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I had a great Friday and Saturday. When you're doing something with corps, you feel alive, and I felt that way the last 2 days.

Went to Malvern and spent a couple of hours helping Heartliner. I'm hoping we get a good Bridgeport and Pennsauken review, if people want, I can tell you about the show if necessary. It was a great experience.

It cooled off nicely out here. Every corps had pressure, a goal to reach tonight. The Class A teams wanted a strong number. The White Sabres wanted to get off that 80 point schneid badly. They'd been improving. It had to be aggravating.

Shenandoah Sound looked to get a solid product on the field. Excelsior and the Centurions are tougher than they've been, and could show their teeth. They needed to be ready. very ready.

The Bucs wanted that number one seed and more. They wanted to send a message and launch a rock hard number and perform well for their home crowd. MBI's threat is bigger than the one they posed in 2011.

Fusion is moving hard in DCA, winning more fans, and shaking things up. They wanted to see if they could throw down a number to leapfrog CV. At least, they had to try.

C2 showed serious momentum coming out of Scranton. How would all the new personnel integrate, and could they push past Empire heading in to prelims? Could they get the potential out of their program?

We got the answers tonight.

Usually I get great 50 yard line seats right up under the box, but for Big Sounds, I get low 50. I find it to be fun and a good change-up. A good turnout, a clean stadium, everything was ready.

The Bucs Banner Brass ensemble performed their fantastic arrangement of the National Anthem wonderfully to start out the contest.

Shenandoah Sound did what they needed to. Seeing them at Downingtown, it was like being really hungry and seeing some salt, noodles, carrots, bullion, and some raw chicken breast. Now, we have soup! We can eat!

A drill is in place, the corps members are having fun, telling a story, making the book more musical, and injecting their personalities into the program, It's a far better product then it was at Downingtown.

The Tango is the best chart in the show, and Dick Pommerleau is giving the audience some good solid solo work as usual. They'll present well at Prelims.

The White Sabres kept pushing. No sense of frustration, they kept their heads and performed a very nuanced, confident, and controlled effort. The backfield at Exeter HS doesn't lend itself to backfield music effects, but the White Sabre horns made it work, which is truly impressive. Fine solo work tonight, and the final open impact leading to the kickhalt was solid , leaving me to write in my notes, "If that performance didn't score higher than where they've been stuck since Downingtown, I don't know what the (heck) will." My guess is that's what was on the White Sabers staff and member's minds as well.

I've been sensing a vibe coming off of Fusion for the last two seasons. A good one. they're going places, and they're a lot of fun to watch and listen to. They're reaching for the next level.

At times, when they lay juuuust off the center of the beat, it's almost, dare I say, Old School Crossmen groovy. And that's saying something. The Crossmen defined groovy.

The Front Ensemble was fantastic tonight, they play some very tasty triplet/quad articulations that are reading clear, at least where I sat. Just wonderful stuff.

The Horns are throwing the bombs at the audience, and they're on target.

I can definitely say the part with the not-as-young lady and gent (they're **not** "OLD"!!!) :cool: was well received by the audience. They're buying into it. They get it, and are reacting the way the corps wants them to. I don't think it's an issue or concern at all because of that.

Maybe it was where I was sitting again, but the percussion writing in the BFA is VERY thoughtful and engaging for me. It links well with what the Front Ensemble is doing and is very musical. The Mellos at that moment are absolutely scintillating. They come to PLAY.

You want energy? You want a fun and very engaging show? You want quality, solid writing, design, and excitement? Fusion has it. No Doubt.

I saw Carolina Gold at Nokesville and watched the DCI Network video. It was good to get a look at them headed into championship weekend.

The Color Guard is really strong, and the corps presents itself with professionalism and presence. The Percussion writing is solid and extremely supportive of the brass. I believe the percussion actually makes the brass section more musical and sound better in their case. One might make an argument that they're actually more musical than the brass.

The horn work through the percussion feature sounded stressed, and I had concerns with some stick-outs and hang-ons in that show segment.

The show's ending.... the Front Ensemble does some solid work, but I don't find it satisfying.

The Spy Theme is obvious, the guard does a great job of conveying plot, but the book lacks some things to really make it hook into the audience and demand their attention and engagement.

The Corps members make this show work as hard as they can make it work. They deserve a lot of respect and credit for it. We'll see how it breaks down for them next weekend.

Cadets 2 are akin to one of those cartoon moments where someone drops a pebble down the side of a snow covered mountain and 10 seconds later, the thing is 30 feet in diameter and rolling at Warp Factor three. Believe me, they're rolling like that right now as I type.

