The Bottom of the Glass Podcast

Welcome to the Bottom of the Glass for the first episode of 2024 - our FIFTH SEASON! In this St. Patrick’s Day themed podcast we’ll discuss the State of our Artform.  How does the current state of fife and drum compare to preceding generations, and what should we focus on for the future of our hobby.

And enjoy some great music from Greg Bacon, The Bothy Band, Planxty, Silly Wizard and Peter Hollens. ENJOY!

Take a trip with us as we dig into the drumming life of Bill Bachman. From his books to his sticks to his pads and all the award winning percussion groups he's worked with in between, Bill takes on the ride of HIS life! What a life it's been with SO MUCH MORE to go. This is a fascinating chat with the Drummers' Drummer...the Great Bill Bachman!

Our chat with Chet is a journey into the experiences, stories and anecdotes with one of the coolest rudimental drummers on the scene. He's played with some of the greats, because he IS a great! His mark on percussion is big and his work using drumming as a vehicle to make a difference in the lives of young people is even BIGGER! Enjoy this talk with Chet Doboe. You're gonna LOVE IT!

We’re all amped, ramped and vamped for the 64th Annual Westbrook Muster.  If you’re making your way to the Connecticut Shoreline, or if you can’t make it this year and plan on the future…enjoy this discussion with a fife and drum friend who has attended SO MANY Westbrook Musters.  Kathy Brennan has been our friend, colleague, corps mate, and inspiration for decades.  She has also been highly involved in so many levels of fife and drum organization.  This is a beautiful chat with a beautiful person!

Many of us in fife and drum know little about the origins and evolution of F-Troop. Most of us know F-Troop as the last corps coming down the road at the end of the muster parade. Well friends, F-Troop is so much more than that. F-Troop sprang from the best of the best in fife and drum at the time. For this episode we have some of the very first members and organizers of F-Troop with us today.  And dare I say, we've never had a more distinguished panel of crazy bastards on this podcast. Plus we'll get perspective from the junior side of fife and drum with our friend Liam Towers. Enjoy!

This is a tough one. A dear friend and important member of our community has left us. Pete Emerick was a musician, teacher, educator, historian and friend to so many of us in ancient, historical and military fife and drum. His knowledge was unsurpassed and although he shared so much with so many of us over so many years, we'll never again be able to access that depth of knowledge and history that he took with him.

We're going to miss him. There will never be another like Pete Emerick. Please enjoy this interview we did with him a few years ago. We sure enjoyed it.

With the USARD Convention right around the corner, we're chatting with three essential and indispensable members of the convention that will be held in Seekonk, MA on April 14th and 15th! Gary Covitz, Artie Shannon and Larry Finn have had uniquely independent and different journeys in rudimental drumming. But like many drumming compadres, they have a bonding connection. This chat covers their commonality with the 27th Lancers and so much more! Enjoy folks, this is a good one!

“Great Day in the Mornin’ To Ya!” (You have to imagine all this with an Irish accent.) You’ll feel the Luck ‘O the Irish when you listen to our St. Patrick’s Day Episode of the Bottom of the Glass. Today your hosts “Dirty” Dave O’Loyal, Brendan McMason and Brian “Blarney Stone” Watkinson will be sittin’ down over a pint or two with Jeff Prosperie, currently Group Leader of the United State’s Army’s West Point Hellcats. Jeff’s a wee bit of a drummer to say the least, and he serves up a pot of gold in this interview about drumming, judging and the future of our craft. We’ll also visit with Michael Eagle, the Mad Irishman, and “Lucky” Charley O’Poole as they talk about an upcoming live project featuring music from the famous Connecticut Yanks Fife and Drum Corps! Enjoy all you lads and lasses, “May you be in Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you’re dead!” Sláinte!

Dr. John Wooton...Dr. Throwdown...whatever you want to call him, just know he's a rudimental specialist.  Funny as hell with so much talent, and a blast to talk to. John even brought along his friend Clarence Boudreaux.  We chatted with both of them and had some fun.  You will too!  Just give this a listen.  An interview with the great John Wooton!

How do you nail an Old Guard vacancy?  Let's hear it from the men and women who decide whether you're in or out.  We did it with the fifes in Part 1 of this podcast and here on Part 2 we're talking to the drummers.  This should give you what you need to know to get into the Old Guard drum line.

