Contraaaaa

Based purely on each show's emotional effect on me, whether this is derived from performance value, show design, or sheer sentimental value. 1. BD 2014 2. Bluecoats 2011 3. Troopers 2011 4. BD 2013 5. SCV 2011 6. Crown 2009 7. Blue Stars 2010 8. BD 2011 9. BK 2013 10. BAC 2014 11. BD 2012 12. Phantom 2003

You have to understand that it's not easy for these kids to find time in the season to practice for the Performers Showcase. Free time is scant - during meal breaks, during EPL - and amidst 12-hour rehearsal days, playing MORE and relaxing LESS is probably the last thing most kids want. I'm impressed that there are as many Performers as there are each year. Truly, it takes copious diligence and dedication throughout the season to make today's annual event happen. If only all corps allowed their kids to participate in this. It's sad to think that some directors would say no to kids that want another chance to perform!

1. Blue Devils 2. Boston 3. SCV 4. Blue Knights 5. Cavies 6. Colts

Huge props to the Cascades for braving the weather and performing tonight. It was only a slight drizzle as they entered the field, but it was a full-on downpour by the time they started. I thought they would've called the show halfway through their performance. Bravo to these kids for sticking it out and performing so well. On that note, a word to audience members: the kids on the field are there for you and vice-versa. Please have the common courtesy of staying put for the entire duration of a given performance. AKA if it starts raining, DON'T GET UP AND LEAVE DURING THE MIDDLE OF A PERFORMANCE. Are the kids on the field allowed to walk off the field simply because it's raining? No? Then neither should you. /soapbox

Blue Knights members all wear a necklace with a teal/blue washer on it. Boston Crusaders members all wear a necklace with a medallion bearing a Waldo (aka the red dragon thing in their logo) on it. And they get certain colored beads depending on how many years they march. Blue Stars members all wear a necklace with a tiny silver washer between a black bead and a white bead.

Back to the topic at hand: I had every intention of marching a particular G7 corps. Eventually they cut me though I was able to find a contract with an upper echelon non-G7 corps. I had joined said corps with the intentions of re-auditioning for the G7 corps the following year. Instead, my heart fell for the corps that gave me a contract. My rookie year was the hardest summer of my life (up until that point) but in the end it all felt worth it: I had seen so much of the country I had never seen before, I made some amazing friends from faraway places, and competitively we pretty much did the best we could (and it felt amazing). The following year, I returned to the corps I had fallen for. We were told the program had been amped up 10 notches; the expectation was we'd surge competitively in terms of both scores and ranks. Our music demand increased and our visual demand was INSANE - like to the point where the drill felt more dangerous than fun. And for all that demand we reaped little GE. Our show was difficult for the sake of being difficult. At finals retreat, part of me felt content but part of me felt swindled. I felt like the staff promised us high scores and high ranks but ultimately we ended no higher than the year before - in some ways we ended worse. I was completely jaded and exhausted. I still AM jaded and exhausted. I did not return the following season. I'm still soul-searching. Part of me has no interest in ever marching again. But I still have one summer left. Do I go back to the corps I love? Do I even love them anymore or do I love only our memories together? Do I go find a new corps and risk being accused of treason by my friends? Do I even want to march at all? I think I still have some unfinished business to settle. I'd hate to live the rest of my life with such a bitter aftertaste forever resonating. But I fear I could attain an even worse aftertaste if I march another summer. Edit: as for what our corps was feeling in our lame-duck year: it was a mix of half-hearted cheerleading and way over the top cheerleading. A lot of terrible attitudes were brought out, the kinds of attitudes that I had always refused to have back in my high school marching band days. So many people would focus blindly on the scores (without taking into account the actual spreads that judges gave - so many kids think that if a judge gave you a low number that you were bad; that's not always the case). Others would blindly say "#### [insert other corps' name here]!!!," to which I would vehemently argue - in what universe would we want another corps to actually perform worse? If anything, I want to beat a corps at their best (or be beaten by them at their best). Then there would be a lot of kids blaming the ticks in the corps. Honestly, most of our issues were due to design flaws. I think we did the best we could based on what we were given. It's unfortunate that we resorted to blaming our problems on all the wrong people. I wish we could have simply focused on cleaning ourselves and making sure we were as good as we could've been. That's what it's all about in the end, right?

