txorchdork013

DCI posted Blue Saints 55.150

As much of a BDB fan as I am (darn biases), I have to admit I am always glad to see Dutch Boy on the program

Ha ha ha Go Open Class...Go BDB !!! Mellos blow their faces off!!!!

Just some thoughts: Yellow was a popular color for women's fashion in the thirties, reminiscent of Daisy's character in "The Great Gatsby." One side of the guard uniform reminds me of the Navy Waves during WWII and the sailor suit. The other side of the guard uniform reminds me of Rosie the Riveter and women wearing trousers. That's what I see in BD's guard uniform and the show, but I know we could argue perception is reality.... Best uniforms and theme for me are: Crown and Troopers

Any review is worth its weight in gold for a fan like me who can't be there....so thank you.

Blue Devils B, Vanguard Cadets take top spots after Open Class 'seeding' events By Justin Herberger | jherberger@dci.org Monday, August 3, 2009 - 10:45 AM Blue Devils B drum majors Andrew Wood and Eddy Pineda said the corps is pleased with Sunday’s performance as well as their progress this season. “Everyone really pushed through the show tonight,” Wood said. “Everything we worked on in practice really showed up in our performance.” Wood says the corps’ drive for perfection has paid off this summer. “We’ve been working hard and I think the members really enjoy the opportunity to perform for a great crowd. This is an Open Class corps, but we rehearse like a World Class corps.” http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=2...36-a381902205d7

Blue Devils B, Vanguard Cadets take top spots after Open Class 'seeding' events By Justin Herberger | jherberger@dci.org Monday, August 3, 2009 - 10:45 AM Blue Devils B drum majors Andrew Wood and Eddy Pineda said the corps is pleased with Sunday’s performance as well as their progress this season. “Everyone really pushed through the show tonight,” Wood said. “Everything we worked on in practice really showed up in our performance.” Wood says the corps’ drive for perfection has paid off this summer. “We’ve been working hard and I think the members really enjoy the opportunity to perform for a great crowd. This is an Open Class corps, but we rehearse like a World Class corps.” DCI NEWS

Blue Devils B, Vanguard Cadets take top spots after Open Class 'seeding' events By Justin Herberger | jherberger@dci.org Monday, August 3, 2009 - 10:45 AM Blue Devils B drum majors Andrew Wood and Eddy Pineda said the corps is pleased with Sunday’s performance as well as their progress this season. “Everyone really pushed through the show tonight,” Wood said. “Everything we worked on in practice really showed up in our performance.” Wood says the corps’ drive for perfection has paid off this summer. “We’ve been working hard and I think the members really enjoy the opportunity to perform for a great crowd. This is an Open Class corps, but we rehearse like a World Class corps.” DCI NEWS If competing with the WC is what gets a bigger audience for the kids then so be it though in my opinion I think the kids would be just as happy to win their division and perform their championship show during WC finals...perhaps before retreat and awards...when the crowd is huge.

SCV company front and Crown's arrangement of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Somewhere from West Side Story tie for me....definitely a goose bump moment for me.

Me too...cheapest flight I could find was $599 through US Airs with one stop, no non-stop flight from ELP to Indianapolis. From my summer home in CA would cost $821 through US Airs with one stop, again no non-stops. This would be from Oakland to Indianapolis. Both departing August 5th and returning August 9th. It was nice to see the video. Good press for DCI and the kids performing.

Remind them also that it will keep you out of their hair all summer being "bored."

DCI and/or drum corps is suppose to represent not just marching but musical education. Playing ensemble is only one portion of music. Solo work is equally just as important. I and E allow these young musicians to expand on what they are taught and do it in small ensemble and soloistically. This is the time when musicians really learn how to handle their nerves, truly listen for how their part fits into the music (i.e. balance, tone, dynamics) and learn that they can't always just blow off a lick and fake because someone else will be their to cover it. Those are important skills. They help when a kid has to go audition (hence the nerves part) and when they are in large ensemble playing . Also, I and E does give the kids a much needed break in a hectic tour from the show. As a working musician myself, a show can get stagnant and burnt-out when you do it everyday for a few weeks no matter how much your drive is to be the best of the best. I and E gives the kids a chance to (in a musical environment) just clear their heads but still think about the music and performance so that the day after they can go back to rehearsal perhaps a little refreshed with fresh ears (hearing something else besides yourself can help when you go back to listening to yourself when you rehearse).

