MUSICandCHARACTER

I think it is different if you called them. You might try pulling up the Lucas Oil Stadium seating chart, and then call. Tell them the seats you want in what section. I have found that calling always works better. They don't usually want to lose a sale. If you sound disappointed, they may look harder. The computer (online) has certain seats allocated. I find this true with airlines. Call and say you want a window seat and somehow there is one available when the computer says none are available. People know you can buy tickets on eBay, from hawkers, even even scalpers if disappointed. Worse, just not go at all (that is the impression you want to give, "I don't think I will go if I have to sit THERE"). Our local show, that is always true. If you call you will get better seats. I always find this amusing. People have caught on. They buy 30 yard-line seats, knowing good seats will not be sold because they want to sell the "marginal seats" first. If the show is not sold out, after the first corps, they up and move to the expensive seats and paid for seats that were 40% less costly. You would think they would (the promoters) catch on. But I know the guy personally who wrote the database program and I doubt it will be changed. I buy expensive seats and it never fails that people after the first corps, who are not real fans, who will talk and talk on their cell phone while a corps is on the field performing sits right next to me. It would not bother me that much if real drum corps fans would move -- after all, it is the promoters fault for not thinking. But that never seems to be the case. I spend more money on more expensive seats to sit around better people. Works at most shows except our local one. Now, with our extensive medical bills for last year, I doubt buying expensive seats will be within my budget for 2008. Ugh. Jim

With the web, podcasts, YouTube, it is amazing the high quality of production of these small recruiting or camp videos. But whats with the music, or lack thereof? PR has always been about music. Why not use previous years music, or a drum cadence, or anything but that nondescript piece of work (my opinion of course). :smile: I guess I like drum corps music, so why not use it in the production of these videos? The sign for the tuba auditions on the wall with about 25 names knowing only 12 or 14 will make it showed the intensity. Many will be cut. Part of working to be in one of the best corps, or for that matter, any world class corps. Dr. Jim

This is so true. I sat on the production committee that traditionally has a first or second week show. 30 years + now! They regularly draw 4000 to 5000 people. And the show makes money for a charity. How do they do it with some of the shows not complete with all movements (I will not use the term "finished"). First, low price tickets, lots of selling of ads (it is for charity) and some of us crazy drum corps fanatics like to see the early shows. We saw the Cadets when they played "Through the Looking Glass" and the door was not even painted yet! I saw the same show about a month later (maybe Louisville) and the show was much different. But I think all movements should be on the field by the first show, regardless. Paying fans should get to see the whole show. Dr. Jim

Rumor in the industry had it that Academy was the first step for Jupiter and their new line. Frankly, while a fan of Kanstul, I think it is a good move. If Academy finishes in the finals with new Jupiter line, think of how many bands would come on board to replace their aging instruments. Or how many open class corps, etc. It is a good first step for Jupiter and for The Academy. I know The Academy checked these instruments throughly. I would love to play one to see what they are like. It will be hard to top the Kanstul COL103 trumpet -- widely held as the best field trumpet ever made. So the Jupiters must be special to the Academy to risk the next few year of their future on them. Jim

10 even 12 at times. I think with 15 more slots, you will see an addition of about 8 to 10 brass, and yes, I think cymbal lines will make a comeback. They were removed from several corps because they wanted more horns. Now there is no excuse. One listen to any recording where the cymbals are played in the pit and WOW, all you hear are cymbals. They are loud enough by themselves. Put them in the pit where he amps pick them up and ugh, way too much and TOO LOUD. Overbalanced. Cymbal lines have another advantage. Any corps has tons of percussionists try out. This way they can keep 5 in a cymbal line so that the following years perhaps they can move to snare, tenor or bass instead of discouraging them so they never try again. And cymbals add a visual creativity without having to change rules. I have not read the rules thread. I can tell already the traditionalists and those supporting "creativity at any cost" will be at each other. Not my thing. Bigger guards will be tough. Some corps have no idea how many they will have in the guard until WGI is over. Too many snares - and they will be hard to keep together. Same with more tenors. An extra bass drum is possible -- some corps might go to six. But a few more horns, a guard or two maybe, and perhaps a cymbal line. Tubas/Euphs would be great, but the instruments are expensive and players harder to find. Jim

