derekfaasse

I like to think they will. Without a color guard staff, it's TBD how those auditions will look come April. They've started paying some of the staff that resigned between last season and this and they've made a move to have more local staff in some departments to limit travel costs.

It has been a little bit more of the administration getting in touch with other corps after the "pay tomorrow" needs to turn into "or else". After last summer, a large number of members went to march elsewhere while still paying off tour. With only a few hundred dollars left, the corps started giving the ultimatum of "you owe us all of your payment plan by tomorrow or we'll contact other corps and get you removed."

If you're talking about the corps that I believe you are, I really hope you're right about being considered a "lower group" for not much longer. The membership increase would greatly benefit their finances. They've had to take out loans from staff members the last two years just to get through to finals it seems. The biggest reasoning I've been able to get for the cost is that it acts as a "filter" for members to commit. A member putting down nearly $3,000 is going to be a little more committed than if they were only putting down $900. However, that all boils down to a huge if members are even able to have that much money. The corps is typically great with payment plans, but has recently told several members they have payment plans with "pay up now or else".

I've heard Pioneer and Oregon Crusaders.

Is there a source that mentions when this rule change takes effect? Typically rule changes are implemented the year after, which is why I ask.

He might not be the designer they deserve, but he's the designer they need right now.

I think it's a good name for a growing corps. Not only does his experience at Crown have some pull to it, but his network of quality staff and designers might become useful for Legends in the future.

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I think the bass line and tuba section can qualify as our skinniest sections, so they would need to hog all the deep fried oreos. We typically just use the oreos as treats when the brass section finishes a phrase well. I like to toss them down from the tower on the reset. In seriousness, though, the food booth was an excellent fundraiser for Legends Performing Arts Association. In a year when total sales at the Arts Festival were down, the Legends booth, from what I've heard, nearly doubled gross sales from the previous year. The money made from the booth have allowed the corps to continue supplying the growing brass section with instruments, among other investments.

I know that they are spending some time with Legends Drum and Bugle Corps to do a joint performance at the Kalamazoo show. While that doesn't itself warrant making the trek to Michigan, I understand that Coastal Surge will be housing with Legends for several days prior to the show as well.

I'm glad that DCI has found a way to hold it without dropping a boatload of money on space rental, at least. It will no longer be held at the convention center.

Coastal Surge has been approved as an exhibition corps and will be travelling some on the OC tour this year. The Guardians are coming out as a Sound Sport unit. Their director will do some touring with another corps during the OC tour and leading into finals week to get a lot of insight on corps operation. The Columbians are doing a Pacific Tour this year. Hopefully with plans to expand in the future! Taking it slow is the key. I really like what's going down with these 3 groups.

Has the fact that I & E is back, all classes are together, and it is during finals week in downtown Indianapolis really not been posted on, or am I not seeing the thread?

Like Genesis, who played two of their pieces last year? Or the multitude of marching bands that I'm sure have/are/will this next fall? I've written drill for a high school show that used only TSFH music and I must say that if it's not arranged correctly, it can be awful. I know that's true for anything, but you need to make sure you're getting to the punch with some of this music, and not rehashing every verse that happens in the original (I know that most folks here would agree, this arranger did not). I think that an SCV or Blue Stars or Crossmen could make this work for them. I think that Genesis did great work with it last year and really brought a ton of variety to the material. I was a huge fan of their music book and the way that the music was scored to make it sound more varied than a note for note treatment.

I dig the idea a lot. Somebody mentioned Gold and how they essentially all came from the same school only to keep going in the summer to compete in DCI. Legends started out as a brass and percussion ensemble open only to students from a single school. My thoughts on this are: Could schools be the answer? Could Carolina Crown/Cavaliers/Spirit/whoever work with two or three schools and let them borrow equipment, transportation, etc. and help get a summer opportunity growing? Provide them with all the things mentioned (exercises, marching technique), maybe hook the schools up with corps members in the area to help out on staff (obviously to be paid). I think that helping schools build programs and interest can spark something going on in the summer.