DCI Finals - Final Thoughts

[jwillis35]

Well, another summer of drum corps has ended which means it's time to get back to things like band camp, finalizing class prep, and getting ready for another academic year. It also means the end of a wonderful season of drum and bugle corps. Overall, this was a very good summer of entertaining shows. The best since 2008, and I am not sure which I would put on top. Sometimes you have to take time to let things set it. Overall, it seems that DCI experienced bigger crowds this year, perhaps more new fan interest, and the Regional shows and Finals were well stocked with fans.

I was impressed with the crowd at DCI Finals. They really wanted to give it up for the corps, and at semi-finals and finals they DID! Every corps that performed got a rousing ovation when they finished. Some bigger than others, but every corps got one.

My favorite shows this year were:

1. Blue Devils - it took some time to let this sink in, but honestly this show just grabbed me from start to finish. The closing drill had some weaknesses, but overall I just loved the music, and the corps simply performs so well and so smooth.

2. The Cadets - they deserved to win, and what an incredible visual/musical design. In terms of total show design, this was the best show. The last half of this show is goosebumps!

3. Carolina Crown - They really caught me off guard at Finals. I knew the corps was smokin' good, and I had seen them in Akron, but their performance levels, the brass, the guard, the total show, the visual execution, all of that just grabbed me and by the close of their show I was hooked.

4. Phantom Regiment - These guys were stunning at times and the music was incredible. On many years this might be my top show, but there were some construction problems that also had me scratching my head. Overall it was a pleasure to watch them perform. Polished marching, powerful music and excellent musicianship, and a wonderful guard made this worth while.

5. Boston Crusaders - these guys were a real treat from day 1 this season. The show design was stellar. With a stronger brass and percussion section (and mind you their percussion and brass were very good), they might have been challenging for top 6.

So those were my top 5 favorites of the weekend, but I mostly enjoyed all the shows.

As for the caption awards at finals, I think things came out as expected. I would have had BD on top in visual ex as well as visual ensemble, but not by a margin that it would have changed the outcome. I just think that the Blue Devils technique was best displayed over all other corps, and their total ensemble movement is the best. Now the Cadets smoking everyone in the visual GE caption (as well as GE music) was deserved. That show flowed from A to Z better than any show. There was not one wasted step or musical note in their Angels and Demons show, hence the beauty of this beast, and the WIN on Saturday. Carolina Crown deserved brass, the Cavaliers deserved percussion (although BD was awesome), and BD clearly won guard.

As for placement, there were no changes and surprises throughout the weekend, but there probably didn't need to be. I, personally, would have had Bluecoats over SCV, Academy in 12th, Spirit in 13th, and Colts over Troopers but 1 slot behind Glassmen. I thought Carolina Crown was underscored and should have been closer to Cavaliers than to Phantom. Phantom was clearly in 5th with NO challengers from below. But those are just my opinions, all in all I think the judges probably got things right.

Largest Ovations

1. Phantom Regiment - they probably got the biggest, but it was hard to tell because every corps got a big ovation

2. Madison Scouts - very close to what Regiment got. Splitting hairs here.

3. Carolina Crown - big ovation here as well

4. Boston Crusaders - big big ovation for these guys. Well deserved!

5. Cavaliers - very big ovation for their visual monster of a show.

6. The Cadets - many people were on their feet after the push front in the middle of their show (after the pole fight). Then some fans were on their feet after Amazing Grace. Then the entire stadium was up after the arc-to-company front segment, before they closed out the show with that excellent, fast-paced drill. This ovation was more of a "ooh, aah, WOW" ovation.

Like I said, the crowd gave it up for everyone.

Things I like the most:

1. Music choices were mostly good. A few duds out there, but most of the corps programmed some great music.

2. Drill was more readable this year than in years past. Only a few corps had the clutter and lack of clarity in drill that ruins a show.

3. the performances over the weekend were incredible by the marching members. Some of the 13th - 16th place corps would have made DCI Finals on another year.

