Drumcorps4life

I understand the issues with going to HD. Even with my TV i still don't own a Blue-Ray Disc player yet or HD-DVD. I guess my real complaint is that the video quality is extremly poor on the last two years dvd's. Much worse than anything I've ever seen. And for those that dont' watch HD, you have no idea how fantastic DCI would look on it. Splotched make up or not. Mark

So I have this awesome tv. 56 inch DLP HD 1080p scan. Figured DCI would look awesome on it but yeah not so much... DCI needs to go HD!!! Or at least record the video with better quality. Someone told me they are still using analog cameras... Is this true? Wouldn't surprise me. My normal DVD's still look awesome on my TV with my upconverter (my 360). At least come out with a widescreen version. You can get more out of the high cam shot that way. Lets go DCI you do great in almost everything. Vote HD now! Mark

I will be the first to admit that my grammer is terrible. I do however make sure I get it right when I am submitting offical paperwork... Mark

My issue about these rule proposals is how unprofessionally they are wrote. I see some of them signed Hopkins, for address just YEA! the Cadets... When I get forms in my line of work they are filled out completly. Also they haven't been edited from old ones. Under the electronics proposal it talks about being able to hear steel drums and congos some day. That has nothing to do with electronics. Thats amplification which we aleardy allow. I know this because I could hear the steel drums in the Bluecoats 06 show. If you care about something so much you should at least take the time to make your proposals professional.. Mark

I think a few could pull it off. Blue Devils for Sure. Bluecoats, (might have to add more black to the uni's) Cavaliers Blue Knights to name a few.

On the topic of My Chemical Romance, I think that this album could make a killer show. Its a very emotional album with a lot of different styles to it. The first track on the album the End would make a fantastic opener. Mark

Currently in the Navy on a destroyer and will be going to nuclear power school next year to work on an aircraft carrier. After drum corps one can do anything. Mark

cell phones in concerts are rude as heck. Not only that, they are rude in resturants, and everywhere else. Drive me nuts

I was a member of Lake Erie from 97-99. I have a lot of love for that corps. They taught me so much and I have so many great memories of them. However, for Mr. Gold Bond. Their folding had nothing to do with DCI and whatever it is you say they do to Div. III. Trust me on this one. Mark

I predict the Bluecoats will loose to Madison at every show this year. Then come finals week, will beat them like they have the last two years :-) Speaking of the up and up. The Bluecoats are teh only corps to get better every year since 1999. No other corps in dci, including div. II/III I believe can say that. 1999 - 13 2000 - 12 2001 - 08 2002 - 07 2003 - 07 2004 - 06 2005 - 05 So I'm saying no worse than 5th this year. Same staff intact from before with some minor tweaks, like every year! Mark

Concepts are needed to win, In my opinion. Look at the Cadets last year and the cavaliers the years before that. I could give a crap how long the explanation is. I do'nt care about concepts. Take last years show. Caravan. I don't know what it was about nor do I care. It was just awesome. And the judges liked it cause of all the concepts but it didn't affect me at all. So I'm fine with it.

End of Madison 2000. I remember seeing that live when they are doing their box thing and there is that one mello rip. I was just like dag they are playing freakin' loud! Mark

