amusicman

I suggest everyone who watched the feed on Saturday call or email and ask for a refund. I have received one and the ONLY way DCI will ever care to fix their many issues with the fan network is if the fans hit them where it hurts, in the pocketbook

Nope, cause its only 2014 and DCI still has no idea how microphones work on a football field. Akron was great cause it was Blair Productions. So we have to wait till the World Championships in Indy when Blair produces the sound again to hear what the corps actually sound like again.

I think from the scores you can see that the judges think blue devils show is the superior show at the moment. Blue Devils won GE by .9 over the coats, which shows the judges think they have the better product. What they were close in was the performance captions. So at the moment it looks like if the Devils clean up they will start pulling ahead of the bluecoats.

The fan network in its current state is just a mess. DCI promised upgrades this year and I have not seen any sign of them. The video from Lynn was terrible, and at most shows so far the audio has not been mixed well, especially regarding the pit. I thought they were supposed to be getting a dedicated sound eniger for all shows this year?????? Also yes I have gotten no help from customer service when I have contacted them over issues. DCI must realize they are an actual company and step up their game.

Positive - Boston Crusaders. Their brass book is alreading one of my favorites of all time and by the end of the season once everything gets clean I am betting on this being one of my all time favs shows. Negative - Colts. I am a huge fan of modern drum corps and quirky design and when they announced this show I basically started counting down till the first time I could see and hear them. I was so excited. But I have to say this show is the biggest let down I have ever had from show announcement to the actual product on the field in the 16 years I have been following the activity. I know it's only July 4th so I am hoping they will be able to make some major edits to get this show to what I thought it could be with this design team.

Sir, thank you for all that you have done. I have loved your writing for every show you have done for corps. I also think we all on here can not thank you enough for your posts. No other designer comments like you do and it is awsome for fans to hear a designers intentions and thoughts.

Perfect analogy, thank you!

Thank you for this!!! I hate to be the one to name names but I think we all know the person causing a lot of the hate for phantom on these threads and that is chaos001. He claims to love phantom yet spews nothing but hate towards the staff and the organization itself. This saddens me and I wish nothing but the best towards the Phantom Regiment organization. Do they have problems right now in some of their design choices? Yeah, but name a corps that has not hit a rough patch. When Blue Devils have hit a skid or Vanguard or Cavies or fill in the blank they may have had some major vocal critics, but not alumni who would spew venom at a group they supposedly love. Yet sadly this happens to Phantom if one person plays out of tune or one person marches out of step. I love you Phantom. Your history speaks for itself.

I mean no disrespect to the Bluecoats this year, I love their show. But, not all but I believe most of the synth territory has been discovered and used to great effect by marching bands from 1995-2008. By the time synth and electronics came to DCI most were just repeating things done for over a decade in the marching band world. Bluecoats have some great electronics in their show but nothing groundbreaking, just incredibly well designed and integrated.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been a drum corps addict since 1998. Will be till my dying day.

God in heaven what is wrong with people? Corps today are awful in their designs. Corps today get applause from the youth in America for nothing. I mean is their nothing a drum corps can do today that will make people on this site happy????

Wow I think JD Shaw has wriiten 2 fantastic books so far with SCV and this year look to be amazing again. Last year and this year he has taken music that has been played many times in iconic performances, and made them sound exciting and to me almost new, and made them fit SCV style. That is not an easy thing to do!!

He is the music composer for Tarpon Springs In Florida. He has done an orignal composition for them since 2003, with the only exception being 2009 when most of the music was from the Bourne movies, which was very similar to Blue Stars 2011. Also Tarpon Springs head director and drill writer is Kevin Ford, who wrote the drill for the Blue Stars when Sullivan was there. They have a very unique style that I just love.

Is that a G7 in Boston's closer? Lol

I got the same thing.

BD Guard Uniform

For some reason I have just never been able to get into BAC at all even when they r playing music I like. But the new staff last year and this year have completly changed that. Count me as a huge fan of Boston now!!! One of the shows I am most excited to see. Thank you Ryan George for another fantastic brass book!!!!!!

It doesn't really. I am just saying that though like most of you I also do not like his work with drum corps he is a great arranger in the marching band world. So he is not all bad.

I know this is a little off base but I feel the need to stick up a little for Don Hill. I myself have not been a big fan of his work with Phantom, and didn't enjoy his work at Glassmen at all really. Yet at the same time his work in the marching band arena is some of the greatest arranging and show writing of all time. I think people on here mainly only know his work with DCI and must think why do corps keep giving him a chance. But if you have a chance go check out some YouTube vids of his great work with marching bands and you will be blown away. Try some Plymouth Canton Educational Park shows from 1998-2001. Their 1999 show Thoughtcrime is generally regarded as maybe the greatest marching band show of all time. Try LD Bell 2003-2012. Every show he did at Bell was a masterpiece, my personal favorites being 2005-2008. Those are the greatest wind books ever on the field in my personal opinion. Also The Woodlands 2006-present, especially 2006 and 2013. And last but not least Broken Arrow 2011-present. 2011 being named Grand National Champion and 2012 almost repeating. I do not know why his genius does not transfer to the drum corps field but he is one of the greats.

Do we know their music yet?

Blue Devils - sounds like a fantastic concept, with great music. Also in my mind you never doubt Scott Chandler, Dave Glyde, Jay Murphy and company. Pure Genius! Carolina Crown - sounds like a great concept for them, great music and that brass line has been the highlight for me for the last several seasons. Santa Clara Vanguard - Jeff Fiedler is a genius and knows how to build a championship staff and let them create masterpieces like few others. I think he finally has his staff with Santa Clara and I think soon, possibly even this year, we will see a SCV dynasty emerge like the Cavies from 2000-2006. Madison Scouts - I love the shows the new design staff has put out since 2010 and I hope this year is where they finally have their breakout season and really start to move up in placement. Phantom Regiment - when I heard the show title I was so disappointed. But then I heard they brought on Jeremy Earnhart as music coordinator. For those of you not familiar with him he is one of the greatest marching band directors and show designers of all time. What he did at LD Bell high school from 1998 to 2008 is just unbelievable. My favorite part of those years were the music designs from 2005-2008, with the designs being done by Jeremy Earnhart, brass and woodwind book by Don Hill and percussion book by Bret Khun. With these three back together I am thinking Phantom may have a new sound and arrangement style that is going to surprise a lot of people and that will be awesome!!! Bluecoats - some really cool and modern pieces in their rep. I cannot wait to hear what Doug Thrower does with them. Boston Crusaders - great show concept!! I can't wait to find out the music they are using. They also have made some amazing staff changes who should put out a great product for them. Cadets - half the time when I think of what this show could be I cringe. Yet the other half I remember the great shows this staff has put out and am giving them the benefit of the doubt and hope that in a couple months I will be eating crow and will totally love this show!

Well subscriptions have now expired. Just tried to log on and watch some shows but was denied because my account has expired. It is hard to believe that after 8 years of the fan network DCI still can't present to drum corps fans their plans for the upcoming season before the last seasons subscriptions are over. I still don't think DCI understands they are a real company that should be able to provide a basic service to their fans and paying customers.