acolli17

I can’t decide if I love or hate that.

I just went off of the scores I found for each final score, I hadn’t taken penalties into account. I was never aware that happened, that sucks

Hi Everyone, I was bored and couldn't sleep this morning, so I decided to do some research on the 12th place corps, and how their scores change between semifinals and finals. Here's the statistics for every corps that placed 12th place on finals night (there are a couple of exceptions, where a corps jumped into 11th on finals, in which case I used the 11th place semi's corps for the 12th place finals placement) Year Corps Semis Finals Difference '22 Troopers 87.425 86.425 -1 '19 Phantom Regiment 87.775 87.2375 -0.5375 '18 Crossmen 87.25 86.75 -0.5 '17 Madison Scouts 86.475 85.25 -1.225 '16 Boston Crusaders 85.525 84.8 -0.725 '15 Crossmen 83.875 85.025 1.15 '14 Crossmen 85.45 86.225 0.775 '13 Blue Stars 86.2 85.45 -0.75 '12 Crossmen 84.8 84 -0.8 '11 Spirit of Atlanta 86.55 85.35 -1.2 '10 Glassmen 86.5 85.8 -0.7 '09 Troopers 85.9 85.1 -0.8 '08 Madison Scouts 86.375 85.225 -1.15 '07 Spirit 85.5 84.5 -1 '06 Spirit 85.275 84.825 -0.45 '05 Spirit 85.75 86.075 0.325 '04 Glassmen 86.375 85.95 -0.425 '03 Spirit 85.5 84.4 -1.1 '02 Seattle Cascades 85.95 84.05 -1.9 '01 Colts 85.95 84.9 -1.05 '00 Bluecoats 85.15 84.4 -0.75 '99 Colts 85.2 86 0.8 '98 Colts (11th in Semis) 87.3 85.3 -2 '97 Carolina Crown 85.9 85 -0.9 '96 Blue Knights 84.6 80.7 -3.9 '95 Magic of Orlando 81.9 82.4 0.5 '94 Colts 83 80.1 -2.9 '93 Colts 84.2 81.6 -2.6 '92 Freelancers 84 83.1 -0.9 '91 Sky Riders 85.1 82.9 -2.2 '90 Dutch Boy 86.3 82.2 -4.1 '89 Crossmen 85.8 84 -1.8 '88 Sky Riders 86.6 85.1 -1.5 '87 Sky Riders 85.3 81.9 -3.4 '86 Velvet Knights 86.4 82.6 -3.8 '85 Freelancers 85.9 83.2 -2.7 '84 Velvet Knights 85.9 83.2 -2.7 '83 Sky Riders 78.7 73.75 -4.95 '82 Spirit of Atlanta 85.05 81.65 -3.4 '81 Troopers 81 78.1 -2.9 '80 Guardsmen 79.55 73.2 -6.35 '79 Troopers 81.9 77.9 -4 '78 Kilties 79.95 77.25 -2.7 '77 Garfield Cadets(13th) 84.45 78.15 -6.3 '76 Guardsmen 83.75 74.25 -9.5 '75 Troopers 79.6 76.2 -3.4 '74 Blue Stars 79.4 75.7 -3.7 '73 Stockton Commodores 77.4 72.25 -5.15 '72 Bleu Raeders 78.85 73.95 -4.9 Some notable statistics: - The largest single drop from semi's to finals was the '76 Guardsmen, losing 9.5 points. - The average score drop from 2000 to 2022 was 0.6577 points. From 1983 to 1999, the average drop was 2.97 points. And from 1972 to 1982, the average drop was 4.75 points. - Only four corps have ever improved on their semi's score in finals: '95 Magic of Orlando (+0.5), '99 Colts (+0.8), '05 Spirit (+0.325), and '14 Crossmen (+0.775). - The corps that likes to eek their way into finals the most is Spirit/Spirit of Atlanta, placing 12th six separate times. Colts, Crossmen, and Troopers all came in 12th place five times each. - Of the 22 separate corps that have placed in 12th, fully half of them (11) are no longer competing as of 2022 (This will change if/when Spirit comes back). - Five separate corps (Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, Cadets, Madison Scouts, and Phantom Regiment) have all placed in 12th at some point but also received gold medals in other years. Have fun with the info.

That's another thing that I like about this year. I'm a decently adequate orchestral/chamber percussionist, but the level of execution that these kids are playing completely blows my mind, to the point that I have a hard time distinguishing the talent levels. I love being able to watch a group like Colts, Music City, or Troop, groups that regularly place mid-semis levels, and just look on in awe. In regular years, I feel like the judging gives me a pre-determined understanding of how good I'm supposed to assume they are, without judges telling me group A is better than group B, I can just watch both groups and love it all.

Oh, and certainly well deserved, it just seems to be a trend amongst some that the only reason Blue Devils score so high is because they're the Blue Devils. Obviously they've crafted their shows and groups to completely max it out, but I'll never forget how many people complained about their 1930 show because "ThEy SaT hAlF oF tHe ShoW!!"

Ironically, I've never tried broccoli. 32 years of avoiding that green mini shrubbery looking demon.