Percussion usually does nothing for me - I've tried many times to get into WGI percussion but it always bores me. That being said, I've LOVED the sound of SCV's percussion these past few years. I think they have a unique timbre to their sound. Are they the only ones in DCI playing Dynasty drums? Going a step further: drummers, what might you suggest non-drummers look/listen for when attempting to appreciate drumlines? Aside from metric accelerandos/decelerandos, I have no idea what's considered impressive.

Rome 2011. I spent all day at the Bluecoats' rehearsal at New Hartford HS where the bleachers are right on top of the front sideline. They were so close that even their air-and-valve runs sounded unbelievably loud!! Getting the experience of seeing how a top corps rehearses was priceless (almost as priceless as seeing a tuba do the worm in the transition between the ballad and the last movement). As for the show that night, it was such a treat to see The Academy, Troopers, and Bloo all perform - their shows were (and still are!) my favorite shows ever by each of them. And the venue itself had such a warm atmosphere to it. Something about performing in the middle of the week in a cozy NY town while the sun sets with only a week left before Quarterfinals. It felt less like each corps was competing and more like each corps was simply embracing the opportunity to perform. That's what drum corps is all about really, isn't it?

SCV 2011 Bluecoats 2011 Troopers 2011 The Academy 2011 ...I guess you could say I liked 2011 ;)

Couldn't agree more. I'm always looking for a reason to enjoy them; sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't. This year seemed to be the most promising in a while: it's about time Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony made it onto the drum corps field! Add Danse Macabre and Purcell to the mix and I'm thoroughly intrigued. But try as I might, I simply cannot get into this show. It seems to be on the precipice of something genius but is missing that extra oomph to really push it over the edge. Moreover, what is the show even about? I'm not trying to be rude - I'm sincerely confused by it. The maturity and reverence of the musical selections leads me to believe they're going for a serious, somber show akin to SCV 2011. But some of the design choices (perhaps the guard costumes, the rock/jazzy/swing section in the middle of the show, or the "souls" that they play with in the ballad) makes it seem like a hokey interpretation of a dark show, a la Cadets 2011. Not to say SCV 2011's take on a dark show is better or worse than Cadets' 2011 take; rather, I'm struggling to find clarity in what the Cavies are trying to portray here. This year is undeniably their best show in years, but I disagree with the idea that they could be any higher than 6th (unless if they make a significant change or two in the coming weeks).

Trying to make that precarious balance between what I want to happen and what I think will happen. Here goes nothing: 1. BD 2. Cadets 3. Crown 4. Bloo 5. SCV 6. Cavies 7. Phantom 8. Boston 9. BK 10. Blue Stars 11. Madison 12. Crossmen 13. Colts 14. Troopers 15. Spirit 16. Oregon 17. Pacific Crest 18. The Academy 19. Mandarins 20. Genesis 21. Surf 22. Cascades 23. Pioneer 24. Guardians

1. Blue Devils 2. Bluecoats 3. Cadets 4. Crown 5. Santa Clara 6. Cavies 7. Boston 8. Phantom 9. BK 10. Madison 11. Blue Stars 12. Troopers 13. Spirit

From what I was told, it's because DCI has some rule that prohibits corps from being obligated to travel more than 400 miles in a given night (or something along the lines of this - could be a different number of miles, could be a certain amount of hours traveled, etc.). But why this event is sponsored by DCI is beyond me. Maybe the restriction is actually in place for the sake of the judges instead of the corps? Wish I could be of more help! Regardless, it's a wonderful venue - relatively small stands but the audience is maybe 15 feet away from the front sideline. Talk about in your face!! Definitely the home of one of my favorite performances and memories. It felt great to have one night of performing for the sake of performing, not for the sake of a score.

1. Blue Devils 2. Bluecoats 3. Cadets 4. Crown 5. SCV 6. BAC 7. Cavies 8. Phantom 9. Blue Knights 10. Madison 11. Blue Stars 12. Troopers Phantom doesn't have enough content to stop Cavies and BAC from passing them. BAC won't make that jump from 8th to 6th until Allentown at the earliest. Similarly, Bloo won't pass Cadets until around that time. Blue Knights will pass Madison at around San Antonio.