toddschultz

It's not a bad thing to read the whole page on DCI.org before tossing up new topics. Just a thought.

I don't believe in that either, however, I have and will never take my opinion of a group from what I hear on DCP or from a judges sheet and base my opinion of any group on that, and as my post stated, many of the people that had a problem with the corps in 2007 were doing just that. Now if people are going to have an opinion, positive or negative of the corps, and they have seen them, well then I will value their opinion. But if it is based solely on score sheets and posts by people that did not see the group live, well, then do they really have an opinion. It's like people that blasted away at the Cadets about the narration, but didn't hear it. I waited until I saw the show to make my assessment, when I felt that I had an opinion. That's all I am saying.

As Geno pointed out, I think it has to do with his points. Think about the amount of scrutiny corps get for their show when the thing is posted so early, especially corps like the Cadets, Madison, or Pioneer. Any decision they make is going to be beaten to death and criticized by the masses, and it's really not worth it. In 2007 there were so many people on these boards just blasting away at Madison for what they were doing, or this or that, that they needed to change things, and what did they produce, well in my opinion one of the most under-rated shows of 2007. They were a great corps, worked hard, and were very entertaining. Yet tons of people all over these boards blasted them and I am willing to bet that most of those people were basing it on the judges scores or from what they heard, not what they saw. So why should they just post things to tons of people, so a group of individuals on the National-Drum Corps Planet-Enquirer can come in here with their opinions and come down on a group, even though those people doing the #####ing haven't got a clue about what they're talking about. And further...do corps owe it to us to tell us what they're playing? Is it our right? NO. Before the internet you got that info from here-say, DCI Today-in late spring, or going to a show. We'll know the show, and be told it, when the corps feels like it. And it's not just the Men of Madison that haven't announced, so if those of you that are complaining are upset, take a look around the activity and see how many others have announced. And no, show titles are not an anncouncement, it's a title. It doesn't tell you what people are playing or how the show is going to work. That's like someone saying "I wrote a book it's called 'The Art of Baseball'" and so we think, hey, it's a book about baseball. Then you read the book and it's about gardening. So thinking that way, I guess there are only a handful of corps that have even announced. Just some thoughts. Not trying to offend anyone.

I know that people aren't supposed to know the title/show music yet. But so many have figured clues out, I will have to divulge. Movement 1-A-Ha-Take On Me. With the allowing of electronic keyboards, this will be an opener that will leave the audience screaming for more. Movement 2-Charma-Chameleon-We all know the song, you saw the clue. It's also the corps colors-Red, Gold, and Green. This will be a ballad/production number. Movement 3-Toxic by Britney Spears. It's time to bring out the Britney wonderment to the field, what better year in the world to do it. The guard is going to shave their heads during this point of the show, ala Bishop Karney's 1995 Sybil show(winterguard). Movement 4-Mr. Roboto by Styx, again, the keyboards! I know that this is supposed to be kept secret, but guys, I couldn't resist.

I think your post was closed because someone said they didn't understand it. I don't get it though. What was hard to understand. You reminded us alum's to get our money in for alumni dues and donations...so I guess it was just a matter of closing it for no reason. I wonder if this thread will get closed if I say to all Madison alum's to get their dues/donations in. Glad to hear camps was great though!

There's some very cool stuff in there. Any of you that have done a show on there that are experienced drill writers, please write to me at ALL 3 of these e-mail addresses-I may have a job for you. toddschultz@mail.com tschultz@brrice.org toddeschultz@yahoo.com If you are interested in writing drill for competitive marching groups, pleasle e-mail me on ALL 3 of those addresses with your bio, resume, etc. and some PDF samples of your work. Thanks!

How does bringing these guys on NOT live up to these objectives. Let's not start a flame war because of where people come from or how much the chosen staff members will cost on the budget, unless of course we know these answers, in which case we wouldn't be posting that information on this forum. It comes down to who work well together and who are thought of to be in the best interest for instruction. I do not think geographic locations should be our basis for thinking of how a corps is running their operations. Especially when we do not know those details and are questioning them on an open forum. Not trying to be a jerk, but let's be fair and assume the decisions are for the good of the corps before we start making accusations about the management team.

And that matters to this thread because...

I think they should put in a lick from Saturday Night Fever.

Yeah, I think it was 12:32 here when it happened. It was a day which I will never forget.

How do threads like this stay open, but others are changed/closed. It is a hilarious post though.

