Bob984

yes, this is very late....better late than never...... general.....good weather....really big crowd.....a note: crowd didn't fill up until later.......I really would like to see more fans there for the whole deal...........all of these corps are good, and yet there were many who only showed up for the top 8........you missed some good stuff.....yes, qf is a long show, but......if the corps drew for random order, something tells me suddenly many would be on time............... Pioneer....they made improvement over the season....they are young, but show potential in all captions......fun "Irish" theme... Troopers...........great to see them back and large.......young but competent in all sections....pleasing show.....needed a bit more soprano sound.........I thought percussion did a strong job today........they have much to build on....I thought a bit underscored..... Mandarins...........solid job....I thought this may be their best hornline......I think they are on the right track, and hopefully growth will occur....also thought their score just a tad low...... Seattle.......some big impacts, and corps was competent.........I found the show to be a bit too dissonant and for me wasn't as effective as it could be musically......drumline clarity was an issue..........still, a good corps with lots of potential for the future... Crossmen...........the return of the capes was great and very effective.....why weren't they worn during the actual show?? Drumline and guard were proficient......brass played ok, but lacked impact, and arrangements were choppy. Decent visual book. Young corps. tips: keep the capes, get some fresh, hot arrangements, and the future will be bright............. Madison.........considering how much of their show was changed over the season, they did very well....the show was effective......the corps was young, and if the members stick with it, and they have stability behind the scenes, I feel they will rebound in a hurry........... Blue Stars.........beginning impact was wonderful.............fine horn sound........great pit percussion.............I thought this was a good show....my biggest qualm with it was the ending........just didn't seem very well written and I don't think it was fully effective........had that been stronger, we may have seen them on Saturday.........still, a very solid corps.......... Academy..........my 1st time ever seeing this corps, and I was impressed.......tough brass book, especially sopranos, handled well, and I thought they presented a variety of musical styles effectively.....percussion was competent, too, and they marched with confidence..............I am not a guard person, but noticed the guard score really hurt....however, I felt they should have had a serious nod over Spirit in music effect and brass....enough to put them in, but the judges saw differently..... Spirit.........competent in all sections.................good opening, closing impacts............middle of show lacked emotion and had some major lulls, which didn't show up in the effect score..........I didn't have them making the night show, and I feel they need stronger arrangements if they are going to stay in finals or challenge to move up in the future........... Glassmen..............gypsy theme works......I like some of the arrangements, but find some parts to be too much of a stretch......strong sound, and they played well, both brass and percussion....guard is solid, too......solid job..... Colts...........a strong return to finals....huge brass impacts along with a well-written book that was effective...percussion was musical, and visual/guard package worked fine.....................I am already curious to see what they will come up with for next year............. Boston.....consistent and solid in all captions...........I found the show enjoyable, yet I think they can deliver more excitement.....example: treatment of "La Fiesta" was a bit obscure...why not just play the Maynard version and go for it?? They have a good sound, and can play well, but I can't help feel that stronger arrangements would carry them further....... Blue Knights......the best they have been in quite some time.....strong, mature brass sound.....arrangements well written, and good visual package/coordination......competent percussion.............there scores are getting "up there", and it will be interesting to see if they can take it up a notch or two, as they have progressed well over the past 3 years........ Bluecoats.............the fact that a corps this good is in 7th shows how strong a year it was...........they carry the criminal theme well.....I wanted to see corps members "shoot down" the bandit at the end (lol), but the show was effective, and they performed very well................I thought score could have been a tad higher......... Crown...........probably my favorite corps of the year.........great arrangements which worked very effectively throughout, played by a great hornline with fine quality....I never thought they were fully rewarded judge-wise musically once this season.....the percussion line has come a long way: book is first rate, and they have room to grow there.....guard was stellar, and coordination was strong.........I thought their score was a bit low............. SCV..............great show.....solid arrangements, big impacts, and the visual package presented the music well.....good percussion section that is young and will thus be strong for a long time.........I thought overall score was just a bit low..... Phantom.........very strong in musical performance...that said, I think Firebird arrangement was not the best, and I also thought visual package, while good, was not their strongest point.....however, they performed very, very well...........with great impact and emotion............. Cavaliers.............I felt they were overscored all week long......stellar visual program and guard........musically, all the impact was in the 1st half, and it was severely lacking in the 2nd half, with many impacts barely reaching forte.......they play with very good control, articulation, and pitch, but lack a wide dynamic range.....percussion not as strong as the other contenders, and some noticeable dirt in qf.....music numbers starting to reflect the above problems, although how they received a 19.5 in MUSIC effect is beyond me, especially in comparison to some of the programs behind them that they outscored in music effect.................IMO dynamic range, especially in the marching music idiom, is an important element, yet one I believe they are lacking in but yet it doesn't show up much in the score............ Cadets..............brief side note: (a) they use hashmarks (B) the rulebook requires the field have hashmarks © there were no hashmarks (d) the director had every right to insist that they be there, as did every other corps.....if it wouldn't have been Hopkins, the fans would not have complained.....(e) remarks YELLED at the corps, especially during finals, were uncalled for and should have had the culprits ejected from the stadium.....NO CORPS DESERVES THAT....NOBODY....... They were obviously affected by the hostile environment, but they still performed well.....yep, if you hate narration and can't get by it, then you were not going to like them at all.....but there was a tremendous musical and visual program out there, which was well-written, effective, and performed...their 1st impacts nearly doubled the volume of Cavaliers, yet they retained quality of sound...........probably the most demanding show....score was right, and unfair penalty was removed.......... Blue Devils....they performed very well today......great lead sopranos, and huge impacts....opener sells well, and I liked the "wings".....percussion executed throughout....I thought they sold the program well...better than earlier this season.....they were the tighest corps on the field in quarters, and got the win.............. General:.....I don't know if it is me, but I would like to see more "percussion innovation"......many lines playing very similar licks....body poses......solo snares and then a pose...snares and tenors intermingled....ending with a couple of big hits and then the pose...either frontways or sideways.....there are many other things you can do.......also, many other instrument combos and percussion styles NOT being explored.........this year's sections were good, but I saw so much "copycat" or rehash, to the point that many look/sound the same.............don't be afraid to try something new/different...or rehash something not done in a long time... all in all, a great drum corps season! GB