The initial hit was dead on, and the bass drum work in the opening sequence, every stroke right there, popped my eyes out hard. The chords are locking in the way they need to be as well.

The Front Ensemble sets up every selection beautifully, and the show was absolutely electric tonight from where I sat.

The corps reached into the stands and MADE me pull for them, want them to drive that show home and nail that mother. I was yelling for the corps to fly at the end, some little old lady got agitated with me, but let me say this:

She obviously never marched, she doesn't realize that when the crowd lights up and reacts with you- it's what you want. It's what you live for! I'm sorry, little old lady, tough. If you can't get down with C2 and just want to sit there and have everyone golf clap, shame on you, not shame on me. Instead of throwing babies, I should have tossed her over at Hop. :tongue:

Baris, you were ROCK HARD. Normally, the C2 low brass always does it's job adequately, but tonight, they were inspired, hard-driving, lit up as heck, NOT overplaying, but VERY intense. THAT is the way to play those guns, man.

A great performance, one I think everyone who's been reviewing has been waiting for. All my deep respect to the membership. Hop, watch out. I run into another snooty old lady like that at prelims who thinks this is opera or HS Band and C2 throws down like that again, I'm chuckin' her. :thumbup:

The big concern about the Bucs this seasons has not been about their heads, the intellect, or aesthetic. It's been about emotion. The homies were ready for them, and they showed everyone tonight they had heart. A lot of it. A Metric Buttload of it.

The show had sizzle from the start, and a sense of serious urgency. The battery was like a chain reaction inside a nuclear reactor tonight- just contained enough to make it all that energy a good thing.

Sitting down where I was, the tuba feature within the perc feature was chunk and spunky. Yeah the staging's not helping, but I think they're trying to do what they can with that issue. If that's the biggest gripe I can dig for, they're just fine.

This performance was EXACTLY what was needed from them. They could have played it safe and probably got the top seed, but it was far more than that from the Bucs tonight.

The Bucs Alunmi 32 Horns/6Main Guard/2 Conductors/5CG/4 percussion) finished off the program with a set of some of their hits from the late 70's and early 80's.

Tony Yaklich's conducting of "An Affair to Remember" is always so, so exact and beautiful. He never over-conducts or calls attention to himself, but every nuance and everything he wants out of that piece of music is there. I think of this as one of those real moments I enjoy the most with Alumni corps, period.

I think they have the gentleman on Drum Set from Swing House. Sublime as all get-out, and his solo work in "El Gato Triste" really set things up for the horns. The horn solos were just like BITD, very enjoyable. A fine way to finish off the evening.

I'll get to those fistbumps and comclusions later. Before I finish this, I will make this statement.

The scores were earned by every competitor tonight. Every stinkin' tenth of them. No gifts were given, no score inflation present, thank you very much. 'Nuff said about that. back with the fistbumps later. :satisfied:

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Fantastic, W!!! :thumbup:

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I hate to agree with W on anything :tongue:/> , but he's right on C2. The cool thing is having a chance to talk to a few of the kids after the show, they have no idea how cool what they are doing is. They just want to keep working hard. I know peopel have a stick up their ### about C2, Hop etc ( and yes he was there), but this show with another week of solid work has the chance to be the show stealer next weekend.

I'm a cynical ########, very critical of recent trends to see show design going too cerebral and not making people just want to jump out of their seat and go nuts. The last DCA corps to make me do this was Empire's Oz show. Well, C2 is that corps.

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I hate to agree with W on anything :tongue:/>/> , but he's right on C2. The cool thing is having a chance to talk to a few of the kids after the show, they have no idea how cool what they are doing is. They just want to keep working hard. I know peopel have a stick up their ### about C2, Hop etc ( and yes he was there), but this show with another week of solid work has the chance to be the show stealer next weekend.

I'm a cynical ########, very critical of recent trends to see show design going too cerebral and not making people just want to jump out of their seat and go nuts. The last DCA corps to make me do this was Empire's Oz show. Well, C2 is that corps.

I can feel what is going on with C2 through my snare line son....he is really digging how the corps is stepping on the throttle, and the percussion are definitely in attack mode! Good design and intense quality sound...there has to always be a place for that.

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I can feel what is going on with C2 through my snare line son....he is really digging how the corps is stepping on the throttle, and the percussion are definitely in attack mode! Good design and intense quality sound...there has to always be a place for that.

