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tubabeard42

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Posts posted by tubabeard42

  1. For me it's not with a t-shirt, but with a hat. Having been a member of Impulse I have the hats I wore as part of my 2012 and 2013 uniforms. The hats are black baseball caps with a yellow zot logo on the front (see my profile image for an example). I occasionally get people coming up to me and jokingly asking, "Do you have a quest for me?", mistaking it for the yellow exclamation mark that appears above the heads of quest-giving characters in World of Warcraft. I have to explain that while I get the reference, it actually has nothing to with the game, and then almost always have to explain what drum corps is. I never really mind, since at least people notice, and it tends to be little more than a moment of humor.

  2. Or if you want something cheaper, just ask your orthodontist for some wax. That'll at least prevent the braces from cutting/indenting.

    As for playing, I agree, you do get used to it. The key of course is to practice. Just play a lot (and well, of course), and soon enough it shouldn't affect your playing. Your lips will adapt.

  3. The dancing and such, without playing, seemed a bit much for a 6-minute show, and it was hard for me to get into the live brass music with the repetitive canned beat in the background. Indoor competitive wind ensembles could definitely be done, but I'm not sure that this is the best of way doing it.

    Of course I appreciate that they put time and effort into an uncommon type of performance like this. It's nothing on the performers, it's just the way the show is designed. This is a less-explored idea, so it will likely evolve and change as it goes along, as do all competitive activities. Incorporating some electronics could work if done right (maybe). I'd just like to hear more of the actual people playing the actual instruments.

    • Like 3
  4. A friendly reminder: the corps is Pioneer. Just Pioneer, like in the title of this topic. People can be sensitive about using corps' names properly.

    As for what's up with the corps, I know they announced their show. Beyond that, I don't know anything, but you can find a fair amount of information, including a MIDI of their opener for next season, at their website here: http://www.pioneer-corps.org/

  5. With apologies to Letterman and Leno, Kimmel and crew…

    Many remember the 2008 Spartacus show by the Regiment when asst. DM* Koji Mori killed off Will Pitts on the podium. Funny coincidence is that Mori in Latin (so appropriate for Spartacus) means "to die" (mors, morte…like in mortician.) Always had great respect for Will Pitts who ended his DCI field career so loyal and flat on the ground bottoms up, knowing the crowd loved it; even more when he was dragged to the starting line for awards. (*ok, it's Phantom: "conductor.")

    Is this life imitating art or art imitating life? Before the Gibopkins gauntlet was thrown to the DCI board, the one corps changed its show title from "Both Sides Now" (inclusive) to "Side by Side" (two separate identities, DCI and MIM) well , maybe that coincidence is an overthink.

    The corps from Ft. Mill has gotten a notorious nickname (Carolina Cloud) from many recent marchers since its home show so often is spoiled by stormy weather. ("Rainbeat" instead of " Nightbeat" or "Firstbeat".) The nickname certainly follows them to performances in many places, like the several non-shows in La Crosse and Jersey.

    And speaking of Ft. Mill, is it true that their super-secret winter camps and spring training is code named "Crown Moldings –Finishing Touches" ????

    Could one say that to regain their finalist spot, the Blue Stars are resorting to Voodoo?

    Enjoy your Super Bowl commercials.

    To quote an old video game meme, "I hear it's amazing when the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork does a raw blink on Hara-Kiri Rock. I need scissors! 61!"

  6. I've worn glasses while field marching since my freshman year of high school (and had glasses since I was about 8). I've never really had a problem with them, except occasionally slipping down the nose, which is fixed easily by either having the arms adjusted (which I can get done quickly for free at Costco), or a strap of some sort.

    Last season, I never wore sunglasses, as I never felt the need having a hat, and one of our techs did tell us not to wear them (me being a rookie and him being very[!] experienced and a bit intimidating, I took his word for it). Being near-sighted, I did occasionally do sections of rehearsal and full runs without my glasses without much of a problem, but for shows I always wore them. My corps' hats being baseball caps, there wasn't much of a problem in that department.

    I've given thought to getting contacts, but I've haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll look into maybe getting them before the season starts, or prescription sunglasses.

    Aside: I say "being" a lot. Human being. Alien being. Bee-ing. One of the fields we rehearsed on was covered in bees (or a similar insect) in 99-degree weather. I'll get off the stream of consciousness train before it leads to the darker corners of my mind.

  7. I've learned something from instructors of current lines over the past few weekends.

    For the Tubas/Contras

    It's a Tuba section when they sound alright, Contra section when they sound good.

    One of our vis instructors last season in my corp called us tubas when he was upset with us/we did something wrong, and contras when we did something right/he was happy with us.

    As for the matter at hand in the thread, it seems to largely a matter of tradition to say that G horns are bugles, and without G, it's not drum and bugle corps.

