funkrocker049

A truly good hornline... A line that can play loud enough to peel paint should also have an equally extreme lower dynamic range. (Loud, louder, and loudest are not the only dynamics in drum corps) The upper voices MUST be balanced to the lower voices...I can't stand top-heavy lines. Intonation. Intonation. Intonation. Much of the volume of any hornline has to do with intonation...Loud becomes Louder when the intervals are correct. Uniformity of approach to articulation, phrasing, breathing, etc...I might not like how they do it, but I should be able to see that they are ALL doing it in the SAME way. Characteristic sound (Sops sound like sops, mellos like mellos (not 4th sop), etc.) Demonstrate all of the above while standing still AND flying around the field.

more open class banners please? They look great!

Anyone else spending the week at Hardin Ridge?

My goal is to eventually have an "album art" image for each corps. Eventually.

http://funkrocker049.deviantart.com I just added one for Crossmen. It's very simple, but that's the point.

I'm working on some more for each corps...I will post updates here. Crossmen is in the works now.

http://funkrocker049.deviantart.com/gallery/ Here are a few that I made a while back.

BAC. Why the willie-nillie inclusion of corps in this poll?

"...standout brass players." soloists?

We ate like royalty. Actually, were pretty much free-range cattle...moving from one city to another to roam the field and eat.

Everyone knows that the lower you go, the louder you play.

The cut of the jacket just doesn't look all that great without the cummerbund.

"medieval-style music"....

I like the new look, but would prefer to see more definition between the sash and the jacket. Also, the left shoulder/chest looks too busy for my taste. Overall, it is definitely an improvement and a nice way of giving the cadet corps a unique look. I just hope that picture is not representative of the rest of the corps members' pants. Even the best uniform is ruined when the pants don't fit right. The tighter the better.

I find the argument that 1997 Div 2/3 had greater depth than 2007 quite difficult to accept. That's not to take anything away from the accomplishments of Mandarins that year, but things have continued to evolve. I think the open class shows are consistently more intricate, demanding, and sophisticated in 2007 when compared to their 1997 counterparts.

Gilles is a great guy and a talented drill writer. He will make a fine addition to the Glassmen org. He has a terrific eye for staging, especially when it comes to the guard and integrating them with the musicians. His drill (that I have seen/marched) might not be the super whiz-bang stuff seen at other corps but it is smart, effective, and achieves great effect in line with the show theme. A very nice addition to the Glassmen. Best of luck.

I hope this wasn't mentioned earlier in the thread, but has anyone had the opportunity to hold/play the new Jupiter tuba? The current line of marching tubas out there (King, Yamaha, Dynasty...) are all ergonomic nightmares. Nothing compares to the 5/4 Kanstul bugle I was lucky enough to march with for the last 3 years. Balanced well, easy to hold/carry, and built like a tank. I hope this move works out for Academy and Jupiter. It's always good to have some competition in the market.

Those lower lines tend to be telephone/cable wires...no biggie. It was pretty funny, in retrospect though. Also amusing was the time we all forgot to do scaffolding at the housing site for the Westminster, MD show this year. We arrived at the school around 7(?) after driving all night, only to get off the bus in torrential downpours. So, we sat around for a while before eventually having a visual block in the gym and a brief hornline warmup until the rain let up. Long story short, the five of us are strolling out to the field when it suddenly dawns on us...we forgot to do scaffolding. We raced, as fast as possible, to the truck and managed to unload and build the entire scaffolding within 5 minutes. And that was probably one of the safer times.

I've had the opportunity to view the 2007 Division 2/3 DVD and I am curious what other people think. With the holiday behind us, I assume many people have had the chance to view the disc. I haven't watched every show yet, but some thoughts... Spartans I won't comment on the performance because I was a marching member, but I am quite pleased with the DVD. This is the first year that I feel DCI managed to capture the nature of our show. They spread the footage among the various sections and even peppered in a good deal of high-cam at the right times. Nice. Jersey Surf Not having the chance to see their show, I was eager to check it out. The corps performed their show very well. The hornline definitely put out some great sound and the drumline was tight. I liked the bits of California Dreamin' that were woven through the show. Nice ballad. Feet were pretty good, but the drumline could have moved more. Teal Sound I really enjoyed the music of this show. The hornline had a very nice sound and maintained it even while moving quite a bit. This corps seemed to have the most ambitious drill of the top 3 corps, but they were really hindered by their body carriage. Guard held them back, but was not a distraction. The improvement from early season to Finals was very very impressive. I enjoyed viewing. Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets The members looked like they were working very hard, and that's the problem. I think the drill, in many respects was written above the level of the corps. I truly don't mean this in any disrespectful way, either. Hornline sound really suffered from endurance issues and became quite ragged at times. Guard did a nice job. I would have preferred them to do a show that hadn't been done before. Memphis Sound We passed Memphis on a couple occasions during warm-ups, and I was consistently impressed with the sound coming from their arc. The video demonstrated that it also carried over to the field. My only quibble with the music is that Song of Aeolus lasted too long, but that's a design issue. They marched well and the drill resembled division 1 writing in some spots. I wish they would have kicked up the tempos...they could have handled it. We had the opportunity to hang out with Memphis Sound and Yokohama Scouts while waiting for Div 1 retreat. That was definitely one of my favorite moments of the summer. The folks from Memphis were very nice. We even set up a combined contra-arc with the 3 corps. -- Take my comments as you will. I tried to approach the viewing as objectively as I could possibly be. I am pleased with the DVD production for the first time in my marching career. Also, kudos to DCI for structuring the disc menu just like the div 1 discs.

Actually, that would be an improper use of the word 'wicked' according to typical usage in Massachusetts. More proper usage would be "Wicked bad weather..."

I wish the corps, and the new staff, the best of luck. Spartans have a rich history of success, and I truly hope that can continue.

I would rather get the opportunity to perform the show in exhibition and then clean up and watch the remainder of the evening. That would actually be recognition, unlike the joke of a retreat (for the 2/3 corps) that currently happens at Div1 Finals.

I've seen the Cadets on several occasions already, and while the corps is performing very well, I don't think the show is very good. IMO, the musical package is unable to stand on its own without the narration. This, to me, is a poor design.

No underwear runs, try as much clothing as possible. Nothing beats sweatshirts and sweatpants in Tennessee in July.

My Vote: 2005 Crown Honorable Mention: 1990 Crossmen