madalumni

Oh cool! I know Scott was either Bari or Eupho, I forget what years...84/85? I know he was our caption head my rookie season (89) and it was his first year writing the entire brass book (I think Georgeson was before him). What years did you march? Did you march with Roger Dombroske? Don Pitzer?

In Madison, about to go over to catch rehearsal/pre-show tailgate party! Weather looks great, gonna be fun as always catching up with friends and fellow alums, and as always, the show is gonna rock!!!

I'm about to drive from Denver to Madison for Drums on Parade Saturday...can't freakin' wait! I will be jammin' to some old (and new) school Drum Corps music to get me in the mood....and to cure the 18 hours of boredom on the road!

So my 3 favorite "new" uniforms (not that anyone cares, lol) is Madison: That classic green over white is just, well...classic! Santa Clara: The Red/Black/Green is just bad ###! Genesis: The epitome of simple and sleek!

Great thorough review, thanks!! I fully agree that the whole "Gotta Dance" voice over needs to go. IT's hokey and cheesy....and doesn't add one little thing to the story line of the show. I'd love it if they replaced it with a couple quick little Baritone or Contra (sorry Tuba) solos in those places....we will all know what they are referring to, and they will be subtle and stylish!

I certainly haven't given up on the Scouts. I just hope the staff has some GE/Visual fireworks to add in as we go along to boost those content scores! I'm sure they do have some surprises in store. And personally, I don't care for the "Gotta Dance" voice over. I think I get what they're going for, but it just comes off as an after thought and is a bit cheesy. Maybe they could put a Baritone of Contra solo in those places. Or have the whole guard sing it out in unison...that would be a cool effect!

This is for real, and I'm so psyched! I've been hoping and praying for this exact look to return to the field! To quote someone else, I hope they never lose it again!

Personally, I don't know why they ever went away from the 88-02 look. I've always said that the only thing that design needed was a cleaner, more tailored cut to the jackets (previous version looked baggy and was never properly fitted for the members)...and 2 shades darker on the green for better contrast, and solid red for the sash, outlined by a thin white stripe on each side (not sequines or lame' - solid)

Wondering if anyone has been at rehearsals and if you can speak to what the overall vibe of the show is. Like I know it's the Gene Kelly music of the 30s/40s, but is it big band-ish and melodic, or is it sort of a modernized sound-bite-ish version of that style? Also, what's the overall impression of the visual and colorguard portion of the show? I'm very excited to see the show and plan on catching them in the theater in a couple weeks and then DOP on the 27th! :D

That could look amazing, especially with the design capabilities of Chad and K.C.! I've been saying for years that I'd love to see a return to a dark green jacket over the white pants. I could picture adding black red and silver to that....or even just adding black, red and silver accents to the white jackets. Whatever the case, I'm sure they're going to look great! I'm also intrigued by what the Guard may have for a costume with the whole Gene Kelley theme!

Madison dropping out of Finals again? I hope not!

I noticed in the show announcement it said music "inspired by" the MGM Gene Kelly musicals. Maybe there are a few Boerma originals in there that have a similar feel, but are not the actual MGM pieces. Kind of like LaDanza Pasillo in 1995...it was reminiscent of "Conga" by Miami Sound Machine, but was written by Scott Boerma and Taras Nahirniak...to great effect by the way!!!

Maybe it's just like Chris Komnick said; that they are waiting for copy rites to clear and to find an appropriate title for the show before they announce the 2015 program.

Yep....it almost felt like the old Holiday Parade around the Capitol Square! I couldn't believe the change in weather. I had flown into Newark on Monday night - it was 68 degrees....then, next day in Suffern, it was like 15 or 20. And what did we get, like 8-10 inches by Wednesday night? It was all worth it though....that was an awesome experience performing with all the Brothers in front of that insane crowd!!!

That humming was actually us making shivering sounds....it was mf-ing COLD that morning!!!

That would have been super cool. Even doing a few bars of that opening Slaughter trill before we launched into "Happy Christmas" would've rocked!!!

I would like to see them do something totally new that hasn't been done before, yet showcases that Madison aggressive, in your face style. I also hope they put a lot more emphasis on visual excitement and stunning guard work!

We are marching as the Madison Scouts - Corps of Brothers. The Corps is comprised of about 350 Alums and about 90 2014 members! I can't wait for this exciting event. We are officially the "Santa Band" and get to perform on the carpet as the last group in the parade, introducing Santa Claus. :)

Wow, there are some tricky tempos and articulation styles in this show. Some people don't seem to realize that varying time signatures, phrasing, and highly exposed melodies can make a show very difficult. Try getting swing to line up on the backside of the beat when you've got a moving form that spreads from 30 yd line to 30 yd line for example. Anyway, I think that this is the type of book (in all sections) that will make or break them. If they can clean it, I think it could be a top 6 show. If not, they could be fighting off some great corps that are also gunning for those spots. But that's a good thing. I love that this staff has confidence that the guys in the corps will rise to the occasion!

Scouts looking very sharp, should look awesome as an ensemble under the lights! As far as the chin straps, the drum line always has them under the nose, horn line under the chin. Bluecoats....awesomeness! Very crisp....was thinking there would be orange instead of white, but this is their best look in many years!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152069252500916&set=a.370865520915.162451.307943455915&type=1&theater

1 minute to the Scouts' unveiling!

I don't know if spats would look good over white shoes with white pants.

Hey Chuck - I'm picturing the look being somewhat like the STP group....but you guys don't have to worry about grass stains marching on asphalt (I assume)

Wow! That is bizarre! I don't even know what to think of that. I do really like the white overlays on the brass and percussion. Not sure about when they switch to black.