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I wonder how that crow tasted. Too funny.

Show meanings and composer's meanings of pieces are not specifically on the DCI sheet and may be duly disregarded by judges and corps if the corps presents something unique and excellent by corps re-working and performance. Pouting, panting, and throwing philosophical tantrums by ideologues does not change the corps' mission, the judges' mission, or the scoring process. If you think the sheets are wrong, change them. Otherwise it's all verbiage to make one look knowledgeable and important. And we all realize that such self-pride stinks.

Agreed. No one can beat how BD used it this year.

I guess those two are the head judges.

yes. you assume because it was said in 1992, that makes it so now?

And this just in: Judge Richard M. Berman has ruled that the Muchachos may compete in the 1975 DCI Finals ... oh wait.

In light of recent (within the past 15 minutes) developments...if there are those who wish for the "power" to return to the performers -- then maybe Judge Richard M. Berman should be the Chief Executive of DCI. (Edited for misspelling of the word "developments.")

The latest from Weather.com for Rochester: Friday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 81. Clear skies at night, low 65. Saturday: Mostly sunny, high 85. Clear skies overnight, low 65. Sunday: Mostly sunny, high 87. Clear at night, low 65. Let's hope this holds!!!!

I agree. It makes it extremely hard for me to keep track of any updates people have on staff changes too, which means the OP is not being updated when it needs to be.

Whatever their motivation is, I believe they should be respected for however they see fit to make their music public. There's lots of other music out there to choose. If any corps wants to play my music, they've got it! michaelboo.com

"Five yards for arm chair quarterbacking."

YES!!!! Absolutely, 100%, with no hesitations YES! This three night average thing is ludicrous. If your caption is good enough to win 99% of your shows, then they should be good enough to win on the night that matters most. If they can't, then they don't deserve the caption award. It's absurd to me that a corps who doesn't win their caption on finals night could somehow be given a trophy for it. At least with the Jim Ott Award this year, Crown won by a tenth and Cadets won by a tenth, so they were essentially even for finals night and it truly was a winner take all occasion. The way it should be.

Now that you've snatched the bait and pulled the bobber under water, could I ask that you save us from qualifying design as "adult created", please? I think we can all accept that all design is adult-driven primarily, with design input from the MM's when necessary and/or encouraged. Is that fair? (Psst. I posted most of that stuff specifically for you to use in your argument, not because I believe you necessarily, but because I knew you'd entertain us using it.)

Total GE... if one had a lower score in say GE ( Mus.) they would need to have a much better GE( Vis. ) to secure the GE Total as 3rd or higher. Which is what we had this year in the Total GE caption. Speaking of Crown.. it was primarily an adult created Show Design 2 weeks before Championships that allowed them to pass Cadets. Both Cadets & Crown marchers worked their butts off the last 2 weeks. Both had superb performances from their marchers at Championships week. But Cadets had a uni change coupled with an old Z pull put in for a Closer. Crown put in a gem of a closer change by contrast, and it was the difference. Show Design. Crown put in a better one... and that was really the essential difference between the two Corps in the end. And who has the best Show Designs most years ? ( going back to the 70's ? ). The Blue Devils. The years when they had Show Designs not top 3, ( GE Total below 3rd ) are the infrequent years when they failed to win or medal.

Well, "might be even more relevant today" has been the heart of much disagreement in this thread. The discussion's nominal subject was whether power should return from designers to performers, and there has been much talk about how the rules now favor effect over execution, but upon investigation, it seems that it's always been harder to win with weaker G.E. than with weaker execution, and that quotes supporting the idea that DCI favors G.E. over performance date back more than twenty years. As you say, time "may not have changed" the emphasis on G.E., so let's drop the talk about getting back to some better age. If DCI is broken because G.E. is overemphasized, then apparently DCI was always broken.

Big B, obviously, will give a Reader's Digest (one could only hope) reply, but, I'd say the passing decades may not have changed this sentiment in the minds of others. With the current sheets, those thoughts might be even more relevant today.

VERY welcome announcement to me. Keeping what was obviously strong and changing the weak link that was pretty obvious in the scores from San Antonio until championships. I was sad when Ford left along with Sullivan in 2011, glad to see him coming back! Loved the work in 2008, 2009, and 2010 for sure, and I'm a personal fan of 2011. His success at Tarpon is a great indicator of what to expect, though we've already seen his great work with them before. Looking forward to what 2016 brings!

So if Crown won brass 99% of shows and one judge on finals night awarded highest score to XYZ corps, you're more comfortable with that? I just think caption awards should reflect that group that consistently dominated that caption not just one judge's opinion on one night.

Berman has a reputation of playing " hardball ".

Flashed back to my band director days, I aranged "Feels So Good" for my band, the year it was a big hit...probably the WORST tune CM ever produced. I was totally sick of it by the end of band camp.

If any did this season, the effect would not be enough to gain them very much if anything at all. They've started with a full corps from the beginning of the season. THAT is why we're having this discussion right now.