And that is why the kids and the fans keep coming back year after year. My daughter whines about the runs, the block drills, the circle drills, what parts of her body hurt, how hard the staff was on them...the list goes on. But, everytime I ask her if she is going to do drum corps again, she says, with an incredulous expression on her face, "yes." For her to be able to participate, we sacrifice. Since we don't live close to any corps, we travel every year. This requires travel costs, maintaining two households (need housing) and then corps costs. I work extra tutoring programs and Saturday school to get extra cash and my daughter hoards all her birthday and gift monies as well as any other monies she may earn from doing odd jobs. I liken it to paying for a private prep school...LOL. I do it because of the excellent musical and character education she gets from the BDB organization. She does it because she loves it. Whether it is DCI or the corps themselves, they need to really take a look at their leadership and make sure business is taken care of otherwise that life enriching experience won't happen. Planning and finances have to be solid (and a solid backup plan should also be available). IMO, I think that some kids/parents choose certain corps because they know the corps are run well and financially stable. I don't want to entrust my child (or money) to an organization who may be "flaky."

This is a good point...here is a thought that might go with that. It would be great if this could be done the state music convention. In Texas, TMEA has a state convention for Texas music teachers every year (public, private and universities. During this time, they have many seminars about numerous issues and trends in music education. DCI or Corps. which ever is more willing, could either bid to speak at a seminar and just teach what you just stated because that works with any music teacher who has to support theor school program and I assume, many of those corps directors have some tie to music education so they could just go to the convention to get the training... Or DCI could open shop as a vendor and not only sell corps souvies and DVD, but hand out phamplets and recruit. The attendance at these state conventions is tremendous. This is a quicker, easier way to get the info out there. The cost of the plane ticket, convention entry and hotel for the weekend would be less than trying to do a mail out to every musical entity in the state of Texas. They could even have some forms out so that people could be put on a mailing list for more info. Offer a raffle at your booth and people will sign up more willingly. Raffle off a DVD or something similar. They could even put out a donation can stuffed with a couple of $20's to get the ball rolling. What is nice is that TMEA has students there as well. There are the kids who made the all-state bands, orchestras and choirs running around doing their thing and would probably be drawn to a booth that has great music and videos coming from it. Those kids could bring back the stuff the get and hear back to their schools. What is nice about TMEA is that teachers and students are represented from many of the states regions and districts and not just the big cities. When I return back from TMEA I am excited to bring back and share all the stuff I got. Diane

Rick, I had meant that those who participated in any corps in the summer. The first year my daughter was in high school she was the only one from her school to do corps. She goes back to school and talks it up, shows pictures and examples of the music. Her and her friends (and her friends also include local kids from other schools) talk about it on facebook. She uploads videos of the tour and the great experience it was. The next year, one of her friends makes the Blue Knights. Now there is a body of two, talking it up within her circle. Do you see where I am going. I mean, friends of friends..... Then the school lucked out and one of the staff of BK becomes the assistant band director and promotes corps. Now there is a snowball effect because kids and directors are talking. This year, I read in the paper there were a few more 'local" kids traveling with corps this summer. And those cities who are lucky enough to have local corps, well those corps could do a few visits to talk up their programs. They don't even have to be from the same corps. just have on their member jackets and a willingness to answer questions and be enthusiastic. The whole thought would be to get kids excited about drum corps so the say to themselves, "I wanna do that this summer!" This sounds small and insignificant, but we have so much available technology for communication out there that requires little cost and could be utilized...many schools have video conference equipment that they bought in the heyday of school technology but probably now sits in the school library collecting dust because no one knew who teleconference with. Corps could use the same type of technology to televise live to school band program and have question and answer sessions. So if you can't go live, use the tech stuff. Diane