I think talking to some of the percussion members personally, the fact they know the rest of the corps has really stepped themselves up and that they don't have to carry everyone on their backs has lightened their load, lightened the pressure on them to make it all happen, and their morale is really high as a result. Knowing that they've tapped into the audience has also been great for them. It's the best feeling you can ever have as a parformer. I know for fact more than 30 years from now, they will remember those moments, what they see in the crowd, and what they heard from the crowd.

The show's very exciting, and the corps is reaching out HARD. They caught me. :worthy:

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Conclusions and Fistbumps time!

-The corps that performed tonight showed they're eager for championship weekend and woill do their level best to present as well as they can.

-Fusion's put themselves in a situation scorewise where they're for all intents and purposes equivalent to CV. That pairing is a don't miss one for championship weekend. Both corps should be very well prepared.

-The Bucs are aware of the situation and look to be ready to perform with both emotion and precision.

-C2 is rolling fast and hard. They'll be certain to be very exciting this coming weekend.

Now, the

fistbump.png

time.

Man... people are looking for these, I didn't realize they were almost as good as a caption award! There are so many people that do a fantastic job on the field, and in this week's awards, off the field as well....

Shenendoah Sound: The Brass section. I'm seeing a lot of personality and fun injected into the show now. Keep that going!

White Sabres: The Low brass seemed a bit darker tonight- maybe it was because I was closer to the field, but they're getting their job done. This one was tough. I feel everyone in the corps are pulling together and all performing very well.

Fusion: The Front Ensemble. I know I talked about them before, but I really came to appreciate their effort tonight and all the really solid stuff they play, and play so well.

C2: The baris came alive and roared tonight. Honorable mention to the Bass Drums, but those who know have known how good that battery at C2 has been from the beginning. I think this is the first time I've given a C2 brass section one. Well earned.

A good friend pointed out the Bucs didn't get one at Scranton. Fair enough! Why? The corps has been seamless. Everyone's a hero and performs at a high level and contributes to a very well-integrated show. Every section has moments where they really show themselves off.

I did realize I owe Amy Snook and Tom Moore one for putting up with me. They do a great job behind the scenes to make the Downingtown and Big Sounds show go well and keep everyone happy. Not an easy task. They fit that "people who do a lot of work and don't get noticed" criteria. I also will call out the gentleman on Tuba with the beard. Fear the Beard! :worthy: Also, the young lady with the ankle trouble. I was told she'll be fine and hope that she is. It was a good call on her part to clear out of the way when she realized things weren't right. Heads up decisions like that in the thick of a competition performance are dificult.

Next up: Friday I and E, and Saturday Prelims! I look forward to making new friends, seeing old ones, seeing more Kappa brothers, which is always an honor and pleasure, and experiencing some great performances. See you there!!!!! :thumbup:

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seeing more Kappa brothers, which is always an honor and pleasure, and experiencing some great performances. See you there!!!!! :thumbup:style="font-size: 9pt;">

Didn't even cross my mind until I saw this, but is there some sort of thing that goes on with Kappa brothers, like at CMBF in Allentown? Last time I was at finals was before I'd even heard of Kappa, let alone become a brother.

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Didn't even cross my mind until I saw this, but is there some sort of thing that goes on with Kappa brothers, like at CMBF in Allentown? Last time I was at finals was before I'd even heard of Kappa, let alone become a brother.

There are more Kappas who do corps than one realizes at first! It suits us well. There's a lot in common with why we joined a corps and why we pledged. There are a few on DCP, and I know I run into people wearing the colors at shows, particularly Annapolis. You know George Parks was a Brother? It was one of the reasons why I decided to do it. :cool:/>

I don't know of anything "official" that takes place, usually it's more we see colors. I need to get my recognition bar out of storage- that reminds me.

Lots of Sinfonians as well, but I'm only in KKY and very proud of it. :satisfied:/>

Edited by BigW
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There are more Kappas who do corps than one realizes at first! It suits us well. There's a lot in common with why we joined a corps and why we pledged. There are a few on DCP, and I know I run into people wearing the colors at shows, particularly Annapolis. You know George Parks was a Brother? It was one of the reasons why I decided to do it. cool.gif/>

I don't know of anything "official" that takes place, usually it's more we see colors. I need to get my recognition bar out of storage- that reminds me.

Lots of Sinfonians as well, but I'm only in KKY and very proud of it. satisfied.gif/>

Go figure. I signed up because of a particular service project my chapter was getting started on that really struck home with me. I didn't really care much for the who was doing it, so much as the what that was being done. That's cool to know! thumbup.gif

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