When the Bugles Call My Name
An original edition cover:
The MOTHER of All Drum Corps Novels
This was my first, well, my only drum corps novel. As far as
I know, it is the only one of its kind. It follows the exploits of Richard
Olderman as he joins a drum corps, the Darien Heights Dragoons, on the
quest for a state drum corps championship. The book is a good introduction
to drum corps. I set it in the late '70s, a time when drum corps was starting
to lose the balance between professional quality and amateur enthusiam
in favor of the former. The era of the "cross-town" or even "cross-state"
rivalries ended around this era. I personally made this novel with the
idea that children ages 11 and up could read it. Still, I think various
ages would enjoy it. I would qualify it as my most sucessful book in terms
of total readership. If you simply download it, of course, you don't make
any richer. On the other hand, I think many will want to have the actual
book, as there's nothing quite like having a good paperback novel to stuff
in your pocket.
Incidentally, I thought that on this page I might provide you with some pictures
of drum corps in action. Sadly, there are fewer than three dozen left! Anyway,
here are some pictures you might find of interest.
Here's the Boston Crusader's drum major directing a corp in concert:
Here's the Garfield Cadets in concert about the time they won the DCI (82?).
One of my friends from Oakland Crusaders played baritone with them.
Here's a corps at camp. They're about the same age as Darien Heights:
Links to other sites on the Web
Back to Fiction
First half of the novel
Second half of the novel
Visit the Drum Corps International Website
If you like this want, email
me.
This page hosted by Geocities. Get your own Free Home
Page
