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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/30/2019 in all areas

  1. For the curious, some general observations from the exhibition: The music is drawn from several different art forms (pop, film, etc.) with the eclectic melodies cleverly weaving together into fantastic builds... recognizable, memorable, and musical. Contrasting with the last two years, it is possible we'll hear more soft passages interspersed with the hard charging moments, providing more variety to the sound. As someone else mentioned, brass is not tight, but it's appropriate for an ensemble in April, particularly with a book this tough. It was a long weekend of playing, and by Sunday the tone sometimes got edgy in the trumpet section... though nothing more concerning than "final exam chops". They made up for it by demonstrating expert execution of some double-tongued decrescendo passages. Very sweet stuff. Praying that these moments don't get lost in the amplification. This is a very talented line with an ambitious book. Endurance will be key to delivering on the field. Get ready to hear plenty of complex articulations -- all sections, all levels -- that go well beyond top-12's seemingly compulsory chromatic runs. There will be MELODY while the valves fly! They will have tongues like machine guns by July. The rhythms and meter signatures are varied and interesting. It will be fun to see what the drill/movement people create to accompany them. The percussion section stands out due to their age and performance maturity. Even a layman can tell they're darn good.. and ready to take on this summer's challenges. The percussion breaks seem better integrated into the overall musical flow than in the past (either that, or they're not yet in the show). Didn't get to see the guard... no doubt there were tough membership decisions in progress.
    12 points
  2. Most of the people I marched with in the past couple of years were not wealthy and often struggled very hard to pay the monthly payments. In fact — most people I marched with work one or two jobs leading up to the summer in order to pay for it. Our fees added up to $4,500 to $5,000 with camps, tour fees, and tour supplies (good shoes, backpack, air mattress, etc) There are certainly some wealthy kids who have parents that just pay for their fees. But in my experience, most of us work our butts off to be able to pay for the summer. It’s an activity full of (mostly) kids who work VERY hard year around.
    6 points
  3. I hope the Scouts punch us right in the face from the first note to the last note!
    4 points
  4. When I saw them this past season, I thought WOW!! and said to friends that they would be a top 12 corps but maybe 2 years down the road. Maybe Sooner?
    3 points
  5. The talent issue with the Regiment (IMO) is not with the members. (I think you know where I'm going with this.) They can only perform what they are given. What's the saying, 'you can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig.' The overall design was NOT top 12 material (again IMO). There were several better designed shows between 13 -15. It could be suggested that 'reputation' kept them (barely) in the top 12. I know I'm burning bridges here, and will probably never be welcomed back in Rockford, but I don't care. It is wholly unacceptable for the organization to be in this position. That they can't seem to keep, attract, or develop top level design talent is distressing to me.
    3 points
  6. Actually they will do a Maroon 5 piece as a standstill or encore piece as a look back with fondness to last years show. Get it?
    3 points
  7. Hopefully it will also be like Men’s Warehouse - “You’re gonna like the way you look”
    2 points
  8. There are a good number of DCI alums running big high school programs in Nashville. Lots of kids growing up hearing about Phantom, Bluecoats, Boston and Crown. Some of the bands here are doing amazing halftime shows. It’s a good time to launch a world class corps here.
    2 points
  9. Our opening hit “Afterburners” is a custom written piece by our arranger Chuck Naffier, so you can expect it to be far from quiet at any point based on that alone.
    2 points
  10. just as WGI all went cookie-cutter on how to open and develop shows, so now the WGI designers in their summer jobs are doing the same in DCI.
    2 points
  11. Bumpity, Bump.. bump. Noboby knows nuttin". Well some bodies know sumptin;.. lots know sumptin',... but theys want youz to know nuttiin',.. so bumptity, bump, bump, you gets nuttin'.. but soon youz will get sumptin', and when youz do, that sumptin', will really be sumptin' !
    1 point
  12. Man, I hope so. I miss the old Crown.
    1 point
  13. Deeeepest voice possible
    1 point
  14. Though Bloo messed with that formula with their fakeout last year.
    1 point
  15. For those interested, and have access, Marching Arts Education posted today on their website an interview with Boston staffers Leon May and Keith Potter. Other Boston staffers interviews will be posted on there later this week... They will discuss what goes into their Design of the production of their 2019 Boston Crusaders show. They'll be no reveal, just insights on how the Design of the show takes place from a thought process standpoint, time schedule standpoint, collaboration standpoint, and then the ultimate on field implementation of the Show Design with others there on the instructional Staff at Boston at Move Ins come May.. https://marchingartseducation.com/boston-crusaders-april-camp-2019/?fbclid=IwAR3xABu31jjqSxGl_VoHIP76klPT-xW5SB-cqPIb466fGOx_H5fPZTZI8A0
    1 point
  16. Hype or not a report is a persons account of what they saw but I get your point. Now dictating the information in it is up to the consumer. Two different people will get two different conclusions as is the case 90% of the time on this forum. Ben
    1 point
  17. The Dave Clark 5 records, discs, etc gets my vote.
    1 point
  18. no, I meant the joke teller. His are even worse than mine.
