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I agree with you on that for sure. I can't think of an activity more open than this one and I don't think we need a statement or something to affirm that. It's funny, this kind of stuff never even crosses my mind with drum corps because of how much of a non issue it is because we're all humans participating, following, or enjoying this awesome activity, as human beings. Not as gay, straight, right left, white black, whatever. We're just a bunch of incredibly nerdy people obsessed with this drum corps thing and I think that's awesome. We argue over scores and show design choices, not stuff that's just inhumane. If it was something that was openly affecting and discriminating against people on a pretty heavy basis I'd say we can have a conversation about boycotting, making public statements and that kind of stuff. In this case, I say don't sweat it personally. If we did this for every state that had some questionable laws and some pretty backwards thinking there wouldn't be a whole lot of shows. I say don't let it keep us out, be there and spread the love and music, and keep performing.

I can tell you 1st hand, the hang ups ( as usual ) is not with the young adults on this and many subjects. Not that some youngins know whats best for them but it is nice to see their thoughts on transgender, gay , straight, etc etc each year becomes less and less of a factor ( thankfully ) All I can say is although there's a long way to go Im very happy to see the hang up's of the past become just that.....the past. I never thought i would see it. We need to teach our young people but it's nice to know they can teach us maybe a thing or 2.

I'm really excited to see what they do with this show!

I joined the second year of the girl guard, after the 69 season. It is pretty much as you stated above.The Little Falls Cadet guard came over en masse (pretty much) when the corps itself folded. And yes, Aunt Nell hated the addition, and her daughter actually did the uniform work for the girls, because she refused to help them. The corps kept the boy honor guard for a couple of years. One major NJ corps, St Lucy's Cadets, actually went from a girl guard to all-boys in the mid-60's, until they folded in 69. Of note is the fact that the very best hornline in the country in 1971,. Argonne, was a coed line already. BS added a girl guard to stave off folding in 1972, a lot of them from The Colleens indoor guard, a VERY good guard here in NJ. It didn't work for long, and they were gone after 1972.

I'm going with 1969. The first year of their groundbreaking "Requiem for an Era" color presentation production. To the best of my knowledge, it was the first time a competition drum corps had used a "split" corps and simultaneous multiple tempos the way they did. A great corps.... and IMO, better than some of the scores they received that year.

I still remember vividly seeing Magic in 1990 for the first time. It was at Allentown during Prelims (remember those) VERY early on a Saturday morning. They were the first corps on, and I think it was before 9am! I had just arrived, sat in the upper deck, and was in some pain from having arm surgery during that week. It was only my third or fourth drum corps show in my life at age 22, and I guess I didn't expect much since they were first on. I also hadn't seen a "live" show since 1988 - missed the whole 89 season live due to being away for the summer playing ball. But man, Magic came at the few of us in the stands, and what a great sound. I totally forgot about the pain from the arm surgery at that point :) It was a great way to start prelims, and sure enough, they rose up the ranks over the next few years and finally cracked top 12 in 94 I think.

There are any number of accounts of such incidents from the 1950s and 1960s. They usually go like this: Corps enters restaurant Restaurant denies service to persons of color Entire corps takes their business elsewhere Justice served. Not to say that greater justice was unwarranted. But like any cancer, physical or societal, no treatment is perfect in targeting the cancer without causing additional collateral damage. IMO, the way visiting corps addressed these restaurant incidents was targeted treatment. I would not want to have seen, for example, AL or VFW denying service to veterans and corps of all the Southern states. A whole lot of good people would have been punished along with the bad ones, simply for living on the wrong side of a state border. I think the same principle applies today. Drum corps people are an inclusive breed, distributed all over the land. Denying our own service (shows) hurts ourselves more than anyone else. We are far better served by setting examples of unity, discipline and honor wherever we go.

I find the logic of some of the posters quite deficient as they bully their perceptions onto certain corps. If Madison or Cavaliers can't remain all Male, then Marian Catholic can't remain an organization for the students of that Catholic high school either, nor could the Lutheran Vanguard up in Wisconsin be only for their own students. And Woodwind players might sue DCI because they are excluded unless they learn how to play brass, percussion, or dance with a flag. It's like foisting a soccer game in the middle of a track meet. When everything is bullied by some to become the least common denominator for all, that's neither freedom for all nor respect for any.

Wow... ya think......LOL

Im sure she will get the right people to get it done so to speak. C2 had John L. written all over it. Above talent and getting the right people, success will also depend on things coming together and that includes a multitude of extreme personalities. There are many who hire the HS world staff and and great winter programs , It doesn't work often because it is so different . HS success doesnt always equate to DCI top 5 results. I surely have less concerns with Cadets as I do with another WC corps thinking they are getting a WC staff..thats another topic..lol Time as always will tell. Either way Cadets will prevail for sure and sometimes it is funny because Cadets failures according to some would be another corps dream situation. All relative I guess.

Funny, you can tell how times changed by looking at pics of the Bon Bons from the 50's through the early 70's...their skirts got shorter and shorter (but never TOO short) as time progressed into the 70's.

Not sure if it is myth or not BUT i do remember competing with them and yes it was not a separate class. As far as the decline, as I remember the directors it would not surprise me at all. they were good but BOY they were tough.

