rootofthechord

For insight, here's a recipe using Wright's that always gave me maximum amounts of shine. Ingredients: Instrument Wright's Silver Cream Two (2) junky T-shirts Instructions: Apply silver cream to horn using T-shirt #1. Wipe cream residue off horn using T-shirt #2. (This is important!) Admire the mirror-like results.

Personally, I wouldn't want to see Surf come west yet. They seem committed to a financially sustainable, not-full tour which would be completely contradicted by them traveling west.

The tubing I agree. Having the leadpipe resting on your left hand would be excessively awkward.

I have to throw Crown 2008 into the mix. The contrast between the lighthearted strains of Candide and gigantic first impact is nothing short of spectacular.

If I recall correctly (have to dust the cobwebs off from three years ago), the weight-carrying part was the back of my hand, which the leadpipe rests on. I had my left thumb resting comfortably around the valve stock, which left the 1st valve paddle for my right thumb.

Mandarins' housing information

As far as I know, the Mandarins are still playing on the King horns obtained circa 2007. IIRC, Spirit used to play on Kings; do they still?

I always remember the Blue Knights' brassline having a strong low brass presence. From what I understand, Quantum horns heavily favor low brass over high. Am I missing something, or is Blue Knights + Jupiter even more of a good thing?

Does this preclude the possibility of corps not entering California until the last two weeks of tour? I agree that it's important to give the eastern US their shows, since that's where the bulk of drum corps fans typically show up, but the 2007 model isn't that outrageous in terms of unfairly supporting the West Coast. (http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=fba09b68-7bbf-445c-a0f7-4b75bd8231f3)

50% "majority" - 4 out of 8 for the 2008 Mandarins.

I second the past posters who mentioned SCV 89, Cadets 00, the Phantom 03 reprise, Crown 08, and "The Boxer" from Bluecoats 08. I'd add: Opening to Cavies 00 First hornline entrance from Blue Stars 08 First phrase from BD 08 - backfield, and that thing was still balls loud. I'd hate to be in front of it.

To add - Fever (Modesto) and Mystikal (LA area) definitely did not fold because of California championships. Fever went under due to mismanagement and going out to Foxboro in 2005.

When I marched with the Mandarins, the DCP/forums spiel was "don't bother with it. You have better things to do, and flame wars can easily ruin our corps's reputation." I think Boo nailed it - it's just how the Mandarins roll. For a very long time, the corps has taught its members to speak through their actions, conduct, and on-field product rather than PR, forums, or YouTube videos.

Same for the Mandarins. Over the past few years, they've shortened tour by a week and switched to a cheaper bus company in order control rising tour costs. (These are things I see having zero knowledge of the financial details.) Again, yep and yep. While not as extensive as Pioneer, the Mandarins have had a very strong Japan pipeline for the past few years - at least three people from Japan each season arrive speaking little to zero English, and the corps gets them up to speed and brings them in as family. As I type this, remembering a beloved Japanese rook-out in 2009 worked 3 jobs, including dangerous overnight shifts at convenience stores, to get money to come on tour. I'm extremely happy that corps like Mandarins and Pioneer still exist and thrive. People complain a lot about how "DCI's lost its neighborhood aspects" and "all the corps are dying", and here are two corps focused on financial and extending the DCI opportunity to people who wouldn't have a chance at the Top 6/Top 12 corps just yet. Underappreciated, but just as important as the Top _ in an apples-to-oranges manner. (edited for better wording)

YES PLEASE!