4. The city of Indianapolis. Yes, we have to be there for too many years in a row, and I still don't like DCI not spreading Finals around the country; but Indy is a wonderful town with much to do. We had a blast staying right in the city.

5. Lucas Oil Stadium, while not opening the roof, this is still one heck of a place. I still hate the sound, and I want the roof open (when possible), but all that aside this has to be one of the easiest stadiums to get into, to walk around, and when you need to take a break or grab a snack, this place is awesome. Wish my Cleveland Browns stadium was this nice.

Things I Dislike from this season and Finals:

1. Body posing and dancing (and not in the guard). The sheer amount of body movement, posing, and dancing around during the show has become a distraction and, IMO, completely ruins the effect of the show if over-used. Some corps completely over-used this technique. People want to see MARCHING!!!!!!!! If you spend too much time dancing or posing, the fans get easily distracted by other things like "what time is it," "where should we eat after the show," and stuff like that. There is only so much meaning and emotional effect that one can draw from some pose or body move that simply cannot be interpreted from way up in the stands. Not that anyone is trying to interpret these moves or poses, but if there are some who do, they are certainly confused by the subjectivity of such interpretation. And I REALLY hate when a corps marches some fairly nice drill, then hits a final form, but instead of holding that form (like a REAL VISUAL PROGRAM would) they soften it with a pose, perhaps so you don't see the imperfections in the form. Those are the worst poses. Every time I see that, which is WAY too much, I think "what a waste, I just got nothing from that and they just chickened out of holding a form." I'm not saying that some of this can't be done, but the frequency of these moves is really distracting and I believe a lot of shows are hurt by this. Yet, what we see are corps throwing these poses and body movements into the show seemingly anytime a judge says "you need some GE in this section." It's not instant GE, regardless of what these designers think. Please use it sparingly and wisely.

2. I still don't understand why we can't have the roof open in Lucas Oil Stadium when possible. All day Thursday and Friday would have been nice. Weather was perfect. WE, as fans, were told by DCI that this was one of the considerations for choosing Indianapolis. What does DCI do? They allow the corps directors to decide. Sorry DCI, we are the one's footing the bill on this event, not the directors or the corps. LISTEN TO THE FANS!!! I think we all would like to hear the sound in there when the roof is open. When possible, even if it's just one day, it would be a thrill and perhaps would help the sound. Please do not allow the tail to wag the dog. I don't want to hear about competitive advantages for those that get to perform with the roof open vs closed, and other director's concerns. I want to see you reacting to the fans concerns. This will help to bring even more fans to Finals. You experienced a wonderful summer. The corps took a cue from Michael Cesario, who initiated a challenge to the corps for more entertainment. This helped to rake in fans. Please look into the roof situation. Yes, we were all glad the roof was closed on finals night, but I think many are still confused about the policy on this when weather is perfect. Is it cost? Time? Local Laws? Stadium policy? Some info would be good.

3. Some music arrangers still tend to be choppy and lacking in development. There were many times that I heard bad phrasing, limited melody or thematic development followed by CHORD, bop bop bop, short snippet, CHORD! This is a recipe for show destruction and certainly for losing the audience. The biggest offenders of this had horrible music GE numbers. So maybe the judges are noticing. If you look at Phantom Regiment. Why do they get the crowd in such a frenzy? They play great music, they develop a phrase, and the music is arranged to max out the talents of the members. Mostly, they DEVELOP their ideas!! They don't spot check, walk over phrases, or try to bombard the listener with more ideas than one can comprehend in 12+ minutes. They find logical and truly climactic phrase points. Madison, The Cadets, Blue Devils, and Boston also did this well and their shows benefited from excellent arranging. So while entertainment was up, there are still too many corps that need improvements in this area.

