Leaderboard

Those guys get more rings than a telephone.

go her!

Madison apparently will be have a female flugel this summer. Their announcement even uses the term "member." What do you know?

Dams can leak for weeks, months... water flowing through.... without breaking. LOL. So... regarding the semantics of "member" or not... we'll find out at some point, right? Until then... perhaps we can just enjoy this moment and wish this young woman well?

Good point. Perhaps.... sometimes, it takes a while for a dam to fully break. LOL.

Anyone else have an echo on their internet device?

Moving to another corps to improve quality of instruction and placement is quite common. Make sure you go to a corps you'll enjoy being with. Drum corps is hard enough, Harder if you're not happy. I remember leaving my top 25 corps to play 1st baritone for a top 5 corps. It was fine, I met some great people, the instruction was stellar but it wasn't close to family. I went back to my old corps after 1st tour. ( we had 1st and 2nd tour back then) The top 5 corps filled my spot with one of many alternates, we parted on good terms. My small corps fill a much needed spot and the big corps did what big corps do, they never missed a beat. Bottom line. Do what makes you happy. You have a small window of time to enjoy this activity.

Nah. My sister was very close to her friends in the plate line. She liked the percussion staff, so she never went out. I don't think Ralph realized she was almost or had just turned 17. She's always had a good head on her shoulders and conducted herself right. She's more talented musically than I am, I had to make up for it by working a lot harder at things and grinding then she did. The one regret I do have with Westshore Alumni was I never did one of the gigs with her on stage performing with me. It would have meant a lot to me.

Makes sense. And let's face it, this is a mobile world. Drum corps, college, jobs, fans, we're less local and less loyal. No judgment in that. Just reality. Doesn't mean we must be mobile. Ironically might mean staying steady requires more sophistication than ever.

Hmm. Been meaning to respond to this with a couple of stores involving myself and my sister. Might be a bit long, but it's the best way I might be able to provide some thoughts on the subject as well. 1981. Came back from DCA's to college and ran into a friend who marched with me at Westshore, also marched Crossmen and just finished playing Mello with BD that season. Went to his room for a beer. "How long have you been at Westshore?" "3 seasons." He looked at me seriously and said, "Now is the time for you to get out and move on." "Why?" "Different corps do things differently. Learn more than one way. There are a lot of great ideas out there, and the opportunity to learn them is important. Push yourself." The conversation was great- he basically laid out all he'd learned at BD that summer. What he described to me was the basis for what's now "System Blue." I've never forgotten what he told me- to try and learn new things, expand my knowledge base, and keep in mind there's a lot more than one way to approach this activity that's valid. Did I move on? No. Money was an issue, though Dad hinted recently had I wanted to go to Phantom, which I did not feel like I would fit in... maybe the money would have been there. Things were different back then regarding getting into a corps, less candidates... fewer cuts, etc. Another reason was that the management at Westshore laid things out at the beginning of that coming season, that things would be different, last season was disappointing, it would NOT happen again... major changes were being done, and we were going to take the next step in the corps' growth. There was no reason to doubt Larry Hershman. One thing about Larry I learned was that if you make a promise, you keep it, and he always did. A corollary to that was don't make too many promises so that you make sure you deliver on the ones you do make. DCI basically came to us that season in the form of some great new staff members, and I had a great experience over the next 2 seasons in that regard. Next season, Ralph Hardimon came in for a rehearsal. Even the guys in the hornline were gassed about it. The next day over Sunday Dinner, I asked my sister how things went with Ralph.... "It was really good." "Anything in particular?" "He asked me to come out to Santa Clara and join the Cymbal line." At this point, I did a spit-take and nearly fell over then blurted out "You're going, aren't you!?" Dad and Mom's eyes are bugging out at this point... "No. All of my friends are here." "All of your friends will still be here next year after you come back and tell us all about it! This is like Jesus asking you to be a disciple!" There was come conversation with Dad, Mom was laughing.... then I said to my sister.. "I don't know about you, but if someone like Ralph asked ME to go there, I'd be packing my bags right now, heading for the front door, and telling you I'm getting to Santa Clara somehow!" So... yeah- there is a chance to learn and expand one's self by moving on. Maybe the corps you're at WILL make changes to provide that- maybe not. Maybe you like where you're at and fit in, I'm uncertain whether anyone asked whether the OP's son feels like they really fit in and belong there anymore. Maybe if they do try out elsewhere, they find they don't like the scene. Maybe they do! I can't help but think the individual in question needs to "give it a go" as the Brits say and find out whether it's what they want, whether they have the right stuff, and like being there, or if not, go where home really is. I really wish the best of luck!

Being pro active is a good thing. Better to be over confident then having no confidence I've always said, especially with the BD track record.

Every individual that gets a contract for membership also has to submit their ring size.

*me sitting under the Sorting Shako* "not Cadets, not Cadets, not Cadets"

Given the fact that we haven't had a single design meeting in 6 years, you might want to check your sources

That is perceptively, academically, and intuitively true.

When we work together, as a team, we can do something like this:

No. This has always been and will always be a trendy activity and it's just about using buzzwords. I remember years ago when a judge on a tape used the term "spatial relations" when judging visual. "Spatial relations"? Really? Apparently "interval" was too pedestrian or difficult to say.

I'll give you 2015 (until the end of the season), but everything else....ehhh...

They haven't done that move in a very long time. Plenty of wedges in their shows, but I don't think I even remember the last time they pulled out the legs-out wedge. Maybe 2007?