It is our good fortune today to hear from our Keynote Speaker, Geoffrey Jones,
who will be addressing this year's Symposium theme, "Fanfare for the Common."

Geoff Jones (a pseudonym), is a marketing director for a national not-for-profit
organization, and edits the online pageantry site Field&Floor. He has been
involved with the venture since its print beginning in 1996, and with its web
presence since April of this year. Though life did not offer Mr. Jones the chance
to become a member of a drum and bugle corps, a library of audio and video
performances became his education. In addition, he has managed to attend 10-15
shows each summer for the last 29 years, despite "living in a drum and bugle
corps desert."

Geoff credits viewing "Here Come the Troopers" as his first "Goosebumps
moment, i.e. hook," to the pageantry world of drum and bugle corps. His first live
experience was in Lexington, Kentucky at "Bluegrass Nationals" where his
devotion was won by the likes of the Kilties, Des Plaines Vanguard, 27th Lancers,
Blue Stars, Madison Scouts, Charioteers, and Anaheim Kingsmen. Color guard
came into the picture in the late 70s, as did a variety of local volunteer stints with
both drum and bugle corps and color guard, giving him a look "behind the scenes"
of the two organizations.

In April 1996 the first issue of Field&Floor was published and distributed to
"everyone we could get an address for in the activity." Offering "commentary that
was both damning and rewarding," the mission of the self-styled "rag" was to be
the eyes of the fan in the stands, and serve as a link to the history of color guard.
Drum and bugle corps commentary followed in May of 1996, as did requests for
the free publication. When Field&Floor ceased publication five years later, it
enjoyed a readership of thousands of pageantry fans and was "annoying pretty
much all of the pageantry leadership." In April of this year it reappeared as a web
site.

As Mr. Jones comments: "We're not picky, we just enjoy all of this pageantry
stuff for the things we can find no other place in the world. To that end, we salute
color guard and drum and bugle corps that exhibit excellence in performance
while honoring the historic tenants of their founding fathers. We know from
whence we came.  It is in that history, it is in that commonality, that the future
success of our favorite forms of pageantry will come."

Please join me in welcoming Geoffrey Jones.

    Source: geocities.com/marchingresearch