Pamaho

Please report to the moderator as well as complain.

I'm not sure what or how important this is, but I think the Average age of the composition might be at least as important. Best would probably looking at the amount of time each composition was played as well, but that is beyond me. Corps AVE Bluecoats 4.5 Blue Stars 13.8 Carolina Crown 17 Oregon Crusaders 23 Blue Devils 23.2 Colts 42.3 Pacific Crest 43 Scouts 45.6 Jersey Surf 52.7 Phantom Regiment 55.2 Boston Crusaders 57.6 Troopers 61 Cadets 72.2 Crossmen 81.8 Academy 117.8 Cascades 118.4 Spririt of Atlanta 125.8 SCV 126 Cavaliers 131.8 Pioneer 296 Not sure what this means, but I typically like what SCV does. Maybe it means I'm older than most of you.

from Page 3 of original "The G7 Report" The Organizations involved in the G7 The Blue Devils The Carolina Crown The Cadets The Cavaliers The Santa Clara Vanguard The Bluecoats The Phantom Regiment

I've thought for a while that WGI might be a grand place for such an experiment. They currently support Winter Guard and Winter Percussion. Why not a Winter Brass (or Winter Winds). Their Scholastic vrs Independent as well as A, Open World would allow various levels and types of groups to perform. Allow primarily marching Brass (winds), with a rhythm section in the pit. This seems a natural extension for WGI.

