white uniforms.  Wait, is that the same wizard?!  Did I mix up my shows?

1988: First version of Phantom of the Opera.  No masks.  Nice CG dresses for "Masquerade"!  That Phantom is scary.  

"Conduct with Us"

They provided sheet music on their web site prior to the show, and it's for Phantom of the Opera! (Music of the Night).  The current conductor is teaching us the push segment (closer portion), along with the DM from 1989.  Then they both conducted the end of the show, and I love seeing his embellishments.  

We're at $81K and it's only 7:00pm!  Bro's casserole is now in the oven.  He needed to cook the chicken first.  The SCV ladies are eating theirs with biscuits and egg noodles.  

DM Carl Huang is eating Doritos with chopsticks and watching the 2018 show on his couch while wearing his uniform.  I love it!  I wish I had Doritos in the house right now.

1989:  "Phantom of the Opera"

Full show!  I like that the pit members are wearing cute animal masks.  I wonder if Boston borrowed them for their Animal Farm show.  I love that drill during those runs.  Phantom mask is still scary.  Love those black fringe flags!  We saw that lady (with the close up of her hands framing her face) at the 50th anniversary gala.  I also like the black feather on the aussies.   And then the corps disappeared

"Send in the Clowns" 

So. Many. Tears. On. Sherry's. Face.

I don't think RT realizes that most of us will actually be sitting here for all 7 hours.

That's not Dan Potter.  That's Steve Rondinaro.  He talked about seeing SCV for the first time, in 1972, I think.

Then Steve talked to DCI Hall of Famer Michael Gaines, current interim director of VMAPA.  He has a doggie named Kayak!  They showed video of him trying to teach Kayak to go down the steps.  This relates to teaching young people who learn at different paces and in different ways.  His fave show that he did not work on was 1989.

Show highlights!

1990: Carmen (not Carmen SanDiego, although that could be a fun mash-up) -- Ooh, "SCV" formation!  Oh, they had some of them playing from the Patriots tunnel at the end of the show.

1991:  Miss Saigon -- I like those big red umbrellas.  Nice fans!  I want one.  Or 4.  Helicopter scene!  That flag of Vietnam is hugigant.

1992: Fiddler -- Loving the touch of Tradition fringe from the Jewish prayer shawls on the uniform.  BOTTLEDANCE!!!!! 

1993:  Festival Overture -- That's a pretty yellow on the CG dresses.  A crown and swords.   That is some fast drill.  See?  They have strips of flags that form a Chinese flag on the field.  There's also a big lotus flower.  Oh, lots of flowers.

Carl is back and listening to the mello sustain from outside his house!

Steve is asking us to punch COVID on the nose and donate to the Vanguard.

2018!!!!!  

Full show!!!  I didn't realize before that someone dropped their mallet on the field before the dance break.  Love the way they jump up on the towers at the same time as the big drum hit.    Yay!!!  I love that show.  V texted to me "Hey bae" during the show, and somehow it showed on my TV.  Magic.

Steve said we could get thank you gifts with our donations.  They're already over their goal, and not even halfway through the evening.

Show highlights:

1995: Their drums are like rainbow shiny luminescent. What are those hypnosis things?  Nutcracker?  Oh, it's called "Not the Nutcracker".  See, this is why I love this corps.  They talk like me.

1996: I didn't really like those green uniforms, but at least they weren't offensive.

1997: This was the year I first saw a drum corps show live.  Vanguard doing "On the Waterfront".  Yes!  

1998: Copland -- I like the CG uniforms of black with the gold trim on top.  

Now we're showing a practice field and we're going to do some drill commands.  I did it without spilling anything while I got up!  I'm not drunk yet.

Oh, a guy is playing on a bunch of different instruments at the same time "Pure Imagination".   I miss drum corps so much that I almost sat through the whole song instead of going to the restroom. (I'm usually tired of hearing that song.)

Lizzie, the DM that conducted us earlier, talked about one of her first memories seeing SCV, playing Les Miz, and about becoming a leader.

OMG, now they're singing a capella.  And it's "Send in the Clowns".  They're trying to kill me with tears.  APPARENTLY, they did this on their own, the 2020 horn line.

With the shield!

Steve is now talking about what Santa Clara means to us.  He said that the corps has changed so much in style through the years, but the members continue to believe and excel with whatever the staff challenges them.

Innovation. Legacy. Excellence.

Dan has taken over the helm, with a picture of SCV in the background.  Did RT go to sleep?  He's so speechless he gave up?  Anyway, Dan said that we're about to go to the 2000s, and introduced 1981.  What?

1981: Full show!  Young Person's Guide, Evita -- The video is just from high up so I can't see anything close up.  They also won Finals this year.  I like that rotating semi-circle drill.

RT is back, and announcing that we've passed our goal.  So he's setting a new goal of $150K.

Hey.  They changed the aussie, and now it's closer to RT.  Maybe he was out borrowing it.

Matthew, SCV Contra since 2018 is talking about his first time at SCV audition camp, knowing that this was the place for him from day one.  Hey, I know that floor that he's sleeping on!  That's the floor at the Indy airport.  I know that place far too well, and I miss it now.  

