Skylinersop16

Corpsreps listings for Dave Brubeck

The Conquistadors Drum & Bugle Corps is looking for a total of 4 bass drum harnesses. Funding is limited so purchasing a new set is out of the question. We are looking to see if anyone has any they would like to donate. They can be in any condition as long as they are usable or fairly easy to repair. Please message me if you can help.

Up until about 6 months ago the Rochester Patriots buses sat on NY Rt 17-c in Owego at a used car lot for sale. They are gone now. The bus for Spectrum from Corning, NY is rotting in the hills off of Rt 38b between the Tioga and Broome County lines in Upstate New York. Someone is using the storage bays as a makeshift shed for old car parts.

Then why would DCA release this before any of these threads started? As was said. It was bad form by both parties, not just the Renegades.

Who's to say they didn't apologize? Why do they owe you an apology? Did they trash your house and kick your dog? I'm about tired of this nonsense. Everyone has been very vocal about their opinion yet nobody knows what exactly happened. We allegedly have it narrowed down to a hotel incident. It has also been said that several members were robbed from their rooms. Did the hotel apologize for that? Did they offer to pay for lost items? Everyone is so quick to jump on the bandwagon to condemn the Renegades. I can think of another corps that was threatening gate staff in Rochester but no mention was ever made by DCA about that little incident. They never got in trouble. The organization was asked to deal with those members. If this was any other corps in the circuit there would be a lot more public defense for them. Everyone seems to have it out for the Renegades and specifically Lee Rudnicki. Lee can stir the pot and challenge the traditional school of thought and is frankly a brilliant mind. I know that because I worked with him with the Skyliners. Also it is apparently okay to trash the Renegades for something that happened that none of you know about and then justify your criticisms by saying you are big fans. I guarantee if Lee had not posted anything publicly then everyone would be demanding answers as to what happened on top of creating stories. Now since he did try to appease the masses a little, everyone says it should've stayed behind closed doors while still demanding to know what happened. What is wrong with this society? In the last 72 hours I've seen people in my job, my marching band and the drum corps community turn on each other like rabid wolves. Out of hand. If you don't know what happened then don't lay blame and if you have a personal conflict with someone then don't air your dirty laundry in public. Just an opinion of someone who's been in the activity, seen a lot and doesn't hide his identity on a message board. The dislike button is over here. -------------------->

The last report from Sky was that they were supposed to be evaluated and there were claims that they were full but come evaluation day nobody was there. I left in 2008 though so I can't make any official claim after that. When I was administration there were a lot of internal issues to be sorted out.

I've been digging around on this subject for a couple weeks because I am in desperation mode trying to find a set of tenors. I've almost been tempted to order the sixes a couple times but backed out. Apparently in the 50's and 60's Trixon was a fairly decent German company but they went by the wayside. There was allegedly an effort to revive them in the 90's but the owner died. The name was sold to this guy that runs Jim Laab's music. I talked to the guy. Shady character. They are just Far East garbage with an old name brand stuck on them. The only good reviews I have read come from people trying to unload the things. I guess if an offer looks too good to be true it is...

I was going to say that earlier because I read it in a 'how the corps got their names' thread but I couldn't find it to cite my source and didn't want to be accused of hearsay

After a successful Membership Day we are pleased to announce that we have finalized our rehearsal space for the upcoming season. The Conquistadors will be returning to the Church of the Nazarene in Owego, NY on November 2nd. The church has been a huge supporter for us in since our inception and we are happy to continue working with them this year. The full schedule can be found on our website at www.conquistadors.webs.com. We are still accepting members for the upcoming season. Edited 'caus I kant spel

They are trying to pay the bills obviously or this thread wouldn't exist. So there is some financial trouble. Everybody needs help now and then whether it be an individual or a business. Was a mistake made somewhere? Yes. Does that mean nail the coffin shut on a 20+ year old 6 time champion drum corps? No! Maybe you don't get the whole DCA activity. The corps does not pay for its membership to go to Championships. At the end of the season, the money left in DCA's account from various points in the season is divided up among the competing corps. Bush would've lost money by going inactive not only in not getting DCA money but not getting dues money from membership. Not to mention Northern New Jersey is home to quite a few other corps competing for membership. If I was with Bush and they were going to go inactive what is keeping me there? I would be off to Hawthorne or Fusion or someone else because I want to march. Staying competitive this season may be what is keeping them going. I have had my arguments and disagreements with this corps and for a long time they were not on my list of allies but I will not watch them struggle and sit here and do nothing to help when something can be done and if everybody that reads this could give up a few dollars to save a corps in trouble then in no time the money could be raised without breaking anyone's bank.

