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Today I am encouraged to say that my wife and I are celebrating 38 years of married bliss!

With 36 million people unemployed, many small businesses shuttered forever, if anyone thinks a switch is going to be flipped “on” and everything is going to be exactly the same...well, you need to pull your head out from up there.

This would be an incredibly fast way to kill drum corps.

Definition of Pageantry Leeches: Has affiliation with one or more verticals within the marching performing arts activity. A non-vested employee who has not achieved or completed the required years of creditable study and participation in order to earn the right to be called an educator. . a.k.a. Clueless Demonstrates a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for marching members, an excessive need for admiration, and honestly greedy. . a.k.a. Narcissist Known to speak jargon, that is perceived as fashionable at the particular time or in a particular context that is incoherent and incomprehensible to those pretending to understand during rehearsal. . a.k.a. Babbling idiot Holding idiosyncratic beliefs of entitlement to receive payment for times spent on-a-mobile phone, traveling or commuting while on tour, sleeping and daydreaming. . a.k.a. Delusional

I agree. Economists seem to be predicting two years before we see stability, but non profits should be looking four to six years down the road for any kind of normalcy. For drum corps, I’ve been saying all along we need specific numbers of what is needed dollar wise and why. Some corps have said we need x dollars to survive. Not good enough. We need to see x dollars for rent, y dollars for vehicle maintenance, z dollars for staff and why the staff is necessary. For each corps the needs will be different, but the breakdown needs to be specific. This is true for all nonprofits, but where the spending of some corps has always been in question, it’s more important now.

Bwahahah. You're my favorite poster here.

7 STEPS TO DRUM CORPS RESTART When it's time ... 1. Fold DCI and DCA, form one new national organization that represents everybody, senior and junior corps. 2. The mission statement is to facilitate the formation of as many new corps as possible. 3. Make electronics illegal, to make it cheaper and easier to start new corps. Reduce show length to 9 minutes with a mandatory concert number to make it easier for new corps to compete immediately 4. Divide the country into 8 regions. No corps competes outside their region until finals week. The goal is to get more corps on the field, by making it cheaper and easier for everyone to get into the game. 5. Reduce all corps appearance fees, and all corps membership dues -- focus on creating as many local/regional drum corps shows as possible, and incentives for local sponsors to hold a show. 6. Every show will have senior and junior corps competing, with full retreat at the end for the fans. 7. Start a circuit of judged winter concerts (on stage, no drill), so the competitive experience of the activity is not so focused only on the summer. The above is all possibly silly nonsense, and maybe even irrelevant given the state of the covid-19 crisis. But, if I had a vote, the activity would focus on growth, not art or music technology, for the next few years.

Wearing a mask for me has become second nature now after wearing one every day for the past 3 years. I can’t help but just shake my head when I see someone not even covering their nose with the mask, I thought people were smarter than that but I overestimate average intelligence. Maybe we need to get more people to watch Grey’s Anatomy

Agreed. At least someone is throwing ideas out there. Everything from drum corps to baseball to going to work every day will have to change and adapt, even if means a step backwards in some people's eyes.

I figured they’d crap on you for this, but it’s true. Some have misinterpreted your phrase “pageantry leeches”. Not me. I know exactly in which you are referring.

And how many years have you two been married???? Happy Anniversary!!!!

Didn’t do the encore bit back in my day. Just played a number trooping the stands while leaving the field. Fun part was when a corps thought they got the shaft (more often with Red Carpet Association than DCA). Corps might march half steps and point horns to the crowd and let it rip. Then maybe back to the buses and form an arc. After last corps had finished playing for retreat start cranking it up again. Some of the crowd might follow to watch the fun...

Didn't a full retreat used to include every corps leaving the field in reverse order, and often playing a little something as they did so, concluding with the last corps being told, "The field is yours?" before they played their encore?

Blue Knights '91. I love this show. I love the music and the Zingali drill that year. For a while there was a local artist who did custom painting on their flags - each one being unique. I wonder how long they continued that tradition. And yes, I miss the dots. There is also a horn player in a sling still playing. I look at that and think about how absolutely dedicated these performers are.

The times when you know someone is reading DCP and posting videos.

When looking at these older awards ceremonies, I am amazed at how fewer corps representatives (aka Drum Majors) were on the front line to receive their awards. Remember when being a drum major was kind of exclusive?

Congrats. The Ayatollah and I are approaching 30 years.

Your plan is as good as any other plan I’ve seen. DCI and DCA have just dropped off the planet as far as any thoughts for reopening.