    When I first learned what a drum and bugle corps even was, my understanding was that "Bugle" just referred to the winds all being forward-firing brass instruments. At the time, the only thing I knew was called a bugle was the valveless signalling instrument previously mentioned in the thread. When threads happen upon comparisons like this, I often like to chime in my rookie voice (being relatively new to the activity and so far having marched only one season) and say this: Bb lines, and the drum corps of today, are the drum corps I fell in love with. I haven't heard much in the way of a G line live before, so I lack the personal experience to make a comparison. From my perspective, I sometimes find myself getting a little irked about remarks of G somehow being the superior option or being the "real" drum corps. For those who have the experience to know the tradition, to have experienced it, it's understandable they'd prefer what they know to something newer that isn't an established tradition yet. Like I said, G horns aren't a tradition I experienced, and Bb is thus what I know. However, that being said, I'm not opposed to G horns. If things shifted back to that, I'd also be okay with it. If my corps decided to use G horns, I wouldn't object, I like learning new instruments.

    Overall, from what I've seen, it comes down to a matter of perspective and comparative experiences in cases like this.

    I'll be getting off your lawn, now.

    • Like 2
  8. After my initial confliction and a considerable amount of thought on the matter, I've decided that I won't give them (the G7) any more of my money (I do have shirts for PR, SCV, Bluecoats, and Crown already), but I will still watch the shows since I want to appreciate what they put on the field while I still can. Politics or not, I'm not going to miss my first chance to see Crown live.

    I also had some amount of concern over the new wave of supporting non-G7 corps (and that they're even referred to that way) because in some cases it felt like a matter of politics rather than supporting the corps for everything else they do. However, any kind of increase in support for corps is not ultimately a bad thing. If the G7 do end up leaving, all the others will need all the support they can get (they do right now as well, but still).

    I only really got into drum corps a little over a year ago, and 2012 was my rookie season, so I'm still rather new to DCI, and I'm still figuring some things out. I'll most likely be buying shirts, or some other form of merch, from the non-G7 (though I didn't think in that frame of reference at the time) corps that I admittedly passed over at CA shows last season. This is a really interesting (one word for it) time to be new to the activity.

  9. I am supporting the Madison Scouts and the young man I know who made the horn line this year to honor everything the Brotherhood has done for me over the last 25 years (MYNWA).

    I am also going to the souvie booths of the Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, Colts, Pioneer, Cascades, Crossmen, etc... because I love drum corps.

    I will not go to the MiM show in my area or support those corps participating... because they think they are the "G7"

    It's not that I don't object to the idea of the G7, because I certainly do. My main question is: what about the performers? By not supporting the corps at all, you're not supporting the performers, the members of the corps. Do they deserve any of the blame for what the administration is doing? Are their efforts to put out an excellent product any less valid? This is what is concerning me, not the objection to the G7 (I'm with an Open Class group, so I'm leery of what would happen if they had their way).

    Please also don't misinterpret me as objecting to supporting all of the corps. I'm glad people will be supporting them. Groups like Pioneer and Cascades and such need all the support they can get. There isn't a corps I don't like (some more or less than others, but each to some degree), and that's because of their performers, nothing to do with the administration. It's just that it feels to me like some people are only increasing their support of other groups as a reaction to the G7, and not because the corps need and deserve the support for what they do.

    And to be on topic with the thread, I'll be paying even closer attention to Madison this year because one of my corps' vets will (at least quite possibly) be marching with them this year.

    • Like 1
  10. I will freely admit I am pulling for Madison and Boston to crack this G7 thing up, and any other corps that is willing to give it a go. I too am supporting every corps outside the G7.

    This kind of reasoning makes it sound like you're only supporting them because they're not the G7.

    • Like 1
  11. I'm performing with another corps at a couple of the same shows as them, but I'll do my best to be in the stands by the time they're on. 2012 made them my favorite corps, and I'm not going to miss a chance to see them live, especially after a year like that. Whatever is going on with the G7, I'll be there to see amazing performers putting on an amazing show. Looking forward to the show announcement whenever it happens.

    • Like 3
  12. I'm concerned about what the fate of Open Class might be in their hands. BD and SCV do have groups there, but still. The board they propose would have no direct representation from any Open Class groups, and yet would seemingly be in charge of all of DCI. So essentially they could do with Open Class what they wanted, and the directors would not be able to do anything about it.

    They say they want to continue to be a part of DCI, but looking at it one way, it might seem that they want to make DCI become just them, basically turn themselves into DCI, which would still fit their logic, though admittedly that's a little extreme to assume. I'm still pretty new to the world of DCI, but I really get a bad feeling about this.

    (joke about Cavies continuing to drop and sliding out of the top 12, making the G7 only have 6 on their proposed board, or something unfunny along those lines)

    • Like 1
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