Folks, The Academy will BURY a lot of corps with these new Jupiter horns. Really. I have a brass and percussion store and this was rumored since Academy moved to World Class. They would eventually need to replace the Kanstul horns. Kanstul gives NOTHING away. NOTHING. Not a great policy and therefore very few corps use Kanstul instruments. Come on Zig, it is ADVERTISING. Anyway, this rumor was floating for two years in the industry. Remember, Jupiter (along with Weril) are the only two brass manufacturers that went to the trouble to become ISO9001:2000 quality certified. The new Jupiter horns (non marching) have been getting rave reviews. Also, this new line has been carefully developed with input from lots of places. These are not the cheap Jupiter horns that Memphis Sound marched with. My goodness, several top corps make the Dynasty line work and those instruments, IMO, have been AWFUL until lately. My son's HS band replaced all the old Dynasty horns with Yamaha. The difference was immense. There is little doubt this line will be better than old Dynasty (the new Dynasty line is MUCH improved -- but the jury is still out), and will be close to King and Yamaha. Mapex drums are another line coming on strong. Drums are shells basically. It is the heads, the tuning and how well the drums can hold the stress. Mapex is capable. From there, play. BTW, I also agree that corps that do limited tours and do not make all regionals that they do not deserve to march before full touring corps (I know off-topic). But if you are going to march, march. If not, go back down to Open Class. This limited touring should be left to Open Class IMO - either that or they go on last at quarters! Dr. Jim

If this is true, Mr. Hopkins will have no DCI vote or influence. WOW. Jim

Well, $40 is a lot for one show stream, anyway you look at it! You get so much more for your Season Pass. Until the power went down, the steam was great. Yes, perhaps they could have kept the power on with generators. But my goodness, we expect a lot. The power went out. DCI posted it on their website so you knew it was not a problem on your side of things. I personally think the Season Pass is the biggest bargain going in drum corps today. You get a lot. Heck, a sweatshirt from your favorite corps costs about a much as the Season Pass. Besides, it had to be the Cadets amps and wireless mics, bouncing their signal off of Invesco Field that drained the power in So Cal :P (best conspiracy theory I have heard yet!). Jim

Keep listening ... There are drum cadences and some tracks from the "Parking Lot 2005" DVD. You actually can buy those things b**bs Jim

Oops, I made a mistake by saying you can only get the radio station with broadband. I actually processed the tracks so that you can hear it with dialup -- it is the highest possible quality that is still available with dialup. Jim

Hmm .... strange. I have it playing right now. Go here: http://www.live365.com/downloads/radio365-win/ and download the Live365 player (there is a free trial) and see if that works. If not, then you have a problem with a firewall, cookies, virus protection, or something strange. Live365 has a forum and you can ask there ( http://forums.live365.com/ ). I have a Mac and therefore I am not much help troubleshooting an PC. Jim

Hey, that is my radio station :) ... I am glad people like it. To get it to work, you must have broadband. My station is CD quality which will only work with broadband. Diceman has an outstanding Live365 station too -- and you can get it with dialup. And since through LIVE365 we pay the broadcasting fees, it is legal! It will play through most browsers, you can download the LIVE 365 player (it costs a few dollars) or even become a LIVE365 VIP member (a few dollars a month) and get better quality and no commercials. If none of that works, download iTunes and it will play through iTunes. But I wanted to keep the quality high, so it is broadband only. Thanks to all who have listened and sent emails. Don't forget Diceman's station -- lots of the great older stuff on his station and it is great (and different from mine -- I listen to his station from time to time for the variation!). Jim

Absolutely! Jim

I think what they are trying to achieve is cool. At the DOTO though, it was so loud is was distracting. This is part of the problem with amplification -- even with soundboards. I think a heartbeat, not necessarily "through a mechanical monitor" would have had a dramatic affect, and then the drum break coming out of the Ballad would have been a wonderful contrast. I still would not amp the bass drums. They carry without an amp, and they will not sound like a machine simply because they went through amps. Just play the bass drums and it would be dramatic and wonderful. At DOTO, they were way too loud, and hence the affect was lost and it sounded like a thumping sub-woofer driving by. But I am glad "Luke, I am your Father Luke, search your soul -- you know it to be true" was taken out :) Jim

