dieselfume

What was the show (corps and year) that included a tableau of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks."

Did it occur to you that many highly talented and creative people in the drum corps community simply don't want or need a Madison job?

After 126 DCP pages of opinion itemizing all the faults, failings and shortcomings of Madison 2018, it's time to move on before another 126 pages are added discussing the same but over the last two weeks of the tour. I believe the B of D, the ED and the CD do not need replacement. However, it's up to the design staff and instructional staff to build a world class show. I'm sure that, right now, the current staffs have many ideas of how "Heart And Soul" could have been better presented. It's not the title; it's the execution. That has to be the focus for 2019 regardless of the concept chosen.

(Regarding earlier posts) In '97, the Scouts did a pirate show in which one of the pirates was slain in the closer. In order to maintain the illusion, as the Corps left the field, one guard member returned to midfield, picked up the "corpse" and carried it off. Later, in the Corps parking area, a father showed up with his son looking for the "dead" pirate to show he was not really killed. I'm sure other shows may have been disturbing for some younger fans eg., Spartacus. The point is, the Scouts are testing the boundaries of "Family Friendly" which is not a criterion in the judging. Should it be?

Congratulations! You are going on an amazing adventure; lots of work, lots of satisfaction. Afterward, you'll find yourself talking to others so enthusiastically and frequently about the experience that they may start backpedaling when they see you. Enjoy.

Does this include harmonica? It is a wind instrument. The same marching posture expectations would apply. Sound? Just amplify it. Think of what that sound could add to any blues number. BTW don't synthesizers exist to produce sound unavailable to "traditional" (what's that anymore?) brass? Also, what is the USP (unique selling point) that drum corps can pitch to potential advertisers and sponsors? Maybe doing a good deed is to be satisfaction enough. Maybe, with the Olympics in progress, DCI thought it could slip this one through without anyone noticing. Anyway, the decision is quite a surprise. .

Again, the problem is not show location, ticket prices, G7 or any of the multiple "inside baseball" issues that dominate this thread. The issue is how does an advertiser/sponsor, not directly tied to uniforms, instruments or publications, make a buck on drum corps. Revenue to the advertisers/sponsors will bring revenue to the corps. There is no other way, or leave drum corps in the boondocks of the entertainment industry and stop worrying about it. .

Most of the discussion about TV seems to center on the concept of what TV can do for drum corps; more fans, more corps, more marching members. However, the real issue is what drum corps can do for TV, or more correctly, advertisers sponsoring TV fare. The purpose of advertising is to make money for the advertisers. Does drum corps offer a sellable product? Evidently, at present, what's being offered is not enough. Something has to be changed if the goal is TV coverage. Is drum corps ready to theme shows to specific advertisers? Is drum corps ready to restructure the basic eleven minute show? Whatever the answers are, the activity is, at present, locked in the trap of wanting change but not any discomfort associated with such change. .

Make drum corps a television friendly product. At present, it is not. See page 51 at link below. http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/Magazines/feb_2013/ .

Back to the contest itself, I envisioned the approach of the millionth reply to be something like the finals of American Idol with fans trying to dial in as often as possible or, in the case of DCP, strategically timing their "click" on "add reply" to be the millionth posting. The millionth posting could be something to look forward to with the right game or "purse" in place. Obviously, it has to be something that gives everyone a fair shot and cannot be manipulated in any way. Maybe we could start by asking DCP when, based on their analysis, the millionth posting is likely to occur. We could tie the two events together, i.e., major holiday, significant birthday or historical event such as Guy Fawkes Day. Depending on what the event is, a sponsor might be found. We need three things: a contest, an event and a sponsor. I'll get back to you. .

The World Class Corps Discussions has passed the 900,000 reply mark. How about creating some sort of game or prize for the person who posts the One Millionth reply? It seems the One Millionth reply presents a promotions possibility for someone. I'm sure that there is a mechanism to identify the millionth posting and time to think about how to acknowledge the event. Any ideas?

