History of the Seattle Cascades
HISTORY OF THE SEATTLE CASCADES
Roderick Stubbs
Roderick Stubbs started out as a fourth grade horn player in Nyssa, Oregon.
He played in Clarkston High School Band, along with town bands such as Leviston
Senior, and Leviston Symphony Orchestra. His interest was always in marching band
and athletics. His high involvement in the making of the Seattle Cascades Drum and
Bugle Corps started with Jack Avery, a World War II veteran. Avery had experience
with drum corps, and Mr. Stubbs picked it up and helped the Cascades along while
he was principal of Woodrow Wilson Junior High.
He now instructs the Echo Lake Prep Guard, working with fifth and sixth
graders from Echo Lake Elementary. He is still going strong at 83.
From 1958 on
In 1958 there was a major drum corps movement at Woodrow Wilson High
School in North Seattle. Shoreline School District was a part of this movement. At
this time, the boundaries of Shoreline were 85th Street to the Snohomish County
Line, which included Woodrow Wilson. The first instructors of the Corps were Jack
Avery with the horns, Mike Stephanavich with the drums, and Rod Stubbs as the
manager, founder, and colorguard instructor. They recruited Shoreline and North
Seattle kids for the Cascades "A" Corps.
In 1961, Rod Stubbs became involved in creating a "B" Corps. He helped
high school kids interested in drum corps raise money. Their funds came through
school support and activities, such as dances, candy sales, paper drives, and recycling.
They also recieved support from Fletcher Daniels Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Star
Southern American Legion Post.
In 1965, the "A" and "B" operations separated into two corps. The "A"
corps were the Thunderbirds, who later folded. The "B" corps, however, was very
successful. They turned out to be the first generation of the Seattle Cascades.
Rod Stubbs and his family incorporated a non-profit organization.
Membership help was given by Clemwell MacKenzie, music supervisor of the
Shoreline School District. The "B" corps grew, and became the Seattle Cascades
Drum and Bugle Corps. Practices were held at Shorline High. Only the colorguard
still had practice in the gym of Woodrow Wilson. They had use of the choral room for
the horns, the cafeteria for the drums, and the theatre room for sectionals. Soon, they
had high school and college age kids from Shoreline Junior and Senior High Schools,
and from all over North Seattle in the Corps.
When Walter Barnham, a strong supporter of the Corps, took over as music
supervisor, the Corps flourished in recruitment. He had played in the Hurricanes, a
senior drum corps of the University American Leagion Post.
Various instructors were hired to staff the Seattle Cascades. Early horn
instructors were Curtis Caroll, Nick Moore, Dave Barduhn, Matt Harshman, Fred
Latchaw, Jim Sleator, and Paul Rowan. Garth Stubbs, Jim Sleator, and Paul Rowan
taught the drumline from early in the beginning up to the current year. The
colorguard was taught by Rod Stubbs, with help over the years from people like
Jennifer Bell, Suzanne Sexton, Karen Kosciolek, Connie Rockman, Gayle Cole,
Karen Ronald, Mary Slate, Cheryl Garcia, Eric Hall, Robert Onishi, Steve Sugar,
Andy Cross, and Eric Burnhardt. Most instructors were former Cascades.
The colorguard at one time consisted of seven Cascade sponsored teams. Some
of the guards were Shoreline High, and Woodrow Wilson, Whitman, Thomsen, and
Marysville Junior Highs. In addition, there were also two Monroe Junior High teams.
In 1961, a colorguard circuit made up of the Cascades and teams from
Oregon, Montana, British Columbia, and other Washington teams was formed by
Rod Stubbs at the time he was the principal at Woodrow Wilson Junior High. The
first colorguard contest was held in a large airplane hangar at Sandpoint Naval Base.
Soon the Corp became too large for the Stubbs family to subsidize and
finance. In 1978 the Stubbs family applied for a bingo license, meaning that the
Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps and associated colorguards had to become a
parent-booster club operation. The first parent board consisted of PTA board
members at Monroe Junior High, where Stubbs had been transferred from Woodrow
Wilson. The Corps officially added "Seattle" to its name because it was made up of
the North Seattle and Shoreline kids. The first bingo operation was run at Fletcher
Daniels VFW Hall, located just North of Green Lake. This location became too small
to hold the many players, and the game was moved to Shoreline, next to the current
post office on 15th Avenue NE.
Because of the lack of parking, the bingo game moved again, to its present
location. (16325 5th Ave. NE). The hall sits just accross the street from the the Crest
movie theatre, and provides weekend parking the the Crest. The Cascades Bingo
Hall is the main source of revenue for the Cascades.
The Corps and colorguard became a success. It's colorguard won National
championships in American Legion and VFW contests. Some of their highest honors
were two firsts, second, third and fourth places, with State championships won at
various times. The Corps won a National Judges Association Contest in Sacremento,
California. Many trophies and awards were also won in parades throughout the
Northwest. The Corps has been a strong community program since the World's Fair
in 1962 and up to the present day.
Hundreds of drum corps kids throughout the United States molded their life
around what they love. Several youth members have made music a career, and their
experience with the Corps helped them reach their goal. Many of the Cascades
members later became band instructors such as Paul Rown and Jim Sleator.
Chris Harshman is an excellent example. He marched with the Cascades, along
with his two brothers, Matt and Paul Harshman. He went on from there to earn his
music degree, and now teaches band at Kellogg Middle School. The Kellogg Middle
School Wind Ensemble was recently invited to play at the All Northwest Music
Educators Conference.
Others who marched with the Corps were also able to put their experience to
use, people such as Woody Peirce, a professional drummer, and Phil Madden, who
has spent many years as a DCI judge, and Dave Barduhn is the Director of Music at
Mount Hood College.
