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Yeah leave old Garfield alone and PICK ON ME

The list of composers resonates very well with potential members. Maybe if you didn't apply what interests you with what would appeal to them it would make sense. Plus you get to avoid a very disgusting act.

This place doesn’t need a video to do that

I've said it before: Troopers could hand out $100 bills and they'd get criticized for it. It's not as if Troopers don't know how to speak directly to the interests of its customer base, or how to play from the strength of their own heritage. Jumping the gun on licensing is, indeed, a real concern, and one which the Troopers have had to heed in previous seasons, saving their show reveals until May. They've been around the block. So here's an idea. It's wild, and preposterous, I know, because after all this is the Troopers we're talking about. But here it is anyway: Maybe, just maybe, the corps actually has its licensing sewn up for 2020. Maybe they know exactly what they're doing, and have been able to get their programming house in order good and early, in order to get a stronger start on the season. I know, huh? Crazy talk. And maybe, now that they have their program locked up, they want to share a bit about it with the drum corps world. You know, because excitement about the summer is, on balance, a good thing. Fools! Dupes! Know-nothings! Look, it's not like this video drop is the first and last word Troopers ever have, or ever will, say about themselves, their unique character, their place in the activity and the hearts of their members, or even their 2020 show. It's. One. Video. But no. We can't even enjoy it. /rant

Douglas produced Spartacus (1960) and used it to break the Hollywood blacklist. It was one of two films released that year whose screenplay was written under his own name by Dalton Trumbo, an unabashed Communist (portrayed in a recent film by Bryan Cranston) who had gone to prison for refusing to name names to the House Un-American Activities Committee. (The other 1960 film was Exodus, produced by Otto Preminger.) The film's conclusion, in which none of the slaves will rat out Spartacus to the authorities, was widely understood at the time as a reference to what happened in the U.S. in the 1950s. To see the film, John F. Kennedy, then the President-elect, crossed a picket line organized by the American Legion -- a group which of course is famous on these forums for its important role in drum corps competitions. Douglas's death leaves just one major star from the Golden Age of Hollywood (and Douglas's stardom really came at the end of that period) still living: Olivia de Havilland, who at 103 is a year younger than Douglas but who achieved fame about a decade before him with her roles in Captain Blood (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Gone With the Wind (1939).

Chick Corea, former soprano for the St. Rose Scarlet Lancers and recent inductee to the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, picked up the Grammy last week for "Best Latin Jazz Recording", for his double album "Antidote". Maybe some hipster program designer will take notice when planning for 2021. Chick being an avid fan of the activity, I think licensing and arranging permission deals would be very favorable in that case.

I dunno, share some cool news in the cold, cold, offseason maybe?

If it is stipulated (and more than that, argued as more appropriate) that music reveals are, and should be, made in May and not February, how can their purpose be to attract more people to auditions? The lines are full by then.

Clearly proper grammar, punctuation and coherent thoughts died as well.

he's won 20 grammies and been nominated 60+ times. his work gets better and better, imo. i think we romanticize the number of dci arrangers who have been able to take modern jazz and make it work on a football field. bd 94's rep in the hands of anybody but downey or maybe boerma in that time period would've been a complete disaster. it's lightning in a bottle. which dci arrangers in today's dci would you trust to take his amazing work and translate it for dci? i can't think of any, and don't think i didn't try. don't get me wrong. i want it. i just don't want it mangled and chopped and bopped beyond recognition.

Wow.... sounds more like a Steelers-Browns game.

Thank you grumpy ###ed WWII vet band director I had. He wouldn’t let the band compete because we had kids who needed help with self confidence. He knew if we competed those kids would catch crap for their non-talent. “Do you think other band members would give them crap “. “Not the other kids... the ### #### band parents!”. (Yeah he swore too and chain smoked like a chimney)

Finally... a show announcement! If they don't play "Roundabout" it will be a travesty.

February 3, 2002, 1:29am ET Newark, DE The February Crossmen camp is now ⅔ over. Friday night went pretty well as we read down the latest revisions to “Heat of the Day” and began looking at “Supertonic Suite.” (Note - Supertonic Suite was replaced later in the winter.) Rehearsal flew by and things looked to be going pretty smoothly. I even paid my tour fee in order to get the early-bird special. Today’s rehearsal blocks did not go quite as smoothly as last night. It wasn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, though. The rhythms, time signatures, and just general difficulty of the charts require time and patience. We did do a full two-hour marching block this afternoon so it was nice to break up all the playing with some visual time. The last hour of tonight’s rehearsal was spent putting together the opener and first half of “Supertonic” with percussion. Although the task seemed daunting, we got a lot accomplished and should continue that tomorrow. The schedule for tomorrow was pushed up for some administrative things so we will be done at 1pm. I also need to find time to interview Al Chez for Drum Corps Radio, and maybe Jim Coates as well. Today during a trumpet sectional, Drew (staff) introduced everyone in the section and explained about Drum Corps Radio. Some of the members knew exactly what it was and others asked for the information for listening so that was exciting. Now it is time for some rest before the last 3 ½ hours of February camp. February 3, 2002, 4:32pm ET Newark, DE My third Crossmen camp is now history, but it sure did finish strong. By the end of today’s relatively short 3-hour rehearsal block, the hornline and drumline were able to play through the first two tunes. It didn’t sound half bad either! It felt good to hear the benefits of another weekend of hard work. Brass move-in has not been officially set yet, either May 17 or May 24. I’ve made arrangements for most of my classes already so I can take my final exams early so either way it shouldn’t be a big deal for me. After camp, I got some sound bytes from Al Chez for Drum Corps Radio and he said that I’m doing well with Crossmen. My biggest problem is not using enough air, which probably comes from lack of confidence. Some hard work between now and the March camp should help with that. I’m also going to work on getting into good shape so that I’ll be ahead of the game come spring training. Bones! (Next posting will be March 3.)

