Michael Boo
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Posts posted by Michael Boo
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I sit at the top of Section 440 and never felt chilled.
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Mods, please move this to the proper forum if this isn't the right place. This just came up today.
If you can help The Cavaliers, or know anyone who can, please private message Bruce Peters. https://www.facebook.com/bruce.peters
<Sending out a 911 we had a van driver back out on us last minute looking for somebody who can drive immediately through San Antonio. If anybody is able to assist PM me as soon as possible. Thank you.> -
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I've been asked by some what I think of the latest news out of Madison Scouts. I'm still processing this, but here are a few thoughts. (You're welcome to share this if you think it expresses your own thoughts and wish, and please add your own positive thoughts.)
I have always loved the Madison Scouts organization and I always will love it. Over the years, I got to know many wonderful people who instructed Scouts or were on their management team. I cherish those memories. I also got to know several who currently are involved with management. I cherish their friendship as well. I will continue to cherish those I know who lovingly give their time to the organization.
Such decisions are not made lightly. I trust the decision was made in the best interest of the corps, that it was based on what is right for the corps and right for future members regardless of competitive concerns.There are bound to be mixed feelings and some feelings expressed (or hidden) that are not mixed at all. I hope this decision helps assure the survival and thriving of Scouts decades into the future.
As a Former Marching Member (FMM) of The Cavaliers, I've been asked what I think this means to the organization that introduced me to this wonderful activity, a passion to which I've gone on to dedicate a huge portion of my life. I believe this isn't about The Cavaliers; this is about the Scouts and it should remain so. I don't want to take away anything away from my support of the Scouts by diluting it with conjecture regarding what the decision means to any other organization that isn't the Scouts.
I've long stated that drum corps is whatever drum corps becomes. I've also long felt that tradition is whatever a corps does for more than two years. (Those just coming on board the activity, new fans whom we need for the longtime survival of drum corps, will always know Scouts as a coed corps.) Just like all the innovations that have become part of drum corps, innovations loved by some and scorned by others, time lessens the shock. Those coming into drum corps fandom now may find it hard to imagine a time when such things weren't part of the activity, and were even forbidden.
I've seen corps experience highs and lows. Those that have learned from their lows have gone on to experience highs that have been a pleasure to behold. I look forward to the day when I watch the Scouts and think about not how far they've come competitively, but how wonderful it is to just plain enjoy what they're doing on the field. I anticipate relishing the thought that many youth who will be future members of the Scouts will enjoy the experience of a lifetime, one that will stay with them decades into the future and will shape their lives for the better.
Until that time, I plan to continue to enjoy the product Scouts put out of the field now, a show their members worked thousands of collaborative hours to perfect and deliver to a grateful audience. And I trust those audiences are more grateful the corps still exists than they are focused on dwelling on competitive standing.
Drum corps needs the Madison Scouts, whatever form the organization takes on.
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Hey! I expect this sort of thing at Halloween, but really?
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22 minutes ago, Tim K said:
Though I have never been to Michigan City, I’d hate to see it go. I have been told I’m missing a great experience but it does not attract a huge crowd. I would go, but it’s not the most convenient location. A person I sat with a few years back believes having it closer to Indy would be a better idea...changing the location and the number of finalists would not be a problem.
The directors themselves voted to have the show in Michigan City, and having been there every year, it fills the stadium with a quite supportive audience that embraces the members. I've been at the "big" stadium the years Division II/III (Open Class) Prelims/Finals have been held there and it was sad to see so few fans come out. The year The Academy won there were less than 500 people in the stands of the large stadium, and that was even with DCI providing free admittance by showing a World Class Finals ticket. I speak to Open Class directors every year at the Michigan City show, and they love having their own championship there. Having it closer to Indy would not be beneficial in any way I can imagine.
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DCI scores as of Tuesday, August 8
Collated by Michael Boo
(This is just for fun, as corps can't be directly compared across different shows and different dates.) This only a list of the highest latest scores and not a weighted or averaged score list from multiple shows.
NOTE: The letter inside the italics () is the show in which each corps last competed. The number inside the brackets [] represents the number of days a corps has not competed. Also, some shows might not have had full judging panels.