You speak the false. The decision in 1993 was to tour with the Canadian Brass, which they did for two or so years. Then the created Brass Theater and both toured, and ended up in residence in Branson (19997-1998). It was only after these 5 years of experience was BLAST! created. Support: Bill Cooks words. (unless you know the "true" story. Like many other corps, we were all glad to leave Jackson--it was hot, it was humid, and it rained! Championship week for Jim and me was bittersweet. The week was exciting and had the best of what drum and bugle corps has to offer. Our future was already charted; we would go with the Canadian Brass--win or lose. When we came back to Bloomington, we announced at our annual banquet that Star would be leaving drum corps, would be playing on b-flat horns, and would be performing "Brass Theater." It seemed like 1985 again when Jim "sold hot air." He described "Brass Theater" to the members, and then he casually mentioned that they would have to prepare for two types of shows, one performed on a small stage and one performed on a basketball floor. He explained that the repertoire would exceed two hours in length, that percussion and brass ensembles would be featured during various parts of the show. When he finished, I felt warm and fuzzy but I'm not exactly sure how the corps felt except confused. After this meeting, I have been asked what the corps members thought and I can only answer--anxious but understanding. Star's association with the Canadian Brass in 1993 was the year of Star's swan song. In the early spring, Star, Glassmen, Chicago Vanguard, and Pioneers gave a stand still performance at Indiana University's Auditorium in Bloomington. The night before, all of the corps attended a performance of the Canadian Brass ensemble; the auditorium was filled and the crowd received them with the enthusiasm of brass music lovers. That evening, Jim and I had been invited to a reception for the five CB that was hosted by Harvey Phillips, Dr. Tuba Santa. During a conversation, Chuck Dahlenbach of CB asked us if he and two other CB’ers could stay over and watch our drum corps show on Sunday afternoon. He didn't need to ask; we would have begged him to do it. In any event, they attended the performance, and afterward Chuck broached the subject of how Star could participate with them. The following Monday Chuck called to ask if some of Star's percussionists could play on their 'Broadway' CD. During the time of the recording, ideas started to develop; several weeks later, we met Chuck and Gene Watts in Florida and began discussions on how we could perform together. At the time, I did not believe that the corps could learn two hours of music and play it with the precision necessary to satisfy audiences that had very high expectations. But Jim, Gene, and Chuck thought otherwise. In June we signed a letter of intent that resulted in a contract that was signed in September. We thought that our members deserved a chance to perform at some of the best venues in the world, to try to reach a level of excellence that is uncommon for young people and to be a part of a new genre. The program had to be two hours in length with twenty two minutes of drill plus solo features for both brass and percussion little did we realize what a challenge this was going to be. When Jim Mason described "Brass Theater" to the corps and staff for the first time, none of us actually could visualize what it was. After two years of watching and listening, I believe that "Brass Theater" is designed to entertain--it is not designed to score points nor is it designed for a football field. It is not a drum corps performance nor is it a band concert. Elements of drum corps exist in this genre but it is not drum corps. There are elements of opera, Broadway musical, circus, and symphony, but even these idioms only partially describe "Brass Theater." The term today has come to mean -- an ensemble that performs on a sixty by one hundred foot stage. The music is selected for audience appeal and the visual enhancements include marching, dancing, color guard work using flags, poles, rifles, sabers, and other tools found within the colorguard armamentarium. Electronic amplification and synthesis are used as well as theatrical lighting, back screen projections, and other props to enhance the performance. Music and the visual elements are designed to elicit emotion from the audience. The ensemble has had to learn two separate shows; one show is designed to be performed on small stages--this is an "in-concert" formation and it is NOT "Brass Theater." "In concert" formation is performed on small stages where marching and color guard work are not practical or are minimized. On the other hand, a "Brass Theater" performances includes all of the elements mentioned previously utilizing both G-bugles and B-flat horns including trombones, tubas, and French horns. The venues have differed greatly during the last two years. Concerts have been performed at Tanglewood, Ravinia, Wolf Trap, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Interlochen, Columbus Zoo Amphitheater, Joliette Quebec Amphitheater, Tanglewood and several other outdoor concert sites generically called "sheds." "Brass Theater" is normally performed on a basketball floor converted to a stage. These venues permit the use of stage lighting and large backdrops. Examples of the "Brass Theater" venues are Indiana University Assembly Hall, St. Paul MN Arena, Cedar Rapids Iowa Conference Center, Buffalo New York Memorial Arena, Illinois Normal Arena, and other facilities where seating is tiered and the total capacity normally exceeds 15,000. CB/Star's largest crowd to date has been 18,000. These last two years for Star members have exposed them to entirely new audiences that are primarily made up of families and music patrons who have little exposure to drum corps and who attend musical events regularly. The crowds have been enthusiastic and have responded typically with three and four standing ovations. Several newspaper performing arts critics favorably adjudicated us and I will be happy to send anyone an e-mail of these critiques. Because either concert is performed only once in a city, critics did not always attend. I saw every performance during 1994 and 1995 and I can only say that they have been thrilling to watch. In 1994, I gave Star/CB a final score of 99.5 and in 1995, a score of 99.8. (Nobody is perfect so I couldn't give a perfect score but if we all keep trying, we might get it right someday.) In summary, these were not stressful years for the corps because there were no competitive pressures. The pressure came from wanting to perform perfectly for an audience that would impartially adjudicate them. In the fall of 1995, Star's staff met to assess Brass Theater's impact on the audiences and also the problems encountered while working in three different types of venues--sheds (outdoor theaters), orchestra halls, and arenas. The largest attendance was in sheds and orchestra halls. All shed and orchestra hall performances were sell-outs. On the other hand, performances in arenas (gymnasiums) were, in general, not well attended. The staff realized that the size of the corps was still too large to perform a complete Brass Theater on smaller stages, like those at sheds and orchestra halls, and therefore, it was decided to design two different shows for both small and big stages. There were several factors that contributed to the large attendance such as: 1) the summer concerts being a part of a series such as Lincoln Center's "Mozart Festival." 