Quuadz61
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Posts posted by Quuadz61
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Get used to the scouts connection for visual design as well.
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New guard caption head at SCV.
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Don't place that bet
ohhh, very interesting indeed. Perhaps Marc Sylvester from BK?
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If it's not Gaines I bet it will be Pete Weber.
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Mamie ?
Evan. Former crown dm, crown and scouts brass staff.
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A good appointment however............ why has Donnie VanDoren been appointed The Troopers Program and Staff Consultant and not their brass caption head?
Because there's another young whippersnapper that also goes by the name VanDoren...
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Oh, one last thing.....
Yelling at the kids is never productive. I wish this activity would finally learn this. Funny, I hear rumors that BD's staff yells the least of any. Maybe there is something to their 15 titles that goes beyond the obvious. Maybe BD is the only one who has....well.......a LOT..........of things figured out and the rest of the activity is doing things backwards.
Reminds me of story I once heard of someone who needed to get out of a burning building so they tried slamming themselves into a wall over and over again to try and get out until they were a burning bloody mess. The unfortunate part was, there was a door nearby that would have saved their lives if they had just walked through it.
How often do so many corps beat themselves into a bloody mess when all they have to do is walk through a door to get where they want to go (insert 05 Cadets joke now)?
This!!!! Yes!!! Thank you!!!
I will never understand why people think screaming at someone is because they just have soooo much passion for the activity and the students. Forget that. Yelling only means that their educational and communicative skills don't go beyond a basic level, particularly in Mr. Welborn's case when all he did was either cut the rep and scream RESET!! Or he let them finish and then berated them and explained that they all already possessed the information that they needed and that no field staff should make any corrections. This went on for an hour on the same chunk of music...clearly they could have used some information Mr. Welborn.
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I know that the outside looking in is never the same, but every year I take my HS drumline kids around to different drum corps rehearsals so they can view how different corps do things, but how everyone does it at a high level. Two years back, I was absolutely embarrassed when I took them to one of the Troopers rehearsals. A percussion staff member, I'm not sure if the caption head or just a tech, did a lot of yelling, but very little of it felt productive and WAY over-the-top. Immediately following we went and saw Glassmen and Blue Stars and both of them were class acts the whole way around. It's a shame, because I like the Troopers' style, but that rehearsal turned me off so much that I have always advised my students to go elsewhere. I understand that some groups thrive in that type of environment, but maybe that style of teaching just wasn't a good fit for Troop. It didn't appear to be on that particular day.
Sounds like Kevin welborn to me...I too took some students to one of their percussion ensembles and was appalled by the "instruction" taking place from supposed world class educators.
Nick Benson announced his resignation after five years today from what I hear, so there will be a new drill writer at the very least.
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I feel like all these things are design- not instructional. The corps performed very well last year, no matter the design. Replacing them just makes for even more uncertainty.
Not uncertainty if the replacements have proven results. The new brass staff will be the envy of many in the top 12.
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Excuse me, but as someone who marched under that staff for three years, I hope they aren't gone. They are the most incredibly talented teachers I have had the pleasure of working with, and I hope many others have the opportunity to receive their world class instruction. The troopers membership has no complaints about our staff.
The membership should never complain about staff- unless they're being subjected to something hurtful, cruel, or unusual, that isn't their place within the organization. You also spent three years getting to know them personally and joking around with them, of course you're going to think they're great.
Additionally, as "incredibly talented" as you may be under the assumption that they are, it is well documented via recaps and many fan's opinions on here that they may not be as hot to trot as you suggest...both from a design perspective AND a technician perspective. Note that I am NOT saying anyone that is on staff there or formerly on staff there has no talent, just saying that the past few years haven't provided a whole lot of support for your argument.
As a drum corps fan and music educator I expect to be entertained by the shows that I shell out a great deal of money for myself and my family to see. I WANT to get out of my seat and throw babies and buy a bunch of shirts are the souvenir booths, but I refuse to do it when I am extremely bored by a corps on the field. The Troopers are a fantastic organization and historically they have had some seriously entertaining shows. But as of late it's been nothing but extremely droll and boring shows that have maybe one or two effective moments including my favorite effect moments- PLAYING REALLY WELL! I applaud the administration for finally realizing that there needed to be a change and are putting it in motion. Make me excited and don't make me think about buying a shirt- force my butt out of the seat by producing an excellent show.
