splitter
-
Posts
33 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by splitter
-
-
Mike asked about that when it happened, too.. and while I don't know the exact reason, I can recall a couple of times when I was writing pretty heavily for DCW on the west coast, being in the booth pre-show and having the SCV staff come up to explain that their backfield conductor had had a family emergency and for however many days they would need to have a staff member on the back sideline to conduct parts of the show. In those cases, the judges were told about it and no penalty was assessed. It was an exception to the rule that was determined by the head judge those nights.. and when the kid's family emergency was over, he came back and everything was hunky-dory.
Perhaps Colts backfield major had a family emergency?
Stef
Both of the Colts drum majors are still on tour and doing well, however one of our pit members had to go home for a few days (doctor I think). He's been conducting a few parts in the show including the end of the ballad while the drum majors switch places. I assume that our brass guys cleared this with the judges...
Hope that answers everyones questions
-
Late 70's I seem to remember a Cavie horn with one arm.
That was 80-82, sop player...he was my high school band director.
-
My last question is--and maybe I missed it, but is the policy still the same regarding if a vet tries out with another corps are they barred that year to return to the Colts?
I honestly can't remember what Greg said when we changed to the new open audition system. I don't know that we've even had someone that it would affect yet. Greg is ultimately the one who decides all this, and if you really wanted to know all the nitty-gritty I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
When I marched though (01-02) there was a clause (?) where if you tried out somewhere else and made it, then realized that you had made a mistake and shouldn't have left Colts that you could come back, but you had lost your automatic contract and had to audition for Colts again if we had any spots left. You had to have gained a spot in another corps though, and we weren't going to kick someone out of the corps who had made the commitment from the beginning to the Colts just to take you back.
-
It is a different discussion about an "open" audition versus members gaining a spot automatically. All corps want to have a talented membership. In the 90's, with the Colts, it would have been a very rare occasion for a talented individual to be denied a position in the corps. The Colts did not offer specific positions. You were offered a membership in the corps. If a soprano spot wasn't open you may be offered a mellophone spot. No room in the bass drums, we would love to have you in the pit. Welcome to the organization. Here are 127 of your best friends, you just have not met them yet.
Both policies worked for that era of the corps. It is a new era for better or worse. Having spent a few days with the corps last summer the commitment to making the Colts the best corps possible is still there, from both the membership and the staff. If there is enough concern over how the membership is selected and retained the management will listen to the members to mold the corps to their liking, just as was done 15 years ago.
George Auffert
Hi George!!!! :) Was glad you could come out with us for awhile last year!
We still do not offer specific positions within the corps - last year we got to tour with too many high brass players and not enough low brass players (difference of three I think). We asked around, and two members stepped up and took up the contra and one a baritone. Quite a switch, but it all worked out.
I think the new "rule" was partly implemented because the vets wanted to push each other in the off season. It's definitely working - kids are coming in more prepared then ever, and I like it! They're really starting to push the staff, and that's a good thing.
I'm excited for this year - each section at the dog and pony yesterday sounded (and in the case of the guard - looked) better than ever. Now I just gotta fix all the posture in the hornline, teach technique, etc!!! Can't wait. B)
LeAnn Splitter
Visual Tech 03-06
Soprano (2nd) - 01-02
-
I think they held up well. The only problem we had was the valves getting jammed whenever there was dust in them, but that was cause the kids gernerally weren't used to such tight valve tolerances and weren't running water through them very often.
I don't think we had any other real problems. Of course they were brand new...if we don't get new ones we'll see how they last.
-
I hate field sets, or props, or whatever it is you call them. I hate them to DEATH!!
And when you become the person who is not only in charge of making sure they are built, but also in charge of keeping them maintained while on tour, then you'll understand my hate for them...
but yeah, there are time where they are very affective, and there are times when they aren't.
I hear you man...
The Colts' postcards were in sporadically the last few weeks of the season...mainly because putting them vertical (on the wheels on the back of the frame) was not really safe. So we took them out of any show we didn't have a wide enough gate to go through. Which is why they weren't in at Nightbeat.
And don't be sorry that we didn't have them in at Semis...the vis staff was thrilled not to have to deal with them for the last show of the season.
-
I am a big fan of the show this year. Balls out. Can't wait to see it again in Indy.
LeAnn, how are you gettin online so much on tour?
Go Red Team
"Ninja" Adam
Because I took a week off end of June so I could find a new apartment, and then a week off end of July so I could move, although it turns out I can't move until I get back from tour - thankfully I worked it out with my landlord so I could wait until then cause I'm supposed to be out of my apartment on semifinals day...whoops! So really I've just spent the last few days practicing my butt off to make up for the too many days on tour where I spent too much time working on the props to practice.
