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Don't know how I missed it in 2010, but I'm certainly making up for lost time. It kind of went like this: Saturday: bored, search for shows on the site that must not be named. Found a clip of the ending to Into the Light. Watched about five times in a row. Sunday night: got the audio and video on the Fan Network, put on my iPod Monday: Lose track of how many times I listened to it at work. I'm still not sold on the middle part of the show--some ideas that just didn't quite coalesce (but some really sick drill moves). But sweet mother of God, the opening and closing are glorious. THAT'S the Regiment I want to hear! Today: Ordered Kamen's original piece on Amazon.

Alas young Jedi, such is DCP. Hang in there.

I debated with myself whether to mention the young man at all as DCP usually doesn't discuss the motivations of individual members except in awe or contest-changing situations (the horn player who fell in Whitewater, the dropped drum in Indy, the Crown member nearly getting run over at Finals.) Wherever and whatever the young man is, he has my respect and should have his privacy. I apologize for mentioning him in the first place.

I was student conductor at Duke Ellington School of the Arts ( wind ensemble and jazz band) Drum Major for Drum Corps and Marching Band. I've studied conducting too. I stand by my statement. I'm just talking drum corps. :-)

I would submit that if a multi-year vet comes to auditions and rehearsals unprepared, then they are not being very "loyal" to their corps to begin with

Is DCI willing to sign a "Hold Harmless clause" preventing the donor/sharer from being sued for copyright questions given what has transpired with FN while Boo skipped town?

Interesting thought. "Everything old is new again."

If you're referring to Alan Aungst, He made it, per ScoJo Facebook page.

Well, DCI has been with us for several decades and times change. Take the Color Pre(sentation) as a example showing this change. At one point it was a point to respect national pride and demonstrate loyalty. Many corps were sponsored by veteran or other quasi-political groups. With the increase in the number of drum corps in the post WWII, post Korea era, two problems evolved: how to do the presentation in a special way in competition but different from other corps. There are columns written in the old magazine DRUM CORPS DIGEST whether certain music was appropriate. I think of a critique of the Sunrisers doing the color pre to 1812 Overture or such. Basic question was, what did this have to do with the U.S. flag??? The second problem is thornier. As the Viet Nam era brought questions about what nationalism was, how was it manifested appropriately and when, and what this all had to do with a drum corps, other questions arrived. With the arrival of Drum Corps INTERNATIONAL, a unique challenge arose with Canadian/Canadienne corps, Dutch corps, Swedish corps, etc. all having their own approach, colors, and politics. Today, any top 12 corps** may be populated with students from a number of different nations. The national colors presented in an old color pre probably won't represent on one level all those marching although the contest is highly rooted in the U.S., is being held (except for Montreal, P.Q.) in the U.S., and with different perspective. Today's DCI championships has units from several nations. New time, new issues, different generations looking with different eyes. **The Glassmen almost made it a special focus to include other than Americans: English, Italians, etc. Pioneer has usually filled its ranks with such visiting students including South Africans. Madison Scouts had members from Brittany in France, Cavaliers this season had members from Belgium, Cadets recently marched someone from Co. Tipperary, Ireland -- in addition to the more usual Japanese, Dutch, Germans, etc. Brazilians, Guatemalans, Taiwanese, and Mexicans have also marched DCI. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2015/01/20/4035145-mullingar-musician-says-dream-came-true-with-contract-to-play-in-the-usa/ And then there are those from the Republic of Texas...

Don't discount birth control as a factor in the diminution of drum corps. There are no longer the large families of six or more kids for whom the activity provided outlets. Look particularly at our Eastern cities where families are smaller, schools and churches are closing, and single/non-married adults are replacing those who once raised their families in the neighborhoods. This article is certainly a game changer: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/15/for-the-first-time-there-are-more-single-american-adults-than-married-ones-and-heres-where-they-live/ Newer immigrant populations in cities gravitate to different activities for their young.

To tell the truth, I could care less if DCI offers streaming of archived years. As long as they're available *for sale,* I'm a happy camper. I'd have no problem with FN just being live streaming of the current year, and then a storefront with older audio and video downloads. Mike

In this video just out from the Bluecoats' staff, "coachability" is given as the primary quality the staff looks toward in audition.https://www.youtube....h?v=9ORD-rl4sSw If a vet comes in as a know-it-all (and thus, uncoachable) I can see the vet being let go.

