beavs

Hooked up laptop through HDMI to HDTV and watched full screen. No connection problems at all. Smooth video, with few skips at all throughout the show. Problems: Early in the show the sunset would create a bad glare over the lense. This seemed to ruin whatever focus the camera had. Parts of the field even looked brown or dark red, and there were what looked to be dust specs visual all over the lense. I could see the team working on it between corps, but nothing seemed to do the trick. After the sun went down and the lights came on it was a whole different story. Relatively great picture and focus, brightness was just fine. I enjoyed my live broadcast. Beavs

I'm a drum corps fan. I thought The Cavaliers' show was better than the blue devils' show. Fortunately for drum corps theres more to judging than "whos show was my fav." The blue devils scored higher than The Cavaliers. To this drum corps fan that doesn't mean anything 'cept the judges scores added up that way. This drum corps fan thinks The Cavaliers gotta step it up. Beavs

Questions for the HDTV watchers out there... 1. I didn't watch the live broadcast, but did watch the encores of annapolis. There didn't seem to be a full screen option. Does/will the live broadcast have a full screen option? 2. My HDTV has a (RGB) PC input on it. Does the HDVI to HDMI have a dramatic positive difference in picture quality/resolution? Or should I stick to the PC input? I just got an HDTV so I'm kinda new to the whole experience. Thanks...

On a laundry day last summer I saw a commercial ad on a local TV station for the show that my corps was competing at that weekend. On it were clips of various drum corps, including mine. Talk about feeling like a celebrity....

I think The Cavaliers will win. I want the best corps to win, so I chose The Cavaliers ;) I've seen/heard only Cavaliers and Bluecoats. They're both great. Can't chose both, so...gave it to The Cavaliers

I always thought Blue Devils would be fun.

An opinion about Cavaliers design.... I don't really think The Cavaliers march fast in ballads to hide dirty technique. One thing I can't stand seeing on the field is a huge lack of movement in drill design when the tempo goes down below 120 or so. I like watching Cavalier ballads as well as listening to them. Can't say the same for other corps... I guess most has all been said before... Great design team Great instructional/educational team Great volunteers Decent members Great direction Cool uniforms I don't think the kids really chase rings. They try to be good. Really good. They go to The Cavaliers because they feel they will reach the highest level of excellence marching there. They stay in The Cavaliers for the same reason. I'm not saying the members don't enjoy winning, but they probably don't use scoring as a reference to the quality of their product. In fact, those arrogant boys probably think they are smarter than the judges. Oh yeah, and I like that smarter not harder thing. I think the few members in The Cavaliers who marched somewhere else before can tell you the difference it makes. -Beavs

When I watch a drum corps or marching band show I usually only get one chance to see it. Good marching shows are starting to use every second the contests allow to jam as much material in the show as possible. 11 minutes isn't very long, so to get the depth in design needed there is allways something going on. Since I want to catch everything I possibly can visually and musically I don't react audibly to something I really like (other than the natural "holy crap" reaction I get when something awesome happens that I wasn't expecting). Most of the time I'm affraid I might miss something if I clap or yell. Also, I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone sitting around me. Many have to put "applause time" into their shows. Some moments are hard not to clap for. But you'll lose the moment if right when you stand up to clap the next section of the show starts. One thing that makes a show good is the gradual progression of effect leading up to a big moment. In some performances these progressing effects are amazing enough to react to, but you can't because something better is going to happen 5 seconds later, and then something better after that. Oh yeah, and some moments are so amazing there really is no way to react to them. In my experience in drum corps it was fulfilling to hear absolute silence in key moments of the show. It was the only way I knew the audience was paying attention and interested. So I guess what I'm trying to say is it just depends on the part of the show. Back in the day all the shows seemed to be the same: Louder and faster and higher. Loud and fast and high get the same reaction: "Yippy! This is fun and I'm enjoying listening to this!" Now shows are creating moments on the football field that no one has ever seen or heard before, and the only natural way to react to it is with your jaw hitting the floor. IMO...

*Doesn't want to scroll through 33 pages of dcp garbage" Which page is the answer on? I was kinda hoping to find out myself....

I'm down with anything that makes drum corps less boring. Some day we've gotta stop lying to ourselfs and realize that the same-old same-old isn't cutting it anymore. We have to take risks, and make changes. Theres no way to tell whats going to happen from them because we haven't seen or heard them yet. Drum corps shows need more entertainment. Keep the louder faster higher, but do something different and interesting. These changes will keep this recent age out insterested in drum corps. The only down side I can see from these changes is that fans will still have to pay for their whole seat, even though now they will only occupy the edge. *a-thank you* Besides, I spent all my money on 7 summers of drum corps. Don't have any left to buy corps stuff at shows...

I think its a great idea. Really neat.

This is a little off topic. I think theres another thread somewhere else...

You know, i've been on DCP almost as long as its been alive. I've seen the same people posting the same topics with the same opinions for years now. Not everyone with a membership posts. Some, like me, sit back and watch. Its pretty fun. Sometimes I get involved. I went to a few more than 16 shows this summer. Sat in the stands for maybe 3 of them. The only cadet talk i heard was how low people predicted their placement come finals. There is a bigger world out there. I also think the Crossmen move is a pretty big deal. I'm excited about it. I just posted about news pre-end of the season and forgot to mention it. Phantom scoring higher than BD on finals seemed to be the subjuct of a lot of people's post finals conversations, as well as their successful percussion.