Here is my semifinals review.....I had a great seat on the 48 yard line.......big crowd, perfect weather..... Pacific Crest....I apologize, as I didn't see them...bad traffic, and I missed their start by 2 minutes............. Crossmen.......the return of the capes was very effective and great.....could have been special if they kept them on througout the show...percussion and guard were pretty strong, as was visual program......musically they were ok, but lacked impact and the arrangements just didn't make it for me.........a young corps with much to build on, though...... Madison....considering they pretty much did a new drill during the season, they are well on their way back...they were quite respectable, and I found the show to be entertaining. I think they have a great young membership to build on, and I expect they will rebound quickly on the competitive front..... Blue Stars.........opening hit was awesome.....drill and show were interesting.........closing arrangement didn't work for me...I think a better chart there could have put them in........they have a solid program..this would have been in finals many years.... Academy.....I was very impressed...a variety of style within the show, handled very well....I felt their musical book, from demand, performance, and effect...was superior to Spirit.....I am not a guard person, and I believe that may have been what kept them out, but I do believe the edge in music should have been bigger and enough......all that said, this young corps really made it interesting in their very first year of division I....... Spirit..........they performed well in all captions. That said, the show just didn't make it for me from an arrangement/musical effect standpoint, and I think that execution should not be the only consideration in effect, which is where I felt their program was lacking...........I didn't think they should have made finals as a result..... Glassmen......they carry the gypsy theme well....arrangements seemed good in some places, and a bit too much of a stretch in others......overall solid corps..... Colts.....I enjoyed their musical program, and visual coordination was good as well.....Colts have made a strong return to finals, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next year............... Boston.....solid in all captions.....unlike many, I actually liked the artist easels and the painting thing......I thought they played well, but need more exciting arrangements....La Fiesta was not the exciting chart it should be......I get the feeling this corps could go further with a better musical product....... Blue Knights.....best BK in many years....brass very full in sound, demanding, well-written book....solid visual, and solid in all captions....the 90 mark well earned this week........solid job.... Bluecoats..........I know that they were not pleased with 7th, but this is a reflection of how good the top 7 were....they carried the Criminal theme well, and performed well in all captions. Not my favorite music book, but they performed well, and many loved it........ Crown........perhaps my favorite show of the year.....arrangements are superb, horn quality of sound was fabulous and not fully recognized by the judging community....the combination of the above, with a vastly improved percussion section that is on their way (maybe not quite yet at championship level, but getting there fast)...this show was VERY effective musically, and that also was not fully reflected all year long....good visual coordination, and a great guard......a great year, and I can't wait to see what they come up with for next year............. Santa Clara.....I loved their show....great musical book, presented well visually, lots of energy, and I thought they were strong......I had them closer in score to those above them.... Phantom.....they performed extremely well......great impacts, strong brass/percussion performance....visual was good but I think they were a bit stronger the past few years there......also, Firebird arrangement didn't make it for me, but they sold their program......... Cavaliers.............stellar visually...........musical problems include too much down time in brass, and a serious lack of impact/dynamic contrast, in the second half especially. I think some judges are starting to recognize this, but I can't see how this program got a 19.5 in music effect, when IMO several programs below them seemed far more effective musically......I thought they were overscored/overranked........ Cadets.....after last night's fiasco, they turned it on..........I am not a narration fan, but I am sorry for those who could not appreciate the great drum corps behind it, as they were.....huge impact, great brass demand/performance, solid arrangements, and solid percussion.....strong visual demand......I thought they may win a close battle here, but they lost by the slimmest of margins....... Devils.....strong performance....great lead soprano line.......I really liked the opener, and they closed strong as well...they worked hard to sell the program, and although it wasn't one of my favorite BD shows, they were successful....... Anaheim Kingsmen alumni.....what a great project...they were totally successful at recreating their glory years....I loved it, and so did the crowd.......... GB