Oh is that why he thinned down so!

Mostly new people in the entire line, but significantly more talent than the past few seasons from what I understand. The center snare is the Cadets center snare from 2012 and 2013. But yeah, this video makes me really, really excited to hear the Crown percussion section this summer.

Ok -- I'll be "that guy". For us newbies who have never heard the term, what does OTL mean? My only guess would be "On The (starting) Line".

The relevant portion of the email: This could mean a change from Brightcove to something else, but I'd say they are just going to give the website a face lift. To save face in response to the copyright issue. A face saving face lift. The face, having been lifted, will be saved. Maybe they were already planning an upgrade, but if so the copyright issue is coincidental. More likely they will be choosing a web design service or person (homebrew is still quite possible given what is achievable today) "during the next few months".

This is my favorite modern Phantom show. It was wonderfully consistent, flowing, dreamlike. A great show to introduce someone to drum corps with. If I recall correctly, the tribe being born and dying represents the disappearance of the Anasazi native American tribe 1000 years ago. The 'spirit guide' is in love with a human woman, so they can never be together ... or can they? (That's my take on it at least). Here's a DCI article about it.

i thought people that spend hours on computers arguing would know how to unmute. my bad.

I have been a subscriber to the digitalconcerthall for about a year. I have the app on my Sony 3D Bluray player, and it has been worth every dime I paid for it. Never had a problem with it, and when the Fan Network gets an app for this player, I am in big time.

We will have in Alabama a mini corps in the Rocketeers out of Huntsville, for those who choose not to march on the field. Must be 18 years and older to perform with them. The Southern Knights will be all-age and will field a competetive corps next year. This year will be exhibition and parade. We are also looking into doing a mini corps for DCA this year. Next year may also introduce a feeder corps for kids 10-15 years old to perform locally and get their feet wet to drum corps. Down on the Gulf in Mobile is Southwind, a Jr. corps making a comeback. They recruit mostly from the pan handle of Florida to Louisianna. There are many drum corps vets that are within an hour or so drive of Birmingham, who would love to hit the field again. The opportunity is now here. This year we will lay a foundation for many years to come. The 3 corps directors are in contact, and will work to make each corps succeed to represent a State that has been absent from the drum corps scene for too long.... It's a passion!!!!

eighth-note flam alts, 3/4 time, 200bpm. Awesome.

Then why are we even talking about them here? ... Next case ...

Perhaps later in the show they follow the word "Electric" with "boogie woogie woogie!"?

They must not have liked going the serious route and decided to return to their more popular VK, Florida Wave, Bridgemen style of shows. If it works for them and the corps is having a great time; more power to them.

I dont think you are getting what I said. It is better to know if a kid is ready for ALL that is involved. NOT EVERY KID who thinks they are cut it. Maturity is something one is ready for or not YES it can be learned in time but time is not a luxury we all have. There is also the money factor ( forget the corps ) BUT the money the kid or parent already put out only to see the kid blow up and run. It is very hard to watch a kid fold under the pressure or just not ready to be away from home. This has nothing to do with talent Goals at an audition can also be very different from place to place and someone holding an audition or part of the process MUST know that and work toward what a particular corps is looking for and what benefits a potential member in the entire process. I think we maybe have said almost the same thing.

I think teachers in general resist the idea of applying a simple metric even to knowledge, let alone skills. In that sense this is part of a larger education issue bitterly fought today. Still, while you can't apply a number to a horn player, drummer or guard member, you can find simple metrics that correlate with skills in ways every student of that art knows, and suggest very approximate guidelines for acceptance at the lowest tier, top 25, top 12, top 3 level in each area. In guard, for example (about which I will now display just how little I know) people often praise a rifle toss consisting of x number of spins. So there's a metric that correlates with guard skill. How often to top 12 DCI guards accept guard members who can reliably catch at most a 3? Not often? So what's the number of spins that you think (dear reader, especially if you are a guard instructor) someone should have a slight chance, as opposed to a good chance, of getting in, assuming their other skills and attitude are at approximately the same level? As long as there is some metric that people tend to associate with talent and skill, it can be very rough;y associated with top 3, top 12, top 25. That's not unreasonable. And that would help people narrow their target corps selection, which would be good.

