I am on my 4th time falling on the ‘field’ during a competition. The first time, however, will always be my most memorable one. It occurred midseason of my initiation in the hornline, and very few people were really aware that there was a female in the line. The show had been postponed till Sunday due to a bad storm in our area, so obviously the field was not in the greatest of shape. Twenty-four steps off the line and I found myself lying flat on my back. Not remembering the point penalties for dropped equipment under the heat of the moment, and being afraid of being trampled by the squad behind us, I jumped up.
During retreat while they were announcing the scores, I was absolutely scared to death that we were going to get a 1 point penalty. So I grabbed hold of poor Nick Yaworski’s hand; after a few moments Nicky finally realized that very few people know about there being females in the line and said to me, “Judy, you better let go of my hand, the audience is going to think we are kind of strange or something.”
Lo and behold, due to field conditions no field type penalties were given. Whew!!!
Did you ever wonder about “Battle Hymn?”
In the late ‘60’s when there was an actual starting and finish line, after the corps performed an all out run through at a rehearsal a company front was marched back to the starting line. To build morale and take our minds off the tedium of it all, someone would start “Battle Hymn.”
Somewhere down through the years after that, it became the corps tradition to sing it before every performance.
Handful of applause and thanks to Ken Soper, the Sunrisers’ Drum Major in the early ‘70’s. During a competition, after the roll off to bring the horns up, my very own special mouthpiece flew out of my horn and hit me in the chest, landing quite obviously some place on the ground. After the corps exited the field, Kenny was gracious and brave enough to go back out onto the field to find my mouthpiece – obviously delaying the show! I was very embarrassed, but I don’t think the crowd ever really knew what was going on.
Many of the earlier Sunrisers used to refer to me (Judy Foster) as one of their “Firsts.” I never really new for a fact whether this was true or not. But I ‘was’ dubbed the First Female to march in a horn line in DCA. I always doubted it because I thought I remembered seeing several marching in the Canadian Corps. In terms of the Sunrisers, I was indeed the first female to compete with the usual all male line. I should also add, not without a lot of falderol. However, as I understand it I was not the First Female that ever played with the corps. A gal by the name of Lil Lindy, who was instrumental in helping the corps get its start as a parade corps, had that distinction. For those of you who know the Lindy’s, they were both very involved in many of the young Junior Corps on LI. The parade corps, “Bill’s Boys” fondly took their name in remembrance of Bill.
Shirley Kancyr was a writer for the "Drum Corps News". Quite frequently, she was not too kind to the Sunrisers. She also had quite the nose for news. The corps was performing in the usual Johnstown competition, and it had been only my 2nd or 3rd performance with the hornline. John Sasso had the hornline and was putting us thru the usual warm-up. When Nick Yaworski says to me, “Don’t look now, Judy, but Shirley is trying to take your picture.” (A ‘Female’ in the hornline); I don’t think John realized what was going on, but from that point on, when we were not playing, Nick either stood in front of me or I turned by back. This was obviously very tricky because John had us flipping horns up and down and wanting to hear music from us. Well, the ploy somehow worked and we didn’t make it to the Drum Corps paper as the “Oddity of the Year!”
Did you ever hear of the “Eastport Syndrome?” Ask John Arietano and Pete China about that one.
Sunriser Drum Corps Nicknames…the most famous – “Screech,” John Arietano. The most infamous, “Stan,” who everyone knows. But how about…Pookie, Meatball, Doodah, Fadina No Crotch, Sarge, Squishie, Botch, Zipper Head (ask Stan about that one), Tex, Bubba, Baby Bubba. Anyone remember Sven??? Jose A and Jose B, Sweetie, JR, Sister (ask Lisa about that one), Pitbull, Miss Pastries (ask Lenny about that one), Cool Breeze, Mr. Nuts, or just Nuts (ask Gary about that one), Bo-Hunk, Jailhouse Joe, Hey Ray, Steiney, Gertrude (ask Judy about This one)… Does anyone remember John Gee singing Bo Bo in Chinese!!??
I would like to say thanks to people like Pete China who always came through for the horn line. Dennis Dewey who really made the horn line think about playing totally under control. Teddy Sasso who gave so much of himself to the corps. Hey Teddy, remember running from the pre-show directors meeting onto the field to compete with the corps? Mike Longdo for demanding that the horn line always gave its best and not accepting anything less from us. Thanks to Jim Mallen, always the gentleman, who was able to take over running a drill ensemble rehearsal and without raising his voice always had our respect. To Gene Bennett who under even the most trying conditions made us more aware of our drill, spacing, and intervals than any instructor I have had to date. To George Zingali who’s drills really helped put the corps over the top. To Tom Hart, one of the most talented Drum Majors the Sunrisers ever had. To Nat Mazyck, who took a lot of heat for many things for all his behind the scenes help and dedication to the corps. Thanks to Lenny Haring who was always there to lend an ear and a kind shoulder. Gary Williams can never be overlooked, thanks to his persistence and dedication under the most trying of times and conditions. Most of all, to Tony Cataneo, who was a good friend to everyone in the corps and who I will always remember as the most dedicated person and foremost drum major of the Sunrisers.
And for anyone that I have forgotten; my apologies…My memory just isn’t what it used to be.
Judy Foster, 1969-1972; 1978-1991 Color Guard, Hornline, Quartermaster
