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Every time a topic like this pops up I immediately think of the lead sop from North Star. Jerry Noonan is his name and my God what chops! Check out the 1979 North Star performance. One of the best ever.

I honestly thought this thread was about the Visual techs calling out ticks and making you adjust a half step etc. and how that is annoying based on the thread title.

Don't know the name, but the baritone soloist for the Boston Crusaders in 2011 was pretty amazing as well.

I'm going to go a bit old school and new school for this thread. I can remember vividly the Jerry Noonan North Star solos. Crowds cheered almost as soon as he lifted his instrument. An honorable mention would be the soloist in 27th's "Greatest Love of All" in 1981, an underrated yet in my eyes a classic 27th moment. Al Chez of Garfield fame has to be on any list of greats and Kiltie's 1975 screamer soloist in the classic "Don't You Worry About a Thing" can't be forgotten. If we're not restricted to musicians, can any corps duplicate the artistry of 27th's rifle line, the majesty of Anaheim Kingsmen's rifles, or the amazing moves of Phantom's "Rockford File?" Though we do see great things done by guards today, we'll never see this again. My new school nod goes to a young man whose name I do not know though I think his first name is Charlie and he performed "Bring Him Home" on baritone in the 2011 BAC show. A great non horn performer who deserves credit is Carolina Crown's Nick Star, the "Rach Star" of their 2011 show. As far as two honorable mentions, two solos that had all the characteristics of "screamers" yet were very controlled include the young man from Crossmen's 2012 "Earth Song" and my favorite guilty pleasure from last season "All By Myself" by the Colts. These two soloists are on my list and no doubt others as well. So many greats, so little space........

2001 Glassmen "IMAGO" mello soloist in the Brenno Blauth "Concertino for Oboe and Strings," which the corps titled, "Meditation." Lots of people were talking about that because he carried the entire tune, it was so exposed, and it was so good. On the flip side are some of the solos talked about in this thread.

yeah they broke it, admit they dont have the solutions, they just want the power.

DCI judges could probably judge a group of 5-7 Corps that decide to go off on their own and compete against the same Corps at each show.... thats assuming that a lot of them woould want to do so. But I'm not sure their judging pool pool will be anywhere near as large as the current judging DCI pool that is currently available to DCI that are currently sanctioned with DCI. If the split up was acrimonious and DCI sees this small splinter group in competition with DCI, then certainly DCI could withdraw the rights to judge their DCI shows to any judge that decides they want to judge the same small group of 5-7 Corps all summer long for the next 40 years or whenever. There are LOTS of challenges for a small group to go and do this on its own, otherwise this group would have left DCI already by now.

I too, think the Cavies will surprise some and move up in the rankings. Of course, the staff realizes that 2012 was not up to par, and are working hard to make positive changes. Some are saying they haven't heard enough from the cavies this off season. While I don't know the show concept, I do know the staff is excited for it. "Like Mad World excited", Mike Macintosh said on Twitter. The design team has brought in Jeremy Earnhart, Alan Spaeth and of course Mitch Rogers. The members are working with trifit-xt, who are endurance coaches out of Houston and already given an endurance program to go along with physical training. I know they restructured, and added staff in the guard.Also, the design staff was under a strict deadline to have the complete show in the members hands by the February camp.This is a different approach then years past where each camp would be "scene" related and much more "organic". The members are also now required to track their progress with smartmusic. With this information coming out of Rosemont, paired with the musical selections already released, I'm looking forward to a great year from the green machine. FYI: Mitch Rogers > Richard Hinshaw

Over 40 for a camp weekend. Not bad. Im sure with a younger group there are plenty of school/job commitments going on right now that takes away a handful of kids. Only missing 10-15 to be where the top few are.

I believe Cadets2 is the most dangerous this year. I watched their latest video and compared where we were in March last year, they've seen to surpass that. I believe Bush is a close second.

I just don't see the Cavaliers placing as low as some people are predicting. I think they will make top 5.

Well, BRASSO. . . good for you! The future might well be something different for those who follow you. Is that OK?