Thanks to the OP for introducing this topic. As a variation on the theme, how about a list of SONGS YOU WISH WERE ON THE NO PLAY LIST SO THAT DRUM CORPS COULD NOT PLAY THEM. My first nominee would be I Like You by Got7.

The Rule book clearly states (p. 39, paragraph 54, line 7 with asterisk) "In the event of a tie, Fran Haring will match both donations or auction his wild shirts, one for each unit with said results of auction determining final winner and season's bragging rights."

I'm solidly on the side that thinks caption awards should be based on finals night alone but I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Well - the guy I talked to at the video booth at Lucas Oil assured me that pre-orders would be open a week or 2 after finals. Looks like he was talking out of his butt. Come to think of it, he looked alot like my avatar.

Touche, Sir. And the heartiest of laughs from this end.

All of the corps are learning the electronics game as the season goes on. I was in Scranton where the Cabs pit was over balanced the entire show. In Clifton it was better. Both C2 and Bucs had their out of balance moments at the Reading show. The implementation of electronics will keep getting better. I don't think anyone can argue the fact that the DCA corps are now "up to date" with programming which has resulted in a greater level of entertainment. Last year, the Cabs pre-show was very cool and they could not have set that mood once the show started under the 2014 rules. The fact that they could not keep that feeling going into the judged portion of the show was a bummer because it was so cool. This year, they have added some neat moments as well. C2 and Fusion also use electronics to enhance their shows as I am sure MBI does. Fusion's use is more horizontal while C2's is more vertical, both helping to enhance their programs. The Bucs use electronics in many ways to enhance their program. They find ways to enhance their very creative transitions while providing a variety of colors with their choice of patches and samples. Everybody wins, unless you are one of "those" who refuse to accept change.

Yes. I like the Phantomettes too. Most fans at shows I've been to do as well. The fact that they are better each and every year now than the All Male Corps Guards is a tribute to their abilities too.

I wonder if DCI has a breakdown of all the numbers of fans that attended a live Drum Corps show more than once in a season. My experience has been that the overwhelming majority of those who have attended a DCI competition in a season only see the corps in that show and that show alone and only once that season. Perhaps a few percentages more then subscribe to the live streams and they see them ( and others ) again and again after that one live show. But my guess is that every season, the vast majority of attendees to shows only go to that one show. As a result, if your show does not reach them in those 11 minutes of frenetic multifaceted things going on simultaneously, then you've lost those large segment of attendees that are not about to give you a do over, or a 2nd, 3rd or 4th, or a dozen follow up opportunities. You've got just a few minutes to reach them with the theme and its intended messaging. Thats all you get.. with the vast majority of coast to coast show goers in any season anyway.

Anyway to clean this thread up? Even as a troll, this is so tangential, it no longer functions as a thread.

yet the word ratamacue didn't appear once. amazing

To those of you who skipped over the "screed", the actual is more than twice as long as my snippets. It was published in RudimentalDrumming.com in Aug, 2014. Interesting to me that my Mom (rest her soul) was a teacher at the time of the introduction of EST into the schools and she got all excited about it. When she brought home the materials she gathered us around and gave us the spiel. My brothers and I thought it sounded good! My Dad said "Horse-sh**", and banned it from the house. If I recall that was about the time Simon and Garfunkle albums showed up and polluted my father's classical music audio system. Then came Ozawa and Pavarotti; we were back on track. I think Dad kept her and us from taking the EST leap, and I likely owe a lot to his clarity.

I'm guessing DCI will have to pay sync rights explicitly for internet streaming for any content they do put up. Further, they may have to pay a settlement for old 'stolen' streaming sync rights for everything streamed before 2015, before the copyright holders will consider allowing anything new. With full accounting for how many times each archived show was streamed, perhaps. Pretty brutal. Still, any shows or parts of shows that use only public domain sources or "friend-of-the-activity" sources (i.e.inexpensive or lenient) could be put up.

Please donate!!!! Donate to the Sunrisers. Donate to the Bushwackers. Both corps could use the help. But please donate just a bit more to the Sunrisers.

Jeff's a drummer with experience in helping those electronic doo dads work in the pit from plugging in to finding the right sound. and even as a drummer, I can tell when something is doubled with a patch that sounds well...like the hornline. that wasn't my issue. my issue was just one of volume, specifically for Bucs seemed loud from start to finish. Knowing that crew, it had to be a glitch. They pay way too much attention to detail to let that happen for an entire show. I remember at Dtown there was one moment where it was really loud and it was adjusted right away. if you want to hear samples of the hornline being played at the same time, listen to Bluecoats. you'll notice the difference between that and what Bucs, Cabs, and most corps do

