Old Corps Guy

Current titles have been added to my public playlist on YouTube. You will find it under the title Drum Coups 2019. I will continue to add DCA and DCI Source Music as they are announced.

Show I might be going out on a limb with this one. Do the events at The Notre Dame Cathedral this week take Phantom Regiment on a whole new path with their show theme? Just a thought.

Show I might be going out on a limb with this one. Do the events at The Notre Dame Cathedral this week take Phantom Regiment on a whole new path with their show theme? Just a thought.

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I've heard some "buzz" about a corps using these props this year.

I run FloMarching for July and can live with that. However, I recently discovered that FloMarching has been the ones billing me for iTunes over the past few months. I have been trying to cancel with iTunes for some time and they kept telling me they weren't billing me. Cancelled my card last month and received a notice from FloMarching this weekend that I need to update my CC information so they can bill me for iTunes. Going to be some interesting conversations over the next few days between my CC company and Flo Marching since the CC company was involved in my cancellation back in August when Flo tried to bill me an additional month after I cancelled.

Semper Fi!

Killed my bracket. All four of the Final Four are the opposite of what I picked. Does that mean I'm out of touch?

I made this comment in a different thread many years ago. However, I think it is appropriate here. I am going to come at this from a different perspective because I can. I may represent the longest period of time between competitive seasons for a marching drum corps brass player. I last marched a competitive drum corps show in 2010 with the Buccaneers. Before that, my last competitive show was with the Cavaliers in 1980. That's right, 30 years between competitive drum corps participation. I think I can speak to both sides of this issue. BITD, marching styles were different, equipment was different and judging was different. We marched high step and still had to keep our feet out of the horns. We played horns that were more challenging to keep in tune. Heck, the horns had a limited number of notes that could even be played. Unless you had good/great range, you couldn't even play more than 2 octave chromatic scale. Sure, we were wind bags, but we blew the snot out of those old horns and a wall of sound was a... "WALL OF SOUND" More recently, we mark time with only our heels coming off the ground. However, we run while we play. We have much better horns that stay in tune and have a different tone quality. We have brass techs that run around with a tuner on their iPhone. Arrangers can write much more challenging parts and don't have to worry about not being able to play a specific note. And for sound, let's face it, 60 horns "in tune" will always sound stronger than a current group with 300 horns filled with some students (not all) that are only marching to party with "The Band" or get into the football game for free (See college marching bands). Unless you can say that you were there BITD, and today, you really can't compare the two. I truly loved marching with the Cavaliers back in 1980 when I got the opportunity to hear the awesome sound from Spirit, the beautiful Jazz of the Blue Devils and the fun of the Bridgemen. I also truly enjoyed marching in 2010 with the Bucs. I now get the opportunity to hear the impressive skills of the students in Crown, BD, Cadets, Bluecoats and so many other fine corps. Don't be foolish in slamming one generation over another. If it wasn't for the crews back in the 40s & 50s that really started Drum Corps, or the 70s & 80s that started, and built DCI, we wouldn't have the opportunity to hear the top drum corps that you hear today. Respect your elders while enjoying the exuberance of the todays' youth.

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My first corps was a parade corps in 1976. The West Allis Wranglers from West Allis, WI. 70s were great years for drum corps.

How was it marching in the first year of a new corps? Yes, I know I am probably older than you.....................................................................

We are officially at the time of year where we are dying for even a glimmer of Drum Corps. Instead, we are relegated to speculation based on teasers.