Bouncing Through Texas…

So… as we departed San Antonio we had an issue that required a little creative shuffling which has me now laying on a staff bunk bouncing through Texas.

I should be sleeping … but I’m a little claustrophobic and I slept in this morning after a late night reading show reviews, etc.

This post is meant to shine light upon one of the Cavaliers staff members… Alan Armstrong.

He’s across the aisle and one “coffin” up from me right now snoozing .

I’ve known Alan since I was in the 8th grade. I was a year ahead of him in school and we were both trumpet players before I switched to  Euphonium and flugelhorn .

We marched together in high school, with much success. When he was 15 and I was 16 we both went to our first drum corps show in Chattanooga (1978) and we were both hooked!

I graduated high school and while I did flirt around with Spirit of Atlanta auditions, I was working to pay my way through Georgia Tech.

Alan graduated behind me and had an amazing multi year career with Spirit, as the soprano soloist many or maybe all of those years.

He also got a Mus.Ed. Degree from Jax State, and by my count has been involved with Drum Corps ever since, working with Spirit, Atlanta CV, Cavaliers and probably a dozen I don’t know about.

As we bounce down this road in our bunks/coffins, I started thinking about how many miles Alan has spent on a corps tour bus since 1982. That’s 36 years!

There’s a few things I know. You won’t find a more passionate instructor who truly cares about developing kids. When I talked to Alan on the phone earlier today in San Antonio , he was hunting down a SOA member who was “marching his Delta” this season.

He turned my son from a horn player into a performer on the staff at Atlanta CV.

He’s fielded more Championship high school bands at Northgate than I can count.

It’s surreal that we saw our very first DCI show together all those years ago. And he’s made it his life’s work.

I wish I could find a picture we had nade in high school in our spirit baseball jersey t-shirts..

But this will have to suffice. Thank you Alan for bringing your years of experience to the Cavaliers!

And to steal from “Remember the Titans”…“You’re a Hall of Famer in my book”😀