Tim K

You raise valid points, but there is one thing to keep in mind. PBS loses money on many of its programs, including stalwarts as "Masterpiece" and "Live from the Met." Specials such as Celtic Thunder, Andrea Bocelli, Celtic Women, Andre Riu, Suze Orman,etc. aired during fundraising sessions offset the losses. However, PBS has a seasoned audience for Masterpiece and opera, but not drum corps, so they may not feel the need to resume broadcasts. Also, you are right about "Sesame Street." However, when this debate has surfaced in other threads, I thought the biggest reason for ESPN taking over the broadcasts was not PBS abandoning DCI but DCI hoping to make money from the broadcasts. I could be wrong. Remember, I did not know about "Punkin Chunkin" until today, so what do I know?

In the 1970's and early 80's, when the broadcasts were live on PBS, we didn't know we had it made, but television was very different too. Most households only had the three major networks and PBS, with a few local stations in major markets. PBS was willing to take chances on television shows. Now, as we'veseen with the success of shows such as "Downton Abbey" and their entertainment offerings, PBS is as competitive as any other station. They've upped their production values--PBS rarely looks amateurish these days, and because they are non-commercial, they can take chances on smaller audiences. For me, returning to PBS is the safest bet and I believe this to be the case for the following reasons: 1. PBS already has an audience made up of music lovers and people interested in youth activities, both key drum corps audiences. 2. Because PBS does not have commercials breaks, except when raising funds, longer shows are aired uninterrupted. Commercial networks gear toward attention spans which are shorter than most drum corps shows (I believe we see commercials every eight minutes for dramas and sitcoms). 3. PBS wants to please donors and chances are many drum corps fans already donate to PBS. Parents want quality television for kids, so they support PBS, grandparents never deprive grandchildren of anything, and if Elmo is in danger of going off the air, they'll donate. Drum corps fans have a strong base of parents and grandparents. 4. We may not see finals live, but right now only those in attendance do. While this may be a drawback, I believe the last time finals was broadcast live was in 1980. In 1981 we had DCI Midwest broadcast but I believe that was a week or two later and finals from Canada was not broadcast at all. Perhaps it was broadcast live after that and my recollections are wrong, but for some reason I thought I watched finals long after they took place, maybe as late as Thanksgiving. There is one serious drawback--DCI would not generate much if any income from a PBS broadcast and while positive publicity is great, it does not pay the bills. I also should state a disclaimer that may invalidate all my comments—until this post, I had never heard of "Punkin Chunkin" and I attend country fairs to see huge pumpkins get weighed for contests. I never knew I was so deprived!

Audiences, at least according to some are too old school, too unsophisticated, and to be fair, some have accused audiences as being snobs and elitists. However, all these people and more make an audience, so how can everyone be pleased and how can we attract new audiences? One answer could come from the world of baseball. Years back, the Boston Red Sox's farm team the Pawtucket Red Sox could not give tickets away, now they have sell out games. Some who attend the games are diehard Sox fans who want to see the next great players as they move up through the farm system to the major league team. Most are families. The draw: ticket prices are reasonable, drinking is kept to a minimum, the seating is good, and there's ample parking. Some of these issues do not apply to drum corps, but there's also another major draw: it is an event. There are trivia games, visiting celebrities give aways, and all kinds of ways to keep the people in the stands interested. I'm not sure how this would work for drum corps, but making the moments between corps more interesting could engage the audience. If stadiums have jumbotrons or mechanical message boards, explain the judging, give facts about the corps,etc. Have trivia games to please old schoolers, showcase local musicians that might not have other venues. There are all kinds of ways this can be done and I know that at some DCA shows, this is exactly what happens.

