Standing O

Not sure about the Cavalier show this year. They are my hot dog group this year. Must say that Bluecoats seem to be on fire! Will be watching how they fit into the mix next week.

Oh please! Mike Stone there are other groups than BD! Surprised you didn't give them a 20!

What I find fascinating is that DCI has allowed perfect scores???????? Really! It is also interesting to look at the relationships of the adjudicators and the instructional staff and the trends of who is rewarded and who is not! That I think is the bigger issue. Please do you homework before you blast me!

OMG you have got to be kidding. This is getting old judges! Some one please recognize standing and playing and moving and playing in the rep or vocabulary! it so obvious that there is a disconnect. Its a marching activity not a concert activity.

Not sure of the legality of it at the moment, but each corps used to do a stand still so they still got there seed money. A little history for those looking forward.

history will tell you everything--if you want to look back?

MONEY--don't you know! DCI is in it to make money! By the way the west coast show tonight has a full panel but most of them live here--WHY you say? because of the weather! So they don't have to fly then anywhere, cost, cost, cost!

I certainly think that they think they are giants in the sky, But don't get the connection--they start there. Giants don't come into the woods until that later half. Also what are wolves doing on the ladder if you want to get nit picky- As for the culture comment I teach kids that luv the K-pop stuff so I am exposed to it. We do basics to it. But in the context of the BD show I stand by my opinion that it feels out of place, That comment exposed signs of immaturity in my opinion. When you here it live: It sounds like "gimmy a donut" I think I quoted it incorrect in the previous post, I apologize. The quality of the sample doesn't lend itself to a clear verbal. So you hear what you hear. Sorry to ruin it for the rest of when you hear it for real, because that what you gona remember. The best part of the show is when the giants arrive--the staging is appropriate and leads you in to the awesome ballad, so take that. I will see them again tomorrow and see what they have accomplished over the past couple of days. I am planning on bringing donuts to the Rose Bowl! Lighten up people, its still early season Drum corps which unfortunately is all we ever get to see on the west coat!

Only 5 judges tonight and with Carlson and Chap numbers could be a bit wankee. Both area bit old school, so they value clean, unless BD is involved and then Carlson will give them the 20.

So, saw the show. The section in the middle where the sample sound like " I wana donught" seems kind of out of place. There has got to be at least a minuet where all there is samples and drum kit, even the color guard doesn't have equipment. Sorry, loose me there. Love the ballad, you know why, because they actually play the song and give me a melody I can sing on the way out the door, been a while since they did that! Like the way they mic the baritone solo. It is really obvious that when they play harder material they always stand still. It will be interesting if any of the adjudicators will recognize that in comparison to others that do move and play and how they choose to reward? It looks like they don't know what they want at the end, kind of boring, maybe a work in progress. Drums on ladders, yea so, just because?--rifles on ladders, kind of cool, but what does that have to do with wolves and writing a children's book. Interested in seeing how this plays out. Not sure about the 2 point spread to the other corps, I think they have some issues with transition and focus when they move the props around. Guard has some talented kids, but they have some young ones too, Lots of drops on the run I saw. Almost all of them move there feet under there tosses. Not a "20" color guard this year---judges! they do like to dance though! Assume the big pipes will become writing utensils at end of show, interested in seeing that prop, can do a lot with them though, they just put the weaker people on them I guess. my two cents till next time

As I have a totally different opinion on HS marching band I will keep this response just to the drum corps activity. I have watched drum corps budgets slowly clime and keep wondering when people will finally say enough is enough. I for one would like to see more kids involved in the activity, not just a few elite groups. Does any group really require a staff that does not travel with the group the entire season? Does an extra semi just to haul props around to support a wana-be Broadway designers ego justify the added expense? All of these types of expenses eventually trickle down to the MM. The activity started out as community based youth groups and I do miss this type of focus. I do think that Star got it right when they decided to create lasting product and moved it to the stage. A sound financial strategy for what they wanted to do. Outdoor drum corps is seasonal so how do you justify the added expense for a short term investment with little return for most of the units (not to the MM). Yeah you have a couple of Hot dogs at the top who are profiting but those at the top will fall too if they continue to escalate the financial demand for a teen to be able to march. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. I luv this activity, think that out of control budgets and egos may not lead to the demise of the activity, but may end in a units existence.