See ya in Indy
-
This cracks me up. You'd think they would have 1) learned the gate dimensions of their major shows and then designed the props for the smallest opening, and 2) built a prototype of the prop in the winter to get the kinks worked out of the system. I can't imagine the amount of time and money they have spent on this. It's a great idea and it does add to the show and it can work. I wish them the best of luck.
You would've thought...but it didn't happen for whatever reason. Several prototypes were constructed but as far as I know they were vetoed before staff saw them cause they weighed too much, so we didn't see them til they appeared end of June. Apparently we had some mis-information on the finals gate size as the staff was assured the props would fit through after we made necessary modifications which basically made it too time consuming to disassemble outside a gate and reassemble inside it. We would have been ok as long as we didn't have any low, narrow gates. Surprise was had by all when I was talking to a Cascades vis staff guy in San Antonio who told me that the finals gate itself was just such a low, narrow gate.
Thus the reconstruction apparently happening. :( As far as the previous post asking if the postcards are helping or hurting scores, I doubt they have much affect at all, but not having heard the Vis Effect or Ensemble tapes I don't know for sure.
-
I might say that the colts are in new territory for almost every single member except 1 who marching in 2001. Also to the fact that almost half the corps contains first year members
Well technically I think there are 3 members remaining that marched in 01. One in the hornline, two in the guard.
Adam, hope you're feeling better!
As to the original post - well I know a lot about the staff, but I'm not going to post it...hehe ^0^
-
in 05 riding with the Vis staff in the silver bullet pulling a trailor down a one way street and watching a car come at us head on. Listening to someone yelling out the window, "one way street" repeatedly and all that time JB going on about nothing but tacos. b**bs
You forgot about me leaning on the horn for a solid minute! b**bs
-
To answer some of the questions about the props....
The props are currently 26 feet by 15 feet. The back is about four feet tall to put the postcards at an angle. Only the front, picture part, of the card is in right now...we're still working on logistics for getting the back of the card in.
Yes the postcards move around the field. Each song's postcard moves into the focus at the beginning of the song, the corps marches around it, and then it exits at the beginning of the next piece. The drill was written with the cards in mind - the large negative space that used to be found in the drill (with the corps marching around or gesturing towards it) - most noticeable in the Red Pony - is now being utilized.
The frames move easily with 1 person...you need 2 to 4 for steering purposes depending on the surface (thick grass vs. turf). At no time was it ever intended for two members to move the prop during the show - always four.
As far as how effective they are...I have no idea - since I had to help move them onto and off the field at all three shows they've been in, I've been on ground level and haven't really seen them.
-
I applaud your survey
. I vote to dump the new format and return to the full retreat. It was awe inspiring, emotional, deafening, heart pounding experience each time you heard it with the full evening corps playing. It motivated my daughter to want to be part of a corps and as a parent I was proud to see her on the field after each show I went to...small or large. I appreciate the article that was on DCI website on Monday, at least we know that they are getting wind of these forums. Yet when I emailed them they are still pat in their responses with it's good for the corps because it presents "a level playing field". They don't respond to the fact that nobody is leaving the shows early and leaving the DM's there with a small support staff to take them to the next stop. Plus how do the corps get more rehearsal time if they don't leave and are they going to practice when they get there? NOT...sleep yes. I say bring it back...like the person before said..if it is not broke don't fix it. Like the amps...dump the new format <**> .
Actually corps are leaving earlier. Before when the entire corps was on the field for retreat we would leave 1.5 hours following retreat. We had to get everyone out of uniform, eat snack, and load the trucks in that time. Now we get everyone out of uniforms, eat snack, and load the trucks within 1.5 hours of getting off the field. In most cases, as soon as retreat is concluded the DMs get on the bus and they leave. If the staff is in critique the corps can still leave and the staff bus catches up. Leaving the DMs with a small support staff would not really be very feasible. Our corps vans travel with the caravan at all times, carry our volunteer cook staff, and we typically do not make our first stop for about 1.5-2 hours after departing a site. It is extremely rare for the caravan to break up, it's only happened once (earlier this year when we were in critique at the second show) in the three years I've been on staff.
Whether this is a good change or not, I don't know, but corps ARE leaving the lots earlier.
-
Did derrik play baritone because my BD marched Colts and is named Derrik. I don't know the years he marched but I think it was 01 and 02 or 00 and 01 somewhere in there.
Yes he played baritone. This Derrik only marched 02, and was much younger then me...probably in HS at the time. I believe we picked him up midseason from the Govies or something, and about all I remember about him was the incident with him causing the bus to roll nearly into a building and then him telling stories about being in a tornado. I'm guessing it's not your band director. That is the only Derrik that I remember from the years I marched, but I have a bad memory for names.
