Tim K

I didn't know George was responsible for the Chicago fire and Pearl Harbor. His hair really does look great considering his age!

I remember when just the top five performances were aired on PBS, but I thought it aired after finals and not live, perhaps as late as Labor Day weekend, so the show could have been edited. Also, if memory serves me correctly, in 1988 only the top five aired, at least in the Boston area and we saw highlights of six through twelve in a very random order due to drawing the numbers. While I do not question that Mr. Hopkins could have made a "passionate plea" in 1989 to do away with the prior year champions performing last, as only he could do in an attempt to make sure Cadets appeared on television (hands down, he's always been the best at using publicity positively which is a major reason the corps has survived), Madison performing last would not have been his major issue since 6th place was a real possibility for Cadets. Star of Indiana had an up and down year in 1989, or perhaps the more accurate way of stating it would be up and upper year since it was very successful and they were well in position to place in the top 5 at finals and were neck and neck with Cadets all year.

I suppose from time to time we all need a break from things. Many years I attend six or seven concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other times I take a break. It's not that I don't love the symphony or have turned my back on classical music, it's just need a change. Then I turn and they may be performing their old stand-by, Brahms' Symphony #1 and it's as if I'm hearing it for the first time. I've also been a member of the Museum of Fine Arts and love spending my days off relaxing at the museum, but again I get tired of it. It doesn't mean Monet is no longer a master, it's just I need a change of pace. I do not have children of my own, but I do work with young people and I have nieces, nephews, and my cousins have children. I have been to my share of horrible Little League games, bad plays, and art exhibits where some pieces are so bad, they are funny. And I usually enjoy these events. I've also been to Little League games where there is a player you know you'll be saying, "I remember him when...," a school art show where you know that the kid who painted that water color will one day be in a famous gallery and you won't be able to afford the painting, and the kid who had the lead in the play will be on Broadway or a major film star. I enjoy these activities too, but whether phenomena or horrendous, I always remember that kids are involved, and that makes it enjoyable. The same holds true for drum corps. When I remember that the kids marching are kids, talented, yes, but kids none-the-less, and for me that puts everything in perspective. I can debate the old school v. new school, Key of G v. B-flat, yes to props and amplification or no to all modernization in drum corps as well as the best of them or be as wrong as the worst of them (I've been in both categories from time to time). I also know that a good deal of what I find on DCP is not what I find in the stands at shows. For example we have debated on this site whether a certain director is worse than the devil himself, but the only comments I hear at shows is usually about his hair color. Corps that are controversial on certain posts are well received in the stands. Now all of this is easy for me to say, I am a fan, a consummate one, yes, a knowledgeable one, well that's up to debate. The original poster has been a marching member, instructor and director so his pulling away from the activity is more of an issue. I think a break is well deserved, but hopefully it's a break and not burn-out.

Your replies have been accurate, at least from my perspective. One of my many hats includes being an administrator of a religious based school and while the principal handless most issues, problems that can't be solved come to me. And yes, it is easy to get an administrator PO'd. Overall parents praise and agree with most rules, however, many parents believe their kids are the exception of the very rules they support and praise. Now as far as whether representing the school at the Model UN or being a baritone for Bluecoats is more helpful for a band program, some may claim the Model UN is the better experience. Now before anyone jumps down my throats, this is not an anti-Bluecoats statement. I love Bluecoats, I purchase their t-shirts, clap and "bloo" at the same time after their, and personally thanked some of their staff members for performing "Autumn Leaves" for the encore at Bristol, RI. No, I base this claim on a helpful hint provided by the young David Haven of JD Funcorps and SOA fame. In his video on Post Drum Corps Blues, he suggests that when marching members return to their schools, they should not be arrogant and give drum corps a bad name because drum corps and marching band are two different entities. So if a former marching member returns arrogant, the Model UN member may be of more value. I have put on enough plays to know that a "Master Thespian" or "Prima Donna" may make a production memorable, but the kids who want to work and the ones needed o make it happen.

