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Wait until you guys hear the Bruckner opener. From the opening that hornline will grab you by the balls and unleash the power of the drum corps Gods. Kinda like they’re saying, “Eff this, we’re just going to blow your face off from the opening downbeat, hope you don’t mind.” Much percussion, many many tympanies, extremely majestic, and oh my God powerfully loud. When I heard it at the January camp I nearly wept.

This is around the time I come out of lurking BD is unusually late with the announcement. It's ready to go. Maybe tomorrow? Until then, here's a clue .. It's definitely not 1930 part two or even Dada-levels of approach, but think more mid-century culture and movements such as abstract expressionism and color field painting.

The corps that have grinded it back to the top all seem to have one thing in common- a solid business foundation and plan to ensure the long term viability and stability for the organization as a whole. They also appear to take their time to put everything into place to ensure they're around for years to come- not just be very good for a couple of years, then go broke again.

Have to say, I don't think it was an inappropriate question at all. I was also wondering how they were selected. Glad that Mr. Rutherford was forthcoming, and that feedback so far is positive. Mike

From Flo: Carolina Crown's 2018 Musical Selection: Symphony No. 8 Mvt 4 - Anton Bruckner Build A Pyre - Ryan Lott (Son Lux) Destination Moon - Paul Raphael Myth Forrest - Stig Nordhagen If I Fell - Lennon-McCartney Blow It Up, Start Again - Jonathan Newman Epiphanies - Ron Nelson

With a show titled "Academic" being announced on Brahms' birthday, it's only natural that they should play the following...

Crown just announced their music on Facebook.

There are certain victims, who are now public, who had contacted board members prior to January (within a 12 month period). There are other individual victim reports (not public) that go back a few years. To tie it into the topic of this thread... these are issues the investigators will be looking at over the coming months. What happened, what was reported, to whom was it reported, what action(s) were or were not taken. This will all inform what, if any, personal liability that may exist as well as organizational policies and procedures to put into place. As an example, you may recall from the mingusmonk thread (probably about 200 pages in) the interim CEO was suspended pending an investigation into allegations of an incident report that was not followed up on. I do not know if the report is true or not (i personally hope it is not) but the investigation will make that determination. There are dozens of other threads investigators will pull on to see what actually happened so this never happens again.

These NEW policies look solid. Management seems to be doing a GREAT job over there now. https://yea.org/files/resources/YEA_SexualHarrassmentPolicy.pdf https://yea.org/files/resources/YEA_CodeOfConduct.pdf

Fair, but let's be completely accurate and say that the old board claims that they did something in January. I don't think we have any evidence they actually did something in January and the outcome of their investigation was as good as doing nothing.

And actually... they were made aware BEFORE January. So the lack of action could make them complicit.

I'm not aware of any either, but the board was made aware of the other accusations and did nothing, they were perfectly happy allowing GH to continue as the CEO of YEA and potentially continuing to assault employees. There is no reason to think that he wouldn't have continued to assault women if this hadn't blown up in the press.

not important, however, a good PR move to do so. any and all transparency can only be good for the organization right now

Magic's problem was a great come back at a cost. They made a lot of the same mistakes, quick fixes, and empty promises and in a short time, it catches back up.

*brushes off dust* *begins sweeping while whistling*

Can't wait to hear their take on If I Fell. The Beatles are my absolute favorite.

I was lucky, I had some tough nuns but they were great teachers and used what they recorded in their grade book as their weapon of choice. They were the type who also attended every game, stayed after school for hours helping the kid who struggled, etc. I finished 8th grade in 1977, so a lot had changed. I ended up working with one nun from my childhood in a parish where I was assigned. It was still “yes Sister,” stand up when she walked in the room, etc., just like it was 1975. Actually I think I’m a bit of a disappointment to some nuns. Yes I taught in a Catholic school, and yes I became a priest, but many a nun has looked st my handwriting and asked, “Are you sure you went to Catholic school?” There was one nun who was a fixture at CYO contests in the Boston area. I can't recall the group she was with, but after scores were announced, she was given the tabulation sheets and she’d chase down the judges if she disagreed. I’m not sure if it prevented future questionable tics, but it gave people a good laugh. Well I’ve derailed this thread enough and I fear the wrath of some of the DCP folks who get upset about derailed threads than I am about any nuns who taught in parochial schools!

HOLY FARG!!! Just listened to that Destination Moon piece for the first time. YES! Perfect for them. Lots to work with with just this one piece.

Crown just announced their music on Facebook.

Under the first link. Reporting procedures: YEA ASKS (my emphasis) that a report be made if a participant.... a report must be made if a YEA member or staff is a victim.... Nit picky but “asking” kind of down plays it. Urging or saying YEA feels it is critical to report makes it sound more important. Why aren’t the participants listed with “report must be made”? yeah you can tell I’ve been getting this training for decades.

What a refreshing change from the latest drum corps drama.

it's actually well known, and the articles covering the story say that the victims went to the board demanding an independent investigation or else. The board chose or else.

