regisminae

Fair question. I know that there when I was there, there were not many UW students (in the marching band or in the School of Music... two almost completely district pools of students) that marched DCI. I know of three in the last decade, although I bet that number is slightly low. That may change going forward with the regime change in the UW band, but the most consistent source of Scouts from the state of Wisconsin in the last decade has been UW-Eau Claire, not any other high school or University. And yes, there are auditions held there for the last few years. My larger point is that this fantasy of a viable top-tier corps drawing on local talent, playing the old hits, rehearsing at Madison East HS... it's a vapor in the air. It's as far from reality now as the days of one-handed bugle hold were from the time when the Scouts started to become mostly non-local in their membership in the early 80s.

If one wants the Madison Scouts to be a top-competing DCI corps, the membership that the corps draws from can't be totally, primarily, or even mostly drawn from local Wisconsin programs. This is not inherently a criticism of Wisconsin band programs. Students from there, however, when compared against students from many other parts of the country and world, do not *on average* bring the same skillsets of marching and playing that students in other regions do, and do not tend to turn out for auditions at the same rates as in other regions, and that strongly affects a group's ability to compete.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this thread to me is the way in which recent DMs have suddenly started to chime in, after being absent from the conversation on their motives for the first ten pages or so. Maybe we aren't understanding the situation from the outside. My observations and experiences are of course limited, but it seems to me that corps are (still) looking for the best-qualified candidates as their drum majors, just as they have for decades. "Qualification" includes many different things, though - from what I've seen, corps administrators still pay attention to charisma, influence within the organization, a candidate member's history and character, etc. as well as any musicality or technical proficiency as a conductor. Physical skills can be taught and learned, but to change who you are is a lengthy and awkward process. Successful drum majors have always emerged because of who, not what, they were. If there is a greater tendency for corps to pick up drum majors from other corps, it's not because they know how to conduct already. It's because someone who has spent a year as a drum major already is familiar with the experience. From what I've seen, different corps do use their majors in different ways, but there is a common thread through it all. I don't know that I'm equal to the task of concisely describing it, but I've known wonderful marchers and people who were not able to thrive as the air-traffic controllers, executive managers, motivational life-coaches, and triage dispatchers that drum majors now are often called to be. All this while being an 18-to-20-something, at the same time one of the gang and completely cut off from their peers. Even the best that I've seen fight with it. It very nearly broke me. Another thing that may be different now compared to the past is the nature of the community of drum majors within DCI. It's only been in the past few years that they've been brought all together for any period of time outside of their summer schedule of rehearsals and post-show retreats. They know each other, they learn from each other, they value being part of the community with each other, and they get to see each other as people, rather than just as the dehumanized avatar of their corps. Being a drum major thus becomes what they are, so if they do happen to move between corps at some point in the future, they already have the network and the experience to do their job well, which at the end of the day is every drum major's dream. Of course, even with all of the talk about drum majors who move around, it's easy to forget that most don't. Those that I have seen have been among the most loyal and proud members of their units, truly worthy representatives of the best in their corps. And if you get a chance to talk with any drum majors from the last decade or so, I think you'd be impressed not just with stories they could tell of good moments or hard moments, but their sense of perspective about their experience and how it fit within and was simply part of the greater mission of the corps around them.

As much as I saw both shows, I couldn't tell you which got a bigger crowd reaction. But I remember them both as really special drum corps moments.

I'm young, I've marched before. I hope to stay around DCI for several years to come. I don't see this proposal as moving in a direction that is good for the activity, on the basis of the historical pattern and claims made by these directors. I am in no way completely representative of my generation, but I think it would be fair to say most of my friends would prefer to see a healthy activity as a whole. In the sense that the revenues generated by the drum corps should be returned to the drum corps rather than being siphoned off by the VFW and American Legion, yes. In the sense that the revenues should be siphoned off from the corps with lower competitive placements (I will not conflate that with the successful corps, and neither should you) to benefit the corps who place higher on the field, not at all. I interpret the motivations of DCI's founders as being to create an environment where drum corps (plural) could flourish. Of course they expected their corps to benefit, but I doubt they wanted that at the expense of the corps around them, which is the point.

With all respect, Mr. Smith has been writing for drum corps for longer than I've been alive - he's a superb craftsman who is long past the "learning curve" phase, as his work with the Suncoast Sound, Magic of Orlando, the Glassmen, and more recently the Madison Scouts shows.

2010 Madison Scouts

Maybe a little more blunt than I'd have phrased it, but I think I'm going to agree with this. To the topic creator: Best wishes on your audition! Enjoy yourself, perform well, learn lots. This is all a process, and those who walk in to it convinced, even subconsciously, that they know what they're in for are only limiting themselves. Your attitude will play a large part in determining your experience.

Lots of good suggestions here. If you're truly looking for something new to the field, then Rodgers' "Victory at Sea" was used for the Colts' 2009 show, Holsinger's "American Faces" was part of Troopers 2007, and Jenkins' "American Overture" was (IIRC) part of the Blue Stars' program back in the late 70s or early 80s - right off the line. Reading the title of the thread, my first thought was immediately the Gould "West Point" symphony - consider this another vote in favor of that.

that's good...

Ah, now, I was thinking Four Factories - Carter Pann Totus Tuus - Henryk Gorecki (to be used exclusively ironically) Catacombs from "Pictures at an Exhibition" - Mussorgsky Original music by Yoko Ono

There's only one correct way to spell his name... if you're using Cyrillic. As far as transliterating Russian names to the Latin alphabet, different authorities advocate different systems. It doesn't really help that English has quite a few redundant ways to represent the same or similar sounds.

