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Anyone else ever get the feeling they've been around these forums too long? Just me?

I think most original drum corps music is uninteresting. I also think it was more common in the past than it is now.

If it was anything like when I was at UA, he could have been "hammered" before he got hammered... Not saying that's what happened...LOL.

Can't reward content if there's too much dirt to even get a read on the content

i think i would prefer to hear arrangements of great music than music of arrangers pretending to be composers.

I couldn't be happier about these changes. I DID feel like it was Christmas when I saw the announcement, too. Go Regiment! Reclaim your fierce, powerful, passionate identity. Harvey

Not if they take the "Run up and hit the #### thing" approach to the instrument....That being said, the cat barely even flinched.

With the blessing, none.

Most kids who go to Purdue have been kicked in the head by farm animals so many times that getting thwumped with a padded bass drum mallet is hardly noticeable.

BD will drop out of the top 12...

One potential issue with that...the members of DCA corps these days are far younger than in the past. A good percentage are most likely unavailable due to scholastic commitments, be they HS or college, much as with DCI corps.

Soooooo, recruiting at USBands shows isn't working out? Why aren't you PERFORMING at USBands shows? Or whatever circuit you're attending.... Isn't it an advantage for your corps to have the additional performance experience? Isn't it an advantage to show what you can actually do in front of the potential members you're looking to recruit? The show in Bethel, CT yesterday for USBands had a University band in exhibition just before awards. That to me, is extremely smart recruiting. Add in a table with literature and some souvies and you're good to go. That's the grass roots method. It's the harder path, but it is VERY effective!

Maybe it happens so often he doesnt notice it any longer.

Cru had some well written stuff. It wasn't as clean as it could have been but I'm not bagging on them in any way.

ok. here's my $0.02. Point 1. Marketing is one thing, but half that battle is knowing what you are selling. I'm not certain DCA understands it's product and how to pitch it. I love seeing vids from years past, and you could truly identify DCA and it's product. Now it feels and looks a little like DCI, but just not quite. So I think knowing what it's selling to the students its trying to get into the ranks is a key. And maybe it truly is a "start here, we'll get you ready for (insert corps name) in two seasons". Or should it be "come here, we'll teach you how to be the next level entertainer" But it's my opinion that the overall org needs to get a handle on its mission. Lets take a look at the first two points which define DCA on its website. The primary function of Drum Corps Associates is to provide an organization of drum & bugle corps with rules and regulations which provide for continuous progress and growth for drum corps. Using entertainment as a primary goal, Drum Corps Associates performances are unique and represent “state of the art” in mass appeal drum and bugle corps. Once the product and it's purpose is clarified, I think selling it becomes easier. 2. I think the corps shoot themselves in the foot with their scheduling in this era. It's tough to sell a part time activity that takes up 7pm fri - 7pm sun, every other week in the fall, and every weekend starting in may. i honestly think this might be a concern when you look at what how work lives are structured now. I believe it's most certainly a factor as to why the 25+ year olds are fewer and fewer. While I understand you can't limit a corps to how it makes its schedule, perhaps scoring where "layered achievement" takes less presence over "audience communication" could help the entertainment factor, as well as the time needed to clean a DCI Lite show by Sept. I'm certain after a few seasons of this schedule, burnout sets in. Which doesn't help to retain members that the groups just spent a season recruiting and training. 3. I think there's little to no digital presence of DCA. Instagram, Twitter. Yes this is full time job and it requires a strategist that works full time on selling the brand. So maybe its time for it to become a small full time office. 4. The venues and their respective shows, and how they are organized, are simply too far off base in function between operators. Consistency is key. And there needs to a more consistent method of show operations and how information in organized and communicated. 5. There needs to be an actual cultivation of small groups, and helping them grow. When new corps are founded, there should be slews of invites to perform at shows instead of fear of having to pay the new faces in the neighborhood. Help them find ways to develop fanbases, and teach them how to sell it. So they can bring fans to shows. 6. Speaking of payments. Part of that full time office should be helping to generate sponsorship for all shows and the season. 7. Every corps and every show for itself is not an effective way to sell a brand. In an age where consumers expect consistency from a brand, this is paramount that everyone get on the same page to sell it. 8. let's look at a DCA bullet from their page. Drum Corps Associates strives to provide performers with stimulating and rewarding social experiences, to provide a competitive outlet for performers, and to entertain and excite the audience. Are the days of the personalities that I heard about at the bar via stories gone? During finals i stood up top of the stands with a fellow Madison alum, and saw many a friend come through I didn't expect to be at finals, and wondered if the membership ever has a similar experience. Do they know the personalities that help to shape this circuit, or is it only about their 10 minutes on the field? Does their age group have its own personalities that make DCA as accessible to outsiders now that is was known for? How does one change that? Or do they simply remove this line as part of the mission statement?

