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Welcome to the Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps Alumni website!Hit CTRL+D to bookmark this site! This website last updated: Lest there be any confusion about it - please note that this site is a solo effort by myself and is not in any way connected to or supported by the competing corps of the Sunrisers Drum & Bugle Corps; or any of its principals, members, agents, or sponsors. The views and opinions expressed here are strictly mine, and mine alone. You should not infer any official policy of the Sunrisers Drum & Bugle Corps in anything written here. Latest Updates
I was just informed by Chairman Bob Murphy that the Hall of Fame, class of 2010 has been named. Those to be honored include: The selectees will be inducted into the Sunrisers Hall of Fame on September 25, 2010 at the Sunrisers Alumni Dinner Party. Congratulations to the inductees - which are likely to be the last class to be inducted
Jokers - we are once again hit with some bad news. This time we learned that Rich Kuhn's dad Bill passed away this morning after a long illness. This news was passed to us via the Alumni Forum by Cookie Kamerdin, who received it from alum Irene Allen (Rich plays with the Selden Cadets Alumni, which Irene is an officer of). Information thus far...
My personal condolences, and that of all the alumni go to Rich and his family at this very sad time for them.
The "deadline" announced earlier this month by the management team of the competing corps has come and gone, and to date there is nothing to report as far as anything of substance having happened. There have been a few rumors floating around concerning some possible interest by a small group, but as yet - no announcements to make. At any rate, the situation currently looks bleak as far as the 56 year tradition of the Sunrisers continuing in some fashion. One temporary scenario I heard was to bring Sun back as a parade corps affiliated with a fire department. That would require limited rehearsal space and a minimal investment for uniforms and equipment that is usually covered by fire department funds. There are a few corps on the island who take advantage of this kind of deal already. At a future time when and if the personel builds to a number suitable to re-enter the DCA ranks, that can be accomodated while keeping the FD affiliation intact. Maybe not a perfect solution, but one worthy of some consideration unless we want to see the Sunrisers die as an entity - something nobody wants to see. I guess we will have to sit tight and see what the next few weeks brings. An unfortunate situation indeed.
I guess by now you have all heard or read the announcement from the current administration of the Sunrisers regarding their plan to resign and pass on control of the corps to any willing parties. There has been some discussion of this and what it means on the alumni forum, but until July 15 - the scheduled final date of a takeover - we won't know much for certain. Certainly I am not on terms with the majority of the board that would give me further information that might be available, but I'll be making a few phone calls to see if I can learn anything beyond the notice Larry posted on the forum. I can't say this comes as much of a surprise, personally. We know the current board has been under enormous pressure to produce something out of nothing. It is surely not their fault Sun may set for good on the 15th. They tried, made a great bid in 07 and came away with the Class "A" prize, but for some reason could not generate any excitement or recruitment after deciding to move back to Sun's home territory of Long Island. I suppose we have to face some hard facts. For one thing, the island is no longer the hot bed of "feeder" junior corps it once was. Membership has been pretty much left to high school band program kids - a poor choice in my opinion - but options were limited. Still - for various reasons I don't pretend to know, they just didn't come knocking on the corps door. I could probably guess (and indeed HAVE on the forum) why this is so, but they would be nothing more than that. Guesses. I imagine the board has similar questions why it just didn't work out. Whatever happens later this month, I plan to keep the website here and the forum up and running until at least November when my domain hosting package is up for renewal, as I've previously mentioned. What happens then is up in the air. We have already been informed via the announcement that the corps website and probably the CC forum will be going. I have no idea what plans there are for the Facebook thing. To the outgoing board: Gary Williams, Dave China, Nat Mazyck, Larry Visconti, and John Torres - you have our (my) thanks for giving it a valiant effort despite overwhelming odds, and for bringing the Sunrisers at the least one more Title.
Frank Cevasco was good enough to send me a few pics - oldies but goodies - to Pics Page 9 - accessible via the Pictures Menu on the menu. These pics of the corps and the Guard date from 1965, 1966, and 1969. Enjoy!
I have a copy of the show video posted on the Forum as of a few minutes ago. No - no Joker sent me a copy to post - I had to find a copy on YouTube. Kind of explains what I was talking about in the previous post, doesn't it. Well whatever - I posted it for you.
Another of the Sunrisers greats will be formally inducted into the Buglers Hall of Fame on April 24, 2010. I think it's safe to assume that everyone knows Frank Diliberto - soloist extraordinaire, and his incredible work on "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "Ballin' the Jack" as far back as 1963, and his command of his instrument. Well - Frank will be taking his long overdue place amongst the greats of drum and bugle corps on that date. Congratulations, Frank - a well deserved albeit long overdue honor! As part of the ceremonies at the BHoF inductions, the Sunriser Alumni Ensemble will once again take center stage. Hopefully this will not be the final performance of the group that blew the house down at Garfield last month. This is just too damned good to let die, Jokers. Acknowledging that many if not most of the players are also members of other alumni corps, I personally hope they can find time in their schedules to make a few appearences during the year to show the current "marching band corps" people what real drum corps was all about and listen to some of the greats in Sunriser history. The ensemble will have two more rehearsals at the usual place before the Bridgeport show - on March 13th and again on April 17th. Support our guys! And good luck, Jokers. You did us proud at garfield and I'm sure you'll do the same at Bridgeport!
Videos of the Alumni Ensemble performance are now on the forum in the ensemble thread.
