Occasional Musings by Kevin Russell
I have never witnessed so much love in one room as I did last night at the IBEW Local 103 hall in Boston. OK, Dorchester. This was the site of Spring Fling, the annual celebration of the beginning of drum corps season and send-off for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, as they are embarking on their summer tour. The hall was filled … Continue Reading →
It was a splendid night for drum corps. The ever-present sun was getting low on the horizon and the temperature had descended to a moderate 70 degrees. It was a windy day, but that had abated to a nice cooling breeze. The splendor of the Green Mountains surrounded Spartan Stadium. The corps was spread across the field in clusters of the various sections – … Continue Reading →
June 6, 2018 – Warren, Vermont If you think the world is upside down these days, spend a day at your local school. Recently, I have been substitute teaching at the Warren School, and each day I spend there bolsters my hope for the future. I have been a parent and am now a grandparent of the neighboring Fayston School. Volunteering as a ski … Continue Reading →
The other day, I drove down to Vermont’s Castleton University to see some friends that I made last year while touring with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps (BAC), and to catch their spring training ensemble rehearsal for the upcoming 2018 season. Spring training for BAC in Castleton is the closest that drum crops comes to my humble home along the Mill Brook, … Continue Reading →
A back country ski adventure in the Phen Basin Wilderness. Yesterday was another magical day in the Phen Basin Wilderness Area in the Green Mountains of Vermont. I booted up the Hemlock Hill Trail for about 1/4 mile to where the disappearing spring snow was continuous enough to ski. It was a cold morning just after dawn in early April. The snow was hard … Continue Reading →
August 17, 2017 1:30 PM I am sitting just upstream of my humble home on the rocky bank of the Mill Brook. It was running at a pace when I returned from my drum corps tour on Tuesday night. I was following a fast moving storm. Now it is at its normal summer run, incessantly babbling. My sore feet are soaking in its … Continue Reading →
August 16, 2017 – Back on the Mill Brook After two days on the road, I returned to my home on the Mill Brook last night after making my way back from Indianapolis. I did it in increments stopping along the way to cat nap and visit my sisters again. I passed the BAC souvenir truck on Ohio I-70. Greg, another one … Continue Reading →
August 13, 2017 – BAC Annual Banquet 12:00 Noon I am sitting in the balcony at the Prospect Theatre located in a well-restored neighborhood in Indianapolis. It is Sunday, the day after the DCI World Championships. Everyone has just enjoyed a delicious brunch buffet. This historic theatre is a perfect place for the gathering of members, parents, staff and volunteers – the BAC family … Continue Reading →
August 12, 2017 – Finals Day 12:00 noon It is finals day! I am downtown at the Claddagh Irish Pub, plugged in and ready to write. I am at the perfect table to work and I have a very nice waitress. I just ordered a Daredevil Brewing Co., Lift Off IPA from Speedway, Indiana. When in Rome… I have one can left of Heady … Continue Reading →
August 11, 2017 – Semi Finals 3:00 PM I am in downtown Indianapolis. Tonight the Boston Crusaders are going into the DCI semifinal competition in solid 6th place following the preliminary competition last night. This is where the corps has been ranked by Drum Corps Planet for most of the season. At one point in the season, BAC was ranked 5th based on DCP … Continue Reading →