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Madison in Macy's Parade


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A couple of comments:

  • First, congratulations Madison! Wonderfully entertaining moment with spine tingling sounds.
  • Next, welcome back cymbals! You are definitely back where you belong. I counted 8 - were there more?
  • Finally, did I spot a bass drum stick flying in the air at the end of the concert piece? Quite the unexpected but joyful surprise.

What a great way to spend Thanksgiving. Cheers!

Mav

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I am tired as I write this because I had the honor of joining with Madison at 3 am to do the "blocking and sound tech" session in front of Macy's.

It took 4 "takes" for the TV gang to get it right. T.V. commentators had pre-recorded substitute voice-overs, including even comments going in and out of commercial break. The professionalism of Madison's organization under Chris and Scott was absolutely amazing as was the immediate and always spot-on response of the members who marched. The willingness to make the corps, the activity, and their individual personal reputations so stellar was tremendous as witnessed by their quick and absolute response to the horn sergeant's commands whose voiced echoed throughout NYC as if God himself was speaking.

For me, it was an honor to witness the camaraderie and unity of the alums and present members as if all of them marched together in fact for many many seasons rather than this one event. From those who knew C.H. Beebe personally to the young un's in their novice whites from the past summer, their common focus was powerful.

I particularly enjoyed the warm reception from various friends and admin/instructional staff members I have known over my fifty years in the activity. Being "live" at the blocking and at the parade gave me a great experience of the positive reaction Madison elicited along the line of march.

With several of our legacy corps/founders celebrating major anniversaries during the past decade, Madison set a new standard and raised the bar exceedingly. Thank you to the poster who recorded and shared the photo session of the corps singing. There isn't a dry eye left in NYC while they are still replacing the shattered plate windows along 6th Ave and 33rd street. Loud and proud and a big hit with this NYC crowd. Well done, Scouts. Thank you...even if we hadn't had any snow until the Wisconsin corps arrived.

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I am tired as I write this because I had the honor of joining with Madison at 3 am to do the "blocking and sound tech" session in front of Macy's.

It took 4 "takes" for the TV gang to get it right. T.V. commentators had pre-recorded substitute voice-overs, including even comments going in and out of commercial break. The professionalism of Madison's organization under Chris and Scott was absolutely amazing as was the immediate and always spot-on response of the members who marched. The willingness to make the corps, the activity, and their individual personal reputations so stellar was tremendous as witnessed by their quick and absolute response to the horn sergeant's commands whose voiced echoed throughout NYC as if God himself was speaking.

For me, it was an honor to witness the camaraderie and unity of the alums and present members as if all of them marched together in fact for many many seasons rather than this one event. From those who knew C.H. Beebe personally to the young un's in their novice whites from the past summer, their common focus was powerful.

I particularly enjoyed the warm reception from various friends and admin/instructional staff members I have known over my fifty years in the activity. Being "live" at the blocking and at the parade gave me a great experience of the positive reaction Madison elicited along the line of march.

With several of our legacy corps/founders celebrating major anniversaries during the past decade, Madison set a new standard and raised the bar exceedingly. Thank you to the poster who recorded and shared the photo session of the corps singing. There isn't a dry eye left in NYC while they are still replacing the shattered plate windows along 6th Ave and 33rd street. Loud and proud and a big hit with this NYC crowd. Well done, Scouts. Thank you...even if we hadn't had any snow until the Wisconsin corps arrived.

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Thank you for your honest and wonderful comments about our beloved corps!!! I can only hope and pray that the love and enthusiasm for the Scouts will permeat through adjudication on the competitive field this summer!!!!

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Matt Lauer: "All right, welcome back to the home stretch of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade where directors Chris Komnick and Scott Stewart march out their world-renowned brass and perscussion [sic] ensemble, the Madision Squouts [sic] drum and bugle corps."

Savannah Guthrie: "The corps of brothers is compromised of--comprised of alumni representing seven decades of the corps' history. They play a holiday version of 'Happy'." (Note: it should be "The corps of brothers comprises alumni..." but people almost always get that wrong. The word "comprise" should be used like the word "include". You'd never say "The corps of brothers is included of...".)

(Madison marches to staging area; plays an arrangement of Pharrell Williams's "Happy" that includes bits of "Deck the Halls", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", and "Angels We Have Heard on High"; and marches off.)

(Voiceover from parade: "Hey everybody, here comes Santa Claus". Prerecorded jingle begins.)

Lauer: "That was supposed to be 'Scouts', by the way. Yes, the jolly one himself is coming to town..."

(Lauer continues introducing Santa Claus. Madison can be heard playing a jazzy version of "You Better Watch Out" through the jingle.)

Here it is on Youtube. (For now, anyway.)

Edited by N.E. Brigand
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Seriously, how drunk were these announcers by the end of the parade?

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Seriously, how drunk were these announcers by the end of the parade?

There were a few screwups along the way. Aside from that, Madison Scouts looked and sounded incredible. Their performance gave me goosebumps!

Honestly, some of the parade is full of unknowns. I knew about 15% of the talent they had, some of the floats/balloons were from eras way gone by (good thing - at least I knew who they were) and others were like "Who is that?"

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tv performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Qc08qyJTk

further up the parade route (santa clause is coming to town): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9HQRoQGZDw&sns=fb

madison and following floats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuqerbm5I-U&

cadence (rehearsal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSCGGeBDKxc

corps song (played): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qj19BYVJyg

happy (rehearsal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uDDLvSSjZw

santa clause is coming to town (rehearsal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLcAXqtbPFc

Edited by soccerguy315
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