West Point Hellcats at the 2012 DCI World Championships

[@ericsheffler6585]

One of two Greetings! I'm Eric Sheffler - a.k.a. "most senior player" & "old guy" along with the more pleasant sounding "Group Leader of The Hellcats". :-) Thanks for your likes, views, and contributions to the comment section on this video. FYI - This performance was made possible due to the USMC D&B Corps not being able to come. We found out at about 2 AM the morning of Finals that DCI would like us to cover the normal pre-finals show spot along with marching the corps on for massing...

[@GermFreeAdolescents2]

cool real bugles and rope drums. have to have some chops to play on those heads.

[@jefripayne5464]

In my crusty old man voice: "Now DAT'S drum corps!"

[@bigpardner]

I will remain nameless and just say I was in the Hellcats somewhere from 1966 to 1976. If I had to do what these guys do I would have shit my pants. They have both my respect and sympathy. I guess jobs are hard to come by with colleges turning out a few thousand music majors every year.

[@1970doubleg]

I was a cadet at West Point from 1966 to 1970. Only those of us who experienced your famous, early morning reveilles truly understand the meaning of the name "Hell Cats". Listening to the Hell Cats' version of reveille affects me almost as much as does "The Thumper", as we used to call it. Thanks for being our alarm clocks.

[@redastrachan8978]

Wow! With John S. Pratt?

[@bigpardner]

@@redastrachan8978 The one and only.

[@gentrywalker]

I wish the drummers from the 1700's could see how far the art form has progressed over the generations.

[@alexa4328]

Gentry Walker 1700s?

[@mrlowground6967]

@@alexa4328 Military bands in the 1700s who kept formations in step with drum cadence

[@erbmiller]

I love the sound of those drums!

[@AustenDavid]

I am planning on auditioning for the old guard after high school.. the hell cats are my close second

[@eve-onosu7944]

Austen David did u get in to the old guard / hell cats

[@leedanielisla2440]

hi did u made it?

[@joestanton257]

This one of the best snare lines out there today hands down

[@heavydutyrepair64]

The Fife and drum corps are excellent also

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

@@coltonpruitt4433 Nope. These guys would know how to clean it up. Adapt and overcome.

[@bayLEY3211]

Truly a "Drum and Bugle Corps"

[@ralphgeigner3011]

Excellent ! Old style Old style Soprano bugles, they had much more volume, tone and power compared to the horns used in recent years, gone are the great Bugle makers, Holton (Ludwig Classic) Getzen, Slingerlands, Whaley Royce, Olds etc. Rope Tension drums , Go Army Go Mariners, Keno Kingsmen

[@robbysanders92]

This is the video i tell my bass drummers to look at for playing zones. That mans spot on.

[@tlkshowhst]

Wow. That tone is gorgeous

[@ZOB4]

The tone on those field drums is very nice indeed.

[@americanspirit8932]

They are cooperman rope drums oh, they are still in business and you can purchase one today, I believe the starting price is approximately $1,000 Plus depending on artwork

[@kamuelaakeo7851]

All with one valve.

[@shirleyrose2623]

Thank you for sharing. Awesome performance. Like your film collection.

[@Thecatdrums3]

Luv the way those field drums sound :)

[@ericsheffler6585]

Greetings again. Regarding the bugles - they are made by Cliff Blackburn & are pitched in Bb/F. They do only have one valve acting as the crossover from Bb to F. There are basically only roughly 16 notes (non-chromatic as a general rule - there is some chromatic capabilitiy in the upper range) available to the players. That is, unless they do some unconventional techniques like pulling out the slide to de-tune and make some 'blue' notes available for the improvisation the player did at 8:38.

[@drumrnva]

Those throaty snare drums...I like them so much more than the table- top, tightened- to- death drums you usually hear in drum corps.

[@edwardmichalski463]

Great Sound !!! although I'm a baritone bugler I love the sound on the sopranos. The drum line sounds (at times) like the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights of the 60's ! - If you know Sac you know what I mean .

[@americanspirit8932]

I competed against the golden knights many many times when I was a snare drum with the Floyd Bennett golden eagles from Brooklyn New York 1960 1961 Bobby Thompson was, their drum instructor. May he rest in peace. My instructor at the time with Jim Shay from the New York Skyliners, my first instructor, when I was at Cadet at Mount Saint Joseph Military Academy, the cadets would come over on Saturday to teach us how to play snare drum, that was back in 1956. Rick nardelli play snare drum in the golden knights, I got to know him pretty well and competed against them in, individual snare and, d r u m quartet competition❤❤🎉

[@DK321213]

It is wonderfull!!! Amezing I will always remember thouse drums.