You ever wonder about the audition process to get in to the Old Guard?  We did too!  So we asked them.  This is the first of a two-part podcast about how to nail an Old Guard vacancy.  This one's for fife.  Drum will be Part 2.  Enjoy!

The boys covered a lot of ground on this one.  The wrap-up of a crazy fife and drum summer, (crud, poop, Basel, Sudbury...I know this sound weird, but it's not that bad when you listen).  Then a great outside radio interview with our host, Dave Loyal!

As you’re heading to the National Muster this weekend, spend some time with this crazy podcast! It features the great snare drumming champion, composer and drum instructor Paul Cormier in an in-person chat inside the legendary Old Bar at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA! We talked to Paul about EVERYTHING! His life, his drumming, the corps he’s played in, the great drummers he’s known. It’s a candid, honest look into his involvement and legacy in fife and drum.

This interview dropped in our laps as Brendan, Dave and Brian had an opportunity to spend some time together while on vacation up in Maine the week after the Deep River Muster. So we’ve included some behind the scenes conversation between the boys while on vacation!

We even had a quick conversation with the ghost of Bill Pace as Bill finally settled an age-old question about his drumming ablilty!  How many podcasts can claim that?!?

So pour yourself a cup of Uncle Jer’s famous greasy soup and enjoy this podcast.

Enjoy,

The Boys

Hey folks, pack your cars and trucks with your fifes, drums and all your crap for the Deep River Muster, and as you head to DRAM listen to this great talk with Jim and Sarah MacConduibh and Michael Godin of the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums.  It is some fascinating discussion.  Have a great Deep River!

Sincerely,

Brendan, Dave and Brian

Welcome to our Junior Fife and Drum Camp Edition of the Bottom of the Glass. Today we’ll speak with ALL the Directors, past and present, of the Junior Fife and Drum Camp. The Camp has come a long way since its early days and this podcast will take you through those years with the people who helped make it happen. Robin Niemitz, Cap Corduan and Tanya Morrisett! A great listen for Memorial Day Weekend! And don’t forget, if you are listening to this podcast on Memorial Day weekend, this is your LAST WEEKEND  to register for Junior Camp, so GET ON IT!

Welcome to our 3rd Season of the Bottom of the Glass! AMAZING! This first episode of Season 3 is our St. Patrick’s Day PLUS Episode. The PLUS means we’re talking about a lot more than just St. Patrick’s Day. Sure, we have a great discussion with Derek Mulcahy, Bandmaster of St. Mary’s Fife and Drum Band from Limerick, Ireland as he goes deep about fife and drum in Ireland and how that all relates to fife and drum in the States.  But we also have a lively discussion with our Stony Creek friends, Tim Goss and Kenny Avery as they talk about plans for 2022 (that include St. Mary’s)! A must listen for this time of year and we couldn’t be happier that this is our first episode of Season 3! Enjoy!

Have a great holiday...whatever you're doing.

The time was right, and place was perfect for this important discussion with John Ciaglia. John is a renowned fifer, collaborator and arranger, and we had a candid chat with him from the Casbah, Friday night at the 2021 Westbrook Muster. This is an intimate, in person interview with one of the living legends in fife and drum. And the sounds of the Muster’s Friday night tattoo in the background makes this interview extra special.  Enjoy our talk with the great John Ciaglia!

What a treat to hear the years of stories and experiences first hand from the great John Moon.  John is very important to the history and the legacy of not just American Fife and Drum, but British Martial, and Military music everywhere.  And John doesn't hold back in this discussion.  His years in Colonial Williamsburg.  His years in post-war Britain.  His years molding good corps members into great corps members.  John talks about it ALL!  Enjoy this discussion with John Moon.

One of the greats in marching percussion is with us on this episode of the Bottom of the Glass! Ralph Hardimon changed the landscape of the marching arts. Don’t think for a minute that this discussion is all about drum and bugle and DCI. Ralph and the boys DIG IN to rudimental drumming at its most basic forms. Everything is on the table….fife and drum, jazz, drum and bugle, set drum, marching drum, percussion product development…it’s covered! Enjoy this discussion with someone who has literally influenced THOUSANDS of percussionists in all forms of drumming. Ralph Hardimon!

This is a crazy episode, my friends. It is getting uploaded from the DRAM muster field on the Thursday night before the Deep River Muster after too much whiskey, too little food and not enough sleep. But that is cool. We have a muster this year and it is going to be FUN! Scott Redfield, the Malcarnes and other fine stuff will make this a really cool podcast!

