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Just check DCP; all sorts of world championship designers here.

Kudos to Jeff for judging the PERFORMANCE in front of him and ignoring the rest of the season. Too many judges make up their minds about a show early and NEVER take a fresh look at each performance. Clearly Jeff is a judge who's willing to let the performers change his mind. And that's the guy you want evaluating your show.

A shout out to Austin, the 4th tenor, for earning the Rookie of The Year Award. He did a fantastic job flying in to a tough situation and working his butt off to eventually march. He plans on auditioning for Boston for the first time this Fall. I'd say he already auditioned.

Jeff Prosperie is one of the most honest, high-integrity judges DCI has, in any caption. If he gives you a good score, you earned it. If he has you behind other corps, they earned it more. Doesn't matter what the corps names and uniforms are. And this is the first time JP has had the Blue Devils 1st in percussion during Championships week in a decade. Did he put BD 1st in percussion at 2017 Finals? No. 2016 Finals? No. 2015 Finals? No. 2014 Prelims? No. 2011 Finals? No. 2009 Finals? ...Yes. But then, EVERY percussion judge at EVERY show had Blue Devils 1st in percussion. They went undefeated in the caption that year.

Wow! That did NOT come across on Flo. What a reaction!! The crowd went absolutely nuts. What a feeling that must have been for the members!

JP is one of the best judges in the activity and I believe he calls it like he sees it, without bias. If he had BD on top last night, then there is likely a good reason for that.