# Denotes Open Class, which are judged on the same scale.
## Denotes International Class
01 96.300 Santa Clara Vanguard (C) [1]
02 95.350 Blue Devils (E) [2]
03 94.825 Bluecoats (C) [1]
04 93.800 Carolina Crown (C) [1]
05 92.900 Boston Crusaders (C) [1]
06 91.950 The Cavaliers (C) [1]
07 91.300 The Cadets (D) [1]
08 87.750 Phantom Regiment (D) [1]
09 87.450 Blue Stars (E) [2]
10 87.100 Blue Knights (C) [1]
11 86.950 Mandarins (C) [1]
12 85.800 Crossmen (C) [1]
13 84.550 Spirit of Atlanta (E) [2]
14 83.850 The Academy (E) [2]
15 83.150 Colts (D) [1]
16 81.450 Madison Scouts (E) [2]
17 80.900 Troopers (E) [2]
18 80.075 Vanguard Cadets # (A)
19 79.600 Blue Devils B # (A)
20 78.075 Pacific Crest (E) [2]
21 76.750 Gold # (A)
22 76.350 Legends # (A)
23 75.713 Spartans # (A)
24 75.400 Music City (D) [1]
25 74.350 Oregon Crusaders (D) [1]
26 73.625 Genesis (D) [1]
27 73.313 7th Regiment # (A)
28 71.875 Guardians # (A)
29 71.275 Louisiana Stars # (A)
30 71.550 Seattle Cascades (D) [1]
31 70.750 River City Rhythm # (A)
32 70.300 Jersey Surf (D) [1]
33 69.700 Southwind # (A)
34 67.125 Jubal ## (A)
35 67.075 Golden Empire # (A)
36 65.250 Pioneer (E) [2]
37 63.025 Shadow # (A)
38 62.800 Colt Cadets # (B)
39 62.675 Raiders # (B)
40 60.950 Heat Wave # (B)
Michigan City, IN August 7 (A)
Michigan City, IN August 6 (B)
Massillon, OH August 6 (C) [1]
Erie, PA August 6 (D) [1]
Pittsburgh, PA August 6 (E) [2]
The following corps ended their season early. The number inside the brackets {} is where each corps had placed at the time of their last show.
The Battalion {26}
Columbians {29}
Watchmen {36}
Impulse {37}
Vessel {40}
Blue Devils C {42}
Incognito {43}
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DCI scores as of Wednesday, July 11
Collated by Michael Boo
(This is just for fun, as corps can't be directly compared across different shows and different dates.) This only a list of the highest latest scores and not a weighted or averaged score list from multiple shows.
NOTE: The letter inside the italics () is the show in which each corps last competed. The number inside the brackets [] represents the number of days a corps has not competed. Also, some shows might not have had full judging panels.
# Denotes Open Class, which are judged on the same scale.
01. 86.250 Santa Clara Vanguard (M)
02. 84.800 Blue Devils (N)
03. 84.000 Bluecoats (O)
04. 83.850 The Cavaliers (N)
05. 82.650 Boston Crusaders (O)
06. 82.250 Carolina Crown (P) [1]
07. 79.250 The Cadets (P) [1]
08. 78.950 Blue Knights (M)
09. 78.900 Phantom Regiment (N)
10. 78.750 Blue Stars (L)
11. 78.600 Mandarins (L)
12. 77.450 Crossmen (L)
13. 76.500 The Academy (M)
14. 74.300 Colts (L)
15. 74.150 Madison Scouts (N)
16. 74.050 Spirit of Atlanta (O)
17. 73.800 Troopers (M)
18. 67.750 Oregon Crusaders (M)
19. 67.450 Genesis (L)
20. 65.700 Pacific Crest (M)
21. 64.700 Music City (O)
22. 64.500 Vanguard Cadets # (F) [5]
23. 63.700 Blue Devils B # (F) [5]
24. 63.000 Seattle Cascades (M)
25. 61.800 Jersey Surf (O)
26. 60.500 Spartans # (H) [8]
27. 58.700 The Battalion # (M)
28. 57.950 Columbians # (M)
29. 57.800 Legends # (N)
30. 57.400 Guardians (O)
31. 57.200 River City Rhythm # (L)
32. 57.100 Southwind (O)
33. 57.000 Gold # (J) [12]
34. 56.800 Louisiana Stars (O)
35. 55.500 7th Regiment # (H) [8]
36. 54.700 Pioneer (A) [3]
37. 53.950 Golden Empire # (J) [2]
38. 52.850 Colt Cadets # (L)
39. 50.250 Watchmen (I) [10]
40. 50.000 Heat Wave # (P) [1]
41. 49.600 Impulse # (J) [12]
42. 49.100 Raiders # (G) [5]
43. 48.350 Vessel # (K) [13]
44. 46.450 Shadow # (A) [3]
45. 44.200 Blue Devils C # (F) [5]
46. 43.100 Incognito # (F) [5]
Waukesha, WI July 8 (A) [3]
Sacramento, CA July 6 (F) [5]
Clifton, NJ July 6 (G) [5]
Cranston, RI July 3 (H) [8]
Mesa, AZ July 2 (I) [10]
Pasadena, CA June 30 (J) [12]
Oceanside, CA June 29 (K) [13]
Johnston, IA July 11 (L)
Odgen, UT July 11 (M)
Zionsville, IN July 11 (N)
Hoschton, GA July 11 (O)
Valdosta, GA July 10 (P) [1]
Jubal (International Class) (First show July 30)-
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DCI scores as of Sunday, July 8
Collated by Michael Boo
(This is just for fun, as corps can't be directly compared across different shows and different dates.) This only a list of the highest latest scores and not a weighted or averaged score list from multiple shows.
