SCVdrums

b**bs :spit: that was freaking great..... personally, I think the musket line of 1835 was one of the all time greats! But we've all heard the story of the horrible accident involving the timpani carrying horsemen at whitewater that year.....and who could forget their fife execution scores at colonial championships! FM.....delete at will!

I think Myron has done some amazing things.....and some of you might relate the drill writing to SCV's placements in past years, which is totally fair. I do think even in some of SCV's more turbulent years, the drill was still very good. If you don't teach or march it well, it won't look good anyway. The opening sequence in '92 comes to mind. That move rocked, and it was technically difficult. In that situation, the writting was flawless, the execution was not. Myron is a proven designer and the Scouts will welcome his to the staff. Sometimes good people leave good corps. I don't think you can turn this into a soap opera. Personally, I've always experienced that fresh starts are a way of rejuvanating your passion in something. Whether you leave an organization in an amiacable way or not. New perspectives are also good for the corps whose philosophy may have gotten a little stale (not in Mad's case, i dont think). Sometimes people just want a new challenge, sometimes a corps wants to breath some life into itself by severing its relationships with staff and bringing in new blood. I think everyone in this situation has good reasons for making changes and I'm sure there is nothing but best wishes for all involved. You don't just decide you don't like the dude that wrote drill for '87, '89, '91, '97 - '04.

yeah....you're right....crossmen '92....couldn't be done again without ruining it..... I could hear that show at my mother's funeral and it would still get me excited.......yes, inappropriate i know......but what a show!

'95 SCV did i believe... I always find it humorous how matched grip enthusiasts are treated like second class citizens in the drum corps community....i play trad.....i teach matched.....if i taught corps or competitive MB.....i'd go traditonal......but the heated discussion is hilarious! lol :P

Sarcasm.....it's such a difficult skill to master over the computer......i got it......others did too...... I think crossmen should just play the '92 show every year........i know i'd love it!

I think it's an awesome idea.....you just have to have the right district to do it in. And even then, in your largest districts, you corps-type kids already march. But I would think it would work as long as you kept a level head from both a divisional and competitive approach. Questions will arise such as...do we let someone from outside the district march? And if so, does that person take a spot away from one our local kids? MESSY! But I think you could really have a fine regional corps with controlled expenses full of local kids that would have a blast.

Mike J. may not be an alum but his affiliation with RCC would put him in close contact with many SCV members and staff, he would be familiar with how things are done and would be somewhat of an insider...

Ok, Enough Melillo bashing. Stephen's positions on his music are clearly stated in his permission to arrange contract. I don't want to speak for Stephen, but his t's are crossed and i's dotted. IF there is an issue with copyright, I can guarantee the mistake would be coming from the bluecoats side. Steve has never been completely hyped about arranging or allowing for arranging of one of his existing pieces. That's why the permission to arrange is darn near the same price as an original composition for the field. It involves the cutting up of what Steve sees as a completed work. One of which is no longer the same work or concept of the original. Something ANY composer would be a little nervous about. Steve is rigid, Steve demands excellence, Steve can be VERY demanding, BUT, Steve is also VERY FAIR. Besides being a composer, he is an excellent educator who cares for and about kids. I was one of the original comissioners of HAJJ and I thought the 'Coats did a decent job with it. That being said, I don't know how Steve felt about it. As far a previous posts are concerned. Yes, Steve's prices are a little spendy. But for those of you who have experienced a Mellilo piece the way it was intended, you completely agree with his pricing. I could go on, but let's just say for most people who have spent time with Steve, he is probably the most amazing person you may ever meet. And again, I guarantee he's sticking to his end of the bargain as far as the 'Coats are concerned. My feeling is that the 'Coats probably asked for more than what was in the original agreement. For Steve, it's most likely about principle and not money. Eric

sorry, pasted wrong message, still get an error when streaming ASX from different sites

Nope, all ASX files say the same thing... Safari can’t open the page “http://seasonpass.dci.org/audio/full_xkekb/2004/01_cavaliers.asx”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005) Please choose Report Bug to Apple from the Safari menu, note the error number, and describe what you did before you saw this message.

