pvt_cairns

I just coughed up my popcorn laughing so hard. Nice.

Military corps use no amps, most of them use no pit, or like the Marines use a very small 2 or 3 person pit, and the Marine drum & bugle corps don't compete, they wern't formed for that purpose. There pupose is to supply entertainment for troops. and civilians when possable, thats it.

Once again, one of the most fun things I've done musicly, and definatly the coolist thing I've done in drum corps. I'm new to DCA, so I didn't really know what was going on till someone explained it to me. Lots of fun, did I mention it was fun? Well worth the 12 hrs of driving for the 5-6 hrs of practice every week.

It's really simple and unpopular. DIV2/3 is dead, or at the very least dying. In 1999 there were around 50 div 3 corps. There are what? 15-16 now. There were 20-30 DIV 2 corps as opposed to what now 6-8? People don't watch small corps. It's like AA basball, and the major leagues. Sure you'll go to a AA game if you have nothing better to do. But you make it an event to go to a big league game. It has nothing to do with their talent, their drive, or their commitment. People see Div2/3 as small potatoes, feeder corps, the JV team. And given the choice people will watch the big names over the small fries anyday. You could have Div 2/3 championships and if the Cavilers drumline was down the block practicing, guess where people would be. I doubt there is anything that can be done to save it at this point. Div2/3 dosen't make DCI money, so they don't care. The original post was right, no butts in the seats, there is no cure, DCI says get bigger, or get out. And they're dropping like flies. It's sad.

The point is they were loud and obnoxious. no it didn't throw my focus, and I'm not blaming the ad's for my corps score. We get it, drum corps is a buisness, do we have to prove that fact at volumes that an airliner would envy? From a corps stand point, I didn't really notice them, I was too busy thinking of other things. When I went into the stands to watch the rest of the corps for the night it was out of hand loud, and every corps that I saw walk on the field was out of step, every one of them. No I suppose it's not a big deal, your just going on to warm up, but it wasn't nessecary. All for what? A few bucks? I'm not saying get rid of the ads, I'm just saying they need to find a better time to run them. I mean how many times do we really need to know that Dynasty, and Yamaha make horns and drums?

I gotta agree, it all comes down to the all might dollar. While some may say Dynasty=garbage, Dynasty also=cheaper. I think with the caliber musicians that Phantom draws they'll still sound great, many other corps have done well and won with Dynasty. So it's not the horn or drum that will hold them back.

I know MBI ran out of 07 patches at finals, the only place I could find one was at the Buc's table. Might wanna contact them.

Total anarchy, chaos, and by far the coolist thing I've done musicly to date. We rocked out to Empire, Empire rocked out to us, Cabs (I think) down the street rocking the house, fans, members and staff all going nuts. Thanks to everyone in Brass who pointed me in the right direction, kept me from stepping on anyone, and allowing me to be a part of the wonderfull experiance that is Minnesota Brass Inc. The fans, the corps, just an amazing weeked. In all your awsomenes thank you!

Time to move DCA, sorry East coast, you've had it good for like 50 years, time to get on a bus, and go to Cali. I'm so tired of this might rain, could rain, probibly will rain garbage. It's NY, it's September, do the math, it's gonna rain, dosen't take a rocket scientist. On second thought there's earthquakes on the west coast. I got it, next year, DCA on the moon. Why not, can't be worse then last year?

Yep I just started this year. Late to boot playing Bari. Hopefully I'll move to pecrcussion next year, just something about sliding instead of crabbing that feel very unatural to me lol.

I stand corrected.

Subdivide, subdivide, subdivide. Like the guy says, use a metronome. Placement can be different with different corps, so find out where they play. Most play dead center, but there are some that like to play a bit north of the normal position. Look at music that might have beat changes, where one section is playing one rythem while basses play completly another. And The best advice I ever got was to use a recorder of some kind, tripilet 16th and 32nd strokes that seem fine to your ear, might sound like garbage when you play them back. Good luck, hope you make it!!

I cannot stand Pearl, I know, I know. Their basses have always sounded like toys to me, but maybe I'm deaf, I know people are going to gripe, but I just can't stand Pearl equiptment, I'm sure there are many people out there that love them and think I'm nuts, but just my opinion. I've used Premier stuff before, gotta say I really like the snares....when they worked....and when we had parts. Is it me or were the heads really easy to pull? It seems like you had to crank on them all day to tighten the head, maybe it's just me. but I liked the bar system they had for mounting, especially when you had to move in a hurry, you didn't have to monkey around and re adjust bars and all that garbage, just set the hight and go. I really like Dynasy basses, just a personal preferance to the sound, nice Remo power max heads, or even Evans and I really dig the tone. I'm really happy to hear that Ludwig and premire are comming back though! More competition means more advancements, cause lets face it folk you have Dynasty, Pearl, and the all mighty Yamaha that owns the market. Hopefully well be seeing some good stuff from all the companies, now if Dynasty can just figure out the horn and snare....

I've used uverthing from pin strips to the Evans MX. Ive found the MX to be a little dead for my liking, just personal opinion I just like something with a little more sustain. The pin strips were on the other end of horrable, really pingy, a pain to stretch and they like to pull after about 10 minutes. Maybe it's like the guy said and I can't tune, but I've have bad luck with the pinstripes, although the spocks are realy nice and indestructable. I like the remo crimplocks alot, just for the durability and the ability to change them quickly without worrying about a lot of stetch in the head. We've all had that fun chore of poopng a head right before a show. But they're a little dark for my musical taste. I like the suedes though, right about the middle range, nice sustain, easy to tune, the can get wet (like the super fun show in MN) and not be garbage. They've got a nice life span too if your on a budget and can't affort to change heads every 5 minutes, and if your getting a deal on them I think it's worth it. Just my opinion. See you in NY! And good luck with your choice.

