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I honestly don't mind their all girl guard. It gives them a specific look. However - they do need to stop designing shows specifically around what "girls" could portray (Juliet, Asian Princess, Fairy Tale, Holly Go Lightly) and use the guard to portray the music or theme at an other level - not just around the idea that the theme is "female specific so our guard is all girls". Later, Mike

First time back for the Erie Thunderbirds since 1984..............and as Matt said, it feels good to be back!

emc2 I know you mean well...but look what you posted please...it is USELESS info...My first response to this is SO WHAT because there are no details here...My first question to you would be who are the new drum majors?...My second might be where is the link to the content or the specific announcement itself?...THAT SAID! "We are pleased to announce that Aidan Williams and Mark Hambleton will lead the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps in 2016." http://bostoncrusaders.org/2015/08/meet-the-2016-drum-majors/

If there is a tie, you will be required to wear an Empire Statesmen uniform in public. Seriously... I have no idea. LOL

This is like comfort food. Always a winner.

I would love to see PR tackle The Passion of Joan of Arc. Perhaps the pinnacle of strong females and a great death to boot. http://youtu.be/FU2qso0RaYg Here's a small clip from the soundtrack. Things get interesting at the six minute mark.

I'm expecting all corps to be announcing later than usual this season as I'm sure every last one of them will be consulting with Channel3 to make sure they get the most bang for their buck out of show concept, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for depth, accessibility and the meaning of life.

... ohhhhhh ... so when a corps loses it's *your* fault! Mike

Take that Fran Haring

ok, the day job got busy and internet was down at home. let's get back at it. Carolina Gold....let it Snow. two things come to mind....the guard is HUGE, and to borrow words from their ballad ( and currently #1 in my most over played Disney song my three year old loves), their hornline needs to "let it go!" It did seem like there were a few brass holes. makes sense given two weekends of long travel. The preshow starts as the guard emerges from behind the props like snowflakes falling as we hear winter sounds...seemed to drag on a touch long, but then again, the guard is huge. mellos and tenors brough palladio forward nicely, and man those blue guard uniforms and all of the sparkly things on them look good under the lights, as well as against the corps proper uniforms. But as all voices got in, the brass was overpowered by the battery, and based on sizes, it shouldn't be happening. Push air! The pit starts off of with Disney's greatest recent hit ( sorry, I just despise that song), and the guard and battery...maybe some brass too....disappear behind the prop and screens upfront. the brass comes in with the melody and build into a nice hit, and the guard is doing some nice dance along, then the battery enters...they tease you thinking big hit coming, but no....back into the main melody and into a brass octet for the chorus, then boom everyone joins in! Guard with blue flags here make the field seem totally filled. Once the Disney tribute is over, the basses start us off on the next tune, followed by tenors, then full on battery break...some moments of good, bass break seemed choppy....whole guard looked to be on rifles...yeah 44 rifles on the field!...at brass re-entry they and pit did not seem to be on the same page timing wise, and it seemed as if the brass stayed mono dynamic no matter what one felt the moment called for, never allowing phrases to feel fully resolved. For the closer, again the guard fills the field with white flags, but the brass seemed truly fatigued and the ending lacked punch. All of my Disney hate ( hey, I have a three year old) aside, this has the potential to be a really fun show. the guard is huge and pretty good. The percussion had some good moments, but the key to this show taking any next steps is all in the brass section. The guard can only take them so far, and while they do help tell the story and make you see and feel winter, the brass needs to step it up and ...well....let it go. Having seen Bush a month ago, I was curious to see why the show has seemed to have stalled in the scores area. I thought the show had some potential, but I needed to see whi it has stalled. two things I noticed tonight being more familiar with the show...brass holes. can't help. Still some holes in the sound and feet in the sound. Some transitions seem to drag on until the scene shifts and you're moving to the next big moment and man oh day...tempered steel. I love everything about it except it .....is........way..............too...................slow. the preshow has been shortened up, which is good, but I think it could still lose several seconds of just factory sounds and performers doing the body work, as all are not fully into their character. The DM punching in still very cool! Sops start us off, then the baris come in, everyone doing body until all voices have entered after the factory horn. The tempo picked up and here I noticed some characterization/story line trying to develop about someone with a hardhat...I guess she's the main worker leading the revolution? I don't know it wasn't very clear. The bass drum feature was again excellent...some say it's too long, i'm a bass drummer, so i'm fine with it! battery enters and does well, but the brass didn't seem to line up well when they entered. We shift the tempo wayyyy down for tempered steel, which does allow the low brass to sound mighty, then into a battery break which also seems under tempo for whats written. The brass re-entry showed the tempo bumped up a little, but it could be more. I'm not sure you take that gamble finals week. Pit brings us into Nimrod, with the brass following with some nice sounds. great guard interaction as the corps stands from their kneeling position and starts to move, and crescendos nicely to the end of the moment. The Nimrod theme comes back at a brighter tempo and the corps backfield as we get announcement of the factory day ending...the thought has to take a while due to all of the announcements made to the workers, but when they get to the push, it was strong. After the push, the next set up thought again seems to take a while to develop, and allows for some individuals to be exposed, but the work day finally ends with a nice big slow push that increases in tempo, and we see the workers ditch their work clothes! I like the idea of the show. the problem now IMO isn't fixable as it would take some big rewrites to condense some thoughts and add some tempo boots in spots. By no means is it a bad show...it's what I call "over thought out"....trying too hard to force depth into a concept that doesn't need to be super deep. the person with the hard hat plot was tough to follow. When a show and corps like this sits on the finals bubble, that tells you good things about the quality of what's above it. I haven't seem of those also in that range, but I'm just not sure there's enough time to fix what's needed for this show to make it in. INT...good. just the perfect length, well paced.

