shawn craig

In the spring and over the summer there were several SCV alums who were concerned about various issues with the SCV board, its constitution and or by-laws. Have these concerned alumni gotten involved in either a letter writting campaign or attending board meetings and airing their concerns? Is the SCV BoD making any changes ralated to the overall structure of the organization (borad, by-laws, booster org. etc.)?

I'm all for using other pieces of equipment, but I never did understand that one. I thought it was very ODD to have guys dancing with hat stands.

I thought I remembered Cadets doing Srars and Stripes for occasions in the past. I'm glad to hear they're marching in the Macy's Parade. Something to look forward to! :)

Sometimes the military marching of the corps and the choreography of the guard complement each other very nicely, sometimes not as well. When the horn and drum line are marching correctly, in-step and smoothly, the drill forms can be a very nice backdrop for the choreography and gaurd. It really is how well the design team integrates everything. And as others have said, horn and drum lines are also doing choregraphy, hopefully in tasteful ways, which helps to pull things together. I don't have a problem with guards wearing costumes in general. However, the costume should complement BOTH the corps uniform and the music/show. Sometimes the costumes complements the music but clashes with the corps uniform. I find that very distracting and unpleasing to watch. Sometimes I have no idea what the design team was thinking.

Good luck with these new endeavors!!! These types of additional activities can help build more local and community support as well as further educate the members and provide them with more experiences. :)

I don't think Crown is the new Star at all!!! To many differences, especially in their beginnings. Star, only corps to make top 12 their very first year of competition. However, Star also came at a time when several longtime favorites and elite corps were going by the wayside, or at least not as competetive as they orginally were (27th, Guardsmen, Bluestars, Bridgemen, etc.). And many of the new corps like Crown, Glassmen, and Bluecoats were not on the scene or were developing in Div II or the lower tier of Div I. (Doesn't mean they didn't deserve to make top 12, just observation.) Crown worked its way up overtime. They fell out of the top 12 for a year. Until the last two years, they placed in the lower tier of the top 12 (nothing to be ashamed of). BUT... Very different histories! I'm personally not sure I see Star's style in Crown as strong as others. And as others pointed out, a few staff members do not necessarily make them the "new Star." Cavaliers have SCV's percussion instructor. Does that make them the "new SCV"? I don't think so! That does not mean Crown won't move higher in the rankings or be a champoin some day. Maybe they will, maybe they won't??? I have personally enjoyed several of their shows, especially 2000, 04, and 05. I just hope they hang on and continue to perform great shows with that awesome gaurd!!! (Guards being a real difference between the two corps!)

I had a friend who believed (and this was on the old tick system) that every member makes AT LEAST one mistake, 100 members times -0.1 point each means no one should score over a 90. (not saying I agree, just a fun thought to post) :)

I heard the Enigma Variations this year performed live. It definatly has Phantom written all over it. I'd heard excerpts and such before, but I think it was the first time I'd heard it all the way through. Great piece! But any of the things mentioned would be great.

Yes, so would I. But if you want them to buy a DVD or go to a show live, you have to give them enough of the show (more than the telecast does) to hook them so they'll want to do that! I'd like a director to tell me they've surveyed the kids and the "stories" and not "the shows" got them excited about drum corps and made them audition.

Very well Said!!! A level of education yes. But it's the performances, the shows that got everyone I know excited about and into the activity. They aren't going to care about the rest if you don't hook them first. THE SHOWS DO THAT!!!

No it didn't. I did enjoy the show overall. Drum speak or chant are fine, just not amped. It's the same affect as if the show announcer were to interupt a show to tell us someone's left their lights on. It's out of character with the acoustic ensemble. It jumps out at you from no where.

I've uped it one to eight to give a better through the years feel and to include more corps. Certainly several more deserve HM and have contributed significantly to the activity: Kingsmen, Suncoast, Bridgement, Spirit, etc. 1. 1975 Madison Scouts, great hornline and example of early DCI era drum corps. 2. 1980 27th Lancers, best example of old school drum corps and color gurad. 3. 1983 Cadets, big change in style, a new era in drum corps. 4. 1986 Blue Devils, going with what others have said. 5. 1989 SCV, great stroy telling on a football field. 6. 1993 Star, innovation and great playing. 7. 1996 Phantom, Hornline and emotion. 8. 2002 Cavaliers, modern drill and design.

Actually, I liked them very much also. It was very different, but it did work! The white chairs also worked. They had a large horn line, but a small drumline, I think (?) one year all the drums were it the pit, no battery on the field. The white chairs set up in patterns on the field helped them look like a full size corps.

I do not know the exact comments. If that were true it would be one thing. I don't think that is what happened. The impression I was given (whether right or worng) is that the judges said they could not hear things but could when amps were added, enen though the volume wasn't turned up at all and the overall sound didn't change. Just seeing the amps made them hear. As for Bb sounding better because you're use to it, how do you account for all the woodwind players that change from say sop to bass clainet ect.? I never had difficulty changing from Bb to G and the bugles I played on were not as good as the 3 valve versions just before Bb's came. IMO IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO CHANGE to the same basic instrument in another key!!