Obviously I cannot speak for Bucs or Cadets2, but I can tell you this about Caballeros show... You were hearing things that were not there. None of the synth patches in Cabs' show "simulate" brass as you describe. Every patch was carefully chosen to stand on it's own, providing sounds the brass line isn't capable of achieving. Here are two examples of what I'm talking about, both from Part 4 (the last number) of the show: 1. Part 4 starts with a funk tuba groove. There's a very cool drop-bass sound effect played at the end of the first time through when the tubas are soli. It's on an octopad sampler (on the far left side of the pit). The synth player ads an electronic doubling of the tuba part on the second time through (when the baritones enter the funk) but it's a very distinct sound...there's no confusing it with the actual tuba sound. 2. Just before the pseudo-company front they synth plays a choir patch, setting up the hit. She plays it alone, and then along with the brass on the hit. The choir patch makes a return on the last note. The brass is plenty capable of letting it rip at the end of each song, and there's no bolstering going on. Synth playing yes, but only with a clearly distinct patch. We've been very clear about out use of electronics. We took an intentional "go big of go home" approach to the use of electronics, with every single use having a purpose. The judges have picked up on that and rewarded the corps, particularly over the last couple of weeks. Nothing is perfect, however, as we did have a minor issue with overall volume at one point in Scranton (since fixed). If you want a "grand tour" of what we're doing, find me at any rehearsal this weekend and I'll give you one.

SCV had a Brit march with them in '89, and he almost made it to Finals Night too. ( inside joke... long time'ers here know what I'm talkin' about.. haha)

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

C mor, Just be advised that you will probably receive a letter in the mail from Garfield thanking you for your gracious donation of underwriting these score sheets whether electronically or printed. Be prepared to have your cheque book at the ready... He doesn't run shows as a financial loss.

This year we introduced an electronic program in place of our paper one, and we enticed fans to scan the QR code by offering to draw five names from those who access to the program and award them free tickets to next year's show. This idea might be another way to entice fans to access the e-program. Maybe have fans "judge" one show and the closest score to the final score wins - something. Thanks!

You didn't miss it. DCI says, yeah, sure, they're coming, but you can't order 'em yet, and they're not saying when you will. Maybe today. Maybe April. Who knows? They haven't even explained what got sorted out that caused them to pull the old DVDs in the first place. You're more likely to get a good explanation of Kim Jung Un's policies from North Korea than full disclosure from DCI on what the heck is going on when it comes to AV recordings.

Huge to you and one other person that I can see.....not to anyone else. Claiming that a piece of art MUST ALWAYS BE PERFORMED IN FAITHFUL SOLIDARITY TO THE CREATOR'S INTENT is the opposite of art to begin with. If that were held true to it's most pedantic effect, Bernstein would never have been able to do "West Side Story." You DO remember the source material for that, right?

I'm really, really glad that the many 2015 Crown members and staff that I am friends with don't subscribe to this nonsense. Because that's all this is...nonsense.

The OP may be worthy of discussion except for the fact that.... 1.) This thread wouldn't exist had Crown or Bluecoats or Cadets or SCV won. and 2.) Assuming these changes were made, BD will still win a championship (because they're a good ####### corps), and a subsequent thread suggesting new, convoluted ways to declare the "rightful" winner (e.g. someone other than BD), will emerge. Wash, rinse, repeat....

Totally agree.

Yeah I'm gonna say no. BD's finals performance was a considerable improvement over their previous two performances. They fought to make it happen. Your system would make it very difficult for anyone to ever make a well deserved leap in finals. Crown was awesome, and I loved their show! However, they weren't the best corps on Saturday. That's what matters.

Common sense should dictate that the corps who wins on Saturday night at finals should ALWAYS be awarded the DCI Championship. If you can't win the big show, you don't deserve the big trophy.

Indeed. . . I arranged "Brain Dead Weasel", "Shock" and "A Thousand Summers" for the Colts from the years 1991 - 1993. John Tesh personally signed the permission request. No charge. He wanted his music heard. That is probably one of the things not brought up in the thread so far (haven't finished it yet). . . Composers aren't necessarily being arrogant when they want something near and dear to their hearts to be heard the way they envisioned it. They created something that has never before existed. Who are we to demand that they let us systematically deconstruct their music and play it the way WE want? They owe drum corps and marching band nothing. It is not their chosen medium. Furthermore, they don't need our help. They do just fine making a living off what they do -- they don't need the exposure, the minuscule royalty payments or someone mangling their music. That's not arrogance. That's no different than any of us creating a painting, a poem, a short story, a film or any other creative pursuit, and then giving permission to go ahead and cut it up however you like. It is not ours to do with as we please. They created it. They can say how they want it presented. I've been in that position before. . . and I would not grant anyone permission ever again to rearrange something I composed. The composer's name is still on the product, and a reputation doesn't need to be damaged by someone who's only care in the world is to "use" and idea to further their own misadventures. Perhaps if we were really all so good at what we do, we'd create our own music instead of constantly appropriating the work of others. Maybe one day that will happen. There is enough talent in our activity to do it (but is there enough extrinsic motivation?) Composition is a lot of work in terms of "time". Hmmm. . . Just thoughts. Chuck Naffier

No, creators of Intellectual Property who understand that in order to retain their rights to the IP they create, they have to protect them. Wake up, kids. It's not showfriends, it's showbusiness. Unless you relentlessly protect your Intellectual Property rights and make examples of those who willfully violate them, you might as well be working for nothing. Nothing doesn't pay the bills.

Yeah, I'm sure they go to DC shows all the time and are offended when they hear their work... Yes exactly. Not sure I see where the harm would be.