I wanted to post this after semi finals but life got in the way and my phone was dead. I'm glad I am posting now though since the season has had a few days to settle. Please feel free to post your thoughts on 2019 shows as well. Conveniently- I will be commenting on every WC corps and the top 3 in OC. 25. Seattle Cascades- all I can say is WOW. I knew if the Cascades were the 25 seed that this is a great year for drum corps. Those jazz soloists were phenomenal. The grid, itself was a little scary. I thought we learned our lesson with the Cavaliers last year. Feet getting caught left and right but no falls. Very cool when the grid was lifted though. 24. Jersey Surf- Oh man. I have always wanted to see Jersey Surf live and I finally got the opportunity to. Very musical, visually pleasing, and easy to follow. Liked the uniform change. Maybe not as fun as 12/13 but well done and tastefully performed. 23. Music City- Hello! Truth be told I watched them rehearse the percussion feature in Conneaut Lake on Sunday. Was hoping to stay longer but it started to rain. That's okay though because I was wowed by the brass, the overall GE, and the amount of color in this show. Sure it was probably too cute- but I thought it should have swapped with Genesis in placement. My favorite of the first group on the field. 22. Gold- Well. I'll be. This California group had no trouble making the trip to Indy, fielding 16 CONTRAS, and grabbing the OC bronze. A nice show that reminded me of the game of Life with unique color guard props and all original music. A major step up from last year. This is my pick for the next group to jump to world class. 21. Legends- I like this OC corps. Instead of the ocean I pictured the Siren of the great lakes taking down many ships at Whitefish point and Thunder Bay. Easy show to get into. 20. Genesis- Nice 10th anniversary tribute show with earthen tones. Quite interesting to see the Greensleeves waving out of the props. 19. The Spartans- Experiment X. The program description had me almost uninterested especially since I just saw another 10th anniversary show...but WOW I loved this one. They definitely deserved the OC victory... although Im a sucker for Latin music on the football field. 18. Troopers- There is definitely a gap between 19-25 and the Troop. The whole Star Trek thing wasn't my cup of tea but wow is that hornline tasty. 17. Madison Scouts- If you are interested you can read my full experience on the Madison hype train thread. This was probably the most emotional show of the year for me. Unbelievably fantastic. Really makes me want to go back in time and see the 75-97 scouts live. 16. The Colts- I think this show had the strongest GE of non-finalist corps. Hells Bells and throwing the trident then Hell freezes over and the visual effects mixed with the ice cold sounds of chimes in the pit. Very fun, musical, easy to follow show all around. 15. The Academy- Bridge over troubled water was beautiful. I don't know if I was still drained from the previous two shows but I really miss the fun Academy from 2015-2017. Very nice performance but probably the least interesting show design of the year (but hey- would have been middle of the pack most years). 14. Pacific Crest- Whaaa? The lights were a very cool effect and I want to congratulate them on their highest score and placement of all time. This show had a great message and was performed well. Didn't make me ugly cry like BK 2014 but still a nice show. 13. Spirit of Atlanta- I was hoping this show would go places but where it landed placement-wise is just about right. Very nice, musical show that mixed very modern stuff and swing. Three uniform changes. A bit overkill but that's okay. I think Spirit Blue is plenty neon for the neon underground. Visually the ATL was very cool. 12. Phantom Regiment- Although they ended up in 12th this is the best flicker of Hope and Phantom show since 2012. Absolutely beautiful brass moments. Arguably some of the best brass moments of the night. Some cool visual moments and the chant was powerful. Some very awkward transitions though. Regardless I have a good feeling about Phantom 2020 if they make some minor changes. 11. Crossmen- I. Love. This. Show. One of the most enjoyable of the year for me. The field entrance (props and all), the tambre of the guitar, the power, the percussion feature, some great brass licks, the ride of the Valkyrie motifs from the trombones. The Valkyrie visual. The weird costumes. Just a great show all around. Great job Crossmen. 10. The Mandarins- Very Creepy Show. Fantastic, dark brass. Loved that the tenor voice in brass was all Euphoniums. Very interesting to watch the guard (and battery) tell the story line throughout this show. The Mandarins are great at that. If they fix their percussion issues they could climb- but they have had 2 years in a row of shows that are actually kind of scary. 9. The Cadets- Percussion and battery were absolutely amazing and had some fantastic features. I did not feel empowered as a female by this show. And that's all I have to say about that. 8. Blue Stars- Another corps that brought me one of my favorite shows by them in years. I think that from a visual and narration standpoint this story was told very well. The brass and percussion also sounded great. Not sure how I feel about almost the entire corps going to bed during the solo...but I did like the tents😁 7. Blue Knights- My favorite show, at least musically, of the year. I also find the blurry mirrors to be a wonderful aide in the show theme. The brass and percussion are together. There are such open and exposed sections of the show. There are beautiful moments of pure silence and reflection. From the Hurt solo to the end is so powerful and emotional. 6. Boston Crusaders- Ah. Yes. Now we have entered the top 6. Huge jump. Brass sounded great, Guard was absolutely amazing and crucial to the story telling. Very nice, easy to follow show. They added some extra Gore for semis and people seemed to love the David v. Goliath fight. I didn't miss the shot this time. 5. The Cavaliers- Another wonderful, fun, easy to follow show. Brass and percussion were extremely powerful, and the Cavaliers Guard were great to watch for fighting and portraying the show theme. Easily one of the best Cavaliers hornlines of all time. 4. Carolina Crown- Compared to most- this was a no frills drum corps show. Lots of movement and classic marching and formations by the MMs and they provided great visuals. Brass was beautiful and extremely clean as expected for Crown and Gabriel's Oboe gets my nod for best ballad of the year. Percussion was tight and probably my favorite percussion feature of the year too. 3. Santa Clara Vanguard- you haven't heard loud until you have heard SCV 2019. Lots of aggression but also a good amount of beauty going on musically. Probably the most talented corps of 2019. I have no idea what was going on the whole time though. As a side note getting the sousaphone into the cage looked as difficult as mastering one of those puzzle games at the Cracker Barrel. 2. The Bluecoats- I think this show had the best musical arrangements of the year. Just sheer genius. A crowd favorite for years to come. So many little things going on at the beginning, Eleanor Rigby, just wow. Blackbird was absolutely beautiful, as most Bloo ballads are. Come together was a rock concert. Then they played an encore. Just WOW. 1. The Blue Devils- They came into the field with a swagger that only BD is capable of. It was obvious this was the most confident and comfortable corps of the year. They did some cool stuff with the multiple uses of props. My favorite thing about BD this year, as it is in most years, is the battery. I had my eyes on center snare the whole time as I know he is one of the most talented musicians on the field and it was his age out year. Overall I felt this was one of the most enjoyable years for DCI. Almost all of the shows were very entertaining. The singing trend seems to be dying down, there was a lot of diversity in show design, and many corps are starting to March and move again but unlike 15 years ago the emphasis is on overall GE, music and visual theming - rather than who can push the drill the farthest. This season went by fast and I am looking forward to what next year brings. ✌️