The 2019 Boston Crusaders beg to differ...

The consistent comment I heard about BK's corps' percussion voicing for 2019 was musical, musical, musical. As a non-drummer it was great to hear something other than aggressive banging working out testosterone over-dosing coming out of a corps' battery. Wherever the dynamic duo lands, I hope their summer efforts of 2019 set a new direction for DCI percussion.

Yeah 05 sucked, would be a shame to win again......

Thanks to everyone who participated! Here are the results, as well a chance for you to improve them. Scan the list below. Imagine you're sharing it with friends new to drum corps to introduce them to the best shows the past decade had to offer. How would you make it better? You can take out one finalist -- the show getting the most votes here will be removed if it gets at least two-thirds of the votes that put it on the list in the first place. And you can pick to add a show to the list (from the placement runners-up and top voter earners shown above). The top one or two (depending on whether one was removed) will be added to make a list of 25 corps. (It doesn't have to be a show from the same placement: e.g., you don't have to replace a third-place show with a third-place show.) You may wish to think strategically. For instance, Mandarins already appear among the non-finalists. Do you want to add a Mandarins' finalist show and leave the list without anything from Blue Devils, Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, or Boston Crusaders? Choose wisely! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Top Twelve by Placement (showing number of votes received and total votes cast) 1. Down Side Up (Bluecoats 2016) [35/157] 2. The Bluecoats (Bluecoats 2019) [32/143] 3. Kinetic Noise (Bluecoats 2015) [33/127] 4. Les Miserables (Santa Clara Vanguard 2013) [32/131] 5. Juliet (Phantom Regiment 2011) [23/119] 6. Into the Light (Phantom Regiment 2010) [49/119] 7. ...I Remember Everything (Blue Knights 2019) [33/108] 8. That One Second (Blue Knights 2014) [59/114] 9. Where the Heart Is (Blue Stars 2014) [32/110] 10. New York Morning (Madison Scouts 2011) [39/114] 11. Drum Corpse Bride (Academy 2016) [75/125] 12. Fragile (Crossmen 2012) [28/128] Top Twelve Non-Finalists by Vote (showing votes recieved out of 190 cast) 13. Everglow (Pacific Crest 2019) [12] 14. Dark Side of the Rainbow (Colts 2014) [7] ----. Inside the Ink (Mandarins 2017) [7] 16. Magnificent 11 (Troopers 2013) [6] ----. Step in Time (Academy 2015) [6] ----. Knock (Spirit of Atlanta 2018) [6] ----. Experiment X (Spartans 2019) [6] 20. Bridgemania (Jersey Surf 2012) [5] ----. Vanity Fair (Academy 2014) [5] ----. Wild Horses (Troopers 2015) [5] ----. By a Hare (Academy 2017) [5] ----. Hell on Wheels (Music City 2018) [5] (For reference, here is a link to the first place poll--from which you can follow links back to all the other placements--and the non-finalists' poll.)