You have it completely backwards. The best thing that could have happened for the board would have been for the accusations to go public immediately. Everything would have been out in the open, and GH would have been gone (or if he chose to fight it, most likely from the sidelines). No one would even be talking about the board unless - like Penn State - someone could find accusers with recent allegations. The people whose interests were served by waiting were the accusers, who hoped that GH would step aside quietly and they would not need to go public. It's easy to understand why someone would want to try to keep their story out of the press for as long as they could, because it's painful to tell even though the victim is blameless. But the decision had consequences, because as long as GH could deny the anonymous accusations, all of YEA (including the board) were in limbo until something broke. Eventually the accusers went public, and when they did GH had no choice but to resign.

The big thread on Cadets and Hopkins had run its course and got locked, but a number of people who don't visit DCP in the off-season are just now returning (I can tell from notifications about people reacting to posts I made months ago), so let me direct their attention to the very first post in that , which mingusmonk repeatedly updated to include all the new on that topic. Hopefully that will save on people asking too many long-answered questions:

Considering they were notified in January and then did nothing I would suggest exactly that actually. They may not have known prior to the assaults that we know of but they seemed perfectly fine allowing assaults to continue through their inaction.

There is an important difference between the PSU situation and this situation, and one significant similarity. With PSU, the members of the board were in their positions during the time when the crimes were committed, and there were members who could have/should have knowm what was going on under their noses. With one exception, the old YEA board all took office after the most recent allegation. So to link the old board to the assaults, one would have to conclude that they somehow knew about the past incidents chose to ignore them. No sane person has suggested that. There is, however, a legitimate debate over whether the board took the best steps to further the strategic goals of the organization with a CEO whose management style was - to be charitable - chaotic. That is a question that can, and should, be asked of any board of a company that is struggling. People who were unhappy with the performance of the corps, for example, could reasonably challenge whether the board should have either insisted on a new corps director or get GH to relinquish his executive title. That debate was taking place (with varying levels of lucidity) before these allegations surfaced. Similarly, there were alumni and interested parties who were chastising PSU for not retiring Joe Paterno.

I wonder if the kids in the corps also learned how to whack students with a ruler or toss an eraser at misbehaving kids like the nuns did. We had a nun in my NJ grammar school... pinpoint accuracy with that #### eraser. LOL. She could have pitched in the major leagues.

It does seem that so many corps have gone "inactive" for the one season, but then never return. And other than Magic of Orlando, who was successful their first year back(but still ended up folding again several years later) , most corps end up disappointed in recruitment, and are only a shell of what they used to be. In the last 20 years, we have had returns from Velvet Knights, Emerald Knights/Nite Express, Troopers, and several others, and unfortunately they never quite hit the level that they were at before they folded. Once a corps goes inactive, it is so hard for potential members to commit, as they are always a little unsure of how things are going to go. It is really sad to see a corps fold after a great years performance with 110-150 kids, and then try to return a year or 5 later with 30-50 kids. And while we would all love to see Teal and Glassmen return to the field, many would probably be disappointed when they aren't immediately up to their previous level.

I really missed the sound of flags being tossed in the air. Can't wait for Cadets to show who they really are.

When you promise openness and transparency, and then respond swiftly and respectfully to requests for more openness and transparency, that tells me that he feels this issue is indeed just as important as any other the organization has to conquer right now. This is a very good thing and IMO is the exact right approach they should be taking. No matter how difficult it might be, no matter how time-consuming, it matters. All of it matters at this point. And he knows that. All I can say is I'm very glad that Doug Rutherford didn't roll his eyes.

First off, "the saving the organization" includes making sure that all Cadets supporters are comfortable with what has/is being done. Mr Ruhterford's time is indeed "precious". However ,he still took the time to email me,and answer all my questions. That says something about the type of person he his,and his concern for the organization. He also said that YEA would take my suggestion, and post on their website ,an explanation about the current BoD and exactly what they will be doing during their 6 month terms.

Agreed, with the added note that the administration was not expecting that to be the case at this point. And frankly I would have thought the same.

Let's face it, the process was NOT an ordinary one... the prior entire board resigned so the situation is unique Almost as if a brand new organization drafts an original board for the first time When a new organization is formed a board is "recruited" by folks interested in forming the new organization - that's probably how this process worked also I believe this board is considered "transitional" - meaning they will serve for a time and then a more normal nomination/voting process will be put in place I believe "they" used various resources (including DCI and others) to help recruit/select this current board The board membership seems to be well-selected and doing a good job so far Watching the town hall video (Doug Rutherford) is really a breath of fresh air and professionalism So grounded, realistic and well-presented Bodes well for the future

I think the most spectacular example of keeping a show theme under wraps and absolutely wowing fans on opening night in Indy was the 2016 Bluecoats. I had no idea what they were going to do and it was about the most fun I’ve ever had watching a show. I said to Jim nobody is beating that. I think BD did a couple of times but they won on the last night.

