drumcorpsguardmom

Favorites: Cavies: Distinctive and perfect for the show. Madison: Distinctive and perfect for the show. Crown: Understated, functional design, beautiful color looked great with the flags Capital Regiment (closer): Bright colors looked great with the flags Least Favorites: Cadets: Liked the fabric but one of the styles was pretty dowdy Spirit: Dull, strange styles, didn’t like the sideline striptease on finals night and the arms dangling if the member didn't get the arms tied around their waist properly. SCV: Really couldn’t figure them out Southwind (orange): buttcrack Phantom (females): buttcrack

I know that it's way too early to make any predictions...kind of like trying to predict when Phantom will win it's next ring..., but I voted "yes" because I WANT IT TO HAPPEN. I love the Scouts and I loved the 2006 show, even though I was in the minority. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the bottom line...in order to field a competitive corps next year, any corps needs to attract a talented, well known instructional and design staff who in turn, can attract talented members and vets. The Scouts are luckier than many other corps who don't have the long history of excellence. Despite this shake-up at the top, many vets will come back because they ARE Scouts. There may be some members who follow their caption heads to other corps, but I expect that many talented newcomers will audition because they want to be Scouts. So, good luck to Scouts organization. I hope you find the right director for the job and he in turn, hires the right staff. And, I can't wait to see you in finals next year!

Johnny Cash isn't really my cup of tea, but I'm sure that I will love whatever show the Troopers do in 07. Maybe I'll rent the Johnny Cash movie tomorrow and see if it changes my mind.

I really wanted to like BK's show but I'm afraid that the minimalist use of equipemnt by the guard really got in the way for me. I just kept wondering when they were going to quit dancing and show me some great equipment work. I probably didn't pay enough attention to the music, so I think that I'll go play my CD now.

How could anyone beat you for such an inspiring, well thought-out post. You made some wonderful points.

Gosh, I remember the color palette as being one of my favorite things about this show (different strokes). I loved the red guard unis. But the thing that I remember most was when they used the "candy corn" flags in the closer. One of the stripes on those flags matched the cumberbuns on the corps uniforms and it made the field just sparkle. I thought that it was a great effect!

I liked Chakra quite a lot. I just wish that the guard uniforms had brighter colors like are used in all the beautiful saris in India. I think that the show could have been visually a lot more stunning.