You're reply is classy and on point. I'm not yet ready to give him a classy reply so I'll just say nothing.

at this stage there's a zillion rumors, many unfounded, some wishful thinking....unless someone specific says they're out of somewhere, it's just keyboard warriors

Prosperie has BD 5th in drums in 2008, BD loses........PROSPERIE FOR PRESIDENT!!!! Prosperie has BD 1st in drums in 2019, BD wins..........PROSPERIE NEEDS TO BE FIRED NOW!!!!

I find it hard to agree with anything you say here. Back to the drawing board. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the designs the Bluecoats staff have put together over the past 6 years. Keep going in that direction...PLEASE! The Fans absolutely love it. As for your more demand comment...this show had plenty of demand. Adding even more demand, to an already demanding show, is not the answer. Quality in design is more important than demand. Bloo and BD had as much demand as anyone out there. You have to know what to look for and how to analyze it to fully grasp the physical and musical challenges of Bloo's show. Bloo's guard is competitive and incredibly good. Sure, if we can hit the level of BD or Boston's guard, we will gladly take it. :) The percussion section took 3rd. How is that bad? Bloo was .087 from a Gold Medal and somehow you think that merits an overhaul? Not me.

Way to go, Bluecoats, on another game-changing show and design from one of the best design teams in the business. Your show, from day 1 in Detroit, set the drum-corps world on fire. The design, staging, color palette, musical arrangements, integration of guard, and on and on...it was truly magnificent. There are a million-and-one ways to destroy a show with music of the Beatles. Doing popular music in DCI -- especially music of iconic groups -- is not easy and takes guts. John Lennon would have given this show a standing ovation. It was classy, complex, artistic, and entertaining. A silver medal is nothing to sneeze at. I am sad the corps did not get the big trophy. But in the end you had the crowd and you were only .087 from a great Blue Devils corps. That's incredibly good. This now makes 6 top-3 finishes for the Bluecoats since 2010. The corps has become a trend setter in this activity, and we can't say enough about what Doug Thrower and company put together musically for this show. All in all, I think the design of "The Bluecoats" is one of the most masterful and seamless designs I have ever seen in this activity. Did I mention I am a "dino?" I've seen a lot of great designs. It was so obvious after the Detroit performance that this show was likely going to challenge for Gold. It did. Just as the Blue Devils have been leading the activity forward, so too are the Bluecoats. They have jumped on the front of the train when it comes to leading in design and performance. They did that back in 2014. Great to see the corps tie for total music and win general effect. That says a lot. I can't wait to see what this design team has in store for this activity next summer. I know it will be amazing. 

designforrings.com

On behalf of Blue Devils Nation, I just want to say thank you to the Bloo fan base on being incredibly classy last night and today. The jerks and losers that's been spewing garbage and nonsense the last 24 hours hasn't been Bloo fans, rather bandwagon hoppers that just want to see BD lose. In no way did those jerks ruin or damage the integrity of your incredible fan base. Bloo put on one of the best shows to ever grace a football field and you all have alot to be proud of. Regardless of the score, we saw two DCI champions last night, and it won't be long before Bloo is a multiple time world champion. While it's easy to get sucked into the "Mob Mentality" which is trash BD, and judges anytime they win, i hope Bloo Nation and BD Nation can learn and follow in the footsteps of our corps performers, who showed nothing but love and respect to each other last night. Maybe we can all learn something from them and do the same. I hope Bloo makes a trip out west to Cali so i can lose my ******* mind cheering and honoring them. Congrats again and for the final time in 2019 and every year moving forward......................... DO IT UP BLOO!!! DO IT UP DEVILS!!!

