mbb919

Looking for a single ticket for finals tonight...preferably 39,40, or 41 sections in the lower levels (ie 141, 239, 340, etc) Please call me and I can meet you 202/321.8739 Thanks!

Still looking for 4-5-6 tickets together for Semis and Finals! Please give email if you have a good offer. Thanks

Looking for a set of 6 in the Premium section...Fri & Sat night, Semis & Finals call or text @ 202/321.8739 - or email brycebunner@earthlink.net thanks!

Anyone have a couple of extra tickets for the Salem VA show? call or text me @ 202/321.8739 or email us asap @ adamturner7@yahoo.com thanks!

In downtown Bloomington and looking for (last minute!) 2 - 4 finals tickets. Sec 6 / 7 / 106 / 107 only, please. If you have an extra set you need to unload, please give me a call asap! I'll pay face value. thanks very much 202/321.8739 cell

Saw a couple of other good reviews of the Columbus show and thought I'd post a few quick thoughts. First off - the experience at Crew Stadium in downtown Columbus is a good one. The acoustics are fantastic, esp on the lower level. Facility is great, tickets are reasonable, and the show (Cap Regiment home show) always seems to be well run. Definitely recommended. On to the corps - first viewing of each in '07 Missed Spirit, busy parking the car. Sorry 'bout that. MADISON - Having read a lot about this on previous posts, in my opinion Scouts were scored correctly this evening. Without getting into too much detail, the program as it stands now (7/5/07) is very basic, and many of the members are struggling to execute even at this level. CG and visual performances are especially tough spots in content as well as achievement. The opening "pre-game" sequence is actually one of the most intriguing parts of the show, with some interesting (if slow-to-develop) visuals that the crowd (and I) appreciated, but unfortunately this part of the show isn't judged... please correct me if I'm wrong out there. New uniform - I kinda like it. Different, kind of of a fun retro look. Guard uniform - no comment. I enjoyed their musical selections (esp opener) but was trying to figure out the thread that holds the show concept together. It definitely does not have as natural a flow to it as one might hope, and the general pacing/tempo of the show is pretty slow. The ending sequence proves to be pretty effective as a mirror/flashback to the beginning of the show. In anycase - it was obvious the show is undergoing transformation, and I wish this young corps the best of luck in finding a show that clicks for them as well as working on their quality of performance. (pause review) I also think this whole "Madison controversy" this year should remind everyone how tenuous this activity remains, esp for corps outside the relative 'financial comfort' of the traditional top 4 (top 7 or whatever this year) Virtually every corps has gone through its share of hard times over the years, and many have gone through much worse. Others may have rough days to come. Unfortunately in Madison's case this year, (opinion coming) it sounds like the wound was partially self-inflicted, by basically firing the director despite recent success, and then throwing the dice in a new direction. Lucky for Madison they have a rich history and undoubtedly a strong network of alumni...and while it sounds like those guys (on DCP) don't *quite* agree on everything, I am sure they will throw their full support behind their corps, make it through 2007 and figure things out this fall. It is, I might add, an alumni network that many other struggling corps would envy, and a reminder to all of us to support everyone out there, regardless of past performance. It's a long hot expensive summer ahead...no matter what place you find yourself in on July 5th. (back to review) TROOPERS - I think it was in Columbus that I last saw the Troopers, maybe in 2005. The corps has a much more mature look and sound, and have made some great programming choices. Highlights included the "Unsquare" Dance, strong percussion arrangements/drum features, and a really effective end of the show beginning around the "sunburst" section. Good stuff. And honestly, at other times the show seemed to lag in places, and the maturity of the drumline is occasionally not matched by the brass and CG. Still, the lack of brass horsepower is probably because the corps is smaller (100? 110?) , and I bet the corps members are all still learning how to put on consistent performances, night after night. What is this, their 5th show? So for me, probably the least entertaining show of the evening, but still a great effort by the Troopers and a very positive vehicle for success in'07 and beyond. DCI needs all the variety it can get and the Troopers are filling the niche very well. And - the uniforms look good. PACIFIC CREST - I think this was my first ever viewing of Pacific Crest, if that's possible. Very impressive across the board. A few people on DCP have referred to the design as "cheesy" and I don't quite agree... PC is embracing the Vegas concept and performing the heck out of it. Hello, ever been to Vegas??? Cheese-o-rama! As far as this evening, CG especially looked like they were having the best time of their lives and they, along w/the entire corps, were projecting great performance energy. They had a good variety of musical selections (very audience accessible) and the slight narration was just fine and actually added to the audience understanding of the concept. Actually - skewerz couldn't have said it any better in his post: "I'm pretty vehement when it comes to narration, but the narration they use is short, sweet, and to the point." Amen to that. A few of the narrators could have been a little bit more animated or in character, but hopefully that will improve. (since they're trained percussionists and not voice-over artists) As for props, we were trying to figure out the big white ball that appeared. What the heck was