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Staff Merry-go-round 2018 Edition


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12 hours ago, cadet93 said:

On his FB video today Hopkins said that Drew will stay as Brass Arranger/Caption Head, Tom Aungst will still be Percussions Caption Head.  Kristy Templin will stay as CG caption head, and Bobby Jones will be writing the drill again.

Oh Well......don't see any big movement up from Cadets with this team.

That's a cute copy/paste you've got going on with the Cadets 2018 thread as well, there. :34_rolling_eyes:

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13 hours ago, xandandl said:

all depends if they get better techs and training for the brass line both for winter and for summer tour, better staging for the percussion, and perhaps some additional and creative adds to the show design/concept team. Plus better viz techs so that John Bilby doesn't have to take the whole summer on this side of the pond resulting in the Cadets moving like Cadets. He did phenomenal work while he was Stateside.

You are correct that it may stay static if they don't increase the depth of talent come the auditions and have a super strong winter season to match a super strong show design.  Will the retention rate be strong and will the brass line attract stronger players? Time will tell.

 My understanding has always been that Cadets has a good retention rate of marching members, but I also know the landscape is changing and more corps are vying for the most talented people, and when you place 7th, you may not be the corps of choice. That being said, 2017 Cadets was not one of my favorite shows to put it mildly, and while some have claimed that Cadets did not get the talent level they usually have, I don't think talent or lack of it has been responsible for 2017's placement or 2015 and 2016 for that matter. I think the kids work hard and it's their talent that has gotten them as far as they've gone. I see design flaws and excess as the issues. 2013, one of my favorite Cadets show, was in many ways pretty basic, but the power of the corps blew me away and riveted me each time I saw the show. 2014 had more too it and while I loved it (I'm a history buff), it was not everyone's favorite, but again it had moments of sheer power. 2015 could have had it, but a uniform change got in the way. 2016 could have had it but statues and wedding cakes got in the way. 2017 might have worked if there was not an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach. Just my ramblings, and since no one has asked me to design a show yet, that may be all they are, ramblings.

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I don't disagree with much of what you state, but I do have one caveat you leap-frogged over.

Only the 2017 Cadets' show was designed by the current design staff.

Mr. Bocook has been  part of esoteric Blue Knights and had his own speculations at times with Cadets. Mr. McNutt and Mr. Cipriani are now employed in Boston; while previously Mr. McNutt was directly on the Cadets show design staff from percussive and other view points, Mr. Cipriani as a day to day employee of YEA as well as Brass caption head at Cadets had Mr. Hopkins ear and trust and carried much influence in show design choices music wise and other. His credentials as a finals judge for BOA, UIL, and elsewhere beside YEA gave him a swagger even without the title of designer. How successful for future years these men are at their current employers will be interesting (and hopefully again entertaining) for the audience as well as judges. How much new and old Cadets' design teams can match that and surpass that will be interesting whether they keep the same anchor in GH or not. Will they be adrift in circles or arriving at a different port?

Edited by xandandl
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1 hour ago, Tim K said:

 My understanding has always been that Cadets has a good retention rate of marching members, but I also know the landscape is changing and more corps are vying for the most talented people, and when you place 7th, you may not be the corps of choice. That being said, 2017 Cadets was not one of my favorite shows to put it mildly, and while some have claimed that Cadets did not get the talent level they usually have, I don't think talent or lack of it has been responsible for 2017's placement or 2015 and 2016 for that matter. I think the kids work hard and it's their talent that has gotten them as far as they've gone. I see design flaws and excess as the issues. 2013, one of my favorite Cadets show, was in many ways pretty basic, but the power of the corps blew me away and riveted me each time I saw the show. 2014 had more too it and while I loved it (I'm a history buff), it was not everyone's favorite, but again it had moments of sheer power. 2015 could have had it, but a uniform change got in the way. 2016 could have had it but statues and wedding cakes got in the way. 2017 might have worked if there was not an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach. Just my ramblings, and since no one has asked me to design a show yet, that may be all they are, ramblings.

It wasn't "talent" it was experience 

both on the corps member side as well as the staff working together for the first time

And  drill guy first DCI effort 

all will gain and grown between 2017 and 2018

Over 50 rookies in the brass ranks made a big difference, Percussion was half rooks also. Corps average age was at or just under 19 from what I've heard

with staff continuity and early reports of excellent member retention, there is a rationale for optimism

guard possibly retaining almost all the weapons members (22 out of 24), these things do matter

they are also announcing some additional folks joining the team over the coming weeks -- techs and others who do really make a massive difference potentially 

so let's stay positive!

i also think we will see this in the case of Boston, they will have a more deep and experienced corps and a year under their belt as a team

and I expect Cavaliers as well with great experience and depth in the ranks

BD reloads and certainly SCV and Crown and Bloo will attract many top folks into their ranks, so we could see a similar ranking in terms of "order" but perhaps a deeper set of corps in the top ranks of DCI 

jmo

 

 

Edited by George Dixon
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25 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

It wasn't "talent" it was experience 

both on the corps member side as well as the staff working together for the first time

And  drill guy first DCI effort 

This was not Bobby Jones's first time writing drill for a DCI World Class corps. First time with a Finalist-level corps, maybe, but not in DCI altogether.

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38 minutes ago, MotoSurfBass said:

This was not Bobby Jones's first time writing drill for a DCI World Class corps. First time with a Finalist-level corps, maybe, but not in DCI altogether.

For a top corps yes, Cadets along with Cavaliers are the two obvious corps most recognized for excellent drill design. Bobbys experience this past summer should pay dividends in 2018, JMO

My broader point was that the corps was young and inexperienced, Around 75 music first year members did have an impact, over 50 rooks in just the brass

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, George Dixon said:

It wasn't "talent" it was experience 

both on the corps member side as well as the staff working together for the first time

And  drill guy first DCI effort 

all will gain and grown between 2017 and 2018

Over 50 rookies in the brass ranks made a big difference, Percussion was half rooks also. Corps average age was at or just under 19 from what I've heard

with staff continuity and early reports of excellent member retention, there is a rationale for optimism

guard possibly retaining almost all the weapons members (22 out of 24), these things do matter

they are also announcing some additional folks joining the team over the coming weeks -- techs and others who do really make a massive difference potentially 

so let's stay positive!

i also think we will see this in the case of Boston, they will have a more deep and experienced corps and a year under their belt as a team

and I expect Cavaliers as well with great experience and depth in the ranks

BD reloads and certainly SCV and Crown and Bloo will attract many top folks into their ranks, so we could see a similar ranking in terms of "order" but perhaps a deeper set of corps in the top ranks of DCI 

jmo

 

 

Bobby wrote for Crossmen before they were sold to Texas. The radio show I believe 

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7 hours ago, MotoSurfBass said:

That's a cute copy/paste you've got going on with the Cadets 2018 thread as well, there. :34_rolling_eyes:

Yeah, so what?

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2 minutes ago, cadet93 said:

Yeah, so what?

It screams of attention seeking more that it does any sort of constructive conversation when people do that on here.

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Just now, MotoSurfBass said:

It screams of attention seeking more that it does any sort of constructive conversation when people do that on here.

OK, noted.  My apologies, I was just posting in the two pertinent topics for what I was saying.

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