I do think high school programs have improved over the years, and today many of the young people in drum corps are products if these excellent programs, but if you look at areas where drum corps was strongest back in the day, it's not where the hotbeds of drum corps once were and two examples would be Massachusetts and New Jersey. In the DCI era, Massachusetts had three well known and well loved drum corps: Boston Crusaders, 27th Lancers, and North Star. There were other very good corps as well, namely Holy Family Defenders, Pembroke Imperials, St. Francis Sancians, IC Reveries, and Beverly Cardinals. Though they competed prior to DCI, some may recall names such as St, Kevin's Emerald Knights, the Majestic Knights, and Queensmen. There were also many local favorites. When 27th Lancers folded in 1986, there were very few corps left and I believe since 1987 Boston Crusaders have been eth only corps to compete in World Class (East Coast Jazz and Citations were Open Class) Now Massachusetts high schools od have some very good marching bands who compete, I don't know that any of them compete in YEA or BOA. and while there have been some excellent bands, none have been at the high competitive levels of the drum corps Massachusetts produced. In New Jersey, the saying sued to go "If you were in the top 5 in New Jersey, you were in the top 10 nationally..." That was a bit before my time, and I am not sure Corpsreps or From the Pressbox would agree, and while l I know there are some excellent bands from New Jersey, I do not believe they dominate the scene. It's also interesting that Florida and Texas have a host of excellent bands, but Florida has yet to maintain corps for a substantial period of time and whiel Sky Ryders called Texas home for a while and Crossmen have relocated to Texas, Texas has not had a native born corps last all that long. Excellent band programs do produce many of today's marching members, but they have little of anything to do with the demise of drum corps, rather they filled the gap drum corps left after they disbanded.

I'm a bit mixed regarding Drum Line Battle and Sound Sport though I was initially enthused, but if I had to say keep it or scrap it, I'd say keep it. I guess I expected Drumline Battle to be more like WGI percussion events, though when I said this in another thread it was pointed it that this was never the intention and I attended enough shows this summer where the concept was demonstrated, so I should have known. That being said, one legitimate issue I had with Drum Line Battle was the inability to see what was happening, and since many people came and went throughout the show, I don't think I was the only person who had this issue. I think this issue could easily be solved by providing a venue other than where it was held this year. I do know this runs into cost, and DCI supposedly wants to keep costs as low as possible so a good number of units will participate, which is an excellent idea, but if it can't be seen and enjoyed, it may be counterproductive to hold the event Now judging from the enthusiasm of those who were able to see the event, and the age of those who were able to see and enjoy the event, it should be a keeper. It had a huge appeal to younger people, and while most were probably members of drum corps or people attending DCI, there were some groups not affiliated with DCI and I'm sure their fans attended. If these same people went to finals, then that's a positive thing. Soundsport also needs a venue, perhaps more than Drumline Battle. Outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, with the not sun pounding down on concrete and asphalt with very few seats is not enjoyable to most people and that's where Soundsport was held and the numbers were very low So with better venues that make it an enjoyable experience, both events could be successful and when I speak of venue I'm not talking Lucas Oil Stadium. A baseball field at could do the trick. It would be small enough for the intimacy needed for Soundsport and clos enough for the "in your face" of Drumline Battle. A high school or small college would more than have the space needed since souvenirs and refreshments could be sold, the event could still be free and DCI could recoup the cost from the profits.

I always believe those who were there, but the 27th Lancers website does say that the 1982 corps was composed of almost an entirely new corps and staff. Posts on this site which may not always be accurate claim there was a mass exodus to Garfield. Regardless of whether members joined Garfield or not, I still enjoyed the 1982 show.

I had to make a correction and the post was edited, so that may be the reason for the negative votes.

I've had two "careers" in my lifetime, both have been rewarding, and both have allowed me to give 100%. However, my dream was to be a writer, and not just a writer, I loved miniseries like "Roots" and became addicted to "Dallas" so in high school I began writing a novel about a family coming from Ireland, rising to the top, like "Roots" but they'd come to a crashing halt like a "Dallas" episode. Keep in mind I was only a sophomore in high school. It never dawned on me my idea was not all that original, but I took it seriously. I researched immigration, wrote an elaborate outlines, submitted a sample chapter that gave me the opportunity to attend a creative writing symposium on a scholarship, and taught me other lessons. Needless to say I never completed the novel, but since one of my careers was teaching, and I taught language arts, I had to do a great deal of writing, get kids to read, and teach children how to express their ideas. The writing skills were essential. So, if you are a drum corps nut who loves the activity wants it to never end, you may want to consider teaching and if you're truly passionate, you may be the teacher who changes lives. And for those who believe that a hobby cannot be a career, well some of the most beautiful black and white landscape photos were taken by Ansel Adams, someone who started using a camera as a hobby.