    1 point
  19. I thought we were throwing Maroon 5 into the fire pit.
    1 point
  20. Yes, indeed... as we can see, It was grounded, then " STONED " to perfection.
    1 point
  21. There are so many good themes to be designed and the last 3 for the Regiment have been disappointing and I'm not sure 2019 will be any better. Hope I'm wrong, think I'm not. Then again, they don't consult me any longer.
    1 point
  22. MC’s trademark has been presenting straight laced choices in a fun and exciting way !! Look forward to seeing and hearing it
    1 point
  23. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Like Regiment, little of Crown's show made any sense from a structural standpoint. Musically, there was nothing that indicated Beast. I thought it should have been called Bore. I'm a huge classical music buff, too, and I was just bored throughout Crown's show. When we look at Inferno, everything about it was nearly perfect, including the music. The music spoke Inferno, the music to Beast didn't. Inferno was a complete knockout. I was very upset when they lost, even though I cannot make an argument for BD not winning, just as if Crown won I wouldn't be able to argue they shouldn't have. Both were great shows and title deserving. I connected to neither Crown's nor Regiment's shows (musically or visually). For me, personally, they were the two least effective shows (as a whole) in the top 14. Regiment was just boring musically, too. Why do Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 again when no corps will ever be able to do it as well as Regiment did in '89? That makes no sense. The arrangement tried too hard to be something new and fit the mold of today's drum corps, and it was just dull. The odd thing was when I saw an early season video of Regiment I thought that had something good to build off of. I expected the show to be improved from the start of the season, but much like Cadets' Awakening, I feel it worsened as the season progressed, unfortunately. I hope Regiment surprises us this summer, and we see a big improvement. But, after watching the Scouts and Cadets declined, I'm not very optimistic. That's another thing I don't understand - Madison has laid the blue print for what not to do. Why isn't the staff of Regiment heeding that?
    1 point
  24. I’m not so sure the ROI (return on investment) from marching in today’s DCI is as good today as it has been. It takes long hours of work for a full-time high school or college student to earn an additional $4,000-5,000 required to spend the summer on the road performing, especially when the opportunity cost of those funds could be better spent supporting academic endeavors. When I paid my dues and marched it was an authentic era for corps and their performances. There is nothing genuine today. Every corps wants to be like every other corps, the activity has become so homogenized that when you see one, you’ve literally seen them all and I blame it on leadership who decided that quality talent and performance wasn’t enough value to win. Therefore, performance enhancements have been added (amplification, electronic instruments, static displays) that in no way project passion and emotion from the members. It blows my mind that today’s members are forced to pay these kinds of fees and the outcome of the show is driven more by the behind the scenes actions of programmers and set builders. What a sham! DCI today isn’t the result of the natural progression (evolution) of the activity as much as it is an arrogant few trying to push the limits for their own benefit.
    1 point
  25. I actually feel the opposite on Crown. As for PR, for me, there was zero flow at all. Anytime there was a new idea is was the same type of transition, with little cohesion. For me, Phantom's show should have flowed better, as stylistically the music they used was more similar than the pieces Crown played, but because the arrangements-from a brass standpoint in particular was weaker than most, it just didn't work. Unless 2019 is drastically different, I hope for the corps sake, that they find a new brass arranger for 2020. I have yet to find any of Will Pitts' arrangement to be stellar.
    1 point
  26. Yes if I remember it was in the early 80s as their opener.My first year to march in drum corps. Uh Oh, I’m telling my age!
    1 point
  27. They strangely omitted his appearances on The Big Bang Theory and the $20,000 Pyramid from his drum corps resume'.
    1 point
  28. To me Crown's music overall was almost as much of a mess as the visual — everything sounded great on its own of course, but the book as a whole had no cohesion and the shifts between styles were often really jarring. If I Fall was a beautiful ballad, but... did it really belong in Beast? The front ensemble stuff in between the Bruckner and the double tongue feature sounded cool, but did it have any relation to the show? Phantom's music, on the other hand, felt connected throughout the show to me. It wasn't incredible arranging, but for the most part it had a sense of unity.
