ssorrell

Don't over analyze. Just enjoy.

3 to 5 point jumps and drops happened in 1978. 3 to 5 point jumps and drops happened in 1985. 3 to 5 point jumps and drops happened in 1996, in fact it happened to Madison...your corps, from one show to the next in July of that year. And 3 to 5 point jumps and drops happen in 2009. 3 to 5 point jumps and drops happen to a defending champion, a 6th place corps, a 10th place corps, a 14th place corps, or the last placed corps. Stop trying to second guess things. If it was a bad score, it will be corrected. If Spirit deserved the big jump, then it'll stick. If the corps falls a bit in the next show, I don't think anyone will be surprised...even the members. but hey...that's the nature of the beast.

There's a report of it on dci.org...apparently it was the volunteer bus and the buses with the members continued on to the housing site.

Way back in 1984, Spirit played at a fundraiser for an Atlanta politician running for Congress. Pres. Reagan attended and Spirit was given the honor of playing "Hail to the Chief" for the event. We had to surrender our horns and uniforms to the SS for something like 24 hours, so they could inspect everything before allowing us to play and perform. We didn't get our equipment back until we showed up at the hotel where the event was held. I can only imagine with the beefed up security for this inauguration what a nightmare everything was for the SS and all of the bands concerned. I read somewhere yesterday that the bands had to report to the parade route around 7:30 or so in the morning...what was it...19 degrees then? And then the parade didn't start until after 4pm? Kudos to anyone that had to endure that kind of scrutiny. And then to stand there and wait for 8 hours or more in frigid temps. Wow!

I hope the comment above isn't an indirect way of calling me stupid. I didn't "research" to see what corps you auditioned for and what corps you are currently a member of. I viewed your profile to see how old you were, etc, and it was as obvious as the nose on your face which corps was our favorite. Heck, you even mentioned in another post who you were auditioning for and when. Of course, it seems as though you have edited your profile to remove the name of your favorite corps now, but don't blame someone else for realizing who you were talking about when you had it written in black and white. So, take your own advice please...don't be stupid and openly post the name of corps then later bring them up in a discussion where you question their fairness to auditionees and possible discriminatory offenses.

19 pages of discussion about cutting kids for being "fat"? Wow. Fact...the OP admits that he cannot say for certain if the reason for his not making the audition was because of his body weight. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what corps he was auditioning for...his "dream corps". The fact is that Crown is a top 4 corps and has had a top guard for several years, popular with the judges, fans, and potential members. If the corps marches 40 in the guard and 20 return, that leaves very few spots open (even if the corps requires vetereans to "re-audition" anyone could guess that most of those returning would definitely have an upper hand in the audition). And as a top guard there could potentially be dozens of kids looking to get those few spots. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better. Sure, the OP might be good with his equipment and his audition sheets don't show any serious deficiencies, but unless we can see ALL the sheets of those that won a spot, it's only speculative to guess as to why he didn't make the cut. The comments on his sheets seemed somewhat generic and not necssarily overflowing with high praise. The comments were "good" ...sure, but a top guard that can potentially challenge for the guard trophy is looking for the cream of the crop. Did he fit the bill? Who are we to question the call of the staff that made the decision? I find it quite presumptuous for him to jump to the conclusion that the culprit was his weight and/or size. Not trying to be insensitive, but the OP is 17 years old and has a waist size of 40. Unless you are something close to 6'6", no matter how you slice it, that is much larger than most physicians would like for you to be...for your own good health, mind you. My last response has to do with the comment made by the OP wondering about the "fairness" of not being able to follow his dream because of this supposed discrimination....Just because you have a dream doesn't mean that you are entitled to achieve it. If YOU think that your weight kept you from achieving that dream, then you and only you have the option to change that. Or, you can claim to be the victim, do nothing, and watch as others do what it takes to earn a spot in this dream guard. It's your choice. It's not about fairness. It's not about discrimination. Either change your dream or change the obstacles that have kept you from experiencing your dream.

Band show? Hah! The top band shows in the country are not nearly as entertaining as Crown '08. In fact, those band shows are too esoteric, artsy, or are so overly dependent on a theme that everything else seems unimportant. Crown was nothing but musical pleasure. What part of the country are you from if Crown was nothing but a very good band show? I'd like to come see what you are seeing in the fall!