Crown's show this year was based on the opera "Einstein on the Beach" and the counting and narration are from the opera itself. Glass often uses historical figures as a basis, or more accurately uses the ideas of historical figures as a basis for his works rather than straightforward biography. I'll be honest, I was wondering what Crown would do with the material. As a opera lover and someone who finds Glass interesting in small doses, I wondered what kind of show we'd see. I also had no inkling of how Glass would adapt to drum corps. I love it when a corps attempts opera in its shows, and while we've had some great operatic moments, it doesn't always work well. Since Glass does not always use standard instrumentation, it had the potential to be hit or miss. I have to say I was very impressed with the final result. It had the feel of Philip Glass, the style that is uniquely Crown, and with what could have been a show with little or audience accessibility, they riveted most crowds. In general, I'm not a fan of narration. Last year Bluecoats performed a piece called "Flume" where a narrator stated their masks: alone, abandoned, etc.. I thought it was a powerful piece and enjoyed it. In Meadowlands there was a torrential rain storm and thunder and lighting, so every corps performed without amplification and sound effects and I absolutely loved the piece without narration, much more than I did with the spoken words.. Now as far as Crown's ballad, I'm not sure that story could have been told without narration. Now I'm not a fan of singing in drum corps, but I know I was moved by Madison's "You'll Never Walk Alone" and Boston Crusaders 2000 show "Red" is one of my all time favorite show and includes singing. So I suppose that what does or does not belong in a show can depend on how much you like a corps. Now regarding Crown on DCP, they were DCP darlings until prelims in 2012. From that point, all winter, and well into the competitive year they took all kinds of slings and arrows. They still do to some extent. Certainly they are not criticized the way BD is, but look at some of the posts regarding Crown in early August--they were not getting that much love. Finally you are not stupid or someone who just doesn't get it if you have a valid opinion, and if you did not get it, the show was not effective as far as you are concerned. Crown should be happy you are in the audience and not a judge, and we can all have opinions. Personally I enjoyed but didn't quite get "The Grass is Always Greener" and thought "Rach Star" was an underrated masterpiece. I'm not expecting to be given the title of "Guru of Drum Corps" for that opinion, but it is an opinion just as your "E=MC2" comments are your opinion, so you'll get no red negatives or insults from me.

Yesterday afternoon I was driving and there was a radio broadcast from Tanglewood of Beethoven's Ninth performed by the BSO which made me think it would be great to have a show based on this work, and not just the 4th movement. My choice would be Phantom even though Glassmen did have a great Beethoven themed show. Phantom has the ability to tackle an entire symphony. In 1977 Phantom performed New World Symphony and revisited it again in ne of there most enduring shows in 1989. In 1977 and 1978 they closed with Beethoven's 9th. I'd love to see them base a show on the entire symphony as they did with New World. If Beethoven's 9th is too ominous, Saint Sean's Symphony #3 has more than just a great final movement.

I'm sorry I did not mention Brasso by name, but judging from another post, he's already volunteered for a job so he's on board. The only one who should not be on board is me. I can't play a brass instrument, I'm not a percussion guy. I tended to be out of step marching wise (perhaps otherwise too back in the day) and even though I do manage to get quite a bit accomplished, I'm not always organized. But I do buy tickets, souvenirs, and I can be hit up for a donation or two, so I should stay where I am and not be blamed for declining ticket sales.

Judging from some of her comments, Granny Smith is for real. Now whether it's a true identity or whether someone is using the name and found a picture of a homespun grandmotherly figure dressed like someone on the way to a "Little House on the Prairie" convention I cannot say, and I say this with no disrespect to ""Little House." I admit from time to time I have watched the Hallmark channel.. However, there were a few expressions Granny used in some of her Troopers comments that sounded a bit like Sarah Palin. So my question is: Is Granny Smith really the one time GOP VP candidate and former governor of Alaska in disguise? Is Granny Smith what Sarah Palin would have looked like if McCain had won and she spent four years in national politics? Afterall, Washington seems to age everyone else.

