Hirsbrunner

The design staff that are the same from 2019 are mostly the Rennicks and Gaines/Toth. While some of that punk aesthetic might have a come from Gaines, I’ve been feeling like JD Shaw’s brass arrangements 2017-2019 were a big part of the “aggressiveness.” With so much Crown brass staff now, I see them gradually moving away from that, or full out starting their own approach from the year off.

Today SCV announced a partnership with DeMoulin. Guess that means they won’t be using Stanbury anymore. How long was their run with Stanbury uniforms?

SCV went full cavies bent leg in the early 2010s (might have been sooner) when a lot of Cavies vis staff joined. Gaines wasn’t at SCV until 2017

In this thread earlier he threatened to dox and expose an anonymous poster (whom I am routinely not in agreement with myself). I don’t like reposting too much what of what is said privately in other forums. What I will say is that he has been tame here on DCP in comparison, and individuals who have nothing to do with current decision making/problems have been dragged through his mud in an effort to dig any and all potential dirt. Warranted or not. I don’t know enough about the logistics to know the answer to your last question. But I do find it amusing because irrespective of all the noise being made, one of three things are only likely to happen: 1. The BOD ignores the situation and gets everything together on its own, eventually bringing the corps back. They really don’t care enough to address this publicly for a while. They should but they don’t. 2. DCI steps in soon (not likely) 3. SCV just stays folded. I don’t say this to be dismissive about these topics, they can and should be talked about. But the org is just going to trudge on or not.

Both things can be true at the same time. I think the BOD is downright terrible at what they do and there should be consequences for their mismanagement. There is substance in the content and documentation within his posts that are valuable. It doesn’t justify the routine online harassment of various people who aren’t in decision making positions, the threatening to dox dissenters, and the aggrandizing self-insertion. Between what he posts here and multiple times daily on various alumni pages, he routinely crosses the line between simply trying to hold the BOD accountable, and doing anything and everything to personally burn down the organization and tear down whoever gets remotely in the way.

The purple feather thing was more of a myth/joke during my time. If it was an early 2010s thing, it died out to nothing more than a thing people were vaguely aware of a few years later. I am fairly certain no one was given a purple feather in my time with the corps. And I question where members (?) would even get them (stanbury?). I viewed it as a rumor within the culture (still an oppressively condescending concept). Relating to the meeting being cancelled I just wished they’d kept it tonight to communicate anything regarding status. It feels like they’re using staffing to again have an excuse to pass the buck farther down the road. Likely reading to much into it. I’ll still die on the hill that SCV’s constant refusal to engage and supply sincere information to the public is terrible for their comeback/success.

Devils with a 20 in Vis proficiency tonight

Nobody moves like the Devils do. And everything else is at least on par with everyone on par (and I feel like that undersells them too much). I would be surprised to see anyone catch up, and I’m no BD honk. Wow to the trumpets in the closer! Ironically one of the more traditional shows this season, but still has that “It” factor.

Yes! After posting that I was thinking this. Mandarins have that nailed lately!

Ohhhh? Is that an ouroboros (or sorts) I see on their bass drums?

Boston the last couple of years have had the membership driving their production so far. But for me their vehicle of each show is till missing that “It” factor that Coats and Devils usually have.

First read on these mid show brass solos for me. Not a great run but the sound of it.

Nerve-wracking how wobbly those platforms are underneath guard work

Exactly my thoughts. Really interesting seeing them back to back.

I love how much risk the Bluecoats have been taking lately. Not that everything they do lands completely for me. This type of show and their execution is exactly what I think should be in contention for the title.

Amazing brass. As always with Crown, and somehow better each year. I prefer crowns bright uniforms of the past. Hornline uniform really doesn’t cut for me with that coloring. So far compared to the shows around it there’s not enough thematically cementing this show for me. Hard to get from a theater though. I just think story shows can struggle and this story is an old one. Feels like a really safe concept.

Their volume management from audio clips to soloists to corps is very well balanced. The way one leads into the next so well.

It’s an interesting comparison of Phantoms fullness in the brass sound to the flexibility and clarity of the Mandarins brass. I almost felt like it was a step back, and then the clarity of some of these lines really hit me.

Quintessential Shaw writing during a drum feature.

Tuba sound must not be coming through properly in this theater. Liking the low trombone features, nice effects.

Quite the difficult and exposed drill in the closer. Very hard to keep clean.

I’ve have basically not had the chance to watch any corps this summer until now. My earliest memories of corps were filled with my obsession with Cavies shows. What a love letter to their history, biggest goosebumps of the night so far. Loved all the nods, especially all the music quotes. What a special show.

Wonderful opening brass Cavies!

My time at SCV was nothing but positive experiences. For me at the time. Not that drum corps is easy, but I was in the “in-crowd” as a member and did my job as a member. It was nothing but a positive experience for me at the time. But as the years pass that is something I have reflected on and, in that aspect, regret standing by in the culture as it was. I felt a part of the family then and still do. Looking back, there were so many members that were shut out, demeaned by staff and fellow members, and borderline if not worse hazed and abused. Every year I marched there were issues, that everyone overlooked or the corps would slightly handle and then everyone went about their way. Though I do not always agree with some of the stances Mr. Lesher and Ms. Ghost have regarding what needs to be done, I value their passion and attempt to get something to change for the better of the organization. Mr. Lesher particularly takes things much farther than I am comfortable with. I find the current BOD has made poor decisions the last 12 ish years in terms of who they choose to employ, and are terrible at decision making when it comes to PR (and apparently money management). I find the alumni association to be as equally as cliqueish and manipulative as the member experience was. I still try to participate as I can in spite of this. For me all of this is not black and white. This culture improved noticeably every year, and it seemed to continue to do so after my time. The alumni association has been doing some amazing things lately. Especially the amount of support and programs they have put into effect this summer to support members at other corps who would have marched SCV this summer. I don’t know what the answers to the current problems are. IMO considerable reflection and change are needed. It is discouraging to see the board circle the wagons and and essentially adopt a “my way or the highway” silencing attitude in response to any concerns, and in the same breath ask for constant positivity and monetary support. That’s how they’ve always been: zero transparency in the name of controlling the situation (poorly). My only solution is selectively support the alumni association and VMAPA when they propose good planning going forward. And if they don’t (most of VMAPA’s planning and announcements lately), then I’ll abstain from contributing my time or resources.

There were admin (not necessarily chaperones but they basically functioned as that) on each bus when I marched in early-mid 2010s. At least with my corps.