Chat with Sandi and Paul Rennick, percussion DCI Hall of Famers and SCV Caption heads.  I didn't know until today that they are siblings.  Paul likes being able to be at the table during the show design, so that the drummers are less of an accompaniment, and more part of the music with their solos.  They fought about the opening of 2018 with "My Body Is A Cage".  Their fave shows that aren't their own in SCV: 1987 for Paul, and 1999 for Sandi.

Carl is playing his video game, pauses, and hears that the mello sustain is still going.

Show highlights:

2000: The Age of Reverence -- That Agnus Dei!  So beautiful.  I like how the flags synchronize with the horns' sforzandos.

2001: New Era Metropolis --  Oh, yeah, I liked those purple and yellow flags!  New Era!  New Era!  New, new, new new era!

2002: Sound, Shape & Color -- Triangles, Ovals, and Squares

2003:  Pathways -- I like the drill to this show.  I also really like the music.  VANGUARD!!!!

2004: Scheherazade -- Bummed that they're not playing the whole show, because, SIGH.

Dan's favorite SCV show of the 00s: Ballet for Martha.  He said not to tell the other corps fans, but if someone told him he was stuck on a desert island, what one corps would you want to listen to?  SCV.  Me, too.  I thought they were going to play that next, but psych!

2005: Russia -- Oh, yeah, the star formation!  I remember now.  CCCP ==> USSR formations.  Thanks for showing the viper!

2006: Moto Perpetuo -- never stop moving!  I remember that one of the members was always marching around, even when they weren't on the field.

2007:  ! -- EUREKA!!!  We got to yell twice in that show.  I love that cymblas V.  

2008:  3hree -- I forgot how bright yellow those drums were.  

2009: Ballet for Martha -- OK, fo reals this time, but highlights only.  They showed my favorite company front of all time, though, and that beautiful ending, as the cymals lift up Martha.  So pretty.

Richard somebody arranged the Brass Mafia rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone", and they are playing in a beautiful woodsy setting.  Is that Muir Woods?  

What does Dan think SCV means to drum corps fans?  Class.  Oh, yes.  I agree wholeheartedly.  I don't know why he turns it back to RT with a Hulk Smash, but RT received it, so OK.

The aussie changed again!  Wait.  Then he turned to the other camera, and it's back to the other view. I'm so confused.

A Conversation with Brandt Crocker, our famous drum corps announcer.  I love Brandt, even when he says that Vanguard is from Sacramento.  RT remembered that Brandt and his wife cooked for the whole corps in 2002.  All of a sudden, JW was on screen, and he talked about getting Brandt to be the announcer for a rehearsal.  Oh, there's a Hulk poster in RT's background in his house.  Brandt's favorite SCV year:  1999.  He told the corps that they would be the champions that year.  When they handed him the results, he saw the tie, and said "it was still a championship".  JW pushed him into the circle when they played "Send in the Clowns" at the encore, and it meant so much to Brandt that he realized that he is a member of the Vanguard family, and wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China.  Then I almost started crying again.

Executive Jeremy talked about the 2 new corps initiatives, with the help of Jennifer and Carl (sans mask).  Vanguard Emerging Leaders gives recent alumni a voice in the organization and provides mentorship opportunities for future leaders.  Jennifer also helped with the Diversity Equity Inclusion committee to show SCV's commitment to long-term systemic changes within the community.  

Announce with Us, with Brandt Crocker and Friends!  His tip is to say it as one word: "The SantaClaraVanguard!"  What cute kids!  One of them looks like she's Lizzie's sister.  I love all of the SCV outfits.

CG members Tensegritty dance / spin to "Music of the Night".

Now there's a cat watching RT, and he changed positions!  I didn't see him walk over there.  It's Vanguard Magic!  Oh, he does walk.  So maybe there aren't two rooms, just different views of the same chair.

Carl is brushing his teeth now, and the mellos are still going.

Show highlights:

2010: Bartok - love the music during that circular formation.  Such intensity. Actually, I love all of the music in this show.  Leap off of those cymbals!

2011 -- Devils' Staircase -- This show was amazing.  I loved the source music and the creativity of their show's concept.  "Imagine you're in hell, and you want out."  

2012 -- Music of the Starry Night -- I mean, MARS!  JUPITER!  And a viper! 

2013 -- Les Miz -- I'm about to cry again.  Oh, yeah, the shield formation!

2014 --  Scheherazade 2 -- The pillows!!!  The lamp!  I loved the colors in this show, like that last silk that covers all of them.  Gorgeous.

RT is back, and so is the cat.  A special donor is going to match the next $5K.  

2015 -- Spark of Invention (I forget what it's called most of the time and call it the Tesla Show).  I love that opening piano line.  That theremin!  Spooky.  Light 'em up, Vanguard!

2016 -- Force of Nature -- The tree!  The V in front of the tree!

2017 -- Ouroborous -- I LOVE THIS SHOW!  OK, I love most of the shows, but I really really love this show.  So innovative.  So Vanguard.  I don't know why the screen shows 2018 right now, because they haven't changed the show yet.  That flag block!!!  Ah,the rolling props with them inside!  Then the Clowns bit at the end.  Ahhh...

