Troop Steps
Janesville Fife &Drum Corps The 2013 Season
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Historically Authentic Patriotic Sights and Sounds from America’s earliest heritage on reproduction wood fifes and rope tensioned drums.
The Corps began in 1975 as a joint project of the city of Janesville, Wisconsin, and its schools to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial. Today, this group (some of whom come from Janesville, while others are from surrounding communities) offers people of all ages friendship, travel, teamwork, patriotism, discipline, honed musical skills, and a unique appreciation of American history. Corps Founder: Robert Williams Corps Officers: President—Bill Wilson Vice President—Teresa Holevas Secretary—Eda Wilson Treasurer—Sue Long Corps Offices: E. B. Wilson, 215 E. Clay St. #40, Whitewater, WI 53190, edesw@yahoo.com, 262-473-7073 Corps Website: janesvillefifeanddrum.com
2 - Troop Steps
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
A new season is beginning. We are a bare bones group size-wise, and every member who shows up at each gig is critical, often in more than one way. And when even one person is missing, we feel it. This is borne out as you read about our past season.
Macktown, Rockton, Illinois, April 27–28:
Lest time get away from me, I want to thank those who follow us, taking care of the bantlings, taking photographs, and videotaping us. What a blessing!
We had a pretty good turnout of Corps members on Saturday and a great turnout on Sunday. The weather was probably the best we’ve ever had. The Corps participated in the flag raising and lowering each day, a skirmish on Sunday, a few march-arounds and stand-stills, and some jamming. Joel Winn (bushway at Fort Atkinson) was asking about some serious drumming. I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. When Jeff Dabson came over to do a little bass drumming (Jeff, you know you miss it!) and we did “York March/York Fusiliers,” Joel was delighted. So that’s what he was talking about. All in all, it was a great start to the 2013 season.
2013 - 3
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Lewis and Clark Heritage Days, St. Charles, Missouri, May 18–19:
Your secretary was worried as to whether or not the Corps would find its way to St. Charles! Amazingly, Barbacovis came from “waaaaay up Nort,” Carmen didn’t have to work, LaShell and Alysa made it,
4 - Troop Steps
LeHurays came from Milton, Longs came from Orfordville/Milwaukee, Mathias came from Eagle, Katka and Anna came from Madison, and Wilsons came from Whitewater. (Gosas joined us later.) We all managed to converge on St. Charles at various times of the day—and night. Amazing! We had one
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
run-through of the music with everyone before our show! But it went well. I think we did ourselves proud all weekend. Fifers got it together to play (nicely) the Spanish national anthem— at the last minute, with some learning it on the spot! There was a bit of confusion with the hotel name, and some initially went to the wrong hotel, but it turned out great. Better parking. Pool. Breakfast. The 24 to 26 of us packed into six rooms! Per usual, it was hot, hot, hot! Sunday got up to 92 degrees with 82% humidity. The NOAA gives that a heat index at 121+. Aarrgghh! We did shed
in more than one way and I thank you all. My special thanks to those who did the driving! Speaking of driving, Mathias had a tale to tell! “We had a wonderful time in St. Charles, but we were all hot and tired and looking forward to sleeping in our own beds. About 30 miles south of Springfield, Illinois, we heard a very loud banging noise. We limped to the next exit and were shocked at how our tire looked. It was shredded! We had to call a tow truck because our spare tire located under our van was rusted in place. After the tow truck drove us 30 miles into Springfield to a Walmart, we walked to the closest hotel. After an early morning appointment with the automotive department, we were on the road again and back home by the afternoon. We were thankful to all be safe and home again.” Who knew that something similar to this would happen again before the end of the season?
the coats midafternoon. It is fortunate that nobody “went down.” Every person who was there was crucial
2013 - 5
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Koshkonong Rendezvous, Fort Atkinson, May 24–25: We had a nice little group (seven
people!) able to perform at this annual gathering on Friday, “education day,” when elementary school students come from all over southern Wisconsin to get a taste of “living history.” We saw a lot of curious kids who asked some good questions. Bill was in his element, taking over as history teacher. Saturday we had four color guard, three fifers, and one drummer. (We forgot to ask someone to bring a bass drum for Billiam! Note: he hasn’t forgotten his color guard skills!) The weather was unusually cool (as Kristie pointed out, about 40 degrees cooler than our last gig!), which was pretty nice. The threat of rain (which didn’t actualize) seemed to keep a lot of visitors away Saturday. We noticed there were fewer people inside the fort, too. We did several mini-concerts and a few march-arounds and “earned our keep,” I believe. Funny little story: Early in the day, Joel, the bushway, came to me and asked that we play a little music to add some ambiance to the fire-starting race. Sure, I said. Of course, I thought “Jaybird/Firemen’s QS” was the appropriate tune for Bill to call. But was I the only one yelling “Fire! Fire! Fire!”?