Also, (and I know this happened for a fact at least with a few Finalist corps in the mid/late 90s/early 00s) 3) to continue to collect "cap fees" from members and/or to give a kid on the bubble some experience for next year. I was never involved with a group that did that, but knew instructors who were explicitly told by directors to do this, i.e. "we could use the extra money so be generous with callbacks"

And that's the sort of thing I think would be helped by a unified audition/combine process. Where some of the mid- and lower- corps would get access to the entire pool of potential DCI players, and could reach directly out to the many potential marchers at the appropriate level that might not have thought to come to them, but who might welcome the opportunity once the corps find them. While there certainly will always be the "Corps X or nothing for me" marchers, I bet a lot of others would welcome the opportunity to march with Corps Y, but either they didn't know enough to go there on their own, or they were too tied into Corps X's camps to be able to pursue Corps Y as well.

I am and have been involved in more than 1 audition process ( have been asked to sit in on others time to time ) and the one thing that has made the activity unique is that the process is not just about the skill ( at any level ) it is very much about the FIT of a person to the specific corps. I get it and we can surely go to an easier way to audition BUT the fit, finance commitment and several other things can sometimes only been seen face to face, if ya get me. This and interaction also tells a story. We take some of this out and IMO we truly can be changing the basis for the activity more than we realize. JMO PS: there are also many kids who go to some auditions knowing they may never make it but go for the experience. I see that alot and then see some shocked when they are asked to come back or get a spot.

No, I like the concept, and mentioned the idea of a DCI-wide audition combine in another thread. Some players won't know they won't make the cut with their corps-of-choice until January, and they quite possibly feel it's too late to start up with another corps only in February, or maybe they don't make the cut at their top-5 choice, and their top-15 second-choice is already filled up, and they don't think playing for a bottom-10 corps is worthwhile. It would be great (but of course highly unlikely) if: all corps would list their proposed camp/residency dates, locations, seasonal costs and desired player numbers players would upload an audition video of music selections agreed upon and designated by DCI, along with sortable data entries for age, school, corps experience, band experience, etc. the players, having reviewed corps' provided date/location/cost information, would also indicate their desired corps, by preference (with heavy emphasis on including fall-back selections) the corps would then review audition videos, and can limit their choices by filtering based upon age, experience, etc. the corps would then extend offers for players to attend their first camp, but would be limited to having no more than 150% of any proposed section (ie. - if they are going to march 12 tubas, then can not have more than 18 at camp) All players attending a camp must be given an acceptance or rejection within one week following the camp All players receiving an offer must accept or reject within one week following receipt of offer Corps can then invite players to their second camp, but would be limited to having at the camp (a) any players who accepted offers, and (b) no more than 200% of the open and available spots remaining (i.e. if 9 tubas accepted, then can have up to 6 at the second camp to compete for the final 3 spots) Repeat offer/acceptance procedure above Tweak as needed.

That's the crux of the argument. Everyone thinks CBS will just do this out of the goodness of their hearts for DCI exposure. DCI couldn't even keep the broadcast on PBS of all places. The contract for ESPN cost a ton of money DCI didn't want to lose, and CBS would probably be even more being a major network. Still signed it though, would be nice if someone wanted to pony up the cash to pick it up.

I know this is a corps by corps decsion...BUT I hope that Boston will announce their music a lot sooner than opening night of the first show like they did this past season. In my opinion, it did absolutely nothing for them "remaining secret" all winter. It didn't create any BUZZ about or around the show at all except for perhaps a little mystery of how Animal Farm would be portrayed and this announcement was quite late as well. The announcement had little or no substance IMO. I think The Cadets do the best of all the corps about creating BUZZ around their show in the off season and they should probably consider following their playbook. Being transparent is certainly not going to affect competitive placement.

I know I am in the minority here...I don't want them to do a tribute show.