That is just fabulous

I think I have some insight on this. I did drum corps for 7 years and have been volunteering the last two. I also just graduated from Navy OCS (sort of like what you see in the movie "An Officer and a Gentlemen") We had marine drill instructors and the whole nine yards. Drum Corps prepared me very well for sure. And in some respects it was easier than corps but in other respects it was not. Like when I was doing pushups with long pants on and a cover on my head in a sand pit getting sprayed down with water about 20 minutes into that i think it surpassed drum corps. And like the first week when i stood at attention from 5 am till 10 at night and couldn't move a muscle pretty much the entire day that kind of stunk too. However in drum corps I carried a contra around all day long and was in the hot sun everyday all day which was not the case at OCS. So they are different. The sleep deprivation was about the same but i have to say OCS was harder because a lot of the time you were just sitting in class as opposed to physically doing something like in corps. And you had a bed in OCS as well which was awesome. The thing that is the worst about the military is the seriousness of it. Like if you got caught with weed in corps you might just get thrown out. In the miltiary you are going to jail probably and getting thrown out. But it was definently the same thing of you love to hate it for both. Drum Corps is definently the best thing you can do to preparer yourself for the military. So much of it wasn't a big deal at all once you get over the shock of it. Funny thing was i wasn't that great of a marcher at OCS. I wasn't a problem and only ever got called out once and it was on a rifle thing but I wasn't really a stand out either. No big deal though. I think a lot of it was that I just despise actually marching now and pretty much hate doing it. Dont' worry I sitll love drum corps. Anyways I'll be glad to answer any more questions. Also I am not going to be doing the band in the Navy. Everyone thinks that is what I'm doing but its not lol Mark Ensign United States Navy

Everyone is saying go auditon for both but what if this person can't afford that? Just an observation from me. I will be biased March Blue. They have a great history, the best cheer in DCI, on their way up. And is always a very chill group of people. I always hear from other corps that bluecoats have a tighetr nit gropu and have more fun during the season than other corps. I had a great time. If you dont 'make blue then try elsewhere. Other corps will still have spots for awhile. Most importantly, march Drum Corps Mark

Scott if this dude is a Madison fan than ignore what he has to say. Its obvious he has a little bit of a beef that we beat them. No need to argue. History will not remember the 05 bluecoats for cell phones on the field. Mark

If you look at the scores for the past 15 years or so at finals. THey are almost always the same. 12th is in the 84 to 86 range. 1st at a 98 or 99 now. Top 7 or 8 break 90. ITs all about spreads and leaving room for people at the top. You think performance level is the same every year? No. But this is where the scores always end up.

I haven't read any posts at all in this topic but I'm going to put in my two sense. SCV was a hot mess this year. They were a 9th place corps all year but finals night they really kicked it up a notch and I had an inkling they might make a move. And they did. Mark

In my opinion corps like Phantom and SCV get these standing ovations largly in part because of their great fan bases. Corps like them and cavies and those other "elite" Corps have been performing awesome shows for 30 plus years and you can build a large large fan base doing that. SCV got the large ovation in part because they really stepped it up finals night (Which they did they kicked that show out) And the long time SCV fans loved it. Same with Phantom. So many Phantom fans were going nuts cause they did a great show and did the best they have since 96. Not that other corps didn't do something special it was just the way that was this year. Sometimes its Cavies or Devils. It just depends.

If you want to talk about class on the retreat block, Devs isn't nessicarily the corps I'd be bringing up.

BLOOOO I was there and it rocked. Also, I believe the Bluecoats are the only Division 1 corps not to drop in placement at all over the last 6 years. I doubt any Division II/III corps can say that either? I'm sure someone will correct me. Proud Alumnus Mark

I'll have to listen more closely to the Cadets next time I see them to judge about the contra issue. I will say I don't really remember much from their contra line but I don't remember hearing much on balance problems. I feel the Cavies show is amazing and I hope it wins. Cadets are great too though. The Beat Boxing is a bit much though. Also Pittsburgh is a horrible place for sound. None of the corps were loud at all. All the sound just escaped. Plus the high wall hurt the sound to I felt. Just nothing seemed like it communicated at all there. I've been noticing that about certian stadiums now that I've been a fan for a couple of years after marching for years. Mark

My biggest comment about the show. Blue Knights. I love 12 Contras keep it up. However, don't put the contra in the front of the show the entire show. There were overplaying and there were parts where all I could hear was contra and the soundsn weren't always super sweet. They need to calm them down and move them back sometimes. Otherwise was a fantastic show. I'm a Contra player too. Mark

Schumick got ripped!! You didn't call me jerk.... Mark

THere are the bluecoat freaks, and then there are the haters that believe that certian corps can never be beat.... I'm not a hater. :-)