MisterA

Scores during the early season tend to be kind of worthless, with partial panels. I have always thought maybe DCI should save some money, and not start judging corps until the first big regional. Maybe start with the Denver show, and then not judge again until Minneapolis. Then have judges throughout the rest of the season. That would allow the staff and design team almost a full month to completely develop their own ideas without input from the judges. And it would still give them several weeks to implement any changes they feel the judges are asking for. And maybe it is just me, but I would much rather see shows develop the way they were intended, rather than changing them to just help them score higher from the judges. And with the money DCI saves on early season judges, maybe they could afford to pay a little more for licensing fees so we could get complete shows on DVD/CD/Bluray, or put towards the fannetwork so we could get at least partial archives back.

Maybe that is a special clue about the guard costume and choreography for this year?

Glassmen, Blue Knights and Crossmen have also moved into the top 6 positions over the years, during the late 90s and into the early 2000s. Out of the current 22 active World Class corps, 7(32%) have won a title. 14 (64%)of these corps have made the top 6, and 16 (73%) corps have made finals. There are currently only 6 corps in World Class who haven't made finals over the years, and all of them have moved up from Open Class/DII/III, 3 of them within the last decade. Again I still think many of the corps do things the right way, which sometimes makes it more difficult to move up the ladder, but will guarantee a future for the corps.

As much as we want to see new corps in the top 12, many people have commented there is almost no chance any of the current 19-25 corps could possibly ever make top 12, and they stand a better chance of folding than moving up and making finals. I disagree completely. As I mentioned earlier, I think the reason they don't move up is more of a safety measure for the corps long term existence, rather than the inability to move up. However, there are many things a corps can do if they really do want to move up the ladder. And not all of them will make the corps go broke doing it. First off, start planning for next year now. Pick music with a high level of difficulty, acquire all the rights necessary, and get arrangements done early. Then get the best drill designer you can and have them start writing drill early. Maybe even think about using one of them as a concert piece for encore performances so kids coming back next year could get some early rehearsal on it. Also have kids practicing these pieces during off times in the current season. Next, you have to be tougher during auditions. For example corps like Pioneer and others need to make more cuts. If they are planning on marching 130 kids, maybe they should just take the top 90-100 kids instead, and cut the rest. Then they can have the drill writers design a little more difficult show to match the level of the kids, since they have eliminated the lower 25% of the kids that were inexperienced. Also when making cuts, instead of taking the most talented kids even if they are in high school, take more college kids even if they aren't quite as talented. The extra 2-4 weeks at the beginning of the new season when they are able to move in earlier should make up for the slight difference in talent. Try to arrange the schedule for the season so you have a 5 or 6 day break in the 2nd week of July. That way you can implement any big changes needed, and add/cut parts of the show for more general effect. Also really utilize your extra staff during that week. Many corps have dozens of people on staff that only come in for a few days during the season. Take those 5 or 6 days with no shows in July, and bring in most of your extra people during the course of that week. By putting most of your major changes in that week, it will allow you to clean the heck out of it during the next 3 weeks until finals. However, save a brand new ending for the weekend before finals to add, giving the judges one last chance to help bump up your score. Try to come up with a really cool drill set that can be used in future shows, like Scouts Fleur De Lis, Crown's Crown, Troopers Sunburst, Phantoms Chevron, Cavaliers Diamond Cutter, etc. Something that can become a trademark of the corps and excite the crowd when it is pulled out. Get a board of directors for the corps that is actively doing things to improve the corps and finances for the corps. No offense meant, but too many people on too many boards are just there for the supposed prestige of being on a board. Get a board that is going to stay on top of finances and the corps directors and staff. Also have them active in the community of the corps, and always looking for new sponsors and other sources of immediate or permanent income for the corps. I think a major reason many corps have failed is because the board members aren't stepping in and working with the directors, and many almost seem to be afraid of stepping on toes by saying something. Corps may be non-profit, but they have to be run like a business. Cut a couple of members during the season. If they aren't cutting it, let them go. It will also let other members know they need to work their tails off, or they could be cut in the future as well. Run rehearsals more aggressively. Anyone who has watched corps rehearse in the past can usually tell the difference during rehearsals of whether it is a top 5 corps, or one of the bottom 5, even if there are not buses with the name of the corps, or kids wearing the corps t-shirts, you can tell. The lower placing corps need to really step it up. If you want to move up, it is hard to do if you are running laid back rehearsals. One of the biggest things is to make sure all of the members of the corps are on the same page. Let them know expectations have changed from previous years. Challenge the kids every year by increasing the level of difficulty in the music and drill These are all things that can be done without increasing the budget too much. I know many of the corps will not do these things. And I would be disappointed in some of them if they did. But in order to improve to a level above some of the corps that are currently placing higher, you are really going to have to change a lot of things that your corps has been doing for years. The corps in the 10-17th group have really been improving over the years, so you really have to improve in several areas to make any kind of jump. Most of those corps have one or two weaknesses which held them back, and each one of those corps will try to focus the following season on those weaknesses. And the corps below you are always trying to improve as well. The questionable factor will always be the judges. I remember one year sitting behind parents of either a marching member or staff member. I remember overhearing their conversation about judging. It was a pretty close race between many corps, and the corps director had told them that depending on the panel, the corps could place 11th at the highest and 15th at the lowest. The director had predicted 13th at prelims, and 14th at semis by the judging panels. Which goes to show sometimes judges love your show and what sections are doing with it, and sometimes they don't. So write your show a little bit above the level of the members in the corps, and work your tail off to get them to perform it the best they can. I can't wait to see what all the corps bring to the field this summer. And whether they place 25th or 12th, I always enjoy all the different styles of music and drill they bring to the field.