Congratulations to all the corps for their seasons and mostly for the excellent performances given by the members. Some shows were fantastic, some were good, and some left me flat. On any given year this is how it will always be, even with a call to be entertaining. We all like different things. We all value different things. In my opinion there were some duds out there this year, some corps that lost their identity or those that simply aren't sure what they should be. Some corps found their identity, and some created a new one. Above all, it's never easy to create a show that is entertaining, logical, artistic, and competitive. I truly appreciate the effort that goes into this process and I really appreciate the level of teaching taking place. This was the best time I have had at Finals since 2008, maybe since 2000.

Edited August 15, 2011 by jwillis35

[garfield]

Well, another summer of drum corps has ended which means it's time to get back to things like band camp, finalizing class prep, and getting ready for another academic year. It also means the end of a wonderful season of drum and bugle corps. Overall, this was a very good summer of entertaining shows. The best since 2008, and I am not sure which I would put on top. Sometimes you have to take time to let things set it. Overall, it seems that DCI experienced bigger crowds this year, perhaps more new fan interest, and the Regional shows and Finals were well stocked with fans.

I was impressed with the crowd at DCI Finals. They really wanted to give it up for the corps, and at semi-finals and finals they DID! Every corps that performed got a rousing ovation when they finished. Some bigger than others, but every corps got one.

My favorite shows this year were:

1. Blue Devils - it took some time to let this sink in, but honestly this show just grabbed me from start to finish. The closing drill had some weaknesses, but overall I just loved the music, and the corps simply performs so well and so smooth.

2. The Cadets - they deserved to win, and what an incredible visual/musical design. In terms of total show design, this was the best show. The last half of this show is goosebumps!

3. Carolina Crown - They really caught me off guard at Finals. I knew the corps was smokin' good, and I had seen them in Akron, but their performance levels, the brass, the guard, the total show, the visual execution, all of that just grabbed me and by the close of their show I was hooked.

4. Phantom Regiment - These guys were stunning at times and the music was incredible. On many years this might be my top show, but there were some construction problems that also had me scratching my head. Overall it was a pleasure to watch them perform. Polished marching, powerful music and excellent musicianship, and a wonderful guard made this worth while.

5. Boston Crusaders - these guys were a real treat from day 1 this season. The show design was stellar. With a stronger brass and percussion section (and mind you their percussion and brass were very good), they might have been challenging for top 6.

So those were my top 5 favorites of the weekend, but I mostly enjoyed all the shows.

As for the caption awards at finals, I think things came out as expected. I would have had BD on top in visual ex as well as visual ensemble, but not by a margin that it would have changed the outcome. I just think that the Blue Devils technique was best displayed over all other corps, and their total ensemble movement is the best. Now the Cadets smoking everyone in the visual GE caption (as well as GE music) was deserved. That show flowed from A to Z better than any show. There was not one wasted step or musical note in their Angels and Demons show, hence the beauty of this beast, and the WIN on Saturday. Carolina Crown deserved brass, the Cavaliers deserved percussion (although BD was awesome), and BD clearly won guard.

As for placement, there were no changes and surprises throughout the weekend, but there probably didn't need to be. I, personally, would have had Bluecoats over SCV, Academy in 12th, Spirit in 13th, and Colts over Troopers but 1 slot behind Glassmen. I thought Carolina Crown was underscored and should have been closer to Cavaliers than to Phantom. Phantom was clearly in 5th with NO challengers from below. But those are just my opinions, all in all I think the judges probably got things right.

Largest Ovations

1. Phantom Regiment - they probably got the biggest, but it was hard to tell because every corps got a big ovation

2. Madison Scouts - very close to what Regiment got. Splitting hairs here.

3. Carolina Crown - big ovation here as well

4. Boston Crusaders - big big ovation for these guys. Well deserved!

5. Cavaliers - very big ovation for their visual monster of a show.

6. The Cadets - many people were on their feet after the push front in the middle of their show (after the pole fight). Then some fans were on their feet after Amazing Grace. Then the entire stadium was up after the arc-to-company front segment, before they closed out the show with that excellent, fast-paced drill. This ovation was more of a "ooh, aah, WOW" ovation.

Like I said, the crowd gave it up for everyone.