Funny...i never hear any talk about cadets, '05 '06 or otherwise... i only SEE it...on DCP. This small forum doesn't represent all of DCI fans and members opinions...keep that in mind. Hopefully show designers aren't writing shows for DCP posters to talk about. That would be a sad day for drum corps. '06 showed that for vanguard, having a new drill writer made a big step in a positive direction for the corps. Phantom played louder (more emotional) than ever before, Blue Devils had one of the best shows they've had since 2000, Bluecoats may now be concidered one of the "big boys". And The Cavaliers just do it again...and again...and again. Try to be different but i guess thats nothing new... Pretty decent year for drum corps. Oh yeah, and the age out ceremony was fan-freakin'-tastic. Thank you Madison Alumni. There was a tear... /cry B)

To me there seems to always be an ablolute. Something that never changes. Thats the football field. Of course, there might be some variety in the hash marks, but other than that you can always count on the football field being the same. Why not use it to its fullest extent? In my experience, the dot system has perfected marching drill. A member has a point on the x-axis and the y axis and where it meets, thats where you are in the given counts, straight line path, even step size. There is no "but i was on my dot" problem because there is only one dot. Where else would you be? Two steps from the yardline is 2 steps from the yardline. If you aren't there when you're supposed to be you're burning up in the lava... so i've been told... and the dot isn't even the most important part. Everyone is forgetting about the even size step and straight line path part... sure you could hit the dot, but not too early, not too late, and not after a 5 yard detour around the ant hill on the practice field... Thats what makes the drill...perfect. Or at least a perfect representation of what the writer wants. And its a good thing for The Cavaleirs that no one believes in this method... They'll just keep havin' the cleanest coolest drill i guess...imho...hands down... roflcopter?

I think we here at DCP are all products of fear... we need to embrace love. '01 cadets '02, '03 cavaliers

I don't remember much of the Blue Devils 04 hornline. Or their show, for that matter. 2000 BD, 01 Cadets, and 02, 03, 04 Cavaliers are my top hornlines of the '00s. 00 BD had a beautiful sound top to bottom. Only downer for me is not being able to hear the mid voices or low tuba in any of the sound 'cept when the rest of the hornline played soft while they played a moving line or something. Most of their sound was all baritone/trumpet. But still, a good line. And nice solo trumpet. 01 Cadets was great. My fav. Cadet line. I also really liked the music, so that kinda helps. Again though, not much mello in the sound 'cept for solo/soli/chamber brass sections. Great low brass, though. Nice technique with pretty decent quality of sound while moving. 02 Cavaliers was beauty, and music. I loved it. Its almost not even drum corps, so its hard to compare. I've heard a few judges tapes...and the quality of playing comes through even on the crappy mics. You can hear everything in their sound. Its so clear. 03 Cavaliers seemed a little more demanding, but didn't let up in quality all too much from the 02 line. Still clear, still ballanced, but you could hear a few things... Great trumpets, solid low brass, and one of my favorit mello licks ever in the park and bark. 04 Cavaliers was just awesome. The music really helped this line shine. Instead of the very ballanced rep of the previous years this music seemed to show off the tallent of each section much more. They played their only real ballad of the 00s so far(in my opinion), which was beautiful. So many different styles of music in one show too, with the same amazing quality that they brought in previous years. If the 04 Cadets played the whole show with the same quality of the intro it'd be amazing. That intro was awesome. I feel bad for not including Phantom or Vanguard so I'll say that my top 00 phantom line is probly 03 (heard a standstill once and it sounded great), and Vanguard would have to be 04. I also feel bad for not including any up and coming horn lines. Actually, i don't feel bad really at all for not including them. BUT GRATS up-and-coming hornlines! Keep up the good work.

You're kidding, right?

I wonder what would happen if Cavaliers played shostakovich. Would people still feel the way they do about their hornline? Or what if phantom played anything The Cavaliers have played the last 3 or so years. Would people still think the same about phantom's brass? I think people are basing their choice for "best hornline" on the musical styles the corps are chosing. I would like to hear Cavies try some shostakovich, and hear phantom do something like Cavaliers have been. I wonder if Cavaliers could use the same power as phantom, or if phantom could use the same balance between voices and colors (not only between brass members but percussion as well) that Cavies do, and use the same pure brass sounds that Cavaliers' music calls for. I think after hearing that I would know, in my opinion, which corps holds the best hornline.

Cheapest tour fees in top 12? Doubt its phantom.

again? take what again??

I don't think any one has said anything about quality sound. Its about having a uniform sound, whatever the quality is.

i still vote phantom for the last corps I think would change to Bb. I can't believe they did

when i think bass trombone i think loud whoa in your face did you hear that brass holy poo. when i think baritone i think whew, thats so warm and rich. makes me wana cuddle with my girl in a park at night. i don't think any corps marches bass trombones, so i can't think why you would want that sound on a baritone. Or a euphonium. edge? good???? maybe if you were poundin' out the pedal notes... even then, i don't understand why you would ever screw over the quality of sound... i suppose it all depends on your definition of "quality". or maybe just what you like to hear. maybe i'm missing something here, and baritones ARE supposed to sound like trombones... man...have i been lost. ok ok, so drum corps limits the brass ensemble to certain instruments. and if you are playing some arrangement of a piece where the trombone is wailin the loud notes you gotta do somethin.... but really... scv gets it...bd and cavies get it... something about that edge of the other corps that drives low brass lovers crazy. they love it. maybe if the corps would sustain a solid consistant sound without change in quality....maybe then i could handle the edge. they'd fall under the less quality but very effective catigory. for now i'm diggin' the hornlines with the same GOOD quality of sound in all ranges and volume levels.... but balance comes next!!! i only talk of low brass because that seems to be what everyone's talkin' about....