Michael Boo: Director. He has wit, wisdom, and knowledge of all things drum corps (probably other things too).He loves every corps from A-Z. I don't recall him ever joining in bashing Blue Devils, taking pop shots at George Hopkins, or blaming DCI for all the unrest in the drum corps world or the world in general. What more do you need? Granny Smith: Not sure what I'd have her do, but she calls'm as she sees'm, and she's colorful besides. Soccerguy315: has good balance and perspective. Mike D: Often defends the judging and having someone on staff who understands what judges do ever hurts. The BAC alums: Ghost, Craiga, emc2, Liahona, etc. Many BAC alums marched at a time in the corps history where they learned they can survive just about everything. They know tradition but the realities of contemporary drum corps. Many played a role in making the Boston Crusaders a reality today. Also I believe Craiga teaches music.

You are correct.

I did not get the opportunity to see "Spartacus" live, with the exception of the movie theater. PR did not come to New England in 2008 and I did not go to Allentown or finals. I thought "Spartacus" was mesmerizing but was not surprised it placed 3rd, due more to the fact PR had been placing behind Cavies and BD most if not all of the season. When I saw the finals DVD a few months later, the show had a certain "it" quality that was different from what I remembered seeing at the movie theater. It had the feeling of a championship show. I think the semi's 2nd place gave the corps momentum and they performed it for all it's worth at finals and one of DCI's most memorable finals.

i enjoyed 1982. I think everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Garfield would win a title since that was the first year Zingali designed their show. I love Madison's 1982 show as well and still listen to it from time to time when I'm driving. Cavies "Softly As I Leave You" is pure drum corps junk food that can't be resisted. For me, the greatest show of that year was CYO Nationals which was bittersweet: it was the last time I saw North Star and Defenders compete but I did get to see a corps compete live for the first time--Sky Ryders. Now 1982 gives me reason to be proud of two local corps: 27th Lancers lost quite a few staff members and marching members to Garfield and against the odds placed 6th at finals and while 1982 may be a year many BAC marching members may want to forget (the year they got stranded in England), they had a great show and since they had placed higher than some of their competitors prior to DCI, probably should have been higher than 26th.

For me, the ideal DCI weekend has been what I've experienced the past two years. It begins in Lawrence, MA on the Thursday prior to finals week. Boston Crusaders have their last home show and it's a great time. The next day it's off to Allentown for two great nights of drum corps. During the day on Saturday you hit the antique shops and go to Pennsylvania Dutch Country, well you do if you're a history buff like me, but since it rained last year I would have been better off hitting the casinos with some friends. In Allentown you have to go to Yoccos and have food that's good but not good for you. Then you had to Indy, perhaps hitting a few shows along the way. Now for Indy itself, book a hotel in what I believe is called the Southport section of Indy. The hotels are cheaper and filled with DCI fans, usually parents and grandparents, who according to the nice folks at the Quality Inn are the easiest customers to deal with, and while I know it's not luxury, how much time do you spend in the hotel? Get to Lucas Oil Stadium in time to see the first corps perform, for the past two years it has been the Blue Saints and leave after the last corps performs in the evening, when scores are read. Repeat on Friday for semi's, and of course finals. I don't believe I experience DCI unless I see everyone compete. Now to really make it an event, I'd like more variety at the concession stands, but there's not much DCI can do about that... Since I don't think Indy will be in my plans for next year, my ideal DCI weekend will begin with Big, Loud, and Live in the company of friends and I'll hope Fan Network will not disappoint me!