NOTE: The number inside the brackets [] represents the number of days a corps has not competed. The letter inside the italics () is the show in which each corps last competed. Also, some shows might not have had full judging panels.
# Denotes Open Class, which are judged on the same scale.
01. 83.850 Bluecoats (B)
02. 82.900 Blue Devils (A)
03. 82.700 Santa Clara Vanguard (E) [1]
04. 82.100 Carolina Crown (B)
04. 82.100 Boston Crusaders (B)
06. 80.100 The Cavaliers (D) [1]
07. 78.550 The Cadets (B)
08. 76.650 Phantom Regiment (A)
09. 76.150 Blue Stars (C)
10. 75.950 Crossmen (C)
11. 75.600 Blue Knights (E) [1]
12. 74.100 Mandarins (F) [2]
13. 73.400 Colts (C)
14. 73.300 Madison Scouts (A)
15. 73.150 The Academy (E) [1]
16. 71.850 Spirit of Atlanta (B)
17. 70.050 Troopers (E) [1]
18. 65.700 Pacific Crest (E) [1]
19. 65.200 Genesis (C)
20. 64.500 Vanguard Cadets # (F) [2]
21. 64.100 Oregon Crusaders (E) [1]
22. 63.700 Blue Devils B # (F) [2]
23. 63.150 Music City (B)
24. 60.750 Seattle Cascades (E) [1]
25. 60.500 Spartans # (H) [6]
26. 57.000 The Battalion # (E) [1]
26. 57.000 Gold # (J) [9]
28. 56.800 Jersey Surf (B)
29. 56.600 Columbians # (E) [1]
30. 55.750 River City Rhythm # (C)
31. 55.500 7th Regiment # (H) [6]
32. 55.100 Legends # (A)
33. 54.700 Pioneer (A)
34. 53.950 Golden Empire # (J) [9]
35. 51.850 Colt Cadets # (C)
36. 50.250 Watchmen (I) [7]
37. 49.600 Impulse # (J) [9]
38. 49.300 Heat Wave # (B)
39. 49.100 Raiders # (G) [3]
40. 48.350 Vessel # (K) [10]
41. 46.450 Shadow # (A)
42. 44.200 Blue Devils C # (F) [2]
43. 43.100 Incognito # (F) [2]
Waukesha, WI July 8 (A)
Orlando, FL July 8 (B)
Rochester, MN July 8 (C)
Minneapolis, MN July 7 (D) [1]
Renton, WA July 7 (E) [1]
Sacramento, CA July 6 (F) [2]
Clifton, NJ July 6 (G) [3]
Cranston, RI July 3 (H) [6]
Mesa, AZ July 2 (I) [7]
Pasadena, CA June 30 (J) [9]
Oceanside, CA June 29 (K) [10]
Three corps have yet to compete for the first time.
Southwind # (First show July 10)
Guardians # (E) (First show July 10)
Louisiana Stars # (First show July 10)
Jubal (International) (First show July 30)-
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Just now, N.E. Brigand said:
Huh, I'd never seen Flo's little newscast thing before.
DCP should put something like that together. Who here would you want on a broadcast panel?
I have a face best suited for radio and blogging.
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Please add to this thread where one can find drum corps in parades on Independence Day. For those in the Chicago area, you can catch The Cavaliers at 8:00 in Niles, 11:30 in Glenview, and 2:30 in Morton Grove.
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It's that darn DCI.org problem where all shows are listed as being held one day earlier.