Roderick Stubbs
Roderick Stubbs started out as a fourth grade horn player in Nyssa, Oregon.
He played in Clarkston High School Band, along with town bands such as Leviston
Senior, and Leviston Symphony Orchestra. His interest was always in marching band
and athletics. His high involvement in the making of the Seattle Cascades Drum and
Bugle Corps started with Jack Avery, a World War II veteran. Avery had experience
with drum corps, and Mr. Stubbs picked it up and helped the Cascades along while
he was principal of Woodrow Wilson Junior High.
He now instructs the Echo Lake Prep Guard, working with fifth and sixth
graders from Echo Lake Elementary. He is still going strong at 83.
From 1958 on
In 1958 there was a major drum corps movement at Woodrow Wilson High
School in North Seattle. Shoreline School District was a part of this movement. At
this time, the boundaries of Shoreline were 85th Street to the Snohomish County
Line, which included Woodrow Wilson. The first instructors of the Corps were Jack
Avery with the horns, Mike Stephanavich with the drums, and Rod Stubbs as the
manager, founder, and colorguard instructor. They recruited Shoreline and North
Seattle kids for the Cascades "A" Corps.
In 1961, Rod Stubbs became involved in creating a "B" Corps. He helped
high school kids interested in drum corps raise money. Their funds came through
school support and activities, such as dances, candy sales, paper drives, and recycling.
They also recieved support from Fletcher Daniels Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Star
Southern American Legion Post.
In 1965, the "A" and "B" operations separated into two corps. The "A"
corps were the Thunderbirds, who later folded. The "B" corps, however, was very
successful. They turned out to be the first generation of the Seattle Cascades.
Rod Stubbs and his family incorporated a non-profit organization.
Membership help was given by Clemwell MacKenzie, music supervisor of the
Shoreline School District. The "B" corps grew, and became the Seattle Cascades
Drum and Bugle Corps. Practices were held at Shorline High. Only the colorguard
still had practice in the gym of Woodrow Wilson. They had use of the choral room for
the horns, the cafeteria for the drums, and the theatre room for sectionals. Soon, they
had high school and college age kids from Shoreline Junior and Senior High Schools,
and from all over North Seattle in the Corps.
When Walter Barnham, a strong supporter of the Corps, took over as music
supervisor, the Corps flourished in recruitment. He had played in the Hurricanes, a
senior drum corps of the University American Leagion Post.
Various instructors were hired to staff the Seattle Cascades. Early horn
instructors were Curtis Caroll, Nick Moore, Dave Barduhn, Matt Harshman, Fred
Latchaw, Jim Sleator, and Paul Rowan. Garth Stubbs, Jim Sleator, and Paul Rowan
taught the drumline from early in the beginning up to the current year. The
colorguard was taught by Rod Stubbs, with help over the years from people like
Jennifer Bell, Suzanne Sexton, Karen Kosciolek, Connie Rockman, Gayle Cole,
Karen Ronald, Mary Slate, Cheryl Garcia, Eric Hall, Robert Onishi, Steve Sugar,
Andy Cross, and Eric Burnhardt. Most instructors were former Cascades.
The colorguard at one time consisted of seven Cascade sponsored teams. Some
of the guards were Shoreline High, and Woodrow Wilson, Whitman, Thomsen, and
Marysville Junior Highs. In addition, there were also two Monroe Junior High teams.
In 1961, a colorguard circuit made up of the Cascades and teams from
Oregon, Montana, British Columbia, and other Washington teams was formed by
Rod Stubbs at the time he was the principal at Woodrow Wilson Junior High. The
first colorguard contest was held in a large airplane hangar at Sandpoint Naval Base.
Soon the Corp became too large for the Stubbs family to subsidize and
finance. In 1978 the Stubbs family applied for a bingo license, meaning that the
Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps and associated colorguards had to become a
parent-booster club operation. The first parent board consisted of PTA board
members at Monroe Junior High, where Stubbs had been transferred from Woodrow
Wilson. The Corps officially added "Seattle" to its name because it was made up of
the North Seattle and Shoreline kids. The first bingo operation was run at Fletcher
Daniels VFW Hall, located just North of Green Lake. This location became too small
to hold the many players, and the game was moved to Shoreline, next to the current
post office on 15th Avenue NE.
Because of the lack of parking, the bingo game moved again, to its present
location. (16325 5th Ave. NE). The hall sits just accross the street from the the Crest
movie theatre, and provides weekend parking the the Crest. The Cascades Bingo
Hall is the main source of revenue for the Cascades.
The Corps and colorguard became a success. It's colorguard won National
championships in American Legion and VFW contests. Some of their highest honors
were two firsts, second, third and fourth places, with State championships won at
various times. The Corps won a National Judges Association Contest in Sacremento,
California. Many trophies and awards were also won in parades throughout the
Northwest. The Corps has been a strong community program since the World's Fair
in 1962 and up to the present day.
Hundreds of drum corps kids throughout the United States molded their life
around what they love. Several youth members have made music a career, and their
experience with the Corps helped them reach their goal. Many of the Cascades
members later became band instructors such as Paul Rown and Jim Sleator.
Chris Harshman is an excellent example. He marched with the Cascades, along
with his two brothers, Matt and Paul Harshman. He went on from there to earn his
music degree, and now teaches band at Kellogg Middle School. The Kellogg Middle
School Wind Ensemble was recently invited to play at the All Northwest Music
Educators Conference.
Others who marched with the Corps were also able to put their experience to
use, people such as Woody Peirce, a professional drummer, and Phil Madden, who
has spent many years as a DCI judge, and Dave Barduhn is the Director of Music at
Mount Hood College.