New York Skyliners Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
Garfield, New Jersey

The New York Skyliners’ Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps is proud to announce the 2009 Program and Instructional Staff. Led by returning Show Coordinator and World Drum Corps Hall of Fame / NJHoF Carl Ruocco, the instructional staff remains intact as the Skyliners prepare to build on the successful foundation established by last year’s corps.

The 2009 Music Program includes such favorites as:

  • Off-The-Line of “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story, the 1979 Opener, brought back 30 years to the day!
  • Percussion Interlude
  • Color Pre medley of George M. Cohan’s 1904 tune “Give My Regards to Broadway” coupled with “Goodbye Broadway, Hello France”, the 1917 Wartime hit with music by Billy Baskette
  • Production of “Misirlou” from Sky’s 60’s era repertoire, a 1927 Greek tune first made popular in the United States by Nick Roubanis and later by Dick Dale and the Beach Boys
  • Drum Solo replacement for this year’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” still under consideration
  • Exit of “Slaughter on 10th Ave” and “Little Old New York”, a medley from the 1971 show followed by the forever recognizable “Every Streets a Boulevard” signature
  • Encore is none other and the show wouldn’t be complete without, the Bobby Sherwood 1940’s hit “Elk’s Parade”

The Skyliners Alumni mission is to keep forever alive, the legendary charts of their master arranger – the late Herman “HY” Dreitzer, while continuing to explore other musical avenues.

This year, breaking from recent tradition and with the intent of creating immediate excitement and crowd appeal, the corps is proud to present a chart from the pen of the 1978/79 arranger Bob “The Phantom” Pearson - Leonard Bernstein’s “Something’s Coming”. This tune will provide both a technical challenge and a big brassy “NY” sound that both the corps will love to play and audience will love to hear.

The percussion program is under the capable hands of arranger/instructor Wes Meyers assisted by Robert “Jomba” O'Connor, both of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame / NJHoF, while the brass is handled by Bill Moore assisted by Joe “JD” Jacobs, both of the NJHoF and Bugler’s HoF’er and soloist extraordinaire John “Grass” Urspruch.

The M&M portion of the show was created by noted designer/instructor Bobby Steinhilber of the NJHoF, ably assisted by Frank Rogers and George Petrunchio.

Skyliners’ Alumni is an all age corps organized in 1994 and will be celebrating its 16th year. As a by-product of the famous NY Skyliners’ Drum & Bugle Corps, its purpose is to provide an outlet for those wishing to continue participating in the activity without the rigorous and demanding schedule often found in competing units.

For more information about the Skyliners, visit www.SkyAlumni.org.