that? We decided roulette ball... ?!? The snake eyes (dice) moment was cute and worked well. A few in my group weren't as crazy about Pacific Crest and maybe thought the show was a little lowbrow, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. (esp considering my variety comment above) Keep up the good work! CASCADES - I actually thought that Seattle's and PC's performances were very similar tonight, despite highly different programs. Wasn't surprised at all that they basically tied. Seattle gave us a pretty complex and well-thought out program based on "Three," featuring slightly more esoteric, yet very effective musical selections. Highlights included a well designed/paced visual program and some dynamite flag/color selections. Very nice. (ooh-ahh from the audience) Musical pacing was also brisk. I was so glad that they didn't always hit us over the head with the Three concept...generally kept it on a higher level and made you think about what you were seeing/interpreting. The end of the show was EXTREMELY effective, bringing things to a boiling point and then coming back with a "codetta" finishing the show perfectly and powerfully. The musicians & guard also showed great stamina and brought the entire show to life with an energy and showmanship that I haven't seen from this corps recently. This coupled with a very strong show design could push Seattle higher than some might think as the season progresses. Truly an enjoyable performance. BLUE DEVILS - I will try to keep this simple. I LOVED this show, and I wasn't so sure going in. Intrigue & anticipation at the beginning of the show were off the charts. BD had the audience completely in the palm of their hands, and didn't let go for quite a long time. The design actually doesn't really allow the audience to express themselves for the first few minutes (at least it seems that long!) and when a pause finally appears, the audience basically lunged at the opportunity to release some tension & show their appreciation! Kind of fun, actually. Suspense! The arrangements and musical selections, while not as impressive (opinion!) on the APD recording, worked amazingly well when coupled with the visual half of the program. (I had better give that APD another chance, huh?) Brass, perc and CG are all performing at an extraordinary level. In short, this show is going to be a serious contender. For the drum corps lover, this is the show that just keeps on giving. The frenetic pace and huge, polished sound of BD definitely kept me smiling throughout the first 2/ 3rds of the show. Crew Stadium + '07 BD = wow. Another point that people have made in their recent posts is ...the look. It is simply amazing. I'm not sure if I have ever seen better CG uniforms and more effective use of color. Again... just amazing. The only real problems that I noticed were the occasional visual clutter/ staging issues, for example with the bat wings, also with the CG soloist...sometimes it didn't quite look, hmm, organic. As the show progresses from "darkness to light" visually as well as musically, the pace definitely changes, and occasionally the ear encounters an awkward moment or two. It's almost like the show is downshifting from high gear and somehow things just aren't quite lining up yet. I don't quite know how to explain it, maybe someone else feels the same way and can do better than I am. And then then end...victory, reedemption, resurrection...whatever you want to call it, is simply superb. We have a fantastic production from the Blue Devils this year. Thanks for a great experience and I look forward to seeing the end result in Pasadena. SCV - So how do you follow that?? I have to say, I always love the contrast between SCV and BD as they enter / leave the field in tandem. Color, tradition, laid back vs. hard core - always fun to watch. I also loved this show, but interestingly, not as much as I thought I would from the APD. Go figure. This is definitely more of a thinking man's show, less emotional appeal as compared to BD...and possibly harder to digest on the first viewing. But it is a wonderful production and was well performed Thurs night. From the very opening notes, SCV visually takes you to the unexpected, and that sets the tone for the next 10 minutes. Opening sequence is loaded with musical intrigue, leading to the best written opening fanfare I've heard in a long time. Congrats to the arranger for realizing the genius of Ravel "Daphnis" in such an extraordinary way. In fact, the entire musical book - brass and perc - both are incredibly well written and the final product is an amazing synthesis of the original pieces. Tone quality - amazing. CG - a little unorthodox at times, really pushes the boundaries. Cool! Technical demand? Incredibly high. Luckily, SCV makes it look easy with only a few exceptions - and when something does go a little haywire (like the brief ensemble tear in the Ravel SQ section) it sort of brings you back to earth and you realize not only how difficult the book is, but combined with the staging - wow. Once achieved, watch out. I also really loved the look of the CG - and while a few of the flag/ color choices took me slightly aback at first, (ie: green based flag at end) they work beautifully when you step back and consider the entire picture. Loved it. CG uniforms are very very cool and very well designed. Great color scheme. Corps uniform - looks great - very upscale & professional looking. I'm personally happy to see them back in green - IMO it is the best combination and hope they stick with it. So - SCV didn't have the performance that BD had Thurs night, and I think the spread was pretty accurate. SCV may remain in the lower half of the top 7 as July progresses, but if they can max this show out - all bets are off in August. I think I can safely predict that it is going to be a bloodbath in Pasadena. It's late and I think this about covers it for July 5. Thanks for reading.