For our Memorial Day Episode of the Bottom of the Glass, we talk with two very important people as we honor our Veterans who paid the ultimate price to provide the freedoms we all enjoy today. Jari Villenueva may be the world’s foremost authority and expert on military bugle calls, and the exquisite performance of Taps at Military funerals and Memorial Events. He knows more about this ceremony than anyone and the discussion is fascinating!

Our second guest is HUGE in the Fife and Drum Community. Mark Logsdon has helped our community survive and thrive for decades. He has been the director of the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps since he founded the group in 1974 with his wife Mary. And Mark continues to be deeply involved with the Company of Fifers and Drummers. Enjoy this episode, and please take some time to honor our Veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Check out this great episode where we interview our very own Dave Loyal!  Dave is an amazing drummer and an amazing drum maker.  Learning about his roots and early days in fife and drum is a real treat!  And we have a few special guests stopping by to talk about motorcycles, trains and living the hobo life.  ENJOY!

You’re going to LOVE this discussion. Charley Poole Jr. is one of the greats in rudimental drumming. One of the Legends. And he put it all out there for us. The program is PACKED with modern and ancient music…not to mention an acapella rendition of a popular song from the 60s performed by the co-hosts of this program. Enjoy this chat with one of the best! Charley Poole!

This episode is jam-packed with outstanding music to celebrate St. Patty's Day!  And a wonderful interview with Maurice Brown.  Mo grew up in the the Northern Ireland flute scene and has also been a drum major at so many major international events.  Enjoy!

A special Fasnacht 2021 episode with special, special guests - Marc Hermann and Tobias Ernst (and Don Mason).

This was a favorite of ours and couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Season 2.  It's a great chat!

If you are a member of the fife and drum community…if you are a student of rudimental drumming…if you’ve even had a passing interest in the origin of Connecticut’s Fife and Drum tradition, then you're going to LOVE this interview with Jim Clark.  Jim is an educator, composer and arranger, author, historian and mentor.   Not to mention former member of Nathan Hale and the legendary Connecticut Yanks. And he is a founding member of Connecticut Valley Field Music.  Enjoy this.  It's a real treat!

Join us for our talk with Jim Ellis and Patsy Cooperman Ellis of the Cooperman Fife and Drum Company. Over the years the Cooperman Company has established itself as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of high quality, hand made rope tension snare and bass drums, fifes, drum sticks, a variety of hand drums and a variety of percussion accessories.  It's a great chat...and MORE!

Enjoy our latest episode of the Bottom of the Glass! It features a really cool interview with Tishka Musco, an incredible fifer and long-time member of the Fife and Drum family. We also get a visit from Kara Loyal. Even Uncle Jer stopped by! This program is ACTION PACKED!

Mark has traveled the world as Sargent Major of the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps among other great collaborations. He has performed for sitting Presidents, world dignitaries…even for the Pope! So whether it’s in Basel, Switzerland, Edinburgh Castle, the White House, the Vatican or a muster field in New England, Mark has secured his reputation as one of the best in the world of rudimental drumming.

Don't Miss this AWESOME discussion with Oliver Fischer on the eve of the Society of Rudimental Drummers' virtual international performance!  Oli is a legend and his take on rudimental drumming is GREAT!

Check out this jam-packed episode of the Bottom of the Glass. We’ll speak with Peter Emerick about the history, origins… and in some cases, the misunderstandings of songs that our corps have played over the years that may or may not be appropriate in the past or present. Then we’ll have a great chat with Scott and Corinne Mitchell about their involvement in fife and drum, as well as the present state and future of the Company of Fifers and Drummers. You don’t want to miss this! Enjoy!

Join us for our Westbrook Muster Edition of the Bottom of the Glass! We'll commiserate on the canceling of 2020's Westbrook Muster and we'll have a great discussion with Marc Bernier and Bill Hart. We even found ol' Uncle Jer for a quick chat. Check it out!

A great discussion with Brian Pentony and a few words about our good friend Marty Garrity.

We're all bummed that there is no Deep River Muster this year.  Let's all commemorate DRAM with this great podcast that features a great interview with Donnie Mason!

With a fascinating interview with David Nelson of the Charles W. Dickerson Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps.

A Great Interview with Dominick Cuccia.