Things I like the most:

1. Music choices were mostly good. A few duds out there, but most of the corps programmed some great music.

2. Drill was more readable this year than in years past. Only a few corps had the clutter and lack of clarity in drill that ruins a show.

3. the performances over the weekend were incredible by the marching members. Some of the 13th - 16th place corps would have made DCI Finals on another year.

4. The city of Indianapolis. Yes, we have to be there for too many years in a row, and I still don't like DCI not spreading Finals around the country; but Indy is a wonderful town with much to do. We had a blast staying right in the city.

5. Lucas Oil Stadium, while not opening the roof, this is still one heck of a place. I still hate the sound, and I want the roof open (when possible), but all that aside this has to be one of the easiest stadiums to get into, to walk around, and when you need to take a break or grab a snack, this place is awesome. Wish my Cleveland Browns stadium was this nice.

Things I Dislike from this season and Finals:

1. Body posing and dancing (and not in the guard). The sheer amount of body movement, posing, and dancing around during the show has become a distraction and, IMO, completely ruins the effect of the show if over-used. Some corps completely over-used this technique. People want to see MARCHING!!!!!!!! If you spend too much time dancing or posing, the fans get easily distracted by other things like "what time is it," "where should we eat after the show," and stuff like that. There is only so much meaning and emotional effect that one can draw from some pose or body move that simply cannot be interpreted from way up in the stands. Not that anyone is trying to interpret these moves or poses, but if there are some who do, they are certainly confused by the subjectivity of such interpretation. And I REALLY hate when a corps marches some fairly nice drill, then hits a final form, but instead of holding that form (like a REAL VISUAL PROGRAM would) they soften it with a pose, perhaps so you don't see the imperfections in the form. Those are the worst poses. Every time I see that, which is WAY too much, I think "what a waste, I just got nothing from that and they just chickened out of holding a form." I'm not saying that some of this can't be done, but the frequency of these moves is really distracting and I believe a lot of shows are hurt by this. Yet, what we see are corps throwing these poses and body movements into the show seemingly anytime a judge says "you need some GE in this section." It's not instant GE, regardless of what these designers think. Please use it sparingly and wisely.

2. I still don't understand why we can't have the roof open in Lucas Oil Stadium when possible. All day Thursday and Friday would have been nice. Weather was perfect. WE, as fans, were told by DCI that this was one of the considerations for choosing Indianapolis. What does DCI do? They allow the corps directors to decide. Sorry DCI, we are the one's footing the bill on this event, not the directors or the corps. LISTEN TO THE FANS!!! I think we all would like to hear the sound in there when the roof is open. When possible, even if it's just one day, it would be a thrill and perhaps would help the sound. Please do not allow the tail to wag the dog. I don't want to hear about competitive advantages for those that get to perform with the roof open vs closed, and other director's concerns. I want to see you reacting to the fans concerns. This will help to bring even more fans to Finals. You experienced a wonderful summer. The corps took a cue from Michael Cesario, who initiated a challenge to the corps for more entertainment. This helped to rake in fans. Please look into the roof situation. Yes, we were all glad the roof was closed on finals night, but I think many are still confused about the policy on this when weather is perfect. Is it cost? Time? Local Laws? Stadium policy? Some info would be good.

3. Some music arrangers still tend to be choppy and lacking in development. There were many times that I heard bad phrasing, limited melody or thematic development followed by CHORD, bop bop bop, short snippet, CHORD! This is a recipe for show destruction and certainly for losing the audience. The biggest offenders of this had horrible music GE numbers. So maybe the judges are noticing. If you look at Phantom Regiment. Why do they get the crowd in such a frenzy? They play great music, they develop a phrase, and the music is arranged to max out the talents of the members. Mostly, they DEVELOP their ideas!! They don't spot check, walk over phrases, or try to bombard the listener with more ideas than one can comprehend in 12+ minutes. They find logical and truly climactic phrase points. Madison, The Cadets, Blue Devils, and Boston also did this well and their shows benefited from excellent arranging. So while entertainment was up, there are still too many corps that need improvements in this area.