First of all, before we give Ed Devlin and crew the shaft, Crossmen finished .05 behind where they scored last year, so their placement of 14th at least score wise is not a huge drop, but it is of little consolation to the marching members of Crossmen and a disappointment for those who wanted to see better things for the corps. I thought they should have scored higher than they did, believing they were better than Blue Stars at semi's (what can I say, I'm more into changing the world than voodoo) though not as strong as Troopers, who may have given their finest performance at semi's since their glory days, actually I would say their best since 1985. As I look back I thought the design was fine, but the show was not always as clean as it could have been and lines were not always as crisp. Also last year's musical performance had a fire to t that seemed to be missing this year. On a positive side, it had some good creative aspects, more so than last year. I think changing staff could be a bit risky for Crossmen. I would predict that 11-19 in semi's will be battling things out next year even more than they did this year. Spirit likes being in finals, Blue Stars have no plans on going anywhere, Troopers will be roaring, Oregon Crusaders have to have finals as a goal and it may be achievable, Pacific Crest may take the next step, Colts are due for a return to finals, Academy can't be satisfied with last year and Mandarins could be ascending and maybe Surf will even surprise its critics. Competition for the one or two potential openings could be fierce. It may be better to try and improve with a staff that knows the corps and understands the competition than to make an abrupt change.

Can't forget some of the classics: "Danny Boy" by 27th Lancers "Greensleeves" by Guardsmen "Auld Lang Syne" by Kilties I think both North Star and Star of Indiana laid claim to "When You Wish Upon a Star" Regarding Phantom, at one time it was Leroy Anderson's "Phantom Regiment" and for a while their encore was "Nessun Dorma:" (1990's???)

Personally I believe that only the corps that first presented a show should produce a show so I would not want to see Crown do anything performed by Star. Let Crown create shows that are memorable (which they already have...). I'm also not sure that either "Media" or "Belshazzar's Feast" fits Crown's style. Same with 27th, Bridgemen, Kilties, and North Star--only they could do what they did. Since Madison's 1999 "Jesus Christ Superstar" is one of my all-time favorite shows, I'd love to see it again. I'd survive quite well if "City of Angels" was revived. Phantom took a huge risk with Stravinsky in 1978, I'd love to see them reattempt it. Some have mentioned 1976 or 77 Blue Devils, and I could see where that would be powerful, but so too would 1994's "My Spanish Heart." I'd also love any SCV show that includes a "Bottle Dance" or a mysterious disappearance or uniform change. However, for me, popping in the DVD's for any great show helps me to relive it, especially if I saw itlive.

I was behind a school bus when I was heading to prelims, a bus that stopped at houses and picked up kids, not just a trial run. At Mass on Sunday before I headed home, the parish celebrated "Back to School Sunday" and the priest asked the kids how they enjoyed their first week of school. I don't remember seeing school busses in 2012. The reason I say this is because last year there were quite a few school groups at semi's. Maybe school being in session could be an explanation. If someone points out that school was in session last year during finals week, this answer is not correct.

Canopies, curtains, drapes, towers, "Port-a-johns on wheels," the props of Cadets had many names. When I saw Cadets on the Big Screen in June and then live in Quincy I thought we'd see Cadets as more of a contender, even changing my prediction regarding Crown, which I later changed back. For me, the towers were effective, especially at moments where they made the horn line look much larger and the points where the drum line emerged. The towers could be effective, but were also prone to wind gusts as I witnessed in Lynn in July. I thought musically Cadets were exhilarating, especially the percussion and since they won in that category, I was in agreement with the judges. They also had a very good drill but I think they began a strong but as the season progressed and other corps strengthened visually, Cadets did not seem to keep pace even tho0ugh they did make some significant changes. Yet as I thought about this post, I did realize something about Cadets' show this year that was different from past shows. Usually there are memorable guard moves or the guard art least stands out a bit more. Perhaps so much moving of the towers may have kept some of their distinctive guard work at a minimum, or over shadowed it a bit.

I would have to say it's a two way tie between Madison and Troopers. The sunburst fit so well with the show, brought back memories without seeming old or cliched and it got the audience on its feet. Madison never got old.

Persoanlly, I love the idea of seeing everyone at prelims, followed by narrowing down to semi's and then finals. I like seeing corps such as Blue Saints, Racine Scouts, and Les Stentors early at prelims (perhaps alter in the day next year, depending on the season) and corps such as Cadets, Crown, or BD round out the day. If I didn't want to spend from 10 AM until midnight at Lucas Oil Stadium, no one is forcing me to do so. I do like the idea that prelims could be free, but of the top competitors do not compete at prelims, it is a way of saying these soprs do not matter so we're not chargng anything. Money often satates how much we value something.