Here goes my soapbox (for what it's worth) 1) What SPECIFICALLY are you doing to INCREASE the oportunities in drum corps for young people everywhere? I talk it up on my facebook profile...DCI should really utilize the social networks. There are hoards of folks facebooking, tweeting, using my space ect. and the media knows this. That is why you can now tweet or see it on facebook for most major new casts and other shows out there. I teach music every day as a music educator in our public schools and whenever I have a conversation about the need to keep music education in the schools (from elementary to high school), even as they are currently being cut due to budget constraints. I even show drum corps videos to my orchestra classes for musical evaluation lessons...long story and/or to joke about why at times it is nicer to be a string player Finally, I write to my local news agencies to do stories on kids who march Drum Corps in the summer and I send my young daughter out on tour because she loves the activity and I go to shows, both OC and WC and talk up her experience in corps with the folks around me (such a nosy, social butterfly I am) 2) What SPECIFICALLY are you doing to promote the drum corps activity, ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNER LEVEL? Again, I talk to elementary kids about joining their school music programs. There is no local drumcorps where I am from, so we use the young corps from Mexico as examples. I have talked to some of my middle and high school students and parents about groups like BDC. I wish DCI or my fine city of El Paso, had done better. This year, I had noticed Drums Along the Border did not happen. It is sad because that was probably the one chance Drum Corps fans in my area actually got to see a show live. Don't know why, but IMO, it probably had to do with the low attendance in a huge stadium. No hype for the show stated from someone who would attend with friends but that is because I would look at the tour schedule at the beginning of the season and mark my calenders...not necessarily from all the press it would receive (sarcasm intended). 3) Does a 12,13,14,15,16,etc. year-old with no money and no prior musical experience but a strong desire to learn, have a future in drum corps? Again, this is where Open Corps is a viable necessity for DCI. Groups like BDC, BDB, SCVC and others are, for some, their only chance at getting music education because their schools don't have band. choir or orchestra programs. This should be one of DCI's biggest investment because (and I love a WC show also) WC needs kids who have marching and playing experience to be able to continue to compete at the amazing levels of artistry they are marching at and the way you achieve this is to have more mature, experienced musicians on the field. Because of what is happening in the public schools, I see this pool of performers to become extremely limited very soon. I already feel this in my program because in Texas, middle and high school orchestra and band programs are competitive. Each year (and this has nothing to do with talent), the kids I get from my elementary feeder patterns are performing at a lower level because they go into orchestra at 5th grade with no prior musical knowledge (my district has very few schools who offer music classes in grades PK-4). For most, orchestra is the first chance they get at music class. This is a double edged sword because the elementary orchestra teacher ends up with orchestras of 50 or more kids, but then they get to middle school and drop to go to band (which is great for the band teacher because he gets kids who already read). On my end, I work hard to recruit, bring in good numbers, but the kids have only one year of music experience and I have to have them competition ready by April after TAKS testing to be able to compete at UIL standards. It is a marathon of madness. One suggestion that could perhaps count as a community service item for all those college members within the WC class corps would be to do school visits in their neighborhoods and perform their IE piece, bring in a video clip and talk up corps. It is alot more meaningful from a member than the teacher to most kids. When the El Paso Symphony was reinstating their youth orchestra programs, Ben Loeb and his small staff took alot of time to come out and talk to the kids about the group. When the group got off the ground and they would get a guest performer, he would put out (first come first serve for this) an all call via email to have that young soloist come out to the schools and perform a bit and talk up the concert and the orchestra. He gave all the kids who got first divisions on their solos for their IE a coupon for a free ticket, which of course made at least one parent have to attend. They also made alot of noise in local news, community events ect. Again for the sake of recruitment and ticket sales. It is five years down the road and now El Paso has four youth orchestra programs, two symphony and two string (to help feed into the big groups as kids age out). The program has also spawned a wind ensemble, a couple of small brass ensembles, and a couple of woodwind ensembles (again, like Open Corps, not a talent issue, an educational oppotunity that also sustains the program). The kids pay to participate. They have a financial assistance program for kids with financial issues (by application) and a scholarship program for some of their college members. Drum Corps may become a sweet memory if they don't start doing something to get the word out their to a more diverse public and not just old drum corps fans and/or music ed people like myself and get it to the layman and their kids. Also they need to work on getting those Open Class corps more press so those "entry" level kids understand there is a place for them also in the drum corps activity. Diane Some afterthoughts as insane as they me be: Get some of the corps to volunteer for the annual pledge drives for their local PBS station. Someone has to be watching because PBS keeps going. Maybe DCI will give up a few videos during those pledge breaks to show clips of the kids marching. Helps up PBS cash because crazy parents like me will call in to pledge $5 to see their kid on TV or to talk to them on the phone during the drive. Helps drum corps because it gives them some televised exposure. Speaking of PBS, they have a show called from the top that features the best and brightest of up and coming young classical muscians from all walks of life. Is there some type of educational promo DCI could possible produce to feature some of their standouts from the different corps, World and Open that can be shown on educational TV stations offered on cable. Here is the website for From the Top: From the Top Maybe get some of the corps to play on an episode of Sesame Street. I mean, my kid is too old for that stuff but when she was little she watched Justin Timberlake on Sesame Street and was an instant fan... Maybe just get back in league with PBS altogether....