Of course I can't speak for all , nor would I, BUT i can tell you many young people today in our activity don't get the big deal with any of this. Many could care less, gay, straight, trans, black, white green or purple. I have for decades interacted with young people from Hs programs , auditions, drum corps, winter guard and percussion , MOST if not all I have interacted with don't get why there's any issues with anyone. Nice to see. Now , I believe most in the activity 1st and foremost just want to travel, perform, experience what we did in front of an audience, compete, create, achieve excellence BUT I do know don't push them with discrimination or excluding. They are far from the obedient ,do what they are told kids like we may have been, never questioning the adults. I have learned never mistake kindness and acceptance for weakness.

While I was in Phantom I got the chance to see a couple of corps if my memory servers me...Would have loved to have got to know them, but never had the chance while on tour. Growing up in Rockford I knew about the Cavies and Madison but it never dawned on me until I saw them (Female Corps) in person. And yes they were as determined to win as the rest of us.

Am I misreading you, or are you implying that pedophiles and rapists are as (un-)deserving of equal treatment under the law as LGBT people? And as regards your final statement, how can you tell now whether any given man in the men's restroom or any given women in the women's restroom is a pedophile? (Yes, the latter is much less common, but it does happen.)

In particular, YR's percussion section was the real deal back then... all the way through 1976. Great staff, including John Flowers and Rodney Goodhart.

YES!

It was Mary Deniston's guard.

My two older brothers had the privilege of marching with Little Falls for the corps' last season in '68. OK... maybe not so much of a privilege, because the corps pretty much sucked that year. I remember the Colleens!!! You're right, they were terrific. Was that Mary Deniston's guard?

Agree

All officially announced selections have been added to the OP and the playlist.

Sources who were at the January camp where they announced the rep to the corps. It's part of their opener, along with the Bates

Jim Donnelly was my first bugle instructor, in 1960 at Xavier High School. I was such a raw rookie I didn't know who he was and had never even heard of St. Vincent's, though there were members within my own school corps. The man could teach a tree how to play. I know. I was thick as a redwood. Later, wiser folks hipped me to some of his accomplishments as arranger and to the fact that, along with Caesar La Monica, he had "invented" the bell-front French Horn bugle. (Man, do I miss that glorious sound.)

Spirit just posted a video on their facebook page detailing the show

In this particular case, that may be the best course of action, but I think it's worth restating that sometimes ignoring politics is itself a political act.

Yea for sure. I never even thought about it either but then I did and realized I never saw a thread on it here. Not to open up political discourse or anything but I just wondered what some people thought. I wish more of the world would take the tolerance of drum corps. It really is great.

OK so I guess a boycott of certain sows would not be a good idea especially since some are the bigger shows. I just wonder how uncomfortable it would be to perform in those shows. (even though the audience it self would be accepting at any drum corps show). Either way I just want to express my support for our LGBT brothers and sisters. My intent was to open dialogue here and it seems to be a good discussion.

2 DCI Corps are seemingly stuck in the past and still deny woman the right to march in their Corps. If this is not gender discrimination, then I don't know what is. Even the once flourishing All Female Corps have either gone or are now fully gender tolerant and inclusive. Should DCI make a " political statement " here as well that diversity should be encouraged now in these only 2 remaining All Male Only Drum Corps ? And if they don't, DCI should consider a " boycott " of these 2 Corps ? As you can see, once we begin to take sides on what clearly are political, religious, social, cultural etc issues, we tend to wind up only dividing ourselves here with this stuff. I say, let a state residents do what they want and let the residents there figure out for themselves what they want their state to look like..... and similarly, allow the 2 Corps that still disallow women to march to do what they feel is best for themselves in their Corps as well. A " boycott " is a very bad idea for consideration for DCI and only opens DCI up themselves for a counter future " boycott " on DCI's own vulnerabilities to so called " progressive " 21st century thinking. Sometimes its just good, sound " politics " to just let sleeping dogs lie, imo.

Not that I agree with the most recent law, but denying service (a performance) to protest a law that allows businesses to deny service is....ironic.

Kristi has done an amazing job with Mechanicsburg. If even half of that magic filters into the Cadets, their guard should be much improved.

I think it's just plain dumb to cancel a show because lawmakers pass ignorant laws. The performers that have made these grand "statements" are only taking money out of their own pockets and denying fans the opportunity to watch them perform. I sincerely hope DCI stays out of the political grey area.

I was over on the You Tube area of thing's. Was looking at many of the Old things. There was a guy that said that the" BSGK Alumni " was there. That is Wrong! In 1975 the (BS) " Golden Knight's SENIOR CORPS " was there. We were judged, but I believe we were in Exhibition that day. We also Competed in the DCA Championships and held a contest that year. I would like to know if anyone has a recording or Video of the " 1975 (BS) Golden Knight's Senior Corps "? I do not remember all the shows we did. BUT, I do remember 3. Our show in Union, NJ - The '75 Dream - The '75 DCA Championships Prelim's. Kind of a neat thing. That means: I competed in The Dream in a Junior Corps.(St Lucy's Cadets) I competed in The Dream in Senior Corps.(New York City Skyliners) marched in a Corps in Exhibition.(Golden Knights Senior) AND. I attended the Dream as a FAN. All in Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, NJ.

Quite frankly both have been acting pretty crazy on here lately, from an unbiased party. I'll go back to the Bluecoats threa......and there isn't one. :I Carry on.

Anyone care to join me? Will keep your seat warm.