The Bushwackers underwent a huge management change not too long ago. I would have to agree with Jeff that the fault is probably on the previous administration. I will be taking this matter to my corps' next board meeting shortly and seeing what we can contribute to help out. Probably not much but any little bit will help.

Play "Come in From the Rain!"

I got word from the gate that they are finishing the show tonight even if it passes the 10:00 noise ordinance.

Seems to be working now.

I think the site crashed. Is anyone able to get on it? I can't. Just get the 404 error page.

Our band circuit Championships is in the Carrier Dome. We spend the week before the trip playing music in the gym and auditorium to try to get the kids used to the echo problems.

So I ordered Prelims and Alumni this morning. It was kinda annoying that I had to have 2 separate transactions and couldn't just put them both in the cart together.

I should've known that actually. When they sent me music Cachita was in there. Thanks for the correction!

Let me first say that I don't normally write reviews so pardon me if this seems like a rough draft. When I arrived at the stadium it was 75 degrees and clear. Clouds stayed away all night and temps got cool. Show started in typical fashion. Fran was announcing (took me a minute to locate him on the track because he was wearing a red polo shirt ) and called the honor guards front and center for opening ceremonies. Legion honor guard was in the middle and everybody else (minus Cadets 2) was surrounding. They called for the pledge of allegiance and the National Anthem started playing by mistake (recording) so they did that first and the pledge afterward. Crowd got confused and wasn't sure if it was okay to sit down until the guards started leaving. Bridgemen: Bayonne came out first to a very warm reception as it was their first time in the Scranton show. Very entertaining as usual. Interactive show that the crowd really seemed to enjoy. Cadets 2: My first time seeing a Cadets corps in over 10 years since I don't go to DCI anymore. It was cool seeing them take the field and seeing those uniforms in person again. Right from the beginning of the show the visual problems were apparent. Lots of members on the wrong foot (and yes I am aware they lead with the right) the backup technique was very hard to decipher. Some were trying to roll backwards at a fast tempo others were on their toes. Horn angles need work also. There was also several instances of stumbling by members that I noticed during some of the more difficult drill moves. I absolutely could not hear the horns in the opener over the pit. Musically things seemed to balance out after the opener. Drumline is very good to me (from a horn player perspective) and I was happy that they cadenced off the field instead of just a tap like I expected. Overall after seeing Fusion, I really believe Cadets should've come in 6th. Fusion: Overall I thought their show was very entertaining. It was a more in your face show which I enjoyed and it has a good storyline. I wish there was a little something more to tell the story though. Drumline is kinda week but not bad by any means. I thought the hornline was great. There are some hard parts in the show and they seemed to execute them very well. Visually they were more consistent technique wise than Cadets. That combined with what was IMO a better horn book led me to believe they should've been 5th. Caballeros: Hawthorne took the field in grand style as I come to expect. Arms swinging high to their famous street beat. Their opening set was a vertical line. There were a lot of comments coming from behind me about how people liked that they were starting in an "old style formation." I agree. To be perfectly honest, I watched YouTube videos of every show that was posted this season and I just cannot get into this opener. I thought I would like it better in person. The very first soprano (trumpet I mean) solo sounds like it doesn't fit in there. Alegria just seemed flat to me. Knowing the Cirque show and actually writing a corps chart of it myself, I know that it is a soft song and the battery is just cranking away throughout most of it. Feels out of place. The other issue I noticed with this corps only was the massive colorguard. There were points where they distracted me quite a bit. For instance the first hit in the opener. They all have these huge umbrellas opened and I just wanted them to move so I could see the corps. (For the record, no, I am not against colorguards. I am a winterguard director as well.) After the opener I really began to like the show. The music was entertaining and visually the corps is much improved on last season. They deserved 2nd. I feel they should've scored a little closer to Bucs though. Buccaneers: Reading is more or less what I expected. I will be honest, I have always supported the Buccaneers but never really cared to watch them. I appreciate what they have done and how far they came but as a general, their shows really never grab me. Tonight was different. Absolutely loved 1812 Overture. The corps was very clean and there really isn't a whole lot to say about them. I enjoyed the uniform switch as well. That is pretty much all I had to say about Reading. They are really good and deserved 1st place. Empire Statesmen: I am always a fan of the wall of sound that Empires bugles bring to the field. Very entertaining selections and overall a solid corps. I always expect to see Statesmen as a contender so it was no surprise that they put out a quality product. For the night I would say that they told their show story the best. A City Called Sin was the title and it was a Vegas show. They had the props and backdrops to set the tone and played tunes you would've heard if you were in Vegas. I agree with their placement in 4th and hope that they have the push for the top 3 in Finals but I'm pretty sure it will not happen this year when you figure in Bucs, MBI, and Cabs. Hurricanes: A disclaimer about the Hurricanes. Somewhere behind the stadium at this point, fireworks began to go off. There were a lot of children around me and they were more interested in that and very vocal about it so I didn't pay as much attention as I would've liked to to the show. I don't blame the children. Who doesn't like watching fireworks? There are a couple noteworthy points that I took away from Hurcs. I liked the 27th Lancer musical cues sprinkled in there. And whatever this issue was with the guard and the Union Jack flag, I don't get it. They used those flags at the end of the show and they spun them. They ended with them straight up. Never hit the ground. Hurcs were a solid 3rd. Park City Pride: Smaller than I remember. Couldn't really pay attention to them. Corps members that were watching were leaving for retreat and everyone that only wanted to see the competition corps was leaving. It took pretty much their whole performance for people in the stands to settle back in. Very distracting. Caballeros Alumni: Perfect way to end the show. Right from the beginning Hawthorne was spot on. I will admit I spent a lot of time following soprano #8 in line because that was the spot I was supposed to march before I ran out of money. I really enjoy seeing them. Jim Russo seemed a little low key like he wasn't feeling well. In fact after the performance he began to troop the stands behind the guard and stopped. I looked back at the corps lining up and when I brought my attention back up front he had vanished and didn't come out for retreat. I hope he is doing okay. Retreat: Full Olympic style retreat. Cabs Alumni played them out to the street beat and Cherry Pink. All corps played themselves off tonight which is always one of my favorite parts of the show. Hawthorne Alumni left first playing their opener "Espiritu Del Toro." Next was Fusion. They played their opener as well. I wouldn't have. The opener was a slow tempo so they got done and the bass tap started at 120bpm and the feet were all over for a bit. Cadets were next. Not sure what they played but it sounded great and they looked good in parade formation. My 2nd favorite play off. Empire came out next playing Elk's Parade. Being a former Skyliner I have a soft spot for that tune. Next was my favorite. Always. Hurricanes contra line marching up into Hang Em High. One of my favorite drum corps songs ever. Caballeros were the next to leave. Not sure what part of the show they were playing but I didn't agree with it. I felt terrible for the honor guard who was trying to keep up with the tempo but couldn't and the colorguard who just gave up and picked their own tempo. Would've much rather heard Flamenco Cha Cha. Buccaneers finished the night off. Sounded good, looked good, a great last impression. There you have it. My take on the evening. Keep in mind this was my perspective only and you may not agree with it.

