MelloMike

Where's the OP of this video again? This sounds like a challenge

Pretty rational. For hypothetical purposes, suppose you bought the DVD in 1991 at $40. Over the course of 18 years that comes out to about $2.22 per year. In perspective that's like 1 milkshake or two dollar menu items. And even with the fact that $100 this year buys less than $100 next year will then theoretically the DVDs continually get cheaper despite the fact that the price is unchanged year after year.

Gotta admit bias - Pioneer 1) The hat, the corps is seen wearing it season after season and Roman is notorious for his hat 2) the shamrock, what says Irish more than a shamrock and what says pioneer more than irish music?

I agree with soccer guy. I don't go in expecting to make it or assuming I'm a shoe-in. I like to prepare to the point where I'm singing the audition material in my head as I go to bed because I've played it so much. My advice - walk out of the audition saying 'I gave it my best shot and I feel good about it. If they don't take me it's because the other guys were better, not because I was bad.' That way if you get it, obviously it's great, and if you don't, then you know you were beat by the best. Makes taking the joy of winning and the pain of losing all with a smile.

Quoting a post from 2007!?!? How many pages of this thread have you gone through?!

Recognizable and popular music seems vague to me. Most of the replies here have been in regard to "pop" and that may have been what you meant but when I first read this, my first thought was Carolina Crown 2008. Carolina Crown's whole show was recognizable music like Beethoven 9, Somewhere over the rainbow, and of course the 1812 overture. Sure there were some classical pieces that might only be recognizable and popular among those who have studied music extensively but who hasn't heard and doesn't like the 1812 overture? On a side note to the music major comment, first off I disagree with the perception that music majors are snobs who don't appreciate popular music. Being a music major myself I can say I've seen that snobbery in and out of the activity but I don't believe that it has "taken over." I'm in favor of more music majors (with good attitudes) because I feel that it raises the bar in the musical performance on the field. That's not to say you have to be a music major to be a great musician or that all music majors are great musicians. All I'm saying is that studying music typically improves one's understanding of a) the music itself and b) how to play the music better. This could easily develop into another thread however, so I will end my comments there.

I'll just respond to your last bit about the band director. It's my opinion that any good band director should encourage their talented and/or passionate members to audition for a drum corps. A smarter director might point them in a certain direction based on their skill level but should not advise them to completely avoid a top tier corps if that's what they want to shoot for. Ambition in my opinion should always be encouraged. Every corps' camp is different and much can be learned regardless of whether you get cut after the first camp or if you go on to march it so any director who straight up tells a student to not audition somewhere because they can't/won't make it is not a director that I would want to march under.

I'd go with C just because it shows change. Now, that's not to say I'm in favor of some of the proposals but I like to see this activity involve. I dig old school and I dig new school so to speak. My deal is that it's gotta be in good taste. If a corps can be innovative in a way that's "not drum corps" and it's enjoyable to the audience without throwing away what we love about the activity, then I'm for it.

i liked grass for rehearsals, made it feel more real and didn't heat up like rubber does. Went with astro turf for performances, those rubber beads in field turf always bugged me but if that was the only option for turf then I'd still take it over grass for performances. Idk why, I just felt like I marched better on turf, it was the stability and consistency. I like going into a stadium knowing that the field is in a condition favorable to a great performance in terms of (especially) visual performance.

lol nice try, but ya gotta have a college degree for that

I second that and I'm making minimum of $50 a week donating plasma by going for like an hour and a half twice a week and I'm using it for spending money while I'm saving my money from my job for next season drum corps. Check the reqs though, might be an 18+ yr old thing. I'm in a college town where everyone is at least 18 though so i don't know for sure on those details When I marched my dad's job gave him stock pretty regularly so he just sold some of that to cover the cost (this was in 06 and 07 when the stock market was a lot better)

Out of curiosity, what would you want to see from them (assuming they remain all men) that pushes the caption further? I don't know what hasn't been done in color guard but I'm curious what you or other Scouts fans would like to see done with this group

I'll usually buy the top 12 DVD but certainly not right away, I'll typically wait until April or so to buy it to get me pumped up again for the upcoming season (and also because by then the price will have dropped significantly). I've bought the quarterfinal dvds from the years I marched and they are certainly worthwhile, fun to go back and see shows like Southwind and Esperanza so I'm not an advocate of buying ONLY top 12 but top 12 is my intended purchase this year (despite not having crossmen or madison scouts' shows).

Couldn't you both be right? Suppose from the preseason they knew they were gonna create that position mid season and it made most sense to use an alternate rather than pull a member from the drill..

Couldn't agree more with this thread. Particularly compared to cadets' last two shows, this was by far my favorite show visually (and one of my favs musically) this year. I was trying to comprehend how hard it woulda been to not only learn that much drill but knowing how much of it changes throughout the season being able to keep up.. props to the members of Cadets '09, a well deserved top 3 finish.