Empire State Express
Other Names: Merger Mark Twain Cadets and Southern Tier Grenadiers
Elmira Heights, NY United States
Founded: 1978
| Year | Position | Score | Theme/Songs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Marche Militaire Francaise * Scheherazade * Get It On * If You Believe (from The Wiz) * The Wiz Medley |
CORPS Photos
The Empire State Express drum & bugle corps was formed in the fall of 1977 through a merger between the Mark Twain Cadets of Elmira & Southern Tier Grenadiers of Endicott was supported by the American Legion (AL) Post 154 of Elmira.
The corps colors were cyan (light blue), black, silver and white. Near the beginning of the 1978 season, yellow was also added. The uniforms were composed of black slacks & skirts, white long-sleeve turtleneck shirts, and an enormous cape that hung from the neck to the knees and from elbow to elbow. Silver-colored pith helmets, originally worn by the Southern Tier Grenadiers , were worn along with a blue plume. In their inaugural season, the corps was a success on the competition field, earning a finalist position in both the 1978 American International (AIO) “Open Class”, placing 8th and World Open “Class A”, finishing 10th along with 14th & 23rd place finishes in the “Open Class” division of the US Open & DCI East preliminary rounds, respectively.
Just before the end of their show in the 1978 New York State AL championships, the Express startled the audience when each member of the corps threw a yellow frisbee into the crowd. The frisbees had been hidden from view during the show, tucked halfway down each member's pants & skirt and covered by the cape. The Express reverted to parade status the next year, returning to field competition in the 1980 “Class A” AIO and DCI East prelims, placing 27th & 11th in each contest before going inactive the following season. Over the next two years, the corps competed regionally, including a 7th place finish in the 1983 Drum Corps New York circuit championships.
They merged with the Mello-Dears “All-Girls” of Owego in 1984 to form the Intensity parade corps.
Paul Legault (DCX)
Members (12)
| Member Name | Section | Years Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson, Keith | soprano | 1978 to 1981 |
| Brozzetti, Lori | Lead Soprano | 1978 |
| Cecce, Alan | Bugle | 1978 to 1980 |
| Hamilton, David | Baritone | 1978 to 1980 |
| irvin, chuck | Contra Bass | 1978 |
| Kildea, Tom | Soprano | 1978 |
| Mazzei, Sal | baritone, contra | 1984 |
| Ochs, Terry | Percussion Staff | 1978 to 1979 |
| Palmer, Richard | Drum instructor | 1979 to 1980 |
| Potchadlo, Jane | Drum Major | 1978 |
| Snowden, Rob | Snare | 1981 to 1984 |
| Wilber, Kay | rifle | 1977 to 1978 |
CORPS 3 items
EmpireStateExpress,Elmira,NY,Pin1-Salute(RE-2.25)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection
EmpireStateExpress,Elmira,NY,Pin2-SaluteLarge(BIV-2.25)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection
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