Rock on CMK!

Yup - you are absolutely right. (though I still hope they focus primarily on musical and visual innovation in the future)

Hey, thanks for the great opinions! Just want to quickly clarify a few things that might have been misunderstood.... "Don't translate your dislike of narration into the general audience." Yeah, I don't recall speaking for the general audience in my post. I was pretty much expressing my personal opinion, and perhaps those of friends/family at the same shows. "I don't agree with your concert hall analogy. The Cadets show is designed for narration. Your analogy should be, "It's like going to a concert hall and listening to a piece of music containing narration/amplified voice." Again, thanks for telling me what I should have thought. Next time I'll try to do better. My actual analogy referred to how distracting the continuous narration was and how it disturbed my enjoyment of the musical / visual parts of the performance, much like it would be if you were in a movie theater and someone kept talking constantly. Anyway - I also don't recall saying I'm against narration (whether the piece was originally intended for that or not). I'm against poorly amplified, unprofessional sounding narration that contains sophomoric, meaningless sounding text. Why is it that the '07 Cadets (or the '05 Blue Devils or '04 BAC, for example) seem to have a Box 5 mentality (ie, striving for excellence of the highest order) with the drill design, brass, percussion, color guard, but the narration somehow gets a pass and is allowed to sound juvenile? It doesn't make sense in my book. If you're shooting for artistic excellence (and the '07 Cadets obviously are) , why not do it across the board??? Box 2 level-sounding narration doesn't have a place in such a show as this. It diminishes the extraordinary excellence they are already achieving. thanks - and remember - opinion! It may not even be the same as yours!