Congratulations Bluecoats on what I believe was the best entertainment package ever assembled. After watching that performance I was convinced the Bluecoats won. My emotions were so overwhelming when I heard otherwise. Me and Stephan love the Bluecoats version of drum corps. Can’t imagine 2020, but know that Bluecoats will again be spectacular.

He's also a 1983 Garfield Cadet, accomplished band director, and basically worked miracles at Cadets since April 2018. By all accounts that I'm aware of, he's a wonderful director and it's a surprise to me he wasn't 2018 director of the year.

I am anticipating (and hoping for) no staff changes at BAC. I think the design team just concluded the third year of their 5 year contracts but in speaking with them this summer, I think they would stay even if those contracts didn't exist. Everyone seems really happy. Although the non-designers aren't bound for five years, most of them are tethered to their caption heads (by choice) and it would seem that there wouldn't be any movement there either. I hope. It is a great team, to be sure!

I've been saying this the past few years and it still holds true. Here is BDs record since 2007 07. 1 08. 2 09. 1 10. 1 11. 2 12. 1 13. 2 14. 1 15. 1 16. 2 17. 1 18. 2 19. 1 What is next in the sequence?

I don't typically like to engage in who should be let go, who should stay, and other hypothetical thoughts about what a corps needs. I applaud all of the teachers and designers for every corps. This is difficult work. I realize many are looking to move up, or perhaps looking to find the right position for them. And the corps have to do what is best for their members and the direction they wish to go from a design standpoint. One thing to keep in mind is the limited number of "big" names out there. Not every corps can land what we consider a big name instructor or designer. The few out there will likely keep working where they are due to money, happiness with the current position, what they are allowed to do, or a combination of everything. In some cases, when those "big" names have moved to new corps it has not always worked out. It takes a long time to groom a staff and to allow their creative desires and skills to come together. Personally, I think there are a lot of young, super talented teaches and designers out there. If I were a corps director, or in charge of hiring staff, and my corps was looking to make some changes in order to be more competitive (and I don't think every corps needs to do this), I know I would be looking around the country for young, driven, talented, and creative people who can adjust and work with others. Good luck to all the teachers and designers out there. I hope you stay where you are wanted, or find the job of your dreams.

What a show, what a season. Thank you, Bluecoats for your energy, talent, and stellar performances. Your brassline has been a favorite of mine since the 1980's. Continued success...and rest. Thanks again....

Boston’s Guard was the first Corps to repeat since the Cadets did it in 93/94, other than the Devils who have had two separate streaks of 3 or more. If Boston can threepeat they will join BD as the only ones to ever do it looking at records back through 1972. They only have about 5 ageouts so they at least have a fighting chance going into the off season.

Bloo cheese?

Bloo's show is one I'll watch many more times fondly. It is a classic.

Prospective members and parents read the site and it could be misleading to list 2019 contracted staff for 2020 prospects A best practice if you ask me

What can be said that hasn't already been echoed throughout all of DCI......."The Bluecoats" was an amazing display of thoughtful nuances and musically themed after the gone by not forgotten era of The Beatles!!! I was fortunate to see it live twice!! It was AWESOME!! I can hardly stand the thought of never seeing it live again......but I have also thought that of past shows and then you WOW us all again with something new and excellent!! CAN NOT WAIT!!! Keep being you Bloooo!! No one sells more souvies or generates more buzz than you!! Until next spring, Peace!! ✌️

it's why I like the nothing til Labor Day rule. too many inaccurate things have been posted everywhere. In some cases, it hurt people

The response throughout the show from the first note on was incredible. The crowd and the corps fed off each other and culminated with what you see on this video. During the ballad and the horn hit people were standing in the audience with their hands held high and wide like the snare drummer to soak in the glorious sound. Ut was awesome!

