Episode 54: Program Showcase Fusion Winter Guard

Uh, how did Fusion originate? So, like, who started it?

Well, Fusion was started way back in 1990 by a man named Ed Bopp.

But the color guard goes even further back than that.

There ...

Before there was Fusion, there was the Colonial Brigade, which was started in 1975, also by Ed Bopp.

And he saw that program all the way through.

And by the time the '90s came around, his daughter was involved in the program.

This ...

A very, very, very family-oriented program.

And they were embarking on a new style for their show.

You know, with a lot of the change and evolution of the activity in the early '90s, they also wanted to be a part of that.

And they had a jazz themed, funky, fun show coming up, and they didn't wanna come out with their previous name.

So the name Fusion was chosen because of the simple meaning of the joining of two or more things together to form a single entity.

And they saw that as, you know, who they are, were as a color guard.

They saw that in the soundtrack they were about to perform to in the 90, the 1990s for their first show of the color guard's existence.

So yeah, Ed Bopp is the man of the program.

He still hangs out with us all the time.

It's always great to see him come around and be a part of the program, get to see where it's gone from way back when to just yesterday.

And we love the Bopp family so much for bringing this program out in Jersey and keeping it around this whole time.

I love that he's still involved.

That's awesome.

Yeah.

We love Ed Bopp.

He, he, he's a, he's a great guy.

And, you know, you'll always catch him at ...