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*Cough* California....*cough*

how old are you? my impression is you are fairly young. I think you should consider an open class corps or lower world class corps since you admit to not being very good. which corps are close to you? are you marching winterguard this year? to answer your question... probably the guard that finished 12th in finals will be the easiest to make, but that is not necessarily true, b/c placement doesn't always correlate to talent at auditions.

Brahms Academic Festival Overture. Start to finish, with no breaks. And WHAT A FINISH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1E6FBi-AJw

they go on tour

It may not be every one's cup of tea but I for one am loving the maturity and thought shown by the posters here. It's worthy of Rules Congress discussions I have experienced. Yes, some may think we'll go bald splitting hairs. But it's nice to be part of a thinking person's discussion without the name calling and silliness that sometimes dominate the off season. Oh humor has its place. But a solid discussion is a blessing too.

Naturally. The system is subjective, and it is the role of the judge to decide how severe an error is. For us bystanders, most errors do not rise to the level where we can conclusively attribute scoring impact to any one such error. The examples I provided, however, were sufficiently severe to affect the score in that manner. Usually, the recaps reflect such disasters when they are of a brass, percussion or visual nature. But when they stem from something electronic, that is not the case. Now, about "wet grass"... sorry, but wet grass does not cause falls by itself - only in combination with some degree of risky drill, positional error or lapse in technique. And even when there is a fall, 5-person pileups are usually avoided either due to the nature of the drill design, or the manner in which the individual recovers. This is drum corps. In drum corps, we do not make excuses - we take responsibility. Wet grass, rain, wind, sun in our face, bus breakdowns... none of these things are our fault. But it is our fault if we do not prepare for them. We all know wet grass is part of the game. Evening dew is enough to cause it, not to mention rain before or during a performance. But even the finest of venues, indoor or out, natural or artificial turf, will have spots of irregular surface where a sharp direction change becomes more challenging. Members know this in advance, and learn the proper techniques to maintain balance and traction. Designers know these hazards too, and thus know the risks involved in sharp direction changes, blind follow-the-leader-behind-you moves, tight spacing, and combinations of the above. I think I see what you are trying to say regarding "not the fault of the members", but a better example would be a judge running into a marcher, in which case the marcher being out of position would be genuinely excusable.

An indoor venue pretty much guarantees there will be no weather-related problems. That, to me, is a big reason to keep the title show indoors.

There are numerous other posts on this topic. Take a look at those as well. Bluecoats have one of DCI’s premier percussion programs and staff. Make sure you get the audition material for the position you wish to audition and be able to understand and perform it at a very high level. Be confident, comfortable and able to sight read any new material presented during the audition. Age is not always a factor to making any DCI drum line. I made it into my 1st DCI finals-level snare line at 16. What matters is your level of ability, maturity, attitude and comment. Today’s DCI percussion sections move a lot and play a lot so make sure you’re in good physical condition. Show up early and be prepared for a wonderful experience. Be ready to go, ready to learn and have an enthusiastic and positive attitude. Be open to what the Bluecoats staff want you to do AND DO IT, have an open mind. Be rested and ready to work hard all weekend. Before the audition, during and after, talk to veterans, they can help you immensely. Don’t get stressed out, do whatever it takes to be relaxed. No matter what happens learn from the experience and enjoy it. Good luck to you and have fun.

PR did "Russian Easter Overture" in 1980, an underrated show in many respects.

I have to agree with the Soccer type dude. If you are not confident in your skills, you should probably start in a lower class guard, and work your way up to a world class guard. Winterguard certainly helps you get their quicker. My advice is don't look for what is easier, make it hard for yourself. The harder you work, the better you get. The more people around you that are really good, the more motivated you will be to get better. Rather than looking for the easiest, look for a real challenge to work for.

There is also the aspect of who actually are the corps members. While DCA has had many Canadians/Canadiennes march in US corps also, and perhaps a few Brits, DCI membership in various corps includes students from Ireland, Italy, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, England, Norway, Sweden and Canada; those are the ones I know off the top of my head. Most come on special student visas specific for the summer tour and return to their native land at the end of the DCI season. Cadets, Crown, and Cavaliers had a half dozen each this summer. And open class saw the corps come from Guatamala, and one with plans from Indonesia but was limited due to the political situation there.. DCI - at least 10; DCA-5

Uh, '87 SCV would immediately come to mind. The "Russian Years" were some of Gail Royer's best days. And the corps'.