Anyone got a Sharpie?

keep the remote handy when the commercials come on

My comment was more general, and it's something I notice so much on this message board - and I'm painting with a broad brush - fans seem to think they know more than young people about what they should like about drum corps. What I'm seeing in this thread was just one (though a minor) example. And you're right - Sigur Ros was just an example from the rep. It's generally a hip repertoire, and a cool theme. I could see how that video could get some students hyped up - maybe even get some short term interest. At a minimum, I don't see what it hurts. I'm shocked that a music geek wouldn't know who Sigur Ros is - an Icelandic rock band with some incredible ballads. In fact, even the Cadets pit knew who Sigur Ros was several years ago:

Y’all should check out Sigur Ros’ collaboration with (actual cannibal) Shia LaBeouf. That’ll make you clutch your pearls.

And I mock it. DrumcorpsAF regular feature

I find this new 2muchcoffeeman/Garfield love affair a bit nauseating. I think I’m gonna go check if Michigan State found themselves a new head football coach yet.

Pretty much agree with this. With each passing season the distinctives between corps has less to do with iconography and more to do with vibe. I don't think any kid tries for BD because of jazz, or goes out for Bloo because of their origins in police outreach. They try out for a corps because they saw this year's show and they say to themselves I want to be part of that kind of show The strongest recruiting tool for next season is the show you put on the field this season. The show -- whatever ineffable quality it has that a 19-year-old finds attractive -- is what is going to motivate that young person to buy a plane ticket to your November camp. The show is the consummation of everything you are -- the vibe of your corps.

Ok I’ll clarify by just pointing the finger to algernons and kdaddys posts about what the members want..... makes it sound like greatest thing since sliced bread imo

Um. . . .do other corps reveal their music lineups as a way to entice more people to auditions? No? Then what makes us think the Troopers are doing it for that reason?

My doing. I was making comparisons and allowed this one to stick. I used it to tease an answer from my kids (they know I'm a DC geek). Sigur Ros is the weirdest stuff I've come across in a long time, but I can actually see some decent charts coming from it.

Are all corps members music geeks now? And someone would pick a corps based on whose music will be played over top of anything else? Choice of priorities in this is just amazing... ok I googled the group... Troopers going to speak Icelandic for this? Been there for work and that would be worth a listen to hear English speakers trying to do it 😈

i saw a parent follow a judge into the Stadium Club yelling and screaming that they screwed their kid. Yeah Moosic's finest got involved of course i went to USBands PA states last fall and saw parents yelling about a judge on the panel who taught their group the year before

I would trust Doug Thrower or Andrew Markworth.

Wow. That’s some serious band stuff.

about how great the 2000 Cadets were!

ACC's one year I saw a women throw her hot chocolate at a band dad who wouldn't stop making fun of her kids band - police got involved and ejected her from the stands. It was fantastic. And way back when my younger sister was still marching in our (very competitive) HS band they won ACC's only to get back to the busses and find out someone let air out of most the tires. 😞

I think these are the most compelling factors for students moving from Madison to the Cavaliers: An increase in competitive success A greater challenge to take on A desire to be a "blender" in a group versus a leader A similar level of historical prestige (in the same way that the Cadets, Boston, etc have such alluring histories) Geographic proximity Friends in the Cavaliers who previously marched Madison (and, thus, can offer an insider's scoop on how the two groups compare) With Madison having a slightly younger, more inexperienced cast these past two seasons, I think vets feel obligated to serve as leaders if they returned. Some are eager to take on that role and do so with such passion. Others, however, would rather march at a group where they just get to "do their job" and blend in with the rest of the ensemble on the field, vs being burdened with any off-field leadership roles. In that sense, I feel like Madison has done a tremendous job at awakening students to the breadth of their potential (thanks to all the leadership training each member undergoes). It just so happens that, after becoming more self-aware, many students discover that their growth would happen more rapidly elsewhere; on the other hand, many students discover that Madison doesn't offer enough to satisfy their cravings for growth. If this is all true, it feels like the next step for Madison, then, is to find more ways to keep their students hungry. I'm hopeful that a more robust, competitive show this summer can do exactly that. All of this is to say: I think that the Madison students going to Cavaliers are simply seeking a more intense experience that better aligns with their personal desires. While the all-male brotherhood of the Cavaliers may resemble their social environment from Madison, I think this is an unimportant factor.