Missed the first two corps @ Westminster due to a late rehearsal, but made it just as BAC was taking the field. BOSTON - Had heard good things about this show and am really hoping the BAC has a good year. The talent level of the corps has been very high the past few years, esp 2004 & '06, but they haven't quite been leaving their mark on the activity as the 2000 & '02 Crusaders did so well. That said, I was pretty disappointed in this admittedly early-season performance. The brass didn't present a very cohesive sound and were way out there in the intonation dept. Impacts were OK, but nothing great. Again, just not a cohesive, blended sound. I recognized many snippets from their '03 show in the opener...can't really comment on the effectiveness of the arrangements until I hear them played up to tempo and with a little more panache. Percussion seemed fine...that's all I remember, sorry. It was 3 days ago. Visual design seemed less than adventurous. I can't understand this as with the troubles they've had recently in Visual GE, but it was very plain...definitely not shooting for box 5. (??!) I don't get it either. CG seemed to be in OK shape for June, with the ladies in cute French looking outfits and the men in brown? outfits with very unfortunate looking smocks/aprons. I expected the men to do something with the layers...lose the smocks at least, but no dice. Later down the road, perhaps. The CG was the only reminder that somehow this show is being related to the genius of Picasso, with silks reflecting his works/periods. The crowd reaction to the show was unfortunately very minimal, considering the design team seems to be aiming for an exciting Latin fan-friendly package. The pacing and tempos on this evening just seemed to plod along until the very end w/ a recognizable version of "La Fiesta." I sincerely hope the BAC can get it together this year, as so far this marching band-esque show is not going to push them forward competitively. Room to grow! A NOTE on the Westminster "experience" - it's tough for any corps here, as the stadium is less than an acoustical gem. Much less, in fact. The field was also wet, and many corps had obvious problems with that - dropped rifles, slipping & sliding around etc. This show (sponsored by YEA) is always a little on the lame side due to the venue and lack of "showmanship" from the show sponsor. After the final perf, we waited nearly a half hour for scores, the only entertainment being endless YEA ads extolling us to attend their other shows, and then we got a drum major retreat, scores, more YEA advertising, and "thanks for coming." One would think that at least one of these corps could give a 5-minute concert for their fans, but it never happens for the paying audience ($27) at this YEA show. Though it is close to DC and away from traffic, so that's a plus. but I digress... CROWN - I saw this show in Annapolis a few weeks back so I pretty much knew what to expect...but I was still blown away by the professionalism of this corps. Brass exhibits incredible control, range, and astounding intonation. This book is loaded with exposure, and they do it with ease...97% of the time. Numerous exposed attacks and releases were beautifully handled by this very mature ensemble. And the conductor simply did a masterful job controlling his ensemble. Very impressive performance. The CG is pretty clean and very musically written, and the designers are throwing everything but the kitchen sink into that book. Very challenging and generally well performed. Not many problems here w/ wet rifles. I was a little disappointed in the "fences" as they seem under-utilized at this point, and are kind of getting in the way/ distracting towards the end of the show (as they are being repositioned) , hopefully this is a work in progress. Overall, the show has great pacing and a little something for everyone without sacrificing content. I particularly like how the "opening theme" keeps returning...nice common thread. The crowd loves the "William Tell" moment, but it's from this point where the show doesn't seem like it's finished...the end particularly doesn't quite click yet. That being said, it is a super package from the Crown people, and while it doesn't quite speak to me like last year's show, it is a great vehicle to get them into the top 5-6-7 and well into the nineties in Pasadena. BLUE KNIGHTS - Nice that the Denver corps made it out to the east coast this year. The crowd obviously appreciated their presence at this usually all-east show. I continue to be impressed with the sound of this corps. They had an incredible show on finals night last year, and continue to train all elements (brass, perc cg) well. While their cerebral approach to show design left my two friends feeling a little icy, I generally enjoyed their performance. The low brass always displays an amazing resonance and cleanliness where attacks/releases are concerned. It's almost a BK trademark. Tubas (12) at the show opening exhibit great blend and intonation. They gave the audience a great sense of the anticipation that opens the show/ symphony. I was a bit mystified at times with the arrangements, however. Shostakovich 10 has been one of my favorite works since I was a teenager, and at times I felt like they missed the boat. I'm not a huge fan of the cut/paste style of arranging classical works...ie, cutting off the real thing and suddenly pasting in a "drum corps" ending to a phrase (whether it relates to the original or not). Many of these "jarring" moments popped up in BK's show, whereas last year (Barber Piano Cto) the arrangements were far more seamless. I liked how they brought out the recurring " D-S-C-H " motive (Shostakovich's musical signature: D-Eb-C-B ) , but was surprised when they didn't end the show with the blockbuster 10th symphony ending. Instead they "cut and pasted" their way through that, continued on for a short while and then ended the show abruptly. The crowd seemed a little discombobulated by the ending and didn't give nearly the reaction that greeted BK at the beginning of the show. There was also a strange passage towards the end where all other activity stops and the baritones/low brass played a passage by themselves. Seemed kind of empty and could have used a little percussive help. Another problem compared to last year is demand & GE...meaning it seems not to be on the same level as '06 in the visual and musical captions. Though since it seems like BK's direct competitors (BAC, GMen, Spirit, uh, Scouts?) are having similar issues this year, perhaps BK won't have too difficult of a time staying ahead in the "race for eighth." An aside - get on amazon and find yourself a recording of Shostakovich 10 ! I recommend Slatkin/ St Louis or Jansons / Philadelphia. Another great piece where Shostakovitch uses his "musical signature" (DSCH) is his eighth string quartet. PHANTOM - I was very excited to see Phantom, as my high school band director's son is marching with them this year! Back then he was about 3 years old, but now he's all grown up & in the big leagues! The crowd was also very enthusiastic when Phantom took the field, but maybe not for the same reasons. Anyway - I was immediately struck at the "antiphonal" or doppler-type effect the pit generates from the beginning, and echoed by the brass a few seconds later. Very effective. It became instantly obvious that this corps has it all - each caption is so well taught and written for - each has the