Carolina Crown 2017

[Glenn426]

So Crown will be Crown no matter what. Ok good talk.

[corpsband]

So Crown will be Crown no matter what. Ok good talk.

[corpsband]

for all future FNBB honks:

1. no one expects Jeff Sacktig's drill to be identical to Leon's.
2. no one expects the show design to be identical to Keith's
3. one might expect some similarity in guard work; Joey marched under Doo-doo.
4. yes -- Crown will be different.
5. yes --PMT had an influence in forming Crown's identity.
6. no -- they didn't create it all on their own
7. no -- Crown will not cease to be Crown just because some key staff has changed
8. no -- BAC honks have not said Boston will sound like Cadets and march/spin like Crown. that was a straw man (which apparently some of you never get tired of standing up)

Edited September 16, 2016 by corpsband

[iCanHazDcp]

I'm usually just a passive participant when it comes to this forum - especially since I'm a guard alum, but I'd like to throw in my 2 cents.

As far as the new guard staff, I am optimistic about a smooth transition.

Reason 1:

Rick and Joey are coming from SCV and their guard program has been of the most subtle and classiest guards out there - what a treat to watch them this year. Mind you, the guard finished in 4th place, 5 tenths behind Carolina Crown. Even if we lose some current talent, they may bring over some equally talented folks.

Reason 2:

Joey is a Crown alum. His innovative choreography is refreshingly unique, and it's no surprise he was under the Michael Townsend tutelage. I'd be more worried if they were bringing in someone with a west coast style or any style that wasn't derivative of the Crown/midwest technique.

Speaking of technique: I can't imagine that changing much either - catch tape position, warm-up techniques, etc.

Overall, a lot of consistencies that will be there.

Joey is not only talented but a nice guy - one of the qualities I loved about being in the crown guard. The staff were consistently positive, strict when they needed to be, but not irrationally intimidating.

What better way than to have Crown family come back to preserve the guard's traditions?

Best of luck to Joey and Rick and best of luck to Michael. I hope he can build Boston's program just like he did with Crown. What a turnaround he and the staff did after taking over in 2003!

[corpsband]

my crown video of the day because:

1) the grass is NOT always greener

2) there's no place like HOME

3) her first year :-)

4) almost forgot: nick starr!

[Tobias]

my crown video of the day because:

1) the grass is NOT always greener

2) there's no place like HOME

3) her first year :-)

4) almost forgot: nick starr!

I was in awe of that show. That ballad ❤️ Goosebumps.

[auldschool]

We can spin anything but a few things:

1. Aungst leaving the percussion program is not a positive. Travis is great but Tom is the reason finally after all these years, Crown had a strong percussion line last year. Hannum has been there for 5? years already and we didn't see a marked improvement in percussion until Tom came in.

2. Jeff is great and will write a great drill for Crown but let's remember, Cadets from 2012-15 were getting massacred in visual and Jeff wrote all those drills so again...the importance of a top guard program and show coordinator in today's DCI is monumental so Crown has some major loses to deal with.

3. I still think they can perhaps fight and stay in the top 3 but a contender like they've been, not sure with BD, Bloo, a strengthening SCV, and the some other groups.

Well you love to spin things back to how Crown with these changes will likely not be a contender. And I disagree. Let's take your points one by one.

1. Tom Aungst is not the sole reason for the percussion improvement. Travis recruited members from CWP...Tom had nothing to do with that. He could not even get his own kid to stay with Crown. Travis was there every day making that line better just like Jake Gall was at Cadets.

2. You said 2012-2015 Cadets were getting massacred in visual. 2012 was that Christmas show. And it was that drill and Jay Bocook's music that saved that show from being a total disaster. 2013 The Cadets finished third overall and yes they were 4th on VA but that was because of those crazy porta potties that Hop insisted on. The drill was excellent. 2014 the corps was 3rd and overall visual was second. 2015 that drill was brilliant. They were 3rd in VA. So much of the visual shortcomings too are a product of the show and not solely specific to the drill.

3. I agree that corps are getting better. BD of course and Bloo of course. SCV I don't necessarily see as improving. They have a great drill designer and amazing drum line but their show concepts tend to hold them back.

