burgerbob

I love all those BD shows except for 2007. I just can't get on board with that show. However, it's hard to forget what '08 Phantom was like live... it gets my vote.

They're not exactly the same by any means. But the Bb chord for 15 seconds or whatever has been done enough. Maybe I'm alone in that regard.

I was kind of hoping for something better after they unveiled the "new" ending. It's good, but it's pretty much the same ending as the last 6 or so years with some wormholes.

I'm thinking Wayne Downey as Phantom's new arranger. Who's with me?

Like FSUbone said, they're hard to maintain. Horns get DESTROYED in drum corps, even when used by mature members. If you tried to use the same hornline for 5 years, you would end up short by a few horns in every section, plus many that would be in playable but not nice condition. I only got a new horn once while a marched, and it was one of the best days of my life!

I understand his point, with how G bugles were usually played higher in the overtone series, but the idea he gives for today (pushing down the third valve) is idiotic. Only way to put it.

The staff will usually go through a stretch/warmup regimen to see who can follow instructions and whatnot. It's also a good indicator of athletic ability (or potential of it anyway). Then they'll go through part of the visual program. Where I marched, it was dance-based so we started with ballet basics and went from there. BD camps are probably more accelerated, as we didn't get all the way to jazz running for a couple camps. I don't remember actually learning the forward march technique until move-ins my rookie year. For some (maybe most? but I doubt it) corps it's more important to move well first than march well first.

Couchmen. Looks like we'll have another full corps this year, can't wait!

Very end of Blue Stars 2008. Doubly tearful since it was their first time back in finals in a looong time. The Boxer. Duh End of ballad chord in Crown 2008. End of the rock-out movement in SCV '08 End of Crown '09 End of Phantom '09, especially when they really push the fifth halfway through the last hit Basically all of SCV '09 Ballad hit in Blue Stars '09 of course End of Cadets '10 Ballad hit in Blue Stars '10 Chevron kick halt and hit in Phantom '10 Plenty more that I can't remember

Like Kamarag said. Also, french horns are disallowed. If you remember the miked mellophone solo from Bluecoats 2010, that was supposed to be a horn.

It has to be a valved instrument, I think. There are semantics there, but I don't think trombones are allowed as yet during the judged show.

Plenty of reality TV on right now! Why do they have to be mutually exclusive ideals?

Yes, they could work together. But the different horns have completely different tuning tendencies. A concert D, the fifth partial on baritone/trumpet, is a little flat, which works into a Bb major chord perfectly. The same note on G instruments would be either the 3rd or 6th partial, which are both sharp.

I'm not sure there was a kick halt this year. It's not in every show.

It could be done, but why?

Are you talking about the Semis videos on Fannetwork? I think those are different than usual, the quality seems to be really subpar. Most of the audio doesn't even seem to be in stereo and the resolution is terrible.

Also, the characteristics of the bends and taper of the horn changes how they play. The sopranos are much easier (to some) to play high on, for instance.

My first live show was the one I marched in for the first time. Didn't see live drum corps until I had done it myself! I remember Boston and Cavaliers being there, with Pioneer on before us.

I don't especially like loud synth or loud pit very much, as a hornline guy. However, the pit does need to be amplified. Do pits in recordings from pre-amplified days sound good? Of course they do! They were scant feet away from the microphones.

It feels that way, but you can connect with people that didn't march. As big as drum corps was and is to me, it still isn't my entire life.

2010, before that, 2004?

As much as I love Cadets, it'll be an even year, which hasn't boded well for them in the last decade (since 2000). SCV will have to pull out some stops to get to top 3 and then win. Not saying they can't, but they still have a pretty young staff set.

I assume you've marched before, then?

When I was marching, I would take a few days to myself, get back into the flow of things. Then I would get back together with real life friends and join the real world.

Yes, hornlines dut. Guards dut too. Mellophones (and to a smaller extent, euphoniums and baris) are usually okay to see the DM if they are a sufficient distance from the 50. Horns are usually to the box, which is behind and much farther up than the DM. Tubas can't see to the left, so side 2 is home base!