Congratulations to all the corps for their seasons and mostly for the excellent performances given by the members. Some shows were fantastic, some were good, and some left me flat. On any given year this is how it will always be, even with a call to be entertaining. We all like different things. We all value different things. In my opinion there were some duds out there this year, some corps that lost their identity or those that simply aren't sure what they should be. Some corps found their identity, and some created a new one. Above all, it's never easy to create a show that is entertaining, logical, artistic, and competitive. I truly appreciate the effort that goes into this process and I really appreciate the level of teaching taking place. This was the best time I have had at Finals since 2008, maybe since 2000.

JW, I don't usually read long posts but yours had me captivated to the end. It was especially nice to read an opinion piece versus a disgruntled couch-judge rant. Your views, especially re: the roof and opinion of the stadium match mine to a tee. We disagree about BD visual, but I was impressed by them to the same degree you were impressed by Cadets. In the end it was splitting hairs.

Thanks for your comments.

[TexasPRfan]

What an outstanding synopsis of Finals and the season. I don't even know why I bothered to write anything - you said it all!

Maybe you could message me & fill me in on the construction issues you saw with Phantom? With my PR blinders on I didn't see them, but would love to hear what you saw.

Harvey

[BRASSO]

A lot of us for one reason or another could not attend Finals Week. This well written and interesting to read comprehensive review was the next best thing to that. It was neat to learn how fans like yourself reacted to the shows, as well as your observations as to how others around you seemed to respond to the shows as well. Thanks for that.

Edited August 15, 2011 by BRASSO

[emc2]

Well, another summer of drum corps has ended which means it's time to get back to things like band camp, finalizing class prep, and getting ready for another academic year. It also means the end of a wonderful season of drum and bugle corps. Overall, this was a very good summer of entertaining shows. The best since 2008, and I am not sure which I would put on top. Sometimes you have to take time to let things set it. Overall, it seems that DCI experienced bigger crowds this year, perhaps more new fan interest, and the Regional shows and Finals were well stocked with fans.

I was impressed with the crowd at DCI Finals. They really wanted to give it up for the corps, and at semi-finals and finals they DID! Every corps that performed got a rousing ovation when they finished. Some bigger than others, but every corps got one.

My favorite shows this year were:

1. Blue Devils - it took some time to let this sink in, but honestly this show just grabbed me from start to finish. The closing drill had some weaknesses, but overall I just loved the music, and the corps simply performs so well and so smooth.

2. The Cadets - they deserved to win, and what an incredible visual/musical design. In terms of total show design, this was the best show. The last half of this show is goosebumps!

3. Carolina Crown - They really caught me off guard at Finals. I knew the corps was smokin' good, and I had seen them in Akron, but their performance levels, the brass, the guard, the total show, the visual execution, all of that just grabbed me and by the close of their show I was hooked.

4. Phantom Regiment - These guys were stunning at times and the music was incredible. On many years this might be my top show, but there were some construction problems that also had me scratching my head. Overall it was a pleasure to watch them perform. Polished marching, powerful music and excellent musicianship, and a wonderful guard made this worth while.

5. Boston Crusaders - these guys were a real treat from day 1 this season. The show design was stellar. With a stronger brass and percussion section (and mind you their percussion and brass were very good), they might have been challenging for top 6.

So those were my top 5 favorites of the weekend, but I mostly enjoyed all the shows.

As for the caption awards at finals, I think things came out as expected. I would have had BD on top in visual ex as well as visual ensemble, but not by a margin that it would have changed the outcome. I just think that the Blue Devils technique was best displayed over all other corps, and their total ensemble movement is the best. Now the Cadets smoking everyone in the visual GE caption (as well as GE music) was deserved. That show flowed from A to Z better than any show. There was not one wasted step or musical note in their Angels and Demons show, hence the beauty of this beast, and the WIN on Saturday. Carolina Crown deserved brass, the Cavaliers deserved percussion (although BD was awesome), and BD clearly won guard.