I have to begin with my absolute favorite drum corps moment--1994 "Once More in 94" by 27th Lancers at DCI Finals in Foxboro. I also loved the "how loud can this get" moment of Madison's 1999 "Jesus Christ, Superstar." I saw it at Lynn's Manning Bowl and was never blown away as I was at that moment. As a matter of fact I probably am still affected today! 2000 "Red" by Boston Crusaders--my favorite BAC show. I generally do not "love" vocals in drum corps, but their "Time to Say Good-bye" which begins with vocals and then builds up to the entire corps playing movement. 2011 Phantom's "Elsa's Procession" from "Juliet." I thought it was a thoroughly moving ending to a wonderful show, but it also transported me back to 1979 when they first used the piece. 2012: At DCI East, the Bridgemen Alumni stood on the sideline and watched Jersey Surf perform. Surf returned the favor when Bridgemen Alums performed their show then ran on the field to join them in the encore. Surf's youthful exuberance along with the more seasoned Bridgemen just blew me away that night. Also, about a week later, when Crossmen finished their semi's performance, I knew it would be enough to move them forward, I could just feel it. I saw them early on, had been following Crossmen's progress all summer, predicted we'd see them in finals early on, and they were!

JamMan and FlamMan have quite the opposite of opinions, kind of like Dan Aykroid and Jane Curtain's SNL Point/Counterpoint. My guess is one probably remembers the duo's newscast, the other may not, but here are a few thoughts on some of their points. One suggests corps should recruit locally, the other believes that everyone should have the right to march no matter where they live. Both positions are have merit, but neither is a solution. More local involvement probably means better attendance at shows. I don't think it's a coincidence that when there were plenty of local marching units in Massachusetts that kept three circuits busy during the days there of standing room only at CYO Nationals and the World Open. However, the three top corps from Massachusetts during my era: 27th, North Star, and BAC also had quite a few "out of staters" and all three gave preference to locals. With the cost of drum corps today, this may not be a possibility, but the correlation between local corps and local enthusiasm really cannot be disputed, with perhaps the exception of places where there is a strong music program in the schools, Broken Arrow being the first that comes to mind. Likewise, if it were not for many young people from Texas and Florida that populate my favorite corps, there would probably be no BAC. Regarding accessibility of the music, this has improved as of late, especially in 2011 and 2012. One suggests that corps select "symphonic gobbiligoo," perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but there does seem to be a consensus in drum corps, at least based on musical choices, that modern classical music presents more of a degree of difficulty than the standard repertoire. I know a Boston Symphony Orchestra performer who claims that modern works can be more challenging because they are new and rarely performed, but not neecssarily more difficult. He did say that contemporary works are more interesting for musicians than the tried and true. For this reason the BSO programs both contemporary and standard works. Now when we had this conversation and were talking about a BSO concert I attended and not drum corps, but I'm wondering if the same could not work fro drum corps. Give us what we know and love and challenge us a bit with what we may not have heard. This way you please the audience while also respecting their intelligence, wow the judges while maintaining excellence and degree of difficulty. Some corps have already applied this theory and it seems to be working well. Regarding uniforms, fashion is not my thing. Horn and drum line still look pretty sharp to me. Guards can look outlandish at times, but that's opinion and since we all probably have differing opinions, we need to agree to disagree. I'm pretty certain uniforms have not kept people away from shows, except perhaps a few who may believe some guards wear unifroms that are a bit skimpy, but even those of us who are old enough to be the parents and grandparents of the kids marching today and would be quick to say "I would never let my daughter wear that" probably don't stop attending shows for that reasson

A 27th Lancers t-shirt at the CYO Nationals in 1977. It was held at Harvard Stadium that year rather than Boston College. The woman selling the merchandise noticed I was looking at the 27th Lancers Yearbook and probably sensed I only had enough money for one or the other and I chose the t-shirt. She handed me the t-shirt, but there was also a copy of the yearbook--one that had a tattered cover that probably couldn't be sold. She told me to enjoy it and that maybe one day I'd be a 27th Lancer. Never joined 27th and it's been nearly thirty years since the corps took the field, but when I watch a Legacy DVD it's as if they only stopped competing yesterday.