Their 75th Anniversary show is probably as close to a reboot as we'll see from them. Especially since they are Building A Champion.

I know hating on BD is a surefire way to get likes on this forum, but dang dude........

OUTSTANDING!!!

P.C. might do a Salute to Cali corps show, perhaps called Tarzania. Borrow Mandies bungee cords to swing from SCV's firehouse poles, Tarzan and Jane need only wear the grey castaways from 2019, and she can swing her locks like BDCG. On djemn drums, the front ensemble can lead us into Africa with the low brass allowing the re-do of Blue Rock's Baby Elephant Walk. Now if only Blue Stars head West in 2020, they might also lend Mt. Kilimanjaro to complete the motif.

Yeah, man. I love the discipline. Kudos to that kid. ...of course, the clip ends rather quickly... maybe he topples over after a few seconds.

I would agree with this statement 100%. And I would truly believe that there are probably folks who are currently or formerly involved that would throw their talents into the volunteer pool to help make that digital marketing take off if DCA would simply ask for the help. I also think you're right in that individual corps should be doing their own marketing in lieu of DCA taking it on. Corps seem to be far more secretive in the last 4 or 5 years. I'm not expecting digital diaries but SOME sort of buzz would be better than not seeing anything until a week before finals.

Concussions: not only a problem for football players.

Thank you for that last paragraph. This shows the true problem with the DCA model from an outreach and sustainability standpoint. I know MANY people have volunteered to help in any way that they can but DCA seems to be deaf to it. If nothing else, I would think the existing corps would demand some accountability of DCA to the future of their tour. I knew NOTHING about DCA until 2003. I marched my last year of DCI in 1991. I followed drum corps pretty regularly, so I was on the inside and still knew absolutely nothing. That's scary and quite frankly, flat out wrong. A governing body which seemingly has no concern for it's own sustained existence needs serious change. If it wouldn't have been for outreach at CV, I would have not had the opportunity to march again. One of the other reason that I think the DCI and DCA combined model works is touched on in your comments regarding retention. If members of DCI don't know there IS a DCA, they have no idea of options after age-out. Combine the associations and have the tours run parallel. Then the current MM's know there are options out there and DCA get's members that may fall off due to not being able to meet the financial or time obligations of DCI plus you get the members who just aren't quite ready. Trust me, even if they leave their DCA corps when they finally get their spot in Open or World class, they WILL remember who helped them get there.

Everything about that show was flat out fun.

If one wants the Madison Scouts to be a top-competing DCI corps, the membership that the corps draws from can't be totally, primarily, or even mostly drawn from local Wisconsin programs. This is not inherently a criticism of Wisconsin band programs. Students from there, however, when compared against students from many other parts of the country and world, do not *on average* bring the same skillsets of marching and playing that students in other regions do, and do not tend to turn out for auditions at the same rates as in other regions, and that strongly affects a group's ability to compete.

The color guard design/show in 2005 PR was one of the most beautiful and interesting things about the show. Everything the color guard did was "wow" - art deco-style flags/umbrellas based on chevrons, multiple period-style costume changes (where every new costume was better than the one it replaced), equipment work that was cheeky and so much fun. And then that closer with that head dress and the incredible orange color. One of the best color guard programs ever put on a field.

Hopefully the Cadets don't do anything close to what they have done in the past decade and a half. I'd love to see some elegance to them

I agree. Also my source is Mike Jackson, so I’m inclined to believe him. 😉 He has his reasons for resigning (and yes it was a resignation not a firing), but would like them to remain relatively private. He will most definitely be back in DCI when the time and place are right.

I will see shows that will take me until 2025 to be able to appreciate.

That's a shame if true. It's to DCI's detriment to not have a percussion voice as unique as that duo's being performed by somebody every season.

He is focusing primarily on Broken City (his WGI PIW group) for now. I assume this is true for Kevin Shah as well.