Another note on the Garfield show - this one from my old 1966 squad-mate and friend Joe Copolla... "To All Sunrisers Alumni Corps members, Last night was a great night for me and for us all. Our performance was in true Sunriser tradition: EXCELLENCE. Not only did we play very well, but as usual, we exhibited the class we have become known for: Wearing our suits and ties with those gorgeous flowers by Laurel Murphy (thank you Laurel for making them for us), they added to the classiness of our performance. We had class beginning with our entrance on the stage and our demeanor there, especially while Tommy Martin inspected us. We were way cool. Except I was sweating like a pig! Not only did we play each number well, we did it in such a crowd pleasing way right from the start with our warm-up to the closing note of Sunrise. From our soloists all the way to each and every section member and the percussion section we were awesome. I know that I personally nailed each note, as I am very sure everyone else did. What a great job we all did! We sounded great, incase you didn't know it. Last night was a very emotional night at least for me and I want to thank all of you for being there and letting me perform with you. It was emotional not only because the audience was so enthusiastic in their response to our show (a rousing standing ovation) but also because I got to relive in a way, some fantastic times in my life from long ago with some great friends. Jack McGinnis: Thank you for running the corps for us. You did a great job keeping it all together. You play mean vibes and and your percussion section was great too. Bob Murphy: Your leadership of the horn section was only superb! Your patience, musicianship, and instruction were fantastic. Thank you. OK, enough sentimentality. Except, thank you all who came from near and far to play again in the greatest corps on earth. See you in Bridgeport!"
Alum Rich Kuhn just posted on the forum about the show tonight at Garfield in which the Sunrisers Alumni Ensemble brought down the house in typically classic Sunrisers fashion. I'll simply say "Thank you" to those who participated (all are listed in the forum thread) for upholding the standards of the Sunrisers of old and post Rich's remarks in total. BHOF Show Garfield,
Well we're down to the nitty-gritty, Jokers! The first appearence of the Sunrisers Alumni Ensemble will be on Saturday, February 27, at the BENDA-ROEHRICH VFW POST 2867, 340 Outwater Lane, Garfield, NJ. [MAP] The final scheduled rehearsal for the east coast contingent will be at, as usual, Bishop Ford High School, 500 19th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 [MAP] - this coming Saturday February 20 at 12:00. I, again, will try to make it to voice my support for the alumni and of course to see some of the guys I haven't seen in quite a few years - some as much as 40. It would be a good thing if those who will be unable to attend the Garfield show for one reason of another can make the trip to Brooklyn to show support for OUR Sunrisers Alumni. Drum Corps the way it ought to be!
Great news for Trombone & Euphonium Players!!! KELLY Mouthpieces is launching our new Stainless-Steel KELLYberg Trombone & Euphonium mouthpieces (Bari/Euph). Best mouthpiece in the WORLD for only $98 bucks! Now in 9 sizes, and 3 shank sizes! Including Large Shank, Small-Shank, & European Shank. You can place your order today HERE. Click the link for the specifications for our new Stainless-Steel KELLYbergs. Tuba (Contra) players click HERE Kelly is also repeating the "Holiday Special" sale, offering ANY Red Hot KELLY Mouthpiece for only $15 bucks! All sizes available - no limit. Great for your favorite Valentine!! Get one HERE for only $15 for ANY SIZE!
Just got a glowing report from Bob Murphy re: yesterdays rehearsal. The group now has 24 horns and a full perc section! I've asked Bob for a list of all participants, and when I get it I will post them either here or on the forum in the "Alumni Ensemble" sub-forum.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the forum has been targeted by spammers trying to register, and some possible fixes for that problem. Rather than resort to shutting the forum down after hours - which proves to be an unworkable "solution", since the spammers have now decided to play during the daytime as well - I have had to resort to requiring registrations to be approved by the Admin. This is about the only solution I've found that stops spammers and other problem children dead in their tracks. I assure you that in most cases I will have valid Jokers online and approved within minutes of getting the registration notification, as long as I am home at the time. If not it will most definitely be within a few hours at most. Sorry I have had to take this route, but having to remove crap and then delete and ban spammers just does not work for me. Or you. Again ... I ask prospective members to please use their real name (as 99% of members already have) when registering. That will make things go that much smoother and faster for all concerned.
I don't know if any of you cats have ever tried a lexan MP before, but I've had one for eons - first with a "cold weather" rim for my custom Giardinelli MP I got right from Giardinelli's mid-town Manhattan store back in 1965 that featured screw-on/off rims and cups for a custom fit to ones embouchure. A few years ago I picked up a new Kelly lexan MP in a 7C shallow cup design when I had the itch to start playing again. Too little too late, as it happened, but the Kelly was a trip. Super comfortable with a slightly darker tone that my Giardinelli. Speed up to last month, when Kelly decided to put out a "Holiday Special" on many of their MP's in a special red color - including the new Screamer design for lead sops/trumpets playing in the high ranges. Special price of $15 for ANY size! Couldn't resist, so I ordered one - the Screamer model - though dreams of once again nailing those C over high C's were exactly that ... dreams! At any rate ... Kelly is still offering this deal on all of their MP's to fit anything from a sop/trumpet to Euphs and Tuba's/Contra's. Same price - only $15 freaking bucks - a tremendous deal. Try one at Kelly Mouthpieces. You won't be sorry!
As our forum becomes more popular, so does it's problems with spammers trying to attack it. I have had to remove 6 spammer accounts and messages over the last 2 days. Without exception, these accounts originate from Russia or Romania and use Gmail for email accounts. Therefore I have had to temporarily at least ban any Gmail account from new registrations, in addition to setting 3 seperate "verification" stops in the process. This is the same crap I had to deal with at the old ProBoards forum with these damned Russian spammers pushing drugs of various kinds. This should not have any affect on current members who may use Gmail (ugh!) unless they click on the "forgot password" option. In any case, I can setup any member who so desires with a private email account accessible via WEBMail or through any regular eMail program with a "@sunrisersalumni.org" address. Just email me with your name, account name desired, and preferred temporary password (which is easily changed at any time) and I will set you up. This is FREE to Sun Alums and can be used anywhere - not just for the forum. It's yours - you own it.
I just found out tonight that Frank Ponzo - Sun soprano and later Cabs and Cabs Alumni sop great lost his dad on December 5 after a series of illnesses that finally took him. The sincere condolences of the Sun family go out to Frank on the loss of his dad.