I've attended finals when held in Boston (actually Foxboro) and made the trek to Indy last summer. I thoroughly enjoyed my drum corps vacation. I only live about five minutes from Lawrence then went to Allentown, East Rutherford, took a side trip to Washington, DC and Colonial Williamsburg to satisfy the history buff in me, not a wise move since I was driving, and then went to Indy. I loved prelims, semis, and finals and a nearly all drum corps parade was an added bonus. I found Indianapolis to be a friendly city, the hotels outside the city were filled with drum corps fans and had reasonable rates. The food prices at Lucas Oil were reasonable in comparison with Met-life Stadium or what they would be if finals were held at Gillette in Foxboro. Since weather was an issue for prelims, the domed stadium was a plus, but I will agree that it doesn't always feel like a drum corps show the way Allentown does. Also, as nice as Indy is, I'm not sure I would call it a vacation mecca, so there's not a lot to do, especially with a family, outside of the shows. Maybe some Indiana residents may have some suggestions in this regard. I'm still uncertain as to whether I will be going to Indy this summer. Last summer none of my siblings could get the same vacation time but this year it looks as if it may work out that we can all go away at the same time, so Mom, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters may win out over drum corps. I mean I love them and they're nice people the most important people in my life and all, but they don't understand drum corps, sometimes they even use the word band. However, there is some reason for hope. My niece is showing an interest in color guard and as of now, she is planning on attending Bristol, R.I with me.

I know that much of the attention this season will probably be given to Crown and Blue Devils since Crown will be travelling out west this year. While I would love to see a new corps win a title, and Crown is the most likely to do so, my understanding with Phantom is that there are a number of third year veterans, so we're talking about people who marched in both "Juliet" and "Turandot." I'm wondering if the "surprise" might be a Phantom victory this year with SCV returning to the top 3. As far as BAC is concerned, anytime I've asked anyone who might know what's happening with them responds "no public announcements yet" with a huge smile. The people I know are dedicated volunteers who know quite a bit about the corps but may not be privy to show details, but usually when I ask them what to expect I'm given the corps' goals and things they need to do to be competitive, never a wry smile, so I'm excited. Some have mentioned Cavaliers being more competitive, but I'm not sure I'd qualify one fo DCI's most competitive corps who had a bad year returning to their former status a surprise. If they went co-ed and decided to do a tribute to the Boston Pops during Arthur Fielder's tenure might be surprising. Actually Fiedler was supposedly spotted at shows from time to time during the 60's and 70's, so maybe he deserves a tribute. I would love to see a Troopers comeback, but with the excitement surrounding the corps and their rather solid plans, this should be an expectation rather than a surprise. If we were to see a new finalist, my money would be on Pacific Crest. The Academy has been poised for a number if years, and they would be worthy, but last year I felt Pacific Crest made huge strides, not just in performance, but alos in confidence which leaps and bounds ahead of previous years. However, as I write this, I wonder if all eyes should be Oregon Crusaders. How will they fare in their first year as a World Class corps?

I can't pinpoint the exact moment, probably 1975 when I marched in a CYO band and BAC still competed in the local circuits, I also recall seeing 27th in an exhibition that year, and watching the first PBS broadcast, probably whetted my appetite, but the 1976 CYO Nationals, the first major drum corps major event I attended, turned me into a complete drum corps fan. How could it not? I addition to 27th, BAC and the new kids on the block North Star, the show included the Bridgemen and what seemed to many to be a far too radical show, Blue Devils just before winning their first DCI title, Troopers, Kilts, Madison, just to name some competitors. What I also remember about those early shows were the old timers, and since I was about 11 or 12 at the time, they looked ancient but were probably no older than I am today (50), complaining that drum corps had gone to hell in a hand-basket. Perhaps that's why now I still love the corps of my youth, but apprecaiate what I see on the field today.