You all sound like Coogan experts....

Actually, the only time it was rigged is when I marched.

I'm not sure that the problem is the talent committing to the local corps. I've seen a lack of commitment of the local corps to the local talent. Local volunteers committed to fund raising would love it if the corps drew from local talent. It is hard to get volunteers to work bingo, etc. when the corps is getting the majority of their members from out of state.

Thanks for your efforts updating this thread all season, Spandy.

The Mini Corps winner ... Sorry ... just hadda do that ... :-)

Brian: Love the music.. fits them well..strong theme. do you want another death theme?

I know I've said it before... but Class A Prelims is going to be very interesting. A whole bunch of storylines!!!

The Generations!!!! A name I haven't heard in a while. I wonder if they are the only corps to ever have more championship wins than losses in their history. Three years on the field... 1998-2000, and two Class A titles in three years. Two wins, one loss. Not too shabby!!!

I fully concur.

Can you explain the difference between "mean" and "average" here? I'm used to those two words meaning the same thing. The latter number in particular confuses me. If the average distance a fan travels to a show is 186 miles, that would suggest, for instance, that half your audience in Dublin is coming from outside of Ohio, which seems pretty unlikely.

How is the current thread diversion fulfilling the OP's mission of announcing 2016 staff changes?

Not in Open Class. (fun fact, only 7 current corps have ever placed top 3 in Open, and all of them went on to eventually win a championship. Bucs, Hurcs, Sky, Cabs, Sun, Bush, and MBI) It has happened three or four times in Class A, depending on how you count it: Generations in 98 (tied with Heat Wave) Skyliners in 99 (They had medaled in Open, but technically not in A yet) Grenadiers in 2004 Chops in 2005

CorpsReps shows them in 3rd place in 84.