Wasn’t this kinda how things were before DCI and the pageantry leeches dismantled it all?

I said, “Today I am encouraged to say that my wife and I are celebrating 38 years of married bliss!” I should have said, “My wife encouraged me to say we are celebrating 38 years of married bliss today!” 😂

I think you hit on a good point. It's probably more perceived by the audience or commentators (as in the case of things like pro sports or Olympics). And in pro sports I would agree that sometimes the best athletes gets the benefit of the doubt in certain situations. In drum corps judging I have never got the impression that judges are rewarding a corps for where they placed the prior year. At the beginning of a season I know many feel certain corps get the benefit of the doubt until judges have a better idea of how each corps is really doing. To me, judges are trying to reward what they see and hear now, not last year. The Crown 2013 example that was brought up is a good one because I do remember some fans feeling that they were "due." It was their time and they were denied the year before. In reality Crown was just the best corps in 2013 by season's end and that is where the judges put them. I liked Crown in 2012, but BD was better and the judges rewarded them. BD clearly marched a better show from a visual standpoint.

Very minor but maybe my niece will be able to go back to the hair salon after end of next week. Thank goodness chairs in the place are spread out and room to distance. Ironic as got a text of gibberish from her phone this morning. Was ready to google to understand what looked like a bunch of acronyms then I realized what it meant..... it meant her 3 year old was playing with moms phone 😆

Wearing one outside in the summer sounds awful. I’m about to start having to wear an N95 with a surgical mask on top of that (to be discarded after each patient), plus a face shield, all day long. (And gown, head covering and foot booties.) I’m definitely not looking forward to that part of going back to work but I guess it’s the new normal for the foreseeable future.

oh i know the whole strip. Tonino's is awesome...though i am afarid they may hurt Two cousins. there is still space for one more restaraunt there, so who knows. the hotel is coming along nicely. and the Holy Hilton pretty much avoids me at all costs after 1997

i said this in a place it appeared on Facebook and i'll say it here. theres plusses and minuses to each of the ideas, but it's a good conversation starter. there have been conversations at the highest levels of the activity about the future and what if's, that i know. no answers or solutions yet, as we have to see how the world continue to change. however, while good to disucss, there's two universal truths that continue to be ignored: outside of posting recaps, no outcry online has ever changed the minds of the powers that be. despite the unfounded claims, electronics is not a huge cost driver. the hands down biggest costs for a drum corps tour are food, feul, housing and insurance. now taking spring training from 4-6 weeks to 2-3 weeks.....thousands saved on food, housing and probably some insurance right there.

Yes and no. Many of the talented folks involved in drum corps are educators. Some of the educators teach on the elementary level in a classroom or one of the middle or high school core subjects (math, science, English, history, etc). Their jobs may be safe but many are music educators. When there are cuts in schools what program get cut first? The arts. Quite a few folks will be unemployed and drum corps can provide employment opportunities. Getting people meaningfully employed is important. It may not be full, long term employment but it is something. Drum corps may not be The number one priority, but it can play a role in the big picture.

I remember the corps exiting in reverse order and playing as they left. I don't remember "The field is yours".

Congrats!

Interesting - you have pretty much described the majority of art. It is even possible to replace "marching performing arts" with "Project Runway."

Seems like only 5 minutes...................................................................underwater! all kidding aside, congrats!

Wow just read something that gave me pause. PA moving counties to yellow status and will announce counties for next week. Criteria is having less than 50 new cases per 100k for past 14 days. My county is current at 52 but if you take out nursing home cases it drops to 24. 😳. Might be the reason why my zip code has over 100 cases for population around 9500 (over 1%) as have 3 nursing homes. Counties moving forward is good but more I read about nursing homes just gut retching. Hope this gives a push to improve them in the future

You never cease to crack me up. 😁 Thanks for making my Friday.

Ok, I’m dead. 🎯

1. The corps that are actively keeping their members engaged with virtual rehearsals will have an edge in regards to music. Guard members that have been offered contracts should be keeping their skills up, as most of them do anyway. 2. The corps that have kept their members engaged with virtual rehearsals and have access to fields for learning drill during the winter when they resume in person camps will have an extra added edge. All of that will mean nothing if the schools say "there is no way we are going to house an organization of over 200+ individuals when we, ourselves, are trying to put things back together without risk." Things are going to be different in 2021 for drum corps and we all need to be realistic in the fact that not all the corps that we have now are going to survive. I really hope I'm wrong; but the reality is the pandemic has really shaken things up.