Well - the end of another year is upon us. Where does the time go? It has been 41 years since I last marched with the Sunrisers, yet it feels like only a few years have passed (except for the aches and pains, gray hair, etc). I am happy to report that the site and forum will remain online for at least another year, as my host offered me a "Long Term Customer" rate. So as long as I get news from you guys, we will continue to move forward, supporting projects the Alumni gets involved in. This site and forum will stand on it's own merits for what it offers to the alumni - ALL alumni - including (especially?) the disaffected who were never made to feel comfortable after moving on. Personalities being what they are, I doubt there will ever be that "one big happy family" atmosphere amongst the Sunrisers. Never was - never will be, in my admittedly biased opinion. Speaking of the site and forum ... we are getting a tremendous response in hits the last few weeks, with over 230 hits in the last 4 days alone. The forum members are small in comparison to the old ProBoards forums, but considering how many there were active - it's about even right now - but we are picking up new members slowly but surely. Just a report also that alumnus Jack "Basso Profoundo" Alexandro will soon be getting his knee scoped to repair a damaged miniscus, so keep him in mind when you attend your churches holiday services. In closing, I personally thank all of you for your support and well wishes in continuing this endeavor - it is very much appreciated. I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a healthy and happy New Year.
A post today on the forum by alum Cookie Kamerdin has gotten a lot of attention, and well it should. It seems some of our "old fart" corps has taken it upon themselves to get something going on the alumni front, as I have been harping on for quite some time, and along with what JackA, myself, and Joe Copolla tried to get going a few years back, sadly without much success. Best maybe to paste in here what Bob Murphy has to say about this deal. Sunrisers Alumni Ensemble, Sunrisers Reunion Ensemble, Sunrisers Alumni MiniCorps, Sunrisers Alumni Society for the Preservation of the Proper Preparation and Consumption of Wail Juice and musical ensemble.... Whatever you want to call it, it’s up and running (well, at least sitting) in Brooklyn. Last year, at one of the Bugler’s Hall of Fame shows, a group of Sun alumni asked the question, “With all the Sunrisers alumni on stage playing with other corps, why don’t we have an alumni corps of our own”. I won’t bore you with details other then to report that Jack McGuinness procured a great facility for us at Bishop Ford High School in Brooklyn and Frank Dorrittie turned up the original parts for two classic 1960’s Sunrisers tunes. The original goal was to put together a small ensemble to faithfully recreate our original Sunrisers sound and to perform at the 2010 Bugler’s Hall of Fame show in Garfield. Organizing it required some phone calls, some emails, some time on the music printing machine, and now we have a small and very talented group of Sunrisers alumni ripping through the original versions of “The Joker”, “Rockabye”, and “Waiting for A Sunrise”, complete with original scores and many of the original players. We had our second rehearsal this afternoon and it was a gas. The old tunes are shaping up (as are the old players) and THE SOUND is almost there. A few more rehearsals and a few more bodies and we’ll be able to properly bring those classic John Sasso arrangements back to life. For those of you that might be interested in joining our little coterie, we have room for one or two more percussionists. We also have openings for two more baritones and three or four more sopranos. This ensemble is for SUNRISERS ONLY. Both alumni and competing corps members are welcome. If you think you want to be part of the fun and are willing to commit to two rehearsals a month in December, January, and February plus the BHOF outings, contact me at jrbobm AT aol DOT com or Jack McGuinness at Vibeace AT aol DOT com
From the "old days" - back in the 60's, courtesy of Steve "Bug" Buglino. Thanks, Steve!
I'd like to bring to the attention of those who are not yet aware that DCA held its annual meeting after the championships weekend. Of particular note in the judging aspects was the re appointment of Sunriser alum Rich Guillen to the post of Brass Caption head. Rich was a marching member and brass arranger for the Sunrisers for several years. Great news for a really nice guy. Congrats, Rich!
New videos, including a great tribute the Col. Tru Crawford, USMC and an out of sight show by the Top Secret Drum Corps, from Finland, at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo - 2006. You perc guys will love this one.
Some interesting events taking place with the corps "The last two seasons have come and gone in the blink of an eye for our Sunrisers, but they certainly were not uneventful. 2008 marked a year of tough, bold, and often painful decisions, as we chose to pass on the competitive season and, instead, work toward a foundation for the future. Thanks to the hard work, leadership and personal sacrifices of director Jim Dyckman we fielded an entirely new teaching staff AND corps membership - in an entirely new geographic location - with renewed hope for greater things to come. After two years at the helm, Jim has decided to step down from the directorship role and will focus instead on Membership/Recruiting and general support duties. We're pleased to announce here that Gary Williams will assume the role of Executive Director for the 2010 season. Most of you already know that Gary was director during the 2007 season, as well as during the entire 90's decade. The level of experience Gary brings to the table today allows us to continue forward without hindrance and to focus on building upon our accomplishments. Please join us in welcoming Gary back to his role for 2010, and also in thanking Jim sincerely for his dedication and perseverance during the last two years." I join everyone in thanking Jim for stepping up to the plate when it seemed there was nobody willing to do so. He has made some hard decisions, but he got the needed changes done - which could not have been easy to do.
I just heard alumnus Tom Pohl's mother passed. My personal condolences and those of the alumni family go out to Tom and his family over their loss. Details for Marie Pohl are as follows: Location: Middlesex Funeral Home Viewings: Thursday, September 24 - 2pm-4pm & 7pm-9pm
I have just received information that alumnus John "Cookie" Kamerdin has lost his dad - John F. Kamerdin - after a 4 month long illness. My personal most sincere condolences, as well as those of the entire Sunriser alumni, go out to Cookie and his family. Our prayers are with him. Details for: John F Kamerdin: Visitation: Malverne Funeral Home Services: Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church
Just clarifying what may be some confusion over the new discussion forum I just added. The purpose of this, again, is to serve as a place members of the alumni can ask questions or make comments about what is posted here on this website. I will endeavor to help out any member of the alumni I can with contacts, etc., or answer specific questions I have access to answer for you. I will also be posting videos, music, etc in the forum because it is so much easier than creating and coding a new page on the site for anything I want to bring to your attention. It's just another way to get things to you.