Kingsmen alumni rocked..........great to see these guys out there in grand fashion! GB

Here is my review of DCI finals....I just returned to the east from Cal. late last night, and had no computer on the road, so.... General" large crowds all week.....Rose Bowl not the greatest but not as bad as I thought it would be....sound was good in lower areas.....satisfactory but not great higher......... Spirit.............good opening impacts, and good closing impacts.....I found musical arrangements to be a bit boring, and too many lulls.....good performance level in all captions, but I felt in effect, especially music effect, others below them were better to the point I felt this show should not have made finals.....don't get me wrong, they were still a solid corps.... Glassmen.....mixed bag on the arrangements....some parts seemed to work really well, and some seemed a bit choppy....guard carried gypsy theme well, and I thought they were competent in all sections.....good job... Colts......I felt their arrangements worked well....hornline had huge impacts...good coordination and a musical corps.....a strong return to finals for the Colts..... Boston.......I found their show to be solid and enjoyable..........that said, I felt this corps could achieve more.........for example, I know they wanted to give "La Fiesta" a different treatment feel and arrangement-wise, yet my brain kept hearing the Maynard Ferguson arrangement and how exciting that is....this one was just ok.....but their show was solid overall...... Blue Knights.......this is the best they have been in quite a long time.....solid brass sound, book, percussion, and visual coordination. Although I know that some can't connect with their arrangements, I felt they were well-written and performed....in some years, this show would have been pushing for 6th.......a solid effort, and the future looks good for BK.... Bluecoats......I found the whole "criminal" thing to be entertaining.......they were very strong performers in all captions......although brass played very well, I couldn't grab on to the arrangements, but yet I think they sold their program well to the fans.........the fact this show finished 7th shows how tough a year it was! Crown..........I loved this show all year....great arrangements.....a quality of brass sound that IMO was superb and underscored all year, and a rapidly improving percussion section with a musical book that fits.....I am not a visual person, but the show seems well-coordinated with a great guard......I felt they should have been closer to the top in score, and were underscored in brass, ensemble, and music effect............... SCV.........I thought this product was very well arranged, great musical and visual impacts, and well performed......they came out of the gate fast this year (beating BD), then had a "lull', but I thought they brought their A game this week, and I also felt they should have been closer score-wise..............a great show! Phantom...........I thought they performed musically at a very high level...both brass and percussion, and brass line had huge impacts.......I couldn't fully grab onto the arrangements, especially some key things missing in Firebird, but there is no denying that they performed what was given to them to the hilt and they sold it...........solid job......... Cavaliers.........I felt they were overscored all week.........whereas they were (and always are) stellar visually, they weren't musically.......the 1st half had some impact and showed some promise, then there are no more impacts.....barely reaching forte at the upper end hits; hard to reward that when some brass lines are achieving a much larger dynamic range while still maintaining quality.....Cavs play with good blend, balance, and intonation, but are missing the boat from a dynamics standpoint, and I still don't see that showing up in the effect caption ar as much in the brass/ensemble captions as it should..........percussion also not quite up to snuff compared with the other top lines....... Cadets..........I thought they were very good tonight, although I thought they were a bit better in semifinals.......if you can't get past the narration you most likely hated the show, but if you can, they were fabulous musically and had their strongest brass line in several years, and percussion was quite solid, too......I thought they did a down job in perc. in quarters, and it showed, but they were better in semis/finals, yet there was no change....I felt they had the toughest show on the field, especially the ending of the program, and I thought they may eek out the win, but the judges saw it different......... side note........to the handful of jerks who YELLED derogatory marks DURING their performance....it's good that I was not close to you, because it would have been better for security to remove you beforehand..........NO CORPS deserves that.........if you don't like the corps, then don't clap, don't watch, leave, whatever....but you crossed the line, and you should have had your sorry a^^ thrown out of the show.......... Devils........they have a great hornline and solid drumline.....they performed very well all week....I also felt they had their best show in semis.......they have incredible dynamic range and a great lead soprano line........full, rich brass sound throughout......it is tough for large guard to go all rifles and yet be completely uniform, and for me, they weren't, yet I still appreciated it.........I thought they worked hard to sell their arrangements...whereas their book was not my favorite BD book, it wasn't bad, and they performed very well.........and won.... the judging/results......thought top 7 should have been tighter in score and Devs/Cadets neck and neck like semis were............ it was a great season, and I enjoyed my California visit! GB

