Floridians

The Floridians drum and bugle corps was formed in September of 1968 with no money, no equipment and a dream. A corporation was formed and the corps started to build a color guard and drum
section using donations from neighbors, sympathetic band directors and the community.

Fund raising was the number one goal of the corps. At first it was a family run organization. Don Kneuer Sr. was the corps director, Kevin Kneuer taught the percussion, Kathy Kneuer taught the guard and Don Kneuer Jr. taught the brass in the 1971 season before graduating from FSU in December of 1971 with BA in music education, K-12. All the instructors volunteered their time and efforts, so all donations went to the purchase of equipment and uniforms. Janice Kneuer was a very capable of sewing uniform tops together to fit and color guard flags as well. As the demands of instruction grew, more instructors were added to teach drum corp. style marching and volunteered their time as well. The corps grew with not much money, but lots of “love” for the adventure.

In January of 1969, the Floridians’ competitive guard was in its first season at the state level in Florida and placed 3^rd in state competition in 1970. The drum line started to grow and mature and the fund raising necessary to buy bugles was well on its way. With the help of parents, there were many “tag” days, carwashes, spaghetti dinners, parades and candy sales that were too many to number. In 1971, the Floridians entered the field of competition and competed in the American Legion (AL) & VFW state conventions that year, fielding 21 horns, 11 percussion and 14 guard. The Floridians went to their first National competition at the Big “D” in Dallas for the VFW contest and posted a ranking of 32^nd in prelims. The excitement of competing in a national competition propelled the Floridians to grow and improve in the 1972 season.

In the fall of 1971, the corps started to work on their new show. Don Kneuer wrote most of the book that year with some assistance from Bob Schwartz. Repertoire: Patton Theme, Colonel Bogies March, Jesus Christ Superstar, Now Explosion, and piece from the Carpenters, “Long Ago”, that featured a mellophone trio. The corps participated in the Junior Orange Bowl Parade and marched in the Walt Disney World Parade in January of 1972. The Floridians were the first corps ever to march at Walt Disney World and participated in a special show that evening with many other drum and fife outfits. The temperature that night barely made it above 35 degrees. The corps also was sponsored by the Burger King Corporation for one year and played to several grand openings of restaurants in the area that season. The Floridians purchased a school bus and painted it white with the Burger King logo. The transmission was changed so fuel consumption and gas mileage would improve.

Don Kneuer Jr. had to leave for military duty in the spring of 1972 and the corps brought in another brass instructor from the University of Miami. Jerry Peel was a part time professor at the University of Miami School of Music and taught band at a local Junior high school. He worked very well with the horn line in Don’s absence and continued working with the corp. for many years. Jerry Peel was an excellent professional French horn player and played with Chuck Mangione’s band later. After four months of active duty with the Florida National Guard (13^th Army Band), Don Kneuer Jr. returned and continued to work together with Jerry. The corps had purchased over 35 horns, 3 new snare drums, 3 tympani, 3 different sized bass drums, new flags, within a year and half’s time and also bought a Greyhound bus in the process.

In 1972, the Floridians first competition, with 33 horns 14 percussion and 15 guard, was at the State AL contest where the unit was announced as State champions, only to find out after the crowd left, that there was a mistake in the sheets and another corps had won it. Of course the corps was not very happy to say the least, but later defeated the state champion at a contest in Fort Meyers on July 22. They competed in another contest in Ohio before the US Open show and placed 21^st in the “Class A” preliminaries. The Floridians also placed 33^rd in the AL Nationals and finished in 26^th place at the VFW Nationals in the prelims, closing out a successful 2^nd season.