To our young mellophone aspiring Top Twelver: Back in the day when we did have TV but most homes did not have cable, I was going to join a drum corps. I was sixteen, did not have a license, but some other people from my hometown were considering joining as well. I went to the open house, was assured I'd be taught how to play one of the brass instruments which would not have been too much of an issue since I already played the clarinet. I also had marching experience. The Boston area had music circuits with drum corps, drill teams, and bands that often shared instructors and drill writers which gave me an advantage since I was in one of the bands and knew how to march. I saved the money needed and kept up my grades as my parents required, but one of the potential rides decided to join another corps, and the other potential ride moved out of state during the school year. Without transportation, I could not join. So I understand really wanting to join to some extent, but eventually I did get my license. I didn't join when I could drive myself. Now my parents were not completely on board since the kids who were joining with me did not and they thought I was a bit young to be in a traveling corps, and parental concern was a serious obstacle, but I was a good student (or at least good enough), kept out of trouble, and was very responsible, so I could have convinced them I could be trusted. I also worked very hard for the things I really wanted, so deep down I probably didn't join because I had other interests and being a fan was enough. You need to show a top 12 corps you really want to be a member much earlier than now. Perhaps the best thing to do this summer is attend shows, watch rehearsals, keep in touch with people marching through Twitter or Facebook and gain an understanding of what drum corps is all about and ask youself if drum corps is really what you want. It's more than being a Top 12 finalist. Dedicate yourself to gaining the desire to experience drum corps. There's a "this is drum corps" feeling that exudes from just about every corps, whether it is Blue Saints who opened the DCI prelims last summer to Blue Devils who closed finals and took top honors. This heart is essential for anyone who marches. If knowing the glories of the field and the rigors fo day to day make you still really want to join, audition next fall. What I would not recommend is joining a World Class or Open Class corps that may have an opening at this date unless you are going to be totally dedicated to the corps.

Phantom Regiment 1977. I recall seeing Phantom Regiment live that year in Boston and people who attended DCI East the previous night mentioned that Phantom had a :"warm up" that was its own mini-show for those who did not buy tickets for "concert side seating. Now this would have been the days when warm ups were "How loud can you get" (I miss warm ups). A corps could not face the front and move without the start gun going off and incurring a penalty. Phantom warmed up to Leroy Anderson's "Phantom Regiment" and it was its own little show but since they faced backfield, they could move without a penalty. So I ran to the backfield seating to see the warm up, which was a preshow and ran back to my seat to see the actual show.

In the late 80's/early 90's, I taught at a summer program for young people, most of whom lived in the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston, and all who wanted to push themselves to be successful in high school, or at least had a caring adult who wanted this to happen. It was an academic enrichment program in the morning and a camp in the afternoon. It was held at Boston College High School. Now each summer a drum corps would use their athletic fields for practice, and like any dedicated teacher who wanted to reinforce the importance of hard work and determination, I took my young charges to watch the visiting corps practice. Well, I'll be truthful, it was a shameless action on my part to get to watch the corps practice which I couldn't do unless I dragged the kids along, and they were impressed, and it did lead to all kinds of great talks about motivation, hard work, team work, and personal best. One year when I was watching the practice, some members of the coaching staff were also watching. They had a meeting of some kind and all were commenting on how hard the kids on the field were working, comparing them to the school's athletes. BC High has produced some of the best athletes in Massachusetts, so this is not faint praise. People I knew who marched drum corps when I was in high school (77-81) and college (81-85) always claimed drum corps required better physical condition and endurance than the sports teams that kept them busy during the off season. It was obviously the case when the Star video was produced, and all the kids who march today look like athletes. This video proves what most of have probably known for a while--drum corps is not for the faint of heart, but it's nice to know what we have always instinctively known has scientific and medical backing as well.