2) the events being publicized by professional promoters utilizing mailings and local media advertising. 3) the audiences being families and music lovers who attend regardless of composer or genre. 4) the audiences being familiar with the Canadian Brass and Star names. Based upon these observations, it was obvious that Star needed to downsize the corps to fit music venues; in 1994, Star marched 100 members, in 1995, 96 members and in 1996, 76 members. The downsizing took place through attrition created by aging-out. In 1997, the corps will reach an optimum size of 60 or less. It was also obvious in 1995 that more practice time was needed. The members had to adjust to many more practice hours than ever before in the history of the corps. Learning two hours of music and movement for two different types of stages was tough; it required not only talent but also an ability to overcome the tedium of repetition. Because of the practice time required, the number of performances was reduced from 18 to 13 in 1996. Even though we knew that arena venues were going to have smaller crowds, we decided to work in them at least for another year or two. Practice time and space were needed to refine Brass Theater. Unquestionably, the assessment of the 1995 Brass Theater was on-the money because in 1996, we finally saw what Brass Theater should be. All of the elements of this genre were demonstrated in "West Side Story"--a twenty-three minute brass and percussion presentation of the Broadway musical. The corps told the story utilizing brass, percussion, drill, dance, color guard, visuals, electronic sound, and expensive stage lighting. Some viewers told us that it was their greatest emotional experience with music. The highlights for the corps this summer were performances at Great Woods, Massachusetts (16,500 attendance), Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis (3200 attendance), Interlochen Michigan (2800 attendance) and the two Bloomington shows (10,000 total attendance.) Even though the two Bloomington performances were before a hometown crowd, the local newspaper critique was wonderful and worth publishing below in its entirety. Other highlights for the year include an upcoming FANFARE magazine feature article on Brass Theater and having one FANFARE writer recognize the Brass Theater I CD as one of the 6 top CDs produced in 1995. In addition, Star will appear on PBS in an hour-long show that is scheduled for December. PBS donated funds to this project and it will carry the PBS logo, a feat that I was never able to accomplish during my tenure as Executive Producer of the DCI Summer Music Games. Star's Brass Theater CDs are now being distributed in several Midwestern record stores. The Star Beginning Band (7-13) completed its second year with 60 members performing a spring concert and marching in the Bloomington Fourth of July Parade. The members are taught for fee and some receive scholarships. Star of Indiana is now providing scholarships to members who attend Indiana University. As the corps reduces in size, there are funds available for members who commit to an annual association with Star and who are selected by audition. These scholarships are not limited to music or dance majors. By 1999, there will be fifty scholarship students. In summary, 1996 was a benchmark for Star and the Canadian Brass relationship because we learned what Brass Theater should be. We had wonderful reception everywhere we performed and the membership realized that this production was something very special. In addition, our staff now knows what is needed to make Brass Theater more appealing. As is said--wait till next year! From 1994 through 1996, the organization traveled 27,000 miles by road and 7,000 miles by air. We had become nomads wandering in a caravan of three buses and four semis. Invaluable time was being spent moving the corps from one city to the next, setting up and tearing down the lighting, sound system, and the stage sets in venues throughout the country. Tanglewood, Wolftrap, Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, Interlochen, Ravinia, and Great Woods were among the 32 stops over the two years. During this period, the staff learned how to improve Brass Theater. They learned what audiences wanted and changed the show to capitalize on their reactions. Traveling would not have been a problem had we been able to remain in one place for more than one performance. To reduce the loss of time and expenses involved in setting up and tearing down the show, it was obvious that Brass Theater needed to be performed in one theater over a prolonged period--Star's summer home. With two exceptions, cities do not have large enough audiences in summer to justify the expense of establishing a permanent place to perform. New York theaters are too expensive, so the one place left was little Branson, Missouri. It has a year-round audience, and theater costs are not prohibitive. For those of you who have never journeyed to Branson, the town is instant culture shock complete with traffic jams and every reason to not exist. Branson is there for only one reason -- vaudeville and musical performances. In this small town of 3,500 permanent residents, there are over 50 theaters and 30,000 hotel rooms. The place is shoped to entertain the very young and the 'big spending' Blue Hair Set. Branson comes alive before 7 a.m. and goes to bed after the end of the last show at 11 p.m. Vacationers have choices to see shows, fish, or drive through the Ozarks. Virtually every Las Vegas show ends up in Branson -- familiar stars, some over-the-hill, some young arisen'. It is a town of contrasts. Jim Mason and I decided that performing in Branson would give us an opportunity to stay in one place in order to save travel costs and to develop Brass Theater into a legitimate professional show. Corps members lived in rented apartments, four to an apartment. They performed two times a day, six days a week, for 5 weeks at the 3,500 seat Grand Palace Theater. I got to see the show only 20 times during our two-year stint. Over the two-years, the Brass Theater repertoire was not changed much. Wizard of Oz and West Side Story were the bases for the two acts. Learning and performing 2-hour drum corps type shows, presented twice a day, is no easy task. The members were dedicated and seemed excited to perform each day, but at the end of the tour they were happy the regimen was over. Virtually all of the corps returned in 1998 except for age outs. These two summers were successful in determining how to perform Brass Theater better and what it takes for each member to become a professional performer. Corps members were motivated by the actual performances; audiences, at times, topped 3,000, but most of the shows had an audience of 1,000 or less in the evening and 500 during the afternoon. Media in St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City gave Star excellent reviews. The cards filled out by the audience were fantastic -- they loved the show. Summing up these past two years, I can say that the members enjoyed doing Brass Theater and they performed the show beautifully. The staff learned many things about Brass Theater that will be incorporated in future performances. We also came to understand that if Brass Theater was ever going succeed, it would need a sophisticated audience and a venue that has a large audience pool.