strength to possibly win in Pasadena. This show starts a little slow, but it is relentless, and as the show develops the demand does as well. As is usually the case with PR in the early season, the weakest link seems to be the visual design, but that's what I said last year and look what happened. There are many obvious details to come...flags, the black "hiding places" on the field will look different, and I imagine the CG costumes and their tie-in with the show concept will continue to evolve. The section needing most improvement design-wise right now seems to be the Flower duet - I appreciate the duet concept, but again, hope it continues to evolve. The beautiful close of the Flower duet (ensemble) is when the crowd began to come alive in Phantom's show, and it continued as the show accelerated to the finish. One of the evening's biggest reactions came during the visual velocity during the Firebird toward the end of the show. As for the ending, maybe I'm sounding cranky here, but I'm still not crazy about the brass arranger's, *ahem*, cut and paste tactics. I haven't been crazy about Phantom's hollywood endings that hardly relate to the symphonic material they're based on, and this ending is no exception. Just doesn't flow yet. Last year the ending evolved pretty nicely as the season progressed, let's hope this year's is a working ending right now and the best is yet to come. Overall, though: talented corps + talented staff = another first class production for Phantom. And motivation helps too - while everyone else was eating dinner in the lot after the show, Phantom's CG was rehearsing like it was 10am. They even seemed to be enjoying it.... CADETS - I also saw this show in Annapolis with friends and family. It has improved. I have seen more than a few postings about this show, and most have been right on the mark. Let's start with the positive. This is an exceptionally talented corps. And it is an exceptionally written book. The brass and percussion amazed me in Annapolis and upped the ante in Westminster. Phenomenal performance. The brass impacts physically hit you...just like they're supposed to! Technical demand is handled with ease. Great drill design. Very strong GE moments/climaxes. Light years ahead of last year's production. I was also pleased to see that the CG is getting in the game and catching up w/ the brass & perc after being way behind in Annapolis. The problem is with the talking. While the show is obviously designed around narration, I don't understand why the Cadets design team feels like they need to champion this so-called "innovation." Because it isn't innovative. It's amateurish and degrades the amazing product the Cadets are putting out. While I did enjoy the performance in Westminster more than the Annapolis show, I was bitterly disappointed with both. Watching the Cadets show is like sitting in a concert hall or movie theater watching something amazing, and wanting so badly to lose yourself in the experience...except the guy behind you keeps talking. Constantly. "Just ignore it," you think. "Stay focused." But he keeps yammering. Even as you try to ignore it and try to focus on the positive, eventually it's all you can hear, all you can think about. He keeps talking, and you eventually give up on enjoying yourself, and you give up on the performance on the field. And it is a shame it has to be that way. I'm not against amplification. I thought the Cadets used it very innovatively in 2005. Same with the Bluecoats that year. Crossmen had some success last year with their road show. I've also seen it used amateurishly and fail miserably. (BAC 04 - Crown 04 - BD 05 - Cadets / Blue Stars '06) The difference, and thanks to my friend for discovering this in Annapolis, is that when amplification works, it is when it the voice is used as another instrument or musical layer. If the voice and it's particular sonority can somehow fit into the texture *or* add an interesting unique new texture / sonority to the mix - THAT'S innovation. Unfortunately , the Cadets are using the human voice in an entirely different context, basically reading a script like the Blue Devils did in '05. The voice is not amplified in a professional sounding manner, and the script is hopelessly sophomoric. It sounds like a 7th grade talent show. And that's not bad in some situations. Some marching bands use narration and it sometimes works. But it's not such a big deal because it's a high school group. Not professional. The Cadets, however, are not un-professional. They are one of the greatest drum & bugle corps in the world, and achieve miracles of sound, sonority and technical achievement. They have done so for decades, and have been an inspiration to countless fans and students through their innovation and unparalleled excellence. But suddenly someone has the idea that bad amplification and sophomoric narration is the wave of the future. Guess what? It's not. It just cheapens the amazing product that the Cadets and others work so hard to produce. Could you imagine listening to/watching the Cadets in '92 or '93 and suddenly someone comes over an amplifier yammering on explaining the "Dawn of Flight" or how exactly the "Kings Go off to War"? Can you imagine someone droning on during the beautiful ballad in the 93 show? I sure hope not. I love progress and innovation. I realize it's sometimes tough in this idiom to come up with fresh, new ideas. But this is not one of them. In most instances this year (back to my review), the narration is not adding to the excellence of the brass, perc, and CG, and at times it is plain distracting and barricades the audience from enjoying the show. For example, there is a section in this year's show where this guy (we call it the Napoleon Dynamite section) talks about what a loser he used to be before he started to play trumpet in high school. But instead of feeling sorry for the guy and his awful plight, all you do is think "when is this guy going to shut up already?" In order for us to feel sorry for him, there needs to be character development or something, but instead we are just expected to stop listening to the show, listen to what the guy has to say, instantly feel sorry for him, and go on listening to his troubles while the drum corps show continues. How about instead - what a concept - use the music to plumb our emotional depths? 'Cause Napoleon isn't cutting it. Let him get back to his trumpet. The narration is more tolerable in other sections, such as the "This I Believe" before the opening hit, and the CG section. I say this as I am fully aware the narration is not going away. The show is built around it. The PROBLEM is that it just keeps going and going AND going, and it consistently comes off in a very unprofessional, unpolished manner. As I sat through the show in Westminster, the corps would play something or finish a passage in a fantastic and/or highly polished manner, and I would be thrilled...and then the sophomoric narration restarts and erases the positive impression the musical and visual excellence just gave me. As my mother said quite simply in Annapolis following the Cadets perf- "It's just too bad, because I used to really love that group." Cadets - go back to visual and musical innovation. (you can even use amplification) Just keep up the technical excellence, and your audience will love you again. And...it is a pretty darn good show. Thanks for reading my review! Remember, it's just one man's opinion.

