Drum and Bugle Corps Grateful for Use of Hamilton Facilities

Bert Gallmon and Jeff Waite, assistant directors of the Rochester Patriots Drum and Bugle Corps, both have experienced the demanding commitment of the corps before.  Each has put in more than 10 years of work with marching band corps.  The Rochester Patriots consist of a four-part team, the color guard, horns, percussion and the pit.  They are a diverse group, gathering people from all over the nation and the world to march and perform with the team.  Performers come not only from the local central New York area but also from as far as California, Canada, Germany and Japan. 

The horn line working on precision

Each of the 103 people had to work hard at getting on the Rochester Patriots team before even coming to Hamilton College for the week of June 23 through the 28.  There were auditions during the early winter months, where Gallmon and Waite helped to decide who would be an asset to the corps come time for team championships later this summer in Orlando, Fla. 

The Rochester Patriots are a dedicated group that goes through a grueling day-to-day process during their six-week training period, one of which is being spent at Hamilton.  The whole team wakes at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast then they train and rehearse from 9 a.m. until 10  p.m., stopping only for short lunch and dinner breaks.  The Patriots keep to this regimine almost every day for six-weeks to, as Waite said, "Try to get it all as perfect as possible."  This team does not get a salary or even a free ride for all their work; everyone pays a fee at the beginning of the summer for the opportunity to perform with the Rochester Patriots, all for the love of performing.  Gallmon said "Many of the team members give up summer jobs just to do this all summer."

The Drum Corps working hard in the sweltering heat

The Rochester Drum and Bugle Corps is still looking for three horn, one baritone, one French horn and one trumpet player to complete their squad.  To learn more about the Rochester Patriots visit their website at www.patriotsdrumcorps.com/.