I've just learned that John Arietano's mom, Emily Arietano, passed away on Friday, September 11, 2009 in Florida. She had been very ill for some time and suffered multiple organ failures. She passed peacefully with family and friends at her side. Sincere condolences of the entire Sunrisers alumni go out to John, his friends and entire family. Our prayers are with them at this terrible time. Emily Arietano's services will be held on Monday (9/14/09) at the: The family has requested in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Hospice.
There are now a number of Sun videos on the forum. Nothing very new, unfortunately - except a brief clip of Suns prelims performance at DCA last weekend. I have also embedded a number of nice music videos you might enjoy in their own forum. Take a look sometime - you might find something new to enjoy.
Chris Maher, of corpsreps.com, recently made available a large number of photographs he took of the Prelims last weekend at DCA. I requested and was just graciously granted permission to post the Sunrisers photos here. They will be on a new page as soon as I can code it - probably later tonight. There are 55 pictures. My thanks to Chris.
Okay - DCP is following the prelims live and reporting as it happens via WiFi. Jack A and I are on the phone following this. Here we go... Next on the field are the Sunrisers from Long Island, New York. Their 2009 program is entitled “Homage: Three Tapestries” and consists of: The corps starts out spread all over the field, drum line is in the midle with a lone guard member, but everybody else is on their own. Guard is out on the 5s on both sides of the field. Drums begin by rotating around the solo guard member, who is laying on the field. She gets up as they move away from her and does some dancing. Yikes, mello player is out of tune with the rest of the corps, but they've got volume so I get to hear it loud and clear. Nice soprano/mellophone opening for the first movement. Now the low brass gets their turn. This is a very aggressive show and is a definite step above what we've seen so far. This show is in a similar vein to their Cirque du Soleil Class A championship show of 2007. Esoteric, but full of energy which draws you into the show. Second movement opens with a pit interlude, very pretty. Small brass ensemble comes in next, followed by the rest of the horns. Gorgeous flags in the guard! I've got a picture, will post shortly.
No percussion at all during the second movement. Low brass sounds very blended at the close of the 2nd movement. Wonderful sheer white double flag in use by a solo guard member. Drums open the third movement. Nice playing! A little dirt in the snares. Only one tenor, so he has great ensemble technique. Very difficult fugue moment, well handled by the horns. OK, the guard is using two by fours??? [truck break down again?] Really powerful moment as the corps marches across the field at half time (no pun intended) just blowing the stands down with the music. Now building into the finale. You definitely take notice that the Sunrisers are on the field. Very powerful performance, especially after a year off. It sounds as though the kids made a pretty decent showing. I have to admit by way of full disclosure that I was not entirely confident in todays performance. No horn count, unfortunately - unless you can count them from the picture. Obviously they will not make the cut to go into the finals, but they made themselves known if the comments from the press booth are an indication - especially the part about "blowing the stands down." Congrats all around for having the balls to put it out there and not phoning it in. Sun's score tonight: 65.263 Up a bit from the last show. Improvement slow, but making moves. Additional congrats to Anthony DeMarino and the guard for taking 3rd place in Class A for the prelims. Okay - since it was only the prelims it may not count for all that much - but it shows the kids are making an impact. Still - a respectable showing for a young guard. A short clip of Suns performance is available for viewing on the Forum, Drum Corps Videos board.
Not to me it isn't!. Now making reference to the previous "Reflections" post - I was sent a link to this monstrosity by a fellow alum. I find it hard to believe this is what they have done to our beloved drum corps. Thanks very much George Hopkins. Keep in mind that this group finished second at DCI this year. I was discussing this on the phone yesterday with Nat Mazyck and thought he was pulling my chain when he told me about this. WATCH THIS and tell me this is Drum & Bugle Corps. WTF, OVER!
Bob Murphy sent over a pic the other night that goes way back to 1961. Great pic of a few of the originals of the corps (Hall of Famers), the old unis, "slip-slide" horns, etc, at a Color Guard show. Doing a quick post of it here, but it will be on the pictures page with the Miscellaneous pics soon. Enjoy, and if you can ID any of the others in the pic - let me know, please. Click it for full size.
Anyone who has bothered to check the hit counter in the left column will note that this site has now had over 32,000 visits in the 2 1/2 years this version has been online. That amounts to an average of approximately 11,000 visits per year, and in fact there have been just under 500 visits in the last 10 days alone! I don't think any of the other Sunriser site come anywhere near that, and don't expect them too. If you take into consideration that I personally and the site generally have been criticized as "not representing the alumni" - I think the numbers show that this is the "go to" site for the vast majority of the alumni - and for that I thank you. I appreciate the confidence shown, and in particular the emails of support, more than you can know. It's nice knowing my efforts are appreciated! Please keep in mind that I am always looking for new pictures, stories, personal updates, etc from any and all alumni - no matter where you went after your time in Sun! Alumni is alumni - period, end of story. On another note, I am in the process of updating my alumni database. I have a few hundred names on my database, but have no idea what addresses are still active or not, so please do me the favor of emailing me to update your information - or enter yourself into my database for the first time. Note this is NOT the same database maintained by the CC, and will only be used by me if I need to contact you for a particular reason having to do with this site, and this site only. Thanks!
I was just informed by Jack Alexandro that alumnus Bill Gutek has passed suddenly. I didn't know Bill, so I'll just quote Jacks comments: Rest In Peace, Bill, and thank you for your service to our country. UPDATE: 
Viewing andWake: Funeral Services: In lieu of flowers, cards may be sent to:
Jack "Basso Profoundo" Alexandro just stopped by the house with a huge box of his Sun memorabilia and scrapbook covering his long time in the corps and offered it all to use as I wanted on the site here. It will take me a while to go through all this and try to decide how to best use it without destroying Jacks scrapbook since most items are glued in. Hopefully I can run most of this through my scanner. If not I will try to find a way to get as much of the really interesting stuff as possible before I have to return it all. There is some really outstanding stuff here I think you all will want to see! Thanks to Jack for his generosity in providing his personal collection of memories. On another note, I have just spent the better part of 3 hours going through all 15 style sheets and 87 pages of code the site uses to update to the newest code specifications, and to clean up some miscellaneous styles (CSS). Every page - all 87 of them - has been re-validated to current CSS3 and HTML 4.03 standards. While that is probably greek to most - what it amounts to is pages should display faster and better in the latest version of most compliant browsers. While more compliant to international standards than previous versions, Internet Explorer 8 still is not fully compliant and may not display exactly as designed - but that is Microsofts problem, not mine. Try Firefox - you'll be much happier! Also ...