In the ad, the delivery date was said to be August. That could be moved up now. Will we also entertain offers for all of the horns as a lot. Feel free to contact me at docfox@ibowtie.com Thanks, Jim Fox

If you have some CDs (must be original CDs, no copies) of DCA corps that you would be willing to sell. I would love to put some DCA corps up on my radio station. But my goodness, DCA sells their CDs for a lot of $$$. I need to keep costs down to keep the station on the air. If you have some used CDs you would like to sell (for not a fortune), please email me at docfox@ibowtie.com Thanks so much! Jim

I have nothing against the Cadets ... I am really a fan of drum corps in general. But early last year, the Cadets were down by about 4-5 points. As they worked with the show, added the closer (sure, leave the early fans out to dry) they they caught the Cavies -- and you are right, it was either Murfeesboro or Indy when they crossed over. Fan or not of a certain corps -- do you not think they have a responsibility to the fans in general (unless they don't like the gate money)? If the Cadets win with this show mostly unchanged I think it could, I emphasize could, have a negative impact on the much larger fan base. The Cadets will become the masters of the weird. This will make what Star did look like peanuts. I know it is a competition -- but it is also an art form. Money comes when the corps balance both. Irving, as a Cadets fan, does it bother you at all that they corps had background props, a bunch of risers, the door (again) and characters that take away from the corps' presentation? You didn't like BD's show last year which had lots of props, shouting narration (Yowser!), etc. Are you a fan of the Cadets to the point that no matter what they do, you will like it? I have a lot of respect for the Cadets. Drums on the Ohio is often an early first season show. Why? Because the fans will come and love it and are very good fans. The Cadets, bless their hearts, come to the show as the headliner (in 2006, for every Div I show they tried to get a top 6 corps at each show). The Cavies and PR are much closer to Evansville -- but the Cadets always make the trip (I put a few dollars in their fuel fund -- the best I could do). I have a lot of respect for the organization for their support of Drums on the Ohio and just in general. You could also mention how they came to the rescue of the Crossmen (but that is another topic). The organization is worthy of lots of respect. In fact, I have been thinking I should send an email to Mr. Hopkins thanking him for his support of DOTO. While I have this HUGE respect for the Cadets. This year's show left me cold. But since the only corps you could say I am a fan of, The Troopers, will not score above ZERO this year -- I have no allegiances. I am a HUGE fan of activity. Note to the Bluecoats and their fans: After listening to the APD, I found the balance to be much better with the bass drum. My criticism of the loud bass drum may have just been at this one show. While it seemed overbearing and didn't allow for the great contrast from the ballad to the drum break -- the APD seems to be an improvement over what I experienced at this show. My criticism for this show was valid, but it seems to be related to this one show. Jim

I have not seen BD or the Cavies. I have read some reviews from people I respect. The Cadets show, again IMO, has no where to go. Last year at this time, the Cadets were a good 5 points down to the Cavies. But the show had lots of potential (still didn't like marching behind the door -- oh well). The Cavies are always strong. BD has come out like gangbusters with a more traditional BD show. PR's show has not been far behind and the Bluecoats are well into the hunt with a show I think can really grow into the season. Anything can happen -- but since I have not seen those other shows, I am a bit handicapped to make picks. I have heard the Cavies APD and PR's APD -- and they SOUND good. Nope -- your three are a safe bet. But this year seems to be shaping up differently. Even SCV has made a big surge since last year. I am going to watch as it seems to be shaping up as a great competitive year -- which IMO is good for the fans. DCI has only had 8 champions in 33 years. Some might say that is not much of a competition. But the competition this year looks promising. Here's to "Marching Music's Major League" Jim

