Dutch Boy Banner
Take Me Home Your tour begins here Learn about the history About this website Alumni Get notified when their are updates                
 


You can help improve this website.


Is there information missing from the year you marched?
Can you help fill in some "holes" - in the drill?
Maybe you have some photos or can provide some better quality video.

*** CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING FOR. ***


Submit your Comments, Corrections, Additions & Praise to:
admin@dutchboydrumcorps.com

 

Not sure what's changed since you last visited?
Check out our list of updates - HERE


 
About this website:

The content on this website represents more than 90 seasons of combined drum corps experience from 7 marching units and 2 winter guard. Within these pages you will find more than 1000 images, more than 65 videos, 345 minutes of audio from 3 dozen recordings, show history, staff listings, final show scores, a fully interactive alumni list and various memorabilia collected over the years from each active unit.

More than 400 hours of work, over a period of 6 months went into digitizing & processing photos, video and audio as well as researching, writing, designing and building this site.

Line Thanks to the following contributors:

Steve Meikle (Initial inspiration, support + Facts & Proofing)
Paul Johnston (**AMAZING** Alumni Database Programming)
Cristian Ibanez & Boris Ibanez (Technical advice & scripting)
Greg Sebastian (DB 81-84 audio, DB 80-84 pics, DB 82-84 video)
Rob Dunnington (NS-77 16mm Film, DBC pics + Facts & Proofing)
Barry Woods(FDM History + Facts & Proofing)
Grant Thomas (Buttons, Badges, Pins, DB-85 audio)
Leo Podhornik (DBC 71-76 Colour Pics)
Linda Purgas (DBC & FDM Info, Pics & Programs)
Anthony Baker (DB 09 pics)
Cathie Madsen Wilkie (NS-77, DB-81 history)
Dana Hughes (DB-91 & DB-92 Corps photos)
Jessica Stanciu (DB 98-04, CODBWG 99-05 facts)

A word from the creator:

This site represents a journey more than 20 years in the making. I joined the Dutch Boy Drum Corps in the autumn of 1983 and marched until the end of 1988. As you know, once you're bitten by the drum corps bug it's hard to shake it loose. In 1990 after completing college in film and TV production I attempted to produce a full-fledged documentary on the activity entitled “Of Sight and Sound”. The plan was to use Dutch Boy as the prime example of a competitive drum corps and follow their journey over the course of a season leading to the DCI World Championships. I secured legendary Canadian film producer Don Haig as my Executive Producer which opened the door to the CBC and the National Film Board. They expressed their interest in the project and offered their support provided I was able to raise the rest of my enormous budget. (In 2006 A film about the Blue Coats was produced that achieved a similar vision. See the side note below.)

Poster   Film Cans

In March 1992 I followed the corps to Rochester and filmed their winter camp as they were learning their show for the summer. Sadly, that footage still sits on my shelf, unprocessed in the original film cans to this day. ( Note: You can hear the audio from that weekend camp here ) Later that summer I videotaped the corps at the Dutch Boy Invitational. That footage sat for 20 years until I cut it together for this website. You can watch it here. Although I made attempts in seeking sponsorship from Sabian Cymbals, Ludwig drums, Energizer Batteries, Gatorade and other corporate tie-ins, I lacked the experience to raise the necessary funds and the project withered away.

For those interested in a documentary about drum corps, I highly recommend that you get the 88 minute film “Throw it Down” which features the 2006 Bluecoats and reveals the inner workings of the drum corps experience.

You can find it at: The Official Website
The Bluecoats Store
Amazon

See the Trailer on YouTube
Throw It Down DVD

DB-87-cuzi

Once again in 1997 I attempted to document Dutch Boy's history and I approached the Board of Directors to support a much smaller, more intimate project that would detail the corps' history and include interviews with alumni to introduce the DCI performance for each year. That attempt saw no traction either.

Then in 2005, our tireless leader John Robins passed away. I had previously videotaped his "retirement party" in 1986 and I felt compelled to document his funeral. A
memorial DVD was put together for the members and alumni. It was also included in the NYO 30th anniversary DVD.

DVD boxset

Steve Meikle, who was the director of Dutch Boy at the time approached me to develop various video projects for the corps. This is how the idea was devised to produce a --DVD boxset-- which would include performances and details of every corps under the Northstar Youth Organization banner. Due to the significant effort involved this idea quickly fell to the back burner as well. Under Steve's leadership I continued to support the corps, producing Dutch Boy's year-end videos for 2007 and 2008. As time marched on though my desire to produce a definitive tribute for Dutch Boy would continue to haunt my mind.

Now, seven years since the DVD boxset was proposed and things have changed. YouTube has made hosting video easy and that in part provided the solution to gather everything together into one place via this website. What you see now is the final culmination of all those attempts to document Dutch Boy's achievements. The materials gathered here belong to EVEREYONE who has marched, taught or been a supporter of Dutch Boy, the Cadets or Northstar. Please enjoy.

David Delouchery aka "Cuzi", April 2012
Perennial 3rd soprano, Dutch Boy 1984-1988
Reluctant member of the "Slaughterhouse Five"
Webmaster & Curator of Memories

 
Footer