|
Behind the Shades: Rich Skare
by Dave Leon
In this edition of Behind the Shades, we profile Rich Skare, contra player, hype master and one of the most popular members of the Renegades. He chatted with us about his junior and senior corps experiences and what's in store this year with the Renegades.
7: Tell us about your marching background and how you got involved in drum corps.
RS: I started playing the trumpet my freshman year in high school, being under considerable pressure from my parents to join the school band (against my wishes). I chose trumpet because my older brother Russ played the trumpet. He played with the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1980 and 1982, which I remember watching in awe as a kid, but when he got out of it, I quickly forgot.
One day in band class for kicks the band director put on a tape of DCI 86 and then I watched as SCV came on, and I went, "Wow, my brother used to be in that!!" I watched the show and was FULLY moved by it, and began practicing LITERALLY two to three hours a day. I ended up joining the SCV "B" corps in 1987 as a soprano player, working on my dream of being in the Vanguard which I achieved in 1988. I was one of the lower third sopranos at the time, and Rick South told me if I switched to French horn he wouldn't cut me, and so I ended up playing French horn in SCV in 88 on a fluke. Half of the French horn section that year was like me; rank beginners and not principle French horn players. But after a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears we managed to put together quite a section. Chris Nalls (the Renegades esteemed director) was on the brass staff that year and worked very hard with the alto section (Frenchies and mellos).
7: You moved to the Blue Devils in 1989. Were you disenchanted with SCV, or just looking for something new?
RS: No, actually I was at the first camp at SCV in 1989, but my grades had begun to suffer and my parents decided to pull me out of drum corps until my schoolwork improved. By the time I ended up getting the grades up, there were no spots available in SCV's horn line. But I still wanted to march very badly. It was then that I decided to try the Blue Devils, since they had a couple of alto spots open. I have to say after standing in a Blue Devil horn arc for the first time, it took me about ten minutes to realize that I never wanted to leave. SCV is a wonderful organization and I had a very meaningful time there, but there is nothing like playing in a Blue
Devil horn line. I was hooked from the get-go.
7: How did you wind up finding the Renegades and what year was it?
RS: Well, actually my age out year would have been 1992 but my last year marching was with the Blue Devils in 1990. I first heard about the Renegades when I saw them take the field for the first time in Stockton in 1999. To be honest, I watched for about seven seconds (there's that number again!) and went to go get a hot dog. The next year I did not follow drum corps at all, but at the end of the year 2000 (beginning of 2001 season) I had remembered the Renegades and thought about whether or not they still existed. It was then that I decided that I wanted to play my horn again, and so I proceeded to seek out the Renegades for membership regardless of whether they had 60 players or 6. It was then, during the second rehearsal of 2001, I found myself standing in the mellophone section of a horn line with at least 40 players. I was overwhelmed, and hooked for life.
7: What are some of the differences, good or bad, between your years in junior corps and the time you've spent with the Renegades?
RS: I have to say that I cannot really say anything bad about my time with the Renegades, at all. All we've done is grow and progress all the time I've been with the corps, and it's been a wonderful and unique privilege to be able to take part in a piece of drum corps history like this. Anyone (sufficiently talented) can be in yet another great SCV or Blue Devil corps, because they turn out great corps every year. It is quite a different thrill to be part of a corps that started small but kept growing and improving with the best group of folks anyone could wish to march with. I love being part of a corps with experience from all sorts of different corps, junior and senior, different regions, different eras of corps...all joined together in common cause. AND we drink beer!
7: Talk a little bit about DCA last year.
RS: What can I say about DCA last year? Purely indescribable. From our huge ass 10th place last year, that no one is expecting much from this year, to being the corps of the hour! JUMPING up into 4th in prelims and becoming the talk of the town...purely indescribable. And the feeling of family from all of my fellow corps members was...well, you could cut it with a knife. It was quite a bonding experience for all.
7: What are your thoughts on this year's corps and the show, and what do you see the corps accomplishing at DCA and even farther down the road?
RS: My thoughts on this years corps and the show are numerous and lengthy. I am primarily in TOTAL awe of the arranging genius of Ed Teleky. I cannot believe we just had this guy working ONLY with our pit two years ago. I am completely in love with this show. The staff...it was a blast having John Meehan join our already incredibly talented staff. He seems to have this manner of imparting volumes of information in just a sentence or two. I think this is going to be a GREAT year for the Renegades, another step upward and forward. It is my understanding we have more shows than usual this year. We have a group of very talented people, and for the first time in Renegade history, we have unfortunately been faced with the hard realities of having to make cuts. But we all have this energy and drive to succeed this year that frankly scares the crap out of me. As far as the future is concerned, who knows? All I know is the Renegades will ALWAYS be HERE, be STRONG...LOUD...and having a GREAT time doing it!
|
|