[q...Has a DCA corps ever won the championship (after 1965) without first placing third or better? 1986 Bushwackers. Finals was the first DCA show they had ever won, let alone a top 3 Finals placement.

and then the hometown team took the field....within 10 seconds you knew the crowd loved them and they hadn't even played lol! The pit starts the groove....and I'll say this here and one other place so it doesn't seem like I'm beating them up....but the volume from the amps was too loud. But the "we will rock you' feel set the stage, and holy cymbals, what a clinic of approach and technique when you come in. anyone saying marching cymbals are a relic of the past needs to watch these guys and gals! funny how the voice of Fran Haring came out of nowhere and he was in Baltimore too! the brass builds and we get to the first hit, with Fran having his timing down for the tart of the true show. the guards multicolored uniforms work well against the blue and black! As go forward the mellos lead us along, and we have some really nice hits with a lot of motion, and the first percussion break was done really well, brass coming in strong to follow. I detected a little 9th in there? I keep picking up more musical easter eggs every listen! Ballad starts with the pit as the corps does body, then the brass enters and takes over side 1 of the field as the intensity slowly builds and morphs into the Adagio hit....I think those horses can take that hit one more level up to RMFL and not sacrifice quality. they did 10 years ago. Dare you! Then the pit comes back in to a mello duet, and we're getting the set up for the South Philly national anthem...err music from Rocky. Nice groove under it as it builds, and here we get several other well known melodies twisted in, then holy tenor feature! Back to some Rocky recap with other tunes twisted in for snippets. The pit takes over briefly before the brass let's us know William tell is in town...before we feel the Barber of Seville and others have moments... I mean I felt like Lonny tunes greatest hits here, and that's a good thing! a well done drum break, into some Ode to Joy, then back to tell flying all over into a company front to the end of the segment. Thwn we get a nice little show recap and guess the tune as it flies by back into a company front...that goes backfield playing the famous app Spring push...then turn around, spread the field, battery charges front and......the sound of the brass was lost because of amps volume. Imo to me, this left the ending hanging there. Knowing these guys, all I can say is there had to be some kind of technical issue, because I can't ever imagine them purposely going for that Spinal tap moment. My hunch is before they leave PA this weekend, the interwebs, wifis, ipads, sound boards, satellites and anything else they use will have that ironed out in triplicate. Now that said....I still enjoy the show, and there's some clever twists and turns in where certain tunes pop up out of nowhere. For years we've heard "they're so #### serious"....this show is just fun! the Bucs can take a joke, and lay a good one down too! Amps issues aside, it seemed all sections were working well, and the guard showed vast improvement since I saw them a month ago. I won't say who deserved what in that caption, to me good guard is toss and catch...you get into hand positions etc, forget it, i'm outta the conversation. Will they win next week? No clue. haven't seen Cabs live, haven't seen MBI, and as last year proved, it ain't over til it's over. Do I think they'll be in the conversation! very much so, driving the bus in fact. but it's a fun show, and I can't wait to see if they have any new twists to throw in for next week. and that's it for the season. any further comments from me will either be flyby as I watch or on facebook. with the corps I have seen live, I've been entertained and no one has made me say "I'll hit the bathroom while they're on". granted, next weekend the bathroom is 14 feet away, and there shouldn't be a line. Thanks too all I saw and reviewed...not one iota of hatemail this year, and even some offline serious messages of thanks and praise. I wish everyone much much luck, great runs, smooth travel and enjoy your time in the city of massive cabbage spills on 490!

programming has been mentioned. time and time again since Cesario mentioned it as part of the overhaul. the key to both you and xandl is this: whats entertaining to you may not be entertaining to me. so just throwing the word entertaining out there is a blanket statement that really is far more than one word

No appreciation for his ability to convey a cryptic message in such a succint way huh?

I don't agree with OP who suggests that PR took a different approach for 2015 - "The Phantometts Go Shopping in Paris" was lighter (PUN intented!), but not a departure from what I consider to be vintage Phantom. If PR wants to break from recent tradition, it's time to open up the guard, push the envelop with music, and change their branding to that of a more progressive drum corps. Spartacus, sadly, is dead.

