BlueCollarDrumCorps

One of my old Scout shirts from 86/87. Maybe some of you remember this one.....very Dick Tracy looking. It's a girl looking at a Scout saying.... "But you said scoring wasn't important....." Bill

So, would this be "legal" per the current rules or “interpretation” of the rules if incorporated into a show this season? Just curious. Many strong feelings here about issues that could warrant a thread themselves but seem as more as a distraction or deflection to some fundamental questions. So...could this be repeated this season? Bill

mouthpiece.....

GO Châtelaines de Laval ! All-"Girl" Corps added another interesting dimension. Something that I miss. This topic did make me think of All Girl groups in high school. Anyone familiar with all-girl high school drum and bugle corps? Believe it or not, there was at least one in Texas (Baytown-Sterling) and they were huge. They had drums, bugles, color guard AND dance. They also had a large band. Half-time was shared between visiting and home band and the D & B Corps. This was a fun group to watch :P Bill

I think Michael Boo has a good angle on this. I put a little more emphasis on it being a summer youth activity. Yes, I know groups go all year but the major commitment is summer. Something similar to American Legion Baseball or Summer Club Soccer. I think the focus of travel and the wonderful diverse experiences help illustrate the differences in traditional band compared to drum corps. The NCAA reference for me is a little broad from the participation standpoint although I do understand it from the organisational view as you clarified. Similarities between the NCAA are more along the line of Division III schools not I and II. Corps kids pay to play. NCAA/Schools provide so students can play. Scholarships, room, board and a more extensive support group (counsellors, physicians, tutors nutritionists, compliance etc...). So I do not disagree, I feel the commitment is deeper in some ways when you put the hours in AND have to find the resources or pay your way. Our family friends have a working understanding of drum corps and understand my support of the activity but it still doesn’t stop them from “ Oh, your going to band camp” followed by other American Pie references. :) We have a few laughs but they understand and support it and continue to come to community band concerts, kids musicals, community theatre and other opportunities and see them all informally linked. I do tend to believe that aligning drum corps with other musical activities makes us stronger overall. Bill

Flam, no sweat….you have nothing to apologize for. Thanks for the review. Bill

Thanks for the review. Nice perspective. Bill

SUNCOAST 84 Controversial at the time for polictical reasons (not music selection). In some ways it would be similar to doing a show about Iraq. Some people don't know that Vietnam wasn't widely taught or spoken about in school during the late 70's and early 80's Great tunes and it pulled you in. bill

It'll be fine....looks aren't that important anyway; or at least that's what they tell me.... :) Did remind me of the old Geneseo Knights though. The orange ones from the early 80's. On another note, I think the new Fleur de lis is great and the web site is looking really good. I have really enjoyed the communication and information from the corps, and feel much more connected. Great job all! bill

Wow Thanks, what memories. That was my first year to march in corps with a first year corps the NighHawks. I was 15 and we toured quite a bit with Suncoast and we looked up to them. I remember after a show the corps arced up and played Greatest Love just for us. Man, that was really special and made us newbies really feel welcome. It was fun to see "and hear" Pete(y)? on timps! What a show he put on. Thanks for the memories and we were really cheering for an upset of Spirit for finals that year! bill Houston NightHawks Madison Scouts

Yup, I think MB3 in 82 was nice too I loved the opener...BUT does anyone remember Suncoast in 82? Boy, they were pure energy. I thought they should have edged Spirit out of finals. I think Madison 86 is overlooked also. Take a listen. Bill

Here I come down on the fence again as I only have anecdotal evidence and personal experience but… If this is or isn’t a trend is irrelevant because it can not be supported in a fashion which action can be taken to respond to the condition. Associations with similar mission/visions should collaborate to assess and evaluate the condition of these activities. This is more common than you might think. Are associations responding or reacting? I believe success or survival is much more complicated than music selection, television or level of dues. There does not appear to be data that looks at these activities as a whole. I do not do this for a living but my environment demands this level of understanding. Possible approach (not solution) As I sometimes am a little obtuse when I communicate through email here is a rudimentary example: DCI DCA WGI BOA (Insert any other similar group) These groups can work collaboratively (or collectively) on sharing information, comparing experiences and commissioning studies/assessments that assist in meeting the mission of these groups. Let’s see, how about the Council on Marching and Visual Arts. I know, lame so make up your own. So what to look at… (Again, I do not do this for a living) • Change and change drivers – how much, what are expectations, causes, how will it affect association functions. • Competition – what is it, how to respond. • Skilled staff/workers – recruitment, retention • Threats to success • Corporate needs • Government funding/regulation • (insert issues determined by this group to be of value) I think this will give us a more global understanding of what the conditions are. It appears that common language and indicators can not be agreed upon. If we can not understand or define the scope of the discussion then we are talking to hear ourselves talk. Bill

