MahlerPhantom

REGIMENT!!!!!!!!

Grandpa - you bring up some interesting and some good points. There are a few things I'd like to add. All are common things. Most will shrug shoulders when they read this. Most will think "nothing ground breaking here". I'm not trying to move mountains. Just mostly spewing my opinion. First off - it's spelled Juilliard. Or Jailyard :) I think the accordian is cool. Just think... for every person thinking that the accordian in the Cavaliers show is just God awful, there are an equal number of people who would think that a trumpet section full of harmon mutes doing their best accordian impression would also be God awful. Something to consider: perhaps the design team thought the actual accordian sound was more important than creatively arranging something for the brass to play to sound like an accordian? I personally think that The Cavaliers are one of the best in DCI in how they use electronics. No one will ever persuade you to think otherwise of this years show, of that I am certain. When you compare The Cavaliers use of electronics/artistic decisions to "smearing horse #### on a steak", I get the picture. The idea that The Cavaliers are one of the best in DCI in using electronics = just my opinion, just my 2 cents. As far as the age old topic of "the direction of DCI" is concerned... The kids. The future. The BOA/DCI show in Illinois. Are the kids jumping up and screaming for The Cavaliers, Carolina Crown, Cadets, Devils, etc? You bet. They loved The Cavaliers this year. This is what is most important when thinking of the future of DCI. Is it important to know where the activity came from? I suppose. To a member? Yes. You/we discover the roots of the corps we march in and we understand that any member of any corps becomes an extension of the history of their corps and a root for the future. To a fan is it important to know where DCI comes from? Not really. New fans are seeing these shows as their firsts. Their first live show is not 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, or 2005. It's 2011 for all "virgins" of the activity. Are there new fans that aren't in high school? Of course. This is where we make decisions as artists, designers, etc. With time comes better equipment, better instruments, better drill. Things evolve, are invented, etc. I understand the viewpoint of "just because macbooks, synths, etc. exist, do they all need to be utilized on the field?" I think they do, if done well. I think The Cavaliers do it very well. Especially for how new all of this is, relatively, to years without such things. Let me ask these questions: Is it DCI's job to conserve or preserve? To use while giving and taking, or to keep everything intact? These are the same questions asked to Juilliard students back on the centennial celebration of the school. 100 years of music conservation while pushing forward and evolving can sometimes be mistaken for music preservation, and getting stuck on the performance practice of hundreds and hundreds of years old music. I think there's a place for both, and in my mind, at the same time. Any activity like DCI needs a handful of groups to toe the line. We need groups to push, only to be fought back. Without it, we stagnate. "Expect poison from standing water."

Come on Regiment!!! Give the top 4 something to look at in the mirror!!!!!!! Keep pushing.

with one small edit: DCI.org has the Regiment a point higher at 86.15... :)

Regiment on an island slotted in 5th. Bluecoats will come up and put in a definite challenge for it, as well as SCV, but there's a thick line between 4th and 5th this year. Not in my mind, but in the numbers.

I left out tenths.... For top 3: 88.6 88.3 87.8 *Spirit should be in front of Troop, but I went with recent history

Last minute predictions: 1. Cavies 88 2. Crown 88 3. Devils 87 4. Regiment 85 5. Scouts 83 6. Knights 82 7. BAC 82 8. Troopers 79 - change to 78

410

Still shocked to see a 5th place group get 11th in something as significant as Visual Ensemble Composition. Right in between Spirit and BAC? Odd. Although, he pretty much one tenthed the entire 18 corps.

Woah, Regiment. 11th in Visual Ensemble Composition

YES REGIMENT!!!!!!!! YES YES YES YES YES!

Boston beat BK and Blue Stars??????????????????????????????

World Class Predictions with captions: 1. Cavaliers 85.65 2. Cadets 85.25 3. Blue Devils 84.5 4. Carolina Crown 83.95 5. Bluecoats 82.35 6. Phantom Regiment 81.65 7. SCV 80.6 8. Blue Stars 80.55 9. Madison Scouts 79.95 10. Blue Knights 78.7 11. Boston Crusaders 76.5 12. Glassmen 73.9 13. Spirit 73.6 14. Troopers 72 15. Crossmen 71 16. Cascades 67 17. Teal Sound 65 Captions: GE Visual: Cavaliers GE Music: Cadets Visual Performance: Cavaliers Ensemble Visual: Cadets Colorguard: Crown/Devils Brass: Cadets Ensemble Music: Blue Devils Percussion: Blue Devils/SCV, probably Devils Cavies/Cadets...1st/2nd in virtually everything across the board. Devils will be 1st as well as 3rd/4th in across the board. Surprise high placements...Bluecoats brass in 4th? Phantom guard in top 5?