Bottom line...Crown can most definitely continue to compete for the title with the new designers added. Especially when combined with the best brass and visual teams out there and arguably the best music arranger in DCI.

Edited September 16, 2016 by auldschool

[MikeRapp]

Well you love to spin things back to how Crown with these changes will likely not be a contender. And I disagree. Let's take your points one by one.

1. Tom Aungst is not the sole reason for the percussion improvement. Travis recruited members from CWP...Tom had nothing to do with that. He could not even get his own kid to stay with Crown. Travis was there every day making that line better just like Jake Gall was at Cadets.

2. You said 2012-2015 Cadets were getting massacred in visual. 2012 was that Christmas show. And it was that drill and Jay Bocook's music that saved that show from being a total disaster. 2013 The Cadets finished third overall and yes they were 4th on VA but that was because of those crazy porta potties that Hop insisted on. The drill was excellent. 2014 the corps was 3rd and overall visual was second. 2015 that drill was brilliant. They were 3rd in VA. So much of the visual shortcomings too are a product of the show and not solely specific to the drill.

3. I agree that corps are getting better. BD of course and Bloo of course. SCV I don't necessarily see as improving. They have a great drill designer and amazing drum line but their show concepts tend to hold them back.

Bottom line...Crown can most definitely continue to compete for the title with the new designers added. Especially when combined with the best brass and visual teams out there and arguably the best music arranger in DCI.

Right now, and IMO for the next few years, there are five corps that will contend for a medal every single year: BD, CC, BC, SCV and Cadets (probably in that order). Barring massive staff unrest, the show concept (GE) will determine the relative ranking.

Crown could finish fifth in 2017. Or first. But I think their choice of show concept will be the most important factor in where they finish, not who is teaching percussion (which historically has been the least important scoring factor in Indy.)

Cadets is the outlier because they have been the least predictable corps of the top five and have had huge staff unrest. Even so, I think it would be very unusual to see Cadets fall lower than fifth four years out of five. They have money, a base of support, and a history that attracts elite talent in the best and worst of times.

The only really unusual factor in what is happening right now is Boston. We've just never seen the sort of elite staff shift that happened over the summer. There's no history to help determine how likely it may be to help BAC relative to Cadets and/or Crown.

[Fish]

Well you love to spin things back to how Crown with these changes will likely not be a contender. And I disagree. Let's take your points one by one.

1. Tom Aungst is not the sole reason for the percussion improvement. Travis recruited members from CWP...Tom had nothing to do with that. He could not even get his own kid to stay with Crown. Travis was there every day making that line better just like Jake Gall was at Cadets.

2. You said 2012-2015 Cadets were getting massacred in visual. 2012 was that Christmas show. And it was that drill and Jay Bocook's music that saved that show from being a total disaster. 2013 The Cadets finished third overall and yes they were 4th on VA but that was because of those crazy porta potties that Hop insisted on. The drill was excellent. 2014 the corps was 3rd and overall visual was second. 2015 that drill was brilliant. They were 3rd in VA. So much of the visual shortcomings too are a product of the show and not solely specific to the drill.

3. I agree that corps are getting better. BD of course and Bloo of course. SCV I don't necessarily see as improving. They have a great drill designer and amazing drum line but their show concepts tend to hold them back.

Bottom line...Crown can most definitely continue to compete for the title with the new designers added. Especially when combined with the best brass and visual teams out there and arguably the best music arranger in DCI.

Re: Cadets and 2013 "Porta potties."

Cadets were ripped that season over the movement of them.

This past season other corps were not ripped over the movement of their props. I watched. It was not better than what Cadets did in 2013.

I am convinced it was because they had nothing to do with GH.

I don't care what others say...

[corpsband]

Re: Cadets and 2013 "Porta potties."

Cadets were ripped that season over the movement of them.

This past season other corps were not ripped over the movement of their props. I watched. It was not better than what Cadets did in 2013.

I am convinced it was because they had nothing to do with GH.

I don't care what others say...

ok. we won't say that sometimes just a few guard members were not strong enough to smoothly start and stop all that angle iron. or that the props frequently failed to arrive on time or all together or in the right dot. it was all just