Avant Garde

Other Names:merger Emerald Knights and Speigleaires

Saratoga Springs, NY United States
Founded: 1975

Inactive Junior

Year	Position	Score	Theme/Songs
1975	25	67.400	Russian Easter Overture * God Bless America (from This Is the Army) * It Ain't Necessarily So (from Porgy and Bess) * Amazing Grace * Summertime (from Porgy and Bess) * Abide with Me
1976	39	61.000	My Dublin Bay * The Girl I Left Behind Me * Touch Me * Bandstand Boogie * Loch Lomond
1977			Don't Rain on My Parade (from Funny Girl) * People
1978	26	70.000	(Repertoire not available)
1979	20	73.850	Meadowland * Troika (from Lieutenant Kije Suite) * Trepak (from the Nutcracker) * On Broadway * Hill Where the Lord Hides * So You Want to See The Wizard (from The Wiz) * Ease on Down the Road (from The Wiz) * Ding Dong the Witch is Dead (from Wizard of Oz) * Over the Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz)
1980	23	64.500	Put Me On * Sunshower * Hill Where the Lord Hides * Medley from Funny Girl * Don't Cry Out Loud
1981	22	69.800	And the Angels Sing * Caravan * Love for Sale * You've Lost That Loving Feeling
1982	27	65.150	And the Angels Sing * Pontieo * That Cat is High * My Funny Valentine (from Babes in Arms)
1983	20	64.650	Captain from Castile * Caravan * Imaginary Voyage * Silence and I * My Funny Valentine (from Babes in Arms)
1984	16	80.900	Eleanor Rigby * The Devil is a Liar * The Musician * Mountain Dance * You Can Have Me Anytime
1985	18	78.600	Piano Concerto No. 1 * Egyptian Danza * The Musician * You Can Have Me Anytime

Position 200+ indicates Division II, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps.

CORPS Photos

1984 42 Photos

Avant Garde, was a junior drum corps based in Saratoga County, New York. It was the result of a merger of the Bethesda Emerald Knights and the Speigleaires in 1975.

The Corps' Director was Jeff Perkins. Jerry Kaiser was the drum major from 1976 through 1981 when he aged out.

In its first year of competition (1975), the Corps placed 25th at DCI Nationals. Avant Garde’s best placement at DCI’s was in 1984. The Corps' last appearance at DCI’s was in 1985.

During its competitive life, Avant Garde wore three different uniforms. Black cadet jackets with green trim from 1975 to 1977; light green "SCV" style jackets with "Aussie" style hats and then shakos from 1978 to 1981; and bright yellow Seneca Optimist cadet jackets from 1982 through 1985.
The Corps' used a yin-yang as its symbol. Its colors being dark green and black. Avant Garde generally traveled with three buses affectionately known as the Jock bus (which also carried the staff), the Non-Smokers bus; and the Mutt bus.
[From drumcorpswiki.com]
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The field drill for the Avant Garde's 1978 show was written by 18-year-old horn player Scott Reynolds. The corps finished in 26th place at DCI Prelims that year.

In 1983, two members of Avant Garde, Cynthia Brown and Charles Klangos, were married on the practice field in Miami before the DCI Championships. They had considered waiting until they returned home to New York, until discovering that Florida has no waiting period to get married. Corps director Jeff Perkins gave the bride away.

[DCW, 8/31/02, p.3; DCW, 10/02, p.3]

Members (33)

Member Name	Section	Years Involved
Carrier, Linda (Lynn)	Brass	1983 to 1985
Cohan, Rick	Brass	1983 to 1985
DelRa, Frank	drum line	1975
EASTHAM, DAVID	BRASS	1980 to 1981
Finn, Bob	Color Guard Staff	1974
Gathen, Rick	Brass	1975 to 1985
Goldston, Ernest	Drumline	1973 to 1975
Hamilton, David	Contra	1985
Haynes, Brian	Lead Bari	1974 to 1979
Henry, Craig(Rambo)	Drum Line	1985
Higdon, Wayne	Percussion	1977 to 1981
Johnson, Chris	Soprano	1980
KINSELLA, SCOTT	BRASS	1982 to 1985
Kaiser, Jerry	brass/dm	1975 to 1981
Keck, David	Lead sop	1979; 1983; 1985
Kennedy-Yelton, Randy	Drum Line	1983 to 1984
King, Julie	keyboards (xylophone)	1979 to 1980
LeClair, David	Soprano 1	1985
Leonard, Sharon	color guard	1975 to 1977
Lopata - Nawoj, Hilary	Color Guard	1985
Mitchell, Douglas	Drum Line	1983
Murphy, William	Quads	1980
POTTER, DONEL	SOPRANO	1980 to 1984
POTTER, DONEL	SOPRANO	1983 to 1985
Pennica, Derek	Bass Drum	1986
Reynolds, Scott	Mellophone	1974 to 1981
Reynolds, Wayne	Drum Line	1972 to 1976
Ryan, Jamie	Mellophone	1975 to 1981
Scanlon, Rich	Brass Section	1975 to 1977
Sirani, Audrey	Guard	1983 to 1985
Sulkey, Kevin	Soprano	1975 to 1976
White, Linda	Mellophone	1981 to 1985
Zlotnick, Andy	Brass Saprano 3/4	1981