2muchcoffeeman

I am the only person in the world who doesn't recognize Bump. When/where is it?

This comports with the theory that DxN ([design] x [recruitment volume], a proxy for talent) = ultimate placement. Talent being roughly equal (within tiers, anyway), competitive placement comes down to show design. DCI competitive success is a designer's plaything; the kids sign up for the experience and try to hop on the one that will take them in the direction they want to go, whether that's a great summer experience, a championship, or some other outcome. It's my assertion that most kids sign up for design; they want to be part of something they think is cool. If your design is attractive, you'll get numbers in November. If you get numbers in November, you'll have a larger pool of top talent at your doorstep. If you contract a large enough number of that top talent, you're going to improve your competitive outcome. Some members -- a minority, in my experience -- sign up for overall member experience or other reasons such as proximity and cost.

Not wrong, no. This very point has been argued extensively elsewhere on these boards. Here, for example

Kinda funny: It takes an out-of-the box production to beat BD. Then BD goes back to beating everyone from within the box. No one else is allowed to win from within the box. A weird reality.

I'm a dino and I never knew this. A story like this is good for the drum-corps soul — a reminder that it ain't science; it's art, and it's messy, full of emotion and sweat and tears, and the attempt to reduce all that to a number, however necessary, is a fraught game. I think Colts are pretty solidly in 9th, especially since the gap over Troopers widened slightly at semis, and so it will take their best run of the year tonight, something that they pull out of their own deep internal selves — as well as other events outside their control — for Troopers to have any shot at moving up. Is it possible? Certainly. If it were impossible, they wouldn't even bother with a contest tonight. But even if it doesn't happen — and the odds are against it — Colts and Troop are best buds and they'll each congratulate the other on a season of substantial growth and advancement, and the numbers will soon be lost to memory. What they'll remember is the emotion, the sweat, the tears, and the sound of the crowd. The desire to connect to such a powerful, transforming force was able to create 27th Lancers, an entirely new corps. That desire continues to produce new generations of performers. The numbers animate the pursuit of excellence; but it's the excellence, not the numbers, that linger.

Fair. I'd say the visual *program* this year is the most sophisticated in . . . probably ever, and the musicians are performing it to a level I've never seen at Troopers. So they are definitely improving their visual overall, but in order to get ful value out of it they'll need to figure out how to get the guard up the curve. I have faith.

Percussion ranking 8th tonight and brass 7th. Drums were the obvious strength going into the season, and now brass is doing some heavy lifting, too. Really proud of what Lauren and Mary have done with these young performers.

Troopers brass in 7th tonight, ahead of Mandarins

Click that link all you want, it's not going to do anything for a while. DCI site crashing

Yeah good luck with that

Most recent visit was Aug. 17, 2022

Don't say "die" when talking about Granny

Nah. They need the time for retreat and winner's encore run

Director: Congratulations Spartans! You've won Open Class! The good news is that you get to perform the encore at Semis! The bad news is you go on after Blue Devils.

Correct. 1985 (9th) and 1986 (11th)

Dunno what to make of the score drops for BS and Troopers today vs Thursday. Troop had a better show and lost half a point. BS lost about the same. BK got the more typical Semis score bump today to clear the bar. Maybe the judges are trying to create some room above to spread out the semifinals scores a bit more?

Another DCI-era record score tonight for Troopers. Didn't want it to go unrecognized.

I'm as big a Troopers homer as you'll find, so it's gratifying to know you really enjoy the performance. But tbh, Troop needs to up its visual game, especially in guard, before it can contend for 8-7-6 range. I mean they just popped their highest score of the DCI era tonight (woot!) and their visual scores are their best ever overall, but the guard is ranking 16th right now. They have a Top-10 visual program if they can pull it off, but they have 2 contests left in which to do it. If they do, they'll have a solid shot at 9th. And don't count them out for a second; we've all seen what Troop can do at semis.

My take on the recap is that Troop has a bit more fruit hanging on the visual branches than do the Colts, who are overperforming their visual book across the board. Agreed that if Troopers can put together their best visual run of the year they can move into 10th, outside shot at 9th. Brass appears have left a little on the table tonight, too. If it was just nerves, then Friday could be a strong night. There's something about Troopers and semis....

After all that musical explosion, LOS is as quiet as a library. Weird.

I believe this is more true than we know, and not only among the medalists

That was some DRILL, boy

Seems like it's been that way since I've been watching them. Their closers have been like the end of a fireworks show, when they shoot everything off at once

This was Troop's first competition since Allentown I think?

Lol you need a whole season to get that ready