yellowbusredux

There's abunch of SCV alums associated with BDEntertainment. BDE is not just members of the current BD percussion section doig gigs in the off-season. BDE has a network of musicians all over the country who perfrom for various sporting events, corporate events, etc. You don't have to be a member of the Blue Devils to be selected as a member of BDE. And if I recall correctly, BDE performers are considered professional performers, and actually get paid.

Any word on who is arranging at SCV percussion? Heard Murray was teaching again. Wonder if they will keep Brian Mason to write the PIT book, and hire someone else to write the battery book. My vote: Jeff Lee or Scotty Sells - PIT Book ?????? - Battery Book

murray gusseck - best battery arranger jim casella ralph hardimon scott johnson the glyde brothers

Is SCV having staff problems?? I find it strange that February is almost over, and SCV has not yet announced their 2007 staff, except for saying most of the design staff has returned, and that they've added Sly to the visual team. Anyone know what's going on in SCV land? They are usually pretty good about updating their website, and including full staff listings and even some profiles of them. ????

Not a very musical drum book...lots of beefy stuff, very chop-oriented, tons of rudimental-crazy notes, and quite a few ticks. On a personal note, i can't stand all that high playing with exagerated arm movements...enough already!!!!

It's january and SCV has not announced or listed their staff (except for the addition of Sly) to their website. Have they picked their instructional staff yet?? Any news on the techs? I know the arrangers, designers, and caption heads are all the same, but what about the instructional staff?

Murray wrote an awesome drum book, and he took the line to greatness by the end of the season. Brass started to really come together, and the guard rocked finals week.

I hope it is, at least until he ages out. Maybe I'm in the minority, but this doesn't seem like a place corps members should be posting. They've got a lot on their plate, and with all the negativity flying around here, why bother spending all that time and energy reading & replying to posts, most of which has very little to do with what THEY are currently doing: being a marching member of a drum corps, practicing, performing, working hard, making it happen. Fans, alumni, etc...great place to hang out and debate and talk. But for current corps members? Nah.

Worry about your own gig!! We were always told that when I was marching, and it's true for a lot of things...drum corps, life, etc. Worry about your own gig. Work hard. Practice. Perform you heart out. Make friendships that will last a lifetime. Do what you do because you enjoy it. If you do thatm you don't have to defend ANYTHING.

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dude, that was a great show. HOW DARE YOU! ^0^

I guess this means the design staff is actually under contract for the next 3 years and locked into SCV. Good for them. So at least we know they'll have the same design crew in place for awhile. Hope they can keep the instructional staff the same for the next few years as well. Consistency can be a good thing.

Is he arranging for the battery as well? I thought he was a front ensemble guy???? Have they named a percussion caption head yet?

Jazz from the Troopers? God, I hope not. I'd like to see them do some kick ### orchestral stuff with a darker edge to it. And I hope they change their uniforms a bit!!

In regards to high schools going year round now and colleges/universities starting the year earlier: would it really hurt a student THAT much to miss a couple of weeks of school at the begining of the university school-year? As for year-round schooling, is there that many high schools actually doing that? If my son or daughter was in a year-round school and truly wanted to march, I'd make #### sure they could. I would even move them to another school district if possible!! Kids that are really, really involved in athletics do all sorts of things to adjust their school schedules, and school administrations give them all sorts of "modified" schedules so they can practice, compete, and excel in their sport. Why not with musicians and drum corps participants? I miss the days when DCI's summer tour went a couple of weeks longer into August. The season seems way too short. Just think what today's corps could do with about 2 more weeks in the competative season!! I hope it doesn't get to the point where there are only shows on weekends during the summer, and the season only becomes two months long. When did the DCI summer tour become shorter? Was it around 1992 or 1993? Did universities change the start of their school year around that same time? If not, what did kids do BEFORE that to make it happen????

Has the Troopers even selected a staff yet, or announced any staff, designers, caption heads?

From 1996 through 2004 = Santa Clara Vanguard 2006 = Cavaliers Both products of Jim Casella. The PIT music fits in so well with the battery, the brass, and the overall, full-corps production. His PIT music can stand alone on it's own...great writing, great parts. But his real strength is writing stuff that compliments the rest of the corps, the music in general. There are a lot of great front ensembles in DCI, and a lot of them can really play amazing stuff, but it's all about the total ensemble sound, how it blends, compliments, etc. And when it's time to shine, it's time to shine!! Casella's Pits do all that. Seems like some corps have Pits that don't mesh too well with the drumline, and vice versa. They are great on their own, but when you add the brass and drumline to it, not that great. I guess part of Casella's strength is that he writes for both the Pit AND drumline.