Looking for 4 great seats to Semis/Finals in Pasadena. 3 night package is OK. please contact me at brycebunner@earthlink.com or 202/321.8739

Champions Fanfare is a pretty decent arrangement (from an excellent arranger) featuring Copland and americana-esque music and it certainly has a place in the new style "retreat" but it should NOT be the last thing that the crowd hears!!!!! It would be great to hear Champions Fanfare AND THEN the G-bugle version (transposed) of AOC to complete the evening. The current fanfare leaves the crowd cold and let-down. I think the posts on this thread pretty much speak for themselves in this regard. I realize music education is a big part of what DCI is about now, and brass staffs don't neccesarily want tongues hanging out of the bells at the end of the evening....but this is getting ridiculous. Drum corps is also about ENTERTAINMENT, and many DCI member corps have been pretty short on it in '05 and '06. Adding insult to injury is the Champions Fanfare at the end of the show. Nice arrangement, fails miserably to bring the house down. What brought this change about, anyway? Can anyone "in the know" shed some light upon this?

Had the opportunity to check out the Glassmen at rehearsal in Dayton last night & in Dublin the night before. This is a corps that is getting it together and fast. The show has huge potential & entertainment value that they are only beginning to tap into. The confidence level is light-years ahead of where they were before the europe trip, and it showed in performance as well as in reh last night. Cleaning hard. The color guard especially is pushing this corps to the next level, and takes the show concept straight to the audience. That said, the percussion is solid and the brass often sounded brilliant and very musical, especially in the 2nd mvt. (Moonlight Sonata) I saw a confident, mature corps looking to climb - and while they're in an incredibly competitive bracket, they will be in a strong position as this show really starts to pop in the next week or two. Anyone worrying about G-men making finals can breathe a sigh of relief. It's gonna happen. They are taking their show concept and working it into a piece of performance art. Finals night is going to be fun this year...

No kidding it isn't rocket science. Don't want to jump the gun or anything (it is June 24th) , but let's hope the staffers can listen objectively and get this problem under control this year. Tastefully done? Bluecoats last year. Great sound and natural reproduction of the human voice. Cadets got some great effect out of it last year, also, without too much of the cringe factor. Most of the others have sounded like a junior high karaoke contest, which is just embarrassing for the activity. Would anyone play a recording of last year's BD show to someone who has never heard of drum corps?? I guess I'm discussing the content as well as the quality of amplification. As for the concept of pit amplification, it's just to allow the pit to blend better with the rest of the corps and allow the musicians to play in a more natural manner, right? (not worrying as much about projection) ...as opposed to pushing the sound system to distortion like BAC on finals night last year. Didn't they have three shows in a row to get the levels right? but it seems the right judges noticed, so hey, it worked out for SCV. Change is only good when it moves the activity forward, not just "hmmm, let's have a vocalist just because we can now!" I realize change comes in many forms, but let's hope the corps that concentrates on brass, perc & guard - & creating amazing effects within those three elements - walks away with the crown in Madison. Not trying to be negative, but this is a pretty big issue. Designers/staffers: unless you can improve the activity with it , let's try to leave karaoke night to WGI and concentrate on creating an *entertaining* show with the drum corps basics... just like they have been since 1974 (and before) . Your fans will thank you.