Just wanted to take a moment and post this here. I posted the following on the Finals thread, but wanted share here as well. Big congratulations to the Concord Blue Devils on their Gold Medal and World Championship. They continue to lead the drum corps activity into the future and are a truly deserving champion. I was in love with their show from day 1, even when it was really rough and not fully finished. Ghostlight was a monster production and so creative. It is filled with highlight after highlight. Every section seems to shine. Now that's how you feature a violin player within a show of this nature. Loved it! Nobody cleans feet or body quite like BD, and that coupled with a killer percussion performance on Finals night was likely the minuscule difference that helped them inch over the amazing Bluecoats. In the end, it comes down to who has the best show on Finals night, and BD has a long track record of performing when it matters. Bloo did, too. So this was a sweet win for BD. To beat a corps like Bluecoats, with that amazing show of theirs, is a tough task. None of us should be surprised. Most people knew this could go either way. The two corps were trading victories down the stretch. It was a fantastic race to the finish. I get that some Bluecoats fans are sad today. I am definitely sad. I wanted Bloo to win badly. I was rooting for my hometown corps like crazy, but at the end of the day the Blue Devils deserved this title, just like Bloo would have had a few tenths gone their way. When the scoring is this close you simply can't get too upset when the judges call it the way they see it on Finals night. That's what they are supposed to do. Great show, BD! I will be watching this one as much as 2015 and 2017.

I wonder how much of an impact the results from this year and the direction that those in the top of the activity will have on the design process, philosophy, and direction the corps takes for this year... There is such a fine line between maintaining your identity, and following the latest trends. This guard needs a vehicle to strive, A character to portray, but some concessions might have to be made in how simple the music is for example.. Some more investment into Electronics and the Reinforcement of sound has to be made. Electronics have to be woven into the fabric of the design of the show to be effective and compete in the music captions.. The number one thing to take away from BD, SCV and Bluecoats is that the Transition is everything.. The Top 3 have figured out that there is never a time out in a show.. There is always something to watch, always something to enjoy. The old times of having both the Hornline and Guard transition to something new at the same time are gone.. BD has mastered this, always setting up their next moment while the previous moment is happening.. A Pit transition where both the guard and Hornline and Battery are transitioning to the next thing is Death blow to your GE. Avoid it at all Costs.. Finding a theme to weave all of these together is tricky and its why these Program Coordinators at the top of this activity are the most in-demand designers in our activity... I would like the Corps to acknowledge the 80th year off the field with special Jackets for the members and the Souvies should absolutely make a marketing scheme out of 80. But the on the field product should be free of any tribute unless subtle or extremely fresh and effective ideas that would work with the overall theme of the show. I want the 80th year to be remembered as the first year that Boston Medals in its history in DCI. I know the board wants this too. Work Hard and hold nothing back in making that happen...

Thanks for a great season everyone! We're already hard at work for the 2020 season. We have some big things in store and can't wait to show them to you. Be on the lookout for an intermediate release of the app this Fall/Winter. We're making lots of changes to our backend infrastructure to improve the speed and reliability of the app as well as the consistency and accuracy of our data. And of course we'll be doing our standard release just before the 2020 season with new features in the app. See ya then!

So where exactly does one go to pick up one of these championship level arrangers and designers? Asking for a friend...

Well said. Whatever problems the Cadets have, the director isn't one of them.