Very cool. ^0^

The Crossmen present: The Cross...Music From The Passion Of The Christ. Mmmmm, maybe not. The Godfather...Part II? Nope. Malaguena Redux. 5 different versions of malaguena, re-mixed, re-invented, re-played? Certainly not. Save that for Madison. (Oh, just kidding. Relax!) Tell you the truth, I think they should do a dark show leaning more towards the orchestral. But that's just me. I'd also like to see SCV do a jazz show that really swings, and BD do something just completly off the wall. I like to see things get mixed up a bit. B)

Ya see..This is what I'm talking about. Right on!! Where there is a will, there is always a way. I live 3000 miles away from the corps I marched in, but I support them as much as I can. I'm still their biggest fan. I teach the high school kids in my area about the corps I marched in...traditions and all, and many of them make their way out there every year to audition (and there is another top 12 corps right in their own backyard that has placed higher over the years). I just hype my old corps so much, and do my part to keep their image and traditions alive in my little neck of the woods and with the kids I work with. I agree that drum corps has changed. Used to be a local activity where 99% of the corps was from one particular area: the same county, the same city, and for some corps, even the same exact community in that city!!! Times have changed, but loyalty hasn't. Traditions go on. Alumni continue to support their corps, no matter where in the world they reside. Sounds like this move is in the best insterest of the corps, so that we can enjoy the Crossmen for years to come. It's hype time, folks!! Go Crossmen!!!!!

Has nothing to do with "the state." Has everything to do with Mangement/Logistics/Tour Team. Got good people from the very top on down? Got a great design and teaching staff, and talented kids willing to work hard? I'd say that's a formula for success. The people they have in charge should be great for the corps in regards to management, finances, touring, etc. The Crossmen are the Crossmen. If the area they came from is the ONLY thing that made them the Crossmen, well then that is just sad. If taking away a city or State strips the corps' identity, well then there is bigger problems. If the alumni comes out stronger than ever in their support of their corps, and YEA makes sure that tradition is paramount during this transition (without hindering innovation, of course), then the X-men will be just fine. Show some love!

If kids truly want to march Crossmen, they can and will find a way. If not the Crossmen, Cadets or Bluecoats. Where there is a will, there is a way. If the Blue Devils moved to another state, they would still be BD. Same goes for Cavies, Phantom, or any corps. A corps identity is so much more than the city they currently call home. It's about traditions, and to a lesser degree, but important in its own right, the look and feel of the corps. The attitude of the members and staff, their work ethic, solid design and instruction, great management and tour team in place, a solid foundation when it comes to the history of the corps, maintaining that sense of "style" that makes the corps unique, but never , never sacrificing substance. San Antonio, Barstow, Toronto, wherever...they are STILL the Crossmen. If you want to march Crossmen in '07 or beyond, you can and you will.

If he's gonna be going to med school in the near future, how long will he be caption head at Cavies, and how much time can he committ to the corps once in med school?

Wow. I think you guys should lay off of DCP for awhile. Don't even sign on to the internet for a bit. Go outside. Get some fresh air. Have some human contact. Put the world in perspective. Pet a dog. Pet a cat. Play your instrument. Ride a bike. Leave this "discussion" behind for the time being. Connect with your inner self. Or something like that. Or...carry on with this nonsense. Whatever makes you happy and makes you feel productive. Now back to your regularly scheduled DCP programming

SCV snarelines under Murray Gusseck (Casella was arranger, & caption head for years until becoming just their arranger) looked fine to me with the titlt, and sounded even better. As far as quality of sound coming from a drumline = SCV had one of the best for all those years, if not THE best. Heck, they even won High Percussion in 2004 with an absolutley smokin snareline, and the whole drumline played some of the most musical drum books ever during the Gusseck/Casella years. Actually, Murray mentioned in a couple of interviews how it wasn't some long, super thought-out, detailed plan when they went with the tilt, and he wasn't even positive if it was something he thought up or Chip Webster thought up in passing one day (Chip Webster, former SCV snare, actually helped teach the snares that first year they went with the tilt and was with the staff for 2 or 3 seasons). Someone mentioned it, they tried it out, and it worked. It made sense, makes sense, they tried it, it worked for them, they were great at teaching with that style, and they had great success with it. Their staff always found it interesting how so many people over-analyzed the tilt, or grip, or whatever. They were all about getting kids to perform MUSIC at a high level, and to teach them techniques that had a lot of transfer value to other types of drums and other types of music besides drum corps (it's intersting how many drummers from SCV snare and tenor lines have gone on to become amazing drum-set players, composers, and all-around percussionists, using quite a bit of the techniques and education they got from their time playing in those lines). They were about producing results...if something worked and made sense, they went with it. And that's what it's all about, right? Two of the main drum techs at Cavies, both of whom marched under Gusseck and Cassella at SCV during those years, joined the Cavies staff in '06. Since they were taught using that style (in particular the snare tilt), and since they are running the battery program now, it makes sense that they would try it out there as well. It seemed to work just fine, and I look forward to seeing the Cavies percussion program grow, mature, and progress under them, Anconna, and Casella over the next few seasons. Cool stuff!