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DCI scores as of Sunday, July 1
Collated by Michael Boo
(This is just for fun, as corps can't be directly compared across different shows and different dates.) This only a list of the highest latest scores and not a weighted or averaged score list from multiple shows.
NOTE: The number of asterisks represents the number of days a corps has not competed. The italics represent in which show each corps last competed. Also, some shows might not have had full judging panels.
# Denotes Open Class, which are judged on the same scale.
01. 79.050 Bluecoats (C)
02. 78.800 Santa Clara Vanguard (A)
03. 78.050 Blue Devils (A)
04. 77.950 Carolina Crown (C)
05. 76.850 Boston Crusaders (C)
06. 75.800 The Cavaliers (B)
07. 73.800 The Cadets (C)
08. 72.200 Blue Knights (A)
09. 71.900 Phantom Regiment (B)
10. 70.750 Mandarins (A)
11. 70.050 Crossmen (B)
12. 69.950 Blue Stars (B)
13. 68.800 Spirit of Atlanta (C)
14. 68.300 The Academy (A)
15. 66.100 Madison Scouts (B)
16. 65.550 Troopers (A)
17. 65.100 Colts (B)
18. 64.300 Pacific Crest (A)
19. 60.600 Music City (F)
20. 59.950 Genesis (B)
21. 58.000 Spartans # (C)
22. 57.750 Gold # (A)
23. 57.650 Blue Devils B # (G) *******
24. 55.200 Vanguard Cadets # (G) *******
25. 53.800 7th Regiment # (C)
26. 53.550 Golden Empire # (A)
27. 51.350 Pioneer (E) *
28. 50.400 Vessel # (A)
29. 49.000 Watchmen # (A)
30. 48.800 Raiders # (F) *
31. 48.650 Impulse # (A)
32. 48.600 Colt Cadets # (E) *
33. 42.850 Incognito # (A)
34. 47.300 River City Rhythm # (B)
35. 39.200 Blue Devils C # (G) *******
(A) Riverside, CA - July 1
(B) LaCrosse, WI - July 1
(C) Lawrence, MA – July 1
(D) Pasadena, CA - June 30 *
(E) Lisle, IL – June 30 *
(F) Allentown, PA – June 30 *
(G) Sacramento, CA – June 24 *******
11 corps have yet to compete for the first time.
Shadow # (F) (First show July 5)
Seattle Cascades (First show July 6)
Oregon Crusaders (First show July 6)
Legends # (First show July 6)
Columbians # (First show July 6)
The Battalion # (First show July 6)
Jersey Surf (First show July 7)
Heat Wave # (First show July 8)
Southwind # (First show July 10)
Guardians # (E) (First show July 10)
Louisiana Stars # (First show July 10)
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This is something I wrote that never got published.
The challenges of music licensing (And what really happened with “Empire State of Mind”)By Michael Boo
Music licensing seems like an increasingly annoying problem for corps. Just this past season, Madison Scouts’ popular closer, “Empire State of Mind” had to be blacked out on the DCI DVDs because the corps couldn’t secure mechanical licensing rights. (More about what really happened later.)
DCI corps aren’t the only entities running into music licensing difficulties. Last month, Burger King had to pull a commercial with singer Mary J. Blige over rights and earlier in the year, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was sued by the owner of the “Rocky III” theme song, “Eye of the Tiger,” for using the work without permission at campaign rallies.
A brief history of how we got to where we are
The way music is produced has changed dramatically since digital media has taken over. Madison Scouts’ arranger Robert W. Smith states, “The record companies lost the keys to the kingdom as soon as the first CD was pressed. It wasn’t all that long ago that Napster and other file sharing services were under attack for causing record companies to lose a lot of money.”
But now, according to Smith, the music companies are “almost giving away the music,” making their money through concerts and merchandising…even receiving a share of the beverages sold at concerts.
Much more so than before, licensing is a cash cow for the holders of music copyrights. In DCI’s earlier years, corps didn’t have to worry about licensing and didn’t pay the statutory rate for mechanical licenses. Corps have gone from barely being a blip on these companies’ radars to becoming very much a part of their income stream. (Popular speculation that the move from G bugles to B-flat horns was responsible for increased licensing issues is an unfounded myth.)
While corps must receive permission to arrange a piece of music, mechanical licenses are not required for live or audio broadcasts. However, they kick in once a performance is recorded for sale to the public. (Why is it called a “mechanical” license? The name originated from the use of mechanical machines that used to copy the recordings.)