I know many 27th fans believe 1980's DCI East show was the greatest show in 27th's history. I wasn't there, but I was at CYO Nationals a few nights earlier where Blue Devils defeated 27th by well over a point and the crowd was none too pleased. I was among those disappointed. Looking back, CYO Nationals did have some questionable results. Just ask Madison who lost to North Star in 79 and did not return in 80, or Phantom who supposedly was unhappy with judging in 1978 and did not return in 1979, and a few weeks back, 27th's Facebook page had stories about George B's reaction to a runner up slot in 1972. I love that the 1980 DCI debate still lingers. Of course when you look at the scores at DCI finals that night, less than a point separated Spirit and Blue Devils with 27th and Bridgemen between first and fourth, so it really could have been anybody's night. As far as 1981, there are some valid points to be made about whether it was 27th's best show. Certainly it was stronger musically, and while I loved "Danny Boy" and was thrilled to see it added to the show, "Spitfire" was a great ending too and the show did receive a higher score than the previous year's show, but it lacked fire at times and I think not having the iconic rifle line in distinctive uniforms may have hurt. Also, while I loved 1980 from an entertainment perspective, 1981 was an overall more competitive year. You may also recall the 1978 PBS broadcast, unless you were lucky enough to be in Denver, someone else also believed it was not SCV's night. Pete Emmons was cohosting that year and he was even surprised his own corps won.

I've often said that 1980's 27th was the best runner up show and should have been first. I don't think the recorded shows available of that show, including the Legacy DVD, capture the magic of that show. It was phenomenal. Perhaps I'm basing it more on memories, but I loved that show. Two of my favorite shows of all time are 1989's SCV and Phantom, but I think I do think SCV may have had the advantage that night. To be fair, I did not see Phantom live that year though I did see SCV, so perhaps familiarity at the time of broadcast may have biased me a bit and I think a show such as 89's Phantom is easier to capture for a TV audience than Phantom's 89 show. As I think we all know from DVD's and when the shows were broadcast from the broadcasts, some shows work better for television than others. However, I think that it can be argued that in 1978 Phantom was stronger than SCV and a close tie with 27th's being robbed in 1980 was Phantom losing to BD. 79. For me, 79 was pure Phantom magic. I loved Crown this past year and thought they should have won semi's, but their finals performance was incredible as well and I honestly thought it could have gone either way that night. So I guess I do have some advice for corps directors and show designers: 1980's 27th was one of my favorite all time shows, so too was 79's Phantom and 2012's Crown's "For the Common Good." If you want to win, don't create one of my favorite shows and you may just win the title!

Mr. Pallotta has some interesting and perhaps provocative ideas, his overall premise being that we have to be thinking bigger when it comes to raising funds for non-profits. In theory his point of view is correct, though he had his share of critics, especially when it comes to some of some of his practices at TeamWorks. However, there is one flaw I found with the video and Pallotta's overall work, namely a connection seems to be missing with people who will benefit from funds raised. Yes, the amount of money raised is important, but as many in development and advancement will point out, it's not everything. I know people who have participated in both the AIDS Ride and the three day walk. The woman I know who did the AIDS Ride in memory of her brother was involved in many AIDS charities at the time of the ride. Her criticism was not in management issues, which Mr. Pallotta defended in his video. She felt the ride was more like a vacation for hard core cyclists. Some riders raised significant finds but the cause was not the issue, and there was not enough of a connection with people diagnosed with AIDS except those who were responding well to drug treatments which at the time was a significant number but not the whole picture. For drum corps, the relationship aspect is essential. Perhaps the best example would be Bill Cook. His son's connection piqued his curiosity and a new drum corps was founded. The Crossmen's success is due largely to a non-drum corps business executive who was bitten by the drum corps bug and has yet to recover and if the corps is going to continue to improve as they have under his leadership, may he never recover! The relationship is key. I now this personally in my own giving. While I don't contribute huge amounts to drum corps and no corps breathes a sigh of relief when my check arrives, knowing my help will make the summer a reality, I do contribute. Now I've attended shows since the sixth grade, but I've only been contributing in recent years, but something significant changed my mind a few years back. At a Boston Crusaders show, three young men stood at the gate as people exited, shook hands and thanked them for attending the show. I'm not sure whether it was a deliberate move on the part of the corps or self-initiated by the kids themselves, but it worked. Perhaps a better example for a new model that could be applied to drum corps would come from of Ron Clark of Ron Clark Academy. A school would have more similarities to drum corps management and fundraising than Mr. Pallotta's causes. To give him credit, Pallotta is trying to raise funds for very serious issues: AIDS, breast cancer, suicide prevention, and he is committed. Clark is a publicity go-getter and his face is on every book he sells, he is enthusiastic, and he has substance. His schools have high standards and he freely shares his methods with others. He seems to raise funds less on the hard sell of donations but uses publicity in such a way people want to give almost without asking and corporations want to be a part of what he's doing. He has big dreams, achieves them first by making sure his school is meeting standards, gets people involved, and raises all kinds of funds. This may be what DCI needs.