207 of them! These are from the CD Charles Johnson sent me some time ago and I lost. I'm not even sure at this point who Charles Johnson IS, but I thank him. It took me a while to go through these, trying to remember if there are on any other pages or not, editing for color and size, renaming them for clarity, and coding a new page - but they are finally done and I hope all the alumni enjoys them. These are all from the 80's. On the pics menu.
There has been another spike on the server from the sounds page, but I haven't seen any signs (yet) of intentional tomfoolery - so I have added 7 more shows to the page. Included are the: 1976, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1992 DCA, 1995, and 1997 full shows. I will make an offer here for those without high-speed broadband access who want to have copies of their own and can't manage the downloads. If you send me an email listing what shows you are interested in - I will burn them to a CD and mail it to you. No charge for the first disk. If there are too many you want to fit on one I will have to charge for USPS mail costs, but not for the disks - those are on me. I have also listed ALL drum corps files I have available, and will offer those up too, under the same conditions. Be reasonable here, please - I can't take the time to burn and mail free a crapload of disks! The list is HERE. Use the email me link on the menu.
I have added 11 more shows to the sound files page. Included are full shows from 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962 NE Circuit, 1969 DCA, 1970 DCA, 1972 Dream, 1973, 1974, 1980, and 1982. I am missing a show from 1961. If anyone has one please let me know. Must I add that if any more nonsense comes of making the sound files available again, they will be removed again? Don't screw things up for your fellow alumni members, please.
I was just informed by alumnus Nat Mazyck that Freddie "Rabbit" Gibbs - who came to Sun from the Carver Gay Blades along with Uncle Nicky, Gene Bennett, Bob "Soupy" Cephus and others has passed away.
Details:
The interview with Ray for the "Alumni Today" feature is now up! I found Ray's story really interesting and hope you will as well. In a sense it is similar to many of us. In other respects it is profoundly different. Check it out Update 6/23/09
For those alumni who might not be aware of it, our distinguished alumnus Frank Dorritie has been writing a regular column on Drum Corps Planet for a while now. As is usual with Frank, his pieces are always extraordinarily well written and informative. He lately has taken to collaborating with Fleetwood Records (remember them, old timers?) in producing an AUDIO Podcast version of his articles entitled "Off The Record, with Frank Dorritie", featuring music from old Fleetwood albums to illustrate various themes. These great albums are available now because of the work of alumnus Glenn Kubacki - the man responsible for remastering the Fleetwood catalog of vinyls to digital format that helped make this possible. Fleetwoods ENTIRE discography is now available. Well ... Frank has just posted his latest on DCP - "Legends of the 1 Valve Bugle, part 2, and it's an amazing tribute to the soloists from our youth playing the old 1 valve, G/D and later 1 valve/rotary horns of the day. Just amazing. I remember listening to so many of those guys as a beginner in 1960. You simply MUST go over to DCP (no account is required except to post) and catch Frank doing what he does "second best" - the first best being playing a horn. FRANKS DCP LINK
22 new pics submitted by Tim Campbell are now on pics page 5. I believe these are from 1998? Someone correct me if that's wrong, please. Thanks to Tim for the pics! In addition, while going through some files that were moved around during a hard drive upgrade - I found an additional 170 pictures from the 2007 banquet. Some are identified as "chin" - who I assume is Jason Chin, and the rest as "oh". I have no idea who that may be. If you know - please email me so I can credit the pics properly. I will get these on asap.
Some new pics on page 5 of the pics menu, courtesy of Linda Shoemaker and Scott Yaniga. Thanks to both for submitting!
I just discovered that one of the original links - Corps Nicknames - had somehow been removed during housekeeping at some point and I never noticed it. It's now back online, linked from the Sun Stories page.
Could be, then again maybe not. As usual, asking alumni to submit news for publishing here is close to a lost cause, as it has been the case since the origination of the site. Except for a select few - nothing much is heard. Some (you know who you are) would say it's me ... others (myself included) could infer a basic lack of interest. "People move on with their lives and leave behind activities of 20 or more years ago" is one explanation I've heard via emails. Emails from a few describe disappointment (?) with successive management groups dismissing their contributions to the Sunrisers and their refusal to even discuss the corps. Whatever the reason, this site cannot function as intended without a fairly steady flow of input from the alumni. I can't make stuff up, and I am running out of ideas with which to inspire participation. Requests to submit stories or suggestions yield nothing. I guess the future of this site will be determined by alumni responses to these posts, since my domain registration expires and is up for renewal in November. It's in your hands, folks. The number of hits the site gets would suggest there is interest out there. Why there is no response to my asking for input is another story I cannot explain.
In connection with Danny's funeral, his mom has asked for friends of Danny's from the Cabs and Sunrisers to act as pallbearers for his funeral on Wednesday. If you are interested and available, please contact Dennis Saccente as soon as possible so the funeral director can be advised. Dennis can be reached at 631-888-2631 (Home) or 516-680-3255 (Cell).
I just received news from Tony White that Danny Dayman, (color guard 1964-68, drum line 1969-70) passed away Saturday night May 2, after a brief illness. At the time of his death, Danny was in the VA hospice suffering from cancer. I didn't know Danny well, but it's still thought-provoking to see so many alumni my own age leaving us. I'm sure we crossed paths many times without ever knowing, since Danny also played with the Farmingdale Vanguards - who I competed against when I played with the Bellmore Thunderstreaks way back when. Danny also played with the Cabs after his stint with the Sunrisers. Funeral arrangements are as follows: My personal as well as the condolences of the entire Sunrisers family go out to Danny's mom and many friends.