-
If you are looking for more fluidity between ranges, try the James Stamp book. It's for trumpet, I'm not sure what your instrument is, but I started using it this year. It has helped me out greatly. The results are gradual, and you may not sound to good going down into the pedle register at first, but stick with it. I do it at least four times a week since the beginning of the semester, and looking back I have increased the tone quality in my upper regester, increased fluidity thorugh the registers, and increased my stmina and endurance. An excelent warm up book from an acclaimed trumpet teacher.
I will second the Stamp book. Stamp didn't advocate direct embouchure changes, but the buzzing causes the ideal embouchure to happen naturally. My warmup everyday is Stamp buzzing and horn exercises. I started with it last year, and have been very happy with the improvements I've made. Definitely has solidified the embouchure change I made with my previous teacher (not a fun process, don't recommend it unless you really must change - I did, not cool).
-
We didn't make Finals my age out year, so my last show was Semis (no retreat). Couldn't leave them on the field at the age out ceremony because we still had shows left! So I ended up taking mine home.
A month later, I was helping out my college marching band. We had a baritone kid drop on the Thursday of game week. Our band is pretty small (like about 55 that year), so holes are like 8 step gaping spaces. So I jumped in and learned part of the drill on Thursday, marked some second trumpet music with the drill and played the only 2nd trumpet I ever played for that band! I realize that my old black marching shoes from high school are NOT going to last for this performance (about 8 years old at this point!). So.... I grabbed my white MTX shoes from my drum corps time, shoe polished them black and wore them.
It actually worked surprisingly well - took about 3 layers to completely coat them, and I had to do touch ups every time I wore them. They look convincingly like black shoes until you look at the white sole...
But I actually cheated and used those as my "dress" shoes for the rest of the year. I decided this year I better get some REAL black dress shoes since I'm a music major now and all! :)Was kinda amusing though - walk up to someone, what color are my shoes? ummm black!?! HAH nope, they're white. Ok I was bored, but what the hey!
-
Look for Yamaha, Getzen, and if you really must - Bach (but whatever you do, if you find one you like BUY THAT ONE, not another one!!!). Can you tell I'm not a Bach fan? I play a Yamaha and love it. I also played a French Besson a long time ago and thought it was a good horn, but don't remember the price on it. Some people like to snap up Olds horns on Ebay, I've never played one, but I've heard they're really good.
-
I started on an old Conn trumpet that was my cousins. It's a POS...I can't hardly play it any more because it's just so wacky! But I still have it. After 2 or 3 years on that one I ended up on the same cousins Holton MF intermediate trumpet. It was ok.... I finally got a new Yamaha in high school which I still play on... I used the Holton for awhile in marching band until I outgrew it, so I went and bought a King Cleveland at a pawn shop and sold the Holton to a friend. The King's a good horn, except that whoever the previous owner was replaced the 1st and 2nd valve slides and the 2nd valve slide doesn't quite fit...for at least 2 years after I cleaned it I could (and regularly did in pep band) blow it off the horn while playing!
I'm not going to clean it again! -
The key of the instrument tells you what concert pitch you get when you play C on that instrument (on a Bb trumpet you get a concert Bb when you play C, on a bass-clef bari you get a C, on an F horn you get an F, and so forth). I think you may be thinking of it backwards.
So...a C on the bugle is a concert G so from that I think a concert C (up a fourth from G) would be an F on the bugle (up a fourth from C)
As a check for myself - I know that my G sop plays a minor third lower than my Bb trumpet, so if I play an F on the sop it's a D on the trumpet (you have to write the sop a minor third higher to get them to play the same pitch). A D on a Bb trumpet is a concert C...wheew to much thinking this early in the morning!
Someone hit me if I'm wrong... B)
Hope that helps if it IS right!
-
The closest thing that I experienced was in 2002. I think it may have been at the Cavaliers homeshow. Anyway, the Royal Air Alumni corps had been placed between Cavaliers and Colts during retreat because the Cavaliers were going to do a presentation to them. This was one of their first shows out I think. (I was on the far left of our block nearest theirs) So we got all lined up on the field and we notice that the Royal Airs guard has formed an arc that spans not only their 10 yards but also went into both our 10 yards and Cavaliers. Now this greatly amused us all - I mean the sanctity of our "lines" must have come from somewhere, and surely wasn't THAT new. So Jared, our horn sergeant, goes over and politely explains the "line" and would they please move to the other side. They moved, but not completely out of our block, but I don't think Jared pursued it. Then we hear from one of the Royal Air horn guys (? maybe drum) say something to the effect of "You want to take it up with me?" in a vaguely threatening tone - which of course reduced us all to trying to contain our laughter since we were all at parade rest and not supposed to react to anything in retreat.