2019 -- Vox Eversio -- I still don't like those tarps.  I know it's only been a year, but... anyway, Leo's trombone solo!  Then Mikey's crazy high note!  They changed up the viper, even.  

1974 -- Full Show!  -- A bunch of stuff from Wagner, Bernstein, and Sondheim.  The drum majors are marching around the field!  They won with this show, and I can see why.  Aw, Clowns.  That reminds me that for an icebreaker at work, the facilitator sang a bit of a tune from musical theater, and we were supposed to finish the phrase, then she would tell us which show it was from in case the others didn't know.  She said that Send in the Clowns was from some other show.  I told her it wasn't.  She didn't have her notes in front of her.  I said, "Trust me.  I know it's from "A LIttle Night Music".  I didn't go into why I know this piece so well, because I was being nice and didn't want to go into Crazy Sherry Drum Corps Fan mode.

The last hour's donations will be matched up to $5k again.  RT owes someone nickels and I don't understand.  Why doesn't he owe me nickels?  There's a private Facebook competition, but I don't know what he's talking about.

Drum Corps Then & Now: looks like a bunch of original corps members talking about the up and comers being in the position they were in way back when.  They are cracking me up with their attempt to be in synch with conductor Tim.  They said this was their secret Zoom group.  Thanks for letting us in, guys.

Dr. Rick Espinoza, soprano soloist during 1999 is telling us how to become a more successful performer.  We were provided the sheet music beforehand, but I don't know how many people are playing at 10:53pm that still have neighbors.  It is important that we think both vertically and horizontally.  During your solo: what happens right before the first note of your solo has an effect on your performance.

Danny V is back with SCV History.  He talked about establishing the Vanguard name, and the first year.

DCI Judge Alan Christiansen talked about marching with SCV in the '70s.  I didn't know that!  i just knew him as a percussion judge.  His favorite teaching moment was in 1987, when SCV got the first Kevlar drum head.  He came up with a technique that went with Ralph Hardimon's music and fit the show.  

Some SCVC color guard members showed off some of their moves from inside and outside their homes.  

A conversation with Scott Pierson and Rick South: talking about the aftermath of winning championships in 1978, and what happened in 1980.  1979 was a rough year, then the staff wanted more control over the programming part, to be more creative.  Fred Sanford called Scott and told him that Gail Royer wasn't going to do the arrangements that year, and asked Scott to contribute the closer for the horn line, which was "Jupiter".  He and Rick did most of the brass instruction that year.  Upon hearing the judges' comments, Gail stepped in and improved the show to the point that made the judges happy.  

They played the a capella Send in the Clowns again.

We are just shy of $125K, and now there is no aussie in the background.  Maybe the cat took it and is wearing it whilsst touring the neighborhood.

We're drumming SCV 2012 now!  He's saying about a flam and two diddles.  I do not know what that means, but I know that it is drumspeak.  He just said, "Who doesn't love flams?"  Apparently I love flams, because I can't say why I don't love them.  Big V for Vanguard at the end!

Danny V is back and talking about SCV history and staying at Brookdale camp during their first tour.  

Mr. Bud is back again, repeat from earlier.  

Babylon logo!  Paul Rennick is talking about bringing "My Body Is A Cage" to the design team.  206 beats per minute!  (The 3rd movement, I think.)  The general sense is that music is communication.  I think this was from their pre-season segments that year.

Hey, it's Babylon again!  Yassss, drumline!!!  Riri said Hey Bae again.  So is this a recording of the earlier live portion?  I'm confused again.

RT made a correction:  Eric's name is actually Michael.  This is the guy that makes the statues.

I made my donation.  Thank you, SCV!

Bottledance with us!  At 5 minutes to midnight!  I'm going to just watch at this point.  Also, this room is not big enough for me to do that move.  Do you know that if you don't have kneepads, you can wrap a sock around your knee instead?  I just learned that today.  Also, you need to wear your hat/aussie.  IF you panic, you don't grab the hands when you get together with the others.  You have to hold everybody's weight, so it takes a lot of upper body strength.  This was the 1978 version.  So cool!  I have that tank top!  She's much more fit than me, though.  At the end, you "look up at all of the screaming people".

Carl is back, lifting weights, and letting the mello sustain continue.

Tim talked about getting the Jim Ott high brass award in 1987, and talked about the great Gail Royer.

Here's the brass section again with our song!  How am I not sick of this song yet?  Oh, yeah.  Because it just means so much to this corps and their fans.  

I am looking forward to next year, hoping that we'll get to see our favorite corps lots and lots of times...and yes, hear "Send in the Clowns" LIVE. 

There's no place like Santa Clara.  Love you, VANGUARD!!!!!

Wait.  Post-credits scene:  Carl is going to bed (in his uniform), with his cat, and hears the mello sustain still going, so he goes outside with his baton to stop it.  I'm giggling.  So silly.

Thanks for reading all of the drum corps posts this summer, even though I didn't get to see any shows.  

Next up for the blog:  I have no idea.  Good night!