Thursday Rookie Tip of the Week

     Each Thursday (until I either run out of ideas or our rookies are doing everything right) I will be giving a weekly tip to help make the life of our rookies just a little bit easier!

     The first tip will be about getting your own personal binder ready for the Brigade season.  This binder will be very important to you because it will have your warm-ups, parade music, show music, drill charts, and many other papers that will come your way this season.  Brigade will not supply a binder for you - so I would suggest getting one for yourself right away.  I would also highly recommend getting some of those clear plastic sheet protectors to keep everything clean and undamaged.  You can choose any kind of binder you wish and often our members decorate or personalize them to make them their own.

     It really helps to get your binder organized right from the start.  We as a staff expect you to treat being a member of Brigade in a serious and professional way.  Having bits of music and drill sheets floating around in your instrument case or being left in a rehearsal area for the director to pick up is not a step in the right direction!  Color guard members may not have music to put in your binder - but you will still need one for all of your drill sheets.  I will have a cool cover sheet for your binder that you may only receive from me when you show me you have a binder.  To complete your Brigade binder - you will always need a pencil.  We often change things in the music or drill and it is essential to write these changes down.......it will be too hard to just try to remember them later.  So - get going on your binder right away!

     My Brigade marching member "shout-out" of the day goes out to:  Brittany (mellophone)

     

To march or not to march?

     This is the time of the year when some Brigade veterans (especially seniors) start thinking about coming back to march another season, or doing something else instead of Brigade.  Time and time again I have seen seniors who have been with Brigade since 8th grade decide not to come back for their last year.  This is always very heartbreaking to myself and the staff because these students won't have the chance to be recognized with their parents at our home show, they won't be able to be in the senior chapters on the annual DVD and they will not have the opportunity to be selected to receive the Matt LaBelle Award.  They will also not have the chance to be leaders for our younger Brigade members while giving back to the organization that gave them so much in return.

     Because I have been doing this for a number of years, I have seen this happen time and time again and I quite often hear from many former marching members who regretted the decisions they made to not march all of their years.  High school goes by real quick and the time-line to be in a great organization like the Lighthouse Brigade is really small when compared to working for 30+ years after high school.  Sometimes I think our older members should reflect how they felt when people they marched with and looked up to didn't come back.  We all understand that sometimes students have other important things that have to take place during the Brigade season.  I highly suggest, however, to do everything possible to come back and march with Brigade and to make the most out of every minute.  You can never get these years back!

     I am very excited for the first full rehearsals to begin in a few weeks - and I hope to see many, many veterans come back to do the thing we all love........Lighthouse Brigade!

     Here is my marching member "shout-out" of the day:  David (Baritone) - Go Bears!!

Tuesday Spotlight on the Staff

     Each Tuesday (until I run out of staff) I will share some inside information about one of our amazing Brigade staff members.  This week:

Patrick Coughlin - Percussion Caption Head

     Patrick first started instructing Brigade in 2004 and was the new front ensemble technician.  The year before, he was a member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps front ensemble.  If you ask him to play some "licks" from the 2003 Scouts show.....he can still do it (incredible!!).  He has also marched in the cymbal line of the UW Marching Band and plays numerous gigs in the Madison and Southeastern Wisconsin area.  Patrick is in charge of the newly formed Green Bay Packer Tundra Drum Line - and even though it is the Packers - it is still very cool to see Patrick and other Brigade members and staff in the Tundra Drum Line on the "Jumbo-Tron" during Packer telecasts.  Patrick has been the Brigade percussion caption head since 2006.

     Patrick is getting married to a great girl, Darlayne, on March 15th - so if Patrick looks a little nervous or preoccupied at the next few camps - you will know why!  Patrick has been a terrific addition to the Brigade family and staff, despite some of his various "quirks".  For example - if you are eating at a steak house with Patrick....chances are he will order something besides STEAK!  If you are at a place known for burgers......you guessed it - a grilled cheese will end up in his take out bag!  Patrick also has the ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat - and remain sleeping through any kind of noise or disruption.

     So there you have it - my first "Tuesday Spotlight on the Staff" and my first staff selection - Patrick.  Next Tuesday: Matt Koscinski (also known as Satan and/or Beelzebub)

     Last, but not least - I have a marching member "shout - out" going out to:

Maggie (Tenor Saxophone)

Classical Music?

I have heard comments from various members about the show music this year - everything from why we are playing classical music that was written in the 1800's to how can a marching band play music that was originally written for a symphony orchestra.

One thing I can tell them is what happened in 2006 - the year we won championships.  I selected a show based on music from the movie, "Dragon Heart".  I had never even seen the movie myself, but my music arranger, Dan Lutz, could not say enough about the musical score.  One listen and I, too was hooked.  When members started to hear the original score from the movie they heard.....strings!!  How could a marching band play a show that has music written for strings?

The answer is that in the hands of amazing music arrangers and percussion designers - great things happen.  The music for this year's show - Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (The "New World Symphony") is GREAT music.  It has stood the test of time and sounds just as beautiful and exciting as it did when it was first performed many years ago.  When you start with great music and add in quality arrangers and designers - awesome things happen.

The music for this year's field show is outstanding and I can't wait to hear it played by our members.  I would suggest that you go out and buy a recording of the New World Symphony.  Even if you think you don't like classical music (and I didn't really listen to it until college) you may find yourself pleasantly surprised! 

First camps of the season!!

Well - the 2008 season has officially begun!

The recruitment night on the 24th was very well attended - despite frigid temperatures (and an elementary concert going on that I was not told about!!).  There were lots of new faces and I think the excitement level for this season is pretty high.  There are always tons of veterans who don't show up for this meeting - so I will be looking forward to seeing who is "coming back" and what kind of numbers Brigade will have this year when we have our first full rehearsals February 9th and 10th.

Yesterday and today were percussion only camps.  Patrick Coughlin, our percussion caption head, is very pleased with not only the number of people we will have this year in both the battery and the front ensemble - but also with the attitude and work ethic the members have already shown.  Although our numbers are large enough already to have a full battery of at least 5 snares, 2 tenors and 5 bass drums - we will not turn people away.  The pit currently has 6 members and we would welcome a couple more people!  On a personal note: my daughter, Jennifer, is playing in the pit this year.  Not only am I the proud director of Brigade - I am also a proud parent!!

I think it is safe to say that both percussion sections will be very strong by the time we start our competitive season!  The winter camps really did help because we are seeing strong technique already and we should be able to spend more time working on show music this season earlier than we normally do.

First Post!!

Welcome to "The Rex Blog"!!!  

This blog is designed to give members, families, alumni and fans inside information about the Lighthouse Brigade of Racine Marching Band from Racine, Wisconsin.

I will try to post often during the off-season and when the competitive season begins (and if I have internet access!!) I will publish posts from wherever we may be at the moment to help keep everyone up to date on what is happening each day!