Tim K

You could be correct about people being surprised. People may have made decisions regarding Blue Stars more by process of elimination. When Blue Stars returned to finals, they had three impressive years followed by a lower placement but a reasonably solid show. In 2012 they missed finals, the prediction being (at least on DCP) it would take two or three years to return, until of course they returned in 2013. 2014, people were surprised with a well done and original show. 2015's show did not finish as strong, not a lot of people predicting better for 2016 until we were caught off guard. This year, people want to see Madison return, they want to see Academy make finals again, many people believe Crossmen will continue to gain momentum, BAC is expected to surge and no one has predicted with any credibility that any corps who placed 8th or higher will fall from the top 12. So those counting out Blue Stars or not expecting much could be making that decision based on "someone has to go" and not much else.

"Band" may not be the title the author wrote. Lots of folks I know who have written for, in once case "The Boston Globe" and others for local news papers and penny savers all claim the titles of their articles are changed to try and broaden the readership. Drum and bugle corps may be too specific whereas band has a broader appeal. However what really matters is the quality of the article and it sounds like these brothers are enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

You're correct about mountains and hills in Florida: there's Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and of course Mount Gushmore, and there is perfectly manicured green grass around them too, all in Orlando at Disney, which is always one of the right places!

I agree Madison has to be stronger by the time they meet Academy, but Academy has its challenges as well. Academy has a great deal of momentum, but making finals for a second time will be difficult. I spoke with some Spirit folks in 2012 who claimed it was easier returning to finals in 2011 than making finals in 2012 due to pressure, and this was with a better show and veterans. Crossmen discovered in 2013 after 2012 that it's not easy building on the previous year. Boston Crusaders did have a good number audition, and from what I understand signed some very talented young people, but staff changes and curiosity may be part of the reason numbers are high and spots that have been filled may very well be people who followed the new staff. While I am not predicting disaster for Blue Stars or Crossmen, retention of vets could be a key factor. If there were talented age outs, and marching members have moved to other corps, namely Bloo, Crown, Cavies, Cadets, BD, or SCV, they will have to recruit people who are as good or better.

I know I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here, but Les Mis has a strong sense of Catholicism as does much of Irish literature, it I have no idea of how this could be translated into a drum corps show. Les Mis also has rebellion in it, and Irish history is filled with the little guy rebelling. Again, not sure how it could be applied to a drum corps show. That being said, Music City did a country music meets Andrew Lloyd Weber with their 2012 "Phantom of the Grand Old Opry" so it could work.

I think clean, along with demand can get tossed around a bit, and at times lose their meaning. In 2012, folks who favored Blue Devils claimed "Cabaret Voltaire" was clean and Crown and "For the Common Good" was a hot mess and folks who favored Crown pointed out all kinds of sloppy errors in BD's show, real and imagined. Saw Crown about eight times that year, Blue Devils about five, and while I had hoped Crown would win that year, Blue Devils were clean, and for Crown, percussion and some visual captions were the culprits. Now back in the day when clean could make or break a show, Bridgemen were often accused of not being clean. Watch the Legacy DVD's and they were pretty clean. So not clean probably meant not liking their long yellow coats, less than traditional (for the time) guard, and the Bridgemen shuffle.

I knew an Irish musician straight from "the auld sod" who back in the day made the round of the local nightclubs and Irish pubs. One of his signature schticts was turning any song into an Irish sounding piece. The audience would request something and he'd turn it Irish. I heard him do it rather convincingly with "O Solo Mio" and "Hava Nagala" so if Pioneer needs some help arranging, that is if he's still alive. Seriously , "Les Miserables" has lots of great music, much of which has not been performed: I don't recall any corps doing "Master of the House" which could be a fun production number and "Drink with Me" that could make a nice ballad. Good luck Pioneer.

Without going to Corpreps, my guess is the last time Blue Devils placed below 2nd was at prelims in 2015, granted that involved a penalty. In finals, ten years ago, st least. A great staff, talent, and the bonus of an anniversary makes 1st or 2nd likely. That being said, what I thought was the bolder prediction was Crown being in the top two and this's why I said the scores would have to be close.

I'm not sure Blue Devils placing third is bold unless there is a wide point spread between first and third. Crown in first or second is somewhat bold in my opinion. While momentum does seem to be with SCV, in 2014 momentum was with Crown, BD's "Felliniesque" did not seem promising to many after "Rewrite of Spring" and they ended up with a record breaking score and a show even the most anti-Blue Devils person could not help but love. Cadets in 7th may not be all that bold. if the folks who claim Cadets know how to win, talent always finds its way to the Cadets, and kinks in design have been rectified and new staff lives up to the reputation of previous staff members, 7th will be unlikely and medal contention will be a possibility. If those who claim the problems are not design or talent, and the issues are more internal, 7th may be accurate. And for those who have written off Cadets, remember "Toy Souldier" (5th in 2010) preceded "Angels and Demons" and a quick glance at Corpsreps will show Cadets out of contention one year and roaring back the next.