I agree with most of the posters comments above. There are so many factors determining what helps a corps move up in the rankings. There is so much competition to get the top talent and designers, which makes it much easier for corps that have been established. It also doesn't help if some of the best talent in these corps leaves in the following years to march a higher placing corps in hopes of improving or winning a medal. On the flip side, sometimes higher placement isn't always better. Sometimes in the quest to move up in the rankings, we have lost corps who spent too much money trying to make finals, only to fold the next year, or within the next 5 years. I would personally much rather see corps placing in the 19-25 place range with great entertaining shows, than to see them push too fast, and end up folding. Some corps also have been very smart and shortened their season so they don't overspend. In the last decade several corps have had their move ins later, and have not performed in competition until July, when sometimes the first competition of the season was around June 16-20th. I think this shows that placement isn't quite as important to the organizations as stability, and the ability to take care of their members and staff not only this season, but in the distant future as well. As cool as it would be to see Mandarins, Crest, Academy, or Pioneer break into the top 12, I would much rather they place 19-25 and be able to keep performing for the next 50 years. In the last decade, I have seen more public support for the lower placing corps. At prelims and semi-finals, some of the lower placing corps have really wowed the audiences. Crowds have gone wild for Colts, Surf, Mandarins, Academy, Oregon and Crest with thunderous applause for great shows, even if they didn't place top 12. So instead of judging a show off of the judges scores, what is wrong with just enjoying all these amazing corps shows for what they are? Too many people are watching scores during the summer, and then when it comes to prelims and semis, they don't go watch the lower placing corps because they think because a show is scoring a 70, it isn't very good. Which brings me to a major point. If you want to see corps placing in the 19-25th group do better, do more to help support them. Buy from their souvie booths, donate to their gas fund. volunteer for them during the camps or summer tour.

I love hearing old classics again personally. But then I also really love hearing new music too. I guess the great thing about DCI is with so many corps, there is room for old music to be redone, and still allow many corps to perform new selections. Like others have mentioned, if a song has been done a lot, I probably don't want to hear it for the hundredth time. But I do love it when corps pull out songs that have been done in the distant past, especially if the arrangement is different from the last time I heard it.

I am most looking forward to seeing 40-50 drum corps performances this season, between going to live shows, live feeds, and corps youtube videos. What I usually look forward to the most each season is quarterfinals/prelims, when you get to see every corps that goes to Indianapolis performing at the best they have all season.

I think the last time it happened was in 2002, when Spirit, Magic of Orlando, and Seattle Cascades all made finals after not having made it the year before. It would be awesome this year to see a totally new face in finals. Academy and Pacific Crest would probably have about the best chances, although Mandarins have made major strides in the last few years as well.