    1 point
  29. The longer you can hold off a ST visit, the better the sections will be and maybe you'll see an end of the day run through of what drill the corps has learned so far.
    1 point
  30. Check ahead for sure. There is also Education nights, history nights , etc etc. Sched's will be out
    1 point
  31. forgive my bluntness, but talent can only make #### so much better.
    1 point
  32. Let's say Regiment had the best talent of anyone out there last year and still put out last years production. Do you really think that would even have finished in the top 6? I don't! Whomever is coming up with the concept and design of these shows (I won't even go down the musical arrangements road because we know who is doing those) is doing a disservice to the corps, the members, alumni, and the activity. I said it before and I'll say it again, they are turning into the Pioneer of the (for now) top 12. They don't do anything that offends you, but nothing all that memorable either.
    1 point
  33. i predict that in drum corps, no matter the topic or time of year, someone will complain
    1 point
  34. let's be honest, some reports were nowhere close to accurate
    1 point
  35. i know you said it earlier, and i have many times...this team, without uh...certain interference....will have a fluid design not compressed by themes or agendas.
    1 point
  36. I do to, but we all know the preseason hype is all part of it and now days people are afraid to post their thoughts because they are afraid of being called a Homer. You just straight up 8 mile'd everyone... lol
    1 point
  37. Even though it's true, this is why no one post reports like they use to.
    1 point
  38. Seeing as how you were actually there and were able to observe first hand, I'm gonna take opinion as gospel and GET EXCITED!!!!!
    1 point
  39. Sorry all for the lack of specifics. It's simply not worth the criticism you receive from some when you share information about the Cadets. However, I will share a couple observations about camp. The transformation of the Cadets organization in 1 relatively short year is astounding. This organization has their #### together and they have added some amazing talent to their administrative and design teams. Secondly, some are seriously underestimating the effects of a strong design team (which they currently have in place) who have complete freedom to do their thing! The Cadets are doing everything right...for once.
    1 point
  40. Just returned from a fantastic weekend with the Cadets!💞
    1 point
  41. Certainly one of the cleverest. This was Sacktig’s magnum opus ... so far.
    1 point
  42. Does watching YouTube videos of corps while on the treadmill count? If so, I'll be marching with everyone!
    1 point
  43. A New York Hall of Fame would be cool.... and as Xandandl says, Long Island (and NYC) would be a significant part of that, without question. Here in Maryland, we recently held the 20th annual induction ceremony/banquet for the Maryland Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame. A lot of drum corps history, and its fair share of well-known corps and people, in a relatively small state.
    1 point
  44. Typical upstater forgetting L.I. once again with its five or six circuits back in the day, DCA winning Sunrisers, Jr. contender Selden Cadets, All-Girls DCI winner St. Ignatius, 15th place DCI and Am. Legion champ Long Island Kingsmen, World Class instructor and DCI judge/DCI HoFer Paul Litteau who spent time with the USAF at Westhampton Beach while teaching the Medford Golden Grenadiers, natives such as Wayne Downey (Smithtown Freelancers marcher who went on to teach SCV and BD), Kevin & Moe Smith (St. James Saints marchers, directors, before founding Carolina Crown,) etc., etc., etc.
    1 point
  45. Looking forward to what they bring this year. Gut feeling is they will bounce back. Recent years such as 2008 and 2010 have shown us they are capable. Chuck N. arranging for them, as many have said here, should be great for bringing out the Madison sound, fun, excitement, and fan accessibility we are used to with Madison. That noted, if I were to guess what we will see this year from Scouts, I hope they will bring something to us like 2012 Crossmen. Familiar theme revisited, (1992), very fan friendly/accessible, but an approach that is fresh. Chuck’s take on Michael Jackson’s Earth Song fit so well into that show and identity of the corps. It was like their new “Pat Metheny”, in terms of identity. I felt that piece and that show “welcomed Crossmen back” for us as fans . When speaking of that identity I am not expecting 1990’s or 1980’s Scouts all over again. Nor a retro show, ( ie: 2010 ), to bring us back. Faster, louder, higher, can’t be “ what is old is new again”. So many have discussed Bluecoats being “the direction Madison Scouts should have gone”. Yeah, I can see the logic in that. Its a good assessment. But Bluecoats were not exactly, “underwhelming” in terms of entertainment in the last 30 years. Like Scouts, they had their own identity and entertaining shows- it’s just within the past decade they have taken their identity to a new level of appreciation in shows we find innovative, accessible, and fun. Madison will take that step like Bluecoats have- I trust in that. Those adjectives of accessible, fun, and even innovative, I think will be there this year.
    1 point
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