I've completed the first installment of the new "Alumni Today" page - which will focus on what individual members of the Sun family are currently involved in, be it still in Drum Corps, or other projects. The first installment is an interview with Glenn Kubacki by Steve Vickers of Drum Corps World, conducted in 2005 and used with Steves gracious permission. I am trying to put more of these together and will post as available.
Finally got the results of this prestigious contest on Drum Corps Planet. Distinguished alumn Frank Dorritie scrounged them up somewhere and posted. A decent representation of Sunrisers aquitted themselves quite well this year. Congrats to all the participants no matter what their final score - it's a pretty big deal to even make the cut in a contest of that caliber! It's also great to see Cookie - who has to be one of the most under-rated Sunriser soloists ever - playing again with his usual class.
Speaking of the Buglers Hall of Fame and the I&E show - I'd be remiss if I didn't mention and congratulate two more Sunrisers on their induction into the very prestigious group this June. Steve Buglino and Ray Fallon will join fellow Sunrisers Billy Hightower, Frank Dorritie, John "Screech" Arietano, Frank Ponzo, Ted "Father of the Contra-Bass" Sasso, and Ritchee Price on the rolls of the Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Steve and Ray! A well deserved honor.
Thanks to Glenn Krug for his story submission! Glen's page and story is posted and ready. Thanks, Glen!
Sorry for the delay on this - I was in the hospital again for a few days and without my files. At any rate, I have finally completed revamping the pictures pages - now accessible from the Pictures Menu. I have still not had time to add new pictures i have archived, but will do that asap. Assuming I get any new pics from alumni - they will be placed according to existing themed pages - or if necessary new pages will be added for clarity.
I'd like to ask any alumnus who has videos of Sunriser performances saved in .WMV or .FLV formats to email them to me for inclusion on the Videos page I'm working on. I have a few on my YouTube channel, but others I'm missing will be a problem linking to - I'd rather embed them on the page which requires that I have them on my channel. I'm sure the rest of the alumni would appreciate having all available videos at one location, as I'm trying to do with music MP3 files. I don't know if it has ever been acknowledged before, but the majority of the MP3 files I have on the site were provided by the one and only Bob Murphy, for which I am in his debt. A lot of members have written how much they enjoy listening to those files. The credit for them being here belongs to Bob.
I've added 5 more complete shows to the "Sounds" page today. Included are: Hope you enjoy these additions. All the years listed have full shows available. If there is one in particular you'd like to have online, just email me. Eventually ALL shows listed will be available.
The Buglers Hall of Fame is proud to announce the third annual North American Championship for Individual and Ensemble Brass and Percussion, Mixed Ensembles, Mini-Corps and Alumni Corps. The show is being co-sponsored by Dynasty and Kanstul Musical Instruments and will take place Saturday, March 28, 2009 at the Germania Schwaben Hall, 416 Horace Street, Bridgeport, Ct. Start time is 1 pm. Among Sunriser alumni in the individuals part of the event will be: Frank Dorritie, Frank Ponzo, Ritchie Price, John "Cookie" Kamerdin, Glenn Kubacki, and Jason Chin. Sunriser alumni will be heavily represented among the following exhibition corps: Golden Eagles Mini Corps, St Rita’s Brassmen Alumni Corps, Sky Alumni, and the Selden Cadets Alumni. If you can possibly make the show to cheer on all the Sunriser alumni, please do so!
I've learned that Arthur J. Sacktig - father of Alumnus/Staff member Jeff Sacktig - passed away last week at age 80. Mr. Sacktig was also the grandfather of Sunriser Alumns Ryan and Sean Breslin. Mr. Sacktig lay in repose at: Our condolences to Jeff, Ryan, and Sean.
It seems like the only news I hear about lately is bad news. I have just been informed that George J. Knoebel, Laurel (Knobel) Murphy's dad, passed away peacefully at his home in Oakdale. He is to waked at: Viewing hours are: Funeral service: Laurel was, as most of you know, part of the Sunrisers first ever all girl Guard. Most sincere condolences to Laurel and Bob and their family at this sad time.
I have just learned that long time marching and staff member Ray Fallon lost his brother - James Patrick Fallon Jr. - to a heart attack last week. Service and internment was in upstate NY last week. I'm sure messages of condolence would be appreciated. Ray has been through a lot lately and could probably use some support from his Sun family My personal sincere condolences to Ray on his loss.
I'm very sad to pass along information I received just now from Billy that his mom passed on February 18th after bravely battling bone cancer. I have no further details at this time. My personal most sincere condolences to Billy and his family at this terrible time for them.
Bill Stalzer submitted a short anecdote from the 68 Nationals. It's on Bill's page.
I guess it's easiest to simply paste in this sad news I just received from Gene Bennett a few minutes ago... It is with deep regret and sorrow that I inform you that former Sunriser Bobby "Soupy" Cephus passed away last weekend. Most recently, Bobby resided in the Atlanta, GA area. Information that I have received to date, indicated that his remains were being shipped to the New Jersey area for services.
UPDATE: Details received.. Home Going Services for BOBBY CEPHUS
The inimitable Bill Costello offered me some corrections to the Sun History page from the beginning of the corps. To my great embarrassment, I had completly forgotten to add them to the site when I was dealing with some personal issues last year. They are now posted. My apologies to Bill - who probably thinks I'm a dick for not getting his work on for you.
Another story added to Doug Grunn's page today
Another 2 stories from Lenny Haring added to his page on the Sun Stories pages.
A new page with two stories from Lenny Haring added tonight. Remember the "Shacker" sign?
A hilarious rookie trial story from Bobby Burle added. Look for Bobby's page.
Jack Alexandro's story page grows with two new short stories added. Hey - if Jack can do is - so can you. So write a story and click the "Submit Story" button on the menu already!
On the same subject, Mike Clougher now has his own story page, with two stories to start off.
