mello118

Madison has their rep posted Here

I'm on a mac and the stream is coming through just fine. I had to download a plug-in, that lets you view Windows Media, though. Find it here

Is that a 9 point jump for Surf?

No. I've enjoyed many of my competitors shows. I Loved ECJ's 05 show. Loved Surf's 03 show. Loved Blue Stars 04. The list goes on. I DO NOT dislike Academy. Having seen their show, it was definitely executed well, and I had no problem with it, it just didn't engage me as an audience member. I like Academy (although I perferred last year's show), and I don't see how saying what I did could come across as me disliking them. I like Academy. I do not think they will walk all over the East Coast come finals.

Nobody is "hating" Academy by saying they won't walk all over the east coast without competition . . . And I have seen them, and personally, I don't there should be the kind of hype there is about them. Maybe it was because of reading all of this hype online, but I actualy felt a little let down when I saw them. They are excellent, of that there is no question. They are not as good as some would make them out to be.

They are very good. But after seeing a recording of them . . . they did not live up to the hype that has been generated here. But, that doesn't change that they are still very good.

Yep

Division II IS judged on different sheets than Division I. I highly, highly, highly, highly doubt that bumping ever occurs, since units have to go through a whole evaluation process to go Div I and then have to be declared before the season starts. But yes, Division II is judged on different sheets, so the scores are really not comprable.

Aren't they the same thing?

Gee, THAT was classy . . . <**>

97 Scouts

I don't see why everybody bashes Dynasty's so much. Blue Devils does fine with them. They are no harder to tune than any other brand. Just breath and play, and adjust accordingly. As for tone . . . that is debatable. But they do tend to have a much brighter sound than other brands. Me likey King the most though.

I say no to all. Drum corps was fine 30 years ago without "enhancements". It was fine 20, even 10, even 2 years ago. Why does it neeed them now? Did people suddenly run out of ideas and now electronics and additional instruments are the only way people can have new ideas? Star went their entire career in DCI without "capitalizing" on very many, if any of the rule changes and they were constantly "pushing the envelope". My point? That adding these things will not magically make people more able to put together a better show, and change the activity in to something it is not. Now, I LIKE some of these things that have been mentioned on the field. But I wouldn't want them touching drum corps with a 5000 ft. pole. I can get the experience from these things in a BOA format. But I can get drum corps from DCI/DCA, and that's pretty much it on this continent. Why change it in to something that already exists. It doesn't help us, it won't magically make us better, and it wont increase the quality of our programs. Sooooo . . . Why change for tthe sake of changing? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Not working for me . . . can't find the link. weird

Unfortunately not the case. I just got a response from DCI today. To quote "The Division II and III tickets will be available in the coming months."

No Phantom?

I can't honestly see why everybody parralells Star 93 and Cadets 05 . . . I never could see how they were so simillar as to merit all of the discussion between them . . . That said, Star 93. Definitely a demonstrations in brilliance and ways to make the audience either love you or hate you.

It was more about how we present our image. I just used that as an example.

Listened to the clip . . . I have to disagree with the posts. I really cant get in to it at all. For me, it just ruins the great brass sound that the ensemble is putting out. Of course, balance issues aboud, and when they are fixed, I might like it a bit more. But as of now? Have to say, I'm very very dissapointed.

I never meant to imply that there wasn't. I simply meant that one way to start getting the type of respect/benefits that Divison I gets, we need to make sure that we are every bit or even more professional than they are when it comes to that type of thing. I didn't mean to imply that big name Division I corps left everything in perfect condition. but, like I said, to change the way we are treated, a good place to start is to make sure that WE as Division II/III corps behave in a manner which can gain no other treatment but the best.

I had a different experience through finals week. On tour this year, I slept in my fair share of places you wouldn't want to visit without several large men dressed in suits guarding you, as well as a place with cockroaches the size of small cats taking peoples shoes in the middle of the night. But as Finals got closer, correction, during Finals week, the housing sites was suddenly amazing. Finals week we were in a place that HAD A/C, had five working showers per locker room and had great other facilities (a perfect field about a three minute walk away was the highlight). Now, it should be noted that while there were only five showers they were all pressure and temperature controllable. B) Then again that was only the last week. Everything leading up to it was just about as awful as everybody else's stories. Some worse . . . But at the same time, we also have to examine how all of the different Division II/III corps take care of their housing sites / present their image. If a corps cant keep nice housing sites clean, should they get a nice housing site? If a corps just has "sloppy and immature" written all over it, should it be promoted? I AM NOT saying that that is the image that all, most, or even a few Div. II/III project, nor that they leave their housing sites trashed, but we need to make sure that the image we present as well as the things that we do reflect professionalism 100 percent of the time. If we want to be treated like Div. I's are, we need to make sure that what we are doing is every bit, and probably more based off of our current treatment, professional than what the Division I corps do. The only way to get noticed is to make it impossible for someone NOT to notice you. Preferably in a good way. EDIT: Spelling

Drum Corps to me is the never-ending pursuit of perfection. The only way to get all of the wonderful memories that everyone talks about, and the only way to be able to enjoy doing what you do iis to be good at it. To me, Drum Corps is hard work for the sake of the members and the audience. If Woodwinds, Guitars, anything not brass gets in I would absolutely refuse to march DCI. DCA here I come. I already wish that we were still in G, but I can see the reason behind the switch. Woodwinds etc. nope not me. In terms of how I would think about the activity, I would still be fine with the activity in general. Like I said, there's DCA. But DCI, I would hate it.

Warm? Try: It burned through my shoes!

Heard that there was supposed to an almost all vet hornline for scouts this year. Anyone know the approx. number of vets in the line? If this has already been posted by all means please let me know. Edit: Or as pointed out below, if it is totally false.

"We all love the fabulous Jersey Surf regardless of how well they march. Rather than nit-picking someone's otherwise positive review and trying to start a fight, laugh at the little jab of a well known, trivial flaw." Agreed on loving Surf. I wasn't trying to start a fight in the least. Asking for clarification of a comment would hardly be considered fighting words, I think. But it matters not. Thanks for the clarification! Edit: Spelling