elmhurstmusiced

wow.

Can also keep a corps from making finals. Madison's visual scores kept them out of finals in 2002, and I am sure it has happened to others. Gotta have the total package to take gold.

Probably a director that knows something about running a business, advertising, and generating revenue. Unfortunately, there aren't many that do, so they will continue to live in their shoe box. If they did, we would not see corps like the Glassmen have to take a year off. If they did, you would see these things. It's hard to "grow drum corps" as seems to be the big push without making a little investment in the process financially. It's 1st year business school, and most can't seem to use that logic, oh well. Let's hope the activity grows itself then. Forget using tactics that work and relying on grassroots word of mouth systems, those must be working.

My bad, didn't know I was talking about prime time. Oh wait... There's more time than prime time. There's also more advertising than just on tv. I saw some guy who was selling an album on itunes just rent a billboard in SW Michigan, there are ways to advertise. DCI has never seemed to have the market figured out in advertising. There are ways, and there are ways to advertise for TV and make it viable.

I don't know, I teach high school and my kids seem like they are watch is tv. They're always talking about the Kardashians, Bad Girls Club, etc. I think one thing missing is marketing on TV. I don't recall promos and adds on Comcast, Time Warner, etc. about DCI even when it was on ESPN.

While I like your sentiment, I hope that between design and performance they can be better this year. Too many people blamed it all on design last year, which I whole-heartedly disagree with. Guess I'll take a stab at the prediction thing, since I have chimed in on this thread. 1. Blue Devils-I don't think you can top their performance mixed with this show. 2. Crown-so good every year, but Thom Hannum will overwrite the drum book like he did in 2010 and 2011 with Madison 3. Phantom-They've proven that they can survive musically without Rennick and Shaw. I just hope the show doesn't end with a useless tag that's not as dramatic as 30 seconds before the end of the show like last year. 4. SCV-deserved more respect last year. 5. Cadets-back to having top-heavy brasslines won't help them. 6. Madison-based on what I've seen/heard from them and other corps, they'll be back where they spent the average of the 90's. 7. Bluecoats-Great music, but don't see them performing higher. 8. Spirit-They've deserved to move up for years, and their show design keeps getting better 9. BAC-Probably playing someone elses repertoire, can't put them higher, and probably will perform well enough to be here. 10. BK-Good changes in designers and better show will have them here. 11. Cavaliers-Yep, I did it. They shouldn't have been as high as they were last year 12. Crossmen-On the up swing, but not making a big push. 13. Troopers-New additions will help them 14. Blue Stars-Saucedo originals, meh 15. Colts-big changes the last few years will help 16. Pacific Crest-They're working hard to improve 17. The Academy-Biting off more than they can chew again, but better at it this year. 18. Surf-Should be higher, but won't get the respect from the judges 19. Oregon Crusaders-Not much change 20. Blue Devils B-They're good, but not great 21. Mandarins-Higher in World Class, but won't keep up with some Open Class 22. Vanguard Cadets-great things planned, but won't jump higher 23. Pioneer-looking and sounding much better than in recent years. 24. Spartans-About the same 25. Gold-Wish for higher, probably won't get the love 26. Seatle Cascades-They try hard, but show design will hold them back. Updated, I guess the Blue Stars deserve to be listed.

Do I want to always be taken serioulsy on here, no. At the same time, jokes that weren't funny the first time being thrown around on this site, sorry, gets old. You bring up the lolcorps thread, funny stuff, I admit. But tired old jokes, enough already.

Haven't we had INT jokes around long enough? Just another reason most corps staff/directors/members can't take this site seriously. It's almost like those corps members that ask the question "water we doing next?"

I've listened to it a few times recently and can't hear it. I mean there are some general timing issues, but Candide almost always has those.

I think we swashed more than Michael Cesario's buckle that night. ####, it still swashes my buckle.

Gotta say, appreciating the love for that show. That was my rookie year and I enjoyed every minute of that ride. Great staff, great show, amazing brothers.

Might be due to the fact that Florida doesn't have a junior corps. Granted, there are many states that host shows without having a junior corps, but those states/stadiums aren't as far from show sites, as it is to get down to parts of Florida. My thought is probably not "the reason" but could be a reason. It is a missed opportunity, but so is not having shows in Canada and many other states where corps draw from and have big alumni bases. Just throwing the thought out there.

I have to agree with much of what you just wrote, at the same time, I don't see the need to have an entire thread devoted to your opinion about the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps no longer being the Madison Scouts. It's one thing to not like the shows as much, it's another to say that they should not be called the Madison Scouts because you simply don't like the shows as much. That would be like fans of the Cadets saying they aren't the Cadets anymore, or the Cavaliers aren't the Cavaliers anymore because to be honest with you, those 2, plus BD and others have jumped ship compared to what they used to be, even more than Madison has in the last 10-11 years. I mean, the Bluecoats used to play great big band jazz in the 80's and 90's and I liked them more, but it's a different activity now, and needs to be if it's going to stay alive. I am honestly glad Madison has worked to stay relevant, because honestly, it would be a sad world if they were not around anymore.