Surely I can't be the only one that's enjoying the lack of getting angry about scores, fuming about judges not recognizing how great this aspect of my own group's show is, why a competitive group's show should be below the group I marched, or why Blue Devils are only getting higher scores because they're the Blue Devils. There's something extremely refreshing about just getting to enjoy the fact that all of these kids are getting to play the crap out of these shows, without the pressure of appeasing to what's going to score highest on the score sheets. In both of the years I marched, and the subsequent decade since I aged out, I've been annoyed by the numbers game. Am I just being super millennially by saying that this year feels a lot more fun because they're catering to the audiences instead and not worrying about scoring higher than the others?

I have no way of watching, what happened for Southwind?

Holy Mandarins, Batman...

While I actually really like the new look, I can see the Troopers falling into the same scenario that Madison is in - they go for it really hard for a year or two, find mixed success but ultimately fall backwards, and then in a year or two, we'll see a "return to the tradition that made us who we are" or some slight variation on that.

I'm leaving teaching at the end of this year, so no resume padding necessary.

What ever happened to the disney award? I don't remember what it was other than I think it was fan favorite something, all I remember was Phantom winning it in 2008 and Will Pitts essentially being brought back to life to accept the award when they won it.

As a follow up to my last comment, I understand putting together a band concert and programming a drum corps show are two magnificently different challenges. There are far more things to take into consideration for an elite corps. I will definitely still cheer for Phantom loud and hard this summer, and I'm sure their show will be great.

I appreciate the response, for sure. And you're right about my "white guys" comment, it was meant in a sarcastic manner. I've worked really hard this year to first program music that was of high quality, but also to keep in mind the diversity of composers and compositions I've selected this year. This is the program that I had for the high school I teach at this past year (and of course we had to do a Bernstein theme for his 100th birthday as well): Indoor Marching Concert Concert Band English Folk Fantasy, by Anne McGinty Slavonic Dance No. 8, by Antonin Dvorak arr. Harnsberger Music for Happiness, by Gerald Oswald Marching Band “Season Highlights” Winter Concert Concert Band Chasing Sunlight, by Cait Nishimura A Celebration of Hannukah arr. Howard Rowe Somewhere - Bernstein arr. Brown Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson (mass band) Wind Symphony Solace Dance, by Nicole Piunno A Simple Song, by Leonard Bernstein arr. Sweeney Sounds of the Season, arr. John Moss Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson (mass band) Symphonic Band A Musical Toast, by Leonard Bernstein arr. Grundman Tight Squeeze, by Alex Shapiro The Nutcracker Suite, by Pyotr Ilytch Tchaikovsky arr. Johnson Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson (mass band) District Band Festival Concert Band Land of Liberty, by James Swearingen Earth Song, by Frank Ticheli Sunchaser, by Carol Britton Chambers Wind Symphony Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite, by Karl L. King arr. Kerchner On A Hymnsong of Philip Bliss, by David Holsinger Blaze the Trail, by Lisa Galvin Symphonic Band The Belle of Chicago, by John Philip Sousa Elegy for a Young American, by Ronald Lo Presti Il Burlone, by Julie Giroux (State Band Festival Selection) O Magnum Mysterium, by Morten Lauridsen arr. Reynolds (State Band Festival Selection) Spring Concert Concert Band The Rainbow Bridge, by Anne McGinty The Hunger Games, by James Howard arr. Bocook Nemesis, by Gary Fagan Wind Symphony How to Train Your Dragon, by John Powell arr. O’Loughlin Second Prelude, by George Gershwin arr. Krance Spring Festival, by Chen Yi Symphonic Band Carnegie Anthem, by William Owens Lake Superior Suite, by Cait Nishimura John Williams in Concert, by John Williams arr. Lavender Pixar Movie Magic arr. Brown

That's a good thing to keep in mind, I'll be sure to do that. Thanks

I hope it's allowed to post links, but I wrote an article about this for the project I've been collaborating on with some colleagues: Inclusive Programming: My Wake-up Call

I think it would be cool to get the perspective of a musical expert that's not necessarily fluent in the marching arts to voice their opinions on it. Whenever we talk about the really "band-o" shows, 2011 Crown is usually involved in the conversation, however they are also the show that I gravitate towards to introduce the concept of drum corps to a potential new fan for the activity. As much as I absolutely adore shows like Babylon, Tilt, and XtraordinarY, those are usually because I already have knowledge of what to look for in a show.

I think it would be cool to see a section of true improv - let the musicians get creative so it's not the exact same every night. One of the big criticisms of drum corps that I've heard from my non-marching-oriented musician friends is that it's not true musicality because it's so planned and directed, down to the slightest detail. I know it'd be taking a risk, but if we truly want to show the musicianship of the marching members, maybe that's a way to do it?

Me, not checking on the thread I started, and coming back to it a few days later -

Let's just design a show called ascending the score, where the first movement has all 80 brass on contras, second on euph, third on mellos, and 4th on trumpets.

That second one would definitely create a new dynamic for show design, and I think it's a good step without going all the way to "fan favorite." I absolutely agree, it'd be interesting having an assessment from an outside individual or group of individuals.

I'm curious what changes people would like to see happen to the Drum Corps activity, however I have a caveat - only comment with things that you would like to see changed that's not going back to older traditions. We all know the ideas of going back to standard uniforms, no mics, G bugles, no voiceovers/electronics, etc. What would you like to see in the activity that's never been done before? And playing Abb or Fx bugles doesn't count.

I wonder if they'll utilize the neon lights that several indoor groups have used over the years. Edit: Obviously not actual neon.

Thanks for the discussion, everyone. I appreciate your input on all of this.

And that’s what a lot of people are upset about, isn’t it?