wishbonecav

WINDJAMMERS (Coast Guard Academy) did Redskins v Giants at the Meadowlands in 1989 ...and Saints v Patriots at Foxboro in 1990. We got booed in New Jersey.

I played matched for 5 years (92-96). Won High drums twice (93,94). It didn't suck. Then again, I didn't play tenors. Oh, wait. Yes I did. And won high drums that year, too (92). I believe the formula was "left hand back" and "nose level"...from old skool SCV (Thanks, Tim Stodd) Of course, Teddy Mascari says, and he may have a point that I am not willing to concede, "It takes more than triplet rolls and paradiddles to win drums nowadays." Valid? Maybe. It's just hard to hear him over my ring. (For reference to those reading the post: it's an inside joke. I played snare with altavet. As I recall, we played tra-dish....'and it was good.' L'Insolite, SCV, 27th and Les Eclipses had the best matched lines ever in DCI..imo :)

I gotcha..... 85 Santa Clara...Festive Overture...scares the snot out of me every time I get a call!!!!

Andy...i just stole your picture for my desktop background!!!!!

And, btw, I like OPEN CLASS. And I like it as a springboard to Quarterfinals, thank you very much. And give them 3 spots on Thursday. 22 for the "World", 3 for the "Open". 25 corps. Shake it out. Top 17 advance...same as always. But the customer gets a little more good drum corps! And the 3 "Open Corps" have a Quarterfinalist achievement. That's cool.

Oh, my boy, THAT is funny. And re: "flat"...the original post didn't mention the Bluecoats...and, oh, gee...little Billy didn't get a pat on the back....so he cries about it....and then gets an opinion he doesn't like...cries even more...then, after a temper tantrum and some personal insults, tries to tell everyone he insulted directly that he was "misconstrued." Money bet that he will say that he felt that his corps was insulted first. Re-read the thread. I think I captured the spirit of the thing.

pm sent

You are stupid and you don't know what you are talking about. Oh, and you didn't march...and , if you did, it wasn't anywhere good, and if it was anywhere good, it was the wrong section, and if it was the right section, you didn't play the first part and if you did, it wasn't the right yearand so on and so on so please, keep your opinions, comments and thoughts to yourself. That makes for a lively thread, don't you think? From the stands...Garfield's last 15 seconds had em throwing babies. Bluecoats show was a formula ending made distracting by the contents of the case. I have no dog in this particular fight. I gauged a response. For Cadets (and GOOD FOR THEM!) it was over the top so as to be ABSURD!

....and it was ridiculous. The proof is in the APD!! (If you listen for ticks, you WILL find them...ouch...was that baritone a count early?...but the point here is RESPONSE...and my, oh, my did the boys get it that afternoon. ) Good stuff. (and we will ignore any percieved bias in your comment and simply take it as information delivered at face value!!)

Positive I'll give you. But it didn't reach the realm of ridiculous. In fact, compared to the Lisle show in June (where it was truly delivered with gusto and recieved with awe), the Bloo show got that DCI-tour watering that left it a kind of flat "package" in Pasadena. Reminded me of Cadets 95...just loony in June and July...but incomprehensibly flat once it got to Buffalo. At the end of the day, the awesome STANDOUTS were the ones mentioned. :)

At Quarters, the response for Madison was off the chain. I was 49 rows up and the reaction MOVED ME. Im made sure to look left to right and it was palatable. The hair on my neck stood up. It was really neat to see that kind of outpouring. The APD don't lie either. :)

What is it about these alumni corps that so deeply captures the imagination? If you've seen it first-hand, you know it's DIFFERENT. 27th in Boston got the single biggest response I have ever seen at any drum corps event ever, ever, ever. I have never, EVER, seen as much fist pumping, clapping, standing screaming and yelling in one audience as I saw there that night. People were crying. At a drum corps show. Yes. They were. Ask anyone. Royalaires took the field in Arlington Heights and, following Cavaliers and Garfield, got the wildest, most sustained and emotionally connected response I'd seen since that Two-Seven performance 10 years earlier. It was absolute insanity. And it went on and on and ON! St Joe's of Batavia, JUST THIS YEAR, and with only about 30 horns in Buffalo, NY, average age of 58, followed Vanguard (VANGUARD!), siezed the front sideline and turned the crowd at UB Stadium on its freakin' head. IF YOU WERE THERE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! The audience simply did not want them to stop. What was going on? Didn't the crowd just see the most trained, most athletic, most artistic groups in the world? Didn't they just give a standing response to an phenominal display of modern drum corps? Absolutely, they did. But for St. Joe's it was DIFFERENT! Encore! Encore! They yelled. They pleaded. The audience literally extended their arms and reached for the corps. And the corps, like a family member, like a piece of their flesh, kept reaching back... ...back to tradition, ...back to friendships, ...back to a time gone by when they all, too, could play and march, laugh and learn and love. Watching St. Joe's was like being in a time machine. And it brought you back to one of the best times of your life...before the jobs and the kids...before some of the hard stuff. No wonder we clapped so long and so loud. For a couple of glorious minutes, watching St Joes and 27 and Chicago...we got to be kids again. :)