With all of that said, I admire your defense of the staff that probably taught you many things not only about drum corps and music, but life as well.
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Ensemble balance is in the ear of the beholder. Not everyone enjoys the same balance so just try to get seats a bit further up if you prefer to not hear so much front ensemble.
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My information is correct- they've already hired a new brass caption head that combines youth and a fresh approach with an extremely developed technique program that one might even say is in the family...but I've already said too much.
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FWIW you can't judge everything by what you heard on the Fan Network. The audio/video team from DCI tends to put some of the mics right in front of the speaker stacks and then doesn't account for this when they are balancing out their own recordings. I've noticed this every time I've seen the Big, Loud, and Live events and then compared it to what it was like when I saw the shows live.
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They design the shows for the judges ears. If you were sitting near the judges you would have received the proper balance. Live sound is a really tough and sensitive gig in this activity and it's pretty much impossible to make everyone happy. In the end this thing is a competition so the corps are going to balance the show for the people in the green shirts.
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Full Troopers staff is gone! I hope they get some people in there that create an EXCITING production and finally get that drumline and pit playing some real music!!
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I predict that at least one corps will fold. Said corps was a powerhouse in the 2000's but has recently had a number of issues and slipped a bit.
Other than that-
1. Crown
2. Cadets
3. SCV
4. Blue Devils
5. Cavaliers
6. Bluecoats
7. Boston
8. Madison
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The housing issue is also something that needs to be solved, particularly if Finals week does not move up a week or so and everything remains in Indianapolis.
Garfield, what's the over/under on what you're talking about coming to public light in 90 days.
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It seems that DCI may need to take a more regional approach in the future or change the touring model to make it more economically viable. I'm not sure a DCM/S/W/E system would necessarily happen, but perhaps that could spark more groups that could afford to compete on the smaller scale and then the "bigger" groups would compete on the national scale at the end of the season not unlike what many groups do for WGI- which seems to become more and more popular every year.
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I don't think they need to be western at all. Just be good and engaging. Should they play dubstep? Probably not, but I really don't think anyone should be doing that.
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Well, Troop didn't win in the audience department nor on the judging sheets, so let's see some changes and make me get out of my seat and yell!
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Certain corps just shouldn't have to play the game. Troopers are one of them. There's nothing wrong with playing Copland (loud) ... nothing wrong with wearing a uniform that is 1000 years old (no thanks demoulin or whomever) ... nothing wrong with a Sunburst .... nothing wrong with a huge U.S. belt buckle and rawhide gloves. Who cares .... you're not in the top 3 and haven't been for almost 40 years. It would be one thing if they were stuck at 5th and could never win ... but that's not where this corps is. Take my mind to the prairie .. make me yell HEEEYAHHHHHH! ... make me sing a hymn with you ... I want to smell a campfire while you're on the field. Those are the Troopers we grew up loving.
BE THE TROOPERS! You will get the same fan response as Surf did this year .. and if anybody won DCI this year .. it's Surf.
I disagree with you in that no one should settle for less than the absolute best. I agree with you on pretty much all other counts. I want the troopers to be outstanding, entertaining, and MEMORABLE because they did all of the things you listed above, but even more so to get back to being the INNOVATIVE corps they were way back when and get back into the competition and kick some corps ##### while making the crowd go wild. Heck, it might even sell some t shirts.
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I have heard rumors that once the Mason Ent. Group has established Madison as a top 5 corps, then Troopers is their next stop
This is not what I've heard, and even if there is some validity to that- we're talking a few years down the road minimum to establish Madison in the top 5. Not saying it can't be done, just trying to be a realist.
Reeves and Co. Need to be gone now, or in reality after last year when the percussion was defeated by Blue Decils B with a decent spread- but that's neither here nor there.
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David Reeves has GOT to go at the very least. He has produced two shows that lulled me to sleep in the first minute or two (watching live, mind you) and that's not what those kids deserve.
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Sources say that extreme change is coming to the Troopers organization. I'm really hoping its true!!
Troopers 2013
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
I personally am extremely excited to see this corps get back on the right track! I'm very glad that Fred Morris finally decided enough was enough and cleared house of the team. I'd love to buy him a beer if I ever met him!