Hey, you called it! Good ol' 6 to 5. This is the stride we marched in Jr. High The days when marching a straight line was the norm. bill

Diesel of course... When I see 2 or more buses together that aren't yellow Gyros...Parthenon’s in Madison during camp…yum! B-52’s overhead…from the shows in Rome, NY. Plaid Spats tube tops :) bill

Sorry if this has been said but I briefly skimmed the other 34+ pages on this topic… There should be a considerable savings that will be incurred by DCI locking up event space and room blocks. For those of you familiar with event planning you can imagine the comp. rooms and other benefits DCI will get from this. Usually rates for rooms are locked at a certain range. Food and use of resources are also factored in. I would think that the single site benefits would be passed on…you hope. So, this is an opportunity for some savings for hopefully DCI and it’s member corps, fans and a benefit to Indianapolis. bill

I would have to say the 4 beat simple type rhythm from the drum line before a big hit with the occasionally arms flailing. Dat…dat dat dat…dat dat DAT …BLAAAHHHH. Not to pick on percussion but the DUT DUT DUT is kind of distracting. Not sure if that is a trend or fad but it really seems like a crutch. Bill

Hey Brian, it’s been a long time! It’s Bill Callender on this end! You're still as passionate about the Scouts as I remember. I was a little disappointed when you went from Euphdaddy to baritone but hey, we all make mistakes… What happened to Booger? Well, I'll save those questions for later. I know where you’re coming from as far as the “style” of show. I have also noticed this shift in the recipe that makes up the Scouts. There is a base style for each corps but there is something more fundamental about how it is folded into what the corps is about. I guess the example that comes to mind is the Scouts and Colas. Some may have hated the music but you knew it was definitely the Scouts playing it. I think we are also in agreement that it has absolutely nothing to do with the kids. They are incredibly talented and committed Scouts and brothers but just at a different place in time. As for your question, that’s tough. If it’s too much of a departure, yes. But as stated above, if you have a strong identity, you can make almost anything your own and I think that might be what you’re touching on. There is repertoire and there is identify. Bill

Believe it or not, I took 9 people out to see the Salem show. I opted for the less expensive seats. What occurred at the stadium was a little embarrassing. The prime seats were of course in the middle of the stands. They were at 10%-15% capacity. I have never experienced that marching so I was wondering how it must have looked to have the vast majority of the crowd weighing down the sides of the bleachers. I made my choice to purchase those tickets and sit were I did but it also seems so did everyone else. I hope they rethink the pricing structure. It could also be the next show is 30 minutes up the road 2 days later. Bill