SCV performed very well in Pasadena, and I thought they had a great show.....with corps like SCV, Crown, and Bluecoats in 5-6-7, this was a tough year. I actually liked all three of those shows, and thought both SCV and Crown had strong musical products..........at the least, I thought 5-6-7 should have been even tighter in score to 1-4........if SCV and Crown return alot of members next year, look out...........it was a great season!! Congrats to the Blue Devils, and to all of the corps for working your tails off to perform for us! GB

There were also inappropriate things yelled during the Cadets finals performance, and some people laughing as if that was ok. I am glad that happened far from me, because if those $%^$%^% would have been anywhere close to me, they would have had a problem, and it would have been to their advantage to have security remove them first......while I am at it, we also now have tons of new $%^$^$ who feel that they deserve to make the record by yelling in quiet spots.....they need to be taken out......if that is your conduct, go to where it belongs...at monster trucks or pro wrestling........ GB

I think DCI is always getting a worse rep than deserved regarding Div. II/III. Yes, DCI is going to promote the Division I Corps more......whether anyone likes it or not, they are the "major league". I think it is false to say that DCI doesn't care about II/III corps or doesn't want them to do well. I do think that perhaps show sponsors of Div II/III shows may be less experienced and could use more guidance to advertise Div II/III shows to bring out more fans. If someone runs a show and doesn't get enough people to make a little $$$, let alone maybe not break even, they are not going to run another one. Maybe using the approaches that some successful minor league baseball teams use might provide some ideas. The one thing I have read in the threads that I full agree with is that the Division II/III Championship should be held at the same spectacular venue as the Div. I championship. I also believe maybe we should return to adding the top 8 div II/III corps to open class quarterfinals. That will give those corps some great exposure. I also believe they should return to having the II/III champions perform exhibitions at finals. All of the above will give the II/III competitors some additional rewards to look forward to, and good promotion/exposure of their corps. GB