Dome not required if you have it California. IT all comes down to money. Longer contracts on venues are better deals. That being said, flying into Indy is not cheap. the closer they get to a MAJOR airline hub where direct flights from all over the nation would help. I think that most of the attendance at nationals is from family and friends of current marching members. Having gone the last 5 years to see our daughter, we would not attend again unless is was on the west coast. DCI you want more attendance, increase the marching membership, figure out how to boost the non G7 groups to a full 150 and nationals attendance will grow.

On the flip side, for those of you that were fortunate enough to witness Phantom win the Spartacus year. I have never heard the crowd erupt like that ever! No thanks to the drum judge who ranked and rated with a continence. That is still on of the best moments in DCI history. That is what DCI should be shooting for every year and until they really fix the recognition of all aspects of this activity in the system we will continue to ##### about the outcome. Bottom line there are things that are done in this activity that not explicitly written on the sheets but are still inherent to this activity specifically and should be recognized and rewarded when other groups choose not to.

How can you even reference Frank Zappa and allow it to be used in the same sentence with the BD.

The fact is these units do it and those units don't. Should be pretty clear to evaluate that don't you think?

It is very interesting hearing some bold statements from people that the top 3 have such a superior production. What I don't hear is facts to back up the statement. Moving and playing is one demand that they present that I don't see in the caption placements or scores as well, there is no doubt that Cadets play and move probably better than all of them! Crowns horn line moves to floor and holds there horns one handed and layers on lower body movement--while playing. BD has a segment that the horn line goes to the floor but they don't play. Next time you watch BD tell me how many time they follow the leader in a circle around the Mayberry pole at a step size les than 8 to 5, is this innovative drill or staging? How often do they play and move or is it just moving while the Jamming drum kit is playing in the pit. These are the analysis I am making and the judges should be looking at as well and I don't see it in the caption placements and spreads!

I have been watching these show develop all season and I am asking the judging community why you wont put them in the 1 tenth mix of the top 3. I believe from a rep standpoint they have just as much if not more to offer then some blue units. It would be so nice to see the execution side of the caption determine the out come of a show instead of the the designer side, let the performers make the decision.

what is the slate?

Wow interesting night. Carlson and Neibauer did not se eye to eye. I really thing Carlson had Boston in the right place! Do not understand how Boston is doing so well, that show has major issues, kinda like watching BD put there jackets on last year watching them take off the grey and have the red on did not work! Terrible transitions, these designers know better, but the adjudicators should be telling them that through a score as well. I hope that DCI changes the slate for SA. Would luv to someone other than Lentz on the slate!

Torcia! ya know BD will win guard! BD would win every caption is she could judge it!

I am not sure who does the recaps but I would like to see one addition. On the DCI recap they show the adjudicator for the caption that night. I would luv it if you could add that to the DCP recaps--I like seeing who is making the decisions---lol or not!

I am not sure who does the recaps but I would like to see one addition. On the DCI recap they show the adjudicator for the caption that night. I would luv it if you could add that to the DCP recaps--I like seeing who is making the decisions---lol or not!

For those of you that may be curious, check out 1985 Erte color guard at WGI finals, One of George Zingali's creations. It may look a pretty familiar.

Unfortunately untill they all get judged by the same full panel we wont know. Scores right now are a mixture of 8 panel and 5 panel groups. Then again once you get them all together you have to through into the mix of Torcia, George O, Marie C, Lentz to name a few! Yes I am pretty outspoken about the adjudicators, I have a problem when in finals week on three nights and three separate judges, a color guard gets perfect 20's, that to me is not doing a job but collecting a pay check. Was at the show last night with a full panel and the crowd erupted when Crown won! I feel the spreads and rankings were real last night. It was a good night. They should have won in Stanford too, but there was certain people on the slate!!!! I rest my case. PC is really good this year they didn't have a full show last week in Stanford so I can see that spread between them and BK. BK needs to fix the square peg in there show of circles. PC had all there uniforms last night and added more at the end. This will be the Best corp PC has ever had, guard to really good and staged better then EVER before! Should be an interesting ride to see where they end up, brass book was written by BD Meehan, battery is under Tom Aungst. defiantly beefed up there staff.

I saw the corps in Stanford. in a show with circles, playing first circle, please explain the square stage in this show?