Jack Alexandro has contributed another story for the "Tales of Stan" page.
Added an anecdote from Michelle Monturo to the Our Sun Stories page on the "Tales of Stan" page. First one using the new Story Submissions application!
Added a pic from Kevin Carraher to the Crazy Eights pics. It's included at the end Michelle Monturo's pics. Thanks, Kevin
I have just added another group of pics from the Crazy 8 racket to the Sun Pictures page. Included are 71 pics from Michelle Monturo, and 91 pics from Tony White.
The first of pics sent to me by attendees has now been posted on the Sun Pictures page. A group of 30 from Dania Cabrera, and another 10 from Milt Fitzgerald. Milt also has a movie file of everyone ending the night singing "Battle Hymn."
Sorry to report that 80's alumnus Frank Maley has lost his mom, Catherine Maley. Arrangement are as follows: Waked at: Joseph P. Clavin Sons, Inc. Funeral: Our Lady of Angels Our condolences go out to Frank and the entire Maley family.
Thanks to Mike Clougher starting a thread on the Forum regarding a classic Sunriser incident, I have added a new page to the "Our Sun Stories" pages... The "Ski Mask Cadets"
It seems to be an almost daily occurrance, considering we are all getting older. John Clougher's mother in law passed last night. To Ann, John, Robbie and all of the Clougher family, our most sincere condolences for your loss. You are in our prayers. Arrangements are: Sunday 8/3 2-4PM and 7-9PM Wake Fucillo & Warren Funeral Home 205 South Main Street Manville, New Jersey 08835 Phone: (908)725-1763 Funeral Mass 8/4 9AM Sacred Heart Church, Main St, Manville NJ followed by burial at Sacred Heart Cem. River Rd (Main St.) Hillsborough NJ
Linda Shoemaker passed along a few pics from 1983 that have been added to the Pics Page. Thanks, Linda!
Riley, Mary C. (nee Higgins) On July 15, 2008. Beloved wife of John J., devoted and adored mother of John J. Jr. (Margaret), James J. (Karen), Thomas P. and Kevin S., daughters Regina Shirk (Drew) and Bridget Riley (William Edelman), grandmother to Molly, Keira, Megan, Greta and Liam. Mary was a true Christian lady loved by all. She will be sadly missed by not only her family but by all with whom she came in contact. Relatives, friends are invited to her Concelebrated Funeral Mass Fri. July 18, 2008 10 A.M. in Holy Name Church, East Berks St. and Gaul St. Int. Holy Cross Cemetary. Viewing on Thurs.Eve. from 7 to 9 P.M. in DINAN FUNERAL HOME, 1921-23 Spring Garden St., Phila., 215-563-3655. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to the above named church. The sympathies of the Sunrisers Alumni go to John and his family at this time.
Services are as follows: Funeral Mass on Sat. 5/24 @ 10am Billy's Home address is: The deepest sympathies of myself and all the Sunriser family goes out to Billy and his family at this time.
It is my sad duty to report to all of you that Bob Murphy's mom Mildred passed away Tuesday afternoon. So many of the older members of the Sunrisers new both of Bob's folks, and share his loss. Mildred Murphy will be waked at... Hours: Mass will be served at St Francis De Sales Roman Catholic Church (The church is on South Ocean Avenue, 1/4mi. south of the railroad tracks.) My personal condolences to Bob at this terrible time. I'm sure you will all join me in sending Bob our thoughts and prayers.
I put a new page on the "Our Sun Stories" link that I somehow have ovewrlooked during my recent (and continuing) health issue, that being a page of "tributes" as it were to the legendary Marty "Stan" Roche, "Mr. LOUD". Also, thanks to alumnus John Devlin, I have added a few pics of Tom "Bunyon" McCarthy in competition alongside the one and only John "Screech" Arietano, and thanks this time to the redoubtable Frank Dorrittie for a few pics he sent to me from the 80's. They can be found on the "Sun Pics" page from the main menu.
The Sunrisers mourn the loss of yet another friend. I learned today that French Horn player extraordinaire Dennis Plante has passed away. Dennis passed away at home in Rhode Island of a respiratory disease, way too young still to leave us. Dennis was a fixture of the early 80's French Horn section and also played lead soprano for a time. He is a member of the Sunrisers Hall of Fame Class of 2002, and will be missed by his legion of friends among the Sunrisers organization for his dedication, which included driving all the way from Rhode Island to rehearsals, good nature, and friendliness. Rest in Peace, Dennis. A Dennis Tribute page is HERE. Email me to add your thoughts.
As you all are aware, this past saturday night was the occasion of Sun's "Lucky Sevens" racket in Levitown. For those who may not be regular visitors of the Alumni Forum, I thought I'd take a few to let everyone know how things went! I think it would be fair to say the event was a roaring success. Speaking personally, of course, but the impression I got from everyone was they had a great time, the food was great (especially the roast beef and roasted potatoes! yum!), and the rendition of our classic "Battle Hymn (more on this in a bit) was probably the best I personally have ever heard. So what happened? Who was there? Who wasn't! I can't begin to list everyone in attendance, but there were alumnus from 4 decades present, including many I only knew through the Forum and never had the chance to meet in person - such as Patty Bauer and her husband Chris, Dawn Marie (sorry I missed your last name), Danny Burushkin, and others too numerous to list. Attendees I knew but hadn't seen in maybe 35 years, like Nat Mazyk, were there, as well as many like Gene Bennett who I haven't seen in 5 or 6 years. Great to see all the fellow "old farts" from the 60's - though too many of us are now physically "challenged" in one way or another! It was great to spend time again with Nat, Tony & Donna White, and legendary Solo-Sop Bob Murphy and wife (and Sun Alumnus) Laurel. The music. Ahhh... the music! Tom Willms led all in a very spirited "Battle Hymn" near the end of the night (for some). Members from 4 decades of Sun, together as one in voice, in what Bob Murphy noted was sung in 6 part harmony! Almost a spiritual experience. Even the guys from the post serving dinner applauded vigorously. Gary Williams then fired up the old Animal Bus and led us into members personal songs, starting with Nat Mazyk, who was in attendance. Eating. Drinking, eating some more. (How many pieces of cake did you actually eat, Nat?) And then such Sun classics as "IYM". Got a little rowdy:) I can only try to imagine what the VFW members in the bar next door were thinking while all this was going on! Dave China was in charge of Media, and was running videos of the championship years on a wall from his laptop. Uber cool! Gary Williams speechified well deserved kudos to Larry V, Billy D, and Stan (yes - of course Stan was there!) for their help in making winners out of an inexperienced and young corps last year. As it happened, I - along with Patty and Chris, Gary, Ray, and who knows who else were hiding in the bar - wound up closing the joint at around 3:00AM and forgot the clocks went ahead and it was actually 4:00AM! Latest I've been out for some time, and I felt it Sunday for sure. All in all ... a terrific night, and I was glad I managed to make it. But let me tell you ... drinking diet soda at a Sun racket really SUCKS! If anyone else has any personal recollections of the event they'd like to share - feel free to email me! Next event coming up will be the Alumni picnic sometime in June. Mark your calendars (I promise more lead time will be forthcoming for that event) and be sure to join us!
