mjm207

Blue Stars are performing original music by Richard Saucedo and an adapted version of I put a spell on you by Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Honestly IMO, if you're going for durability, Jupiter(Quantum series) is the way to go. Those horns are a little heavier and have better joint placement/soldering.

I've updated the poll to include Dynasty and Kanstul.

I heard that Surf, Pio, Spartans, Academy, Cascades, SCVC, BDB, Raiders, and 7th Regiment are all looking for Bari/Euph spots.

I've been wondering which company makes the best horns for awhile now. I can only judge the mellophones, being that's what I play.

Glassmen's bingo revenue tanked because Ohio lifted a ban on gambling and a new casino opened up in Toledo. I really hope they find a new, sustainable way to make money.

Sorry, I had a Freudian slip. I meant to say Cavaliers, not Crown.

I went through an old school program, being that my director marched DCI in the 80's, and we used bent leg. However, in all most of my experiences with DCI (shows/camps), we used straight leg. As far as I know, the only programs that currently use bent leg are Crown and SCV. Which do you think is better?

It's actually both. The concept is definitely dark. As for the music, it has some serious dissonance and an uneasy feel to it at times; there's a lot of interplay from triple to duple. But it's just amazing. Saucedo really outdid himself with this one.

The concept is interesting, to say the least, and is really dark compared to past shows. Russ, the director, said that they'd be announcing the show in about 2 weeks, at the last camp.

Everyone is really excited; good things are in store for the Blue Stars. Hornline turnout was fantastic and everyone loved working with the new brass staff. Each section was above capacity. I'm not too sure about percussion or guard though.

I am so sorry, *facepalms Surf probably had the best reaction.

If the G7 "carry the show", then why do corps like Crossmen and Scouts get the best crowd reaction?

I'm not at liberty to say too much, but the Blue Stars will have a 2/3 original show, 1/3 arrangements of other tunes. From what I heard and played, being at the last camp, the music has a much different character than that of 2000's Cavaliers, but is still uniquely Saucedo.

If a corps actually wanted to utilize the trombone, I'd imagine them using bass trumpets, which are essentially marching trombones.

Well, if you had checked the Glassmen facebook page, you'd see that most of the info is distributed there.

All my ranting and bias aside, this is my realistic list. 1/2. BD and Crown- They're both amazing and, with the addition of the west coast tour for Crown, it should be a toss up for the title. 3. Cadets- They'll field a #### good show, especially with their repertoire this year. However, I don't think it will get them on the same level as BD/Crown. 4. SCV- It should be another up year for Vanguard. :) 5. PR- Phantom will be Phantom. 6. BOC- The crusaders crack the top 6 after two years of serious growth within the organization. 7. Bloo- Coats will field a kick-### corps, but show design and rep will hold them back. 8. Scouts- They're hungry to be an elite corps again and make babies take flight. 9. Cavies- They'll struggle again in another rebuilding year. 10. Bones- Crossmen are glad to be back and don't look to be departing anytime soon. This is where it gets interesting. 11/12. These two spots could go to just about anybody. BK is down, but is it enough to put them out of finals? SOA is kicking ###. Stars were really close last year. Academy will continue to build with Andre Feagin. PC supposedly has a large number of vets this year. Glassmen is retooling in the wake of crushing debt, but also has many vets coming back. Even Colts or Troopers could sneak in. (Not a knock on those corps, but they're just down IMO) If I absolutely had to pick, it would be: 11. SOA 12. Stars/Glassmen/Academy/BK (It'll be a tight race.) My wish list: 1. Crown 2. SCV 3. Bloo 4. BD 5. PR 6. TOC 7. Cadets 8. Scouts 9. Bones 10. Stars 11. Glassmen 12. SOA

I'm just afraid of what comes next. Now it's an issue of electronics/amplification. Will we have the same discussion in a few years about woodwinds? Being an oboist, I can say that love woodwinds, but they don't belong in DCI. We've the ceiling as far as change goes. Sure, drum corps went from 1, to 2, to 3 valves and the horn went from G to B-flat; they even added a front ensemble. However, none of these changes took away from the history and basic idea; make a 10 minute show, on a football field, using brass and percussion. All I can do is pray that George Hopkins and the G7 will never see that day or DCI will cease to exist and become a Blast knockoff.

What's with everybody being so down on the Glassmen this year? Being a potential member this year, I can assure that they'll be fielding a full corps for the entire season. As of about 2 weeks ago, 40% of the $300,000 had been raised. Sure, hornline attendance was poor, but that was mainly due to a large number of returning vets being in college bands that had football games that weekend. The new director, David Stinson, has done a great job cleaning up the mess that Brian Hickman left behind after resigning from the corps mid-season. We have an all new visual staff, including our new drill writer and visual tech, Nick Scotella. You might not know him by name, but you've seen his work; he wrote the drill for Phantom Regiment's championship show, Spartacus. New additions have been made to the brass staff. Our trumpet tech was a Madison screamer and our low brass tech marched the past few years with Crown. Don't count us out. There's a lot of pride and fight left in the Glassmen.