It was even worse for the 1977 Oakland Crusaders....who solidly beat everyone, including Blue Devils, in prelims, but the corps was 14th and didn't make finals......without them there, Devils won............. GB

and don't forget the optional 3-dimensional HD aspect, complete with the special glasses given to fans before the show!!!(LMAO)

and the crowd goes wild....(lol) everyone sitting with their metronomes, realizing what they have done..........also, two bass drum wipeouts during the improvised drill segment was better than last night, when the whole line went down.......the 2nd corps really *$##ed up on their improvised music, though.......................... GB

Unless you were really "off" in performance, I would think at this stage of the season, a 15.7 down to a 13.7 is pretty drastic (those numbers are in "different worlds" at this stage of the game) , to the point of raising some question marks........ GB

thanks for the review! GB

For a good while now, Div II can have a full size corps. Division II is for corps that wish to compete at that level, with corps of that experience level. It is not based on travel, but they still overall have fewer shows than most division I corps...that said, the div II/III corps are traveling more than they did. You are totally right that calling a corps Division II has zippo to do with the size of the corps....div. III still does. I don't think they should necessarily be grouped together with division I during the regular season......there are a decent number of division I shows that also have div II/III competitors....all that having them all compete against each other would mean, for the most part, is lower scores for these developing corps.....but I would be fine with the top div II/III qualifying to appear/compete at Open quarterfinals.... GB

I have wondered about this myself.....where would the judges place a 1980 Bridgemen in the scheme of things?? GB

Either the encores should be by who won the show, or by totally random draw...nothing in between. Also, I feel that who ever wins a regional should play the encore. I know at East, many fans were asking...."why are Cavaliers playing....why isn't it the Blue Devils" ??? GB

Whereas I feel your intentions are good, what you are suggesting will never happen....corps is a volunteer youth activity, not the NBA...Kids are going to audition and march where they want to. For non-finalists to attract talented members...recruiting is the name of the game. Basketball is actually a great example. 20 years ago, would a George Mason have made the final 4.....no way.....but they did 2 years ago, and it wasn't a fluke....they had a great team, and that happened not only through coaching, but the players who decided to play there, and they were recruited. Many, many schools now do a good job of recruiting in basketball, and thus we are seeing new success stories every year. It's even starting to happen in football. I guarantee you that alot of "name" teams would not have wanted to play Boise State in football at the end of last year...... Some corps do a good job of recruiting. Also, once you are a top 5 corps, especially if you have won a title, the corps' reputation does the recruiting for you, but even then, those corps are still pushing for the best kids they can find. There are tons of kids going to colleges across the nation for music, and that source is not tapped out by any stretch. Recruiting from good HS programs is ok, too. I do think that many corps need to get people out in the fall to colleges and band shows and put the word out and invite people to camp, no strings attached. I was on staff of a major corps as a grad student.....I posted a flyer in the music building. I also recruited at my old high school, who had a killing drum line that year. With next to no effort, I put 15 people in the corps by myself, most who stayed 2 years....some longer....the corps went from 10th to 3rd to 1st. I realize that we were a finalist going in (but 10th, and 17th the year before). I have also had several success stories when current members were encouraged to bring musician friends to a camp, no strings attached, to just "check it out", and after the experience, consider if it would be something that they would be interested in. What else that is great about this approach, is that the new member or members have a few kids in the corps that they already know, and that helps the new kid feel a bit more at ease when you are going to be "living" with these people in the summer..... Staffs of top corps should be recommending to ANY student who does not make it to "march somewhere", and recommend where they may fit in best. I actually recommended a kid to a competitor finalist (and called their caption head), because the kid had money/logistics problems, and was living 30 minutes away from the competitor...they did fine there, and I did a good thing. If a young kid comes in and the instructor knows they are not ready for this level.....recommend a div II or div III corps that may be a good fit. If they are ready, but you simply do not have room, write and sign a recommendation note for that kid to take to another Div. I audtion. There are kids who audition once for a top 5 corps, don't make it, and never march there or anywhere, and that is sad. I do think that perhaps a rule should be made that if you march in a division I corps and wish to march in another division I corps the next year, that you should be ineligible and have to wait a year, unless your old corps "releases" you to do so (there may be very legitimate reasons) However, I have actually read on DCP posts by individuals who are marching in a FINALIST corps who say, and "I hope to age out next year with the......." (insert top 3 corps), or "I think I'll make it next year" (referring to that corps). Nearly every top 5 corps has members who were in other FINALIST corps the year before...........I think if they had to sit out a year, that would curtail that a bit.........some of those who choose to do that seem to be a bit more interested in "me" than "we", and there is something to be said for corps loyalty. If I am a junior basketball player at NC State, and Florida wins the NCAA championship....I can't say, "my senior year I think I'll go play for Florida...they passed on me out of high school, but I am good enough now"...something's not quite right about that, and they would have to sit out a year under NCAA rules....I do think, though, that going from a div II/III to a div. I corps the next year is a fact of life, and creating the rule to stop that would actually hurt the div II/III corps more than the div. I. Ironically, this year I think the field at DCI is very deep and competitive. Some of the corps who do not make finals would have gotten in other years......the competition for 12th is absolutely fierce this year, and even for 17th. I would not be surprised if there is less than 2-3 points seperating 11th and 17th. This is a good thing. GB