What should happen to Capital Regiment? I’m going to be like a politician and answer a different question: What does Capital Regiment need to do to field a competitive corps next year? I have no experience running a corps but I do have management experience and of course, I have opinions. And, I would hate to see another drum corps fall by the wayside. Bottom line, in order to field a competitive corps next year, Capital Regiment needs to attract a talented, well known instructional and design staff who in turn, can attract talented members and vets. At this point, it is time to stop the accusations. To the angry members and parents, your points have been made, loud and clear. It really doesn’t matter whether the accusations are entirely accurate or not, the damage to the corps reputation has been done. So my thoughts are as follows: *Capital Regiment needs to hire new director. Rightly or wrongly, the current director’s reputation has been damaged beyond repair and would likely be an impediment to attracting top design and instructional staff and members. The new director should have Div. 1 drum corps experience so that there is not a lot of on-the-job learning required. It seems that Rick Bays built this corps from the ground up, but it looks like it is now time for him to assume a different role and let a new director build on the foundation that has been laid in order to take this corps to the next level. *Decide if the finances are sound enough to field a corps in 2007. *Decide BEFORE the November audition camps whether or not you can successfully field a corps in 2007 and then stick to that decision. Do not be another Kiwanis and contract kids to the corps then decide at the last minute not to march, leaving those kids high and dry. That would be highly unethical and unfair to the kids who have chosen Capital Regiment as the place they want to march. *Retain most of the current design and instructional staff (who appear to have done a very good job) for the sake of continuity. Or, hire very well known design and instructional staff members with top 12 experience. I believe that an unknown design and instructional staff will do nothing to attract talented new members and vets. *Beef up the board of directors so that they can act independently and provide the proper oversight. *Get formal training in “Sports Nutrition” and “Sports Medicine” for selected staff and volunteers. I have mentioned before that I wish that DCI provided these workshops, but I am sure that consultants can be located. Maybe several corps could go together to foot the bill for this. *Get a formal alumni association going. I know Capital Regiment hasn’t been around for very long but I’m sure that there are alumni out there who will be loyal supporters and helpers for many years to come. Some of them post regularly on DCP. Parents come and go, but your alumni will always be with you. Steve Sorrell posted an interesting tale of the history of Spirit in the Sal Salas discussion (there’s more on p.23 of that discussion). It doesn’t exactly apply to the Capital Regiment situation, but I think it might provide some food for thought for those in a position to re-vamp Capital Regiment. This is a very long quote from Steve's post" "Allow me to share a very similar scenario... Although my corps, Spirit, doesn't have as lengthy a history as the Scouts, what you and many others describe in these pages have a very similar feel to what we've experienced down south throughout the years. When Spirit first formed, we had no alumni, yet the corps rocketed to the top quickly because of a stellar staff and some very talented members. When many of those staffers moved on in the next Spirit era...my marching years in the early to mid 80s...we did have a few alumni on staff in various roles...drivers, mechanics, M&M instructors, but there was not a unified "association" of alumni. We were indeed still a young corps. By the time we had a few years under our belt and we felt the need to form an official alumni association, the corps had fallen on some hard times on the field. As probably most any corps can attest, when your corps begins to slip in the rankings, alumni seem to fade away quickly...sad but true. some go kicking and screaming, while others simply move on. Of course it didn't help that we were no longer very "southern" any more, as we had recently brought Stravinsky and a space themed show to the field. We had a small nucleus of alumni that worked in the alumni association, running bingo and other things, for a few years. Then, major changes came. Our founder and long time director, Freddy Martin was replaced as the director. In came a yankee...someone that none of us knew. For the majority of the 90s, alumni were never made to feel welcome. There was even a bit of hostility between the members of that era and members from my era and before because in the members eyes, we had abandoned them. There was no sense of history whatsoever. The director had even destroyed (yes destroyed) ALL corps records of prior members...rosters, audition forms, music scores...you name it...gone. Spirit of old was indeed dead in his eyes and that attitude trickled down to some extent to many of the members. The corps didn't even look like Spirit, from a traditional sense. In 1999, as tour finished, many current members began to return home and flood our unofficial Spirit alumni discussion forum. They began to share stories of their experiences on the road, many of which some of us long time staffers and former members questioned. So, in an effort to begin a unified front to possibly address some of these issues, I and a handful of other key alumni began to re-organize our inactive alumni association (luckily, the former Treasurer of the organization had continued to pay our annual fees to the state of GA, essentially keeping the SOAAA legally alive). However, we began to hit brick walls. It became clear that the director only wanted us to give money, but still not have any kind of association with "his" corps. We didn't go for that. Disappointed, we set out on a new direction with our alumni association...to simply be a social group that provides communication of former members. But what a difference a few days make. In May of 2000, the SOAAA was basically a bunch of drinking buddies that got together, watched old videos, and remembered good times from the past. In June of 2000, we were called on to help save the corps. The SOAAA went from being nothing in the eyes of the corps, to one of the saviours. The yankee director was out, and in came an influx of former members, directors, managers, and the like. The corps was in danger of folding, so we set out to stop that. In just 48 hours, I had received pledges of nearly $20K from alumni all over the country to help pull Spirit up. That's a drop in the bucket to what was needed, but without it, Spirit would never have experienced a complete summer. In 2001, with the corps ASKING for the alumni to help, not only did we assume responsibility of running the business of corps souvenirs (a business that is to this day still operated 100% by the SOAAA) but we also provided a majority of the funds needed to return the corps to its original baby blue uniform. Since that time, an alumni presence is evident at all Spirit camps, rehearsals, shows, etc. The souvenir booth is manned by former members for the duration of tour. With all of this show of support, the corps began to find it's way to honor the former Spirit members with little snipets of previous Spirit charts within their arrangements...Let It Be Me, Old Man River, Blues in the Night. We have an annual picnic at the Memorial Day camp which is a huge success. Current Spirit members get to meet many former members from some of the great Spirit corps from yesterday. Stories are shared and history is learned. The members of Spirit for the past few years have a keen sense of Spirit history. They know where they came from and how the corps came to be where it is now. Even though the corps seems to have a lock on 12th place currently, you never see a Spirit alumnus publically ridicule their corps. We don't like 12th place year after year no more than Madison likes 9th or worse. And believe me, we love our old Spirit style and sound, but we also accept that this isn't our era of corps anymore. We've tried Old Man River, LIBM, and other Spirit classics, and we've tried the newer wind ensemble stuff like Holsinger and Whitaker. We understand that the corps must search for its place in the drum corps world, and that might involve straying from the tried and true southern theme from time to time." Good luck Capital Regiment. I hope to see you on the field next year, stronger than ever!

Granny: Historically, have Troopers drawn mostly from Rocky Mt. states or from all over the country? What will Troopers' recuiting strategy be?

I haven't read all 16 pages so maybe someone already said this but... Fortunately, Crown's placement is irrelevant to my enjoyment of the show. I haven't always liked Crown shows but this year they rank in my personal top 4. I just loved this show. Loved the music, loved the drill, loved the guard. I especially loved the guard uniforms and the color scheme was just luscious. I also really loved the "frozen motion" start. Congratulations, Crown. Keep up the good work.

I really love #3 and #4. I usually like white pants best, but I don't know in this case. I think that I'm leaning toward #3.

I have to agree with that. It's funny that I think of drum corps sometimes when I'm at the symphony!

I agree. The thing is that my brain doesn't work well enough to listen to two things at the same time. So, I have to either listen to the narration or to the music and it's harder to tune out the narration than the music. I wouldn't mind singing as much if the corps was actually doing drill while singing. But, when they stand still while singing it seems to me like they are trying to cut a couple of minutes off of the drill that they need to clean.

Granny: I agree. It looks like you and I are seeing eye to eye today. Blue Knights didn't have my favorite show of the year, but they did have my favorite write-up in the yearbook: "The show, pure and simple, is of and about the music; so don't look for a storyline." Yeah Blue Knights! Great shows like Phantom 03 didn't tell a story (at least I don't think so) but they knocked my socks off!

While sitting in Camp Randall, I finally realized that I just don't like characters on the field. Not any of them. I know that they have always been around. I know that one or two corps will probably use them every year. But, I just don't like them. Characters are designed to draw your eyes to them. What that means to me is that it's harder to scan the field and really appreciate all of the other cool stuff that is going on. This year many of you complained about the Cadets characters, and I agree. But, I also didn't like Phantom's Maguriette (gasp!) or the Colt's featured guard person who had the different colored flag. I know that some of you will say that some characters fit the show and some don't, and that's true, but I still find them distracting. Last year, I kind of had to watch Madison out of one eye so that I could see the corps and not look at Carmen. You don't have to flame me and tell me that I'm stupid. You might be right. But, I'm just curious. Am I the only one who dislikes all characters so much?