icecubeguy

I thought I was the only one that felt that way. I have say that the admin staff has been the same through out this Bucs since before the 2005 run. They stay out of the way and make sure logistics is taken care of. They don't dictate show ideas or tech from the stands. They truly support the staff - fields are lined, members are fed, housing is arranged and bills are paid. There is an operating budget and it is maintained. The staff creates and teaches. Think about it - last season wasn't the first time the Bucs have lost some major staffers - and yet the corps continues and thrives while doing so.. Off season prep as well as an administration staff that does not have any egos to get in the way. There is an atmosphere there that allows creativity and accomplishment. The process is humble, focused, educational and FUN. One of the kids said it best on the boardwalk in WW - "If it's not worth practicing for, it's not worth being in" He was hanging with a couple of C2 kids who now march with BUCS. IMHO - Reading will be better this year than last. This show forces them to be in the best shape of their lives and it will translate into an extremely entertaining show for the audience. On another topic....... Again IMO - it doesn't matter what super secret ending is planned by anyone for the end of the season - has anyone watch recordings from championships last year? Execution of a high Rep book which was fully planned during the off season is the key. Feet have to be in time 100% of the time with 100 % of the membership. Until that happens, there really is nothing to argue about with regards to who placed where or point spreads or what ever. If you approach things the same way every time - the results will be the same. The sign of a good administration is when they know things are moving too slow and how to talk to the staff. Shows should be finished and written for what they have by now. Staff should not be administration and administration should not be staff. My first rant - I apologize - I too grew up in DCA and DCI. I couldn't stop myself I can't wait to see the rest of the season unfold.

Cabs feet were cleaner than C2 if we are really going to be honest....by a lot. Are we stepping off with the left or the right? at finals this should not be an issue? I saw just as much going on with MB as everyone else - seriously. COnstruction was a huge difference - especially in the transitions and in the top 5. Where I was watching the show, it seemed Hurcs did not stage the guard so well this year. and everytime they would block on a yardline, they vanished at times. Staging really effects things - Cabs show was more exposed in this high of a stadium. MB - why the CO2? I stopped watching!! Reading filled the stadium really well tonight considering the delay and the rewarmup and seemed extremely prepared and the most confident in all sections - not just in some - and with all members - no one hid - they all did it and they all marched. I am right there with you on the placement - but the spread IMO was there. Reading did the off season prep and this is when it shows.....George Parks always said if you want to win, you can't shoot for what the first place was from the previous season - You have to think beyond that and make it obvious so there are no doubts. I think they did -........again - IMO Take it for what it's worth - my opinion and $1.00 won't get a cup of coffee. and that's off my chest as well - GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!

Extremely justified spread. Reading will beat their own record IMO

It was extremely justified.

I have been out of the loop for a bit now. BUT.....Doesn't TEXAS have rules about how much a band can rehearse over the summer? Wouldn't this be a great tool for RR High School to rehearse over the summer as well as prepare for their very competitive fall? In a sense, Crossmen might be a feeder for the High School.........just a conspiracy theory - hah.

I have been out of town on business for the past month and have heard rumors about two issues: First rumor - the corps was going to go inactive and then come back as a Div. II Second Rumor - Move to Texas The move to Texas will be great in my opinion. It is much better than the first rumor I had heard. If the staff from Ronald Reagan HS is to be the staff for the bones - COOL. The parent support/booster staff is second to none and the corps should experience an upswing in the programing, writing and instructional aspect of the show. Shold the corps be from the tri-state area? Yeah it would be great, however, this does mean that it will live longer and hopefully in the long run, it will now be stronger and be considered and independent entity from the Cadets. There will not be any perceived "living in the shadow" of the Cadets. I think George Hopkins did this to help not hurt the corps. The corps will be the recipient of just about everything we as a fan community have been asking for - Independence, great rehearsal facilities, a more experienced staff, organized rehearsals, a true home like scenario and a real chance at marketing for only the Crossmen's benefit. I know I have been very critical of issues of the past season. This makes me hopeful that Crossmen will live longer and get stronger. They belong back into the elite. The kids deserve it and I think it was a wise and well thought out move.

That would be awesome! Like a glove!!!