Don't be so quick to make that claim. Over the years, DCI has had corps from every country you mentioned and then some. This year they even had a corps from Columbia make the trip to Indy. A trip through corpsreps will show you just how "international" the activity is, and DCI is far and away the leader when it comes to partnering with foreign corps and associations.

I went to the normal circuses as a child, which was past the era of sideshows. I just don't see sideshows as being something bright and cheery types of things. Maybe it's just me though.

I get the benefits of both.BUT say practice

I've long thought this would be perfect for drum corps and believe I suggested it, and no one could do it quite like PR.

Are you implying that DCA is more internationl than that other group that uses the word international in their title? hmmmm

Been a fan since 1973 ,love everything they do ,so i'd say just keep being Phantom .

SCV would like a word with you. Any given year, my friend. No corps has been stable at the very top of the percussion world for some years. To claim that BD has the best current line would be misleading at best.

Just as a side note. I know it was a different era but Madison marched a 14 year old rookie snare drummer in 1976 and took 2nd in finals that year.

cool guys... and Ray... I hear you - as the one standing next to Vince Bruni in the parking lot of Clifton HS outside your buses as the beer bottles were broken... I appreciate your comments more than most... As I mentioned earlier, were Vince alive to read these comments, he would smile, say "Go Figure" and then give Donnie his bass drum back... Why? Because Vince knew his heart was always in the right place even if he had a definite problem with connecting his brain to his mouth... All that being said - and this is mostly for Jeff, my only argument is the severity of the punishment... Jeff, perhaps that term "lifetime ban" means a lot more to old farts like Don and I ... as we begin to deal with thoughts of the inevitable. A young guy like you with a beautiful young wife (Christine) and wonderful daughter to raise are a long way from having to live with that reality. I can tell you that Donnie can not read DCP on his home IP, but can on other devices by going around a few circles... but out of respect for DCP and GW and all of us, he declines to set up a new account under a different name - which he could easily do as long as he didn't log in from his main computer. Frankly, at this point, I don't know if he'd come back on DCP even if the ban was lifted. Considering his fragile health, it might be for the best. I hope the doctors relent and give him permission to fly home soon - so he can see his family and I can take him to breakfast...

And so it continues. http://bluecoats.com/2014/09/2015-staff-announced/

You are still thinking with a tick system mentality here with this comment. Judges evaluate the totality of a show on their caption. A slip as decribed above is just not going to have much, if any, impact on the total show visual performance evaluation, for example. Depending on whether or not the judge saw it, something like that might register as an "oops...almost fell there...be careful with your how your weight is balanced...nice recovery"...or something like that, depending on the outcome, of course. I am not a DCI judge at all, and in fact I do not really judge bands at this point, being on staff with one that takes up my weekends as it is, but I have judged somewhere between 150 and 200 band shows, and often ran across electronics and amplification. I know I always envaluated the blend and balance of the sound, and if the electronic instruments, or the amplified instruments, overbalanced the total sound I commented on it, and that was factored into the score. People on DCP who are active in DCI as staff members have written that it happens today in DCI too.

Absolutely. Given these variables, that book was incomparable: * Not written until March (SCV's book was written by the past November---well, two parts were written in late 1983) * Written by M. Klesch, who had NEVER written a 13 minute book before * Not even on the field until April * Garfield was dirt-poor and had notoriously bad horns * Two friggin' valves * TO THIS DAY, the most demanding, exposed drill. Jeremiah is so time signature-sick that at times, they marched on the phrase. They either made the sets or they didn't. (They did.) * The "opera buffo" ending to 'Candide' kept going and going. Louder, faster, higher. I asked then; I ask now: HOW did they maintain the energy? * BD second in Brass GE (14.3); Garfield got a 14.8. 'Nuff said. * SCV got a 14.1 (they forgot about Ensemble/Timing in Finals). GR Royer said, "We got done in by a brass judge." Um, ok.