Interesting you mention that. I noticed last year they had what sounded like one of their best brass sections ever, but I was rather disappointed in the amount of voice in the show that distracted from that. And maybe it is just me, but their brass kind of reminded me of the Spirit of Atlanta hornlines from the 80s(which is kind of funny since their show was very similar to Spirit's show from a couple of year ago). Which made it even more disappointing that they didn't get the chance to shine a little bit more. Not too excited about the show title until song titles are announced, as there are a million different directions they could go with that show title. But I am really looking forward to hearing what the entire show will be. The last 2 years programs have been interesting, and I think the staff has done a great job of changing the shows mid season to improve them quite a bit. Early season I wasn't too excited, but loved both shows by finals week.

Mandarins were my favorite non-finalist last year. I also enjoyed their show more than a couple of the top 12 as well. Great show, great numbers in membership,, probably scored a little lower than they should have been. I can't wait to see what they put on the field this summer. If they keep improving they could be looking at top 12 in the next few years. Good luck Mandarins in 2016(and beyond), and thanks for the extremely entertaining shows over the years. Even when they were DIII they were putting out great shows, and have continued to improve on that over the last 20 years.

Allentown is a great venue, with the biggest plus being outside sound. Drum corps is by far the best when experienced outside with none of the problems that arise with sound when it is indoors. However, if you can clear your schedule, the best day of the year for me personally is Thursday prelims. 36 corps(sometimes a few more or a few less) performing at the best they have all summer long. All of the endings are in, all the changes have been made(other than once in a while a corps throwing in a surprise ending finals night) If you can afford and schedule 2 days, I would suggest staying overnight and watching semis on Friday. The top 25 corps from prelims gives you a second viewing of these shows, which can sometimes be even more enjoyable than the first viewing, if you haven't seen them live at all during the season. If you stay for both days you see over 60 performance by 35+ corps. What an amazing 2 days.

1 Cadets 2.Carolina Crown 3.Blue Devils 4.Santa Clara Vanguard 5 Cavaliers 6 Blue Knights 7 Boston Crusaders 8 Bluecoats 9 Madison Scouts 10 Phantom Regiment 11 Crossmen 12 Blue Stars 13 Colts 14 Academy 15 Pacific Crest 16 Vanguard Cadets 17 Blue Devils B 18 Troopers 19 Mandarins tie 19 Oregon Crusaders tie 21 Spirit 22 Genesis 23 Cascades 24 Jersey Surf 25 PIoneer 26 Spartans 27 Legends 28 Music City 29 7th Regiment 30 River City 31 Raiders 32 Gold 33 Colt Cadets 34 Les Stentors 35 Blue Saints 36 Racine Scouts

I actually really like this idea, but I am sure corps staff and directors probably won't. To add to the many positives, that means that any profits generated from thefannetwork would go straight to DCI and the corps, instead of to the publishing companies. The sales of the DVD and CD merchandise would also be going to DCI and the corps, and not so much to the publishing companies for rights. And the lack of headaches for the year, with CD rights, DVD rights, sync rights, streaming rights, merchandise rights and whatever else has to be applied for would be great for the activity. And the best thing is with the extra funds generated over the course of the year by not having to pay those huge fees,, It may allow DCI the extra funds in the future to pay the extra rights for on-demand streaming again in the future. The only negative would be corps directors who already have future music picked out may not be able to use it. And some staffs probably wouldn't want to be limited to only selected music. But on the flip side of that argument, some of the music they would have chosen they may not have been able to get the rights to anyway. I really doubt they would ever try this, but to be honest, I think it would be interesting and possibly a very wise financial decision.

It is nice they have put out their webcast schedule well in advance. Last year was so darned annoying not knowing until the very last minute. I know a lot is beyond DCI's control, but their lack of communication has been even more annoying. I don't know all of the circumstances, but reading over the comments, I have wondered something. It seems like it would be possible to keep the streams up longer, but there would be an additional cost to do it from Tresona, or maybe I am misunderstanding that? So wouldn't it be in DCI's best interest to find out what that additional cost would be, figure it into what they would have to charge for it, and possibly send an email to all past subscribers telling them what the cost of the subscription would be, then ask subscribers if they would rather have the live play option for $100 for the season or get playback on demand for a certain period of time for $149 for the season. I would gladly pay another $49 a year so that everyone could have the option to watch the shows when they have time. And DCI may come out ahead, because they have probably lost many subscribers who don't want to have to pay that much when they may only get to watch one or two shows live. So the number of subscribers they gain, minus the number of subscribers they may lose who can't afford another $29, 49, or 79 a year on top of the $100 a year current price, they could possible come out even better financially, and I bet their approval rate would go through the roof for at least allowing the people who help to keep DCI afloat possibly help make some decisions.

