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Posts posted by Cleveland1
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1 hour ago, Box5Opinion said:
One win is not a trend, caption award dominance maybe but this is too early to tell.
While i definitely agree that people should pump the brakes on this a bit, I think there is a strong case to be made. Assuming that SCV staff retention is high for the near future. This staff knows how to make a winner and they've methodically improved every aspect of the corps over the last decade. The corps was treading water in the late 2000s in terms of competitive placement. While the corps was getting closer after adding the rennicks and shaw (and others but they are the bigger names), it wasn't until last season when Gaines stepped in that they medaled. Even with him coming in late to the process for Ouroboros, you still felt his impact on the show. Just a reminder that once he became the drill designer and visual coordinator for the Cavies, they medaled 12/14 years. Once he left they dropped to 8th. While a corps is definitely far greater than one person, his impact is substantial and immediate. I just don't imagine SCV not putting out shows that are competing for a championship in most years as long as this staff is together.
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8 minutes ago, wvu80 said:
Unrelated: I've been a part of many non-profit and quasi-governmental boards. I have NEVER heard of the director being on the board!
The director runs the organization according to the board's direction. To have the director as a board member is a clear conflict of interest, and he should resign one position or the other.
Its not legal in some states, Wisconsin appears to not be one of those. However even then its not considered a good practice, for good reason. I dont think anyone would recommend it, but it can sometimes be a positive temporary move for a struggling organization with an apathetic board.
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1 hour ago, Cappybara said:
Sure, but how many corps would be willing to risk a new addition on the final night of the season without knowing how the judges would react to it?
Considering how often (some) corps tinker towards the end, plenty of them would. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. I'm not exactly sure what it would look like, but i can't imagine that corps wouldn't try to utilize that extra minute of teardown to add something to the field. They are already on a tight schedule, the limits end up factoring into what the corps can and cant do with their design.
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42 minutes ago, dcikon2 said:
I am not familiar with the problems Pioneer is facing.
I second this.
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4 minutes ago, mcjordansc said:
That is why an extra minute is given at finals only.
True. But couldnt tge corps use that to introduce a new prop for finals specifically?
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I like the idea, but think corps would utilize that time for more complex props to be taken down and/or moved than to take advantage of a bow.
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Oh lordy the amount of salt in this thread is something else.
As others pointed out, this is the direction the activity has been going... For years. In large part following BD's lead in design, but of course influenced by similar and related activities like WGI and BOA. And while you can say "well if you like that stuff go watch that and leave me my dci like it was in x year" its just so silly. The activity has always evolved. It cannot rewind. It may some day come back around where drill is a bigger focal point, its hard to predict that. A decade ago you could not have imagined SCV's show, but here we are.
We are entering a new era of dci, if you want to identify things by eras. And while there are some individuals that can try to guide the direction of the activity through innovation, most of this will still be happening outside of dci itself.
But lets keep in mind that SCV made this show, that seems to have personally offended some people in this thread, with several legends of the activity on their staff. The same Gaines that was foundational to the cavies success in the prior decade was also, seemingly, what SCV needed to push its design over the top over the last couple years. One of the things Gaines was always able to do at the Cavies was make things look way harder than they actually were to execute. He does the same thing now, but tooling the design to new concepts of difficulty.
At the end of the day, the champion is (generally) excellent technically and has a show that has the "it" factor. Sometimes more of one than the other. If the activity is headed towards a heavier focus on keeping the corps between the 25s and in the front half of the field, those are the same rules all the corps are going to have to play by (if they want to compete at the highest levels). Performance and excellence is still how the champion is determined. That's how it always has been, and as long as there are performances to judge it will continue to be so.
I think i ranted enough. Goodnight
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I don't envy their staff right now. Babylon was a grand slam, putting out a show that can repeat is even harder. They have the personnel to do it though, top to bottom.
