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Thanks for the lore, friend. I'm actually hesitant to speak for the members I marched with in this way. My motivations were different those two years as what amounts to a double rookie, 03 on flag and 04 or sabre. But I'll try... I can say that 03 finals was strange. We were rained out of our final rehearsal runthru, for one. The age outs felt robbed and that was a major factor in the final performance despite some hefty magic extended to us by Myron. We weren't sure, even to the last minute, that we would even have a final show. I was just happy to be there, flying by the seat of my pants, having no frame of reference for how things are supposed to be. Same with my rookout seat partner, who was awarded rookie of the year that season. Too many challenging things happened to the membership btw 03 and 04 that distracted us from the grit you're imagining. Those things may not have affected everyone directly, but the chain reactions are something I still consider often. I think that grit was likely there for the drumline though, but they were tighter than the rest of us: solid, alumni staff; moved-in in Jan; already had a strong 03 season together where they had carried the rest of us like a boss. And not just in score, but literally, the opener wouldn't have been possible if they hadn't been so tight. But they literally always had fire in their eyes... that never changed based on placement or competition. They were our heartbeat in every possible way. You'd have to ask one of them for more clarity on that tho. You didn't ask, but I'll take it a step further to describe why I think we didn't place higher in 04. I think the staff and alumni were motivated more than membership in the way you were referencing. We, as members, were stoked on the show in 04, for sure, and it was seen universally as not only highly competitive, but a vehicle for a first place finish. No pressure lol just jump from 5th to 1st, amirite? This perspective is what may keep me in hot water with the org and alum but it's what I believe: in that way, the staff pushed us too hard. Particularly in visual and guard. I still think that just a little more rest both years would've been the key to greater competitive success. Instead, they did the opposite and that's why Vanguard had the rep of the hardest corps back then, even giving Cadets a run for their money. That's why there were silly drops on both finals years. That's why there were still drill mistakes from all sections. That's why a rookie horn soloist cracked in 04 finals when he nailed it consistently leading up to that point, poor thing. When mistakes in such amazing shows happen that late in the season, and when everything else is so pristine, it's not on the members, it's on the staff's ability to motivate appropriately. One of the previously mentioned drops from the sabres was actually 2 drops on finals night from our most reliable, consistent spinner. Our elders, alumni, and staff let us down in that way. Contrastingly, I eked out a sloppy finals but didn't drop. There was a lot of that among the weapons because we weren't confident, we were still trying. And we still had to save juice for the 1st noncompetitive TOC after that. It made things weird again. The difference is that the drumline could get comments from their finals on-field judge describing how art isn't always perfect if it's truly expressive. Their mistakes were forgivable given the artistry they had captured. The rest of us had staff that found our mistakes consistently unforgivable and "motivated" us accordingly. "The Way" with all its many flaws was in full effect back then. All that said, IIRC, competition was a motivator for staff and alumni. Myron always wanted members to focus on ensuring we were aware that we were trying something new and breathtaking and to keep our focus there... competitive success would fall in place after we got that. It was the higher calling he always pushed. He always iterated that shows took up a fraction of the summer and that the rest of our time together was much more valuable, so many of us took that to heart. That was my motivation more than anything else. I don't think I was alone in that.

Not its primary mission (travel the world, visit exotic places, meet people and kill them), but, as a side benefit, I received excellent education and training in the military. In fact it set me up for a lifetime career of keeping the neutrons inside the reactor.

Featuring this music

A show about a grocery store where we follow a bagger through their shift as they interact with various employees & customers.

Great angle too, those stick heights are perfect.

Hmmm. A slight faint to this year's production?

So, even though Castleton, Vermont is predicted to get over 18 inches of snow this weekend, Spring starts in 60 days! Can't wait!!!! Woohoo!!!

Nah, I'm saying that my personal exp, and those of enough I've talked to, was one in which drilling members into the ground via repetition of material masqueraded as education. In that vein, is the military also "educational?" I mean, perhaps in the "better fn figure it out or else kind of way" but those of us who studied education may not necessarily call it that. Again, my HS education in colorguard was more thorough than what I got in drum corps.

SEC is taking it hard this year so far. This year's version of the tourney is nutso

So I was lucky enough to meet someone who marched BD 2008-2009. I asked him about finals night 2008 and more importantly the corps attitude and motivation going into 2009. He said in hindsight (This convo happened in 2018), getting silver in 08 was the best thing that could have happened. He said going into the 09 season, there was talk of "Finishing" and not leaving it in the hands of the judges, to dominate from start to finish, to not let complacency set in, and perform every second every minute as if it's your last. The 2009 BD squad definitely used what happened the previous season to fuel and motivate them moving forward. I bring that up because you went thru something similar in Phantom passing you guys on finals night in 03, then you all comeback in 2004 with a monster of a show, kick some butt, and earn a well-deserved medal. What was the overall attitude of the corps after finals in 03, and going into spring training, was there any talk of using what happened the previous season as motivation? Did it make you guys hungrier, more focused to ensure that history did not repeat itself? Thanks in advance sister!

Intense is all I think about watching this vid. These boys got after it!

Not a standstill, but dropped on the FB. I needed this today. (Best audio with great headphones or buds.) Complete with score from Casella:

BD 2012 exuded excellence. There isn't a theme a corps has done that isn't pretentious and silly even if it happens to be your personal favorite. It's all just marching band that takes itself way too seriously. People in crowds who try to make their opinion known to people around them are even more pretentious and silly. Real weirdos. Your opinion isn't that special no matter how many fellow weirdos get onboard with you. Every finals I went to there have been people like that. Every adult rolls their eyes and tries to ignore them.

I loved that era so much. So many great shows with unique approaches and music that challenged me for the better. Through A Glass, Darkly, Cabaret Voltaire, and Constantly Risking Absurdity are still in my rotation to this day!

I believe 80 is the magic number for horns, especially if that means 16 contras