I found this on the All-Corps reviews just by chance. I thought it fit some of the OC discussions happening. Here is the link to the rest of the posts: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...howtopic=128170 The first few posters after the review mention why I have only been an Open Corps fan for three years even though I have been a drum corps fan for a long time...I just wasn't aware of the divisions besides what is now World Class.

Now I am not sure if this is on topic or somewhere off on a tangent, but I was skimming the All-Corps review and I found an interesting statement from the OP in his opening statement before the review at this link: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...howtopic=128170 that may pertain to this discussion. I wasn't quite sure, but it does relay some of the sentiments of Open Class fans that have been discussed on this thread. And, for note, II have been a WC fan for a long time but am a rookie Open Class fan of three years because of the same issues that the linked post brought up.

Sometimes I forget to check this part of the forum and then have to go Thanks for the review....

Great review Galen....Thanks

Sorry, I got my corps tied...this is what I was looking for: The other six corps competing tomorrow are, from Division III, Impulse (79.025), Oregon Crusaders (82.600), and Dutch Boy (84.625). The Division II corps competing are Vanguard Cadets (90.650), Fever (89.075), and Blue Devils B (90.650). The Yokohama Scouts, from the International Division, will also perform tomorrow. (From the DCI Archives).

Thank you...I stand corrected and edited... If Yamato isn't technically an International corps, how come they competed as an international corps in 2007? How does that work? Again please correct me if I am mistaken, didn't both Yamato and Beatrix get scored as internationals and not div 2's?

Sorry it took so long to reply. Thanks for the link also. I had to revisit those rules. I only said it was ironic because the closest we get to "international" are the Canadian Corps that really have to up their finances to cross the border to compete DCI. Correct me if I am wrong, 2007 was when the Yamato performed and that is the the closest to an overseas corps performing in DCI in a while. I live on the Mexico border...where are their corps? They come up for parades and other special occasions from time to time where I live. Sorry off topic a bit. Since DCI is supposed to be "international" from its own title, why aren't the rules standardized so that if a "World Class" corps from say Europe or Japan comes over to tour, they just seamless come in where ever they are in the scheme of things in their home country. I mean, look at soccer. If the US goes to Mexico and plays, there isn't a major lifechanging event in scoring and rules. Why is there such a disjoint in DCI? I think I am odd topic again....darn...Oh well... I do think that it would make WC and OC much more interesting if more international corps were able to come and compete. I have to admit I enjoy watching Dutch boy and was really interested in Beatrix from a musical standpoint to see the similarities and differences in their show compared to an "American" style show...if that exists. I would love to see more of the Japanese corps also. And to see these international corps at this point is through Open Class.

That was what I was about to check on...Week 5? Getting interesting in the OC....