ok.....ive been able to strea ONE show total since i got this.....anybody got any suggestions.... see error message below when i click to stream....it's never worked and all of a sudden this morning, it streamed a BD show with no problem....after i got done celebrating, i tried a different show and the same old problem started again..... Safari can’t open the page “http://seasonpass.dci.org/audio/full_xkekb/2004/01_cavaliers.asx”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005) Please choose Report Bug to Apple from the Safari menu, note the error number, and describe what you did before you saw this message. ive sent the bug to apple..no help ive sent the message to dci...no help ive had my IT guy check over all settings...no help ive enabled popups...no help ive checked my version of WMP...its cool Thanks in advance for any help..... Eric

ok.....ive been able to strea ONE show total since i got this.....anybody got any suggestions.... see error message below when i click to stream....it's never worked and all of a sudden this morning, it streamed a BD show with no problem....after i got done celebrating, i tried a different show and the same old problem started again..... Safari can’t open the page “http://seasonpass.dci.org/audio/full_xkekb/2004/01_cavaliers.asx”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005) Please choose Report Bug to Apple from the Safari menu, note the error number, and describe what you did before you saw this message. ive sent the bug to apple..no help ive sent the message to dci...no help ive had my IT guy check over all settings...no help ive enabled popups...no help ive checked my version of WMP...its cool Thanks in advance for any help..... Eric

NO WAY PR's brass book is as difficult as Cadets. You have to take accessibility into account. The more "out there" the music, the more difficult it is to play, usually. Visually, PR does not have the physical demands that really accentuate the brass book like Cadets do. It's like saying Rossini and Bartok are both difficult, and they are. But, IMHO, Bartok demands greater musicianship and technique because of it's esoteric nature. Hence the greater reward from judges.

Aren't we all forgetting about Kurt Gowdy..... b**bs ......who can forget some of his finest moments.... following a HUGE ovation, an understated Gowdy comments...."and the crowd liked them" calling Regiment "The Phantoms" trying to explain '93 Star....."well they've got a very.....well, Steve why don't you explain to the folks" Ok, I've repressed most of them.....but my real favorite was watching Rondinaro always covering for Gowdy.....Steve always had this look on his face like he was afraid what would come out of Gowdy's mouth next....

oh yeah.... '93 Star drumline only played 8 on a hand for a warm-up..... '89 BD sop soloist didn't get on the bus after finals and was never heard from again....actually this one's been debunked, but I still love it when people say it with such seriousness. '95 SCV drums had a member that gradually got more and more dellusional as the season went on....started seeing things and what not.... '88 (?) Cadets tried to start the year without a guard because they thought they wouldn't need one and had to teach members of the huge hornline how to spin....(that's a good one)

DISCLAIMER To any future marching members....don't let these stories freak you out, most hold no truth.....some may be based in fact but completely blown out of proportion! These are things fans use to get through the off season or the dreadfully long 17 or 34 minute breaks at finals. If anybody else has some fake or real corps stories please reply. These are not intended to be offensive to any corps or their members. Here are a few of my favorites.... '87 SCV - after losing by a tenth at finals, the drumline carries their drums to the top of the stadium and throws them over.....Lee, any comments? '94 Troopers - after a stranger breaks the ranks of the drumline, they proceed to beat the crap out of a man who turns out to be a DCI judge.... Cavies - drumline traditions include hoisting drums off the equipment truck after finals, and rookie drumline initiation includes making rookies ride the guard bus.... Madison - a majority of cuts are made the first night of the first camp.... '93 Star - if you listen to the finals recording closely, you can hear a Dr. Beat at certain parts of the program.... (insert corps name here) - (corps) is so broke, they have stopped feeding their kids regular meals... (insert 70's, 80's corps name here) - they marched that hole at finals because two kids were caught forging their birth certificates and DCI found out they were 24.... there are tons more......bring it on......