As someone in the non-profit world, I assure you that non-profits and private organizations can be, and in fact are, sued for all kinds of discrimination issues that are not based on race, particularly if the organization has policies in a mission statement or charter that state they do not discriminate which is often interpreted rather broadly. At least that's the case in Massachusetts. That being said, the courts as high as the Supreme Court have protected policies that many view as discriminatory in groups such as the Boy Scouts because it is a private organization, so there are all kinds of gray areas when it comes to discrimination cases. Now as far as drum corps is concerned, with the diversity you see in many corps today, discrimination is probably not an issue, and corps also have specific requirements that are needed for a show and from what I can see, the audition requirements are clearly stated and the selection process seems pretty objective, so they're probably in good shape. Also, where the initial case involves a school, which has all kinds of laws, rules, and guidelines which govern all activities, the two situations really are apples and oranges.

I love bagpipes and I'm surprised to not feel the love for bagpipers on this thread, especially from Mr. Boo. It's thrown me into a bit of a tizzy. Michael Boo is DCP's guru. I know if I get a score, repertoire, or show incorrect, I know I'm wrong. Now that I've read his comments on bagpipes, do I "agree to disagree" or do I need to change my mind about bagpipes? To the person who had "Taps" by bagpipes at a funeral, I think "Amazing Grace" is moving at a funeral when played by bagpipes, I cannot imagine "Taps" on a bagpipe that would do the music justice and I'd wonder if bagpipes would have the range. Seriously, a few months back I posted some thoughts about this subject. By profession I'm a priest, so I am at more funerals than the average person, short of an undertaker. The armed forces do not always provide live musicians for some valid reasons, and Bugles Across America provides a very generous and important service, but they are often under-utilized, most often due to a fear of poor quality. However, as someone who has heard the best and worst of cemetery musicians, including some horrible bagpipers who make listening to them play worse experience than saying good-bye to a loved one and to be fair, I've heard some live brass players perform taps that have been less than perfect, but live "Taps", even a less than perfect live performance, seems to be more moving to families than the recorded versions. BTW: When I have been at funerals with live brass musicians from the military, most often trumpets today, I've met a Bluecoat, a Sky Ryder, and a Madison Scout.

I like the idea of a three day contest along with the parade. I agree that there is not a great deal of movement in placement, but I like the fact Open Class has an opportunity to compete in semi's if they score high enough. Also the excitement of Crossmen moving up after semi's and making finals last year made it very enjoyable. However, what I think would be interesting is to have the scores of prelims and semis be a part of the finals score. I am not sure how it works today, but years ago in figure skating I believe that the compulsories counted for a certain percent of the final score, the short program score was a certain percent of the finals score. It could mix things up a bit and it would make attending all three performances more worthwhile. Now as someone who does not attend finals each year, I'm not sure two days would make it worthwhile for travelers who do not attend each year, especially if finals is not held in a summer time tourist trap. Nothing against Indianapolis, the people are friendly, businesses welcoming, parking was easy and affordable, and I found it easy to get around the city by car, but it's not exactly a summer hotspot, and if it is, the tourism bureau needs to work harder at publicity. Now if Open Class prelims and finals could be held at a venue closer to Indianapolis held perhaps on Wednesday/Thursday rather than Monday/Tuesday then a two day prelims and finals for World might be interesting. Also another consideration would be "Big, Live, and Loud" broadcast on the Thursday evening. This is a huge draw and a big part of DCI's outreach. Would there be as many theater venues on a Friday night which is when new films usually open to the public?