It was a nice cool night for drum corps which I’m sure the kids appreciated. This show was moved down the road from Woodburn to Salem (Willamette University) where the Oregon Argonauts and Flamingos started. The founder was in the audience and looked to be pushing a spirited mid-80’s. I do need to say something about stadiums in the northwest; they are small and all have a roof that pretty much covers about 2/3 of the grandstand side with little to no bleachers back field. Not much for visual but WONDERFUL for sound. So a couple of other observations…I could not find souvie booths for the Crusaders or Thunder. Surprising since this was the opening home show. I wanted to stop in and get a few things to support the groups and donate some gas money but zilch, nada, zip, zero. I guess I’ll need to do it the old fashioned way and go on-line. And I think I mentioned this in a review last year but northwest corps love green. 3 nice variations on black pants and green accented tops. One last thing…reading the descriptions on corps shows reminded me of reading the J. Peterman Catalog…. On to the show. Disclaimer: I didn’t purposefully look for details so all numbers and sequencing mentioned below may be off. Spokane Thunder – I think this group has improved since last year. I believe this was the opening show of the season and they did a great job. Guard seemed to be around 5 girls and they held their own and seemed confident throughout the show. The brass were well balanced with the low brass anchoring the corps. Overall a good show with attainable demand and something the kids can enjoy cleaning and performing. Oregon Crusaders – Boy did they come out on all cylinders. This reminded me of some of the discussions on the board on show accessibility. They have a well put together show with moments throughout that will leave you smiling and clapping. OC had a swagger that I didn’t even see in SVC or BK tonight. Echo as the show is called uses back field playing quite a bit. As there was no back field, effect was not as apparent. Hornline was as strong as ever and very well balanced. Again, low brass are very strong and the trumpet soloist was not shy at all. The ballad piece again used very effective back field effects and ends with a great upper register trumpet solo. Drum break with bass drum solo was strong and a crowd pleaser. It has been done before so it makes it even more important in how you sell it and sell it they did. Strong players in the corps. As entertaining as and anyone on the field. Seattle Cascades – I have seen a few scores on DCP and was wondering what to expect. As my screen name implies, I always have room for things that are down to earth and easy to catch and am not particularly fond of esoteric things that require a lot of explanation (except Spartacus librettos). BUT… I did enjoy the beginning of this show. I thought it got peoples attention and brought them into the show without a single note being played. They ended the show in the back right corner of the field. This was ok. I think to end in that way you need quite a bit in the middle and it is not there yet. Not enough highs and lows in this show. Sorry for not more on this but I pretty much only remember the beginning and end. Ahhh, that’s the problem. Blue Knights – I have never been particular to the Knights repertoire but I think I could get into this. They seem to have quite a bit of demand in the show. Horn book is good and sounds as if it has lots of black on the pages. Visual seemed pretty fluid throughout the show. They certainly are moving more than I can ever remember from past shows. The slow number in the middle was the highlight for me. Beautiful and full of angst. Yep, I said it, angst. I would call it an angry ballad. BK seems to have a way of scoring these great moody slow pieces. Brass seemed as strong as SVC tonight. There is plenty of room for this show to grow. SCV – I am judging them on all my past experiences but they seemed to be at about 75% tonight. Not quite the laser eyed controlled intensity SCV ^0^ that I am used to. Visual book stands out as more difficult than BK with more exposure; bigger sets and forms. Good to see them going this route. Horn book is good with notes everywhere. You can tell sections are strong but again they seemed reserved tonight. Never thought you’d hear reserved and SCV together in the same sentence huh? This is probably from changes in the show and getting comfortable. The pit had the typical solid performance with opportunity to shine. The drum line didn’t seem to lay it down as they normally do. Not sure if it’s the writing or execution. Guard looked solid with occasional drops here and there and there are well placed throws in the show. This show also has a great foundation and just needs some shine. So, now onto the encore… Not sure what to make of it. OC and BK played together and it seemed to be approached as if you had them performing scales. “Let’s get it over and done with”. OC encore was fun with Washington Post followed by Nena’s 99 Luftballons and something else I didn’t recognize. The crowd enjoyed those pieces and it was fun to see the kids in the corps really having a good time. Nothing is more rewarding than looking at the kids on the field and seeing uncontrollable smiles. Oh yeah, did I mention? No amplified narration, oration, vocalese, singing, talking or rapping. b**bs Bill

I would suggest contacting the Office of Admissions. Most schools have an extensive system in place to assist in the admissions process and help with the transition to campus during the first year; similar to Vets taking care of rookies during camps. On-line registration and early campus visits should also help. You may be able to hook up with all the information you need through that process. Sometimes how campuses treat you coming in is a good reflection of how responsive they will be during the remainder of your stay. I don’t remember if you said you were going to be in band but sometimes departments are set-up to help students also. I work at a PAC-10 school in the Division of Student Affairs so our business is helping students succeed. If you have any more questions feel free to message me; I would be more than glad to help out where I can. Bill :)

Southwind Wish I could’ve seen them MANDARINS I love Adagio….with TAKO! SEATTLE Love Seattle and hate narration CAPITAL REGIMENT Hmmm….not much to remember (dial folks got a workout!) XMEN Enjoyed it…they enjoyed it. Colts Sorry don’t remember too much SPIRIT Fun, got to… adjust…. tint…. GLASSMEN Nice change from the past SCV Intense but something is missing BK Strong ensemble sections trumpets/percussion BAC Sorry don’t remember too much CROWN Nice, don’t remember music much BLOOOOO I get it, nice job MADISON Great, ending comes too quick? BD Sorry, liked 1/5 of show…… Phantom Best sound of the night? CAVIES Can I have a ladder? Cadet’s Jumbly bumbly, tilt the field Special Note: Loved Phantoms narration…wait, they didn’t do any did they? William

It's always interesting how these topics evolve. If we first assumed positive intent in these discussions, understanding would come somewhat easier. The irony of a “discussion board” is somewhat comical. Just by the design of this technology clarity has to be at the forefront of the post or things tend to spiral away from the original thought. Bari-nice, I hope to have the opportunity to have my kids in the activity such as yourself and sometimes have to restrain myself from being the drum corps version of the little league parent. Kudos to you and have a great summer. William

Well, I guess I am crammed on the fence on this one but… Its relative isn’t it? D1’s noted surprises are quite different than D2/3. I would agree with BluesStarsBari. From the recent talk over the past few years on the decline of the drum corps activity in general to smaller corps not receiving support it would seem that this year is moving the overall activity in a positive direction. The quality of performance and product from these groups is not quite surprising but I do believe they have slipped under the radar due to all the buzz about the excitement of D1. I have been more pleasantly surprised about D2/3 than D1. Maybe just my expectations are different? William