The problem with this, is that DCI has seen a bit of the "fan's light" and has emphasized GE and broad aspects of the captions. I really don't think this show will be like 2005. I saw the 2005 show early and was quite critical of a door in the middle of the field, and girls walking around. By the end of the year, the girls were incorporated into the guard and the door made more sense. But, a great corps STILL marched behind that door. I want to see the corps marching! They marched a bit behind the door this year too. If the judges in the green polos get too disconnected from the fans, well, the obvious thing is the gate revenues will decline. You really do not want "champions" being booed. You don't want fan favorites that are technically inferior winning either. This show has to be radically changed, IMO, to make gains like the Cadets of 2005. Not allowing the APD for "on field performance issues" here recently has caused a stir. The Cadets are a great corps with a long and proud history. This show, IMO, doesn't do that history proud. In 2005, the characters didn't yell into wireless mics. But we will see. With good starts by the Cavies, BD, PR, and even SCV the competition this year is shaping up to be great. Jim

Irving, Again, a great question. Since DCI this year had the judges emphasize the broad appeal aspects of a show (GE etc.) I think they see that the disconnect with the fans is not a good thing. Technical prowess is not what it is completely about. Presentation is a big part. If the presentation BY DESIGN is poor -- then the show may not be "bad" as much as it is not a good as it could be. Or even maybe not even fair to the marching corps members. Play your butt off in a poorly designed, distracting show can be slightly disappointing. The Star show where the guy road the unicycle was a good example. One person featured while 134 people played their butts off in a backup role (or as it seemed). Whereas the "Roman Images" show won, IMO, because it was great music and they marched the snot out of that show as a unit. Would a corps member rather finish in the top 5 with a show that might be remembered for the singing and risers more than the corps? -- or finish 10th or so (like VK did a lot) and be very entertaining and people remember the corps, the songs, the unis ... etc. It is a tough question. Someone on this thread said my 14 year old son (a fantastic euph player BTW -- all region in Jr. High) might someday want to march with The Cadets. Last year he would have said that was his dream. After this year, he is really disappointed with the show. I don't think if you asked him today he would be real gung ho about auditioning for The Cadets in the future. I think he has become more a Cavies fan (fairly local to us and a young man from our church marched with them for 3 years, winning two titles). He also likes the ideas the Troopers set forth. The long blue line that connects the corps alums to the present corps, and the corps' philosophy, HLD -- Honor, Loyalty, Dedication. One show can have an impact. Not everyone will see it twice. Jim

Yowser, Yowser, Yowser .... It is a good question IMO. I thought last year's BD show was confusing and distracting too. Not as much as the Cadets 2006. Again, a great corps was hidden behind a design that was not a winner with the fans. I remember taking my wife to see that show twice. Even the second time (again, she has a music degree from UCLA along with being a pastor) she thought the show was "silly." Polite probably for "distracting." I do not think we will see BD do a show like that again in the near future. The Scades show last year had way too many props and too much narration too IMO. What about Crown in 2004? The singing didn't bother me quite as much as the Beatnik poetry. I doubt Crown will go that direction again in the near future. Or BAC using then dropping then reinserting the narration about "colors." Did we need to be told about colors? Why take away from an excellent corps performance by putting on what seems to be gimmicky production around it? If drum corps wants to do Broadway productions, do what Star did and go make a Broadway show. My wife made an excellent point last night to me. She is not a rabid fan like I am. But in 2005, she remarked how the Cavies told the story of Chicago, by using ladders for the fire scene and making you believe you were at a baseball game without saying a word. In 2004 they actually made a "007" on the field and whistled (without amps) a James Bond theme. They told the story without shoving it in the face of the audience or distracting from the corps. She liked those shows. She loved PR and Crown's show last year. She did not like The Cadets or BD last year at all. Jim

Irving, Few get to see movies twice. Fewer still get to see drum corps shows twice. When singing is about 25 to 30% of the show and the characters shout and talk to each other ... that is a lot of vocalization for a drum corps show. More than narration, or drum speak. So, from a drum corps standpoint, I do not think that saying there is a lot of vocalization is a misrepresentation. Fans should see the show. Reviews are just reviews. Jim

