Captncontra

Yeah, RCC probably has the highest participation in DCI. Pretty amazing for a Community College. Drumline is generally a SCV/BD mix with some Pacific Crest and Yamato members. The guard probably has the highest number of people because of the winter program. The hornline generally only has 10 to 20 people involved in DCI since most of it's members are past the age limit (we get a lot of lifers in the hornline, I was there from 1993 to 2001). With the lax rehearsal schedule you get a lot more adults involved in the horns since there's no work conflict and dancing around and carrying drums is for the young 'uns.

Wait, you want more consistent judging in finals? The top 12 stayed in the exact same position all 3 days... can't get much more consistent than that!

AMC in San Antonio boo'd every time BD was on the screen, boo'd after their performance, and cheered quite vocally when the scores were announced (crowd was a Cav's crowd). I made sure I clapped nice and loud for BD after their performance and I was only joined by 2 others in a half-full theater. Sad really.

I say wireless mics on ALL guard members! With the pit and hornline mic'd now the guard is getting absolutely BURIED. How are they supposed to balance it all for the DVD's and CD's? And once they mic the guard we need to really look into mic'ing the battery. After years of indoor performances shattering the eardrums of judges, how are they supposed to correctly hear them out doors or in that giant dome for finals? Screw it, better idea. The week before finals, every corps goes into the studio and records each person individually. Then we strap small amps to their chests and everyone mimes their show, allowing the staff to properly balance everything on the fly.

... but that's just it. To so many of us there's no "improvements" involved, just cheapening what we've come to hold so dear.

My only concern is that if BD DOES finish 3rd or 4th, they abandon lush melodic music like this years and go back to hyper-chopped, unrecognizable music again. I want this years score to become the norm for them again, because this is the first time in YEARS that I'm loving the direction of their show.

I'm very much on the record as being an old-fart/anti-electronics but I wholeheartedly support all corps switching over to one of these! for those of you without embedding allowed (I'm looking at you Australia)

Its roughly 400 miles more from Cali. States out west are HUGE!

'91 SCV's chopper effect is still the coolest thing I've ever heard on a field.

So does this mean that football programs are going to be closed as well? Tennis? I had to provide my own practice clothes and cleats to play. I took a bowling class for zero period and had to supply my own ball/rent one. Do debate teams have to stop debating and cheer squads have top stop cheering because they do fund raising/pay for their own travel expenses? How about academic tutors? Is it illegal for well-off but stupid kids to buy extra instruction and get a leg up? How about the SAT's? Those cost money to take, is it fair that students that can afford $47 registration fees get to take them when poor families can't?

Haha. All I was picturing in my head was Epic Meal Time when the music kicked in.

Please don't mistake our frustration about the lack of pre-season video as anything more than rabid fans wanting as much exposure as possible to the activity we love so dearly. I think I can safely say on behalf of all DCPer's that the season can't ever begin soon enough, and that your spoiling us last season left us wanting for more this season. Thanks again for continuing to update us trolls regularly. Looking forward to seeing the Scouts in San Antonio!

What I find odd about the Scouts this year is their total abandonment of an online presence. Last year they had videos from camp on their website every month starting in what, November of '09? This season? Nada, zero, zippo. Just a bunch of 'secrets' and 'wait until the season starts' stuff that leaves me flat. Last year I'd watch every camp video with a growing excitement for seeing the Scouts that I haven't felt since the mid-90's. As a fan, the regression is frustrating.

Aerobed or inflatable mattress for the times you get to crash on a floor instead of the bus. Make sure you sweep the floor before putting your bed down too, sucks when a pebble or thorn pokes a hole in it. If you like reading, get a Kindle. It can hold 1000's of books and will hold a charge for over a month (less if you use the built-in mp3 player). As someone else mentioned, WORK OUT NOW! Life will be MUCH easier if you can crank out push-ups and sit-ups before jumping onto the pain train this summer. After a couple seasons of corps, Marine boot camp was a breeze.

If the video were posted in DCI's youtube channel they could moderate comments like that, keep it clean etc. You do realize that if your channel/video is really popular, you can also get kick-backs from youtube. That Rebecca Black chick, as awful as she was, is now a millionaire at the age of 12 because of her exposure there. Someone is asleep behind the wheel over in DCIland.

Know what the most frustrating part about that vid is? 8.5 million views and nowhere in the title, description, video, nor immediate comments states that those are the Blue Devils, or a DCI drumline. Great exposure, poorly executed. Seems to be DCI's M.O. (I understand that DCI didn't post it, but it's a great example of more squandered opportunities to expand the brand).

Since I can't take anything away, I'd add a small EMP device ( ) to every stadium in the U.S. that renders electronics useless. :)

*cough* http://www.go-girl.com/ *cough*

Arizona Academy. They've been doing everything right as they climb the ladder. Top-notch staff, great involvement with the community, no over-reaching their budget, and their show designs are getting better and better with each passing year as they develop a unique identity. This is a corps executing it's plans to a tee. ...but in my heart of hearts I want Madison to win next, if only to hear a champion win with face-melting, screaming jazz and toe-tapping melodies.

I remember being in the Olympic Band at Dodger Stadium in '91/'92. Yamaha supplied us with 24 tupperware tubas. Once our performance was done, a few of the guys ran around 'high-fiving' each other by getting a running start and smacking the bells together. Chunks flew everywhere. Just about the most entertaining use for those things that I've seen.

That's funny. My wife has taken to wearing all my Phantom sweatshirts when she goes on digs (archaeologist). She was returning home from Aman, Jordan and had an 8-hour layover in London. She ran out for a bite to eat and sight-see and someone yelled out "I AM SPARTACUS!" in the underground. Made her day.

Unplug, stop rewarding chopped up music that fits a visual and start rewarding visuals that fit the music, and get finals out of the dome. If I'm wishing for the moon I might as well throw in: switch back to G's so my face goes numb again... I miss that. I used to volunteer, attend finals, buy corps merchandise, and purchase dvd's every year. Now I go to a movie theater once a year and leave disappointed each time.

Wait, I thought the G8 were already working on creating a Monopoly? ... see what I did there?