Here are a few thoughts on BD and Bloo this year. I may add more about the rest of the corps and post that in the review section later this week. Great season overall and I believe fans were once again treated to outstanding shows. All the marching members of every corps should be congratulated. This was another competitive and entertaining summer. So many excellent shows. Drum & Bugle Corps is in a good place, and as an older supporter and fan of the activity (54 now) I continue to love the evolution and the spirit of competition. Big congratulations to the Concord Blue Devils on their Gold Medal and World Championship. They continue to lead the drum corps activity into the future and are a truly deserving champion. I was in love with their show from day 1, even when it was really rough and not fully finished. Ghostlight was a monster production and so creative. It is filled with highlight after highlight. Every section seems to shine. Now that's how you feature a violin player within a show of this nature. Loved it! Nobody cleans feet or body quite like BD, and that coupled with a killer percussion performance on Finals night was likely the minuscule difference that helped them inch over the amazing Bluecoats. In the end, it comes down to who has the best show on Finals night, and BD has a long track record of performing when it matters. Bloo did, too. So this was a sweet win for BD. To beat a corps like Bluecoats, with that amazing show of theirs, is a tough task. None of us should be surprised. Most people knew this could go either way. The two corps were trading victories down the stretch. It was a fantastic race to the finish. I get that some Bluecoats fans are sad today. I am definitely sad. I wanted Bloo to win badly. I was rooting for my hometown corps like crazy, but at the end of the day the Blue Devils deserved this title, just like Bloo would have had a few tenths gone their way. When the scoring is this close you simply can't get too upset when the judges call it the way they see it on Finals night. That's what they are supposed to do. Great show, BD! I will be watching this one as much as 2015 and 2017. Way to go, Bluecoats, on another game-changing show and design from one of the best design teams in the business (right there with BD and SCV). Your show, from day 1 in Detroit, set the drum-corps world on fire. The design, staging, color palette, musical arrangements, integration of guard, and on and on...it was truly magnificent. There are a million-and-one ways to destroy a show with music of the Beatles. Doing popular music in DCI -- especially music of iconic groups -- is not easy and takes guts. John Lennon would have given this show a standing ovation. It was classy, complex, artistic, and entertaining. A silver medal is nothing to sneeze at. I am sad the corps did not get the big trophy. But in the end you had the crowd and you were only .087 from a great Blue Devils corps. That's incredibly good. This now makes 6 top-3 finishes for the Bluecoats since 2010. The corps has become a trend setter in this activity, and we can't say enough about what Doug Thrower and company put together musically for this show. All in all, I think the design of "The Bluecoats" is one of the most masterful and seamless designs I have ever seen in this activity. Did I mention I am a "dino?" I've seen a lot of great designs. It was so obvious after the Detroit performance that this show was likely going to challenge for Gold. It did. Just as the Blue Devils have been leading the activity forward, so too are the Bluecoats. They have jumped on the front of the train when it comes to leading in design and performance. They did that back in 2014. Great to see the corps tie for total music and win general effect. That says a lot. I can't wait to see what this design team has in store for this activity next summer. I know it will be amazing.

Just wanted to take a moment to thank Carolina Crown for an incredible season. I went to all three ensemble rehearsals and performances in Indy, and was truly inspired by all six encounters. I have such incredible love for this activity, and never has it been so truly expressed in so many ways as it was this weekend by Crown 2019. In rehearsals, it was such a privilege to witness the members' extraordinary passion, relentless determination, not to mention ridiculous talent. But it also revealed the love, respect, and admiration that all members have for each other, across sections, and across staff and performers. I know that many corps have these qualities, but there was a totality to it all that seemed off the charts this year, and of course, was particularly expressive at the end of the season. This corps knew it had something special this season, and they were soaking in every last morsel. The performances revealed the fruits of that labor, but were absolutely fueled by that emotional energy and awareness evident in rehearsal, and just stunningly expressed each evening in performance. Those performances expressed everything I love about drum corps: performers leaving it all out on the field, enjoying every second of it, feeding off the energy of the crowd, culminating in the unbridled joy of knowing they just knocked it out of the park. It is the looks on their faces, the jumping in the air after nailing the show, and the post performance embraces that move me so much, and reaffirm my love of this activity, regardless of scores, placements, and all the other thing we complain about. It's what will bring be back next year, as it has 20 times before. Thank you Carolina Crown, this alum is so freaking proud, and grateful.

Wow, the yard sale has very few items this year. Time to mark down Phantom Regiment's large french fry props.

The Blue Devils Post 2019 Victory Run The Blue Devils just posted their 2019 Victory Run 15 minutes ago - for your enjoyment.

This crowd response + among, top 3 highest 4th place, finals scores all time + Ott= GOAT 4th place finish?!?!

You’d be surprised what I’d believe

Both of them executed the "cheese" flawlessly and seamlessly though. Boston's Plinko boards and the beheading never really gelled, and the voiceover design was atrocious. Gotta get the design tight, right from the beginning! They've got great talent a great staff but things aren't quite there.