Any corps celebrating a major anniversary can still be competitive if a good design is executed well. With all the changes in DCI recently and those that may be on hold for the time being, and with no assurance that DCI will be around in the year 2040, never mind those who marched 60 years ago, next year might be the best time for the Crusaders to honor the corps history. This may be old news, but for many, no corps has survived the tough times like the Most Precious Blood Hyde Park Boston Boston Crusaders.For many years, it was the alumni, instructors, friends, and members, who kept the corps solvent. Members who also taught the corps. Alumni and parents who put their homes at risk without telling their families. If any corps could get the fans extremely excited, have their souvie sales possibly go through the roof, it might be the BAC doing a tribute show.

I am interested to know the last time DCI slapped a penalty on a corps for a warm-up violation. Does anyone know? I understand that finals week is where all the rules come in to play - BUT, I attended several show this year before finals week (7) and at every one I heard corps warming up that were enough to distract me from the corps performing: no penalties were given.

There aren't many "discarded" G horns left that have much life left in them...wouldn't be a great investment in the future even if they were cheap...and God forbid you (or anyone else) is the person responsible for keeping them in playing condition. That would be a job akin to having to teach me how to pirouette. In 2000, I did not notice the difference between Cadets' and Cavaliers' horn line quality while viewing them live. Cadets had B-flat horns and Cavaliers still had G. When I received the CDs, minus the visual stimuli, I was stunned. The difference in clarity between the two B-flat lines—Cadets and Blue Devils—and the remaining G lines was astounding. At that point, I called a director friend of mine and told him I hoped he was planning on making the switch, because once a brass judge closes their eyes to shut out everything else and focuses specifically on the quality of sound...it's all over.

Anyone that sat in front of BD during their warmup back when they were on G bugles knows the difference in power that you get from those horns versus the B-flat horns of today. Just listening to BD tune on the old G bugles was honestly worth the price of admission to a show. You'd literally feel the stands shaking from the sound. The flip side is that the horn lines today are a little cleaner and are more in-tune thanks to the B-flat instruments. I also think that moving to B-flat has helped the lower tier corps perform better. The top tier corps always had such phenomenal talent that they could make the G horns sound good. But the lower tier corps would have a hard time playing them. Today when you go to a show the lower tier corps perform way better than they used to and the overall effect of the change has been to narrow the difference in quality between the lower tier and upper tier corps. From a volume perspective corps today are compensating in a variety of ways - most notably with all the electronic goo they use during loud section to support the horn lines. I don't personally like all that goo, but alas it seems we will have it from now on.

Now imagine those awesome 91 and 93 lines on a brand new set of current Yamahas. **drools**

Here's what would happen: the audience would applaud, just like any other show. The kids would exit the field tired and elated. The world would still be an ok place. Maybe a few musically trained people would notice a sacrifice in tone quality. Look at how far brass pedagogy in the marching arena has come in the last 30 years. Winning corps from back then sound like chainsaws compared to many of the middle-of-the-pack corps today. To compare the tone of the 2013 Troopers to that of their hayday is ludicrous. I'm sure the modern kids could play that loud, too, if they ignored what their current brass staff said about sound production. :) The biggest surprise of a corps marching G bugles in 2014 would be the time paradox, since someone would have clearly figured out a way to gun their Delorian to 88mph. Gs are dead and will be forever. When can we let this kind of topic be equally as dead? Full disclosure--I marched multiple years on G and multiple years on 2 different kinds of Bb. You couldn't pay me enough to ever marching one of those god-foresaken G contras ever again. **shudders**

The guys playing contras/sopranos pull all the chicks after the gig, because "contra bass" and "soprano" is 100X cooler and sexier than "tuba" and "trumpet"...

Depends. Are the drum heads mylar or kevlar?

I started marching in 1964 and stopped in 1972...taught and judged in the GSC in the mid/late 70's to around 1980. The volume from the contemporary hornlines is due far more to the desired sounds the staff wants to create than the hardware used to create it. And...the changes made in marching Bb/F horn manufacturing has gone a long way to eliminate whatever difference there was in the volume from G horns and modern Bb/F horns based on hardware alone...all of this IMO, of course.

Very few people would notice. If the hornline were of avg quality, we'd say "Why are they playing on G Bugles?" If the hornline were championship quality, we'd say "Now THAT's what I like to hear!" (Just like we do now)

Most people don't notice it.