I've been following George, his blog, All Access, etc. for years and I don't see much change. If all he cared about was winning he wouldn't take the risks that people on here have bashed him for (narration, show characters, electronics, etc). People see what they want to see. You can look for consistency or inconsistency. He is human. He makes errors. He contradicts himself. So what? Do none of the other directors or none of you do the same? One consistent message I've always heard is that the Cadets are about teaching young people to be magnificent human beings. The quest for excellence drives that. It's why they keep score. But striving to win doesn't mean you fail when you don't. I think you can say you want to win but it isn't everything and not be two-faced. George is a great leader. I've learned a lot. If you choose to only see negative then that is what you will see.

Just imagine this: In 5 years: 200 member max, any instrumentation, few rules, "The best marching bands in the country", all run by USBands, and I think you'll get see the direction they plan to push. Sure, they may be thinking something different now, but just reading Hop's writings over the years leads you, unmistakingly, to that end result.

I hope they will not rely on excessive props this year ...

cool concept, wish they left out the slightly cheesy sub-title... 'voodoo' is just cool enough. but honestly, who cares lol expecting good things

There have been many great drum corps performances throughout of the years. Although it's the corps that makes the show, every now and then, the individuals who perform create timeless classics themselves. Although the 1970's seem like a long, long time ago (for some anyway:>), one such individual performer stands the test of time for providing his timeless classic(s). If you haven't watched some of those great performances of long ago - which are still awesome in their own right today - check out the Madison Scouts from the 1970's. From 1974-1977 on the fan network, you'll get to enjoy a tremendous soprano player. From "God Bless The Child" to "MacArthur Park", this guy was simply amazing! Recently I came across this video post on youtube: The man's name is Chris Metzger Forbes. Chris was recently inducted into the Bugler's Hall of Fame. I can certainly see why! Take some time to enjoy these timeless classics. It's "old school" drum and bugle corps, but still so great to watch and hear. While you're at it, check out Madison from 1978. The baritone player produces some pretty amazing sounds in his own right in that year's rendition of the "God Bless The Child". Now, these are some examples of outstanding performances from the 1970's. There are many more recent past and by contemporary performers too. What are some of your favorites? - it doesn't have to be restricted to brass ... Please share!

Well, at least there's one thing we can agree on...

Agreed. If necessary, get a medical order from the eye doc that says that sunglasses are required.

Clever when it counts! Thanks DCP! :P

Clarification, Is MJ considered a dead white guy?

yet, he's STILL better than Hinshaw... While Rogers has had some questionable designs, he has also had some great ones.

Maybe just a little But I do believe Bush is going to make an impact this year, especially with the new staff. I'm excited to see them this summer. I do believe it will come down to Bucs, Cabs, C2, and MBI at Finals though. C2 is the most dangerous Corps, in my unbiased opinion because they now have the DCA experience. They know what they're up against, and they know how hard they will have to work to beat the other corps. Last year, roughly 90% of us were rookies, but this year C2 has returning members so that will also play a factor in the season.

But, but... I LOVED Jeffrey! Cute little band kid - he just wanted to twirl! :devil:/>

And for dessert.

highly capable people like the 7 have been trotting out the same thing over and over again, and any "innovation" they sinspire they get from something that already exists...marching band. So please, tell me...what can they do to take it higher? More Philip Glass? More occasional melody done over top of body poses? More rehash our greatest shows shows? that's one my biggest issues. The one guy who hollered about recycling the music of dead white guys keeps recycling the music of dead white guys, then throws out an ultimatum letter saying they don't know how to fix the mess they refuse to acknowledge they spearheaded, but then they want power. I mean good lord, we have enough lunacy in politics.

I wore glasses the whole time in 2003. It's very scary when everything fogs up and you can't see anything. In 2005 I wore contacts. Aside from the annoyances of losing a contact on the bus in the middle of the night, it's way better than almost dying in the drill every time you get steamy in a uniform. Contacts all the way.

Open your eyes guys. A more marketable model is out there. Let's find it. The current model is limited (for the most part) to family members, girlfriends/boyfriends, etc, What we are doing now is NOT of general appeal. We have maintained this thing by raising ticket prices on those who have a connection, those who should be there. That's not enough. Take your pick. Sell to you, or sell to you, AND many others.

