warsawstory

Ewwwww. Gay cooties. Grow up.

I just watched the show on the fan network for the first time since attending the showing in the theaters. For now, all I can say is that I'm speechless. Let me sleep on this before I start with my accolades. Stellar! Cannot wait to see you in Paddock Lake, WI and Rockford, IL

I believe the above issue about travel and rehearsal time has been addressed. Maybe I read it on this forum or on the Pioneer website. Also, with a smaller corps this year perhaps they won't be using one of the more troublesome busses. Being small this year could be a real boon for Pioneer. More individual attention to members from a good staff could work wonders. I also saw their Muncie, IN show on the fan network. Impressive for an early season show. Once all the guard work is complete and they clean it up, I think this show has legs.

Glassmen 2001, "Imago". Understatement rarely gets it's due. They were fearless in their show design with the guts to bring things down to such an intimate level at times. Often, I got lost in the moments they created and felt they were performing just for me. Blue Knights 1996, "The Music of Ron Nelson". Yes, BK did Rocky Point. Forty-eight brass? Very effective use of the hand painted silks.

Pioneer really should consider re-establishing ties with the Boys and Girls club. The Milwaukee director has recently been promoted to the national executive directorship of the Boys and Girls Club. Was anyone aware of this? Imagine having a local ally in a national position. This is the type of thing Pioneer needs to be keeping up on. Don't let those opportunities slip through your fingers.

I'm very familiar with another non-profit arts education org. here in Milwaukee. They have a similar sized budget. Own their own property and ironically enough are in the shadow of St. Patrick's church, Pioneer's original home. Walker's Point Center for the Arts. I was comparing web-sites in regards to what information they include concerning their respective BODs. Absolutely no comparison. I will never criticize the marching members of Pioneer on this forum but will not hesitate to take their BOD to task. There are well established and free resources here in Milwaukee to help nurture non-profit groups and do work shops with their BODs. Pioneer needs to reach out and take advantage of these resources and bring themselves into the 21st century in regards to a well functioning BOD who will lead them to success within the World Class Drum Corps arena. edit Pioneer and WPCA do not have a similar budget. As per guidestar.org Pioneer 2008 revenue was $377,000, WPCA revenue 2008 was $184,000. I stand corrected.

Kansas City Star? (I hope someone gets my Kurt Gowdy reference)

Yes! BD 2010. The harmonic tension that horn book produced was amazing. One of the handful of DCI shows I am proud to make my classical and jazz professional friends watch and listen to. They're impressed that a group of young adults under age 22 could grasp such a concept much less do it while moving (well, kinda).

STOP! If anyone has CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, please address it to the Pioneer board of directors or the executive director. The address is easily obtainable by visiting the Pioneer website. An open letter to the members of the 2011 Pioneer - Wow, you kids have your work cut out for you. I state that in the most encouraging way. I know your knowledgeable staff has probably conveyed that to you in their own way but I would like to take some time to convey to you as a fan and a proud Milwaukee resident what your undertaking this season means to me. I know without a doubt that you will be putting out an entertaining show. I know without a doubt that you are working hard to execute that entertaining show. I know without a doubt that you are being fed properly, guided properly and you have a network of people who care about you. I also know without a doubt you have a great responsibility being placed upon your shoulders. I know without a doubt you will rise to meet this challenge. If I may be so presumptuous I would like to compare you to the 2011 Santa Clara Vanguard. So many people on this forum have said what SCV is trying to achieve this season is unobtainable. "The worst brass in years", "Their brass bites", blah, blah, blah. What you are trying to achieve is just as impressive as the Santa Clara Vanguard if not more so. Every one of your brass players is working to achieve the same impact as a line four times your size. You will impress. You will achieve. You will get better every day. I know without a doubt your staff is putting forth every effort to make you better people, better musicians, better performers. You have a once in a lifetime chance to push yourselves beyond what you thought possible. Relish this chance. I know without a doubt you will look back at the Summer of 2011 and say, "I was better every day". Cheers to you members of Pioneer 2011!