[@ennui_cherub]

those drum features are so freaking impressive

[@HE360]

Great video. I enjoyed listening to this group

[@richmanwisco]

They've only been doing it their entire professional career. I'm only half-snarky when I say that - these guys are professionals who all have at least a B.A. and most have M.Ed. or similar degrees. The bass drummer has been with them close to 30 years!

[@Mark011011]

Pure class.

[@aliciagoldstein1054]

B-flat... though they have only one valve which drops them to F, so they're basically the B flat equivalents of the G-D one-piston bugle.

[@americanspirit8932]

That's what Real Drum and bugle Corps used in the 50s through late 70s then they started going playing on cardboard boxes horrible sound not a snare. Drum lines from the 60s through the 70s played a lot more difficult parts, were judged on difficulty, exposure to era expression. Drumlines today play very easy parts very very few rudiments most of the drum lines today play almost the same parts. They are a far cry from a real drum and bugle Corps.

[@TBAnimations]

​@@americanspirit8932The parts are NOT easier, people like Scott Johnson who did drum corps in the 70s have said that they wouldn't be able to keep up if it were against todays drummers

[@americanspirit8932]

DRUM LINE PLAYING 3 CAMP'S VERY CLEAN & CRAZY ARMY VERY CLEAN ALSO. FORMER LONG ISLAND SUNRISES.

[@TNVOLS97]

Talent...I love it

[@tigerjingles9734]

Jeff, u ticked at your entrance, but nice rhythmic and harmonic fluidity and clarity throughout the entire phrasing of the ensemble piece , and also great interpretation of the strokes vs roles dynamic of the perd piece

[@jadenmccallum17]

It all comes full circle haha.

[@45-Brass]

Just WOW ! The way Drum Corp should sound.

[@bengemeister]

Love that old style drumming. Wonder how much tension you can generate with the rope tension. Love the sound. Senior year in college got our director to let me put gut snares on our drums. This was long before high tension snare drums.

[@americanspirit8932]

Most drum companies early on up until I think the mid-70s use nothing but cat cut on stairs, I purchased a slingerland drum in 1958, 12 by 15 it came with catgut snares and I still have that drum today it is red sparkle single lug double tension with throw off stairs sounds just like the hellcats snare drums. It is my most prized possession

[@bengemeister]

@@americanspirit8932 When I started in band in 1960, we had all wire snares. In some areas with a long tradition of bands and drumming, the custon may well have been to use the gut snares, especially with bands that performed a lot of traditional music. Someone from the East Coast who was there when the Drum and Bugle corps were abandoning traditional military and going to more modern music perhaps can provide insight.

[@americanspirit8932]

​@@bengemeisterall of the top drum and bugle Corps back in the late 50s through the 70s into the 80s can I put stairs with standard issue with, drum companies

[@robertshrewsbury9344]

Haven't seen this before. A very nice job.

[@incogneterpeter]

That's weird... The music the field drums play when they come in is the exact excersize I ised to play on when I was on a drum line in high school except we did singles triples and not triplet rolls.. And the our instructor who gave us the music is now the drum major for the Air Force....

[@patriotbrassensemble]

+incogneterpeter That is called "Three Camps", or "Relieve", has been waking up soldiers for over 225 years ;-)

[@incogneterpeter]

+Patriot Brass Ensemble yea we did three camps. I was taught by a drummer in the airforce that was also dci. He's now the drum major for the Air Force band

[@patriotbrassensemble]

+incogneterpeter You learned the right way for sure.

[@incogneterpeter]

+Patriot Brass Ensemble haha yea! He's one of the best in the world! I'm not that great... I can make it through alright, but I can teach it really well and clean it really well.

[@Prof.CheeseDog]

“These drums sound so much better than the tinny drums these-days.” Well these drums are here during these days and exist right now and are played and make sound. The hellcats are clearly not time travelers. These ARE drums these-days, it’s just a different style

[@RasAlXander]

OMG! I can't believe they played "Over There" YES!!

[@onemoremisfit]

Editing missed the wave that the snare drummers do at 10:36 by showing tight closeup when it should have been pulled back to show the entire line.