The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, is an all-male drum and bugle corps with their headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. They are in the process of celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2013. Since their incepction in 1938, the corps has entertained and educated thousands of people around the world. They are truly a one-of-a-kind organization. Their current alumni total in the thousands, and those alumni are individuals that marched from 1938-2012. They ARE the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, and will always be, the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. MYNWA

With all due respect, what do you know of the organization? Did you march with the Madison Scouts? If you had, ESPECIALLY under the Scott Stewart years as I did, then you would not feel this way. I wonder when people spout off about a corps they were not a member of, if they even marched at all. As an alum of this organization I have completely disagree with your opinions and thoughts on my beloved corps. For one, any of us that did march under Scott would accept our brothers from 2012 the same as we would our brothers from 1938. Has the activity changed, absolutely, but then every corps has changed. You must not have seen the corps in recent years, if you did, you know that what Jim Mason, Dann Peterson, Chris Komnick, Jeff Spanos, etc. are doing things to keep the corps moving forward, and they are succeeding. I cried as hard with pride at finals last years as much as I did the night I aged out, maybe more. If you're going to say this stuff, know what you're talking about. Was Scott pushed out, YES. Did the director that followed him almost bankrupt the corps, YES, did people come in after in 2007 and help to rebuild the corps to make them relevant again, and financially responsible, and entertaining, YES, and through all the years that have followed Scott's departure, regardless of the ups and downs of the last 10 years have there been fans and alums that are still proud to call themselves Madison Scouts, YES. So, from one alum, the 2003-present-future, ARE Madison Scouts and will ALWAYS be Madison Scouts. Don't claim to know who or what the corps is unless you lived it.

To be honest, almost every time I see my old corps perform. Most Phantom shows get me in their ballad, same as SCV. I know that a lot didn't love Cadets 2012, but that show got me as well.

Chances are it will be music that's been performed by other World Class corps in the past. Not trying to be a jerk, but take a look at their rep's for the last number of years, and you'll find they typically choose music that has been done before. I hope I am wrong though.

#### you Blue Devils, how dare you make the audience think and challenge our ears. You should be out there playing songs that can/will be done by those amazing groups we get to see on Saturdays in the fall. Why aren't you more like a marching band. Cutting edge programs, who does that ####. You should play songs that I can tap my foot to, have a beer, and then scream for the last 2 minutes of your show so I can't hear it. That's what the others do. Whats wrong with you.

1998 SCV-Aaron Copland, the Modernist. I thought the show was light years ahead of everyone else that year.

Check your inbox.

How did VK wrong you? You seem to always need to chime in about them, but never give a reason why? I truly am just curious.

I highly encourage you to find recordings of the Sebesky and the Brenzel. They are both wonderful. The Brenzel was released last July. It stays true to the source material, but puts a fresh spin on it. The Sebesky is well, Sebesky, which is never a bad thing.

Which I fully understand, but I think there are people shallow enough to stop going because of one corps. As for entertainment, it's in the individual's eye. I was entertained by almost all corps that were in finals in 2012, with the exception of Boston, Bluecoats, and the Blue Knights. I loved the other 9 shows. People will never agree on what entertainment is, but I would take BD 2012 over Cadets 2005-2007 any day, and I am sure people would call me crazy. That's all I'm saying. As for getting fans in the seats, I don't think one avant garde show should prevent people from going, but I am sure, as I said it does. If we talk ticket prices, they're high all over. I went to the Madison homeshow in 2012 and paid $25 for my ticket and sat across the aisle from the section with the $75.00 ticket. Same deal in Rockford. If people aren't going for ticket prices, that's a whole other issue. Anyway, as the thread is about BD 2013, GO BD!

So would it be fair to say that we need shows like BD 2012 or 2010 because they might bring in an audience that likes more avant garde shows? It does give more variety. Sure people who marched in corps or people that appreciate a different product may not like it, but isn't that the beauty of variety? If there is no change or there is a requirement to do shows that everyone will enjoy aren't we going down a bad path? Madison and SCV and Vanguard are all very different from eachother, yet when BD is different it's the end of the activity.

Exactly! I think we all can agree that there are going to be corps that we don't like, and those we do. And there will be shows we don't like, and shows we do. Not every fan is going to jump up and down and scream even if they loved it. My rookie year (Madison '97-Pirate show) there is a guy in the front row at the end literally with his hands in his pockets as many around him are screaming and jumping. When I watch that video I don't just assume he didn't like it, even though he's not being verbal or clapping. Back in the fall of 2000 there was a BOA group, I know it's marching band, but still, and they did a show honoring the victims of the 1993 Oklahoma City bombing. The parents of that group stood up and screamed their heads off for the "big moment" and I didn't react in the same way. I didn't feel it was right to be shouting and cheering simply because the kids had done a good job. I was polite with my reaction, but I didn't feel a show about such tragedy deserved that type of reaction with a somber ending. I didn't however think those parents were terrible or misguided, it's just a difference in reaction. The problem is that people make assumptions about others opinions. Back to BD 2012, there are many that simply assume that the vast majority hated the show because some people on here complain about the program and the show didn't receive as big of an ovation as Crown, Cadets, etc. It was also a different type of ending. Down endings rarely produce some huge ovation at the end, but that, IMHO, is hardly a reason to just assume people didn't like it. Maybe at finals this year we should take a poll and find out what people thought. That would be the only way to sort of figure out the true feelings of the audience. Although that would be skewed because it is a year after the fact. Anyway, Go BD!