Wow... I know very well the cost of membership these days, but your comment above just rang in my head for a few moments. It made me remember a time when $6,000 would have paid for not 3 but 15 members' dues! Sorry to get off on that tangent...

Thanks to bearz and whitedawn for clarifying with facts! This certainly is not a fundamental change in the way many corps handle their donations. Many corps all the way back to the 70s and 80s knew of these IRS policies and have dealt with them properly all along the way. This issue is one of those things that all corps, whether World Class or Div 3, have to research to find their own answers. For anyone who can't figure out why sponsorships for a specific member aren't allowed and only donations into a general fund are deductible...it has already been pointed out that in paying for a member's dues, someone (not necessarily the donor) is getting something in return for that specific donation. Also, think about it this way...the government doesn't mind when you donate to worthy organizations to help in their expenses and they will reward you by not assessing taxes on that money. When you make a donation for someone's dues, you are not helping the organization at all...you are simply replacing a member's dues check with one of your own. You could have just as well given the member a check (trust issues aside!) and they in turn write the corps a check. Your donation did NOTHING to help with the corps expenses.

Thanks Mike! Should've known I could count on you for the answer!

Every drum corps since the introduction of DCI in 1972 has used valved bugles. Try again. What does Stalin have to do with this show? Was he a sorcerer?? Sure he was Russian, but he wasn't even born until AFTER Mussorgsky composed Pictures at an Exhibition! BTW...how'd they make the girl levitate on the broomstick???

Perhaps because the Sorcerer didn't speak or sing nor use anything electronic? The use of the sorcerer was no different than the Bridgemen showing off Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, the Unknown Comic, dancing bears, Grant and Lee, or Tony and Maria. He was there to help push the theme. That's not ridiculous by any means. Well, in the Bridgemen's case, it was ridiculous, but that was the idea! No one said that the appearance of the sorcerer was "called for". but much like your acclaimed Cadets in 91, his appearance and actions helped portray the theme that SCV was attempting to project...Russia, magic, imagery. And that's the point to many people...it was done WITHOUT the use of non-traditional equipment like microphones and electronics.

Wow. I don't see many similarities between Cadets 2005 and Phantom 2008. That's quite a stretch, IMHO. And I find it difficult to grasp the thought that Phantom's 06 and 08 shows could be considered derivatives of SCV 04 or Cadets 05, especially considering that it was a re-design of their own production from over 25 years ago. This statement makes no sense. How can one be "revolutionary" without revolutionizing the future? You can't revolutionize the past.

Many people have included Suncoast's 88 show on their list of great stories...but that was the "Songs for the Contemporary Child" production...not the "Florida Suite"...that was either 85 or 89. I disagree with you that their Florida Suite is a form of story telling, but I think you hit the nail on the head in your description...that show is a wonderful form of "musical imagery". The music and visuals set a tone and mood, but there isn't really a story to tell. You can't listen to that show without feeling like you are at the beach, but that's not a story, or at least not to me. Perhaps a few people have a different idea of what a "story" is? It is apparent that you and I have differing opinions, not that there is anything wrong with that!

Thanks Randy, but I'm trying to figure out what story we were telling... There was no story. The entire show was indeed "Porgy and Bess", but we didn't try to tell the story...we just played the music. And as much as I do love Suncoast, I don't see their 84 show as a "story" either. They did depict the Vietnam War in a few scenes with the guard and the corps offered symbols of both war and peace, but again...not really a "story". 88 Suncoast...I can buy that as storytelling. I can't fully wrap my mind around the concept that 2005 Cadets told a story either. What was the plot of the supposed story? They did an excellent job of presenting an "idea", but again...a story? The same can be said about Santa Clara's 88-89 shows that I said about Spirit. They played the music from the Phantom of the Opera, and the guard guys and gals dressed appropriately, but how can you tell that story without Raoul? They successfully created the atmosphere of the story and even went as far as having the Phantom disappear, but there really wasn't a story in their show...was there? Wasn't that merely a wonderful presentation of the musical, complete with the appropriate visuals to help build the theme? Phantom 2008...this could end up being one of my favorite shows of all time. They certainly portrayed the characters of the story of Spartacus well. They didn't necessarily portray the complete story of Spartacus in 11.5 minutes, as that is not only impossible, but unnecessary. They did give us a condensed version of the slaves vs. the Roman Republic and the uprising led by Spartacus. In my mind, no one beats Sky Ryders with their stories...esp. the Wizard of Oz. There's my 2 cents worth...you don't have to agree.