I did like when the top Div II corps were advanced to quarterfinals.........good exposure for those corps, and there were some "upsets" had.....I see no harm in it..... Also, although I have enjoyed the Marine Corps D+B Corps exhibitions at the start of finals, I did like when the div II/III champs were allowed to perform.......................I think the hype to be able to perform in front of a large crowd is a good thing for those kids.......even if they were to do exhibitions at semis, that may be cool.......I was not in favor when they moved II/III to different venues and they are totally separate..........all of the above place at these the top groups in front of a big audience..... GB

Effect judging at DCI is flawed.....it has become nothing more than a performance caption....if you execute extremely well, you are "magically" also suddenly effective.........meanwhile, there are arrangement problems, and serious lulls in programs not reflected in scores..........does performance impact effect? Absolutely. But a well-performed program may have the other above problems and may be void of emotion.....DCI has made execution the epitomy of effect.....but there have been some extremely effective shows that have been horribly underscored in effect....this year's Crown program is a classic example. GB

Cavs have been 5th in composite music at all 3 major showdowns thusfar, so that is probably where they are at the moment....What is cool is that 6 of the top 7 have now broke the 90 mark, and hopefully Vanguard will do it very soon.....this could be a wild race............ GB

1980 Bridgemen

hey...I remember Oakland's drumline well that year.....we had alot of shows with you (I was in 77 Crossmen), .....you might be happy to know, that on the field at finals, when they were getting ready to announce high percussion, and we were kind of assuming BD was going to win by "default", there were some shouts among multiple drumlines on the field who yelled...."Oakland"........I'm having some computer problems at the moment, but when I get them fixed....I do have your prelims performance on recording......... GB

Cadets.....

You don't have to accept anything.....however, this is a democracy, and none of us have the right to tell ANYONE how to feel about ANY corps....all have a right to their opinion...keep in mind you are talking about KIDS, and not professional performers....NO CORPS DESERVES DISRESPECT.....NOT ONE......all of these kids, regardless of their level, are out busting their humps 8-14 hours per day, sleeping on gym floors, and traveling thousands of miles to do this.....contrary to what you feel, they are ALL winners, and I believe there is some fine brass playing happening out there.....if you don't like it, or only like the Cavaliers, then simply only watch Cavaliers.... GB

BD is winning because they are executing well....I think their opener is effective, the next part so-so, and the rest falls off the cliff.....DCI has a huge problem with how music effect is judged: they might as well call it something else, because they are not judging effect....Cavs 1st in music?? Don't agree there, and neither do the judges or most people I have talked to. They have the same problem...1st half they play well and generate some excitement....2nd half, they can hardly make a forte, and it goes nowhere....they play well, but there is more to playing than balance/timing: they really lack dynamic contrast in the 2nd half...there are several hornlines that are better this year.. Cavs have been 5th in composite music in all of the big shows, and I don't see them finishing higher there. I think the Cadets are strong....I, like many, do not like the narration, but if you get past that, they are fabulous from a music standpoint and the visual product is very demanding and works well...I think their total package is superior to both BD and Cavs... GB

I pretty much agree with you......BD's 1st half is good, and then it's a sleeper.....rest of the charts, like you said, stale.....I think they are scoring well because they are executing, but how Music Effect is being judged is a joke...... GB