But when it rains and the rest of the Corps gets to go sleep when they would otherwise have practice parade, Band Co. simply forms up in the band room for practice.Band rocks.
Band Co. does require an extra time commitment that is often overlooked by the rest of the Corps. For whatever reason, there's always a bit of a rift between Band and the rest of the Corps. If the Corps looks like crap at parade, everyone likes to blame the Band for the fact that the rifle monkeys can't stay in step.
You'll have some of the best times of your cadetship on band trips, and that makes up for the rest of the annoyance of extra practices. I marched with the Corps in both the governor's and president's innaugurals, but I marched in the Rose Bowl parade and went to Mobile, AL for Mardi Gras with the band.
There are some drumline-specific things that the rest of the Corps (even the rest of the band) doesn't have to deal with. First of all, the Corps marches down to the mess hall for both breakfast and supper. The drumline is out there for every meal formation to provide the cadence. Second, during parades, the drumline gets very few breaks. Even when the rest of the band isn't playing, somebody has to provide the cadence for the rifle monkeys.
Have you been in touch with COL Brodie, the Band Director? If not, feel free to PM me and I'll hook you up with his information. I can also get you in touch with next year's Band Co. Commander, if you want. I know all of the rising First Classmen in Band Co., since they were rats when I was a First.
Hope this helps.
Jackie M. Briski '09
First Class PVT (Ret.)
Bloodthirsty Band Co.
Band rocks.
There are some drumline-specific things that the rest of the Corps (even the rest of the band) doesn't have to deal with. First of all, the Corps marches down to the mess hall for both breakfast and supper. The drumline is out there for every meal formation to provide the cadence. Second, during parades, the drumline gets very few breaks. Even when the rest of the band isn't playing, somebody has to provide the cadence for the rifle monkeys.
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) And sorry RVM- it is their fault that the Corps is out of step- the Band troops the line then parks itself in a spot where the beat is echoed off the walls of barracks and the Nichols Engineering building so that there are always two conflicting beats as the Line companies do their flanking movements and pass in review. By the time the 2d Battalion gets to the reviewing officer it's like doing the hokey pokey as everybody is trying to get in step
Men in Grey rocks.
First of all... pay attention to the music next time you watch your rifle monkey son in a parade.
Well, one way of fixing the combination of (VMI Tradition™) + (Army parade stuff) + (whatever the Commandant tells COL Brodie to do) is for the Corps to do everything facing the Supe's house, instead of the reviewing stand. That's one way of saluting the General.
President Obama's inaugural was all right. It was a little chilly at roughly 27°, if memory serves, but it was a lot warmer than the practice parades leading up to it, where the standard uniform for the Corps was class dyke w/duty jacket, overcoat, and watch cap! There was one practice parade in particular that was cut short because the brass section was literally freezing. I think that was the practice with the windchill of -4°F. It wasn't until the powers-that-be realized that we wouldn't have any trumpets or trombones for the real deal that they decided it was about time to let the Corps go back inside. I'm sure Bruno Jr. (ha!) has fond memories.
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