In 1973, the corps suffered some setbacks and had to retool the horn line with new players. The music book was purchased from other arrangers that year, the last two pieces by Scott Director: Bully, How the West was Won, Abby Road Medley, Overture To Tommy and The Way We Were. Some new instructors were brought in to go along with those who stayed on from the previous year. The corps made plans to participate in its first appearance at DCI. They did not participate in either state contest and its first show wasn’t until July in Fort Meyers and North Miami. On their first road trip, with 30 brass, 15 percussion and 20 guard, the Floridians positioned themselves in the prelims of the American International Open (AIO) & US Open “Class A” division with 13^th & 16^th place finishes along with 20^th & 14^th preliminary positions in the Key to the Sea “Open Class” & VFW Nationals, concluding with a 42^nd place finish in the DCI championships. Considering the rough start to this season, the corps continued to improve.

The 1974 season was the breakout year the Floridians were looking for, with 35 horns, 14 percussion and 21 in the guard, the corps was ready to compete on the National level in “Class A” competition. Scott Director wrote the book for the corps: Oklahoma Crude, Overture to Tommy, Vehicle and The Way We Were. Again, the corps’ first road trip was in August, and competed for only the second show for a National preliminary entry in the US Open, as the corps was practicing, there was a glimmer of hope that they might make finals. The corps director stopped practice at about 2:00 pm to make an announcement. The Floridians made their first finals by .05. WOW! The first time in the corps’ history. However that evening the corps score fell in finals and the performance was a little flat due to nervousness! Not a bad effort for a corps’ average age was barely 15. They also made finals at the AIO, placing 8^th in the finals, finished 2^nd in the North Tonawanda Open and in the DCI “Open Class” preliminaries, they finished in 50^th position. No one new that the following season would appear to be a miracle in the making.

In 1975, the Floridians at first were making progress slowly. The corps had several practices at the University of Miami, thanks to Jerry Peel and Scott Director. In the process, the corps was able to recruit some top notch brass players, and the sound was really starting to take shape, with 37 horns, 15 percussion and 20 in the guard. Other practices were held at Miami Springs Senior high school and Miami Lakes Senior high school that year, through community school programs that Don Kneuer Jr. and corps director, Don Sr. arranged through the Dade County school system. An equipment truck and one more contra base was purchased. Things were beginning to take shape! The drill was written and taught by Andy and David Escher, who formerly marched with the Troopers. The drill really didn’t start to click until late June and many changes were being made to help enhance the music. The first show was scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg in July. However there were no judges for the show, so the five corps that was there furnished an instructor to help judge the show. The Floridians’ show was still not complete a week before the tour. Extra last minute rehearsals were held to try and finish the little things that would put us over the top.

The Floridians marched their first show on tour in the Bluegrass Nationals, which was a two day event. They came in last position and the director was ready to pull the plug and take the corps home. However there was a late night meeting in a motor home that changed the course of history! Don Kneuer Jr. had previously spoken with Truman Crawford right after the second show was over. Truman taught the horn line, the Corps’ strength and suggested that they try to make changes to the show that could improve their score. He asked when the next show was and suggested they “Give it another try, follow the judges’ suggestions and make the changes you need to make your show better.” This act of encouragement from Truman Crawford through Don Kneuer Jr. and Jerry Peel helped forge a new direction that focused on making the changes to become more competitive. Oh yes, everyone agreed to continue. Our next stop featured four grueling days of practice, and everyone worked very hard to improve the show. The drill was changed from the corner entry to a straight entry from the 50 yard line and a tempo change was instituted into the first number. They had a five point penalty for the show being too short in time, so Scott Director was instructed to write a short piece for a sextet that was played right before the exit number that featured some of our best players to “Touch Me in the Morning”. Many other features were added as suggested by the judges and the show was changed and in better condition then anyone could hope for.

Those practices during those four days were very intense, up to 16 hours long. Would all this work pay off? Well the corps competed in the AIO, made the “Class A” finals, placing 7^th as Truman Crawford wrote on the horn sheets, “Congratulations! You did your homework. Tell your staff and director, a job well done!”. “Who are these Floridians?”, muttered in the stands. There were a lot of surprises yet to come. A 17 point improvement in four days. Unbelievable! They went on next to participate in the US Open “Class A” division, where they placed 5^th in the finals and continued to practice and were trying to find consistency in their performance. After 6 shows, the Floridians were still a little behind. Next came the North Tonawanda Open, where the Floridians went on at 8:30 am after practicing the night before until 1:00 am. Everybody was ready to go! Tired or not, this was it! Don Kneuer Sr. and Don Kneuer Jr. watched the corps perform from the stands. Don Sr. thought that there was not enough punch to the show that morning, but Don Jr. felt the show was smooth and clean! 