When I first started marching, my first audition was at a corps which is commonly regarded today as among the most competitive. I didn't have a particularly good experience, for a variety of factors. None of these were expressly the corps' fault - the atmosphere and culture of this corps was just not a particularly good fit for me. I ended up auditioning somewhere else, getting cut, vowing that I was completely done with drum corps, getting a phone call to fill a hole a few months later, and being on a bus with bags packed the very next day. I haven't looked back since, and don't regret any of it. The moral of the story: it may be worth the OP's time to take a look at another corps - if the camp weekends do not conflict, there's nothing saying that he or she could not return to their first choice if the other group doesn't impress them. Having a basis for comparison, though, gives one a better perspective.

From the document distributed at the meeting: Net profit on operations - ~$60K net profit despite major mid-year budget changes (kitchen trailer and transportation issues) Instrument sales program replicated 2009 success and exceeded budgeted income Gross merchandise sales increased 50% Overall debt reduced 22% Event management processes that are consistent, predictable, and profitable are in place Staff retention is overall very good from 2010 to 2011 Marked improvement in physical training program - dramatically lesser frequency and severity of injuries New equipment trailer successfully outfitted and deployed Areas identified as targets for strategic initiatives for the coming year include building community awareness and connection, expanding the educational mission of the organization, preserving the heritage of the corps, and building a solid financial endowment for the future of the organization.

Compared to last year, the meeting was not as dynamic. Chris Komnick delivered a statement on the goals of the corps and organization over the last year organizationally, instructionally, financially, and ideologically, and then an analysis of which were met and which were not. Financial information and a preliminary summary of the organization's finances for fiscal year 2009-2010 were also presented, along with a brief explanation of the plans, goals, and anticipated challenges of the future. Elections of board members resulted in the re-election of board chairman Jeff Manion and the election of two previously-appointed members of the board. I would estimate that there were about 30 people in attendance, including board members; alumni; supporters; Komnick, Dann Petersen, and Jeff Spanos; family; and a couple of current members from the Madison area. They were showing the Finals HD recording of the 2010 Scouts before and after the meeting. It looked good. No show announcement was given - Komnick stated that the creative team has several shows blocked out for the next few years but has not decided yet which one will be used this next year, and may be waiting until they get a chance to audit the talent pool at the November camp before settling on one. I also heard something about some (unspecified) musical selections being a bit difficult to clear with the copyright holder.

As with any Russian composer (but moreso than many others), the spelling of Tchesnokov (Tschesnokov, Tchesnokoff, Chesnokov, Chesnokoff, etc.) using the Latin alphabet can vary, so you may need to run a few different searches to cover all possibilities. I know that I've heard Spirit play this piece as a warm-up in the lot over previous years. It's a favorite of mine, especially if you get to hear renditions by Russian choirs with their oktavists.

I am an extraordinarily competitive person. I couldn't care less what any adjudicator has to say about my performance or my corps. If you see in me a paradox that you can not resolve, then that is unfortunate. If you truly understand this statement, then there is no further explanation that you need from me. I also know that I am not alone in the way that I think.

I've worn StylePlus (terrible shoe) and Vipers. I've never had any problems with the Vipers, and would highly recommend them.

.

Trust me, nobody would love having Finals in my backyard more than I would, but I don't see this happening. Mostly, it's because all of the other people in this city don't seem to want all the noise of Finals in their backyards again.

Wisdom as I have rarely seen on these boards.

Learn to do the math in your head, so that you don't need to guess where the crossing counts are. It's easy once you get used to it. e.g.: I start 3.5 steps inside the 40. 13 counts later, I'm supposed to be 2 outside the 35. On what counts do I cross the 40, and the 35? I'll be moving (laterally) 13.5 steps in 13 counts. Thus, each count, my motion across the field is just larger than 1 step. So I cross the 40 with my fourth step (with step three closer to the yardline than step four), my eleventh step should fall just short of the 35, and I cross the 35 with the twelfth step. Foolproof steps to doing the math: -Determine your lateral travel distance (in 8-to-5 steps, or whatever other unit you choose) for a move. -Divide distance by number of counts (assuming even step size, straight-line path). Estimate as needed, but know which way you're rounding it. -The number of steps that you are away from the next yardline you cross, divded by the number you just got in the previous step (drop the remainder) is the last step that does not cross the yardline. If it comes out even, you are on the yardline at that count. -If the remainder that you dropped in the previous step is less than .5, the step before you cross the yardline is closer to the line than the one after. Remainder bigger than .5, crossing step ends up further from the line than it started. The farther away the remainder is from .5, the bigger the disparity. It may help to count backwards from the end, rather than forwards from the beginning, as in the example above. For the second crossing in the example, I end up two steps off, moving just over a step per count. Thus, two counts before the end of the move puts me just on the other side of the line. Know simple decimal/fraction equivalences: halves, thirds, and eighths give you enough flexibility with your estimation to be reasonably accurate, if you know which way you're fudging your ratios. Oh, and stay in the form.

Southwind 2000. Although, granted, their arrangement focuses on the Intermezzo and March instead of the Chaconne. Still, that hornline's rendition of Legends of the Fall is one of my more favorite drum corps memories.

But, given any list of design components to be required in the pre-show, there will exist some corps that elects not to include them (easiest example I can think of from my experience would be not having the hornline play before the show begins). Would that be proscribed? ...or could corps elect not to perform all of the preshow adjudication requirements, but at the cost of points? Kinda defeats the purpose of a "pre-show", as it's currently going to be interpreted.