Confessions of another ""moments"" junkie

The following was contributed by Jennifer Lindsey, a drum corps fan whom we have previously heard from as a contributor to DCI.org's "Interlude" column as author of "Drum Corps: The Most Awesome Thing I Have Ever Seen." An acquaintance of mine, Andrea Kile, aged out of Santa Clara Vanguard's horn line last year. As a trumpet player, she was probably the most amazing athlete I have ever seen or known. I read your article from the mom that e-mailed you and told you about her daughter and how she (the mom) is a "moments junkie and how she's a huge drum corps fan and all that. [Fanfare (January 9, 2004)Memoirs of a "Moments" Junkie]. Well, I'm in the same boat. We both played lacrosse for Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, for two years and so we had lots of van rides. (Guess what's in my CD player? DCI is! Yeah!) Right before the game, while the rest of the team had the radio blasting the hard rock stuff to get pumped for the game(s), I was usually curled up in the corner of my seat, with my hands covering my ears, to increase the volume of my SCV 2003 "Pathways" show in my earphones because that got my heart rate up. No rock or metal or rap or R&B or pop or anything else can really get my heart beating, my blood pumping and my adrenaline flowing like drum corps can. Sometimes, Andrea had to miss some games on weekends because she had a Vanguard camp (she had great priorities) and the team asked me where she was, and we explained it to them all like 50 times. They knew when I said, "Vanguard camp" that it was real important to her. They never fully understood, but it worked. We both played the same position on the team, "D-wing." I was on the right and she was on the left. The team said I was the fastest person on the team, but they hadn't seen Andrea fully run. She had to run for more than 10 minutes straight during a show while breathing AND playing a trumpet. As far as being "in shape" goes, she worked out at least three or four times during the week and went to her camps and came back in better shape than the whole team. I had to work out five times a week to get where I wanted to be, and she complained about having too much definition in her abs. (If only I had that problem). The mother in your "moments junkie" article was talking about how the kids forever practice and rehearse and everything and I'm positive you know all about it, but can I just say that it amazes me what drum corps can do for a person? It gets them in the best shape of their life by running them (better than my track coach did in high school) and rehearsing for hours on end. The longest the lacrosse team could stand to practice was two hours, three days a week, and even then they were late or left early or complained. I can't imagine the whole team living, breathing, dreaming, and practicing all day and all night for 2 1/2 months. But Andrea did. She did this amazing thing all summer. She got to run her butt off, play her trumpet like a madman, and be tan every day and night and so on. I got to take summer school and have a job. No tan lines for me except my farmers tan from my t-shirt and being outside. Sleeping on a gym floor was just a minor detail to them. Plus, they had air mattresses. (Side note: Her air mattress is more comfortable than my bed). I play rugby now and that is almost close to what drum corps is like (and by almost, I mean closer but still miles apart). The team has driven to Houston from Lubbock just to play one game and we've slept on floors for tournaments (rugby players are willing to do anything to play the sport they love) and it reminds me of what drum corps members do over the summers. They're willing to do anything just to be on that field, to be in front of that crowd. Wow, absolutely amazing. Rugby doesn't have huge crowds like DCI does, but to be on that field does a little something for me, too. I know -- not an inkling of what kids go through in DCI over the summers, but that's all I have that relates. I bought the recording of "Scheherazade" from Orlando last summer on DCI.org and I had the original so I put them on a CD and listened to them right after each other. It was cool because I was listening to the original and saying to myself, "So that's where they got that from." it was also neat to be able to compare and contrast. Tell you the truth, add another 30 minutes to Vanguard's show, and they'd be exactly like it. My jaw actually dropped. It was great. I also have a little "moments junkie" thing, too. I've only seen a couple of shows since I've found out about DCI and one was in July of 2003 when DCI came to San Antonio for the Southwestern Championships. Vanguard was on last at something like 11 p.m. and although it was "past my bedtime," I wasn't tired. The corps came out on the field and Andrea's parents pointed out which one she was, and I was just shaking in my skin. I've never been so excited in my life. I really can't remember a point in time when I was shaking with more excitement -- not even when I've been cold. The adrenaline and the incredible feeling that comes with watching your friend do the eighth wonder of the world -- Yeah, I said it -- the eighth wonder of the world -- and I'm being totally serious -- is just intoxicating. I also got to go to Denver for the DCI World Championships last summer and that was amazing. That's the most drum corps I've ever seen in my life. That's probably the closest I'll ever get to knowing what it's like, and all I had was three days -- so doing an entire summer of drum corps is just unfathomable. It's not fair to all of us "wierdos" who don't know how to play an instrument, though, because all we get to do is watch and wish. All the ageouts get to watch and remember how it was, all the parents get to watch and be proud. I get to watch and wonder how it is, how it could be, and how the heck they walk in such straight lines. I hope this summer is as wonderful as the last.