As for placement, there were no changes and surprises throughout the weekend, but there probably didn't need to be. I, personally, would have had Bluecoats over SCV, Academy in 12th, Spirit in 13th, and Colts over Troopers but 1 slot behind Glassmen. I thought Carolina Crown was underscored and should have been closer to Cavaliers than to Phantom. Phantom was clearly in 5th with NO challengers from below. But those are just my opinions, all in all I think the judges probably got things right.

Largest Ovations

1. Phantom Regiment - they probably got the biggest, but it was hard to tell because every corps got a big ovation

2. Madison Scouts - very close to what Regiment got. Splitting hairs here.

3. Carolina Crown - big ovation here as well

4. Boston Crusaders - big big ovation for these guys. Well deserved!

5. Cavaliers - very big ovation for their visual monster of a show.

6. The Cadets - many people were on their feet after the push front in the middle of their show (after the pole fight). Then some fans were on their feet after Amazing Grace. Then the entire stadium was up after the arc-to-company front segment, before they closed out the show with that excellent, fast-paced drill. This ovation was more of a "ooh, aah, WOW" ovation.

Like I said, the crowd gave it up for everyone.

Things I like the most:

1. Music choices were mostly good. A few duds out there, but most of the corps programmed some great music.

2. Drill was more readable this year than in years past. Only a few corps had the clutter and lack of clarity in drill that ruins a show.

3. the performances over the weekend were incredible by the marching members. Some of the 13th - 16th place corps would have made DCI Finals on another year.

4. The city of Indianapolis. Yes, we have to be there for too many years in a row, and I still don't like DCI not spreading Finals around the country; but Indy is a wonderful town with much to do. We had a blast staying right in the city.

5. Lucas Oil Stadium, while not opening the roof, this is still one heck of a place. I still hate the sound, and I want the roof open (when possible), but all that aside this has to be one of the easiest stadiums to get into, to walk around, and when you need to take a break or grab a snack, this place is awesome. Wish my Cleveland Browns stadium was this nice.

Things I Dislike from this season and Finals:

1. Body posing and dancing (and not in the guard). The sheer amount of body movement, posing, and dancing around during the show has become a distraction and, IMO, completely ruins the effect of the show if over-used. Some corps completely over-used this technique. People want to see MARCHING!!!!!!!! If you spend too much time dancing or posing, the fans get easily distracted by other things like "what time is it," "where should we eat after the show," and stuff like that. There is only so much meaning and emotional effect that one can draw from some pose or body move that simply cannot be interpreted from way up in the stands. Not that anyone is trying to interpret these moves or poses, but if there are some who do, they are certainly confused by the subjectivity of such interpretation. And I REALLY hate when a corps marches some fairly nice drill, then hits a final form, but instead of holding that form (like a REAL VISUAL PROGRAM would) they soften it with a pose, perhaps so you don't see the imperfections in the form. Those are the worst poses. Every time I see that, which is WAY too much, I think "what a waste, I just got nothing from that and they just chickened out of holding a form." I'm not saying that some of this can't be done, but the frequency of these moves is really distracting and I believe a lot of shows are hurt by this. Yet, what we see are corps throwing these poses and body movements into the show seemingly anytime a judge says "you need some GE in this section." It's not instant GE, regardless of what these designers think. Please use it sparingly and wisely.

2. I still don't understand why we can't have the roof open in Lucas Oil Stadium when possible. All day Thursday and Friday would have been nice. Weather was perfect. WE, as fans, were told by DCI that this was one of the considerations for choosing Indianapolis. What does DCI do? They allow the corps directors to decide. Sorry DCI, we are the one's footing the bill on this event, not the directors or the corps. LISTEN TO THE FANS!!! I think we all would like to hear the sound in there when the roof is open. When possible, even if it's just one day, it would be a thrill and perhaps would help the sound. Please do not allow the tail to wag the dog. I don't want to hear about competitive advantages for those that get to perform with the roof open vs closed, and other director's concerns. I want to see you reacting to the fans concerns. This will help to bring even more fans to Finals. You experienced a wonderful summer. The corps took a cue from Michael Cesario, who initiated a challenge to the corps for more entertainment. This helped to rake in fans. Please look into the roof situation. Yes, we were all glad the roof was closed on finals night, but I think many are still confused about the policy on this when weather is perfect. Is it cost? Time? Local Laws? Stadium policy? Some info would be good.

