Daniel Moomey
What is your role in the corps this summer? I will be a marching member of the baritone section of the horn line, and I will be horn sergeant, and I'm an age out. The last good book I read: A book called "The Cosmic Perspective" sounds like the name of a textbook you might say. Well, you're right -- this is one of my astronomy books, and it's quite interesting. I don't have a lot of free time (or money) to spend on reading books, so I read what I have.
The last great film I saw: I just saw "12 Monkeys" for the first time last week -- the recurring dream sequences were driving me crazy until the end when it all made sense (my favorite type of film.) Yes, I would say that that is a "great" piece if cinema.
Three CDs I'd want on a deserted island: I will take two Coldplay CDs: "Parachutes" and "Rush of Blood to the Head." And I'll take the Counting Crows' "August and Everything After" too.
My favorite TV show: I'm a geek, I know, but it's "Cosmic Odyssey." It's on the science channel every Tuesday night.
Favorite performers: Dude, obviously the Glassmen. No doubt.
How do you "blow off steam?" When I have to, I will go run a few miles (I'm a running nut), or I will practice my baritone.
Why I march with the corps I am in: OK, well my mom marched in the Royal Lancers out of Wyandotte, Mich., from 1966 to 1974 (until they folded). She then opted to come down to Toledo and march with the Glassmen for her age out year in 1975. There she met my dad, who had played in the horn line since 1968. Twenty-three years later their son (me) decided that he wanted to check it out. I fell in love with the organization immediately. I come back every year because of the family I have there and the history we have yet to create. Perhaps another reason is that I am striving for perfection. I have yet to achieve it -- but I'm not done trying yet!
Was it always your goal to be in a leadership role? No, not really. I was one of those lead-by-example types until a few years ago, when I decided that I had more to contribute to the corps than I felt that I was giving. I had thrown around the idea of wanting to be drum major, but decided that I love to be on the field, and that's where I would serve the most purpose for the corps.
How will you go about balancing the roles of leader and corpsmate? My responsibilities are separate when it comes to that. I am a marching member of the corps. However, I also have separate responsibilities as the horn captain. From another member's point of view, I trust that they understand that I will not always be able to be only a member, and that sometimes the job requires a necessary distinctive characteristic of membership. With that trust I can then conclude to any necessary decisions based off of the information I have at my disposal for proper judgment of any given situation.
What has been your formative drum corps moment? Wow, that's tough. DCM finals morning in 1999 -- we were warming up for sectionals rehearsal at DeKalb H.S. I think when we did something wrong and we had to run (as usual, I love drum corps). Larry Markiewicz was our brass caption head at the time (he was running the warmup) was looking around, scanning for a good place to have us sprint to, and we know that we were about to go touch something far, far away. He then squinted and my heart sank. He spoke: "Put 'em down ..." He then pointed toward a farm and said, "Go touch the corn!" So we go off dashing toward the "corn." Probably a quarter mile later we arrived at the field and it was filled with soy plants. Hmm. All 64 of us stopped dead in our tracks and wondered if he really meant the cornfield that was past the soy, or if we should run back afraid that we didn't go far enough. We looked at each other and pondered, then we heard Larry's voice faintly screaming for us to get back to warmup (he didn't understand why we had stopped). I came to find out later that during the whole trip back Larry was terrified that we were running straight at him and that we were going to jump him for making us run so far.
Best drum corps show ever: I love all the shows I have performed in, in the same way I would love my kids; equally yet each differently. But other than my own shows, I'd have to say 1988 or 1989 SCV.
What are you most looking forward to about the summer? I love proving myself wrong. On a personal level, and a corps level, I can go push myself farther than I have before and break the perceived limits of my abilities. It sounds so clich?© I know, but true. That's what I always look forward to. That really is the nice thing about this activity -- you can really go full out in every aspect of everything you do, and you won't be criticized for it. It's the only place I've found where I can discover who I really am while still in a social setting. All the social pressures are taken off, yet you still have your friends with you going through the same thing you are. There is no fashion, no having to look pretty, no popular people anymore, only the corps. I suppose to answer the question, that is what I'm looking forward to getting back to.
Best thing about being a drum corps leader: Being able to leave a legacy with the corps once I am gone.
Worst thing about being a drum corps leader: You do sometimes have to act a certain way that may not make you the most popular member, but that is what the job entails, and I believe that that is what responsibility is all about.
During tour, the best part of the day is: After the show in the parking lot when you can get a snack, talk with your friends, and practice whatever you want. Then the first half hour of the bus trip after the show.
During tour, the worst part of the day is: We have a tie! Sometimes after lunch for some reason you get SOOO tired that you can barley stay in the rehearsal; "LHS," for Lunch Head Syndrome. Or, maybe it's having to get up early to go make some football fields to march on.
Favorite drum corps personality and why: Without a doubt in my head it's Frank Williams. He's like the old drum corps saying – "For those that understand it no explanation in necessary, for those that don't, know explanation is possible." He scares the heck out of you while you're laughing your butt off. All the time you're oblivious to the fact that he's working you like a dog. I love it!
What do you want to be when your drum corps career is over? Once I age out, and I graduate from college, I will commission on full active duty as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force doing whatever it is that they tell me to do.