It is my sad duty to inform my fellow alumni that we have lost another of our Founding Members. On January 11, 2008, original Sunriser Sal Cutino passed away. I'm trying to get a picture of Sal to post here, but wanted to get the word out asap. Sal's son Mike and I marched together as Lead Sopranos in the Bellmore Thunderstreaks back in 1963/64 before I joined the Sunrisers. My personal condolences to Mike and his family - as well as that of the Competing Corps and all alumni are extended. The details I have so far are:
There are now 50 pictures of the annual Sunrisers banquet - held this past Saturday, November 24 - posted on the Sun Pictures page. My thanks to alumnus Milt Fitzgerald for both taking the pics and then sending them on to me so I can post them for all to see. I hope to have quite a few more soon.
Alumnus Jaime Bartushak sent along a Christmas picture of himself with his family - wife LeeAnn, daughter Catherine, and son Jake. Great looking family, Jaime! 
2007 Drum Corps Associates Class "A" World Champions - the Sunrisers!Congratulations to the competing corps for one of the most memorable comebacks in drum corps history. From picking up the pieces of the corps to building a new Board of Directors, this years Sunrisers have done themselves and the Alumni proud by winning 4 major captions tonight in Rochester, NY at the Drum Corps Associates World Championships! Final score was an outstanding 83.998. Following the blow by blow description of the Finals, it was obvious the crowd knew something special was happening with a small but dynamic hornline blowing the doors off the place in a clean, well executed performance. Be proud - be loud! The Drumline reminded many of the "Wall of Sound" drumline from 83 with an equally outstanding performance, and the Guard capped it all off with what all acknowledged to be a superior performance. The Caption results: Class A High Brass - Sunrisers On behalf of the Alumni, WELL DONE and congratulations on a superlative job tonight. You've worked incredibly hard this year and deserve every moment of your glory. To the Board of Directors ... what can be said but "Thank You" for stepping up to the plate and giving these youngsters hope, and the chance they needed to fulfill their legacy. To "retired" Sunrisers Meiko Hedling, Larry Visconti (Drum guy!), Marty "Stan" Roche, John Clougher, Billy DiPaolo, Danzan "Danny" Buruschkin ... no words can express my personal admiration for the job you did by stepping into the hornline and leading by example. And not to forget Ray Yenshaw - stepping in when needed as Assistant DM. Great job all! Lastly, to the younger members of the Sunrisers, who accomplished something nobody thought you had a chance in hell of doing ... THANK YOU for bringing all the good feelings back to the Alumni. You stuck it out, stuck with Sun because you are true Sunrisers when others packed it in for greener pastures (they thought). Now you have something nobody can ever take away from you for the rest of your lives ... you are World Champions! Was it worth it? You bet your butt!Pictures will soon be posted, along with some of the commentary from the Press Booth during the show.
I have just been informed by Sun alum Patty (Cicchino) Bauer that her dad has lost his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully Monday night. The sincere condolences of the Sunriser alumni and entire organization go out to Patty at this sad time.
The sincere condolences of the entire alumni and competing corps go out to Robyn (Forbes) Guillen on the loss of her dad Adam M. Forbes early in the morning of July 27. Robyn is a Sun alumni (95-97-Pit; 98-Sop) and wife of Brass Coordinator/Show Coordinator Rich Guillen. Our continuing thoughts and prayers are with Sun alum Fran Haring and critically ill wife Barbara - who thankfully is making a slow but sure recovery from a major stroke a few weeks ago.
The Sunrisers have lost yet another longtime member in May. We are saddened to learn that original Sunriser member Don Trayer (no picture available) passed away on May 17 in Margate, Florida. Don played cymbals "back in the day" - meaning the 50's and early 60's. My apologies for the delay in posting this information - I have been pre-occupied lately and misplaced the notification. The sympathies of the entire Sunrisers organization go out to Dons family.
The Sunrisers organization mourns the loss of yet another alumnus. On May 29, 2007, drumline stalwart Steven "Wayne" Ford left the field of competition for the last time. Wayne passed suddenly of a heart attack at the too young age of 57. He was a tireless supporter of the alumni and the competing corps and will be remembered fondly for his dedication to the corps. He will indeed be missed. The deepest sympathies of the Sunrisers and Sunrisers Alumni go out to Waynes family.
The entire Sunrisers organization was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of one of it's greats. On January 4, 2007, Tom "Bunyon" McCarthy succumbed to cancer, only 2 short weeks after its diagnosis. A superb soprano soloist, Tom was with Sun from 1972-1980 and was the featured soloist in "Evergreen", among others. The deepest sympathies of the Sunrisers and Sunrisers Alumni go out to Toms wife and family and his many friends, students, and admirers. |
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8/16/10 2010 Sunrisers Hall of Fame inductees
