Drum and Bugle Corps

(www.daily-chronicle.com)

Members of the Chicago Royal-Airs Senior Exhibition Corps had the most gray hair of any of the groups performing Friday night at Hopkins Park, but most said they feel like teenagers when they take to the field.

Seven drum and bugle corps gave spectators a sneak peek of the performances they will be giving during the Drum Corps Midwest Championships tonight. Most of those performing were junior corps with members under 21 years old.

Rich Tessitore said playing the baritone bugle takes him back to when he participated with the Norwood Park Imperials. He left the group when he “aged-out” at 21.

The 60-year-old Palatine resident is a member of the Chicago Royal-Airs alumni group, which formed in 2002. The group, which was started in Chicago’s northwest side neighborhood of Humboldt Park, was together for 10 years.

“We’re mostly all old drum corps people,” Lisa Nuske, 40, said.

“You gotta say old?” Tessitore said.

“Just look at him,” she said and laughed. He pointed at her with the cigar he was smoking.

The group has about 100 members; about 50 performed in Friday night’s concert. They take the field tonight at Huskie Stadium at the conclusion of the 28th annual championships.

Nuske said the average age of group members is about 56.

“We’re all well over 21,” she said.

Corps members are from throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Some members come from California and there’s a Canadian in the group, too.

Nick Tomasi, 65, drove in from Defiance, Ohio – about 260 miles from DeKalb.

Tessitore, who runs a machine shop, said he always looks forward to performing.

Nuske agree.

“It makes us feel like we’re kids again,” she said as the group walked across Sycamore Road to Hopkins Park after warming up. “It brings us back to when you were in junior corps … When you’re here it brings you back to being 16 years old.”

Tomasi interrupts: “Really? My body doesn’t feel like it,” he said and laughed.

Other members of the corps start laughing. They make jokes about who their sponsors should be and start naming various geriatric drugs.

“Here you forget about your arthritis and aches,” Nuske said.

Tony Laskowi, 61, of Aurora said that since rejoining the corps, his doctor has said his blood-sugar levels have remained low.

“He asks, ‘What have you been doing?’” he said and laughed.

John Olker, 55, of Kalamazoo, Mich., said he appreciates the other group members’ dedication and the fact that the group also has a full field show. He said if the group just played music, most members wouldn’t participate.

Olker said he participated in several groups after the Royal-Airs disbanded in 1968. His last performance was in 1979 when he left the now defunct Chicago Connection corps.

“Basically three-fourths of this group I grew up with,” Olker said. “I consider them friends. How many friends do you have more than 40 years?”

He and other members said being a member of the corps takes up a lot of time, but it’s worth it.

“At first I couldn’t believe we were doing this again,” Laskowi said.

“Now I don’t want to quit,” Olker said. “I will continue to do it.”

Other members who heard him agreed, nodded and lined up to get on stage.