dcialumni1989

You have answered your own questions. If they are marching really hard drill (and not achieving it) , then it will show up in how they play. Pretty simple.

Listen to the Cavaliers show a little closer and I think you will find that they are not playing a lot of standard chord progressions, certainly not the standard keys. So, maybe the activity DOES want a lot of II/V/I in B-flat and E-flat....

Nope. Absolutely not. You are seeing things.

There are no amped solos in the Cavaliers show this year.

No. Show line-ups are set months in advance for every show except regionals and finals week.

Because it is the classy response. Anytime someone gets on here and says anything remotely negative about Crown or Madison on here people freak out and that person gets dog-piled. Considering how bad the cavaliers have been beaten up on this forum and how much some people have relished in their competitive struggles this year, you don't hear lots of people on here crying foul. They are having a down year this year, but I have seen the corps rehearse. You would not know that they are struggling by how they rehearse. The still have talented kids and staff there. It is not like they forgot how to teach, design, and perform overnight. They are taking risks and trying new things and some of them are not working out. They will bounce back just fine.

The Dies Irae you are hearing is from Michael Daugherty's Dead Elvis. It's in there in the closer.

It's June dude. It will all work itself out in the end.

Yes. I was the one comparing the spreads. I was comparing because I think it is ridiculous. I think your basis is ridiculous. For anything you say about a spread early season I can find a year and an example that refutes it just like I can find an example that supports it. It is not an exact science and what we see early season may or may not have any bearing on what we see at the end of the season. I have seen corps come out early season and get beat by nearly 5 points and then go on to break the scoring barrier at the end of the season (see cadets 2005). I have seen corps change almost their entire show throughout the season (BD 2002), and that is just recent memory. I have been in and around this activity for a while. Long enough to tell you that the spreads, the scores, the placements (for the most part) don't matter early season. They just don't. If the cavaliers are still struggling mid July, then lets talk.

Yup. Different sheets. Different judges. Different line-up. Different year.... but yeah let's compare spreads to the tenth. Oye indeed...

You are right. The cavaliers DID get three pointed by Crown at the first show. They were the third of three corps at that show. BUT, the next show that spread opened up to 3.5 points (still 3rd of 3 corps. The show after that, the spread opened up again to 4.1 points (3rd of 5, but the next two corps were spirit and teal sound). If Phantom & Bluecoats would have been at those first few shows in 2010, they probably would have beaten Cavaliers too and the spread would hav been even larger. They were that bad early season. DCP was blowing up with all of these know it alls claiming the end of the cavaliers organization since they had a big staff turnover (new corps director, new brass staff, new percussion arranger and staff, new guard caption head, new visual caption head) combined with a poor early season showing. There were lots of folks learning how to work together for the first time and they eventually got it together and challenged for the top spot. Folks, I am telling you that it will be alright. They have lots of good people there that know what they are doing and have prepared corps before. The only new faces on staff are the drill designer, and a few techs. Everything else is intact and almost identical to what they have had the last 2 years. So logic would dictate that they know how to get things moving in the right direction.

In 2010 they were only .9 away from them at a show.... At finals Cavaliers finished 2nd (97.75) and Blue Stars finished 8th (91.9). Relax. It's June.

People do defend the blue devils. Also, it is a different kind of bashing. People don't like what BD does. This thread is claiming that the cavaliers are done for the season. The title imply's that the corps is dead. I suggest that people go back and read some of the post on this forum from 2010. The number of threads claiming the cavaliers were dead was overwhelming. Early season they were sitting in 7th or 8th, and they steadily improved throughout the season. It is early season folks. Give it time. In the middle of July if the cavaliers are still struggling then we can hit the panic button.

I am going to take the exact opposite opinion. In a couple of weeks you are going to see cavaliers get closer and closer. See you then.

Cavaliers are fine. The show is hard and they can't do it yet. They will be fine. Two years ago they were in seventh at the beginning of the season and DCP was claiming that they were sunk (this was the year after a big staff change). They ended up finishing second in horns, second in drums, second in feet, second in guard, an second overall. Last year the Cadets took fourth at the first show and crown took first. At the end of the season those positions were reversed. It is June. The Cavaliers have a very capable staff. They will be fine.

I dunno. I like the music I have heard so far. I don't form any opinions about a show until I see it on the field. I am also not into hype, but I do like the music I have heard so far.

I have heard the cavaliers music (all but the closer at least). It is definitely not cheesy.

Ok. This is what got me. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. I know you marched one year at the cavaliers, but the way things have been the last few, The Cavaliers gave NOTHING but respect to Gaines. Whatever Gaines wanted Gaines got and there were never any questioning it. People understood how much he gave to the organization in regards to his visual genius and let him do whatever he wanted. With that being said, I think Gaines is great. Possibly the best ever, but I do think that Hinshaw will be great for The Cavaliers. So, I am going to take your advice and book mark your post and we will see you in a few months.

Your "friend" is telling a tall tale. The Cavaliers have not said a single thing to their members about what they are playing much less passed out the music. Last time I checked, the opener wasn't even written yet and they hadn't finished picking all of the music in the show.

I could blame the AFTER the show like most people do. Also, read my past posts. I am not a fan of blaming the judges or using the most common cop-out: politics. It is not a great panel for The Cavaliers if you look at past scoring. Typically, those judges have scored them lower, BUT I will say that if The Cavaliers throw down this weekend it shouldn't matter..... and that is how it should be.

Wow. Pretty much the worst panel possible for The Cavaliers. Wouldn't be shocked if they lost to BD & the Cadets.

I agree completely. It is one of those shows that I hated at first and then find myself wanting to watch it again and again. It was like watching "Requiem for a Dream." I went from being uncomfortable to angry at the guy who made me watch it, to wanting to see it again, to thinking it was one of the best movies ever made.

Footprints is the second tune that they are doing. It was originally written by Wayne Shorter, but the version they are going off of is the Babba Yaga version.

I could see that based solely on their visual package alone.

The other night I asked some of the guys on horn staff about Albert Lo putting them in third at the Denton show. Their response was "We were the third best hornline tonight. We need to play better." They went on to talk about how they like him as a judge and hope he is there finals week.... So, the statistics don't seem to match how their staff feels about him as a judge. I believe people read to much into the judges bias. It is an easy way out when your corps isn't scoring where you want them. It is the number one excuse, followed by my favorite excuse: "politics."