Today you have to be decidedly better than reigning champions, but I don’t think you had to be decidedly better than the previous champions back in the day. I am reminded of 1978’s SCV which was not decidedly better than 1977 Blue Devils or Phantom for that matter. I think the same could be said for SCV in 1981. I was not in Birmingham in 1980, but I remember the season well. I had my license and was old enough to drive myself to shows, as long as I was back home before curfew, I could go to as many local shows as I wanted. I probably saw 27th live six or seven times from early season local shows to CYO Nationals and when that show was performing on all cylinders, it was amazing. Blue Devils had a great show, no question, but it lacked a certain something. Maybe that’s how I wanted to see it. Today, we have very few videos of either 27th and BD in 1980, and the recorded legacy is the PBS broadcast which did not capture either corps all that well. I think Bridgemen fared well recording wise and supposedly a big reason why Bridgemen in 1980 was included in the Legends DVD over 27th was the quality of the recording which made it easier to remaster. In the early days Spirit was always viewed as a horn line that had drums and a guard that happened to march. I can remember hearing the critique that Spirit focused solely on the horn line at the expense of other areas though this was more the case in 79 than 80. I agree that Bridgemen did not use the guard that well but I think another factor that held them back was the uniform. It’s iconic and original but the corps was always criticized for not being “clean.” As I watch the DVD’s today, they were clean, but the uniforms didn’t help. That being said, I can’t imagine Bridgemen without that uniform.

I didn't know Vicki personally, but knew of her in the 80s. I also hadn't known that she passed last year. God Bless her and congratulations to all of the inductees. I've never quite figured out why in all these years, but Phantom just comes across to me as one of the proudest organizations in the history of drum corps.

For once...I agree with everything you said. Now I feel like I need to contemplate my life and figure out where I took this turn...

agreed in 99 SCV had the run at finals, and BD didn't

save money? easy cut spring training in half.

Remember, the very people revered from your early times? Many are the same who were part of even what you may have been a part of. Remember you have no one to thank for anything today without thanking those who came before..Long before. Those are the people. For me, thankfully they had in sight and vision and if not for them there may not even be an activity today

Great list!

BD wins like they do because they learned how that works. No matter what the rules are or how the activity changes they just know how to do it. THAT will not change until they themselves decide they had enough OR others take over who do not follow the BD formula.

So long as BD takes the big toy home, I don’t much care. What you or I think doesn’t matter one teensy bit. Ta-ta!

And most things were a hot mess with corps not having much to say about their own pathways. As far as the pageantry leeches, Who exactly do you mean ? Seems that they were the revered icons which were the ones who decided the pathway to exactly what you see today, the direction that was talked about way back then and how so many things including how people needed to think for the survival of the activity?

I'M HIT! MEDIC!! *winning by .025 is still winning as well*

To me this is an "old wives tale" kind of thing to say. I see where you are coming from, because a lot of people thought that way back in the day, but in order to beat a defending champion you simply have to score higher. You don't have to decidedly beat them. That is a falsehood. Winning by .1 or 1 is winning. DCI judges do not care what you did the year before. They don't spot BD 5 additional points because they won the previous year. Other corps are not warned that if they wish to beat BD they will have to beat them by 5.1 points in order to get the .1 win. The only thing that matters is your current show. I felt 27th Lancers deserved the title in 1980. They had the best overall show. BD was great and clean and had lovely music arrangements. They were a very close 2nd place to me.

Except your minority opinion includes the judges on that night.

Yeah, I think we are going to disagree here, no offense. I will give BD brass, (but not 6th in brass!), and that’s about it.

So yesterday, the assisted living facility where my mother lives and my step-father lived had a virtual, GoToMeet.me memorial service for all who have passed away from the virus at the facility. The service was for 11 people, including my step-dad. It was a Judeo-Christian service, although the three officiants were all Jewish (two rabbis and a cantor). Still, despite the lack of a Christian minister, there was a nod to the Christian faith with quotes from 1Corinthians 15 and a singing of verse 5 of Amazing Grace, but a good deal of the service was in Hebrew, and the words of comfort were based on Psalm 23 (which is ecumenical enough). All in all, it was a rather surreal experience, and later in the day, on my patio, I poured one out for my step-dad.

I feel the exact opposite. I thought BD was the best corps in 96, BD was the best corps in 99, and Cavaliers were the best corps in 2000. Of the 3, I feel 2000 was the one that could have legitimately been a tie. Mike Z