I was at Lucas Oil in Section 640 up top. If this video went on longer and was closer to the audience you would have seen, as Crown departed through the tunnel, stage left, the crowd standing and cheering as the whole corps exited. I attend every year, and most years Crown tends to be the audience favorite (not 2017 or 2018, however). I had never seen this exit cheering before, not even in 2013, although I might have just not noticed it. However, this year you couldn’t miss it. That part of the audience also cheered the departing Bluecoats, who were fabulous from up top as well, but from my vantage point, the cheering didn’t seem as intense. My friends and I had BC in first and Crown in third. Sigh. Most years, regarding results, I leave Indy disappointed.

Jesus, THE CHILLS!!! That definitely didn't come across on Flo like that! It was a big reaction, but holy hell...

I’m just waiting with baited breath to see which shoes each corps will be playing next year. 👞👟👠 Maybe blue Stars will finally put their timberlands to good use. 😁

Congratulations Blue Devils. You are a great drum corps! The head-to-head match ups this year with Bloo was a thrill for fans of both corps. When both are great, as they were this year, the real winners are drum corps fans!

Now they just have to win the next 81 championships in order to maintain the numerical correlation. We'll worry about the 22nd century when we get there.

I'll be watching the video of this Bluecoats 2019 production for years to come. Pure joy. Pure entertainment. Fully realized art... A masterpiece. Thanks to all the performers and the entire Bluecoats organization.

Just back from Indy after spending 5 days there to enjoy the various celebrations, attend all the shows, check Crown rehearsals and to celebrate a great season for Crown. All I can say is the performance last night was "one for the ages." The corp pulled out three in a row. Great performance followed by greater performance followed by greatest performance. The audience agreed. Crown was on fire last night (and I am not just fanboying here). The staff even felt this was the strongest series of Crown performance ever with last night being "epic." Not a dry eye back stage and major cheers from all knowing they left it all out on the field... this was all before the scores were announced. There have been many on this forum who were quick to dismiss, assign to 6th place, question the staff ability to deliver a final refined product or worse. You were wrong. They came within a hares breath of bronze, won brass AND music three nights in a row... and best of all WON THE AUDIENCE. CROWN is the corps EVRYONE was talking about last night. CROWN blew the lid off of Lucas Oil... how bout that last 90 seconds, Gabriels Oboe, Opening statement... Standing O, Standing O, Standing O. Ask the members if they were happy with the show and they will tell you... they LOVED the show and the LOVED performing this and working hard to deliver on the promise of the show... which they did in spades last night. So for all the season long supporters... thank you for helping to keep the naysayers and trolls at bay... I am talking about you @karuna, @Incognito365, @nsxanax. I have enjoyed your thoughtful commentary all season including your unvarnished concerns when warranted. For the folks who just want to come in and #### on our Wheaties and act like trolls... I'm sorry but you need to go elsewhere because all your negativity will not keep the true Crown fans from supporting our corps. And by the way... HE CAME HOME. THE OTT CAME HOME WHERE IT BELONGS. We were no where near 6th place and that 3rd place that was long gone... well we got it. Even if the score did not reflect it. I have mentioned before many times the how special this group of members were, their commitment, thier genuine enjoyment of the show and each other and how they have on more thane occasion shown the strength of their character... their heart. Well, what I have seen glimpses of all season in rehearsal and performances was on full display for the world last night. I would not trade this corps or this staff for anything else... because if we did we would not have had last night... and last night... mark my words... was a performance people will be talking about decades from now. Thank you to all the true believer here for making this an enjoyable summer of sharing the highs and lows of this epic season and this very magical drum corps.

Cadets don't need a new director. They need brass and marching staff. The director has done a lot of good work since he got there.

Who are you? Other than anonymous and irresponsible? Here is a thought - let the organization announce changes then we can cross post them here

If DCI has a problem with it, I'm sure he would change if they asked him to. He is a professional with long experience. This obsession people have with "canning" others is disturbing. Personally, I have always liked it. It adds energy and fits into the excitement of the atmosphere.

As you Cadets have your banquet this morning, then fond and tearful farewells this afternoon, enjoy every second of THIS day without worrying about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Savor all the emotions, and fix them in your memories. You'll be grateful for them later in life. Then go safely back to your regular lives, and work as hard at everything else as you worked at being a Cadet. Thank you for 2019!