It really depends on the disability. Someone mentioned a hearing impaired baritone for Pioneer. I could see this accommodation, but if the person was either totally or legally blind it might be more problematic to be a marching member. I do recall seeing a young person with only one arm in the front ensemble of a corps, but I don't remember if it was a WC, OC, or DCA corps. Depending on the disability and how the corps uses the pit, a disabled person could possibly be in used the front ensemble.

When it comes to color guard, Boston Crusaders have a history of strength. In the mid 70's when I first started following drum corps, 27th had an amazing guard that was feared nationally, North Star would develop a proficient and entertaining guard that boasted of having some individuals who were believed to be the best, and BAC always had guards that more than gave both a run for their money, and since BAC predates 27th and both predate North Star, may very well as set the stage for the guard rivalry. Since WGI is 40 years old, DCI is 45, pre WGI is pretty much pre DCI. In the "tic" days, marching and maneuvering often was the key. I can remember a CYO circuit show in either 1975 or 76 that would break a tie between two corps hoping to be one of the circuit representatives in CYO Nationals. The rumor was that one of the M &M judges was so precise, he had an index card that he would attempt to insert between the feet of marching members during "concert" to make sure our heels were together and had a protractor to make sure our feet were all at the same angle. Can't say it happened, but the stress was on cleanliness. This would have been when GE began playing a more prominent role and in a very short period of time would be key, but in the days many consider the glory days, "How loud can you get," amazing drumming techniques and incredible rifle tosses won the hearts of fans, but cleanliness often wooed the judges.

Ghost , you're thanking your fellow military folks on this Armed Services Day, thank you for your service. And thank you to the young Marine in Indy a few years ago who gave away CD's to potential young recruits who could do ten chin-ups, for both your service and giving free CD's to those of us who are a bit past the potential recruit age, and in my case at least, probably could not do the chin-ups.

I knew that one, or worse was coming!

I may be able to top your hatred of "The Scarlet Letter." It was required reading between my junior and senior year in high school. I got caught reading the Cliff Notes version by my father who decided I needed to read the book to appreciate it, which I had to do in front of him. Interestingly, my father had a drug store which sold Cliff Notes, and I probably "borrowed" them from the drugstore. Since I was working at the store when I got caught, I was defrauding my boss, and since I probably would not have returned it if I hadn't got caught, it would have been employee theft or shoplifting, so it served me right. If that's not bad enough, years later I had a forced encounter with "The Scarlet Letter." You don't know hatred of that book until you've had to teach it to high school juniors in summer school in a room with no air conditioning during an exceptionally hot summer, the summer of 1988.

For prelims and semi's you're right on target. I just purchased a new camera bag, but the older bag had all kinds of pockets and compartments that were never searched and it would not have taken more than a few seconds either. Finals is a bit more thorough but still hardly adequate.

Waiting for the corps to make the announcement is a good idea, even with a anonymous screen name. DCP posters have a pretty good idea of who is who. I hit the return key too soon when I first signed up for DCP, not realizing until after I had signed up I used my first name and the initial of my last name, so it's not rocket science tobguess me. People from the Boston area know who I am, and since I am not controversial that's not a problem. Last summer at finals I purchased a ticket in a block with people who have followed the activity for years. I made a comment at semi's that was similar to a post I made on DCP the previous day. A person behind me who agreed asked "Do you use the name Tim K on Drum Corps Planet?" I also guessed other users who sat with me and I was correct. It's not hard to figure out who's who. I have nothing to lose by people discovering me, but as a marching member divulging corps confidences, it's probably not wise. The corps will let us know what it wants us to know when the time is right. That being said, I believe the last time Blue astars have been in New England for a show other than DCI (1994 and 2005) was 1981, or at least that's the last time I recall seeing them, so they are overdue a visit to the Boston area. You can tell that to the administration.

The 2011 Cadets had a bit of a roller coaster ride, placing 1st in many shows, but also placing as low as 4th. I did not see them until late season when a championship looked like a possibility but not inevitable. The difficulty and demand of "Angels and Demons" was never questioned, but many claimed the two different colored uniforms exposed flaws when the corps did not place as hoped. When Indy arrived, the two different uniforms were praised as genius, and obviously it showed how much Cadets polished that show. So I would agree the uniforms gave them an edge in 2011. Regarding Troopers, they face a huge challenge each year. We want a 2017 drum corps, but it is expected they will have a Western theme, wear the traditional uniform, and be the corps that dominated drum corps in the late 60's/early 70's. If Kilties remained a junior corps and 27th survived, they would probably have faced similar challenges competing today. When I saw the new design last year, I wasn't convinced but when I saw color photos on FB and in DCW, and then when I saw them compete, I liked the new look. I do understand the frustration many Troopers fans and alums feel. 2013-2016 have been very good years as far as Troopers shows are concerned, but the competition has been pretty stiff too. My guess would be Troopers greatest challenge comes from keeping talented marching members who want to age out in higher placing corps, the same issue many corps face. Uniforms did not play a huge part in placing 14th.