Does anyone have a guess as to what the toss actually was? A "15?" A "17?" I don't believe I've seen another toss like it since the '99 show. Regarding the lad who made that sabre toss, is he still involved in the activity? I don't know if that particular toss can be taught. A remarkable moment in DCI nonetheless. .

I stand corrected. Thank You. However, it was still last century. (I shouldn't go with memory at my age.) .

I haven't reviewed the entire thread so if this is a repeat posting, I apologize. However, the last time Madison beat the Cavaliers was at DCM ("Drum Corps Midwest" for the newbies) in 1995 in DeKalb, IL. Madison was in the second of its three matador shows and the Cavies had the "Planets" show which, ultimately, took first at DCI. Needless to say, it's been a long dry spell re: Madison v. Cavies. No knock on the Cavies but it's good to see Madison in the thick of things after having not made finals on a few occasions. Congrats to the management staff, the instructional staff and, mostly, to the lads of Madison Corps. Bravo!. .

Brilliant. Very, very creative. Fun. Bravo. .

A few years ago, the Scouts used a number of percussionists in the color guard in the "Conquistador" show. There is always that type of opportunity depending on what the designers want to do. .

The bigger issue is what is going to be taught during those extra hours. If the instruction is going to be focused on reading, writing, math and critical thinking skills, it's worthwhile. If the instruction is going to be nonsense about global warming, the need for a larger "nanny" state and other aspects of the euphorian agenda, it's a farce. Government (i.e., "public") schools will alway be about indoctrination. The question is: indoctrination toward what? .

Madison is a nice place but the venue has some major disadvantages. The biggest is parking for both corps vehicles and fans. For the fans, there are few parking ramps near the stadium. Most parking is on residential side streets. The corps' equipment trucks are able to be squeezed into a postage stamp sized lot at the south end of the stadium. The corps' buses are conveniently sited about eight blocks away. Also, the big "W" on the astroturf adds nothing to the design elements of the shows. Has anyone watched a tape/DVD of a Camp Randall show and not wanted to "photoshop" the "W" out of the picture? The stadium itself is great for seating, sight lines and such. However, the sound under the upper deck, in some cases, has the quality of that coming through a drain pipe. (But not as bad as the old RCA dome in Indy.) I don't know if there is any such thing as a perfect permanent site. .

Agreed. Right now, anyone who is not going to contribute to the Scouts physically, emotionally or financially should now "dial it back" until late next August when the 2010 results are in. It must be brutal to be on the Madison BD on down; very dedicated people who must feel like frogs in a snake cage. Give them some time and room to breathe. You may be surprised by what they can do. .

There are a lot of people (certainly contributors to this thread) who want big things for the Scouts for next year. However, those closest to the management of the organization must not succumb to the idea that there is one big idea that will solve all problems at once. Some suggest a show concept. Some suggest a particular caption that needs attention. Some suggest a "look" or "swagger." All those ideas are worthwhile and Scouts' management is not oblivious to those ideas. However, for the immediate future, they need to fix one thing at a time. The magic wand approach won't work. Those knowledgeable in the area of "synergy" suggest that as one organizational problem is fixed well, the next problem begins to solve itself, and so forth. It's simply a matter of focus and unity in that focus (which is never easy for organizations which have primarily voluntary memberships.) .

Why not just contact the Blue Stars directly? There is contact information on their home page bluestars.org under the caption "About." .

This is, in legal terms, a moot point. Electronic music has already been approved. There isn't any woodwind sound that cannot be reporduced through electronic keyboards. Woodwinds are "in" without the actual instruments being on the field. .

Actually, this would be more like the music of Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom, and others who wrote songs intended for Sinatra. Along with composers such as those, there are orchestras (bands) and arrangers that produced the sound of Sinatra. Nelson Riddle is certainly at the forefront there. Also, there are many movie sound tracks such as "The Man With The Golden Arm." There are lots of films to pick from, but I would recommend the Scouts not do "Can-Can." .

When thinking more about it, I'd like to include surveys of opinions even though they may be more difficult to tally. However, as a general rule of thumb, if a topic lends itself to some sort of summary of findings, there should be one assembled after a few weeks of replies. .