A view from the stands at DCI and DCA. In a non-scientific observation of a group of 8,000 drum corps fans in Pasadena (DCI Quarterfinals) and a group of 8,000 drum corps fans in Rochester (DCA Finals), I was able to draw the following conclusions when it comes to delivery of product and audience response... AND given the assumption that someone standing while clapping, cheering, whistling or yelling is a person who has just seen something worth standing, clapping, cheering, whistling or yelling about; Here's what I came up with: The most dramatic, positive and prolonged reactions from the audience were granted to performances by: 1. Blue Devils (off the chart) 2. The Cadets (off the chart) 3. Madison Scouts (two standing o's during the performance, just about throwing babies at the end, bigger response than Cavies) 4. Cavaliers 5. Carolina Crown 6. Regiment 7. Troopers (yes, more than Vanguard, et al) 8. Academy (yes, more than the other 7-12 Finalists) 1. Empire Statesmen (off the chart, almost ridiculous) 2. Buccaneers (off the chart, appreciation of excellence) 3. Caballeros 4. Renegades 5. Crusaders (watch the dvd and listen for the response, standing o Saturday & Sunday) 6. Music City Legend (proving that when you perform effect, it gets the desired result) Even if the corps was already "slotted", it appeared that the audience members wanted to root for the corps that were listed. In Madison's case, the underdog role played into the emotion. Same with Music City Legend. For the Troopers and Caballeros, the flavors of tradition may have added to the connection. For Academy, the throwback style of programming may have been the catalyst. Or, maybe, they were embraced because they were new (though newbies in DCI have often met with the opposite treatment). For Renegades, it was that horn line! For Empire , it was Empire. Cavies, Crown, Regiment and Buccaneers, it was excellence. For BD and Garfield it was excellence bordering on the absurd. The corps that generated a response NOTEWORTHY in its indifference: 1. Crossmen (an extreme example) 2. Seattle Cascades 3. Brigadiers 4. Mandarins (big show, big corps, written beyond capability to generate response, imo) 5. Kilts ...the corps getting the least response played the shows that were least musically accessible. Crossmen and Brigadiers had almost the SAME show CONCEPT...kind of a "greatest hits" deal. Now, I like Crossmen. I have their 90's CD in my car. I can name the tunes without looking them up on corpsreps. And I heard them ALL in the medley that took up the first 4 1/2 minutes of the show. But it seemed the staff wrote the show for only CROSSMEN people at the exclusion of everyone else. Well you just "DIDN'T GET IT." Didn't get what? This show was shocking to me, mostly for the amount of reaction it DIDN'T receive. Same with Brigadiers. Shocking in the lack of response at the end. When the Brigs played to emotion, THEY GOT IT! The ballad worked! But the balance of the show...the bookends...the invitation (opener) and the culmination (uh...the closer)...left it so very flat, flat, flat. Not my OPINION, my OBSERVATION. Cascades. What if I brought a rookie to a drum corps show and could ONLY show them ONE CORPS? Seeing Seattle, they might say "...that was 'nice'", or "...it was 'interesting'", but they'd probably take a pass if I ever invited them again. Would it hurt to play a melody? So what conclusions can I draw? As a fan? As a critic? As a customer? The fact that there were 14 standout, off the chain, get-up-and-dance corps in the top-tier 2007 offering means that alot of people are doing alot of things right. I like that. Out of 34 open-class corps, the audience went just about ballistic nearly half of the time. And there were only a few bombs. And, the neat part about DRUM CORPS is that the corps that kinda bombed are corps that have CHAMPIONSHIP RESUME'S...which means they'll be back. I like that, too. So, now that 2007 is over, I get to look forward to next season. So do you!!!

Thanks for that nice compliment, Keith. I always want to be careful and not push the envelope too far...where it becomes more of an ego trip than a conversation. The thing about our community is, I think the members can spot insincerity a mile away. And they have corrected me when I may have gone a little too far. But they are also quick to compliment when you get it right , like calling Bushwackers the top color guard at DCA Prelims. ("Overall: Guard just might take home some hardware if they can find the emotion to go with the technique") That was kinda cool. :) As long as we can talk about ideas and share the experience, to me that's really positive. See you in Tampa? Amazing how this bug bites you and doesn't ever let go.

A view from the stands at DCI and DCA. In a non-scientific observation of a group of 8,000 drum corps fans in Pasadena (DCI Quarterfinals) and a group of 8,000 drum corps fans in Rochester (DCA Finals), I was able to draw the following conclusions when it comes to delivery of product and audience response... AND given the assumption that someone standing while clapping, cheering, whistling or yelling is a person who has just seen something worth standing, clapping, cheering, whistling or yelling about; Here's what I came up with: The most dramatic, positive and prolonged reactions from the audience were granted to performances by: 1. Blue Devils (off the chart) 2. The Cadets (off the chart) 3. Madison Scouts (two standing o's during the performance, just about throwing babies at the end, bigger response than Cavies) 4. Cavaliers 5. Carolina Crown 6. Regiment 7. Troopers (yes, more than Vanguard, et al) 8. Academy (yes, more than the other 7-12 Finalists) 1. Empire Statesmen (off the chart, almost ridiculous) 2. Buccaneers (off the chart, appreciation of excellence) 3. Caballeros 4. Renegades 5. Crusaders (watch the dvd and listen for the response, standing o Saturday & Sunday) 6. Music City Legend (proving that when you perform effect, it gets the desired result) Even if the corps was already "slotted", it appeared that the audience members wanted to root for the corps that were listed. In Madison's case, the underdog role played into the emotion. Same with Music City Legend. For the Troopers and Caballeros, the flavors of tradition may have added to the connection. For Academy, the throwback style of programming may have been the catalyst. Or, maybe, they were embraced because they were new (though newbies in DCI have often met with the opposite treatment). For Renegades, it was that horn line! For Empire , it was Empire. Cavies, Crown, Regiment and Buccaneers, it was excellence. For BD and Garfield it was excellence bordering on the absurd. The corps that generated a response NOTEWORTHY in its indifference: 1. Crossmen (an extreme example) 2. Seattle Cascades 3. Brigadiers 4. Mandarins (big show, big corps, written beyond capability to generate response, imo) 5. Kilts ...the corps getting the least response played the shows that were least musically accessible. Crossmen and Brigadiers had almost the SAME show CONCEPT...kind of a "greatest hits" deal. Now, I like Crossmen. I have their 90's CD in my car. I can name the tunes without looking them up on corpsreps. And I heard them ALL in the medley that took up the first 4 1/2 minutes of the show. But it seemed the staff wrote the show for only CROSSMEN people at the exclusion of everyone else. Well you just "DIDN'T GET IT." Didn't get what? This show was shocking to me, mostly for the amount of reaction it DIDN'T receive. Same with Brigadiers. Shocking in the lack of response at the end. When the Brigs played to emotion, THEY GOT IT! The ballad worked! But the balance of the show...the bookends...the invitation (opener) and the culmination (uh...the closer)...left it so very flat, flat, flat. Not my OPINION, my OBSERVATION. Cascades. What if I brought a rookie to a drum corps show and could ONLY show them ONE CORPS? Seeing Seattle, they might say "...that was 'nice'", or "...it was 'interesting'", but they'd probably take a pass if I ever invited them again. Would it hurt to play a melody? So what conclusions can I draw? As a fan? As a critic? As a customer? The fact that there were 14 standout, off the chain, get-up-and-dance corps in the top-tier 2007 offering means that alot of people are doing alot of things right. I like that. Out of 34 open-class corps, the audience went just about ballistic nearly half of the time. And there were only a few bombs. And, the neat part about DRUM CORPS is that the corps that kinda bombed are corps that have CHAMPIONSHIP RESUME'S...which means they'll be back. I like that, too. So, now that 2007 is over, I get to look forward to next season. So do you!!!

I see your Fife, Drum & Bugle Corps and raise you a glockenspiel, two marching tympani and a canister of CO2. b**bs

Let's call that The "FIFE & DRUM" Division. The other will be the "DRUM & BUGLE" division. It, after all, isn't just "drum" corps...it's drum & bugle corps. And I'll give you this emoticon to parry your most-evil emoticon... :P

Ladies and Gentlemen, Today's DRUM & BUGLE CORPS contest is sponsored by D.C.A. Please welcome the authentic, often traditional, all-age, mostly b-flat but sometimes G-bugled corps to the field. Be advised: you may hear familiar songs like Magnificent 7, Espana Cani, Shangri-La, Elks Parade, Georgia, and Maria Fanfare at some point during the show. And you might hear 'em LOUD. Take every necessary precaution. You may also see an American Flag and witness a color presentation. Do NOT be alarmed as that is the delivery of tradition and entertainment you came to expect as the paying customer. Though they will NOT use narration, you may actually hear a melody during some portion of the performance. This is normal. Whistling or humming "Raphsody in Blue" , "Carmen" or "Birdland" on your way out of the stadium is acceptable behavior. If you catch a Star United, Renegades Mini-Corps or Empire Statesmen performance, please note that if you smile long enough, your face may stick that way!! b**bs

Love ya, Donny.

SHould a corps members take vacation time to go to San Francisco (or anywhere else) for an in-season show in addition to the commitment to DCA Weekend? Probably ain't gonna happen, but what if it did? What if the a corps scheduled that "far off" trip? It could work out two very different ways............ Here's my cautionary tale: "When I was in Empire...." We took an almost full corps to Brazil in 1993. Rio, Sao Paolo, Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, the Jockey Club, Porcao Ristorante, Corcovado Mountain, the Jesus statue, and Zeppelin Bar. Great trip. The fact that we took the entire drum line and "camped" it for 7 straight days was the single reason we beat a ####-good Bushwackers line by a tenth that year (we won ex by 0.2). We went to Brazil and did SO MANY REPS. We had a good drumline when we left the USA. It was GREAT by the time we got back. No apologies. GREAT. The corps cameraderie was UNBELIEVABLE because almost EVERYBODY was there! We shared such a unique and valuable LIFETIME experience. And we returned so CONFIDENT and so JOYFUL that we threw the kitchen sink at the audience and they went nuts. But the flipside is not as pleasant: The year after in 1994, ES went to Bermuda and it cost the corps in so many ways. There was only about 50% participation and the fragmentation was so very noticeable. There was something missing (like 5 snares, and 30 horns, and 15 guard). The 10-day break in schedule, the missed ensemble rehearsal, the missing drill rehearsal, the missing friendships, the missing dates on the calendar. You know how you feel at work on a Thursday knowing that, if you can get through the week, you'll be with your corps again? And that feeling gets you through it? That's your heart at work. What if you didn't have corps to look forward to? Even for a week... It hurts. Can you imagine doing that to yourself on purpose? :( Putting the pieces back together after the Bermuda trip was really hard. We went to a show in Gloversville to try and rekindle the "magic", but the momentum of the season had vanished. The love that we had and projected to each other and to our audiences (like in July in Belleville, ONT which was sooo awesome) became more like a forced smile. It was really wierd. And it was because of the break. We broke up our team mid-stream. The scary part was that we kept on winning shows. Our program was superior that year (Bush was just not as good, Cabs were adding members, Metro was still cleaning) so we continued relatively unchallenged and the lack of purpose allowed the corps members to just keep going through the motions. The walk-over at Prelims (we won by 2.6) put us on the precipice of a World Championship and then, and only then, did it seem we appreciated each other and our staff. But it was still a feeling of uncertainty...not quite trusting each other...that "faith" element somehow beyond our grasp. I'll tell you this, at the last moment, we got our wake up call at a practice field in Scranton. Long story short: It was a two-corps runoff. Metropolitains vs. Empire. Mr Bruni saved us that day as only Mr B could. Mr B, the general, could sense all of this and knew he had to do something to light the flame. After a long day of practice on adjacent fields he got with the director of Metro and coordinated a "contest" between the two groups. Closed to the public. To this day, this "rumble" is probably a secret in the drum corps community. But it happened. USA v Canada. On a turf field in Pennsylvania. Legend. Metro came over to the turf stadium where we were practicing, set up on the starting line and dared us to beat them. You want intensity? You want purpose? Have a corps that is breathing down your neck in the standings take YOUR practice field and drop a freakin bomb on your head. Sitting in the stands, watching this corps from Canada give their best effort...as a performance, as a body, as a team...they had that "thing" that was missing in us. Horn pops TO THE BOX...snares and tenors, NOSE LEVEL...color guard..throwing FOURS and FIVES...NO DROPS. An absolute command performance. Wild, wild, wild. We looked at each other and could feel it slipping away. And at the last minute, the fire was lit. DCA Weekend? Sunday afternoon? Right before Finals? What took you so long? That afternoon, for the first time in 2 months, the Statesmen were a team again. And we let it all hang out. And the Metropolitains, our fierce competitors, but also our brothers and sisters, watched and appreciated and sensed the magic. Ol Man River...clean beats up and down the line , triplet rolls and diddles in the wheelhouse. Sinatra at the Sands? He came to Scranton for 11 minutes. Vegas came to life right then and right there. It was friggin' electric. BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR. Championship calibre. World Class. Worthy. Finally. But it didn't last, unfortunately. The Championship performance that night wasn't all it could be. Solid? Ok. Tentative? Yeah. At the very least, it was conservative. It was as if we didn't trust one another and hoped that it would just hold together. And it did, well enough. 96.0 First Place. We had our moments, too. Sing "My Way" and finish at 128 beats per with a flourish of purple silks, some CO2 smoke and a standing O and you get that buzz in your gut. You can't help it. Thanks to Mr. B, we didn't let that opportunity slip through our fingers. It was really close. I still have my 94 ring. And I am so very proud of it. But I can't help but think that it might have been just a little different if we hadn't taken that trip.

I have started and stopped this post no less than three times trying to find that "sweet spot" of informative prose that yields thoughtful and engaged replies. In other words, "What can I say to get you guys talkin'?" It is the MINI CORPS experience that I want to discuss because it is the single event from DCA weekend that captured my imagination. First and foremost: there were 18 corps at the Riverside Convention Center on Friday Night. Read that again. 18 corps. 18 cities. 18 corps jackets. 18 groups who traveled by bus, car or plane looking to compete, perform and entertain. Wow. And OMG! b**bs Please take the time to YouTube the Renegades 2007 Mini Corps show. Do it right now if you have to! Even before they played note #1 in their supercharged show, the electricity in the room was off the chart. Lots of catcalls and pointing to the stage. Friends greeting friends. Connecting. One of the sop soloists looked out at the audience with a smirk that said "these people don't even know what's comin'." I appreciate the fact that these are our West Coast DCA brothers coming all the way East to lay down some jack and they absolutely turned the place upside down. "Ya Gotta Try" is so ridiculous with intensity, clarity, power, muscle, depth...and it was fun! And I am convinced they didn't play that chart for themselves. They played it for me and everyone else in that convention center. They reached out and grabbed us by the collar and said "Here! Have some of this! Ya' like that?" And the place went absolutely bananas! Evil and Cool. Way cool. Renegades kicked some California tail and left the stage to the defending champs. What came next can only be described as a clinic. Does everyone appreciate the tremendous gift that Star United brings to us every year at DCA? Thoroughly trained musicians in an exquisite ensemble preparing charts that are not only effective in their musical arrangement, but that lift you out of your chair in their unbelievable execution and precision? Do we really appreciate the hours that go into that kind of performance? That kind of gift? We are, as a circuit, blessed to have 20 people of this caliber (not just talent caliber, PEOPLE caliber) pay their own freight to come to Rochester and give us the musical treat that is "Candide", that is "Skylines", that is "Horkstow Grange". I am not sure that message gets across to all my DCA friends. I wish it did. I heard more than one criticism of Star's performance that they "didn't belong at DCA" and other such dismissals. Guess what, gang? Star U isn't a robot. It's made of people. All-age drum corps people. Every one of them. Becky Wood, the DM, is a mom and a wife with some kiddies and a job and she tries her best to fit this drum corps thing in because she can't help it. If she "doesn't belong" I don't know who does. Most of us got it. Three songs...three standing ovations. People were screaming. It brought tears to my eyes to see that outpouring of appreciation and enthusiasm. Star only exists in ONE PLACE anymore, gang, and we got 'em. Score 98.5. Way cool. You Tube keywords Star United DCA 2007 and you get to enjoy what I enjoyed. As far as the contest goes, it's obvious that DCA considers the competition part somewhere down the priority list. That's where I have to make a decision. IS MINI-CORPS A CONTEST OR AN EXHIBITION? Well, it's a contest because there were scores and placements. I wasn't sure of the criteria. The scoring must have been mostly GE and ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE. I would not argue about placements...the judges got it right and it was clear that 1-2-3 were placed properly. For the performers, the contest part is a driving force to rehearse and achieve. Our best performance...your best response. So it should be a contest. There's a benefit to everyone. SO IT'S A CONTEST! Not so fast! It's also a place for some of the best horn players in the business to strut their stuff outside the confines of a field presentation or the execution sheet. Can I stretch this note over the barline by a beat or two? Can I bounce this solo off your forehead a couple of times? Can I break some glass in the high register ? So, in that way, it's kind of an exhibition of fun and ridiculousness within the contest. How cool is that? For the audience at DCA on Friday Night, there's another flavor. Mini-Corps in the big Convention Center has a deeper meaning than the contest itsef. It is VERY much a social. And it's very intimate and personal. It is a place to see old friends, meet new ones, grab a drink, talk and do all that against a backdrop of a drum & bugle corps festival. Not sure it gets any better than that. So what is Mini Corps? It is a celebration. It is a happening. Look at the clips!!!!! Do we need to tweak it? How 'bout this... Let's see the recap so we know how to compare. Post that sucker on www.dcacorps.org. Give the winners a place in the program book. For all time. ...MiniCorps Champions And how 'bout an annual trophy and put a special person's name on it? These things will legitimize the already legitimate. It's already there, really. Now let's tell the world about it! :)

SA, Who'd I miss?

Not on my sheet. :)

Ladies and Gentlemen...welcome to Rochester, New York. If you've never been to Paetec Park, look it up on the web. Real solid venue for drum corps. Lucky to have the Rochester people welcoming the corps. Nothing but positives for the Greater Rochester Visitors Association. The local papers and local TV have really hyped the event. Just great... TONIGHT'S PRELIMINARY CONTEST...huge crowd, nice weather. Sun was up for most of the corps. Top 5 got to play under the lights. 75 degrees in the sun gave way to a crisp night...jackets only. The corps provided the rest of the heat. Given my schedule today, which included taking in rehearsals in Batavia, Rochester and Medina so I could be prepared for tonight, I arrived at the stadium in time to see Sun from the back, Govenaires from the side and found my seat in time to see the battle for top 10. Off we go! 11th Music City Legend. One of the night's best surprises. The corps looks great and has solid carriage and field coverage. Opening chart provided a welcoming groove with the ensemble offering a full sound. Soloists carry the freight without overplaying and the snares showed poise and solid training elements throughout. The guard feature was a nice punctuation to a well trained outfit. Biggest Plus: The corps has plenty to be proud of in design (machine gun segment was awesome) but moreso in effort and enthusiasm. There was a finals spot at stake and they went out to grab it. Biggest Question: Will the members show up again next year to build on this solid momentum? Overall: The crowd gave them the best comment of all: a standing ovation on a job well done. Kilties. The look and the program go beyond suggesting an identity. The elements of style and tradition make the Kilts a crowd favorite. When September rolls around, however, the substance has to match the style in order to get a score. If the Kilties are to re-enter the DCA elite, they will have to take a more firm approach to preparation. The opening segment ensemble tear was troubling, but certainly could have been attributed to Championship nerves. But, as the show went forward, it appeared the corps was in over its head. If it's a park and blow, the Kilts can hang with anyone. The swing section was solid. But, on the move, the training required for effective performance is lacking in all sections. Combine that with an elementary visual program and you have a corps that can only finish back in the pack. Biggest Plus: Auld Lang Syne. Give the crowd what they want and they will respond in kind. Biggest Question: Will the members accept the challenge of a DCA level program? They have the look and tradition. Now they need the vehicle and commitment. Overall: Wanted more. 10th Crusaders. The corps are stunning in their field presence...new uni...new helmet...new plume. When Tom Peashey said "...you may take the field..." the Crusaders took him seriously. New for me were the murals and opening poses that set the scene. Opening crescendo and visual build-out from behind the murals was absolutely superior. HUGE guard....and WOW! Horn pop, big splash of color, BIG SOUND...BIG RESPONSE. The program is certainly Finals caliber and the visual package is one of the best. Depth of sound in horn line at times uneven and music effect at time suffers. Control in the ballad is exactly what we want and there are continuous elements of tension and delivery (drum solo, too...thank you Mr. Carver and Wilkerson). Biggest Plus: The program absolutely shines. Guard is sensational. Hands down DCA Finalist caliber. Biggest Question: Smoke? Come on. now. Overall: Hometown corps beats back the others to grab the last Finalist spot. Way to go. 9th Atlanta. Georgia On My Mind doesn't even give me a chance! Can't ask for more than to get my money's worth in the first 64 counts. Clean look and awesome opening chart. Front ensemble noticeable in quality and contribution. The horn sound (blend and control) really held up as the show progressed, even through difficult phrases. Color guard was one of the night's biggest surprises with solid silk unisons and implement control. Couldn't find the drumline with a flashlight. The battery deserves to be a more integral part of the visual package and staging needs to improve for the sound to reach the box. Biggest Plus: The continued momentum from last year means the organization is strong. They just keep getting better. Biggest Question: Can we turn up the closer by 4 beats a minute? A little more velocity in music and visual would help to deliver the maximum effect. Overall: They got me breathing hard a couple of times. Now I want the WOW. 8th Renegades. Swagger to spare. Walking corpses and coffins. And, oh my Lord, that hornline. Opener was HUGE with strong velocity and solid visual transitions. Lush voicing in the mini-ensemble with a nice contribution to depth of sound by contras was noticed, but the drum sound, even with the fat roll sequences, had trouble reaching the box. Not a lot of clean beats when it did. The blend of ensemble sound produced solid effect. I wanted a bit more in terms of exposure, but I think I need to give this show one more chance. Horn ending was an absolute clinic in attack, release, phrasing and VOLUME! Biggest Plus: Horns were insane. Biggest Question: Will it sell better at night? Can't wait to see it on Sunday! Overall: From the freakin' ridiculous mini-corps (AWESOME...get me the CD, please), to the unique flavor they bring to the table, they deserve the standing-o they got tonight. 7th Hurricanes. Tom Peashey welcomed the corps and proclaimed that this was the only hurricane he wanted to see this weekend. Memories of last year die hard. The corps didn't take long, however, to turn up the heat. "On the Waterfront" began subtly enough with the toms and tympani introducing the 7/8 timing. The shocker was the intensity that followed. The marching technique and execution in the opening block combined with the splash of yellow silk from the well trained guard served notice that this program was one to be reckoned with. The ensemble demand is incredible when the staging of voices is 40 yards apart, but it held up beautifully time and time again. "Dance in the Gym" was just plain solid in all segments. The pit had several opportunities for exposed contribution and the drummers can march (really!). Candide? Guard at the end was simply spectacular. Biggest Plus: Visual package pays extreme attention to ensemble blend and it shows. Drums gave 'em the nod over Cali & Atlanta. Biggest Question: The closing chart left me wanting more after the accelerando. The show deserved better than the "formula" finish. Overall: I had 'em over Minnesota, too. 6th Minnesota. Now hear this: Dynasty drums reach the box! Thank you, Brass Inc for turning up the sound in the battery. Off the line, the corps demonstrates sharp design and clean, exposed marching technique. There is high velocity with changes of pace and feel noted throughout the opener. Clean, clean, clean with superior dance technique from the guard (guys & girls). Drum line has NO FEAR. The sound gets up here and we can decide pretty quickly if the beats are clean. They were. Toms, especially. Hey, look! The guard can spin, too. Biggest Plus: Ridiculously LOUD. Biggest Question: Hey hornline...can a brother get some consistency? The control issues that bit the symphonic piece morphed into near-masterful technique into the drum break. So are you good or lucky? And the ensemble tear in the closer was nothing more than a loss of focus. Don't let it happen on Sunday. You are better than that. Overall: Liked the show. Hated the coat hangers. 5th Syracuse. As a past champion with a rich history and strong esprit de corps, the Brigadiers know drum corps. And if shows were judged on opening fanfare, the Brigs would deserve the highest consideration. But if the corps is given a vehicle that is simply beyond its ability to perform, or the audiences ability to receive, the result is a disappointment. The bottom line with "Spanish Fantasy" and "My Spanish Heart" is that it is the most difficult score on the field this year. But the ensemble tears in the opener alienated the audience and the inability of the low brass to carry the charts from a performance standpoint killed the momentum and, by extension, the musical effect. Percussion was dramatically different. It appeared, their staging was much more integrated into the ensemble than it had been earlier in the season giving them a chance to make a better contribution. Snares have fewer "heroes" which is a testament to their ongoing training. The guard, however, needs to get the same message. Biggest Plus: The ballad is easily the highlight of the show and might be the highlight of the season in DCA. Biggest Question: The programming is just so odd. From Spanish to Marilyn Monroe and back again. How does it all fit? Overall: Sorry guys, the performance just wasn't there. I had 'em below Hurricanes. 4th Bushwackers. Hmmmm. Biggest disappointment of the night. I am not sure I have ever watched a show that was performed at this level of precision & polish leave me so flat and disconnected. Was the hornline "on" tonight? It wasn't 2006, but it was certainly strong in ensemble and blend. Was the drumline "on"? Sure. The snares need to get a better handle on the exposed 16th note phrasing in the opener, but percussion worked in the ensemble. How about the guard? I had them tops in tonight's show. They are championship calibre to the point of exquisite in their execution. So what's the problem? When the staff cheers the loudest, I know the show wasn't written for me. The elements were all there, but it seemed like they were being performed for performance's sake and the disconnect killed the emotional effect. Bernstein...then the blues...it was hard to find the invitation "inside" the show. Last year, I screamed for Harrison. This year... Biggest Plus: Feet. Biggest Question: Did I just miss it? I want to see it again, Sunday. Overall: Guard just might take home some hardware if they can find the emotion to go with the technique. I want to believe! CLASH OF THE TITANS Caballeros. I will take a little less control for a little more volume. Thank you, Caballeros. Visual design and transitions are VERY appreciated. Superior and aggressive design and approach. A pinch loose at times, but always intense and with that extra bit of panache that only comes from Hawthorne. If I had a shred of doubt about the hornline, the transition from the drum solo to the mellophone feature and symponic section won me over. EFFECT ALL OVER THE PLACE. A tease of volume and then pure repose...simply awesome. Guard is the most prolific, colorful and, from a vis ensemble standpoint, integrated of the night. Closer brings velocity, volume, tradition, Carmen...everything you asked for, delivered and then some. Biggest plus: I gave 'em high drums. Snare, bass, tenor, front ensemble...look carefully. They executed better tonight than Empire or Bucs. Biggest Question: Can the visual performance find another level to close that gap? Overall: There's a chance. Empire. Bring on the heavy artillery! "Maria" fanfare was simply ridiculous. The blend in the brass and the ensemble support front to back...outstanding. "Pagliacci" was an absolute WALL OF SOUND. "Birdland"...unreal...volume, VOLUME, VOLUME! Drums get way up to the box. Most unique style of the night...nose level...big & fat...no boundaries. Musical program is so solid. The "Taps" segment is hauntingly effective. Trouble with scoring has to be visual. Field coverage is very limited by comparison. Not necessarily front to back, but the lack of breadth is noticeable. The ensemble is Empire's priority, but the vis effect number is sacrificed for sound. Biggest Plus: Performance, performance, performance. Biggest Question: Guard gets lost in the visual congestion. Overall: Judges got it right on the sheets. So what. Sit back and have fun. It's really good drum corps. Bucs. Raphsody in Blue. In a word: spectacular. The blend in the hornline is just awesome. Control in volume, phrasing...wow. Coverage from goal line to goal line right from opening set. Visual demand is top in the group. Visual performance is the catalyst. Sincere appreciation for the isolated guard segments as well as their body control. THE BEST PROGRAM DESIGN ON THE FIELD. Unparalleled dynamic integrity and delivery of musical effect. Biggest Plus: The Bucs are the most unselfish performers on the field. Their collective gift to the audience is magnified by their individual submission to the project. Biggest Question: Do the snares want the drum trophy? If they do, they gotta play all the notes (especially some of the decrescendo diddles). Picky? Whatever. They don't just give the hardware away. You gotta go get it. Overall: When you see 'em on Sunday, make sure to appreciate the closer. It is so gripping and, at the end, very satisfying. "The Sheet" GE Vis BUCS GE Mus BUCS Horns BUCS (ex and effect) Drums (ex) CABS Drums (effect) BUCS Guard (ex) BUSH Guard (effect) BUCS Good Night from Rochester...see you tomorrow. If you know me, MAKE SURE YOU SAY HI!!!!!!!!!!!

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