Spirit 1988? Petroucka? Stravinsky on the field. Yes, those unis were a bit "clingy" but Spirit really paved the way for introducing unconventional musical choices with that show.

Maybe not hated but certainly underrated: Madison Scouts 2003 and Madison Scouts 2007 (15th place) - Led Zeppelin's Kashmir? Yes, Led Zeppelin's Kashmir. (Seriously, I'm not a Madison homer).

OK, flame me. Blue Devils 2008 Santa Clara Vanguard 2011 Blue Devils played a tune from one of my all time favorite classic movies, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg". Was that trumpet glitch intentional? If not, what a recovery. SCV 2011 - Talk about a show with potential and a challenge to the members! Clean it up by late July. Integrate the members trying to escape hell into your theme, disregard the naysayers and you have an all-time classic. IMHO.

I was blown away by SCV at the theater last night. It was helpful to familiarize myself with the source music. This show certainly has the meat to be top 5 but whether or not they will execute it remains to be seen. I love that they played "The Devil's Staircase" as an encore. Hopefully, people will give it a listen. What really impressed me was my emotional response. Cadets wowed me but SCV grabbed me. My one complaint might be that they will try to push the "escaping from hell" theme too much. Maybe if they just let the music speak for itself it would be more effective. For me the tension of the music is what gave me an emotional charge. Seems like some corps go for the obvious when it comes to creating an emotionally moving moment (Elsa's?) but what I admire about SCV is that they are willing to create the emotion cerebrally first and then let it grab you in the gut. That's how it affects me, whether or not it is their intent, I don't presume to know.

Best - "The Door" 2005 Cadets. Maybe not the best prop ever but the best prop in a winning show. imho Worst - "The Gerbil Wheels" 1986 Star of Indiana. These were mothballed after the first couple shows.

I think this has the potential to be a positive topic. Maybe the folks at DCI and corps directors will take some of what we have to say seriously. It would be great if the powers that be listened to some grass roots opinions in this regard. Four corps came to mind where I think there could be some very productive co-operation. Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, Pioneer and Racine Scouts. Like someone mentioned in a previous post, it would need to be a two way street. Here's one stumbling block I see off the bat. Marching in a top 12 corps is no longer a local activity. Would the kids that get cut from PR and Cavies still want to pay transportation costs to march with Pioneer or Racine Scouts? Maybe the emphasis needs to be focused on local recruiting for some of these smaller corps with the "big boys" supplying some kind of support. Within a two hour drive you have these four corps and a huge population base. It would be kind of a return to the Drum Corps Midwest organization where I think there was more of a chance for co-operation and camaraderie between corps.

OK, let's try to keep this thread positive. I admire that Pioneer has made some radical moves in the past couple months. They are learning an entirely new, original music book. They are using a unique battery percussion color/voicing. Apparently, some things weren't working for them and the staff had the courage to correct it. I really think the kids deserve a big hand in accepting the challenge put before them. It would have been great if they were able to expand upon last year's membership but that is not the reality. We can sit here and criticize or we can applaud their performances this Summer. I choose the latter.

Well, I get to hear Mahler 2 live this evening. So there!

OMG. Time for me to go to bed. I thought I was on the Blue Star thread. Nevermind.

Their SIXTH place guard provided me with some of my favorite moments of the Summer.

Music City - I think it will be fun seeing a full size, young corps without alot of experience under their belts. They're going to be raw and I mean that in the best possible sense. Troopers - I love their musical selections. I'm looking forward to a very contemporary, yet unmistakably Troopers program. Pioneer - Looking forward to their all original book. Gutsy move, switching it up so close to move-ins. I expect they will be gutsy all Summer.

"Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael. Last done by Colts in 1984. Spirit of Atlanta perhaps? "Alison" by Elvis Costello. Last done - NEVER. I think we should lobby Pioneer to do a show with music by contempory song writers/composers of Irish heritage. The possibilities are tremendous.

So 115 marching (reasonably) local? Congratulations on some great local recruiting. What's the secret?