Minnesota Brass alumni who helped celebrate the Blue Stars 50th anniversary (many also Blue Stars alumni) included, from left, Bryan Borg, Jesse Talbot, Dave Figge, Andy Kuula, Judy Glewwe, Rick Rueckert, Jim Duggan, Kathy Nieters, Penny Pray and Dave Stolson.
Two venerable Midwestern drum-corps families came together recently when about a dozen alumni of Minnesota Brass helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Blue Stars. They performed along with Blue Stars alumni from every year of the Wisconsin corps’ storied history and its current members in front of a hometown audience, part of the big DCI show on July 12 in La Crosse.
Judy Glewwe, who marched with the Blue Stars in 1980 and 1981, explained why she had to be on the field that magical night.
“Drum corps has been a big part of my life and has helped shape who I am today,” said Glewwe, who was known as “Judy Blue Star” when she later marched with Minnesota Brass. “There was never any question of if I should march with the Blue Stars Alumni. I just knew I wanted to do it without pausing to think about it too much.”
She added: “I feel like I am part of two big families — both Minnesota Brass and Blue Stars mean the world to me. Drum corps is a part of who I am, and it always will be. … With drum corps people, there is always a sense of belonging and being part of something big and important. Drum corps members are hard workers, fun and non-judgmental. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”
If you missed the performance of the Blue Stars 50th Anniversary Alumni Corps, you can relive it through this YouTube video:
