Ryan H. Turner

JEEEEEEEEEEEZO PETE HURD! You scared me. I thought perhaps you bought a DeLorean with a flux capacitor in it and went Back to the Future on us.

Well excuse us for asking. Sheeeeeeeeeesh. I, like the original poster, somehow missed the fact that there had been issues with the Spartans and that they were having troubles. I've been getting the scores every day via email and was shocked to see Spartans so low. And so, I wanted to know as well what was going on. And discussing something on an online discussion group has no bearing whatsoever on whether an organization will get better or worse.

Just a sad comment from this former VK drum major...it IS sad that Port Huron will be no more. If I am not mistaken, Port Huron holds a special place in the history of VK. It was at Port Huron in 1987 that VK broke a 90 for the first time EVER in its history, and I won high drum major and got a big whole cube...of PURE BRASS. I STILL have it on my desk today. Sad if the show goes bye bye...

HEY!!! Are you stalking me?!?!? Dude...looks good...but then again, I've been seeing your stuff for a long time. STATS THAT IS...stats...not your stuff. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh...

Well, in all my years of having announced DCI-P shows down south, with the exception of having a Fusion-addled brain at one show, I can say that I have never NOT announced scores for the seniors, nor have I ever been asked not to. You take the logic and passion of Lee's story and try to wrap your brain around why the score WASN'T announced, you find it near to impossible to come up with a reason. Being "uncomfortable" isn't a reason. If DCI as an organization was truly threatened by the seniors, than why waste one drop of precious ink in their yearly yearbook/championship program, that ALWAYS lists a group of senior corps that are, well I don't really know what to call it, but are a "part of DCI". They're in the freakin' book! I've heard the counter arguments from some folks in the activity that have said, specifically in regards to the complaint about seniors going on first, that this is a YOUTH activity and that this isn't "technically" for the senior corps. That's fine. Whatever floats their boat. But really, if you have a group of people that love to perform, that consistently put out a great product like the Renegades or So Cal Dream, and in by doing so actually support the activity as a whole, why in the world would there be "uncomfortable" feelings about a score being announced? If Renegades are promoting shows and getting tickets sold which in turn help the show organizers/sponsors, why in the world would there be "uncomfortable" feelings about a score being announced? If it were true that our audience is typically made up of people that are FROM THE ACTIVITY and understand it deeply, why would there be "uncomfortable" feelings about scores being announced when the aforementioned crowd is WELL EDUCATED in the judging system--at least to the extent they understand the "tiered" approach and what "different sheets" mean. It's difficult for me to not strap on my tinfoil wooowooo hat and not think there's a deeper darker meaning to this, but I'll behave myself and simply say that I support the Renegades, and I apologize that I wasn't your announcer, as I DEFINTELY WOULD HAVE DISREGARDED being told not to announce your score. It's silly, it's insulting, and I would never put my name to that behavior. It's bad enough I get reminded 42 times a freakin' year by Signorelli that I screwed up in Long Beach in what was it...2001?!?!?!?! :) Heh...maybe I just signed my termination from announcing for DCI-P ever again...but sorry. After 42 years on the planet, I can't help but smell shennanigans in this latest drama. PS--edit--because my wife keeps yakking at me while I'm trying to type this and derailing my already shaky train of thought, one more thing I have to add. Someone above stated they don't perform for scores. ALLELUIA! Someone gets it. I totally support that--especially at the senior level and this early in the season. Seniors should be showing the love of performance and maxing that out as best as they can and screw the scores. I guess my point (and I think Lee's) is that it IS a competition, and people (that educated audience that goes to these shows) EXPECT to hear the score. It's difficult NOT to feel at least slighted, if not annoyed, or completely insulted. So I say it's not about the scores...it's about being polite and it's about the camradre (sp?) and synergy we have in this activity. Becoming petty and not announcing scores undermines that BIG time.

Thank you for the review--nice pics too! On a side note, why is this called the "Moonlight Classic" and yet there wasn't one corps that went on at night, and I know for a fact that the moon does not "rise" until late in the night this time of year.

The following was originally posted on the main discussion forum back in April, and was promptly ignored and lost pretty quickly. So I post again in the more appropriate forum hoping to get an answer--thank you!!! Here it is: Hi--So, I got the most recent DCI email in my mailbox and in the left pane in had a "Fan Giveaway" or something like that, and it listed 1987 SCV. Since 1987 SCV is probably one of my most favorite drum corps shows in the history of Planet Earth (if not the whole show, certainly the opener), I clicked on the link thinking I was going to get a free download of the show. Either I'm computer stupid or something, but the link took me to the APD download area for Vanguard, where it lists each years show starting with most current and going backwards in time. Went to 87, and saw that it wasn't for free, but that's not what struck me. I have a couple of questions about SCV's listings... 1. Why is 1990's SCV show only listed with the name of George Bizet, and not credited with the title of the show that year, which of course was "Carmen", with pretty recognizable titles of each song in the show? 2. What were the "licensing" issue from 1981 in Montreal, and how come in 2008, this is a "problem"? 3. What were the "blackouts" in the 1978 recordings caused by? I know it says it was in the condition of the masters, but something must have caused the condition. 4. What happened in 1974 to the finals recordings? Were they lost? Destroyed? Like I said, this is trivial, but interesting to know. --------------------

Ahhhhhhhhh... Now I'm happy.

Sluggo...you are my HERO!!!!! GREAT shots...thank you so much!!

...and possibly you're not taking it seriously enough.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAmen brother Pat!

So because he's yelling you have NOTHING to say about what Beno is talking about, oh Eternally Opinionated One???? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh...

No...it's the VK Acecannon...it's "When The Saints Go On A Magical Mystery Tour And Come Marching In Home When They Feel Like It"....sheeesh...get your title right.

Obviously it's sad when anyone dies, but when it's someone who has had such a huge impact on so many people it's particularly sad. I never met her, but I too have "heard of her" for years and years. And to hear what she did for the corps and for the members reminds me of how great this activity CAN be. No, she didn't revolutionize drill design. No, she wasn't a great horn instructor. No, she didn't write the most awesome drum book you've ever heard. What she DID do was love kids. And you can't beat that. Sad day...but a happy one, too, strangely, as we are reminded (hopefully) of what REALLY matters in this activity and why all of us are a "peculiar people".

I'm pretty positive it's the Anaheim Kingsmen.

WOW!!!! Now FINALLY some news to sink our teeth into. BIG TIME compliments to the arranger, to the horns, to the GROOVIN' drum line (SNARES--Yooooo!!!), and to the vibe of that piece. Hard not to think of Malaguena Salarosa Con Carne (or whatever it was called). WOW...seriously good stuff. Keep up the good work this year you guys--and good luck!

I don't have my old copies, but it's basically the same thing every year. It's written so any knucklehead can announce. (Raising my hand as the Best Knucklehead money can buy....)

Call me on 911...I'LL GET YOU A SIREN. OR THIRTY!!!

Ok...I don't know if there's a backstory to why you did this, but in the world of GOOD IDEAS, this is a freakin' GREAT IDEA!! And uhhhh...far be it from me to suggest anything...but... CORPS DIRECTORS!!!??? ARE YOU READING????? (Yelled in the same vain as the lone voice on the 89 Phantom recording near the end when he yells, "JUDGES!!! ARE YOU WATCHING???")

WATCH THE 80's!!! Back when men were men, women were women, and the sheep were scared. Oh wait. That's Wyoming. My bad.

Forgive me for not knowing exactly what it is...but Maslanka's music, while some would probably translate ok, there are parts that at least to me listening to it, sound like it needs to absolutely be done in a concert hall, and nowhere else. If I'm not mistaken, a band director who actually worked with Maslanka told me that outside of the fact that Maslanka will NEVER allow his music be done "outdoors", that there is a tremendous amount of spirituality to his music and part of his composing process is based in that, therefore, it needs to come out as such in the concert hall. Not something that can be done on a football field. Additionally, my wife was a pro musician in both the Pacifc Chorale and John Alexander Singers out here in Orange County while Eric Whitacre was doing his composer in residence with them (about 8 years ago). I was there at the Orange County Performing Arts Center the night that Pacific Chorale did "Cloudburst", and it was so moving and powerful that it caused me to get all choked up. That was another song that I thought could never possibly be done on the field...and I know, someone is now. But I'm thinking a whole lot of the nuance and "spirit" of the piece as Eric intended is going to be lost.

THANKS MIKE!!! I knew you'd set me straight! I take everything back I said!!

No...it was just my panties, Cousin Paul.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HA!!! Got ya! Thank you! I'll be reviewing the sheets to see exactly how their show announcements "mean" anything to the judges. I'm not bagging on anyone (certainly not you Hrothgar), BUT, to me to see Madison's written "judo" about their show seems awfully over the top, to the point at least to me, that it's getting to be sort of silly.

I'm still rubbing my eyes and making sure I didn't read that show description incorrectly. Am I to understand that a major drum and bugle corps is using....wait a second....let me look at that again...ok...yeah...I didn't misread that...ok, so...let me get this straight. AN IGUANA?!?!? Am I just showing my age here and being grumpy by saying, "For the love of Pete, just come out and PLAY SOME MUSIC!!!!!!! MARCH SOME DRILL!!! MAKE MY EARS BLEED AND CAUSE ME TO SCREAM LIKE A LITTLE GIRL!!!" AN IGUANA?!?!? As a METAPHOR?!?! In a DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUM CORPS SHOW!?!?!?!? Yeah...I think I need to go drink more diet Coke. Yet again, the activity befuddles me. For me, less on the literary expositions into deep thinking, and more "BLOW MY FACE OFF!!!" I think that's what still sells tickets, yes? And a quick edit afterthought: Do the judges CARE that the iguana is a metaphor as the observer of the Latin culture??? Is that a G.E. point? I'm confused...