Any idea if Shaw is bringing most of the brass staff from SCV with him? Very impressed with the staff changes PR has made. 2020 is looking like it could be an even more competitive year. Corps like PR and Cadets getting stronger is a good thing for DCI. Not sure how far either corps will move up, but I think both will be drastically improved.

Today is like Christmas Day for PR fans YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!

I will say this sounds very promising......onward and upward! SUTA

Bob Smith returning! Clean feet again. I think this is a pretty great team they’ve assembled; hopefully this means they’ve finally turned the corner. Also, my sincere best wishes to Will Pitts in his future endeavors.

Algernon on point again! I'm a little concerned about the program coordinator spot, but Tony Hall is clearly a sharp guy. They now have a lot of talented and experienced folks in the room, so good things should happen.

I am beyond happy. Phantom is going to be my favorite corps year after year again 😄 I think one of the reasons JD Shaw left in the first place is because he was tied to a certain genre of music and couldn't do anything else without backlash. I hope they let JD play whatever the hell he wants to play now!

https://regiment.org/2020-design-staff/

Yes. Back in the 90s; back in the era when they got no lower than, what, 6th? Yes. Drum corps has changed A LOT in the past 15 to 20 years, but it's not like these people have been living under a rock. Many of them have also contributed to the change that has taken place. I am still maintaining my hard-line stance on being hard on Cadets until they actually prove themselves again. But they have much more of a shot with THIS team than any previous teams since, like 2014.

I picked 12 mix and match open and world (with more open because I saw them more). Made it a personal rule to only allow a pick from the same corps once because my first try came up really lopsided: As the Sun Loved the Moon (7th Regiment 2017) The Grid (Legends 2016) Passion in Red (Stentors 2019) Coronation (Music City 2016) Darned (Guardians 2018) To the Moon (Blue Devils B 2016) Caged (Southwind 2019) Experiment X (Spartans 2019) In Pieces (Vanguard Cadets 2017) A Step in Time (Academy 2015) Wild Horses (Troopers 2015) Ebb & Flow (Jersey Surf 2016) Notes: My choices needed to come from the latter half of the decade because I didn't see the earlier half. Also, Darned was not the actual name of the Guardians show, but you get the idea.

One of my choices will raise some eyebrows… Spirit of Atlanta 2018 – Knock. My favorite all-time show, PERIOD because …. my son performed in it. Sorry not sorry. Colts 2018 – True Believer. I know the canned vocals didn’t sit well with some people but I connected emotionally with this show. Troopers 2016 – hero Madison Scouts 2018 – Heart & Soul. I know what you're thinking .... but I really love the last 2/3 of this show and it compensates for the spoken part in the first 1/3 (for me). And I’m basing this on listening only (I would have to drop it lower if I factored in the uniforms). Pacific Crest 2019 – Everglow Troopers 2018 – The New Road West Oregon Crusaders 2016 – Hunted Mandarins 2017 – Inside the Ink Music City 2018 – Hell on Wheels Jersey Surf 2019 – FantaSea

Also Mandarins 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 get a big nod. Before Inside the Ink the Paper Sons show was far and away my favorite of theirs and a big breakout show. 2015 really peaked well in August despite its placement. As mentioned above, 2016 was the start of what we have seen today and 2017 was the development of an identity that I LOVE. I know the dark and quirky isn't for everyone, but I am in love with that style. 2017 especially was just so.......cool.