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Santa Clara Vanguard: Babylon (probably will be true after the emotion tonight goes away)
Blue Devils: 1930
Bluecoats: kinetic noise
Carolina Crown: for the common good
Boston Crusaders: revolution
The Cavaliers: 15 minutes of fame
The Cadets: side >< side
Blue Stars: la reve
Blue Knights: because
Mandarins: life rite after
Phantom Regiment: into the light
Crossmen: above and beyond
Spirit of Atlanta: ATL confidential
Colts: Dark Side of the Rainbow
The Academy: left of spring
Madison Scouts: new york mourning
Troopers: The road home
Pacific Crest: the spectrum
Music City: phantoms of the grand ole opera
Oregon Crusaders: dreaming in color
Genesis: mozaic
Seattle Cascades: intergalactic
Jersey Surf: Bridgemania
Pioneer: irish immigrants: the hands that built america
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Phantom has to make some moves, right?
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Dean at Phantom, dude was amazing. I'll never forget being at the TOC show in New Jersey 2012 where it started to rain. The staff wanted to end the show there, Dean didn't flinch and kept the show going. Loved that, we were all so jazzed because of him. If Dean pulls the corps out at that point, i don't know what the rest of the night would have been. Most corps ended up still performing but without electronics (except i think BD and Crown)
That season also had Thompson Vou at Boston who was a tremendous DM in his own right. If you sat close enough to the front you could hear his intensity with every stomp on the podium. SCV had Justin Cunha that year too, who was probably my favorite SCV DM since I started following the activity in 09.
2012 was a good year for drum majors.
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First time seeing any of these shows live this year (watched these on Flo Atlanta)
Mandarins- I dig the show, particularly the ending. The middle kind of loses me, but visually its very nice and I'm excited to cheer them on at finals. What a rise by this corps, hopefully they can keep it going for future seasons.
Crossmen- A lot of energy in the show but also terrifying towards the end, what in the world was that. I also didn't like how often the hourglass moved throughout the field, it was somewhat distracting. My attention was drawn to it ever time it moved.
Blue Knights- Another risky show. I like it but I don't "feel" the theme that much. However I love that they aren't afraid of tension, darkness, and dissonance. Their sound is very unique in drum corps right now. Their look is also unique, love the individualized uniforms.
Cavies- fun show that drives its message across. Sounds and looks like a cavies show too. Good stuff, don't have a lot of thoughts on it though.
Boston- not my favorite boston show over the last decade, but its certainly a good show. And the quality of the corps is rock solid. I love the wave ending though it was hard to really see live where I was.
Crown- Loved some of the choices they made in this show, and the quality of the performance is very high all around. Unfortunately the design seems to fall short of prior years and they deserve their position, which isn't bad at all. but I was hoping for them to challenge for 3rd.
Vanguard- holy jebus this show is fire. From start to finish the energy and skill is amazing. Its the only show this year I am craving to see at finals. The duet is magical and that hit...man that might be my favorite DCI moment this year. Also that drum major has serious swag.
Bluecoats- Its a nice show that feels like something BD left on the cutting room floor. Visually its very playful. Musically i can't help but hear a lot of goo. Especially following SCV where they seemed to keep the goo low, or maybe they were just better at mixing (or both). However they play the hell out of the show and its always fun seeing the bluecoats in Massillon.
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Pretty speechless at this whole thing. I echo the statements in this thread that hopefully there will be a reckoning for all abusers in the activity. I have no idea how widespread it may be but I also hope DCI betters itself and survives this.
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1 hour ago, Bruckner8 said:
Not only did you not "read a lot of this," you didn't even read all of the original post, cuz I covered all of this. Stability is key. Success breeds success, duh. CI only tried to explain two things:
1) When it's close, the nod will always go to the corps that has already done it. (I also said this was human nature, and I don't blame the judges one bit)2) The data says "One won't win unless one fist comes in 2nd or 3rd in a prior year, and chances are better when it's recent"
BD as more inertia than ANYONE, PERIOD, AND THEY'VE EARNED IT. THEY ARE ALWAYS DARN GOOD. Let's say an entirely new corps from a different country came over here, and was "as good as" BD. Do you think that corps would ever get a tenth when it's that close? HELL NO. It's human nature to stick with the known, especially when the known has made calls, talked to you in critique for 20 years, etc IT'S HUMAN NATURE (I'm trying to be clear that I don't think it's unfair, per se) That new corps will have to be 2 points better in order to win by a tenth. "Better luck next year, buddy!"