So we say that was the day the Colts nearly got into it with a bunch of old school corps alums.
Nothing but love for the Royal Airs...but that was one of the most amusing things I've ever heard.
-
I've never seen the Colts.....although, when I marched, all the talk was about their soloist (Greg Blum).
Would've loved to have seen them.
Greg Blum performed with the Marching Hundred this year. He was our guest soloist when we played "Gotta Fly Now". Pretty sweet stuff. b**bs
I've got a recording of that performance as well -- got it from Greg on CD -- from the rehearsals and the game.
:-)
Chuck
PS: Joe. . . send me your AOL IM. . . and I'll send along a little something for your New Year celebration. . .
PPS: Yo. . . Splitter. . . first beer is on you. . . then Beth and I are going to bore you to death this summer somewhere down the road!
heh...Right on! I don't even drink, but I'll buy anyway!
And I don't think you can bore me...
see you this summer!
LeAnn
-
Hey gang. . .
Any Alum looking for older Colts recordings from. . . hmmm. . . 1970 - 1974, and 1980 - 2003. . . I have all these FULL SHOWS on .mp3. . . and even some rare recordings of the Dubuque "Music On The March" 1993 performance (you gotta hear it to believe it!) and some DCM prelim recordings during various '90's years that are an interesting comparison between then and Finals. . . especially 1999, where you can hear the only recorded version of "The Abyss". . . that year's closer before "Fire Water Paper: Vietnam Oratorio" was put in. . . in fact, the day of that particular DCM recording was the first time we ran the brass line through the Scherzo from VO.
I also have all the old Banquet Videos (I was in charge of those from 1990 - 1997).
Stories?
I got a million of 'em. . . literally. . .
Anybody wanna hear 'em?
:-)
Chuck Naffier
PS: It's much easier to send files over the AOL IM thing. . . so if you want to know my IM screen-name, please email me privately via DCP.
Tell stories, tell stories!!!! b**bs
All million of them!
-
oh yeah...I remember that day. I saw your issues, but not much me or Jared could do about them. The reason it was switched was cause we were having those baritone/contra issues in the front diamond...and so the direction was switched which of course introduced those issues in your area. That was not one of the shining moments of visual rehearsal...in fact that was definitely one of my least favorite days on tour. Trying to get that move from #### to work "right" was a nightmare!!! I salute you all for making it work somehow.
-
what is with people and saying "the word" all the time, everyone should just learn not to use that word at all.
not sure. i dont know what you mean by "all the time"... but oh i do know that there were people who thought the word thing was BS. i can recall a member of the mellophone section saying it once right as we were about to take the field... i turned and said 'what??? are you trying to kill us?" or something to that effect... and they then, due to not believing it, said it AGAIN... they thought it was BS. it turns out that they fell HARD in the silent 8 counts of doom at the end of cantus at that show. afterward, upon hering this, i laughed. hard.
heh...and do they now believe?
Silent 8 counts of doom...Beatty I like your description. I prayed every time we got to that move in a show - please don't let anyone die, please don't let anyone die!!! :sshh: And I didn't even have to march it!
-
oh and to preface all of this... for people like joe smith
, who werent around in 02... way back before dekalb was even considered 'soon' we were somewhere in the midwest, and it got dark, and there were no lights outside, so we went in. and we learned some crazy visuals.. it was this horn spiral-like....rotation.... thing. now mind you, this was the beginning of june. so the middle of july rolls around, and we pull into our "housing" (parking lot) for the San Antonio show. around eh... 9 or 10 AM.. no floor time, obviously, cuz it was late, and it was a regional day... so we literally got off the bus, warmed up, and did a quick, maybe 30 minute vis block. "remember those visuals we learned at the beginning of tour? yeah they're in tonight!". so we spent maybe a half hour refreshing ourselves before the run. and then we did the run. and then we did the show. it was not good. the visual was immediately taken out for the rest of tour.between the run and the show, was when the bus went sailing down the inclined parking lot. this is why, when the bus is parked on a hill, we dont play in the driver seat.
word on the street was that people were screaming "the word" on the way to the show too... but thats just rumor.
I'm out.
Beatty...you can't forget the rewrite to the end of Concertino that we hadn't really rehearsed. We spent so much time trying to figure out how to gracefully get the corps to opposite sides of the field for the old ballad drill while playing the ballad intro that we never got a runthrough in. I was one of the unlucky ones who was 50+ yards away....jazz run in 15 counts slowly please! :sshh:
I had forgotten we'd stuck the corkscrew move in...that was pretty crazy too.
From Colts.org
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
If you haven't recently checked the Colts website, an update has been posted today including the eulogy presented by Greg Orwoll at the funeral.