ahquad

Add technique to writing and teaching, Jeff. Crown beat the snot out of their drums. Other lines played more "finesse". Neither is right or wrong (although my arms hurt from just watching how much Crown played through the head). But you can field 20 snares if you know how to write, balance, teach, and produce a solid technique to match your needs.

Marched 7 years DCA before doing rook-out in DCI. Then back to DCA for many years after that.

Maybe I should have put the sarcasm disclaimer in my "Wow" post, as I've seen and heard them, and IMHO it would be hard enough claiming that for DCA, but to include DCI is just plain funny... so, Wow </sarcasm>. To each his own, I guess. I just don't get them. Never did. I guess many think "book" as in brass only. In which case, it is good, but not so much to stake claim as best in both circuits. For me, however, the generic term "book" includes everything. And in that, not a chance. More power to those who love them. Just isn't my cup of tea. This is only my opinion (flamesuit on for the homers), but they are to drum corps what "Drumline the Movie" is to competitive marching percussion. With the disclaimer of THIS IS MY OPINION.

I would bet cash that you can't tell the difference from a well-sampled woodwind patch and the real thing, IF both sounds were run through the same audio system. What makes it fake to you is probably the fact that it is coming through speakers, however the sample itself, when EQ'd well, IS the real thing. Mic up a flute and a synth sample, put them in another room so you can't see it, and I'll bet you could never tell.

Wow.

Star '93 is the last time my jaw dropped for an entire package. I've been in awe of certain sections of corps in years since, and some moments of the whole corps in certain shows, but nothing has wowed me like that show, and I doubt anything ever will.

Best of the 2000-2010 decade, IMHO. Loved it.

Seconded. Best DCI top 12 in a looong time IMHO. And to the other poster, I mean the DCI forum here. I see many more "great year after some not-so-great years" than any "it was a bad year" posts.

Completely, totally disagree. I think this has been one of the best DCI years in, ummm... years... Many on the DCI forum feel the same way. Quite a few posts over there are raving about how DCI corps have been on the upswing this summer. It seems to me that the people who heard "too much" from the amps, every single time, where looking to hear just that, so they could complain about it being "too much". Only once in many shows I'd attended this summer (double digits... one of the fortunate things about traveling for work) did I hear any real overbalance due to amps. And I question whether that may have been where I was seated, and/or the venue, because every corps was bad that night.

Ditto. Loved the electronic effect, and totally dug the bari solo in and of itself; more so now that I see it on paper. Great work, and congrats on a successful year!

I think football isn't the same since they moved the goalpost. Same with all the padding they wear nowadays. It wusses-out the game. It shouldn't be called football anymore. </sarcasm> I don't know of any band directors in my region who frowned upon drum corps (I'm saying past-tense because I used to be a band director, but don't follow band on a national level anymore). In fact, most encouraged it because it was their background as well, and because the kid they got back from the summer tour would be a strong leadership example for the rest of the band. Not to mention, they'd have killer chops that made everyone around them strive to be a better musician.

I couldn't find it in this thread, but was Star Alumni playing on B flat or G horns? Were the chart's keys changed at all from the original marching arrangements? I just gotta say that I loved the performance, still regret choosing another corps to march with back in the day instead of Star, and I so miss that horn sound and would just love to hear they still "got it" with Bb horns.

I marched the 70's, 80's and 90's in DCI and DCA and I love what DCI has become. I seem to associate with those who think the same way, I guess, because my group of pseudo-old-timers (does the late 70's count?) at DCI this year all felt that while some of the usage of new effects wasn't to our tastes (like the guitar solo), the effects themselves can actually be pretty cool if they work out the "where and how" to use them. Bluecoats mic'd horn was for a REASON. It worked. It wasn't there for any other reason than to distort the sound with an effect. Pretty cool and applicable to the musical phrase. But what do I know? I'm just a noob with no time to list my e-accomplishments in my sig. ;-)