Ok, here goes! Had to drive 2 1/2 hours to get there and had to work late so I got there during intermission. I missed Colt Cadets, Blue Stars :( , Kiwanis, and Pioneer. Sorry Guys! But this is who and what I did see. Colts - Obviously the home state favorite and I can't help feeling that impacted their score tonight. I was suprised they beat Crossmen. There was some "iffy" moments during their opening backfield statement. I heard a lot of phasing, but they got it together. Not sure if this is a show change or if they just had a mental lapse. Their Copeland arrangements definetely conjure up wholesome, midwest style images. No big postcards on the field tonight....I wonder when they'll come out? The ballad..."Till There Was You" was the highlight of their show. Solos are split between mello and baritone, with them joining for a duet at the end. Some real nice playing. And the color guard work is well played out between the male and female soloists. Some real nice moments. The closing of the show is ok, with a depiction of the state fair (a HUGE Iowa Tradition), and a celebration. Color guard is still cleaning, (who isn't). I had two principal thoughts during this show.... 1. The individual marching REALLY needs to be cleaned up. Foot phasing, body carriage, step style, and the like are very evident. This show is a solid semi-final show with a possible sneak into top twelve if they can get it together visually. The concept is solid, but the corps seems uncomfortable with movement sometimes. Which brings me to my next point... 2. These guys and gals seem YOUNG! Now, I know I'm getting older, but it seems to me like some pretty young kids are doing some pretty great things. Does anybody know how many age-outs they have? The issues I see and hear such as physically moving more gracefully, and playing with a more mature sound could very well be attributed to the age of much of the corps. Drumline seemed a little off tonight, and their caption reflects that. A little exposed dirt, but playing well overall. Look for this corps to make a run! And if they're as young as I think they are.....look out '06! The Magic - Key Poulan delivers a stong and challenging brass book for this corps. Some real tough horn licks that the members are obviously trying to get down. Hey, fingers only move so fast. Not only are they tough, but pretty exposed. Color guard is doing well but there's still work to be done. Percussion is this corps' strength. Key's arrangements provide a solid portrayl of their "Transfiguration" concept. Although these original arrangements may not sit well with the "toe tapping" crowd, they do have a nice extended standing 'O' section at the end of their show that will be great later in the season. This show is very mature for the group and although they aren't quite pulling it off yet, it's a show that will push them beyond what they think their limits are. There's solid growth happening here. Educationally, these kids are getting their money's worth. Semi-finals is probably the goal here. Crossmen - lost by .35 to Colts tonight VISUALLY. End of story. If these guys get their visual to match their musical, they'll be right back in the hunt for a strong placement. The crowd's loving it, as was obvious from their first mass hit. There's a definate intensity to their sound that the Colts don't quite have. From a volume standpoint and a focusing of their air. Their show is musically very strong until the closer. Now maybe they just need to live with this music for a while. But "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" is not communicated as well as their other numbers. I think a little rewritting may be in order. They sure play with these melodies a lot. And the entire closer obviously calls for "story-line" color guard, (think guys and girls separated when this song plays at somebody's wedding reception) but it's just not happening yet. It just seems a little disorganized right now. But hey, we're not even halfway through July. I see this corps making a strong push these next couple weeks. If they have a few strong rehearsal days, I think the rumors of their demise are stongly overexagerated. (spelling) They could be passing Colts within the week. The Cadets - Holy Hard Show Batman! This show is good, but I found the concept a little....well.....like it's a concept for the sake of having a concept. There's a solid theatrical element, which is done well, but it sometimes draws your attention away from the corps a little more than I would like. The door serves its purpose but does seem a little bulky. I like the guard uniforms and silks. Although I did hear a "Nascar" comment during the work with the chess silks. All in all the guard work is great and pushes the envelope of what's been done before. I think this show will grow on me and it's one you need to see more that once. Not so much to grasp the concept (which is well laid out) but to appreciate all that is happening on the field. Maybe a little busy for my taste. The whistle warm-up is awesome! It was priceless to watch Hop standing by Brandt Crocker to cue him for "The Cadets, you may take the field for competition" as they seemlessly go from warm-up to opener. I think this show has to win in August for this departure from the norm to be accepted. I'll like it no matter what, but you're going to hear some grumbling from the "traditional" crowd. The reverse uniform thing works, but it wouldn't be a required or necessary element in the show. Tempos in the last part of the show are moving! They've been working on drill pretty hard I assume as Hop was pacing the sidelines to get a view of certain drill elements. He's certainly not your typical "stand behind the drum major and cup your ears" staff member. He lurks with that intensity that must truly drive him and madden him at the same time. The very end of the closer needs a little more communication to the listener, but these things don't happen overnight. The ending kind of felt a little down for me. Not that it was down ending, but it just seems to need some work. It was a bad night for The Cadets amplification. The narration I can live with, but several loud buzzing sounds over the female vocal solo at the beginning of Industrial Evolution. And the same with the drum speak during the percussion break. Really very annoying to myself and to the staff I'm sure. I hope they work those bugs out, because it really halted the flow of the show. Before tonight, I was a silent approver of amplification. But after tonight, I wish it would only be used for pit enhancements. The things the Cavies are doing with it are great. I love all the notes they're playing. But the way The Cadets snare line throws down....I was dissappointed when they stopped playing and started.....well....whatever that was. We'll see what BD come home with, but it's probably a four-way fight for the title. Ok, so I'm not going to get that job with Drum Corps World, but I humbly submit my opinions....

I'm sure they'll hit the ground running and be right in the hunt.... I word....YOWZA!

CLASSIC....Spinal Tap all the way!......