rmurrey74

NO, I could understand the explanation. The explanation was always vague..."It's a feel thing" People couldn't explain the details of the technique. Where the foot is on the & count. Where the foot was on 1e....etc. I did ask a teacher that taught for the corps. Any member should be able to answer this too.

Don't you have to buy the HD radio?

I have Sirius and would never go back to regular radio. For $11 a month, it's well worth it especially if you drive a lot, it's great having the same channels no matter where you are. Some of the channels have opened me up to tons of new music that I don't think I would hear on terrestrial radio. Plus the news, sports, and comedy channels make it great. Does HD have the same channels everywhere? CNN, ESPN, CNNHN, FOX, etc? I'm not that familiar with it.

Who said it looks horrible? Visual performance is part of the show.

That doesn't make sense at all. Every detail of a technique is defined (in most cases) and the members are responsible for knowing how it's defined. The members should be able to explain in detail what the technique is that they're performing. What the leg and foot is doing at any point in time. If a member that I'm teaching couldn't explain the technique to me in mid-July and what was expected, then I'm not doing my job as an instructor. That person may not be an effective teacher or may not do the technique well in all situations, but I would expect that any member that you ask in Cadets, Blue Devils, Bluecoats, Phantom, etc... could explain in detail their technique. How do you learn it and then not know how it is defined or taught?

Makes sense....thank you!

No, I didn't say the Cavaliers are teaching it wrong. I was disagreeing with the point saying that a person that marched drum corps may not be able to explain their technique to someone. Anyone that marches in a decent drum corps should be able to explain the details of their technique. It doesn't matter which drum corps. Sorry if asking questions about something that no one really talks about comes across as having an attitude. I'll chime in on one of the 10 threads about how much the Cadets narration sucks.

Karl, do you have more insight into the first step? I'm confused on why the weight isn't equal between both feet on step one. This wasn't the picture I was looking for, but last year or the year before they had a camp video of the corps taking step one and none of the weight shifted. It stayed completely over the planted right leg. Thanks

.... Changed my mind. I don't need to respond to this.

Thank you too

THANK YOU! That's what I've been looking for and I'll probably have some more questions. After reading this, I can now understand what I'm seeing a little better now that I have a idea of how the heel is supposed to be moving. Again, I have nothing against the technique. While I personally prefer other styles, I think it's important that as a teacher, I understand how this style is defined. Thank you for not giving a vague answer like everyone else. I've seen the Cavaliers perform probably over 120 times in the last 14 years and I've always wondered. I just never started digging into it until recently. Thanks again

Yes, because no one can explain why it's not a bicycle step. They don't, but what should I call it then and why isn't it a bicycle step?

If it's not a bicycle step than what is it?

Sorry...but no. You should be able to explain a technique that you've performed all season. Maybe some people would not be able to teach it well but you should be able to explain a technique that you've been taught if the staff is giving you the information. A good staff should be teaching each member as if they would a future teacher. Even if someone doesn't make the corps, they should have received general information on how the technique is defined after attending one camp. Each person is taught the technique individually? Each person may be approached differently to get them to fully understand, but you have to start out with the general details in a group setting. This is where the foot is on the & of 4, this is where the foot is on 1, this is where your weight is on 1, this is where you foot is on 1e....etc. The "Blue Devils" style of technique can be broken down until specific details. I'm not trying to bag on the Cavaliers technique or be negative about it. I'm truly curious to see if this technique can really be defined. I'll email them directly after the season.

I'll contact the current staff. Just in my experience, close friends of mine who have taught on the staff in past could not define it for me. That makes me think that maybe it's not as defined as I thought it would be so I'm not going to get specific answers.

How much knee? How is the knee defined? All answers about this technique are always vague and that's why it looks different from person to person on the field.

I'll contact the staff directly but I don't think I'll get the answers I'm asking for. I've also have had discussions with past visual staff members that could also not define all details of the technique. It was taught with more or a general concept of how the foot should flow. It doesn't seem to be defined as the other technique methods out there and it shows on the field every year. That's why I'm curious if any former members could really define it. I've studied and taught technique for years and the first step issue also really confuses me. Maybe I'm just missing some obvious detail on how you would take step one without moving your center of body forward and without having your weight equal between both feet. How does the technique make the most sense? I hear that often, but I never really see any convincing arguments on why. Thanks

Alright...then can anyone reply with a real answer? Thanks

So, you're saying it's not really defined? How can they get the visual performance numbers that they get year after year with no exact definition in the lower body? They control their upper bodies well and they move great dot to dot, but the & count clarity does NOT exist.

Can any Cavalier alums please explain the marching technique to me? I appreciate the technique and how it is different from anyone else, and it has obviously worked well for them. It just never seems as clean as any other technique out there. There are many variations from person to person in how much the leg is bent when the foot passes through on the & counts, and that seems to be okay year after year. They have the 2nd highest visual performance score right now and from an & count timing and & count definition standpoint and I just don’t see how that is happening. Is it because it is so unique that the lack of & count definition is okay or more difficult to read then the Blue Devils or Cadets approach? How high does the foot come off the ground on the bicycle step? Is the foot parallel to the ground, hanging naturally? Is there a specific angle in the leg? I’ve seen pictures of the first step and I’ve always wondered why the weight did not shift off the back heel. The pictures show all of the weight staying on the back foot after taking the left foot forward. Do the members not move their center of body forward on step 1? Do they have to gain more ground on 2 to make up for this? I’ve asked these questions to two friends of mine who have marched there and they were not able to define it for me. I’m just curious and confused on how this technique is approached because I would like to be able to understand it better. Maybe I'm just not reading it correctly, but they look much less defined than Phantom, Bluecoats, Cadets, and Crown. Thanks!

There's no narration during the drum solo.

I love their narration. It fits the show perfectly and they also do not talk over the music which I find the most distracting part of Cadets.

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=f...ca-d950e16f86e2

Bluecoats 95 and 96

Wasn't this new staff brought in to bring back the Madison Scouts of old? After seeing it live, it just seems like the opposite. Where's the blaring brass high power ending? The down ending takes 1 minute 38 seconds!