Pecatonica, Memorial Day, May 27, 2013:
Wow. A bit of illness and folks getting called in to work can really make a difference. We were a very small group for Pecatonica, three color guard, three fifers, one snare drummer, and one bass drummer. This has to be our bare minimum. Mr. Bill joined us! He rode in the truck, driven by LaShell. The three LeHuray kidlets were in the back of the truck. Happily, no one fell out (to my knowledge). I think we looked and sounded good, and the pipe band in front of us only had eight members, too. Tyler did a lot of firing of his musket and that’s always a crowd-pleaser. We did a few rear wheels and that always looks sharp, too. Best of all, there was no “dunner und blitzen” (thunder and lightning), thank goodness! Once again, every person present was critical in making the JF&D Corps look and sound good. 6 - Troop Steps
Leaf River, Illinois, June 2, 2013: Holy
cow! Who ever thought it would be 59 degrees for a June parade?! The young lady in the strapless dress probably wasn’t too happy, but we Corps folks were. And the predicted t-storms did not happen. We were a pretty small group, with Jonathan, Jason, Eli, Xin, Eda, Billiam, Bill, Kristi, and Lauren. LaShell drove the truck. I think we did just fine, but I am very glad it was a short parade. Somehow, it seems, standing around jamming takes less air than marching and playing.
Flag Day at the Elk’s Club, Janesville, June 14: Um—it happened? Ellie reports: “The
Corps stood for the whole hour-plus ceremony facing uphill at the side of the patio, with their tootsies pointing uphill (I retreated to the shade to lean against a tree). They told us to play a tune on exit, but since we were right at the end of the area, two bars into it we were out of earshot of the guests, but kept playing till the front of the building anyway when the tune ended. Socialized over the meal.”
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
July 4 Tour 2013
Josh was with us! Yay! FYI, we marched at least eight miles, all totaled. The weather really cooperated this year. It was dry, except for a few sprinkles in Menomonee Falls, and the temps were moderate. New this year, we started out with one coach driver, “Big Daddy Woo Woo,” who took us to Menomonee Falls and then on to Three Lakes. He was as big of a kidder as that name he gave us! Steve, the driver we’ve had for several years now, drove us for the duration. Rose joined us, but being six weeks from giving birth, was relegated to a vehicle! It was so great to have her along, though.
July 3: Menomonee Falls: This is a huge, very
well-attended parade. Really, the crowds are massive! Travel was good and we arrived without a hitch.
We were placed near the front of the parade, so we were able to march, eat, and get out of town by 9:30, which got us to Three Lakes at the “early” hour of 1 a.m. (rather than 2 or 2:30). Nice.
The parade is long! The high school comes into view (yay!) and then there’s another half mile (oh, no!) of marching before we’re done! I think the crowd wanted to see musket firing, but we met our musketeers in Three Lakes. We looked and sounded smart. 2013 - 7
Troop Steps The 2013 Season July 4 Three Lakes: Here
the “location of the vermin”? A spider was crawling on Amy. Teresa went to brush it off and—eh—we’re not sure where it went but Amy said it went down her shirt. Ack! Also, someone brushed a cockroach (?!) off of Ellie. Yikes!
we met up with the Longs, the Gosas, and Ellie. Steve, our Van Galder driver of many years, took over the gig at this point. The parade started at 9:30. Warm, but reasonable weather. The parade went well.
Rhinelander:
We arrived in time to sit around for a bit. Waited in some nice shade instead of our usual spot by the church. Good crowds!
8 - Troop Steps
Tomahawk: Is this
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Lake Tomahawk: Short and sweet. We like
this parade and they seem to love us! Good and enthusiastic crowds for this small venue.
Minocqua: We
were able to wait in the shade. We had our vehicles with us. While this is near the end of a long day, we marched and played very well. Trying to “get out of Dodge,” however, was an unpleasant story that will not be written about but will be remembered.