A school administrator overriding the decision of someone involved in a school is common, and often it's justified, though I will have to say, "Whiskey" has made some legitimate points regarding education today. However, if the administrator was an elected superintendent, as one poster mentioned, it could raise a few red flags, and not the red flags the color guard might use in a performance. I'm not sure how many superintendents are elected in the country, and all superintendents are public servants and accountable to the tax payers who pay the salary, but an elected superintendent would probably have political debts to pay, and this could raise questions of objectivity. However, I don't know the parties involved or whether the superintendent is the definition of ethics or the poster child for political cronies everywhere. Now, as far as DCI is concerned: people wonder how vulnerable DCI would be to issues regarding discrimination. While this is a generality, often in discrimination cases, patterns of behavior are used as either proof of discrimination by a plaintiff or used as a defense by a defendant. There are horror stories about racial incidents and discrimination in drum corps in the past, but there have been more recent stories about corps being models of tolerance. So for corps that have a record of tolerance and equality, they would be on more solid ground if a case of discrimination is made against them and the reason they were not accepted was lack of talent. If there have been problems in the past, especially the most recent past. they could be at risk.

Well, they woudl ahave to march in DCA since you have yo be a minimum age of 19 and no older than 30. Now from time to time you hear about a third or fourth generation family member marching in a corps, especially a corps with a long history such as BAC or Cadets, but the Swiss Guard would have an advantage no other corps would have. In order to be a member of the Swiss Guard, you have to be a descendant of someone who was guard, and they date back to the sixteenth century, so we'd be talking about sixteenth or seventeenth members which would make our oldest corps look like Johnny Come Lateleys.

I'm glad to see enthusiasm for the Troopers. I've often thought and have probably said on other post that Troopers face one of the greatest programing challenges in drum corps. They are certainly one of the venerable old corps, in a category that would include BAC, Madison, Cadets, Cavies, but unlike these corps, Troopers are defined by a certain look and style that presents limitations. Yet for the challenges they face in design, they also have a strong base of support because it seems everyone loves the Troopers, especially when they do well, whether it be those who remember the glory days, those of us who may not recall the glory days but remember 79, 81, 85, and 86 (well for me, as a loyal 27th fan, 86 is bittersweet--they knocked out 27th out of finals by three tenths in prelims), or newfound friends. If you want a reminder of how much Troopers are loved, watch the DVD of 2009 when it is announced that Troopers returned to finals after a 23 year absence. The crowd goes wild. Last summer told the people in the souvenir booth in Allentown that I hoped Troopers would return to Boston and that they would include a sunburst in the show. Well, the closest they will be to the "Hub" this year is Rome, NY but at least I'll see the sunburst, even if I have do go to Allentown to do so, but after hearing how far people in Texas have to travel to see drum corps, I won't complain about having to travel to see the Troopers.

