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I've been spending quite a bit of time catching up, via recordings or Youtube, on DCI's past. Throughout history, there are moments which are universally acclaimed as being "big" or "impressive." But I have found that there are even more moments, solos, or shows which have either escaped the public (i.e., non-drum corps "geek") consciousness, or have been set aside, usually due simply to the passage of time. I've always been a proponent of the idea that "to truly understand where we are going, we first have to understand where we've been." In that vein, I would ask the following: What, in your opinion, have been moments which have gone largely forgotten, but in retrospect were moments to behold as being "great" or "wonderful." This isn't a thread for proof or debate. It isn't intended to be comprehensive. Rather, it is highly personal, and speaks for nothing more than each poster's recollections and expressions of what reached them. To be fair, I will start with a few of my own: 1) The entire era of the 70's, with the assorted "balls-to-the-wall" soloists. Yeah, I'm a teacher. Yeah, I'm a "trained musician" (whatever the living hell THAT is supposed to mean...which, in my book, is precious little). But first and foremost, I'm a trumpet player. I love the sound of the screamer. Someone who, for eventual good or bad, is willing at that moment to hang it all out there. Put his name on the line. For nothing more than OUR enjoyment (o.k....MAYBE just a little bit for their own ego as well. Oh well...no harm, no foul.). Brady, Keavit, Metzger (and yes, for every one that I name, I admit that I'll be missing 5 others), and so many more. If I had a wish, it would be to be able to go back and see any of them -- live -- not on video. Sadly, it'll never happen. Much to my own total and personal loss. 2) Barbara Maroney Mellophone Solo ( "I Have a Love." ) -- 1984 Cadets "West Side Story" The perfect illustration of when sometimes, the soft and loving look from the one you love means a thousand times more that the shouted acclaim of millions. Meaning isn't always in the power of numbers...sometimes, it's in the force of simplicity, internal strength, expression, and beauty. This one always nails me. Always has. Always will. 3) "Strawberry Soup" -- 2002 Crossmen. No, it isn't Madison. Yes, it's different. And just maybe what the French were meaning when they coined the phrase "Vive la Difference." With the emphasis on "Vive." And despite what we all might think about the French...they totally nailed the meaning of the phrase with respect to this one. 4) Larry Shane soprano solo, 1990 Blue Devils "Tommy" -- No, not long (actually, only about 20 seconds). But for me, it provided the perfect bridge into what followed. And provided it well. 5) 1980 27th Lancers -- "Off The Line" -- I'm a lover of the British Band heritage. And the sheer power and execution exemplified by the Lancers is often times, I feel, both still acclaimed, yet totally forgotten. I watch this one as often as any other I can think of. Everyone...please feel totally free to make your contributions without impunity. Think of it as a "sharing" thread.

Sun Devils Announce 2015 Executive Director and Corps Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Sun Devils Drum and Bugle Corps are excited to announce that corps founding member John “JJ” Johnson will once again return as the Executive Director. JJ’s leadership has been crucial to organization since the beginning. As a founding father of this drum corps his consistent involvement has helped to truly develop the personality of the drum corps. Anthony Parisi will be taking over the responsibilities of Corps Director. Anthony has been an integral part of the corps resurgence. He has worked tirelessly on both the design and administrative direction of the corps over the last 2 years. Anthony’s experience with the Sun Devils family has made him a natural fit to replace our friend Robb Van Eck who retired as corps director after the 2014 season. Anthony looks forward to continuing many of the standards that have been set over the history of the corps while helping the corps to grow and take our next steps toward success. Anthony had this to say about the 2015 season “The team of staff and members we have assembled over the last few years are a true family. We are in the process of adding some amazing people to further move the corps in the right direction, competitively, educationally and administratively. I am looking forward to working closely with JJ and the rest of the management team to reach our true potential while never losing site of the fact why we really do this, Family! ” More announcements about additional administrative and Creative staff will be coming shortly, so stay tuned! See the bios for JJ and Anthony below. John “JJ” Johnson, Executive Director JJ has been involved with the marching arts since 1989, starting with the 7 time BOA Grand National Champions, Marian Catholic High School. As a graduate of Marian Catholic, the lessons learned have spanned a lifetime. While at NIU, JJ garnered several accolades including, Rookie of the Year, Director's award, and he also was a two time recipient of the Marching Huskie of the Year Award. JJ started his drum corps career back in 2000. While with Heat Wave, which happened to be JJ's first drum corps experience, he played soprano, mellophone, and then eventually Drum Major. Utilizing the skills learned from Marian Catholic and Northern Illinois University, he excelled and eventually became Executive Director of Heat Wave and more recently, the Sun Devils. "I am looking forward to another fun and challenging season. We have every intention on building upon last year's successes." Anthony Parisi, Corps Director Anthony Parisi has spent most of the last 20 years deeply involved in many aspects of the marching activity. In high school and college he marched both brass and percussion. Anthony moved on and participated in junior corps for partial seasons with both the Bluecoats and Boston Crusaders. He began his DCA career with a year in the Sunrisers and then marched for the next 8 years with the World Champion Hawthorne Caballeros playing both baritone and euphonium. Anthony has been involved with the Tampa Bay Thunder drum and bugle corps as both a visual and brass tech and was also involved for several years with the WGI World Finalist Emanon Winter Guard as a visual tech/consultant. Anthony has been the Assistant Director/Drill Designer/Show Coordinator for several bands in the NY/NJ/PA area, including 4 time winner of the Yamaha Cup and Northern States/NJ Champions, Pequannock Township High School. Anthony has also worked with Riptide Indoor Percussion(RPT)Recently he was the Drill Designer for the St. Augustine Ancient City Regiment. Outside the marching arena Anthony works for Expedia Local Experts as a concierge in the Orlando hospitality market.