I was at the show and thought they should have scored higher. No recaps up to see how they compared to SCVC or BDB. Of course it was the first show but they really played with confidence. They really let loose with the hornline and had some very good dynamic moments. As far as raw energy they were up there with all the other groups that night. The operative word is potential. They have the equipment, now they just have to tweek and tune. Not sure how they will place in but they are fun to watch and a joy to listen to. Nice arranging and not too difficult. I think another new (fairly) and long tradition of drum corps in the northwest is started. William

First off, I can’t remember if I have posted here before since it has been so long and I don’t remember my login so…time for a new identity. Some of my thoughts echo a previous poster on this show but I noticed a few additional things. I should mention that I thought the spread from the Crusaders was quite large and would like to see the recaps. Same with the Cascades. This is probably the smallest stadium on the tour. Imagine bleachers in a 3 car garage. Metal roof and back encloses the stands and the rows go A to M (that’s 13 rows total) so for those who want the sound experience, Woo Hoo! Drill folks are out of luck. Maybe this has something to do with scores? So onto the show… Oregon Crusaders - I think most people will really enjoy this show if not for the music but the impact and the way the kids sell the show. They can play very loud and full. I think they had 50 or so horns. I believe this was their first show and since kids in Oregon don’t get out of school until mid-June they did a wonderful job. They are confident and did I mention loud. Everything was dirty tonight; drum line, guard, marching, and horns but it was still entertaining because of the intensity. They believe in the show and the music book is written well. Good job Lewis! A smile was on my face the entire show. SCV Cadets - I have read the previous reviews on this show and agree they are not the same as a year or 2 ago but they are still an SCV organization and that showed. A little intonation issues in the mid voices but overall they balanced well for a small group. I watched the drum line warm-up with my kids and my little girl enjoyed watching the 3 girls in the line. 2 bass and a snare. She thought they were better than the boys. Spokane Thunder - Great first outing! People really enjoyed the show. I believe it was hard for both SCV and Thunder to follow the Crusaders. Did I mention they were loud? Horn line seems a little young. I thought 5 in the guard would be distracting but it seemed to work very well. I think once they start working on the impact points the show will flow much better. I was pleasantly surprised. Not a big deal but what is with black and green. It seems that is the prerequisite color for corps from the Northwest. Blue Devils B - Not a guard person but they had a presence. Guard unis stand out as does the corps. Nice to have white in there. Horns are balanced and play very well. Laid it down when needed and the original music suited them well. The drum line had some attitude and really got the crowd into. Now I am not sure if this has been mentioned before but they have a kid in the guard who is fabulous! He has the skill and style and was amazing. He stood out for the fact that he was about a foot and a half shorter than everyone else. Looked to be 9 or 10. Cascades - Uh, hmm, let’s see…LOUD would describe the horn line. Nice and strong. They are as loud as Phantom but not nearly as balanced or in tune. But I like my music loud so I was enjoying it! The large shapes didn’t add anything to the show. The music and effects in the pit help set-up and tell the story. Drum line seemed a little muddled but again it’s early. Now onto the guard. I did enjoy the guard and the work on the field. The uniforms look similar to Cavies bike show minus knee pads but better. Nice colors. They are rather low cut for the girls/women in the line. I am no prude but some members had issues with possible “wardrobe malfunctions” and I would recommend a tad more material. I bet you thought I forgot about the narration didn’t you? I went in with an open mind and here is what I came away with. Looking solely at the content, the show could stand on its own and doesn’t need it. When you factor in the ability to understand the performer while the corps is playing it makes it a little more difficult to appreciate all that is happening. Phantom - Really enjoyed the show. Nice start with the pit and a well balanced opening statement. Guards unis fit well and the work complements the show well for what I noticed. I didn’t notice Gene Kelly much so I can’t say he was a distraction. Drum/horn line are doing nicely as is the enormous pit. Execution was good and the show seemed to flow well as pieces were interwoven nicely. What a wonderful job they do with Gershwin! Finale - Everyone seemed to enjoy Omericanada although it is a little awkward in throwing it in there at the end. Encore was great. Some people actually complained that it was TOO LOUD? Ughhh! I restrained myself and told them to check their batteries. Nothing like some Khachaturian to part the hair. I haven’t heard that live since 81-82. Yes that was me with the silly joker like grin. Of course Wagner to close out was great and I did hear the fat lady singing! The crowded responded with a very long standing ovation and you could see the smiles on the kids faces. Every corps received a standing O and their efforts were much appreciated. What a night of Drum Corps. William