malletrockr12

I just finished watching finals. How in the H#@* do the upper tier pits play that fast? Crown was possibly one of the notiest shows I've ever seen. How the #### does that happen?!?!?

Jersey Surf- that they aren't a feeder for the big boys. I think they can do it. Madison- that they can stand strong again. Glassmen- that they aren't boring Crossmen- that everyone who said "they'll never make it to finals in Texas" was wrong

I definitely wouldn't put Academy with Surf yet. They sort of fell apart after their amazing 2006 season... They're definitely not as sustainable. Teal is DEFINITELY not anywhere near the organizational level of other corps. Honestly, if they were, they wouldn't have had that huge theft last year. Just throwing that out there. Teal isn't ready for WC on OR off the field IMO

I'm excited to see what they can do this year. 2007 and last year IMO was their way of showing the Open Class an the DCI community how "World Class" their organization already was before they actually upgraded. Their shows from the past 2 years were so mature and even artistic in a lot of ways. With a lot of new and old staff, we will see how they fare this year, but a fun show can definitely make it to the top. I would rather see the kids on the field enjoying a show with the audience. BD had a "fun" show this year. Crown had a "fun" show in 2007. Phantom's "Rhapsody in Blue" wasn't the most serious of shows either. Each year design teams risk it all to please the audience, letting the scores take care of themselves. Don't underestimate Surf because they took a few years to establish a corps identity

I remember the mix up in scores after Allentown placing Surf above the Scouts. I don't think they were judged on WC sheets though... I think the DCI scores site just forgot to separate the two classes... Unless I'm mistaken and the OC corps are judged on WC sheets at WC shows...?

it's going to be a GREAT season regardless of whether or not they make finals.

I know I love Crown because their set-up is simple, and they get straight to the point. Their guard does beautiful character acting, their battery is fierce, and their hornline is amazing! Why do YOU love Crown?

Just curious since a lot of people are hyped after finals to audition somewhere, or switch corps. Where are you auditioning for 2009? Is it the same corps you've marched with previously?

Some great progress from the Surf over the past year! Saw them in Clifton on Saturday and WOW. Powerful sound and visual. The hornline is LOUD. All kinds of crazy stuff. A very lush sound when called for, and a very punchy, powerful sound at other times. A very balanced sound for the most part. The lower brass could contribute more, but it might be an arrangement issue. Who knows? The drumline is clean for this point in the season. Some awesome drill in the second song! You can certainly tell these kids are worked hard in practices. The pit looks to be playing a lot more notes than almost any other corps in Open Class, and some of the lower tiered World Class corps. They could be a lot louder, but performance and characterizing the music is a strong skill set. There's a vibe guy and a Marimba girl toward the center that sell it really well. If they amped (unlikely at this point) or get some harder mallets or something, the numbers are going to reflect this ensemble. The HUGE guard is pretty clean for July. Pretty much no drops that I saw. Interesting uniforms. I'm not sure how I feel about the pink, but it pops and I Guess it fits the theme. They throw a whole heck of a lot. I think the weapons hold their weapons as often as the hornline is too quiet... All in all I am in love with this show and wish this corps the best of luck. I wonder why they aren't scoring better, but I assume that 7 pointing TEAL is the most the judges could give them this early in the season. I hope they keep up the evident work and continue to clean/improve their show.

I heard that there was an indoor guard show that Jersey Surf made an appearance at. Did anyone happen to catch their performance? If so, how did it look/sound? Have any of the other open class corps done previews yet?

I was just wondering: A) What did you use as a rehearsal bag? Did it prove to be useful or did it just get in the way? B) What did you keep in there? Everything, or just about nothing? C) How many seasons did it last? I remember my old generic backpack was bursting at the seams my rookie year because I kept so much stuff in it- most of which I didn't need anyway. By my 2nd year marching, it was virtually empty. Each year I had my fellow section members sign it so I had something to remember a great year by! Did anyone else do anything like this? I figured this thread would prove helpful for first year marchers since most corps will be headed outside within the next two months.

but it's true. . .

you just have to wait a while for it to download. All Access is being really slow today

Cavaliers could stay in business for the most part...

I wasn't in town to see Surf's March camp show and tell (I live literally 4 minutes away from the school they practice at). Any word on what's been happening there? I'm really excited to see them this summer!