Matt, That might be part of it. But I really think a lot of the fans had no idea what had transpired score wise in the first few shows of the year. The lady behind me, who had been to this show for like the last 10 years, really did ask me if the scoring was fixed. She was not a rabid drum corps fan who would follow the scores day to day. She was the more typical drum corps fan who loves the activity and may only see one show a year. This is the kind of fan DCI talks a lot about. We the hard corps fans are in the minority to this more casual fan. She was stunned. So were some very knowledgeable fans. From a purely GE/Entertainment standpoint, the Cadet's show was vastly inferior and did not resonant with the fans (IMO). From a technical standpoint, as always from this great corps, they were excellent. According the DCI judges, this year there were no changes on the sheets, but the judges had been instructed and trained to focus more on the bigger picture. This is smart, IMO, because then the scoring will slightly edge towards more of what the fan sees. I think the disappointment with the scoring was the fact that it was a vast disconnect with the fans in the seats. But I do think you are on to something about expectations. I was thinking a lot about this last night. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an amazing event. 3 weeks of a show (not a competition) of precision military units. It was at this show in 2003 that the "Super Secret Swiss Drum Corps" (Click Here to See) first was made known to the world. I have the 2003 DVD and it is amazing to watch. But more importantly, the Edinburgh Castle is sold out for three weeks solid. It is a once in a lifetime event to see live. Something like 100 million people watch the telecast. Why such a large audience (try HUGE audience) for a 90 minute show of military precision? People love to see precision. Many of the military units have musical attachments: drums, bugles, bagpipes. Some are highly entertaining, but precise and honoring of their units. Precision and music are very engaging. I think the casual drum corps fan comes to see precision with music. In the days of the Bridgemen and VK, you got lots of entertainment, but the precision and music was still there. I think with the Cadets show of 2006, the yelling by the characters, the seemingly nonsensical carrying around of the risers for basically one fun maneuver, and what I would say was an "over produced" show -- was not what the fans wanted. People didn't like what Star of Indiana did sometimes. But when they played and marched, they were something. The show that won, "Roman Images", was a precision show with dramatic music. I think the Cadets precision (which was there) was covered up by the other stuff going on in the show and therefore, was lost on the audience. IMO, to the extreme point of being annoying. So Matt, I do think you are right that there were some expectations -- but I think it was more along these lines than wanting the Bluecoats to pass The Cadets in the scoring (rooting for the underdog so to speak). Lots and lots of props. Lots and lots of vocalizations. Characters that added little to the show from a "drum corps" standpoint. And music that was not immediately familiar to people. I think the distractions caused a disconnect and the show seemed to be about 5 people and not about the corps. Jim

Well, I agree with this ... to an extent. If you have to explain it, maybe it is not working quite right. I still contend the effect would have been what they were looking for if the bass drum was either not amplified or turned way down. It kept the break out of the battery and the drum break from being as dramatic and IMO, covered up a beautiful ballad. Quite true. I always love going to a drum corps show when the Bluecoats are there. The new fans think people are booing when they are bloooooing. Last night, like at most shows, I explained to several fans that it was a positive thing and that they were saying "Blue" not "Boo". There are two reasons IMO why the Cadets did not get a great response: a) the show shocked some people, and B) they did not parade in front of the crowd like the rest of the corps did. Too many props to move kept the kids from getting some appropriate applause for their efforts. Some of the booing came when they announced the results. People were really stunned that the Cadets show won. Really stunned. I don't think it resonated with the fans very well. Certainly the Bluecoats (my objections aside) had a show that the fans really thought was much better. Jim

He won't. We are a pastor's family and live on a small income (my wife is the pastor). Madison is too much of an expense. We often get to Murfreesboro (or wherever they moved the show this year, I forget) but since he is marching with his HS, that might not be possible. I hope I can get him to see the quarter finals at the theater presentation. But the closest theater to us is 3 hours away. Being a drum corps fan can be expensive. You travel, stay in hotels, pay for tickets. Sometimes, unfortunately, you may only get to see the corps once. I hope perhaps I can get him to another show. I know last year we saw the Cadet's show early. They had the girls from the door just standing around. By the end of the season (we went to Indy) they were well incorporated into the guard and the show was vastly more entertaining. Jim