Some quick thoughts so far regarding the World Class Corps: - Teal Sound has nice moments! - but in terms of flow, breath, peaks, and valleys....I didn't like their production. Good job Teal! - Cascades do what I think more groups should - explore the NEON palette. It really pops out there. Their show - a little BOA/Bando, but I like what they brought to the table. Good job Cascades! - Crossmen was a significant step up from the first two. Not impressed with the drill design, however I was impressed with their percussion. Good job Crossmen! - Spirit...well, I'm a fan! Took some great music and put together a solid show. I like the design very much. It flows better, IMHO, than the groups right in their cluster (Crossmen/Glassmen/Colts/Troopers). This is why I have them on top, sitting in 12th, at the moment. I think Glassmen and Spirit will be sitting 12/13 in any order until finals week, flip flopping a few times between now and then. Good job Spirit! - Troopers...like Teal Sound in terms of "moments", but not a great read beginning to end. It felt like a book with some torn out pages to me. Awesome last impact, of course, but perhaps too late in the show? Good job Troopers! - Colts...I was actually impressed. I expected less - I don't know why. Not entirely impressed with the drill design, like Crossmen. However, much cleaner than Crossmen, IMHO. Good job Colts! - Glassmen...I really like the show. To me, it's a lot dirtier than I would anticipate for this time of year. Also - so many holes! I hope that can be remedied soon. I think Glassmen has an outstanding chance to be comfortably in 12th come August - but for now, Spirit will give them all they can handle. Good job Glassmen! - Blue Knights...simply put, my favorite BK show in the last handful of years. Very cool music. I was a little confused as to why the drill seemed to come together, fall apart, come together, fall apart at times. This was intentional, but for me, too many spots that lack crisp, clear structure and definition. I wanted to see more moments throughout of the ability to hold together a long series of sets and maintain form, spacing, etc. Good job BK! - Madison. Great opening impact. I'm not in love with the tuba solo. Both from a design decision as well as a performance standpoint. The higher notes of his solo seem to be really stretching his range to the point where intonation becomes a bigger issue. and why start with tuba? It's ballsy, yes. If pulled off, great. But for me, I could, with time, sit down and think of a few other ways I'd like to see the show start. I have no qualms with the music selection for the solo/opener. Just the staging/instrument. As far as the show is concerned...lots of "jogging" in the drill, follow the leader style. Great hornline, and for mid July - not just loud, but actually fairly in tune when compared to corps surrounding them in scores. Good job! - SCV. I don't agree with the comments that this is the hardest show in DCI this year. Not everyone has said this, but many have. I see a lot of commotion within scrunched up sets, a lot of running around, and in some ways that might be construed as hard or extremely difficult. I think SCV is much more effective with this show when the field is spread and they use more space to get their ideas across. Visual ensemble scores will keep them down quite a bit. Drums - yep! Pit - yea! Guard - getting there! Brass - creeping. Good job SCV! - Blue Stars - I love their energy. I love how they attack, and rightfully so given the thematic material. The scaffolding doesn't bother me in ways it bothers most people. My gripe is that it cuts off the field...alot. By placing it on the backhash (even a tad in front of it), they are half-forced to stay super close to the audience. This makes the show pack more punch, but also creates a clustered look. Lots of running around and diffcult drill in a tiny space. Use more field! You're strong enough! I like how they use the scaffolding, though. Can't get over their energy! IMHO, like SCV, their visual ensemble scores will be what keeps them down this season. Good job Blue Stars! - Boston Crusaders. Les Miserables has been done so many times - so the question becomes - what can YOU bring to the table that's different, fresh, and exciting? The opening impact is great - predictable, but it's the certain type of predictability that we as an audience craves/needs. While the baritone soloist is very good, the whole ballad seems VERY long. Wouldn't mind a cut. I like the end of the show, as they weave 1812 in and around Les Mis. Overall, this leaves me feeling "meh". I like the typical BAC energy, though. Solid 11th. Good job, Boston! So far... Brass: Scouts...Blue Stars close to them! Percussion: SCV Guard: SCV the rest to come after the finish! Feel free to comment.

Anyone else getting the herky jerky "chut-chut-chut-chut-chut" during the corps performances? Sort of like a skipping CD? It comes in and out about every minute or so.