[@TylerDunphy]

It is every drum's dream to be played like this

[@omfgacceptmyname]

excellent

[@SolFlareBlitz101]

They have cute little plooms.

[@tucker.84]

Its called "Plume" ya dingus

[@Kindigitty]

lovin how the most senior player is the bass drum

[@sk8rguy4life1123]

5:20 Cleaner than most corps.

[@drummerforlife2649]

sk8rguy4life1123 I wonder why

[@ericsheffler6585]

Indeed it is!

[@taflhols278]

They had me at The Three Camps....

[@bengemeister]

Where else you gonna hear that!? I bet nowhere but the Northeast.

[@ParukiadeBolivar]

Gotta love those three camps!

[@chiwea123]

This is what i like, i have an old g-d bugle. Where can one find music for one?

[@jmabry62]

musescore allows you to write your own pretty easily

[@fastone56]

That is so cool

[@ethanbates7734]

A core has to do a show with this music style and these drums. That would be so cool

[@Pantsthaniel]

Bluecoats 2013 is pretty close

[@beastdrummer555]

You know how much recoil are are those snares? FREAKIN ZERO.... thats a man's drum right there

[@leedanielisla2440]

what is the material used for those snare heads?

[@TylerDunphy]

@@leedanielisla2440 it may be calf skin, although it may be synthetic and trying to recreate the sound rather than an authentic drum.

[@brianchisnell1548]

Tons of recoil.

[@americanspirit8932]

​@@leedanielisla2440they are mylar drum heads. Katzkin heads will stop being used back in the fifties

[@tomverderber1565]

Love it where the field drummers kiss their sticks at the 17:26 mark.

[@richardparker4175]

3:16 Blue devils 2017 opener?

[@archieonnagan3758]

20:14 to 20:57 ...DAMN that trumpet!!!

[@BryansMusicSession]

I was there in the 12th row near the 40. Had a hard time hearing them.

[@galadriel6004]

Great!!!!

[@oldschooldrumcorps]

I AM a crusty old man....Dem's Bugles! valveand rotor style g bugles!...Dat's Drum and Bugle Corps!

[@bengemeister]

For those who may not know- this is NOT a West Point Cadet band, but an ancient unit of the Army of the USA.

[@BuddyCooke]

In the late 90s there was a Cadet Field Music Group too - about a dozen of us. But yes, the Hellcats are all sergeants in the Army not Cadets. Ancient is no joke- West Point is the oldest continuously occupied Army post, and the Field Music (ie "the Hellcats") have been at West Point the entire time. There was actually a time after the revolution when Gen Washington pulled troops out and the only soldiers left at West Point was the musicians of the Field Music. Literally, this small unit has been at West Point since it was built in the 18th century.

[@davidwarner3326]

@@BuddyCooke, quick, what was the original name of West Point?

[@militaryartandscience]

@@davidwarner3326 the land was called West Point before the Army occupied it. But if you're referring to the post- I suppose it first would have been known as the Connecticut Camp when first occupied before any fortification started. But the main fortification on the actual point itself was Fort A_____ (the original "he who shall not be named" in the Old Cadet Chapel- later renamed Fort Clinton. Although in the larger Fortress West Point I believe Fort Putnam and several redoubts were completed first. Fort Clinton being larger it took longer to construct. (Although Ft Webb was closer to the actual Academy- I believe it's site is now under either Bartlet Hall or Jefferson Hall.)

[@mholub]

Don't laugh too loud people. "Those plumes" and the "Old guy on the bass drum" is how it all started. DCI wouldn't even exist if it weren't for those who came before he all mighty DCI! R-E-S-P-E-C-T! How 'bout some of that?

[@kimwestheim6875]

I want one of those snares

[@HE360]

This goes to show that a group or drum corps doesn't need to be big in order to put out great sound!

[@prairiesound2004]

That is the origin of Drum & Bugle Corps.

[@AryaBaskara]

I agree with you, sir!

[@Pez5688]

Yes. One valve bugles.

[@buckyjames1898]

Haven't seen the mouthpiece being used by the guy who played taps before

[@1mctous]

The bugles are Bb/F sopranos. They use conventional trumpets for the US anthem.

[@daisyvidal72]

GOD BLESS AMERICA

[@snap-off5383]

Bass drummer missing that cymbal for on top of it. What kind of trumpets are those one-valvers? Is it customary for the chinstrap to rest on the face non-functionally?