Additional problems arise with synchronization licenses, which are required when pre-recorded audio is fixed to a moving visual image…something that occurs in television shows and commercials…and DCI DVDs. Such a license is not required for live performances, which is why those who attended DCI’s “Big, Loud & Live 7” Quarterfinals broadcast were able to enjoy watching Scouts’ “Empire State of Mind” in its entirety.
That is where things become more difficult for those requesting a synch license. A publisher has the right to say “no” for whatever reason. Which leads us to…
What really happened with “Empire State of Mind”
Until now, drum corps fans blamed a variety of sources as the problem for why Madison Scouts couldn’t obtain the synch rights to “Empire State of Mind,” which resulted in the blackout on the DVDs. Rap artist Jay-Z was often blamed for this, as he is the original recording artist.
“In our case,” according to Smith, “State Farm Insurance knew well in advance that on 9/11/11, they were going to put out a nationwide television commercial using ‘Empire State of Mind’ as the central statement, with school kids singing the song at a New York City firehouse. It was in the best interest of the insurance company to obtain exclusivity and they paid a lot of money to get it. If someone else in the popular media had come out using the piece, it would have lessened the impact.
“I tried assisting Scouts by using my channels in the publishing industry to get the synch rights, but I kept getting the same answer. When someone turns down a request for a synch license, they just say ‘no’ and that’s it. The reason for our problems became abundantly clear the moment I saw the commercial on September 11, 2011, understanding why utmost confidentiality had to be maintained. Generally, such exclusivity lasts a year and is so expensive because the publisher can’t make money from anyone else during that time.”
Madison Scouts Executive Director Chris Komnick recounts, “By the time the publisher gave us the definitive ‘no,’ we were already into May. We made the decision that the music in the live show was more important than the DVD and so we decided not to change the last third of the show. We thought they were telling us ‘no’ because it was such a hot piece of property at the time. It typically isn’t that hard to get such licensing.
“We are continuing to pursue the licensing of “Empire State of Mind” with the expectation that the synch rights will eventually be granted. We’re hoping that sometime in the future, we can make available a full recording of our ‘New York Morning’ show in conjunction with DCI.”
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All former drum corps members in and from Canada (or who want to participate in something very special) are invited to be part of "Oktobercorps," which will be featured in the 50th Anniversary of the Kitchener-Waterloo Octoberfest, one of the largest such celebrations outside of Germany. This will involve the all-star drum corps marching in the annual Thanksgiving Day parade that runs concurrent with the festival. The parade will happen on Monday, October 8.
An all-star staff will be working with the corps. You can read about them on the linked website. There is also a sign-up list on the site, which you can utilized to get more info about the corps even if you're not sure you'll be able to march.
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13 minutes ago, Zeke said:
Leave this one alone...reboot another film. How Original!!
I'm not crazy about the idea, but please keep in mind both "Ben Hur" with Charlton Heston and "The Maltese Falcon" with Humphrey Bogart were remakes.
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Memorial service will be 6 p.m. Friday, January 26, 2018, at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford. Memorial visitation 3 p.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Phantom Regiment, 420 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103. Express online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.
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Memorial service will be 6 p.m. Friday, January 26, 2018, at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford. Memorial visitation 3 p.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Phantom Regiment, 420 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103. Express online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.
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Memorial service will be 6 p.m. Friday, January 26, 2018, at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford. Memorial visitation 3 p.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Phantom Regiment, 420 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103. Express online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.
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Dr. Dan was one of the most beautiful souls to ever grace our activity. He was genuinely kind, supportive, and loving.
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On 8/18/2017 at 8:01 PM, onionhead said:
Nothing against the BlueCoats, I loved their show again this year, and their brass. But I don't see them pushing there book that far.
Bluecoats = one word. Don't make me come over there. (I can't believe I'm still fighting this battle.)
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What were the scores announced before Guardians?
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Folks, I just wanted to clarify something that’s been floating around so there’s no confusion when we get to the day of the DCI World Championships Prelims. Please share with others so everyone’s on the same page and there are no surprises when we get to August 10.
Some of you may have been informed that Flo Marching is live streaming a webcast of the entire Prelims show, right on through Fathom Events’ broadcast of the Big, Loud & Live 14 theater broadcast. Please be aware this is NOT the case.
As before, the last 15 corps in Prelims WILL NOT be streamed live. However, you will still be able to see all the corps that will be performing in Semifinals and Finals via the FloMarching webcast.
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Troopers Alumni Corps drum purchase
in Alumni Corps Discussions
Posted