Amps have not added to the betterment of the music ensemble IMO. 1. Many, or at least some, of the pit instruments do not sound correct when amped. The tone quality can and often is affected when it goes through the sound system. The ringing tones especially are distorted. 2. There have been many balance issues with the pits over balancing, especially in the quiet moments of the show (and ruinining some of them for me and others). Also, cymbals and other intsruments not meant to be miced are still sometimes picked up and really stick out every once in a while. 3. I've been told that I am hearing things better that you could not hear before, but I thought I was hearing lots of great playing from pits during the 25 years before amps: Latin and other world percussion; mallets, including 4 mallet chordal parts; tirangles, anvils, castanets, and all types of wonderful accessories; trap sets; handbells; etc. the list goes on. AND YES I DID HEAR IT!!! and VERY WELL!!! So what's so new that I'm suppose to be hearing? 4. When you sit in the extremities you know that the sound will not be optimal. However, what I noticed in Denver sitting up 1 night in the upper deck and this year at Allentown sitting low but off to the side past the 20's one night is that the amps DON'T CARRY where they are NOT POINTED!!! Yet I heard the acoustic pits at about the same volume I was hearing the brass and battery. Yes it was less, but still in balance. NOT SO with the amped pits.

I talked to one of the top Div I directors this summer and it was insightful. 1. The percussion arrangers and staff are the ones pushing amps. Some directors really don't want to use them but risk losing top percussion staffif if they don't . 2. Percussion judges have made negative comments to corps not using amps. So much for it being a choice.

Vocals in gerneral: Keep to a minimum! The chanting rhyhmic stuff is usually ok, but a little bit goes a long way. The singing is usually just not done that well, (sorry but IMO true!) or at least at the same high level as the brass and percussion playing, so again, a little goes a long way. As for amping vocals, my biggest complaint is that it doesn't sound right and fit in with an otherwise all acoustic ensemble. It jumps out at you IMO in a negative way, very out of character with everything else going on.

Les Chatalaines (sp?) The last All Girl Champions! (early 80's) You need to see the hornline standing on their folding white chairs to get the full affect. :P

I don't know what to say! :( It just wont seem like a real drum corps season without the TROOP! <**> I hope all the trooper members find welcoming new homes!

At a distance they may have given an overall good look to the visual program of the corps. However, I was sitting close the time I saw them and IMO they were not flattering to any of the individual members. (It was the uniform, nothing wrong with the talented young ladies.)

Glassmen 02 guard uniform! The The florecent green and bubble gum purple looked hiddeous together, and didn't have anything to do with the theme of the show, water-blue, fire-red, earth-brown or forrest green. I really was unable to enjoy any visual aspect of the show because of them. Madison 04 gaurd uniform. Looked like they were going to a gay leather bar after the show. (not that there's anything wrong with that. :P ) just thought it wasn't appropriate for drum corps. Capital Regiment 05 guard uniform. Basic black is ussually a good choice, but the tailoring was so bad there isn't a shape, male or female, that would look good in them. I thought they all should have worn powder blue dresses in the style of the featured dancer's dress. Crossmen uniform from 99-03. I tried to like it, but hated it more each year they used it.

I was having trouble remembering exactly which year it was. I don't really remember anything about prelims or the Saturday finals show because I didn't get to go to those. I do remember a lot of talk about Blue Rock having to perform again, many saying the Saturday show was better (minus the rain) and they would have scored higher etc. The Sunday show was my first. Someone else in the original group couldn't go, so I lucked out.

I don't mind chanting and drum speak when it's accoustic. When it's miced it doesn't sound right with a basicly accoustic ensemble. It jumps out at you like you're suddenly your in Vegas or something and then your back to an accoustic ensemble. It's out of character to me and doesn't fit. Singing? <**> It's not that I don't love singing. It's I have yet to hear a top horn line sing as well as they play. One phrase or an "Amen" for affect is ok But really, any more than that and it becomes pointless, especially when they play their horns so well.

1972 U.S. Open! What a great experience!!! I went to the Sunday make up open class finals, someone form Saturday couldn't make it. Of course the Saturday night show was rained out (rain being a common occurence for the US Open). Actually the skys burst open on Blue Rock which had to perform in US Open T-shirts on Sunday becuase their coats were to soaked to wear. I was sitting in the end zone bleachers on the exit side (old timers know what I mean). I remember the last Kingsmen guard girl lifting her foot and stepping over the goal line just as the timing gut went off. Perfect!!! :) Then re-entry!!! As I was in the end zone and not directly in front of the corps I don't think the sound got to me as much the first time as the guards and visual programs. Even though colorgaurds didn't spin near as much then, I was really taken with the visual component. Colors on the field and the precision of the rifle lines! :) I also loved retreat! In those days the guards carried their equipment during retreat. It was such a beautiful sight to see all those colors lined up next to each other as they trooped the stands. Discalimer: For me guards were completly new. At that time the high school bands I was familiar with had only majorettes. :sshh: (can you say cat fights). It was my first time seeing a flag or rifle line. My senior year my HS band was the first in the area to have a flag line.

I agree it's advertising and we need to reach out etc. But what attracted you to drum corps? Did someone talking about drum corps strike your interest or was it the performance? I was hooked on drum corps because of the performance: the excellence, the blow your face off brass, great drumming, and the color guards. In the early PBS braodcast, there were no, or few, member interviews. They showed the whole show!!! I don't think all the closeups do anything. There is so much the potential fan/member is missing. Some interviews and human interest is good, but it's the performances and perfection that hooked most everyone I know.