Bessemer: Ah, Bessemer! We squeaked by as far as getting there on time. We had the key, but two things were needed to secure the high school building. So, next year we should have this right. We managed a quick stop for quicker food between Minocqua and Bessemer. And then we marched! And the Bessemer crowds did not disappoint us! Huge and noisy and enthusiastic! Like always. VPR (Very Pregnant Rose) marched the last half of this one. She also planned the short stand-still concert that we performed at the VFW. The people here are always so welcoming and glad to see and hear us. The Bessemer fireworks were outstanding! Wish I could put the videos into Troopsteps! (Eda was disappointed with our “homegrown” fireworks this year.) We had the annual Poker Game and this year Ethan cleaned up. As always, lots of laughs. And too little sleep! 2013 - 9
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Mendota, Illinois, Aug. 11: It got a little warm but was pretty decent for August. Again, we had the bare minimum of people on the street: two color guard, four fifes, two drummers. Small enough to list folks: Jonathan, Alysa, Teresa, Carmen, Missy, Eda, Bill, and Billiam. LaShell drove the truck. We sounded good. The crowds were pretty large but not overwhelmingly enthusiastic. A man named Chuck from Rochelle came up to us before the parade to ask a few questions. We may be invited to a new parade next year! Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 17, 2014. Think positively! And, hey! We took third place musical unit.
Labor Fest, Janesville, Sept. 2: Once again we participated in this annual Labor Day parade. Our numbers were a bit smaller than last year but we certainly had more people than at recent parades.
Richfield, Aug. 25: Once again our ranks were
thin. Illness and changes in obligations left us with nine marching: four color guard, three fifers, one snare, and one bass (Jason, Jonathan, Tyler, Kyle, Teresa, Amy, Eda, Bill, and Billiam). Molly Ellie was with us. She always gets great videos and photographs. Sue drove the truck. It was starting to heat up, but the parade wasn’t too long. Pretty good crowd for such a small town. I think we sounded okay, especially for having only five musicians. We really need to grow.
10 - Troop Steps
It was so good to see two rows of fifers and two rows of color guard! The weather was actually chilly at picnic time! Marching was warm because of the sun. The crowds were good and quite large (but they could
take “noise and enthusiasm” lessons from Bessemer!). We looked and sounded fine, as always. Didn’t see the politicians; I think they were called back to Washington. “Current history” goes on as we, the Janesville Fife and Drum Corps, continue to share the history of 250 years ago.
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Darien, Sept. 8: The Darien parade is close to
home and not very long, and usually the weather isn’t awful. Enough people were available and we looked and sounded very good. It was the Mathia family’s last gig of this season, as Eli was working toward Eagle Scout and had some busy weekends in October. I wonder if the Corps might be involved with his Eagle ceremony as we were several years ago when Garrick and Ryan earned their Eagle Scout status. (You just never know when and where the Corps might show up!) We sure miss the Mathia family when they can’t be with us!
Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, Fort Ouiatenon, West Lafayette, IN, Oct. 5–6:
The stars lined up and so did JF&D Corps! Rose, John, Kyler, and Brooklyn began the trek, leaving Minneapolis after attending a concert. They arrived in Janesville to join Deb, Dom, and Mae, and they all left for Indiana in midafternoon. Meanwhile, Jason, Will, and Larry had hit the road around 7 a.m., driving Longs’ truck and carrying the tables, chairs, and bass drums. Teresa, Amy, Dimitrios, and Carmen left Beloit midafternoon. Bill and Eda left Whitewater around 9 a.m. Rick drove down, leaving Janesville after work on Friday. Everyone made it to the hotel and got most of, if not completely, a good night’s sleep. The weather forecast kept changing, so we weren’t sure how bad it might get.
Well—it was interesting. We spent a good deal of the weekend trying to get everyone together. Here’s
what happened: The 8 a.m. rehearsal on the grounds didn’t happen. The Holevas-mobile arrived in time to
chat a bit before heading out to opening ceremonies. The word came down: Jason, Larry, and Will would not be joining us directly as a bedbug had been found in their hotel room. (Up close and personal, according to Jason). Argh. They stayed behind while 2013 - 11
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
It started to rain shortly after food was put out for lunch. Dandy–not. But it didn’t last and everyone was
their stuff was being washed. Four fifers and one snare drummer marched to opening and, by golly, we were strong and we were good! The BedBug Boys joined us in the nick of time for our concert, the music for which was changed almost entirely from the proposed concert because we never had
the opportunity to run through it. Well, the old standbys are just fine. We really sounded good and strong. It’s great to have six fifers, two snare drummers, and two bass drummers! 12 - Troop Steps
fed properly. Sandwiches, fruit, veggies, chips, and cookies made for a satisfying lunch. Everyone had about two hours to do as they wished. We gathered for massed music at 3:45. Each corps marched and looked
and sounded wonderful. Ah! And now the sound of eight corps playing together. Ohhhh kay—After two tunes, we were told to leave the field to “Hell on the Wabash” and closing ceremonies were canceled. One look to the sky showed us why! Dark onerous clouds were moving in at an amazing clip. As soon as we were off the field we sprinted to the campsite. Hooboy, there were some scary bolts of lightning during that scamper! We packed up and were climbing into vehicles as the first drops started to fall. And it
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
let loose! Poured for a good while. People did go out to eat, swam in the pool, and/or just chilled for the evening. It rained a lot.