Didn't Blue Devils already to that show in like 1999?(video I think is still on Youtube) Phantom Regiments performs highlights of Velvet Knights and Jersey Surf.

I remember 90s Phantom shows well. However, I always seem to get 98 and 99 mixed up as to which show was which. I really thought 93 and 94 were the 2 best written shows in the 90s for Phantom. I actually enjoyed them better than 96 which tied for the championship. While I enjoyed 97, something seemed odd about that show. I can't quite put my finger on what it was exactly, but something seemed off. Then in 98 and 99, it got even worse. I can't remember which year, but when they got to the girl hanging on the pole throwing the temper tantrum that they added around mid-season, I kind of gave up on them that year. At finals in 99, I almost felt that Crossmen and Colts were a little better designed than Phantom. I know it must have been rough for the corps those two years. Coming off a championship 2 seasons earlier to 8th place. In my opinion, it was almost like a downhill slide from 94 through 99 with the exception of 96, which was a little better than 95. To me it seemed more like design issues than talent issues. It didn't help them that so many other coprs had great shows during that time span either. 98 and 99 saw the rise of Cavaliers again. BD Cadets, and SCV were solid, and other corps like Madison Scouts, Glassmen, and Crossmen were very impressive as well. Even though Phantom has placed well(and not so well) in years since, I really wish they would write shows in the style of their 93 and 94 shows.

My apologies to Chris Maher. I didn't mean anything negative towards him or corpsreps.com. I use that site frequently as a point of reference. I understand with a site with as much information as is on there, sometimes mistakes happen. Information may be submitted that is inaccurate or unable to be confirmed. I think he has done an amazing job with that site. And i know prior to 1972 there were several different championships, which is hard to show all of them in the year by year listing for each corps there of which there are probably several thousand So thanks to Chris Maher for the amazing job he does with corpsreps.com. And thanks to MikeD for pointing that out.

I am not quite sure that is the way I would put it. The bottom line is there are some amazing corps on the field. For many years, Cavies, along with BD, Cadets and SCV have probably controlled about 75-85% of the medals. Add in Phantom and you are probably getting closer to 90% of the medals since 1972. So you figure with these corps you are many years going to end up with the top 5. In order to medal you have to beat at least 2 of them. In order to win, you have to beat all 4 of the other corps on this list. And now you also have the emergence of Carolina Crown, who have been stellar the last 6-7 years, including a championship and runner up(although I thought this year they should have won, and been in 2nd in 2013). But when you have so many amazing corps, with shows that are different, but close in difficulty level, all performed very well, a different set of judges on any given night could raise or lower your score by a point just by a tenth in each subcaption. But if you have 4 great drumlines that are all performing on almost the exact same level, but the judges only have tenths to work with, the judge may give corps A a 9.6, even if he or she feels they were at a 9.8. And even though they may feel that almost all 4 corps should be at a 9.8 they are kind of forced to spread them by full tenths even if they are close to even. So corps B might get a 9.7, corps C a 9.8 and corps D even though they should only really be about a tenth ahead of corps A, now gets a 9.9, 3 full tenths above corps A. Judges are kind of limited when working with tenths. So when you have 7 or 8 corps that all excel in different areas, you might have a corps winning by a full point, when in reality there should only be a couple of tenths between them. In Cavaliers case, I would have had them in the 91-93 scoring range in both 2012 and 2015. But it has only been 4 years since they were in the hunt for the championship. 4 years really isn't that long ago. There has been a slight dip in drill design the last 4 years and a slight drop in performance level as well, which has accounted for the slip down about 4 spots down from where they were averaging the last decade. That added in with the rise of Crown, and the always solid performances by Blue Devils and Cadets, and you have them slightly below that mix right now. But every year is a new year. They could slip out of the top 12 next year(not expecting that to happen) or they could rise to top 3(not necessarily expecting that to happen either). But it not only has to do with Cavaliers, but with what 8 or 9 other top corps do as well. It is all comparative. Again I just hope they continue to put out entertaining shows performed at a high level.