Jeff - You had me second guessing myself so I went looking for the videos - 1996 was the Mechanicsburg version, at least the plane and the jumping scenes, followed by WCU in 1997. I just found the videos last night. WCU then did a "Steel" thing show in 98 that was another mess. About 50% of the band left after the 98 season. ___________ wrote the drill both of those years. The staff used to judge the success of those performances by the number of injuries. 10 and below was considered a good performance. I had to dig to find the stuff -

I agree with you 100%

Actually the drill designer - Bobby Jones was great at Reading and if you would look at the video from last year, it was better at Reading and would have gotten in the top 12 with that show. Reading Buccaneers = planning + staff preparedness = successful season But he was the only staff member with REAL senior corps credentials and the only cpation head used to structuring / running rehearsals. If there are a great many changes in a show: 1st the music has to be written in a timely manner (both brass and percussion) and only then can the drill / dot guy write it...... You can only write when the music is finished............each time - version A, Version B, versions C,........... In the day of technology, each experienced corps could have the entire show written and in the hands of the corps staff asap. Unlike many marching bands, corps can predetermine the instrumentation prior to that first day of camp. If the corps is set up with name guys and gals who are organized, auditions will go smoothly because these names will bring in the right talent. With the pyware program, the drill could be written before January and the guard staff would be very pleased to see pass throughs or suggest changes PRIOR to learning the show - Back to the statement about the Crossmen staff - they were or are more band staff than anything else. Even some of the staff were used to having others run their band programs for them or they were not used to going in there and getting their hands dirty so to speak. If you teach in band programs where 80% of the band takes private lessons for example, you might be a bit spoiled when it comes to a working scenario or your teaching talent might be misread as an instructor because everyone can already play an instrument with a higher level of profiency........it may not mean you were the god of instruction. Who would have thought - IMO Performing with a famous group has never really translated into being an arranger or designer either - Once again I say - will there be a Crossmen for the next season? Going to be tough - I would be sad if this corps folded or was dissolved in some way. Who is going to draw the kids there to this corps? I know I said it before - the caption heads should be changed today.

Mechanicsburg HS from Machanicsburg actually had people jumping off of a plane into a high jump mat much higher than these tables.....and in the early 90's, West Chester university thought it would be innovative by copying a high school and used the exact same plane prop and same show concept.......everybody copies from somebody in the tri state area....the list could just go on and on.....and yes, I know the same design team from Mechanicsburg was also working at WCU. The audience did not really know that however and it was considered probably one of their (WCU) worst show ideas unless you ask the staff at the time. Imagine copying a train show or something or a machine show or a mummers show or using the music from a Lansdale HS Gladiator show of like 1992 and renaming the gladiator like show and use it as a WCU opener by another arranger.......with the exact same Bocook notes....hmmm....yes - all been done. Once again - it's never the kids doing these kind of things - always the staffs that make these types of decisions. It is a shame that BD, Cavies and others are criticized for thinking outside of their boxes with their methodologies and yet some groups (Cadets and fans) seem to feel more superior when they claim to be designing outside of their boxes and maybe really aren't as much as was originally reported....and then get caught. IMO IMO IMO

Yes - however the traditional drum corps neophyte has their hands in other aspects of successful music education or successful design. A div. I top 12 calibre group, 14 out of 15 times will not hand over the entire writing of audio and/or visual programming to a team of caption heads looking to gain experience. What will happen if this is the cause of no more bones? Rumors Rumors are out there . . . . . . . . . Keep watching -

Here is a collection of different phrases that I tried to remember from different instructors - "Run" "This time play it with BOTH Lips" "OK - I'll be more positive.....I AM POSITIVE THAT WAS THE WRONG ARTICULATION" "Wow - tonal snare drums - cool" (judge tape) "I can hear the feat in the horn and they aint tap dancing" (whatever that means) The entrance was late and he shouted - "Don't be a BEAT OFF" at which point we fell over! A kid forgot his mouth piece - "at least you'll sound better" That would have been great if it were a Samba - but since we are playing Festive Overture...." (conversation with

I would rather be lumped in with the crowd that understandds and appreciates the Devils and Cavaliers. No one should have to go into rehab after watching or trying to understand any drum corps show. When the "Z" pull came out, every band around was doing that as well - what's the point? I see banquet set up staff move pink tables in Atlantic City. I see drunks diving off of tables in the same place...............hmm Atlantic City.........performers dressed up oddly with microphones..................it could be a mecca for design ideas or show concepts............or anything else. ADHD kicked in.........hey there is another show concept>>>>ADHD - wait , it was done as well this year!!

umm yeah......the same issues all season unfortunately. Will they still be around?