I can't really get on board with those that say that adding woodwinds is evolving the activity in some way. There are already activities that involve woowinds, brass, percussion, and colorguard, and it's not just at the high school level. Change for the sake of change is hardly evolution. ev·o·lu·tion (v-lshn, v-) KEY NOUN: A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form. See Synonyms at development. The process of developing. Gradual development. So adding woodwinds does not really fall into evolving the activity. It'd be a change, certainly, but I do not see how it would help our activity evolve. Furthermore, being a music educator, I would not want to see a bunch of woodwind instruments out on a field all summer, the cost of of repair and maintenance alone would make it a bad idea. Granted, those evil marching bands that some of us work with use woodwinds now, but it is hardly on the same usage level as a summer tour would create. I guess i'm adding to the dead-horses beating, carry on.

To me, seeing a video after watching something live, ALWAYS causes a change in my thoughts. Sometimes good, sometimes, not.

I think we will see corps increase members in all areas. 15 members is a lot of people, and I think each section can benefit from it.

Good luck Donny! I hope you guys have a great turn out and productive weekend!

I have often wondered if many BOA groups have peculiar percussion set ups, due to the fact that there is not a caption award for percussion, thus allowing groups to not put the effort into making a full, traditional batterie, as you would see if there were a percussion caption. Just a thought.

Does it matter where a corps places to say whether or not the corps is teaching good things. I sure hope not. I would rather learn a lot, meet great people, have an amazing time, and not worry about where anything else falls, over concerning myself with scoring/placement, in 10 years I don't think people are going to remember they got this place or that place at whatever show, as much as they are going to remember the moments they shared. Just my thought.

They started the season with aussies on, can't remember if they were there at the end.

Could also be that it's something that people wanted, considering there was a cymbal line until 2004? Or was it 2003? But they only had a few years without one, and I think there were many who were sad to see it go, and many who are glad to see it back. Just a thought.

Sounds like a very strong brass staff.

So I was thinking the other day, as I was watching my 8 volume DVD set about New York City... Wouldn't it be cool if DCI put together a DVD set about drum corps. It would have historical corps footage as far back as possible, bio's about corps that are no longer performing, as well as about corps that are still performing, influential stories/interviews from those that helped to shape the activity, bio's about the great people that are part of/have departed us too soon, i.e. Gail Royer, George Zingali, Col. Truman Crawford, C.H. Beebe, just to name a few. What do you all think? Is it possible? Would you buy it? I just think it would be good because it would be about ALL eras of drum corps and would show how the past is just as important as the present, and the present is just as important as the past.

When I marched-1997-1999 we had our banquet on a weekend in November that typically lined up with the Madison Christmas Parade, not audition weekend. I would imagine it would be difficult to have it during finals week or shortly after for many reasons. One of which may be people have just gotten home/settled back in and then they ship off to their respective banquet. So having it over the audition weekend puts the whole experience together. I find it odd that a corps would have kids auditioning at their banquets? Does this happen? I have never heard of it.

I think there is quality all the way through DCI. That being said, if finals were for say the top 15, that only leaves 6 or 7 corps that did not make finals in "world" class. I think at that point it's not a testament of corps considered in an "elite" category. As it is we have more than half of the world corps in finals, well I guess about half. In illinois football-hs level there are 256 teams that make the playoffs, there are teams that have a 5-4 record who are in it, which in my opinion is skewed. So if DCI were to allow more groups into finals, at what point is the upper echelon reached. If there were 45 corps that were in "world class" then 15 would be a good number, because that would be the top third. I hope this made sense.

I have no problem at all with the piece being performed, I was simply talking about IF, and only IF they were to change the intended meaning of the piece. As far as it being played, I think the Cadets will do a fine job with it, and with a Tichelli show.

I think many pieces can have more than one meaning, however, with this piece in discussion being about such an awful tragedy, and with the tragedy itself being less than a decade ago, I hardly think a drum corps show is the time or the place to change the meaning of such a piece. Furthermore, I don't think that if the piece was used as it was originally intended would be appropriate. In the program notes there is a mention that Columbine did not have an Alma Mater prior to this piece. Tichelli wrote/arranged an alma mater for the school as stated in said program notes, so I do not see how this piece could have more than one meaning. Unless of course we strip away the title and original intention of the piece. It'd be like saying that when some shoe company used the Beatles Revolution song as a theme for their sneakers, that the piece now served a purpose of selling shoes and about Revolution...I mean yeah, it served that purpose to the marketing department, but it is still a song about Revolution, not about selling gym shoes. I don't think it is our place as observers, listeners, designers, etc. to determine the meaning of a song when it is right there for us. Back to the original thought, do some songs have the ability to have multiple meanings, I guess to some people, does An American Elegy have that ability, not in my world. Just my thoughts.