Dickinsfield Crusaders

A few days ago I got a little nostalgic and was watching a few YouTube videos of Marching Bands, yes I was one of those geeky, uncoordinated kids that was in a marching band. Well because the Internet makes getting information so easy, I started poking around.
After just a few searches I came up with a handful of possible matches. You see I was part of, admittedly a very small part, the Dickinsfield Crusaders Marching Band. I was 12 when I joined the band, and if I remember right I was 16 when I left. Now because this was 35 years ago, the details are starting to get a little sketchy.

I reached out to all the people I could find, and found George, he was part of the reason I decided to play the trumpet, the other part was it was the only thing I could carry. Yes I was bad, but because George played the trumpet I wanted to, the funny thing is, when it was time to sign up, I told my mother I wanted to play a drum, didn't matter which drum, just a drum. Well after watching the kids carrying the drums, which at the time were as big as I was, I was glad my mother had a better idea about instruments than I did. Hey I was 12 what did I know?

I vividly remember my mother showing me the flyer, and thinking that it would be pretty cool to be in a band, and as I mentioned before, I really thought playing a drum would be the coolest thing. We went to a local school and there was this guy telling everyone how great being in a band was going to be, his name was Ken and he was like a preacher, making you believe in his dream and damn we did dream big!

Ken told me that night that I should play the trumpet, I think they were short on trumpet players and had too many drummers, hey every 12 or 13 year old boy wants to play the drums. He showed us the various instruments this was when I decided that the trumpet had the smallest case so it was the instrument for me.

I would love to say I grew up to be a great trumpet player and that I played with Chuck, Maynard, Dizzy and Herb, but it was not to be, I was lazy and practicing sucked, I was 12 sheesh. In case you didn't know, those guys were the trumpet players we listened to in those days, actually these days too, not to many new great trumpet players, at least that I know of.

We spent the next 6 months learning to make noises that didn't piss off Ken, this wasn't all that easy, I remember a vein in his forehead that would bulge when he was pissed, he was pissed a lot. There were a few guys and girls that were actually damn good, even if they were only 12. Todd, Anita, Greg and John were great trumpet players, Terry and Celeste were "Mellophone" players, I remember thinking that I wanted to be as good as John. I never was.

When I was in band I had my very first crush and damn Susan was cute, I think she was a little older than me, she sure seemed worldly back then, I think she smoked!  I remember a band trip to Kelowna and I managed to kiss a girl hiding under the blankets together, Gina, I don't know where you are, but I'll never for get that bus trip!  I was so young, things were so new and it was all an adventure. A great big life changing adventure. I remember singing a song on that bus trip, and to this day I can't remember any of it other than "Chewy, chewy candy from Kraft" stupid how that sticks in my head, I remember it like it was yesterday, well that little bit.

One time at band camp, I can actually say that. We used to have these weekend retreats so we could learn to play and march better, sometimes we did, others not so much. It was at one of these band camps that I figured out that the older kids were bringing booze, some of them were probably 18, so it was ok, sorta. I remember at that same band camp listening to home made tapes of Monty Python sketches. I remember Roch, John, Todd, Terry and someone I can't remember, were all listening to that and drinking, something that to my 13 year old mind was nasty, funny how when we get older it's not so nasty anymore.  I seem to remember that being in Stony Plain, I think we did the parade and then spent the weekend practicing and learning how not to trip over our own feet.

We used to go out to a school every year Harthorn(?), something like that anyway and it was out around Sherwood Park, it had this big round gym and we would play there and then sleep on the floor, we slept on a lot of floors in those days.

The first year with the band I think we did a summer tour of Calgary, Stony Plain and Kelowna, I don't remember the places all that well to be honest, it was a long long time ago, but I vividly remember riding to Calgary on a yellow school bus and staying at St. Mary's school, just a short walk to the Stampede grounds. Kelowna I remember very well, at least that first night when the bus left without me from dinner, I remember being pissed off and walking back to the school. I think about that now and I understand why I got grounded from the next days events, I didn't like Ken much after that though.

The second year Ken was gone and Larry was the Band Leader, I liked Larry even if he wanted us to practice all the time.  We went to Kelowna that year as well, I remember going with one of the other guys dads to see Grease and steal peaches from an orchard. Never put fresh peaches in your shirt, ask me how I know, they will give you hives that itch for days.  I don't remember what year we were in Kelowna and one of the guys found a big roll of bills under a pinball machine in town, I can't remember if it was Mike or Brad? Many years ago.

There were so many things that happened, so many that the memories are slowly flooding back, if I put my mind to it, I'll remember a lot.

I have asked anyone that would reply to my emails to send me pictures, if I get them I will add them to the blog.