exitmusic

No, I'm not going to do that. It isn't the arrangement or the design that are the real issue. It's the performance. We have kids missing releases and soloists absolutely exploding and intonation issues throughout. BASIC stuff. The hornline performance is a bit of a disaster and it isn't the kids' fault. I've personally watched them rehearse. They are coachable and well-intentioned and eager to learn. The issue is that the instructional staff has no business at this level and it shows through the kids' lack of preparation.

I don't think the issue was that it was poorly advertised, I think the real issue is that it required everyone to travel to PA/NJ three separate times during the summer, which is absurd. Also, I personally would have potentially participated if there was some marching component, but it was going to be a standstill of just three charts -- Elk's Parade, Moondance, and something else that I don't recall. People were going to have to find their own horns. I think drums were provided. Instructors were volunteers from WAY back, before we were winning DCI, which made me nervous. Something like 8-10 people signed up and paid the fee. There was a "drop dead" date of March 1 (I think?), where if some minimum number of people had not signed up, they'd cancel the whole thing, so that's what happened. TO BE FAIR, planning for this I believe began after the 2017 season and then You Know What happened in April 2018 and they tried to pick up the pieces, albeit unsuccessfully. Honestly, we should target 2024 at this point and do it up right at finals like SCV, 27, etc.

Has nothing to do with the kids in the corps, who are incredible as usual. The adults have let them down. The kids' talents are wasted by a failure to instruct at a high level.

Has nothing to do with the children, who are INCREDIBLE. The adults have let them down on every level.

What if it's just bad design? It isn't like Darcie Aungst assumed that the horns were going to not be top 12, is it?

Here's ol' George again to tease his INSIDE INFORMATION that he doesn't really have. Save it, dude.

The Cadets hornline is a #### train wreck.

I have no idea. I only know that when it was time for ensemble, the only person in the box was Tom Aungst, who was giving brass corrections. Yikes.

Finally made it to a rehearsal. WTF are the brass guys doing? They spent all this time in pairs for some reason. They'd play something on their mouthpieces, and then the instructor would say, "Raise your hand if your partner didn't do it perfectly." And they went on and on and on like this for half an hour. I have no idea what the point was. It was all very negative and a lot of "YOU ARE NOT GOOD!" comments. There are 13 days left. CLEAN. THE. BOOK. Pump the kids up. Not whatever this garbage was.

#thathappened

OMG please no. I love Sully, but... no.

We've tried to do shows about ourselves (notably the 2010 debacle) before. 2018 also wasn't the best. We should stop doing that. There is nothing we "do" that is distinctive. Let's create something.

The words of Dave Shaw (RIP) are not particularly useful in connection with designing a show that connects with people. Sure, yes, all of that HOLY NAME stuff is amazing, but it doesn't mean much of anything outside the corps. You don't see the Bluecoats build shows around SIX WORDS. Or Phantom designing shows around SUTA, etc.

Right, and we don't have one outside of what we wear. OK, maybe "the corps that steps off on the right foot," but that's about it. Maybe "the corps that doesn't design shows very well, so then makes wholesale changes with three weeks to go that end up making the show worse."

OP, I'm with you in spirit, except as any experienced entrepreneur will tell you, design-by-committee has never actually worked. One person has got to be ultimately responsible for design. Suggestion box? Sure, but design-by-vote? Total disaster IMO.

We're in an era where corps don't wear anything resembling traditional uniforms anymore. Our only real identity up until now was "wear traditional uniform, march fast, play hard music." We have utterly failed to adapt to design trends and have completely lost any identity we had. How about this: Let's create an identity that is "crowd favorite." Let's ditch all the obtuse music and all of the "deep" meaning in our shows and just play music that makes people happy. Create some effects that get people out of their seats. The Bluecoats this year have proven that it can be done. Hell, even Vanguard is playing Metallica this year. I'm not saying we go full-on fan service. I mean let's play some fun music and let kids be kids rather than avatars for someone else's opinions about the social order. We've been handcuffing these kids with this stuff for years. There's a time and place for it, but again -- we haven't proven we can execute on it like SCV can. (See SCV 2018, which I believe was about immigration.) Let's not be afraid of pop music. It's OK not to do things in 7/4 at 192 bpm. We don't have to do wind ensemble music. Really. Call the show "Thank You" and play stuff that people will like. Find some actually interesting visual ideas and just go for it. What do we have to lose? Execute at a decently high level and we might even move up a spot or two. Here are some ideas. If you want a monumental excuse to use trombones and simultaneously blow down the stands (start around 3:20). This would be the guard just going crazy: How fun would this be as a percussion feature?: Is it legal to create a singalong with the crowd?: Do we have a lead who can swing?: Can we find a guy or girl who can sing even half as well as Frank?: Here's a closer, complete with HUGE company front-type thing at 60 bpm: What else ya got, DCP?

Thank you for your very constructive criticism. IMO, the Scouts' issue was attempting to move forward by moving back. Why hire people who were great at drum corps a generation ago? Let's accept that the next few years are going to be absolutely brutal. Let's hire young designers and let them do their thing. How old was Sully in 1982? How old was GZ in 1982? Let's do a Cadets show next year. I'm not saying we break out Elk's Parade and Rocky Point Holiday by any means. I'm not saying that we literally break out the maroon and gold. I'm saying we do a show that plays to our historical strengths rather than attempt to play the game that everyone else plays now, and frankly we just aren't good at. Let's do something with a positive vibe that makes people happy (see: Bluecoats 2019) and focus on bringing back the standard of excellence that has been built since 1982 or so. Let's do something we can clean. Let's get a pedestrian 8th place next year and remember who we are. Let's go off the ####### deep end in 2021.

I agree that we have to go someplace, but at this point I'd rather take a year and do a "vintage Cadets" thing and get 8th place than keep trying and failing to play someone else's game. Also, our kids know our history. More than anything else, they know our history.

I don't think anyone harbors the assumption that strapping into the wool will magically solve all of our issues. I think the point is that everything we've ever tried that *wasn't* in the maroon and gold has been an absolute failure. When we are in uniform, at least we know who we are. When we are in some kind of half-baked costume, we can't seem to design a show.

1998!

Yes I do think the cadets could entice some of these people to return. Many people do care about the corps, especially now that GH - who is a monster to work for - is gone.

What does winning titles have to do with it? I just want to be competitive and actually world class. There’s a mass of talent out there that has a reason to want the cadets to succeed. Let’s go find some.

I am bumping my own post because this is still the answer to the topic's question. Add Bluecoats' percussion arranger, although we clearly do not need help in that area.

I'm just here to collect the karma.

How are we the only corps that adds things late in the season that actually make our production design *worse*? (See: these ridiculous hats; stupid tarps in 2014; etc. )