Heh...that's nothing unusual. For two years as a Top 12 DM, my pre-show ritual included going into the stadium while the corps warmed up to check out the entrance and exit gates. I'd visit the souvie stand, have a coke, then meet the corps at the gate to bring them in. In the meantime, I bet I'd sign a dozen autographs and have my picture taken every night. I was there in 1985 when Spirit had to perform at a show at the Illinois State Fair. The field was marked off on the track used for horse shows and wasn't deep enough...there was a wall located at the back hash mark. I stood on the podium watching our guard crash into the wall as they were marching backwards in a blind set and they didn't know what was coming. It was scary, but also funny, because all of the corps had the same problem...the only thing was we were the only Top 12 corps there, so it didn't effect some of the smaller corps as much as it did us. My "podium" was a folding chair that we placed in the aisle of the grandstands. And, in my four years on the field, that show was the only show where we had to go through "inspection". And OMG...the retreat lasted for what seemed like two hours. Horrible! I was there, again in '85, when it was mistakenly announced that SCV was the guard champion, making that moment one of the biggest blunders ever made during the announcement of scores and caption winners at DCI finals. And to think that DCI didn't want to announce the correction over the stadium PA system... I was there when a dropped rifle or flag, or simply a toe over the front sideline could cost a corps a championship.

You're not going out on much of a limb there...isn't that pretty much the direction and attitude of the staff EVERY year?

The IRS, nor any other federal or state agency, does not evaluate the financial stability of an organization and take action according to the results. The organization in question applies for non-profit status, follows their rules and regulations, and then pays their fees and/or taxes if applicable along with a LOT of paperwork. Heck, if the IRS evaluated drum corps for the purpose of finding whether they were ready and financially stable to tour, there would likely be a lot of drum corps that never got out of the gate each year. I do believe that was the point that DCIHasBeen was trying to make.

This topic has been beat to death over the years. Here are two loaded discussions from DCP: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...l=famous+alumni http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...l=famous+alumni

Can the two eras compare? Certainly not...at least not at face value. But, what corps members did in the 70s and 80s was just as exceptional by that era's standards as the present day members performances are by today's standards. Sure...everything in drum corps is at a higher level now. Bands are much more technically proficient than they have ever been, so it certainly stands to reason that as those members audition for corps across the nation, the design staff realizes that they can push the envelope further. But it's not just in the marching arts that we see this phenomenon...look at the Olympics. Every four years we see world records fall in nearly every single event. How can the human being keep getting faster\better\stronger? More than likely in another 20 years or so, we'll be looking back at today's era of the marching arts and making the same comments about "old vs. new". No matter what decade or era of drum corps you scrutinize, one thing will always be the same in comparison...the levels achieved by the members and the ensembles as a whole will be the defining standard of superiority and excellence in the marching arts for that time.

Having known Caitlin from when she was running around in diapers, I am most proud of her attitude and am incredibly happy that kids like her and others continue to march in Spirit, carrying on the tradition of creating a big happy, although at times dysfunctional, family. That's what those of us that marched back in my day took away from the corps. Sure, we are proud to have finished where we did back in my years, but that's not what we remember now. I'm more proud of the fact that I have friends that I marched with 25 years ago that I still to this day keep in touch with very often...friends that are genuinely interested and concerned with things in my life, and vise versa. If I needed them or they needed me, we'd be there for each other, just like the closest of fraternities. That's what Spirit meant to me and many others, and I'm glad the corps still creates those same kinds of experiences for the members today. With attitudes like Caitlin's, the corps is destined to be successful. Kudos to those members that always look on the brighter side and realize what drum corps is REALLY about. Thank you Caitlin, for making this alum proud.

I was thinking the very same thing this morning as the post hit 16 pages. In fact, has Spirit ever been the topic of a 16 page thread since DCP hit the net?

Top eight corps? When's the last time you saw Spirit in the top 8? How about 22 years ago...

Heh...if the Spirit team has been able to get the members to "dig" some of the recent show ideas, this one should be no problem.

And I played New World Symphony on the field in high school band. So I guess I shouldn't have liked Phantom's 1898 show? Sure, the music of Kansas is not as musically intellectual or deep as Bartok or Khachaturian...thank God. I don't want that from Spirit...we get that from other corps. For a change, Spirit might actually have something DIFFERENT on the field this year, adding to diversity in the activity and giving us something entertaining.