Craiga.... did you just take " the fifth " or did you just spill the ( Boston ) beans ? (... haha )

Nothing is for sale or being spammed, there are complimentary downloads of Brass exercises and sequences being shared in the Brass forum. If a moderator would like to move this to the "spam" or "marketplace" forum, that is acceptable. Thank you.

I'll have a go! Pride - Blue Devils Envy - Crown Gluttony - Cadets Lust - Phantom Sloth - Vanguard Greed - Bluecoats Anger - Cavaliers IT'S JUST A JOKE!

Judges better like this show, or they'll put.... ( haha)

Intermission I think would be a poor choice because (1) it'd cut down on concession/merch sales if there's a distraction; and (2) if you want to feature these groups as something real and interesting on its own, don't put them in the sideshow slot. Also, for myself, as a ticket buyer, I want a break, please. Maybe start the show with it. Or make it the first thing after intermission (if DCI allows any such thing) to ensure more people see it. Assuming you'll have just a few groups competing, it'd just be like adding another corps to the show. You could still treat it like intermission if you must, but give folks a chance to take a break *and* buy stuff *and* see these new activities in action.

Percussion-wise the Blue Stars have had some very tasty licks and grooves the past few years. As long as that continues in that area!!!

was it a truck or a "weather balloon" and did the guy have a huge round head?

The crowd at Pasadena five years ago was on par with the best of the mid-80s Madison years, which would lead me to believe that location is a bigger factor than audience sentiment over the product. Keep the location interesting, and you add an incentive to make Finals week part of your summer vacation. In Indy's defense, even in its worst year, it still drew better than Miami in '83. There were more corps then, but fewer butts in the seats.

At least 2-4 video stations were one has access to every corps performance for every year they marched and had a video made. Might have to rely on fan hand held videos for some corps.

Marching bands with woodwinds are excellent...it's just a different sound and balance than drum corps. I don't see schools eliminating woodwinds at all, but I continue to see the level of excellent rise across all sections, which is double impressive considering the financial constraints most band programs operate under.

WGI ..... IS the indoor activity. As I understand now... WGI and G7 directors has NO IDEA about this initiative until after it happened. This point is sloppy, amateur and could cause a turf war. DCI will definitely lose here, as WGI OWNS scholastic. Again, think the concept is great... execution is a bit amateurish, sadly.

Really? You think everyone of them cares about drum corps, cares about each kid, and cares about the health of the activity. Well here is how they showed that they care: From the original G7 Proposal... > DCI should not be the focus of our concerns and decisions. > Corps Are Independent. We need to care for 'ourselves'. > Corps are NOT the same. It is not wise, or appropriate, that each of the current World Class corps have a vote that holds equal influence. > A re-classification of corps AAA, AA, and A [with the G7 being the original, and permanently included in, AAA] > This reclassification will also play into governance, fiscal remuneration and overall control of the future. > Open Class Corps... They can add into a show and they can attend the champs, 'but there is no real service offered'. Yes siree bob cat tails, it sure does appear that them there G7 directors really do care about drum corps, care about each kid, and care about the health of the activity.

I feel like this will kinda go away now tho because of the new SoundSport and Drumline Battle things....

I know it may not really be do-able, but I would like to see a reprise of the 1992 Crossmen show!!!

well.....they took the time to go back and A) get all the bodies not at Lewisburg back in and B) tweak things. If you get feedback suggesting things, and you apply it and make it work, you'll see that type of swing. Having been there that night, you could see MBI had potential. In fact go read my review...I said get the missing bodies in, tweak some things and clean, clean clean.... and that's what they did. I remember 2 weeks out, they got a score in Minnesota higher than what Bucs had here. I looked at that recap...no scabs on that panel. Tons of finalist caliber folks working the recorders that night.

IMO, you are pretty close Fran,..............IOW,Empire is not leaving DCA,..........DCA has left Empire,............

and some young kid named Wayne Downey was playing solos?

All I know is I bet the T&P guy is sharpening his razor.

What score?

The people who leaked the announcement are right here on DPC...and it wasn't anyone from BK.

Perhaps they'll dance and play at the same time.

sigh... I TOLD BK they should change the file names. Oh well...that's what they get for not taking my advice. So...next question: What is their music?