Drum solos, as they were called back in the day, were programmed as part of the show. Usually the percussion would do their thing, the colorguard would do their most amazing routines, and the hornline framed things. Two who were amazing at this were 27th Lancers and Phantom Regiment, particularly in 1979 and 1980. Audiences loved it because it was pure mastery. Today we do not see this as we did back in the day, but the percussion section is more integrated in the design as opposed to what was sometimes called "the elevator style" of marching (drum line in one formation in the middle basically going up and down the 50 yard line). You still see the mastery and the bravado though I will admit I can do without the facial expressions and overkill of bravado we sometimes see, but that's just me. Also in our digital age close ups are easier and zoom lenses have come down in price and film is no longer used, which makes photography at shows easier, so maybe the facial expressions have been there for years but we never got the close ups. However, if there was a recent show with a drumline that I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer it would be 2013 Cadets. I believe they won the percussion caption that year and design, talent, and style were spot on.

I'm not hoping to see a return of the Bridgemen through Surf. Bridgemen were very much a product of their time and while I do think the tribute show worked, it would have gotten old fast if they did, let's say Bridgemania II. What I do believe is there was a drive and a momentum in 2012 that continued to 2013. That, combined with a bit more of a push for excellence, would go a long way for the corps. Regarding mg those who left for a more competitive and intense drum corps experience with DCA, with the exception of C2, did they move for the more intense experience, or did they leave when Surf included San Antonio in their tour which great.y changed their touring schedule, increased dues, and made working part time and marching impossible? Go back to DCP posts of 2011-2012-2013 and you'll see this was an issue.

You have some valid points, but I still have to agree with Liahona's assessment. When a Surf moved to WC, their shows had good points but were somewhat generic. Bridgemania gave them a personality and some Bridgemen alums, no doubt buddies of Bob Jacobs, mentored them and instilled a confidence in them. That remained a bit in 2013. I do think that in 2015 when they had a more whimsical show that did not produce the desired results, you would hear that all that mattered was being an audience favorite or having fun, invoking the memory of Bridgemen and last year North Star, forgetting that Bridgemen were fierce competitors with challenging shows who loved beating other corps at their own game and North Star loved being a thorn in the side of Boston Crusaders, 27th and Madison, especially in 1979. I don't recall ever hearing from anyone who marched with North Star it was only about the audience or having fun. Bridgemania should have been a starting point and built on. Some of the silliness should go, and yes you can still entertain an audience and be competitive, but what they accomplished in 2012 is what they need again and should build upon it.

It's not as bad in Boston as was predicted, but if you were planning on taking Mom out to enjoy a dinner or activity at an outdoor venue, it was a wash out.

When I first saw the show announcement on Facebook, it struck me as having a contemporary feel, but it also feels a bit of a departure for the corps, but in a more challenging direction. It will be interesting to see what happens. Liahona believes, and I agree, Surf is best when the do Bridgemania type shows. What I remember with both 2012 and 2013 is seeing excitement by marching members at the beginning of the season that continued till Indy. In 2012 and 2013, they were audience darlings had people at semi's eating out of their hands. I would love to see that happen again and an audience friendly show that engages the marching members could do it.

Blue Devils winning is never a bold prediction. What would shock people is BD falling below 2nd. SCV does seem to have preseason momentum, and quite a few believe that since both are celebrating anniversaries, we could see great things. However, for SCV to place in the top three, let alone win, one corps has to fall. Just as Crown had a huge act to follow in 2014, Bloo has that same challenge this year. It could be more difficult for Bluecoats since their all about being innovative, but if I had to predict whether Crown or Bluecoats falls from the top three, I would have to say Crown. Crown will have amazing brass, maybe things will improve a bit as far as percussion is concerned, but visually they will have challenges with key colorguard departures. The strength of Crown's brass and visual have often made up for lower placing percussion. If visual/guard is compromised, this could make things difficult.

I agree we will see BAC move ahead, certainly higher than 12th, possibly as high as 7th and I'd have no complaints if they placed higher, though the new staff may need to have a season working together to expect higher than 7th. Based on last season and off season chatter there's no reason to believe that Crossmen will not do at least as well as last year though the strengths or weaknesses of Phantom could present a challenge here. Regarding Blue Stars, I don't put too much stock in what I hear until I see a show. After 2012, the prediction was it would take two or three years to make finals again, 2013 disproved that theory and in 2014 their show's creativity caught people by surprise. 2015 was going to push them ahead, it plateaued early. 2016, Wagner would be iffy, it was one of the most moving musical moments of the season. So with Blue Stars it's wait and see. Academy is still a wild card for me, most likely a finalist, but not a guarantee. Madison is the key here. A stronger Madison puts someone in jeopardy.

Actually I'm chaperoning a bus trip of kid on a trip to Washington, D.C., and we just saw Inside Out, so it's on my mind. Any humor is appreciated!