Really go back and listen and watch the show. They performed what they were given. The better they performed it the more it (the construction - arrangments especially) was exposed.

Once again - I agree. Every group in the top 12 had a great show. Things can evolve and still be entertaining. The "what" or repertoire changes over the years as does the "level of achievement" or excellence . What also changes or doesn't change is the taste of the audience. Everyone I talked to seemed to think this was a very entertaining season. I do not know of anyone who thought the activity as a whole was declining. IMO people may not have liked programming issues of specific groups, but they never once said ill of DCI. The amplification is a strongly contested issue and it will be for awhile. It was more in the way it was used and the added expense to keep up with the other corps............ Many groups adapted and used this as another tool to enhance their ensemble. I thought the shows were extremely entertaining as well as educational. The final placement was as close to being dead on as I have seen it in a while - IMO

I agree 100%

One less for the bones to grab -

I agree with the 180 possibility.........once again though last season and this season had most of the same instructional staff..except those that I mentioned..

I know 2005 had a different drill guy and perc. staff from the 04 season. Same perc. staff this season as last but different drill and brass arranger guy

Does anyone know if Surf is applying to be Division I? My friends son, who marched Crossmen, heard it from his college roomate who marched there......... I know - and they told two friends who heard it from the neighbors' dogs' girlfriends' brother................

Yeah - the same guy. When he wrote Penn State indoor, those guys drummed. Musical and tastyyyy......the visual program held them back in a big way back then. I think it was 2000 when they won open in WGI. I saw him at the reunion tent in Allentown in passing. It looked like he was talking to Thurston for a bit. I know he worked with Surf, Spirit and then like 2 or three years at Cadets during the drum championship years - I thinked worked two and then skipped a year and came back with the Cadets - I agree, all of us at Allentown kind of had his name at the top of the list of who could get it done. I saw him at MAPS in 2005 at Methacton when we was with the Coatesville indoor group. It was a class show and pushed it the next level for the year. They obviously won hands down. The kids at Coatesville are known for that line. I think he is still there again for the fall. I know CJ has always held his alma mater (Crossmen and Coatesville) close. He said to a couple of us, I think it was maybe the week before championships, that Crossmen was the only place he ever wanted to teach and give back what he got out of the program for those years. He can REALLY write....and teach/run a rehearsal......and would most likely go on tour the entire summer......he's got my vote for Caption Head! He could do it and would draw the talent and instruction into the program. Good enough to teach at Cadets and good enough to produce great championship indoor programs. What else is needed? He would never approach unless asked however - I wish he would though - not that kind of guy. They really need to call him - Sorry - soap box again - strong feelings - I apologize

and yes I know some are teaching else where.....that is why I have a big list.......hey - isn't Tom Aungst contract up at Cadets this year? hmmmmm imagine the possibilities - hah

I agree with not getting rid of coaches after one year. However on a sports team, the players on a sports team are not paying to be a part of the learning process. The players are being paid. The two really cannot be compared - The percussion staff for example has just finished year two. Some of the brass staff did a greatjob and the corps could have won high parking lot. They sounded great in the lot before going on Thursday night - when they played their warm up exercises. The arranger has many many years arranging for the band idiom and I think Div "A" in DCA. Sometimes the switch is not meant to be. Mike Klesch - great in everything Jay Bocook - great in everything Matt Krempesky - great in both......sometimes not so punctual Chuck Naffier - great in everthing The above are 4 arranger guys who are proven and would help to attract more kids from the college and high school ranks. Lee Bedis - awesome Mark Thurston - awesome Colin McNutt - awesome Thom Hannum - awesome Rob Robinson - awesome in DCA..(check out those Reading Lines and Bush 92-93) Chris Johnson - awesome in WGI open and the top high school programs - Rich Hammond - turned around the Reading program The above are percussion guys to put down some notes and who would also bring in staffers....... Visual Bobby Jones John Miliaskus - awesome with the dots on the page Eric Kitcheman - awesome writing as of recent. Just add water and here is the "who" Just add water