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Bluecoats are going to win Vanguard will come in second Blue Devils will come in third Boston Cavies Blue Knights Phantom *positions may vary based on judges decisions

Dang! OK, I’m sold. It’s over! SCV goes undefeated the rest of the year. The blues are fighting for 2nd and 3rd. posted from the DrumScorps app

I don't know if this counts, but I've taken 44 shots of tequila over the past few weeks, once for every time a fangirl screamed at a Bluecoats rifle catch. I've been drunk a lot recently...

I can not get an internet feed to periscope. Working on it. Boston is killing it.

Don’t worry. I have them on ignore. That way, when they insult me, I only see it when someone quotes them. My kingdom for a Facebook-like block feature. They just can’t move on.

This is the unfortunate state of our society right now. The term "fake news" is about as intellectual as the person who popularized it. Personally, I think the fact that the judges are able to come to a consensus shows that they've been trained well and know what they're doing. At the same time, there is enough variation (certain sections of BAC such as colorguard is scoring higher than the rest of the sections in the corps, as an example) to make me doubt that a hivemind is driving the scores. I'm not saying that the hivemind isn't there at all, but it certainly isn't dictating a majority of the outcome

SCV 89.1 BD 88.65 Bluecoats 88.55 Boston 86.25 Cavies 86.0 Phantom 83.4 Blue Knights 81.9

The ballad in this show is one of this season’s highlights. I can’t wait for the next broadcast to hear it again

Really wish FloMarching would add this show to their lineup as opposed to DCI Central Texas which has a much much weaker lineup. Fairly expensive service to not show shows of this quality and magnitude.

Have a fantastic run BD!

Another GREAT run for Blooo. The singer, Olivia, gave an awesome performance for her hometown fans. Had to be a thrill for her.

The crowd response seemed to be stronger for Phantom than Blue Knights and stronger for Boston than Cavies. Honestly, can't say I disagree really. posted from the DrumScorps app

Someone has been day drinking again...

So after seeing Bloo for the first time live yesterday, I'm still recovering. I'm so thankful that these folks gifted us with such an amazing production, I'm really struggling to find the words. God Bless the Child is so beautiful. That singer is amazing. Home groooooves so hard. That color guard has got some really neat stuff going on. As great as these guys looked on FloMarching, in person it's truly next level. Wow. Bravo, Bluecoats! One for the ages, for sure! These guys and gals deserve all the attention they're getting and so much more!

Do it up Devils!!! posted from the DrumScorps app

But you know the best thing about INT? It's the only time the teenyboppers don't shriek for a completed rifle toss...

We’re rehearing our screams for guard catches. The neighbors have only called the police twice. Explained to the cop and he said; aren’t they suppose to catch it? I said good question, I think so. I’ve added “OMG he caught it” while standing and pointing in amazement. Should be real annoying by Indy.

I'm shocked... shocked... that you had to attend sensitivity training!!!

Well it’s really an inspiration to see how this dedicated band of DCI family members comes together in a crisis! A tip of the cap and heartfelt thanks should be sent (by all) to the Phantom Regiment and Blue Knights for helping get the SCV team nourished. Wow! What a great example to all! THANK YOU!

For what it's worth (i.e. nothing, except to pass the time), last night was the halfway point in the season (26th day of 52 day season), and here's a comparison of their scores at the same point the last couple seasons: 2016: 81.500 2017: 82.950 2018: 83.050

I think we should have a couple regionals first.

Good win tonight SCV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. SCV won all music captions, that's a great sign for them! 1st in Brass, good for them!!

The bottom line is most people on DCP are armchair judges, and none of them are qualified to judge a single caption, much less all captions at once from a Flo stream. Myself included. While it's fun to argue and speculate and all of that, one has to remember at the end of the day, you aren't qualified to judge these performances as the judges are. Not nearly as qualified. If you are, then apply to be a judge. I know some DCI judges, and sure as hell I get frustrated with them a lot, but I know they are good people - people who would never deprive a whole group of their achievement by placing them lower than they should be placed. I don't think any of them would have the heart to do that. I know one quite well and after 2015 finals I was so ###### that BD beat Crown. He took the time to explain to me why he scored the way he did. It was really interesting and eye opening. I knew at that moment he knows a hell of a lot more than I do. All the judges do.

I suspect there will be, yes.

...I'm all for showing DCI Belton... Mike (whose kid's performing in Belton)

It’s wonderful to hear all the support SCV is receiving following the accident involving Miss Amanda (their kitchen/food truck) overnight. Phantom will be feeding them dinner and the Blue Knights are providing a post-performance snack. Such a wonderful, tight-knit community that always watches out for each other. Here’s a bit more info and some links to help if interested: https://www.scvanguard.org/miss-amana-update/

Why can't new people get excited about Drum Corps? Isn't that what we want?

Love Crown this year and so many years past, I’m a Scouts Alumni from the 80s and I’m in the process of shifting support to Crown, both verbally and with my donations. I’ve loved watching the direction Crown has pulled the activity to, especially with brass. Thank you so much for what u have given.....