The next question I have, purely because I am new to the Fan Network since I have no interest in the other circuits, did DCI actually set the prices for this service since it is their site or was it even up to DCA?

I'm not understanding why everyone thinks that its going to be a mirror image of DCI who has had a fan network for 10 years and therefore had 10 years to build it up. I'm sure they put it out now so we could watch Championships instead of them waiting for all the content to be loaded. I would also imagine that the subscription price will cover anything they add between now and the end date. The only thing I do agree with about all the gripes is that $69.95 is steep for half a year. (Okay 9 months but still, not the whole year.) It should be a bit lower since it only covers until May then you have to renew. I imagine that it is going to be a lot harder to build an archive with DCA with so many different video companies over the years. The only constructive thing I can do is offer up my VHS sets for 1992, 1993, and 1995 to be copied. I will gladly digitize it myself and hand it over to DCA if they need me to. Anything to help build it up!

I want to thank you for the tip. I emailed Ron and within the hour he got back to me. He happened to have 2 of the Magnum carriers that he is willing to refurbish for me!

I am working on a competitive DCA corps.

Being a horn player, I am at a disadvantage when it comes to drums but it comes with the territory of corps director now. I had 4 Slingerland snares donated to me and they all have these multi angle bars on them. I received 2 Magnum carriers but need 2 more or something similar. Does anyone know where I can find harnesses at a reasonable price to fit these multi angle bars? I have been keeping an eye on eBay but nothing has come up yet.