[@tstew258]

Hmmm, wonder if I can find some sheet music for this....

[@klepler11]

oh look goousebumps!

[@dantheman13z]

Y u no tell when 2012 DCI Championship DVD come out

[@bengemeister]

Is that "3 camps" the snares are playing??

[@bengemeister]

Dumb question-of course it is-I must have aked the question before they got to the part I recognize.

[@dcbandnerd]

Now that's how a snare drum is supposed to sound.

[@boylesterminalshops6841]

***** I march snare for my high school and I actually like the sound of traditional snares like these more than my marching snare

[@joedonovan3820]

Old or young, the sound of contemporary DCI drums sucks. This IS the way a snare drum should sound.

[@suhdude9704]

Joe Donovan Times change, don't get mad at new sounds, appreciate the fact that I can pretty much guarantee that any modern dci drumline member appreciates both sounds.

[@programmedwrong3795]

I think the best snare tone is 1987 Phantom Regiment. They had them tuned right. You can make mylar heads sounds just as horrible as a bad kevlar. The best kevlar sounds to me is 1991 SCV "MISS SIAGON." They were cranked, but they sounded nice.

[@drumby562]

@@boylesterminalshops6841 Thanks for the reply. I agree on the traditional sounds of the snares. When I played snare in HS in the 70s, we didn't have the high tech instruments of today. We had 10 year old snare drums, garage rigged triples and a couple concert bass drums. We had great teachers who brought out the best of the musicians and we did pretty well with what we had. This video sounds like modern history with traditional instruments. Fantastic! I want more!

[@heavydutyrepair64]

The army has the best musicians because most of them are senior non commissioned officers

[@davidwarner3326]

All of the services start their premier musicians at E-5 or E-6, so your point is backward.

[@heavydutyrepair64]

@@davidwarner3326 You have sergeant majors playing drums and blowing trumpets in the army bands ,never seen a master gunnery sergeant playing an instrument

[@davidwarner3326]

@@heavydutyrepair64, the USMB doesn't wear rank...

[@tbonetime3568]

Those are some huge plumes. I don't see his they keep their heads up right

[@prairiesound2004]

Hey, those bugles don't sound brash and out of tune. Awsome job.

[@pinkusensei]

At 8:38, the soloist pushes his slide in.

[@jkatzmellophone]

And there are no rotors. It's single valve. Not sure of the time in the video you see one of them adjust the slide.

[@silasb1293]

whoever disliked this are obviously not american

[@WienerVL]

Sorry....im not american...i liked!Dont do this stupid comment!

[@TheFelloMello]

20:15 to the end. Ow! Get it.

[@archieonnagan3758]

may i please know what kind of trumpet are those

[@tstew258]

Snare sheet music for 1:19 through 4:07

[@TheLogan1156]

That's never been a law, or anything, so I don't know why you're worried about it. Tradition states that you're actually supposed to stand at attention with your hands at your sides during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, so you're wrong in thinking that something is wrong.

[@TheGlennLife]

are those G bugles?

[@stale56]

Why are they on Bb's at the end?

[@dirtykeyz]

dat bass technique

[@isasireyes2257]

What is the name of the first song?

[@americanspirit8932]

Dcin DCA drummers this is what a snare drum should sound like, not like cardboard boxes they are using today.

[@drumcorps0junkie]

I WONDER HOW MANY DRUM CORPS MEMBERS HAVE STEPED ON AND OFF THAT FIELD SINCE THAT BUILT IT???

[@natebnegas]

is that Denver Dill?!?!?

[@ninjagame64]

BUGLES!!!!

[@pasta_heals]

Hot.

[@MattLendabarker]

valve and nothing. love it.

[@HighballHank]

31 dislikes...I’m guessing they’re from the Navy 😂

[@nickrosselli5425]

i wanna be in the US marine corps band as a drummer

[@nicoremby]

those plumes...

[@thesafteycrazycuber]

Bugles don't have valves

[@jkatzmellophone]

I believe the bugles are G/D.

[@milojohnson3057]

4:04 rimshot

[@randomutube09]

3 camps yo!

[@tiffanythames5855]

I just can't get over their plumes...

[@richmanwisco]

Q: When was required to do so? A: Never.

[@yoyokyoko]

lol

[@CrimsonKing5298]

wtf is with all the people not putting their hands over their hearts during the anthem??? what is happening to this nation?!