1. 92 madison drum to drum and cymbal work. First real visuals I saw, and I still love it. 2. 00 BD playing singles split from right to left handed ever other snare 3. 07 SCV cymbal line they had a portion where they looked like they were hitting themselves in the face with the cymbal, I thought it was hysarical. And I still like Chops Inc putting there sticks in there nose, "I gotta a boogie" lol Classic.

I sttod next to the Corpsvets in Salem Ohio while they warmed up, their line is awesome, their equiptment is garbage. Those flat tenors are horrable, they look bad from a visual standpoind, and there is virtualy no sound comming out, it just dissipates as soon as they hit the drum, there is nothing to resonate or project the sound. The snares didn't sound too bad, not exactly the sound I would have been looking for, but to each their own, it works for them, I didn't see them play in ensamble so I dunno if they were getting drown out, but they balanced well with the basses. The plus side, I didn't see them shifting or looking terrably uncomfortable after a days practice, which could be enticing, esspecially for those parades that never seem to end. I would be more inclined to use that equiptment for parade corps, or even an indoor line, just based on the comfort factor.

The pupose of the "tilt" come from the civil war days, where drummers used a drum at there side with a strap, kind of like old school drum corps, but even more pronounced. Thats where the "tarditional" grip came from in the first place. It was almost impossable to play the drum with matched grip. There is no ergonomic reason to play traditional grip on a straight snare, it causes issues with wrist problems, not to mention being highly inefficiant. That being said, I marched snare for a number of years on a straight snare using traditional grip, and then tried just recently tried to play on a tilted platform. I couldn't do it. I would have to reteach myself basic fundamentals with my left hand in particular. Everything changes, bead distances, flames, roles, the stroking. It all changes, easier on the body or not it's much much different. But I think it's like anything else, just takes time to learn and perfect, just like the first time we played traditional grip. It felt freakish and unnatural. I think the tilted drum has it's place, and kudos to the kids that have the ability to switch and be proficiant. Bottom line is that a good line, is a good line. Their fun to watch, and fun to be in. Have fun and play.

I will say these guys are right about the 12C playing higher and kind of flaking out on low notes, I have an extremly hard time playing pedals during warm ups with a 12C. Our music is ranged a bit higher (at least higher then I am used to playing) and I'm used to playing on high brass mouthpieces, so the 12C works great for me and dosen't make me work as hard to hit the higher notes. The 6 1/2 sounds like a good compromise though, I think maybe next year I may switch if I'm still plaing Bari.

Yes the weather sucked, I'm still wringing the water out of my gloves. Shame the St. Peter show was called. The rain held off till just as I pulled in the stadium parking lot, I think the Kilties were just finishing up their run through. Bummer.

I'm a pretty new Bari, so I probibly don't have the insight that some of these cats have. I switched from high brass to bari, and found a 6 1/2C or 12C work great for me, the horn came with a Schilke jammed into it that I had to have removed cause I just couldn't play it, I don't remember the size but it was deeeep. I guess it's all a matter of what works best for you, personally (and I know alot of people hate them) give me a Kelly 6 1/2C and I'll play till my arms fall off.

I wonder.....if the field was in the same condition as when the Blue Knights marched, and Hoppy had some of his kids fall, would he whine and cry that there was too much paint on the field? Just a theroy. Does anyone know if in Indy they'll have full astro turf, or that half and half stuff like in Madison? If it's full turf, at least we won't have to worry about it for like....9 years.

Everyone who has ever marched or hhas been aroud marching has a horror story about a field. Dips, hills so big you can't see the drum major, holes, uncutgrass, no fieald lines, crooked field lines, highschool hash marks, I once marched on a field that was completly burnt because lighning had hit it the week before. So what did we do? Pack up or bat and ball and go home? No we marched, and no the condition of the field wasn't acceptable. Too bad deal with it. At the level that these kids play they could march it in the dark, and they probibly have. Yes he should compain about it. But his decision wasn't about his corps saftey, it was about him being contriversal. If they find out that he planned this to try and inflate his score in semi's he needs to be banned from DCI. Thats unethical and plain stupid. Any div1 corps can stand next to a div3 corps and out play them, why not let the corps be judged on merit rather than a plan to perform between lower scoring corps. I'm not saying thats what is happening, but if it is they need to be DQ'd

The man doomed his own corps. Cavies marched on the same field, and the hash marks were just as invisable. And they march just as fast. I'd be ###### too if I were George, and I sympathize in that aspect. The field was not in the condition it should have been to begin with let alone when The Cadets got to it. but on the other hand someone needed to tell him that it really wasn't his decision to make. Where seeding is so important I think it will be very difficult for The Cadets to overcome, Semi's will tell if they can overcome the penalty, but where they were once in a position to knock off BD, I think he made the battle that much harder. I sympathize with the members as well. I'm not a fan of the narration, but thats just a personal opinion, I think they have a very good show. And I hope they overcome their directors decision.

MBI uses Dynasty Bflat. Comming from one of the only junior corps (and I think now they are the only ones who still use g) it's a big change.

As a Rookie in DCA, I can't really think of a better show to start with. I started late in the season, and between racking my brain for set points and trying not to be killed on the field, the 9 hour drive with no sleep on Sat as I tried to prepare myself, the show was a blur. I must thank the fans in Salem, as I digantly packed my things into my vehical and perpared myself for the 9 hour drive ahead of me and the 42nd sleepless hour, I must have had 50 people come up and thank me. As I was looking at my map as to how to find the interstate an older gentlemen came up and was about to get in his car, when he saw my members shirt he promptly shook my hand as if he were meeting the president, and gave me very good directions I might add. That in itself made the drive more then worth it. Thank you again from a very happy rookie!