And, I would submit, the more elements (in terms of show additions, whether they be instrumental, percussive, guard, prop, scenery, or electronic -- not to mention the next area that some wise, daring, enterprising, and/or revolutionary designer will bring to the fold) enter into the equation, the more muddied and uneven the whole subject of judging and assessment will become. No matter how many hours, days, weeks, or months a committee may spend in seclusion, writing and re-writing rules, and re-designing judging sheets to cover every future potentiality, the human mind will always be one step ahead. And, I would also submit, often several steps ahead. Or to state it more simply: "There is no rule expressly AGAINST it; therefore, it has to be legal and allowable." Don't get me wrong, xanda...I agree with everything you said (hence, my "like" on your posting). I just get the feeling that no matter what happens, there will always be a certain proclivity toward "wanting the cake and eating it too." That is not a general statement meant with pejorative intent; rather, as I see it, much like the natural state of development which we actively discuss daily, as being simply an evolution of taste and regard that all observers, whether those on the field, in the stands, or upstairs in the press/judging booth, will (hopefully) most likely accept, perceive, and interpret with equanimity. And argue, with all righteousness, that it "isn't against the rules" -- hence, by logic, simply must be allowed as a positive contribution from the angle of scoring.

field caption really shouldn't be touching electronics. Why? the sound is aimed upstairs. Ensemble and effect should cover it. drum guys will cover it in WGI because the Music judge is far enough off of the floor to be able to discuss balance issues a nd the effect guy is dealing without whatever is used ties into the show and if it's effective. But in DCI, with percussion on the field ( minus when judge 2 is used) the field guy should look the other way. when judge2 is used, they can surely discuss if it's affecting the ensemble sound.

Glen and all you Whoers out there. I think we all know who got the Don banned. He says it was just a week, but I spoke with Don at length last night and communicated with a few others. This callous jerk has managed to get him banned for life and this for a guy who only participated in GW because he got tired of all the tripe and trash on some other threads. This is a guy whose health has not been the best for a while now and he gets his sole entertainment source snatched from him. Apparently it was due to some IMs sent which are supposed to be PRIVATE and not for public consumption, but those were used as the premise to get Don booted. Hey, over the years, and it has been quite a few since Don is one of the very first on this thread, he and I have gotten into some disagreements but never have I felt the need to go behind his back and report him like the classroom snitch. He and I have ALWAYS worked things out. I, as well as Don, are very passionate about our activity, the old days and even that into which it has 'evolved', but that passion is understood and we both know where the other stands when it comes to OUR corps ( Cru and Sky). Over the years there was some bad blood between our 2 corps, but we have always been friends, regardless of outcomes. Now it comes down to 'you can't call me a bad name and I'm telling on you' ( not the exact words since I am not privy to Private Messages), but that is what it seems. I think it behooves ALL of us here in Whoville and our Queen to call upon the moderator to lift the ban on one of the good guys ( most times) and allow him access to this thread once again. The other alternative would be to move this site to a private site or a group on FaceBook where we ( meaning Nanci ) could decide who stays and who goes. Yes, Don does go a little overboard sometimes, but don't all of us as well? Let us all do what we can to right this injustice to one of the most sincere and passionate members we have here. My guess is that now that Don has been banned we won't hear from his accuser ever again on THIS site. Sorry for the length of this rant, but I just HAD to get it off my chest. Bring back The Don!!!!! Ray

NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. no drainage system, and August is thunderstorm central in Indy. Plus to be honest, the windows will create more sound issues than the open roof. The ONLY way and outdoor championship is to happen is if they move it somewhere. Rumor is a committee is exploring options

Side Show >> Slide Show: Death by Powerpoint

If taken in the context of the era and the instruments being used, the 1985 Garfield Cadets brass book is about as ridiculous as it gets.

White Sabers move to Open and make finals Fusion WINS first ever DCA title Someone in Rochester starts up another corps and they surprise everyone! Phoenix arises again! C2 gets it together and almost wins but takes a close second!

And they're off!

This is truly stunning news.

Obligatory mention of '97 Cadets Not only a TON of notes, but also rhythmically very complicated, performed while running at breakneck speed

Santa Clara Vanguard - 1986 I loved that costume change!