That is absolutely true. The Racine crowd consists of rabid drum corps fans that will support their local corps and appreciate those who travel through regardless of size. We did a standstill there in 2013 with all of 12 people on the field and got nothing but a ton of love from the stands... And those stands were pretty full for the pre-competition exhibitions. Racine is a special place for drum corps, and before this year I would have agreed with any prediction that it would be the place to have a successful Class A show without needing an Open Class "headliner". It's just worth noting that it did happen, and it shows that Class A is a success and still growing.

I can see people frothing at the mouth at the very idea of it happening. And while i don't know if it could happen this year, as in they take it all, I do see their show having the potential to take out some veteran competitors . And kudos for having revamped your guard program into something spectacular this season.

Please ignore what the previous two posters have said, and donate to the Sunrisers.

Shocking ? NOPE ! I agree with your argument totally...... Cabs/Bucs/Minn Brass 1-2-3 no longer automatic....... maybe we're moving into the next cycle (one that will still include the big 3 but maybe 2 or 3 more !) Not stirring the pot, Fred....stirring the MIND ! Joe

T'would appear that our Queen has abdicated!!!! I hope all is well Nanci.

I understand that isolating individual proficiency is good on an analysis bases. But most if not all of those small technique issues would never make it up to the box anyway. So in the grand scheme of today's performances, how would it benefit a corps? It seems the best vantage point to view the overall product would be from the spectator's POV. At least that seems to make the most sense.

What were the specific questions to which I answered using generic numbers? I specifically didn't specify finals week to emphasize that attendance was up at nearly ALL shows around the country. The numbers I reference are from public sources (the Who Are You survey of two years ago and the attendance numbers already released by DCI). How are they "generic"? I'm sure GH would say I could do a lot worse, but to use his name as a pejorative without giving reference is doing what you accuse me of doing (except that I have the data. Would you like a copy of the G7 presentation to reference?). And, sir, if anyone in DCI's hallowed halls is spending ANY time on ANY issue that doesn't have to do with the business of drum corps, they are wasting time and effort. You see, this is the point. For years DCI has allowed discussions of "the art" to infiltrate the tough decisions of the business. I'm trying to get this discussion focused on what, actually, drove attendance and, I guarantee you, it's not what DCI did that drew fans to the stands, and that includes the tighter-score generated increased competitive drama. If you debate the Who Are You findings then it is you who is sounding more like GH than I.

I concur. With so much of the work that has to happen before thanksgiving weekend, if people are paying thousands of dollars to march your ensemble, you owe it to them to give them the best possible product you can. You owe it to them to make improvements through the summer as necessary. You owe it to them to educate them to perform at a level higher than they ever thought possible, and you owe it to them to create a show and an experience that keeps them coming back to make your corps stronger. Retention rate. Talent alone can only go so far in this activity, but experienced MMs raise the entire performing level of a corps. They become your leadership, and they help top incoming talent become high level performers faster and more efficient than with educational staff alone. You don't have to stress scores or placements to your members, because really, that's all on you the educator. They should only have to worry about being a performer of the highest level. But if you give them an experience like no other, and enough of a decent placement, you'll keep a few more vets from year to year. Which raises the bar with every one you bring back.

You have received several responses to your question. Among them: - competitive drama was higher this year, compared to 2014 BD domination - in the wake of losing Fan Network, more people attended shows in person - economy improving, lower fuel prices As for the withering of ticket sales xandandl refers to, it is my belief that it occurred when competitive results became more static (for example, throughout the 1980s). I think we should be careful not to exaggerate the difference. For one thing, many people appreciate both the contest and the entertainment. When competition is more static, it is not as much the topic of conversation in the bleachers. If you simply observe audience conversations at shows now compared to when you first experienced the activity (for you, 1970s?), you would think there was a noticeable cultural shift. But there was a lot more to talk about in the stands back then, when placements flip flopped from day to day (and without internet, more of our news was word of mouth).

Nah always get a virus when you click that from a website....