In no particular order.. And a Shot Rang Out - Colts ‘15 Bridgemania -Jersey Surf ‘12 By a Hare - The Academy ‘17 Dark Side of the Rainbow - Colts ‘14 DaVinci’s Workshop - Spartans ‘18 Experiment X - Spartans ‘19 Forbidden Forest - Mandarins ‘16 Knock - Spirit of Atlanta ‘18 Magnificent 11 - Troopers ‘13 Majestic - Madison Scouts ‘19 Step In Time - The Academy ‘15 The Guitarist - Southwind ‘18

No particular order, and I picked more than 12. Sorry, but there are a bunch of great shows to choose from.... Neon Underground (Spirit of Atlanta 2019) True Colors (Colts 2010) Knock (Spirit of Atlanta 2018) Dark Side of the Rainbow (Colts 2014) Inside the Ink (Mandarins 2017) By a Hare (Academy 2017) Everglow (Pacific Crest 2019) Strangers in Paradise (Academy 2010) Both Sides Now (Colts 2017) Vanity Fair (Academy 2014) When Hell Freezes Over (Colts 2019) Nachtmusik (Colts 2016) Magnolia (Spirit of Atlanta 2014) The Midnight Garden (Oregon Crusaders 2015) nevermore (Oregon Crusaders 2014) Piano Man (Academy 2013) Intergalactic (Seattle Cascades 2015) Off the Wall (Vanguard Cadets 2018)

These are the stand outs on the lists for me as I give them a look The Pursuit of Happiness (Gold 2019) This was a fun upbeat show. As much as I like dark and weird, the happy shows get me too. I liked the super clever things they did with drill at the start with the 'dodging traffic' etc. Hell on Wheels (Music City 2018) What a way to enter World Class. One of the more creative field entrances we've seen in the activity and the spoken/rap bit was done with so much fun. Redrum (Oregon Crusaders 2018) As a fan of the movie, I loved the way they brought this to the field. It was never quite sold as solidly by the MMs as it seemed it could be and ... sadly ... we discovered why after the seasons end. nevermore (Oregon Crusaders 2014) This was the start of a nice string of Oregon Crusaders shows. They were a gem of the 'non-finalists' in design for me trying some great stuff visually and musically. Forbidden Forest (Mandarins 2016) This was the "shot fired across the bow" signaling they were ready for their close up. A show that really started to make Mandarins someplace kids wanted to march. The New Road West (Troopers 2018) The Black Parade opener got me EVERY time. And Seminfinals night, I just wanted it to go on forever. It was like a music box playing a love song to the history of the Troopers and Gabe's last turn on the box. The Midnight Garden (Oregon Crusaders 2015) Another OC show I enjoyed a lot. The way they slowly got vines revealed over their props and horns by show's end was a fun add on. ...And a Shot Rings Out (Colts 2015) Of the "narration era" for the Colts, I preferred this one. I was charmed by the old time radio show motif. Early season it had way too much narration and I think that set the opinions of many in stone about the show. By the end they'd cut back a lot of it and struck a nice balance between the story and the music. I loved that it had three different endings. Poor Trixie...semi's wasn't for you. Inside the Ink (Mandarins 2017) A show that could have easily made finals. The only people who were 'whoa, where did Mandarins come from' were people who weren't watching the Forbidden Forest. Sound of Silence done from the Disturbed take worked so well in this show. Wild Horses (Troopers 2015) This was another one I wanted to make finals. I still give this a listen. The way they open with pasture sounds, horses nickering in the wind, etc. in the preshow is just great. From the ballad (which many people got nit picking on the singer, despite that she was doing a load of spinning, dancing, and other guard work then finding the breath to sing that) to the closer was a build of energy and the use of the fences to the dramatic 'busting out of the fences' at the end was really well done. As the Sun Loved the Moon (7th Regiment 2017) Added because i realized i only had 10 in the original list. Not only was this a nice show. it had things that i kept discovering on the 3 times I got to see it. I think it was prelims in LOS where I finally realized the motions the circles were doing weren't some 'ritual to the moon or sun' but rather they were making stars that twinkled. And prelims, those kids put it ALL out there with the duet at the end collapsing in tears into each others' arms... Passion in Red (Les Stentors 2019) After not coming to the states to tour for a year, I was glad to see them back. Then they started their show and I fell in love. They kept making it better and better through the three shows I got to see them.

Open Class Shadow is 10 to 12 miles from Madison in Oregon, WI.