Make no mistake: GAINES IS FULL OF INERTIA. Not only is he THAT GOOD, but everyone gives him an extra tenth just because of the history! And I have no problem with it...it's human nature...the entire point of the CI theory is to acknowledge it, understand it, embrace it, work with it! Build your own CI! Now, a brand new judge, has to listen to all the dos and don'ts. You're kidding yourself if you think they're given a clean slate. No way. They are "taught" how to manage numbers (code for "slotting properly").
Boston: All of those acquisitions have mad respect in the judging community (CI), and they're very good at what they do. Boston's placement is not a surprise.
Cadets are losing CI faster than we can observe. They should probably be even lower (last year and this year). I covered this phenom in the original post too.
No, i read it. I get it. But other corps have had success and a stable staff and have still fallen behind bd despite the inertia keeping them up.
I just dont think that a judge sees an scv show, or cavies show in the past, and thinks "gaines designed this, ill give them a bump". Hes a master at what he does because he knows what the judges want (like BD)
Im aware, im just disagreeing with the idea of the "inertia". Some staff knows how to do it, others are good but not great. At the end of the day the shows that resonate with the sheets, as per the interpretation of the judges, wins. I do think that if you gave a no name corps from Norway the same show as BD and they performed it as well as BD, they too would have won.
I feel the phenomenon of winning after medaling exists because of retention and improved new MMs the following year.
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10 minutes ago, snare_guy_83 said:
NO MORE APPALACHIAN SPRING!!!!! It's been played like 35 times.
Yeah but not by a top corps for a few years...
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11 hours ago, Bruckner8 said:
We'll need Boston to win without first coming in 2nd or 3rd in a prior year to debunk CI.
We need Boston to win soon, and to do it without first coming in 2nd or 3rd. I'd love it if they won next year. Probably 4th is the best they can hope for...and then maybe 1st in 2019?
Eh, after reading through a lot of this im still on the fence aout competitive inertia. Success in dci is as much about the designers as it is about the mms, if not more so. Scv seemed to lack some piece of the puzzle still after getting shaw, rennicks, and bloo brass staff over 2010-2012. Gaines comes in and the show is immediately silver and could have been gold with a weaker BD show. Its not inertia, its the team. They need another gold quality show to win the gold.
Boston also illustrates this. Acquire new staff in 2016 from a top corps, all of a sudden BAC is top 6 after barely making finals the year before. I wouldnt be surprised if they medal next year.
There only appears to be inertia because designers at top corps are less likely to leave, especially if they are on the cusp. If shaw and rennicks didn't leave phantom they wouldnt be in the 6-8 range. If gaines never left cavies they wouldn't have fallen so far and are just now getting back into contention.
BD isn't successful because of inertia, its because of the stability. They, in theory, should have faded at some point, as all other corps have done. But instead, despite the efforts of every other corps who has won a title in the last decade (cadets, cavies, crown, bloo) BD has been in the top 2 every year. They last were 3rd in 06 and didn't medal in 05 (prior to that was early 90s). Unless the theory of competitive inertia accounts for BD being the default champion and only having room for 1 other contender at a time, its bunk. Next year some corps will win or BD, will it be SCV? Crown? Bloo? Boston? Cavies? I dont know, but despite these corps trending upwards over the last few years BD is not dropping.
BK is also another one. They've seemed to max out at 6th-8th in design. They only were 6th because of cavies and phantom both losing themselves and Boston stumbling as well. Which is not to take anything from BK, i do love their shows and how the corps has improved every year. But no amount of competitive inertia is going to push them into a medal, only getting a top tier designer will. Until then, they will be below scv, bd, crown, bloo at the very least.
This is like college athletics. Some teams are blue bloods and are always a danger to win it all despite the participant turnover, because the staff is consistently excellent. BD is bama, and even if other teams get better, bama is still going to be the favorite. And even though clemson won last year, like bluecoats, clemson probably wont be challenging for the playoff at the end of the season.
