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One more thing... more on topic to the OP... No one can do what Crown is doing musically right now. Their music design and mainly brass performance is just on a different level from everyone else. BD, maybe SCV and Cadets could all play that book... BD probably the most proficient at it... but no way would it sound anything like what Crown sounds like. It's just the way they have been building that program at Crown. The way they get their members to commit to what they teach. The way they match sound, pitch, and articulation across the brass ensemble is just on a different level. I could care less what key it's in. I'm pretty sure they could do it all in the key of B if they wanted to. Any brass player should be impressed with what they are able to play with the simultaneous visual responsibilities. And if they figure out that drumline... oh boy. It will be truly something spectacular. And sorry if some fan/member/alumni of another corps gets all butthurt about this... but it is just the truth. Not saying your corps horns don't sound great... they just aren't Crown.

Haters are gonna hate, I guess.

That really is the trick, isn't it: you have to execute well, or else the "comedy" is negative (or sarcastically it's poor execution). Some of the later VK shows could've been so much better of they focused more on execution and less on trying to come up with goofy laughs (though to be honest, my favorite "VK-pokes-fun-at-SCV/Bottle Dance" bit was the space show, when the corps does the set up, the guard gets to their knees in Darth Vader masks, and then the corps goes into "Imperial March" instead of "Bottle Dance", with the drums/cymbals doing the "Bottle Dance" parts)

Posted 23 November 2013 - 11:30 PM jjeffeory, on 22 Nov 2013 - 11:35 PM, said: ...and now I know why Chaos001 said what he said...

At a guest lecture by John Cage at the Eastman School of Music back in the 1970's, the composer was taking questions from the audience. A disgruntled person in the audience proceeded to tell Cage, "ANYONE could write your music!" The composer responded by saying "Yes, but no one does" Could other corps play what Crown plays? Maybe, but no one does.

"How MUCH do you love drum corps, Garfield?" she asked. He answered, "My love for corps has no limits, no bounds. Everything must have an ending except my love for corps."

An "equal partner" reflects a corps that's balanced enough to showcase all lines. But it could also equally mean writing to showcase the drums ends up being an education in technical ability instead of a supporting role for the show overall. Crown's drum feature, particularly in meter separation, was outstanding to my ear; the percussive sideline voices made it all that much better, IMO, for all of you who hated the narration, and tied the drum line to the original Eotb theme. It's interesting to hear you say that Hannum's book left no room for error. This year's book was remarkably less demanding, IMO, than Cadets and, after watching them both live more than once and after watching plenty of lot videos, it's clear to me that the chance for muddying-up the execution was much higher with the drum lines above Crown. I've always contended that an open, exposed drum book, done well, is just as impressive as a complicated black-smudge of notes on the page. That's where Hannum excels to my ear, because his writing makes sense with the show theme and what the brass is playing. I love an intense drumline, but I like a cohesive, musical presentation that supports the show theme even more. That, to me, is where Hannum's writing was top notch, even if the execution was 6th place. You again say "...some adjustments on the field..." but I hear that from every drum line. Every corps can make adjustments to improve their field or box scores, so I don't see how Crown is exceptional in that this year.

I will admit, I am high as hell.

just posted the other day on Madison's Facebook page

Does anyone else feel like it's a failing of us "older" generation fans and alums, that the OP didn't seem to know about the Bridgemen or Velvet Knights? We need to do a better job, folks! To the OP - this is in NO WAY a dig at you. Some of us forget how quickly the years slide by and next thing we know it's been 20 or 30 years since we saw these great junior corps gracing the fields of DCI Finals.

Several Bridgemen and (the original) Velvet Knights shows included heavy doses of comedy, although I would say their top aim was to entertain, and that making people laugh was part of the way they did that, not the only way they did that. Note that both corps, the Bridgeman especially, were highly proficient as well as entertaining. VK were finalists eight times, including two years in which they scored 90 or better. Bridgemen were finalists nine times, were five times among the top six finalists, and medaled once.