GREG LAGOLA

Class of 2012

INSTRUCTOR / COSTUME DESIGNER / CHOREOGRAPHER / MENTOR

Instructor (24 seasons):

Cadet Years: Guard Instructor (1989-1991)

Costume Designer (1995-1997)

Choreographer (1997-2015)

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIS CADET STORY:

Greg has had an almost life-long admiration and obsession with Drum Corps and color guard since he was a kid back in Pottsville PA.  There was a local Drum Corps in the next town over called the Belvederes and he would watch them in amazement as they performed their field show at the high school stadium for the fourth of July celebrations.  He knew then that somehow, he was going to participate in Drum Corps, but he had no idea how that dream would come to pass.

Eventually, Greg began his career in color guard in 1980 while attending Penn State University.  It was there that he discovered and auditioned for Penn State’s winter guard, known as Syndicate at the time, and performed for three seasons, attending WGI in 1983 - the first time the championships were held in Dayton.  From there, he began to meet others with the same passion for the marching arts and developed life-long friendships.  He also spent that Summer after receiving his BA.  From Penn State marching with the Westshoremen senior Corps (his first experience performing on a field).

In 1984, Greg moved to New York City to pursue a degree and career in fashion, graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1985.  He went on to work at Liz Claiborne from there and has held numerous design positions over the next 35+ years, culminating in the launch of his own demi-couture women’s collection called Gregory Joseph in early 2020.

That first Summer after the move, he still was anxious to keep performing so he joined the Sunrisers senior Corps in 1985 (marching with Jeff Sacktig who was still a member there at the time!).  From there, and over the next couple of years, he met George Zingali, Marc Sylvester, and Jerry Corradino who would sometimes pop into Sunrisers to help out at the end of the season. One thing led to another, and late in 1988, he got a call to see if he was interested in teaching the Cadets for the 1989 season.  At first, he declined (as painful as it was to turn down a position like that with his absolute favorite Corps!  April Gilligan tells the story best as to how he was called back), but career choices and time commitments were pulling him in many directions.  In the end, however, he was able to work it out through long weekends and vacation time to still teach and participate.  It was a dream come true.

Greg choreographed for the guard in 1989 and 1990, (with a guest appearance in 1991), but then had to leave the Corps to concentrate on some new opportunities with his fashion career.  In 1995, he returned to design the costumes (at the urging of Marc Sylvester) and remained the costume designer for the guard until 1997 when he started to choreograph again, remaining in that position continuously from 1997 through 2015.

In total, Greg spent 24 seasons with the Cadets in one capacity or another and enjoyed celebrating five DCI world championships with the Corps and is intensely proud of his experience and eventual induction into the Cadets HOF in 2012!

Currently, Greg is on design staff at the Bluecoats, joining them in 2013.

Greg makes his home in New York City with his husband Joseph La Corte (a fan of Drum Corps!), and the 2022 season will mark his 36th year in Drum Corps.