Just a typical Cadets thread.

In my experience, it depends on the staff, but that was never done when I marched at Madison... 2007 Spirit it was commonly mentioned after the regional that the goal was to make finals. 2008 Madison, I think a lot of us had high expectations throughout camps and all days. Then when scores started rolling in it became apparent that we were fighting for finals and the membership knew that but it was never communicated from staff. We were just told to keep working hard and that year's staff pushed us really hard. In 2009, it was apparent early on that the show sucked. I think a lot of us thought we'd still make finals after all the changes, but staff never mentioned placements. In 2010 I think we all thought we were better than the scores reflected. Placement was never discussed as a goal but we were told by a brass staff member that we should care about the scores which was in conflict with a lot of the membership beliefs and with what we were told by the admins. Donnie VanDoren told me in a private conversation that his belief was that it should take 5 years for any hornline to build a program that competes for the Jim Ott award and that the corps could be a medalist within that same time span with the staff we had. Jim Mason also told me that he thought it would be 5 years to become a top corps. That was never pushed on the members but I think that kind of word had spread throughout the corps that it was the expectation and belief. I remember Jim's thing was "Play the game, win the game, change the game." In 2011 I think most of us thought we were getting gypped so no one really cared about the scores. That was the summer of a lifetime for me with the experiences we had performing that show in New York. I believe that the reason that the 5 year plans were never met was in large part due to the hole that had been dug in the previous few years and that the 2014 show was a step in the right direction even though the placements were stagnant. That show was significantly more difficult than the previous shows and really propelled the corps forward. I wish we could have seen Jim continue to design shows, but at least 2015 represented another step forward. Sadly, show design since then has been lacking. I have high hopes for J-Robb's tenure.

you haven't been to ACC's at Scranton then

So, I think DCI needs more Cavies championships... 🙂 lol

drum & bugle corps died when there were no more bugles, when marching became dancing, when uniforms became costumes, when band people who were jealous of our precision and discipline and our corps spirit slowly but surely wormed their way in, when members started wearing leotards & make-up, when drumline& hornline instructors became staff, when marching and maneuvering was no longer a caption , when corps members were no longer from the town or city in the title of their corps names and we all grew up together and were/ are brothers and sisters for life, when we would defend the honor of our beloved corps both on and off the field, when judges were all over us on the field looking for the slightest mistake not just giving opinions, when a corps could start the season on the bottom and work it's way to the top and not be SLOTTED, when corps members stayed corps members for life and not jumping from one corps to another. Trumpets, tubas, now slide trombones, electronic synthesizers, props, singing, what the hell is next? look i'm not questioning the musical artistic talent of the people involved in what is loosely called drum corps. It;s simply not drum & bugle corps. and the letters D. C.I . to me do not stand for Drum Corps International. they stand for Dance Company INTERNATIONAL. And they are not Drum Corps- They are BRASS BANDS,period! You know what bothers me most is why couldn't they leave it alone and let it keep progressing along as it was? When i listen to the incredible shows that the corps like The Brassmen , The Santa Clara Vanaguard, Chicago, Garfield, The Blue Devils, and so many more put on the field i'm at a loss at why anyone would mess that up. I would put the talent of the top Drum & Bugle Corps from the 70's-80's& 90's against anything in modern so called drum-corps today. Can anyone out there remember the incredible precision of a twelve plus rifle line? The entire Guard in total perfect movement, not jumping and prancing around. Drumlines playing incredibly difficult books not just continuous 32nd note rolls and mile high double stops by 16 snares for visual effect? And the hornlines back then (all bugles) were more powerful and could go toe to toe with anything out there today! There's more that was lost with the death of Drum& Bugle Corps! probably the worst is that these kids don't hang together like we did. I was in one of the oldest Corps . Still active today. But the young folks in the corps now come from all over the country, the world actually. They don't hang together all year long like we did. They work extremely hard during the season together,, then it's off to school til next year and maybe even another Corps because it has a better chance of winning. Lastly i want to say that in no way did i mean to be insulting. my point is simply that Drum& Bugle Corps died a long time ago. And to anyone who marched in Drum& Bugle Corps back in my day,(60's-70's), the attitude was the same as a boxer about an opponent in the ring, that's how i(we) felt about the Corps we were competing against on the field. But there was always respect and the knowledge that we were part of something quite special.DRUM & BUGLE CORPS. It was an honor ! So no, Drum & Bugle Corps did not evolve,it died a long time ago!