Nice side discussion on what I mentioned with no snide comments.. bravo... My excellence vs entertainment moment came the last show I saw for 10 years in the 90s. Corps did horn hit.. no music, horn hit.. no music for what seemed like 30 or so seconds. Top corps and doe very well for something that would be tough for a large line spread out over the field. But after a while I was thinking "OK you've impressed me with what you can do, now how about entertaining me (with music)". And my background IMO helps me see this in a different way. Actaully spent my first few years in a rebuilding corps competing in a lower level circuit. Came to see and understand the corps that came to entertain as they were not to be excellent that year. Too many details to explain why....

I'm not sure I could see it as either a Zingali or Gaines move though you never know what Zingali would have done today and with some of the Cavies maneuvers during the Gaines years, only Cirque de Soleil was more limber. Based on the past few years shows, I would say that Crown would be the most likely to attempt such a maneuver with a possibility of Cavies. Phantom would also be a possible choice, maybe Cadets, but I would rule out Blue Devils. Yes it would be clean, but to do it correctly it would have to be more regimented than what I associate with BD. Crossmen and BAC would be possibilities too, maybe even Madison.

Gotta "love" people who think if they do nothing, people will still beat a path to their door. I don't often find myself interacting with band students, but do talk with their parents at little when I go to marching band shows. As usual when the weather permits (and today was wonderful), I wore a drum corps tee shirt to the show I attended this evening--in this case the one for Legends' 2012 show ("Edmund Fitzgerald"). My only conversation regarding it was with the woman selling me a ticket. Her son, a member of the band hosting the show, hopes to march a corps, and while his dream would be Bluecoats, Legends is among the others he's looked into. Score one for the "do-nothings", I guess. On the other hand, I chatted quite a bit with the father of a performer in the very large band that was tonight's deserved grand champion (Medina, which one regular DCP contributor knows very well). Their show has a pirate theme, complete with a large flag on a 20-foot high "mast" set right in the middle of the field. After the performance, I said that if he wanted to see another pirate show on the field, there was a show he should search for on youtube. You all know exactly which DCI performance I recommended. He said he would look for it, and then he said, "And what was the band's name again?"

As a person not in the middle of this discussion, but a long time observer from the perifery - I've been like many fans of the Plaid. It pains me to see the lack of improvement of a competitive product, as the original nucleus of the Kilties begins to wain. Yeah, when they began the experiment, it wasn't easy to come out of nowhere. When they had their peak DCM and DCA - wise, they quickly came to a crossroads IMO. I had hoped bringing in Scott Stewart was going to start the climb up the competitive ladder..I always felt that Scott had the passion for "entertainment for the crowd", along with his connections to keeping his former corps in the hunt, until such time as the powers that be chose to follow the pack to save face with the brand and the circuit. I knew a lot of the original members of the Kilties when they resurrected the name. There might be 3 or 4 folks left of that group. I'd like to be able to have 3 or 4 groups from DCA Central end up in finals - but it seems that the frustration of members and alums are coming to the surface..and they're doing it in a way that is NOT the norm. To my friend Bill - it ain't easy to change. Fans from all over the drum corps world who have enjoyed seeing the Kilties are lining up to show their love for the Plaid, and their hopes to see it continue and thrive. It now needs to be a forum where brainstorming from all angles MUST be considered in order to "perpetuate the species"..I have a hard time watching one of my favorite groups continue on a path that needs correction. I would hope that the Kilties know that their brothers and sisters to the West will do what they can to help. Because I can recall when my drum corps family went through these types of circumstances. It was with the help of one of our alums from Cheeseland that our road back developed.. Keep the faith, baby!!!! WWBD Pat

Judging from the fact there are several brass guys in the DCI Hall of Fame who never marched, I'd say yes, absolutely.

None of them. I want the last note to be as loud as possible.

I feel like there are two conversations happening here. But yeah, we are hitting the recruiting trail this fall in Virginia and Maryland. I've been recruiting at Maryland band shows for years. I'm from Maryland and marched in a TOB band so I'm very familiar with the circuit. I will be announcing other recruiting stops as I set them up. I teach a USBands band so I have obligations with that group, but I'll be out recruiting. Maybe I'll run into Jeff Ream again at a TOB show! Like I said in my press release when we withdrew from DCA competition this year: We're not going anywhere! I invite you to keep up-to-date with us on Facebook: Facebook.com/ShenandoahSound ...we just announced that our indoor line is back for a 2nd year!

None. Soft endings suck.

He did. Hopefully he doesn't next season.

Star '90. Star '91 & '93 get all the hype, but Star '90 is my favorite. Star '92 ain't too shabby either. Star '88 Porgy and Bess. Powerful mid and low brass. Basically, similar sound to Crown. SCV '97 - Fog City Sketches SCV 2000 - Age of Reverence Blue Knights '99 - Suite for Brass and Percussion Glassmen 2001 - IMAGO

Academie Musicale