Since the open board seat is for an EXTERNAL (non affiliated) director. This would not be possible without a bylaw change.

This does not ring true. date show Bluecoats The Cadets Winner Margin 6/21/2010 Charleston, WV 73.600 75.800 The Cadets 2.200 7/25/2010 San Antonio, TX 89.950 89.250 Bluecoats 0.700 7/30/2010 Murfreesboro, TN 93.550 90.900 Bluecoats 2.650 7/31/2010 Atlanta, GA 93.750 91.450 Bluecoats 2.300 8/3/2010 Massillon, OH 93.750 92.450 Bluecoats 1.300 8/6/2010 Lawrence, MA 94.600 92.500 Bluecoats 2.100 8/7/2010 Allentown, PA 94.650 93.650 Bluecoats 1.000 8/12/2010 Indianapolis, IN 96.250 94.450 Bluecoats 1.800 8/13/2010 Indianapolis, IN 96.500 94.850 Bluecoats 1.650 8/14/2010 Indianapolis, IN 96.400 95.100 Bluecoats 1.300

The biggest question/concern in this whole issue of removing board members is the removal of all 3 of the outside directors. If I were an investor in a company that went through a purge of 5 of 9 board members including all of the outside directors and 2 of the remaining board members subsequently quit. I'd wonder greatly if continuing to invest in this company was a wise thing.

Look to: twitter ... @CorpsScores/dci-8-02-centerville-oh

As Bill Cook recounts it: As sick as he was, he (George Zingali)was the backbone and spirit of the corps. He was driven by desire that few will ever understand and his will went out to touch us all. On August 4th, Star arrived in Boston. With the help of his caregiver, George arrived at the stadium to meet his corps. Something happened to him that afternoon--he seemed transformed, energized. His strength had returned--it was the "old" George on the field that day--"You've got to be shittin’ me!" "That's wonderful!" "Cupcake, you were terrible!" Late in the afternoon, he told Jim--"the new closer is not right." A few minutes later, he left the stadium. None of us knew where he had gone or if he would be back.. About eight o'clock, George returned and said: "we are going to have two crosses at the finish instead of one." The next five hours were unbelievable. He ran from one section to another telling members where they should be at the end of the final cross. He wanted them to count measures--"count and run around until time to make your final set." Hour after hour, the corps tried and failed but finally, at 2 a.m. the next morning, the cross was seen. The next night in Lynn, Star put in the new move; needless to say, there were more than a few wrecks at the end but we won over SCV by 1.9 points.

A couple of questions here. 1) You refer to "new numbers" . Was this something presented at the meeting? I do remember that the original presentation included an attempt to show that (for 20111?) DCI might lose a net of $100,000 in revenue, but claimed to make that up in the reductions in overhead DCI is now spending. 2) What would prevent The G7 from remaining in DCI, and still adding 6-10 new exclusive shows along their model. I know that last year two of them participated in the non-sanctioned show in Las Vegas. I was there, and enjoyed the show and I have heard that the corps there benefited financially far more than they would have at a sanctioned show.

Ok, so, is it your claim that selecting "cherry picking" judges is part of the G7 proposal "as actually written". Please provide citation. chapter and verse ... or page and line.

This reference is, of course, not to the G7 proposal, but to the DCI "strategic plan".

Doesn't this depend on ALL the G7 remaining together? If Cavaliers remain DCI, BC will still have a long way to go. Will it not?

The "original presentation" DID mention the DCI plan. from page 15 of the power point. The current plan and implementation of that plan, though voted and agreed to, lacks the vision to bring forth success.