Speaking of Coogan, I got another look at what is believed to be o9ne of his autos last week at the Swigart. Always loved this one-off Dusey prototype. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14239/Duesenberg-Twelve-Cylinder-Prototype.aspx Swigart bought this at auction from under Jay Leno's chin.

It really wasnt DCI who decided that members were going to travel all over the country to march. The local climate for such activities along with church groups, VFWs etc etc died a slow death decades ago. Incentive for people to stay in state is interesting and might get a few to do this BUT I bet anything most will still just go where they want to , especially with limited time ( not like the past ) and funds For some its always been an issue for decades already, same with winter programs. Years ago , especially winter, noone would travel to march. I had a member a few years back that flew every weekend to get to rehearsal and shows.Crazy I know but its done.

In a public discussion, all comments ought to be considered fair game for anyone to respond (not just the person who seems to be directly addressed), and no one should feel obliged to answer any questions. DCP is fun, but we all also have lives to lead.

all about the trains!

and yet, the corps themselves seem to be ok with it. so why is it such an issue for you? In some ways, I see a huge benefit to it. "hey tonight, it's brass, visual ensemble and guard. Great, we can stuff to work on those areas for tomorrow while we keep working on what drums, music ensemble and visual performance told us yesterday" We all know it's going to have dirt down low early on, even at the top. So this allows a corps to have specific focus on certain areas, and it's also referencing the approach of cleaning from the top down. That means you get the overhead view, and from there as it starts to come together upstairs, you can fine tune the deep cleaning happening down low, which will only enhance how it flows back up hill.

whoever scores highest

The relative amount of chatter on DCP is in NO WAY a reflection of the amount of fan support a corps seeks and/or enjoys. I think we may have just a slightly inflated view of our self worth on here. Just sayin' Dan

I loved it. I do miss the archived footage. Regardless, it was a pretty good improvement over Fan network.

Will definitely be doing it again. Was fantastic. Only broadcast I thought was "bad" was the audio on the Allentown cast. Other than that, was fantastic. Better than the fan network ever was for me. A few hiccups occasionally as expected, but overall I was impressed for the first year of a new setup. A lot of issues people were having during the season sounded like Internet connectivity and personal issues rather than the service itself. Almost every cast was pretty smooth, great picture, and satisfactory audio. If this is a sign of what is to come, sign me up. Improvements to make: Audio could be better overall, was tolerable. Offer a single event option for championships, not force all 3 when you just wanna watch finals on Saturday.

I really enjoyed it. Quality was great. The only disappointment was that Atlanta wouldn't show on my phone but I was able to watch Minnesota while at DATR the week before, without a hitch. It would have been nice to have a 24 hour window to watch but I didn't get that with the real show either. I loved looking forward to show nights. Fan Network wasn't so great for me but it might have been technical issues on my side which have since been fixed. I'm definitely signing up next year.

I live in Atlanta and think the new stadium is a ridiculous waste of money. If DCI is ran out of town without a venue to perform in I will be beyond livid. Hopefully this won't be the case.

You aren't wasting their time. Go. Even if you don't make the cut you will get invaluable instruction on what you need to work on to improve enough to make it next time. The first time I went to Crossmen camp in the fall/winter of 1982/3 it was pretty obvious to me right off the bat that I didn't have a shot to make the tenor line. I went to the first 2 or 3 camps anyway because: 1) I got to march in the Gimbles Thanksgiving Parade in Philly as a Crossmen where we played a couple holiday tunes and the ending of Russian Christmas from the '82 show; 2) I got to be around and part of one of the Corps I had worshiped for several years watching them on PBS every year and seeing them in person in Montreal; 3) I got great instruction from the staff and one of the vets in the tenor line. The vet in particular took time to show me what I needed to work on to make it in the future. I spent the next 2 years working on everything I had been shown while marching in PAL. After the '84 season I thought I was ready and auditioned again for '85 and made the line. If I hadn't gone to those camps in late '82 -- and then stayed for awhile after it was obvious I had no prayer -- I probably never would have improved in the areas I needed to to make the line in '85.