3. Some music arrangers still tend to be choppy and lacking in development. There were many times that I heard bad phrasing, limited melody or thematic development followed by CHORD, bop bop bop, short snippet, CHORD! This is a recipe for show destruction and certainly for losing the audience. The biggest offenders of this had horrible music GE numbers. So maybe the judges are noticing. If you look at Phantom Regiment. Why do they get the crowd in such a frenzy? They play great music, they develop a phrase, and the music is arranged to max out the talents of the members. Mostly, they DEVELOP their ideas!! They don't spot check, walk over phrases, or try to bombard the listener with more ideas than one can comprehend in 12+ minutes. They find logical and truly climactic phrase points. Madison, The Cadets, Blue Devils, and Boston also did this well and their shows benefited from excellent arranging. So while entertainment was up, there are still too many corps that need improvements in this area.

Congratulations to all the corps for their seasons and mostly for the excellent performances given by the members. Some shows were fantastic, some were good, and some left me flat. On any given year this is how it will always be, even with a call to be entertaining. We all like different things. We all value different things. In my opinion there were some duds out there this year, some corps that lost their identity or those that simply aren't sure what they should be. Some corps found their identity, and some created a new one. Above all, it's never easy to create a show that is entertaining, logical, artistic, and competitive. I truly appreciate the effort that goes into this process and I really appreciate the level of teaching taking place. This was the best time I have had at Finals since 2008, maybe since 2000.

Thanks J. Good review as it has been all through out this year. Good luck in band camp a lot of good material this year to show the kids.

[Jeff Ream]

Good stuff as always.

However opening the roof won't solve anything because of the huge windows on each end

[jwillis35]

What an outstanding synopsis of Finals and the season. I don't even know why I bothered to write anything - you said it all!

Maybe you could message me & fill me in on the construction issues you saw with Phantom? With my PR blinders on I didn't see them, but would love to hear what you saw.

Harvey

Well thanks, but I'm glad you wrote a review. Yours was more thorough and you reviewed each of the corps. I just tried to lay down some over-arching thoughts about the weekend.

As for Phantom Regiment, trust me I loved the show. Here in the 2000s they have played the best music overall for my taste. And their repertoire this year was as good as anyone's. I am glad to hear that Jamie Thompson is back writing drill, too. I guess visually I feel they do some odd things. I have always thought some of the visual moves that I find to be odd are caused by the judges critiques of them. For instance, this year in Elsa's Procession, when they hit the split company front, and you're already getting goosebumps and ready to jump, then they push it diagonally to meet in the middle, and now you're really ready to jump out of your seat, and instead of pushing that front forward, they go into a series of double-tempo moves that, to me, don't make sense with Elsa's (at least not the way the music is scored).

I realize the crowd went bazzerk for them anyway, and I did too, but it was somewhat forced. At quarters and semis those double-tempo moves stalled things a little until they hit the final form. It's stuff like that, and I really believe that sometimes it's the judges comments that cause them to alter their show for the sake of demand. It's odd, too, because BD seems to get credit for their drill (which I think is beautiful), but when Phantom leaves their drill nice and beautiful they have to change it to look more like the Cadets and Cavaliers. Whatever it is, there are some odd visual transitions that I think hinder what could be an even more amazing production.

It's mostly being knit-picky. Overall, Phantom was one of my top 4 shows and for good reason. Thank GOD for Phantom and their ability to put together a music score. That alone was worth the price of admission. :-)

Edited August 15, 2011 by jwillis35