Guess who was right! History was made! The Floridians won the “Class A” preliminaries as Drum Corps News reporters came running up the stadium steps and asked the corps director, “Didn’t your corps score a 43 at Bluegrass just ten days ago! What excitement! A 25 point improvement in ten days! An impossible miracle happened that day! On the following day, Drum Corp News front page headlines read, “The Miracle Corps from Florida improved twenty five points in ten days!” In finals, the corps dropped to a 3^rd position. The Floridians entered DCI in “Class A” competition and came in 3^rd both in the prelims and finals. Overall, they enjoyed a very successful season, considering the disadvantage of having very few shows to participate in the state of Florida and not receiving their corps first set of judges’ sheets until arriving at Bluegrass in August. It must be truly said, the Floridians may not have been the best “Class A” corps on the field that summer of 1975, but they were the most improved corps and did almost the impossible.

The 1976 season started off with a bang! In the fall of 1975, the corps grew to 50 horns, 6 snare, three quads, five rudimental bass drums, a xylophone and four cymbal players. Things seemed to be on the way up. The Floridians wanted to compete in “Open Class” that season, but as the spring of 1976 unfolded, the corps started to run into financial difficulty. They managed to raise funds to go on an early tour in New Jersey for two contests in July, one of which was with the Hawthorne Caballeros. With the help of Jeff Kevitt, the Floridians learned the warm-up used by the Muchachos and one other number as well. One morning, the two corps met and warmed up together. What a sound! Over one hundred brass filled the morning air. The Garfield Cadets came running around the corner to see who it was. Another merger! No, I don’t think so! But the buzz was on, as changes were coming again, before the big tour in August. The Floridians competed in the AIO “Class A” and failed to make the finals, placing in 14^th position. They then traveled to participate in World Open “Class B” championships, ranking 3^rd in the finals and then opted to compete in “Open Class” division at DCI, finishing in 43^rd place. The corps repertoire was A Spanish number composed by Scott Director and edited by Jeff Kevitt, Vehicle, Funeral for a Friend and the Way We Were.

Due to financial difficulties, the corps disbanded in September of 1976. A lot of great memories and efforts will be always honored and remembered by all those who participated with the Floridians drum and bugle corps.

A Special thanks for the hard work of many instructors that made the Floridians successful. They included:

Pedro Quevado: M & M 1969-76 

Jerry Peel: Brass instructor 1972-76

Don Kneuer Jr: Brass instructor /arranger 1971-76

Scott Director: percussion, arranger 1974-1976

Kevin Kneuer: percussion/ arranger 1969-76

Bob Schwartz: Brass 1971-72

David Escher: M & M 1973-76

Andy Escher: M&M, drill coordinator & design-1973-76

Janice Kneuer: Quarter master & seamstress-Uniforms 1969-1976

Donald Kneuer Sr.: Corp Director 1968-1976

Mr. Greenfield: fundraiser coordinator 1969-1973

Barry Benson: drill writer and guard instructor-1974

Many former members marched with other corps in the ‘77 & ‘78 seasons. The Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard and the Florida Wave all benefited from former Floridian members. The equipment was sold to a group that started another corps in Tampa called the Suncoast Sound that eventually became a popular DCI finalist. The uniforms were donated to a JR High school in Denver. Former corps director Donald Kneuer Sr. passed away on July 5^th, 2004.

Submitted by Donald Kneuer Jr. (Former horn instructor of the Floridians (1971-1976), member of the Vanguards of Miami (1966 & 1967) & member of the Diplomats of Hollywood, Florida (1968).

Members (17)