Sorry to be a pain but you are wrong. Back in at least the late 80s 90s the April edition of DCI today newspaper listed most corps programs and the musical selections they were presenting as well. Also, some corps presented their entire programs at indoor stage shows as early as mid April ( remember serenade and brass in Harrisburg? ) the cadets and Crossmen used to present most of their show if not the entire show memorial day weekend. The cadets and blue Devils used to release a CD of their shows preseason. I am sure copyright issues prevent some of the announcements but I have no doubt corps are just playing games and waiting for no real substantial reason other then they don't want to let the cat out of the bag. We just have to wait… :/

Other than 75 'chachos & 77 Bayonne.

Yes, indeed. The one thing that impressed me was how he created some enterprises within the corps to make sure it sustained itself and that it wasn't a black hole/money pit for him. Very radical for the time.

And that notion was because of a successful businessman with a carefully developed plan with enough seed money to make it happen.

Drum corps, especially those who are unlikely to draw large numbers nationally, including DCA corps and non-finalist DCI corps, probably should work harder to establish relationships with as many local high school and college band directors as possible. When I was in high school, in 1987 or 1988, our director invited Bluecoats in to do a recruiting pitch. When I was in college, we had band members who were in Bluecoats and Star of Indiana. At that time, DCI finals were in late August, so drum corps participation definitely would have forced members to miss about a week of my college band's rehearsals and two or three weeks of my high school band's rehearsals--which in terms of lost time, doesn't sound very different from the concerns we're hearing now. The band directors at both schools saw having students with drum corps experience as a net positive. It boggles my mind to hear of band directors who don't see it that way today. (Dear Eden Prairie or Rosemount or whoever: your band will be even better if you have students who have played in Minnesota Brass!) The way to overcome such misconceptions is through persistent outreach.

risk taking is the fools way. You do what BD or Boston have done....you build up a solid support system and infrastructure. You find ways and ensembles to help make the organization money. Too many drum corps ran on risk, and where are they now? this isn't Wall Street where risk can be parlayed and losses made up fast.

I’ve been repeating myself since 2014, saying “I think this is as good as it gets” regarding drum corps. Though there have been some years where I thought drum corps plateaued a bit, and if I said those years, others would argue differently, but the excitement, enthusiasm, and creativity we see now remind me of the 80’s, which considering I am sometimes stuck in the 80’s, is a compliment. I think when the season unfolds, we’ll be saying the same thing again. Regarding Soundsports groups that did not make it to Open Class: if you take a look at DCX, you see longevity in drum corps is usually the exception rather than the rule. No doubt finances played a role in many cases back in the day, but some organizations that sponsored corps saw other ways of serving young people. Every case has different nuances. Regarding recruitment: the number of Open Class corps has grown. Prelims in Indy starts earlier each year. The number of kids involved in drum corps is up, however ten years ago you had four or five corps competing for the top talent, then about seven, now it’s about nine. Top talent is rare and corps are competitive in recruiting. None of the finalists in WC faced problems with numbers, though see on other threads, some faced challenges recruiting young people who could perform their shows. That’s a whole different issue from ten years ago when the recession was in full force. Some corps may be facing a crisis, but that does not mean it have a domino effect.

Banks and other loaners arn't much interested in what levels of " hope" and " risk taking " you say you might have. They like to see greenbacks, or what realistic and intelligent plans you have to get it to keep yourself in biz. Nothing else much matters to them. ( nor should it )

It is a well-remembered show, and seems to be still influencing marching bands even ten years later. I can't imagine I'd have heard a group playing "1,000 Airplanes on the Roof" this fall if Phantom hadn't performed that piece. If you look back at DCP reviews posts from 2007, you'll find more than one person saying that fourth through seventh were more interesting than first through third. (Cavaliers' Billy Joel arrangements seemed hit and miss to me. The drill and body movement now seem was like a trial run for 2008.)

This. I want exactly this in 2018...with a few props, a uniform change, and a couple color guard members.

Horn line: 20 members that marched BDB --> BDA; 2 that marched BDC --> BDB --> BDA Percussion: 8 members that marched BDB --> BDA; 1 that marched BDC --> BDB --> BDA Color guard: 6 members that marched BDB --> BDA; 3 that marched BDC --> BDB --> BDA (including an 11 year member that aged out) Drum majors: 1 that marched BDB --> BDA 41 members, including 6 all the way from C Corps. Pretty impressive feeder system. Proud to have been part of such a great organization as both marching member and instructor. SCV has built a pretty nice feeder system too...bodes well for both groups moving forward.

Whatever SCV comes up with for a closer in 2018, I hope its a fabulous as this season's. I've played the SCV 2017 closer more times than I can count now. From the point in the show with the brass doing the double tonguing, playing on top of the props in the middle, to the end of the show, was one of my most favorite moments in all of Drum Corps this season. The Visuals with the Flags positioned in the middle there in the closer, the fast and furious marching, brass/ drums playing it loud and " in your face ", to the end there was really spectacular, imo. I loved their show this season. One of my 3-4 favorites for 2017.

Whereas I definitely preferred the design of 2017 to that of 2016, despite some qualms about amplifying an entire brass ensemble for most of the show. But I liked 2013 more than any other recent year. If I were all the judges, that show would have had a silver medal. (And it was just 0.1 from bronze, I think.) I'm wondering if there it could be said that there are different "types" of Vanguard shows, and if different fans respond differently to those groups.