SUPPORT LINK Hey everybody, if you can even give $60 (or more) to support the corps this year, I'm sure they would appreciate it. Lot's of great fans of the Cadets on DCP that have been waiting for this day, this season, and this group of Cadets to take the field. How it happened means nothing now. It is in the rear-view mirror. We are looking to the future. There is still lots of work to do on the field and off ... and we appreciate your support of the organization. #marchstraightandtrue

I don't have a lot of experience, but I think I can answer this: 1. Impossible in "today's DCI" - since now the winners are chosen by judges beforehand according to political interests. 2. "Today's DCI" began some years ago when my favorite corps didn't place where I thought they should have placed. 3. As a caveat - Sometimes (i.e. when my favorite corps does well), "today's DCI" is put aside in favor of a merit based judging system.

Take Boston for instance their show appeals to a larger venue. Last night in Olathe there is no way that the judges had any more idea of how the patterns formed than Santa Claus did but the scores miraculously reflect differently. May not be as educated as a judge but to me your scores remind me of fake news. Not buying it, that there is any individual thought, fall out of line and your out, I get it. But your not kidding anybody. At least I told my HR department years ago I can't help you the world is just as bad today and am saying Merry Christmas from now on (sent me for sensitvity training or charm school like we liked to call it) at least I tried.

I agree with this. SCV has taken the innovation Bluecoats gave us with prop usage in 2016 to a more sophisticated level in my opinion. They utilize the props so well, and they blend in so well into the production, that they aren't as glaring as 20 foot chairs are. I think Bluecoats show is great, but I do not see it as being on the same level as SCV and BD from a design standpoint. Both BD and SCV have really found a way to integrating the props without them being such a distraction. To me, Bloos chairs are a distraction. They don't do anything particularly interesting with them in my opinion. The most interesting thing they do is line them up at the end. I love Bloos music, but I'm not keen on the visual production. I think we are seeing that in the marks and it's going to be hard for them to push into the top 2.

Yeah, I think SCV is good, just not the show design level that Bloo has going, they fix perc problems Bloo will be right there in aug.

Usually we wonder if someone will break 90 at San Antonio. SCV just said nah we’ll do it 4 days earlier. WOW!

1 Santa Clara Vanguard 90.325 2 Blue Devils 89.775 3 Bluecoats 89.050 4 The Cavaliers 86.100 5 Boston Crusaders 85.950 6 Blue Knights 83.100 7 Phantom Regiment 82.100

BD is fun.

Let’s go VANGUARD! Level the BA stadium.

Internetzis

Thanks Fred....U Da Man :)

well, your in for a treat then

That also works during football season, too.

PLEASE, NO SCREAMING FOR GUARD CATCHES

Phantom! Wow, what an improvement from seeing them at the beginning of the season. Ending gave me chills

Fred is in the house and has great seats!

It's all about making changes, but in vastly different ways. "Layering" or "adding layers" is a type of change to the show. If you think in terms of music, there are composers, arrangers, orchestrators, and editors. There are also transcriptions and adaptions. They all mean something a little different. In competitive marching arts layering simply refers to adding elements to an already existing idea. It's like adding salt and pepper to your burger while cooking, and then adding mustard and onion after cooking. The burger is the main ingredient and additions were made. In drum corps there are times when a portion of the show changes completely. When that happens we have a Rewrite. Maybe a 20 second chunk is cut from the original show and rewritten. When a portion of the show is taken out for good, here we have a cut; but sometimes material may get cut and then newly composed material is pasted in. Cut and Paste. The pasted part may be a rewrite or arranged/adapted material from another source or portion of the show. :) Sometimes we see the original idea rearranged and edited in a way that the general idea is still there but major edits were made. To me this is Arranging and Editing. If the base idea stays in tact (for the most part) and additional ideas are added ON TOP of that base idea, then to me that is Layering. When a drum corps chooses music that was written for another purpose (motion picture score for example) they are adapting that music for their show theme. In doing so they must arrange that music to fit their needs, they must alter the instrumentation for brass, percussion and pit, and they must orchestrate for the desired sound and style...and on and on. Changes to shows are important, but there are different types.

" Layering " , it should be pointed out, can have different meanings in the summers and winters in different parts of country as well.

Despite the OP's wacky conspiracy theories, I sometimes wonder the same thing. The apparent consistency we see in scoring is a legitimate subject for discussion. Not that there is an attempt to fix the scores - in the way that corporations get in trouble for price fixing - but how the scores come out relatively consistent across various performances in different venues, different weather, etc. I could understand it easier if judging was a more quantitative process rather than qualitative. But assigning a value to the attributes of a field performance is hugely subjective. Just to be clear, I don't think there is anything being done in bad faith by the judges. I just don't understand how judges are able to create a discrete scale for assigning value to something as ephemeral and indeterminate as the artistic content of a production. Once you get past the fundamentals of tuning, the most basic principles of visual design and execution, it would seem that it would get very subjective very quickly. If anyone who has actual judging experience can shed light on how they prepare and what they do to provide consistency in their judging, I'd love to learn about it.

Kudos to Regiment and Blue Knights for helping out SCV with meals today. It does not surprise me.