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3 hours ago, Jeremy Denzer said:
With a score that barely would have them in open class finals it may be time to reconsider staying in world class....are the kids really getting the best experience? At least if they were to compete in open class they would get three performances during championship week.
Its not as though score doesn't matter to Pioneer, but its not the main priority. They run a pretty efficient ship financially and going to OC would put that in jeopardy.
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1 hour ago, Brian Prato said:
Jersey Surf's 501c3 has been reinstated effective 7/20/17.
Nice, thank you. I was just going by old info
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11 minutes ago, phd-student-TTU said:
What is the financial state of the organization in recent years under his leadership?
Based purely on their 990, its not as weak as youre making it out to be. A nonprofit of YEA's size can run budget deficits, and said deficits are smaller than they were in years past. Meanwhile they have a solid amount of cash reserves on hand and still have a lot of assets.
However i believe he is the highest paid person in dci.
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1 minute ago, 90svet said:
Any wonder that they needed to make a mid-season pitch for $100k? Lack of financial discipline....and to think that many people blindly threw donations to Legends without the Director first providing detailed plan for deployment of the funds. Nobody else finds it odd that exactly $100k was requested? Seems that if they truly had an understanding of their outflows needed to get through Finals, the requested amount would not have been such a round number.
i certainly hope that the $100k does not get squandered away (e.g., on repairs to a personal vehicle when Director should have been traveling on bus/RV/van).
No clue. We might never know. But here are a few things.
They asked right at the beginning of the dci giving campaign, which may be coincidence.
Giving a corps $100k wont solve their problems. In 2012 that 100k would have been 1/4 of their budget. I know that they've probably grown a bunch by now, but its still a lot of their revenue. At glassmen's worst an influx of $100k wouldn't have made much of a dent.
Guidestar says theyve gained tax exempt status this year, so we may see a 990 for the 2016 season. We wont know about this year until next year's 990, but we will have a snapshot at what may have been needed.
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I was expecting chaos by now...
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4 hours ago, BlueStainGlass said:
Not a financial model to have a steady income. BD has system Blue and Crown has the CrownGuard store with tarps and etc. What could legends do to stabilize for the future for instance?
Legends last 990 was 2012 and theyve lost their tax exempt status after not filing a 990 since (you lose it after 3 years) same with surf. Both were (seemingly) running into trouble back then when they stopped filing by going into the negative on cash on hand. If they have filed its impossible to find...
Theres no harm in taking a year off to stabilize the books, and if you cant then you shouldn't be in the business. If the glassmen did that in 2010/11 instead of just plowing through, they might either still be around or could actually be revived. Not every corps can manage a large amount of debt, like Boston.
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19 minutes ago, MikeRapp said:
The highest Knights ever placed in visual?
I love what Knights do musically, as I have said many times here. But like it or not, drum corps has become a visual activity. Too much so, in my opinion. If your goal is to medal (and it may not be) then visual has to be merged into the concept. It cant be a prop, or a tarp, or a bunch of mirrors. Visual has to be central, with the music.
Again, I am not saying the goal should be to medal. But it is very clear what you have to do to medal.
Im responding to your claim that they dont design their shows with visual in mind. 2017 seemzms to be an exception.
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11 minutes ago, MikeRapp said:
Blue Knights appear to begin their design concept discussions with music, and then much later in the game throw in visual ideas. None of their visual concepts ever feel central to the basic show.
Completely disagree in 2013, 2014, and 2016
SCV's show was an epic musical success
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
As a person who has never taken a music theory class and majored in political science with a minor in legal philosophy and has an MPA, i found the show to be fantastic both musically and visually. I noticed new things each time i watched, which was only a few times. I did like it more the more i watched it... Because it was a pretty darn good show. I think i could watch it without sound and be entertained by the visuals and staging, same with just listening to the music. Both sides of the production communicate such energy, and they work so well together. I think its the most complete show I've seen since Crown E=MC2