The judging would have involved more than just tics and finding mistakes. I have only attended local circuit shows as far as guard is concerned, so I never saw the guards of the late 70's/early 80's from the Midwest or West Coast. They may have been less traditional than New England guards, particularly those from the West Coast. However, as far as my recollections are concerned, the color guards of New England were similar to the drum corps of the area, which would have appeared to be traditional, but in their own way pushed the bar. Quasar and St. Anthony's, as well as St. Patrick's Stoneham and Blessed Sacrament Cambridge, hailed from the Boston area, home to BAC, 27th, and North Star. If we take 27th as an example, if you watch 79, 80, or 81, the three years George Zingali designed the show, you see glimpses of what we will later see him do with Garfield and Star of Indiana. Quasar was innovative in its day. Equipment was handled differently, they had a distinctive look, and gimmicks. For this neck of the woods, Quasar would have been to guards what Bridgemen were to drum corps. Today they look pretty conventional, and Bridgemen look quaint if we compare 1976 or 1977 to Blue Devils "Cabaret Voltaire." Innovation has to be judged by the standard of the time, and if we look at Quasar from that perspective, they were trend setters.

I can remember seeing Quasar live in Eastern Mass and CYO circuit shows, along with St. Anthony, Everett. There must be something in the water in the North Shore of Massachusetts (Everett and Revere are neighboring cities). I remember hoping that Quasar's smoke machine would set off alarms, and at one show I think it did but I was not in attendance, but I do remember that they were amazing. As a far as WGI's impact on drum corps, keep in mind that when WGI was formed, the guard caption on DCI score sheets only accounted for two points of the total score. Yes, a strong guard made a huge difference as far as overall GE was concerned, but even as late as 1978 and 79, some guards were still for some corps just an adornment, including some of DCI finalists. There were guards that began to break the mold. Many nostalgic video clips of DCI's early days show the majestic and precise Anaheim Kingsmen and some of the most iconic guards most notably 27th Lancers and Phantom Regiment, made huge strides pre-WGI and as the organization was developing, and we can't forget the stunts of Cavies, Madison, and Kilties (when they were still all guys), kind of a one upmanship, but WGI did show what guards could do on their own It did seem that in the late 70's, what you saw in a gym in January or February probably made it to a drum corps field the following summer. Today, I am more of a "visitor" to color guard shows due to schedule conflicts, though this year Mother Nature and snow share some of the blame, and I don't follow guards as I do drum corps, so I'm not sure that I can say how much of an impact WGI has on DCI today, but in its early days, I think that WGI did give guards the recognition deserved as talented groups and individuals and we witnessed this confidence and innovation in drum corps shows..

There are pros and cons to I and E. On a positive side, it is a way for musicians and guard members to showcase their talents apart from the corps and though it is an individual or ensemble event, a winner is good publicity for the corps itself. On the negative side, with rehearsing and traveling, when would corps members get to practice to present their best efforts, and since drum corps is supposed to be a team effort and everyone is supposed to be focused on the show, it would have the potential of being a distraction. So for the person who mentioned that I and E is being sacrificed for a tenth of a point, if that .10 is the difference between 8th and 7th, the ramifications are great and if that .10 is the difference between 4th and 3rd, or 1st and 2nd, again that's huge. It does seem as if I and E has gone from being a showcase for DCI and a source of bragging rights for a corps to an afterthought. For one thing, it has moved from finals week to a time when it is convenient. A valid question could also be "Do we need I and E anymore?" It seems as if more attention was given to I and E "back in the day," Key of G, traditional guards, etc. A person performing on a Key of G bugle did not have too many venues to showcase talent. Rifles, flags, and sabres did not have these kinds of opportunities outside of drum corps either. There are all kinds of opportunites for individual brass competitions and dance as well. There are also other opportunities for instruments allowed in I and E today, two being the upcoming SoundSport and DrumLine Battle. Perhaps would be the best venues for I and E in the future. WGI, if it does not have individual guard competitions could fill the gap for guards.

I say there should be a Marching Arts Day. As far as the date is concerned, I would suggest whatever date gives the entire activity the best publicity, whether it be DCI, DCA, WGI, marching band, drill team, Shriner's Clown Band, the Mummers, or our two new events: Soundsport and Drumline Battle. If it marches, it gets honored. Now since this is a drum corps site, the only reason the President will sign the bill is due to the great job of Boston Crusaders in the Inaugural parade.