Thank you for the comments. I agree corpsreps isn't completely accurate, and I am aware that there used to be multiple championships. I was just using that as another point of reference in the consistency of Cavaliers Does anyone know where there is a full listing of AL and VFW champions. I was thinking one of websites had it somewhere, but can't locate that information. And I am not sure which championships placement corpsreps was using for the pre-DCI years. Regardless of which ones are listed for corpsreps, if the scores and/or placements were accurate, then it still shows that Cavaliers were successful clear back into the 50s. And to the other posters I am not comparing shows from the 50s to the shows of today. There is no comparison, since there are different rules and different structures to drum corps. But one thing that still impresses me from the 50's-70's, is that so many of the corps were taking kids who had sometimes never even played an instrument, and teaching them from the beginning. And since most kids were fairly local to the corps, sometimes all the kids even from the same town, it was more like marching band in that you got what you got. Now that there are only around 37 coprs that compete at finals week, you now have kids from all over the country, and sometimes other countries to audition for every corps. And while then you probably had 20,000 plus kids marching with hundreds of corps, today those 20,000 kids that may want to march are all concentrated into 35-40 corps. So there is going to be nowhere near the comparison when it comes to talent level. Not that I am saying the kids back then were any less talented, just that only about the upper 3rd of the kids auditioning today are going to be able to march. Watching an old video of Cavaliers I seem to remember in the interview that a large portion of the kids were ones that they were trying to keep off the street and out of trouble, many of which had never even picked up an instrument. So to have that kind of consistency in those days was almost more impressive than today, when corps have larger budgets, 10 times more people on staff, camp attendances sometimes 500-800 kids more than the number of spots open Not saying that the shows back then are better, just saying that it is very impressive what was accomplished when you look at what corps were starting out with.

I don't see a time soon that all of the corps mentioned will be fighting for top 6 in the same year, but on page 1 it is suggested that none of these corps will ever make finals even. I think Academy, Crest and Mandarins have potential to break into top 12 I am not saying they will get into the top 6 but you never know. Boston Crusaders had never made top 12, and their 2nd year after doing it, they made top 5. Carolina Crown failed to make top 12 in 2002, and within 10 years they were in the hunt for a championship. And if you look at the last 20 years, if the G7 had been started years ago, corps like Bluecoats and Crown would not have been part of it, and corps like Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, Madison Scouts, Crossmen and Glassmen would have been in. And as for making finals, I think it has only happened a few times where all the finalists were the same 2 years in a row. Which means at least every 3 years, someone falls out of the top 12(or folds completely) and another corps steps into the top 12. But tying this back in to the Cavaliers recent fall, nothing is guaranteed. Next year Cavaliers could end up top 3, or fall out of finals. I personally don't see either one of these happening, and again, if you look at their history back to the 1950s, they are one of the most consistent corps ever. They have had a 3-peat which is something even Blue Devils haven't had. And they have had 10 years in a row medaling which is something Cadets haven't done. And they have done both of these feats during DCI and pre-DCI. All I know for sure is that I am looking forward to seeing whatever they put on the field next year, as always.