Sunday morning began with no rain. There was some rain later but not much. However, the damage had been done and we were not allowed to bring in our vehicles (and the food!) because of the mud. (Good thing.) We had to park elsewhere. The tables and chairs were brought to the truck later. Once again, we wondered if folks would make it to opening
Trail of History, Richmond, Illinois, October 19–20: Trail of History offered cold
winds on Saturday and threatening rain (only had a
ceremonies. As the group we follow stepped off, two became five (same five as Saturday at opening!) and then the rest fell in as we marched to the flagpoles. The “falling in” thing looked rather neat, actually. By the time opening was over, the sky was beginning to clear. But the mud was everywhere! Our nonuniformed members were invited to find fun in town while we slogged and marched and played. Again, we played the off-the-cuff concert of Saturday, tunes we know so well, and again we sounded strong. Since we had no campsite to return to, we stayed on the Feast grounds for the afternoon. Massed music (minus two corps) went without surprises. Between massed music and closing there was a fine jam session! Closing was bittersweet—it’s always a bit sad to see the Feast end. What surprises will Feast 2014 bring?
few sprinkles—but enough to haul the hay bales into the tent twice) on Sunday. Our group was not large but seemed perfect for the event. Over the weekend we had three to four color guard, three to four fifers, one snare drummer, and one bass drummer. Molly Ellie had granddaughter Zoe, who, like last year, had a ball and was a real colonial girl! (She dressed the part, 2013 - 13
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
too.) This Trail of History was bittersweet as it was the last year for the event. The county will be doing other things. Meanwhile, the Corps made the most of
the weekend, eating the good food, claiming victory in battle (yeah, we “won” both days!), talking with folks we’ve met up with here time and again for over a dozen years, the final march around the grounds, and the last lowering of the flags. Thank you, Trail of History. It’s been good. Very good.
14 - Troop Steps
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Looking back on the 2013 season and looking ahead to 2014
DC al fine: (That’s a musical term; it means “return to the beginning” and this refers to Mathias’ story after St. Charles.) Another “tire story.” The short version: Bill had a low tire. Didn’t keep air. Couldn’t get the lug nuts off. Called for a tow or flatbed. Station wagon showed up. Waited hours for the flatbed. Ellie drove from Whitewater to pick us up. Instead of getting home at 6, we got home around 9 or 9:30.
2013 was a good season. We did fewer gigs with fewer people but we did well. I sound like Bob when I say we need to recruit more people if we are to remain viable, but it’s true. We need more people in every section. Currently we are at a point in numbers where we need every Corps member to show up at every contracted event. This gets to be a little dicey, as people get sick or hurt or have family and other obligations. Again this season, the Barbacovis have gone above and beyond and traveled hours to join us for at least half the gigs. Rose gave birth to their second child in August and the whole family joined us for Feast less than two months later! Man, we could use another half dozen (local!) families like that. Hopefully, their plans will come to fruition and Josh (and Dawn) will be back with us in August and Katka (and Anna) will be back for the 2014 season, as well. So, get out there and recruit some folks. Let’s keep the history, the music, and the memories alive in 2014! —Eda
2013 - 15
Troop Steps The 2013 Season
Janesville Fife and Drum Corps The Janesville Fife and Drum Corps, from Janesville, Wisconsin, began over 35 years ago in 1975, as a project of the Janesville School District to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial. It began as a youth corps and evolved into what is predominately an adult corps and a family corps. Many of those early youths have now grown into adults, and they have brought their partners, children, and friends into the corps. The uniforms worn by the Janesville Fife and Drum Corps are replicas of those worn by the First Virginia Regiment of 1755, commanded by the young Lieutenant Colonel George Washington. It is a uniform of the French and Indian War, which occurred 20 years prior to the American Revolution. The corps performs in parades and reenactments throughout the Midwest in the spring, summer, and fall. Contact: President - drumsergeant@gmail.com 16 - Troop Steps
Secretary - edesw@yahoo.com