Cavaliers have been one of the most successful corps of all time. They are one of only 2 corps to have a 3-peat, from 2000-02(only other corps Cadets 83-85). And if you look further back they are the only corps to have a 3-peat in both DCI and pre DCI(they also finished 1st in 61 62, and 63 according to corpsreps.com). They are also one of only 2 corps to have 10 years or more in a row medaling. It has been done 4 times in DCI history, 3 by Blue Devils(12 from 75-86, 11 rom 94-04, and 10 from 06-15) And once by Cavaliers(10 from 99-08). SCV has done 9 in a row twice from 71-79 and again 81-89. And again, if you want to look even further back, Cavaliers also had 15 years in a row medaling from 56-70. In that time Cavaliers have only been out of the top 12 in 2 years, 73, and 78. And while they last won the title in 06, they probably should have won in 08, and possibly in 11 as well. And this last season I wouldn't put to much into that. That was probably a 6th place show that ended up 9th because of a bug going through the corps towards the end of the season. Even after the bug I still would have had them in 7th above Phantom and Madison, and just slightly below Blue Knights. Now moving up is never easy, especially with the level of all the top 5 corps. And then you have to look at the corps in the 6th through 10th spots with Blue Knights, Phantom Boston Crusaders, and Madison Scouts all trying to improve, and all putting out great shows in recent years. But I think when you look at history, Cavaliers are probably going to be just fine. I have enjoyed and loved almost every show from them for the last 30 years, which is what has made them my 2nd favorite corps of all time(just so slightly behind SCV). I wouldn't be surprised if Cavaliers end up top 5 next year. It wouldn't surprise me to see them top 3 in the next 2 or 3 years. But whether they end up 1st or 9th, I just hope they keep putting out the entertaining shows they have done for the last 30 plus years. I also don't think it would hurt DCI any if all the lower placing corps improved, and corps like Colts, Academy,Pacific Crest and Mandarins were fighting for top 6 placements, and corps like Cavies, BD, Cadets and SCV fell out of top 12 off and on. I don't see it happening any time soon. But I do think the Cavaliers will be fine, and this will probably be the lowest placement they see for the next decade or two.

I would love to see Pacific Crest(along with Mandarins and Academy) break into the top 12. I almost always really love their programs, and feel they really get overlooked a lot of the time. There have been several years I feel like the judges didn't quite score them accordingly. I am not saying they should have broken top 12 yet, but there are several years they should have been a place or two higher than where they were. As always, I am looking forward to seeing their 2016 program.

I think the 2 corps that would probably place the highest would be BD and Cadets doing almost any championship show from the past. Both have some of the most amazing talent and top level instructors, which is why they have won over half of the championships between them. However, it might show a few limitations from BD since they have a way of designing shows to make sure no weaknesses are showing. The other 2 corps that I think could do fantastic would be SCV doing Cavaliers 2000, or Cavaliers doing 1999 SCV. I think an interesting show would be Blue Knights doing Phantom 96, and Bluecoats doing BD 94. I think Colts doing 92 Cavaliers show would be fun, and Phantom doing Phantom Of The Opera 89 SCV. Carolina Crown doing Star 91. Pacific Crest doing BD 97, and Mandarins doing Cadets 93. Jersey Surf doing Anaheim Kingsmen 72. And maybe either Blue Stars or Pioneer doing Madison 75. And Boston doing Madison 88. I really think some of your normal lower placing corps would do quite well with some of these shows.

I absolutely loved this show, but then loved 94 and 95 even more. I think their shows from 91-96 had some of the best brass arrangements in the history of DCI, and performed amazingly well. I really enjoy what Blue Devils put on the field today, but I would love to see them do another show in the style of their early to mid 90-s shows.

I'd like to comment on the 2nd part of that statement. I think one of the amazing things about drum corps is that it doesn't force young men to be masculine. It allows some men to be more feminine if that is what they prefer. I think it is great that everyone, male of female is allowed to truly be who they want to be, which seems to back up the original posters train of thought that drum corps may be a big benefit to someone who is troubled. Drum corps brings together people from all different types of backgrounds. People of all races, religions, political parties, sexualities, with different types of backgrounds, come together and live together for several months, working their butts off to put the best possible perfomance during the summer. I think this is one of the most amazing things about drum corps. I don't think anything can benefit a young person much more than staying with 150 different kids for 2 1/2 months while working on a singular goal. I feel that this is something that could really help thousands of young men and women every single year. Back in the day, drum corps was an activity that did help keep kids off the streets during the summers. That was great, but unfortunately things have changed, and the day of the local drum corps is pretty much a thing of the past. Many of the kids that drum corps could have helped in the 60s, 70s and 80s don't have that opportunity today, as many corps are expensive, and difficult to get to with having to travel so far to get to a corps. But regardless of how many benefits drum corps may offer, there is no way of knowing what is going to happen to someone after they leave a corps. I think one of the saddest thing in the world today, is the bullying that goes on. And to some of these young people who are already feeling uncomfortable in life, and then people make fun of them and bully them, sometimes it just pushes them over the edge. I think drum corps could be an advantage to these young people, but I think if people were just nicer to each other to begin with, there wouldn't be quite as many problems as there are today.