Penguin

Cadets.

If they did Rutter's "Magnificat" (as they did in '96) with the talent they have today, I would be quite pleased. :)

Good man! It was a pleasure to meet him in Pasadena.

I don't really see the comparison. What are they doing that makes them anything like Star?

Narration.

Question: Are you blind and deaf? :P

People over 21 = out of college, away from the support of their parents, in the real world. In the real world, you usually can't stop working for 3 months and blow $2000+ in that same period.

Let's not forget that when it all boils down, it's about the experience. The drum corps activity is sustained by the desire to educate kids and provide them with the incredible experience that is drum corps. You think all the drum corps volunteers and underpaid staff and administration out there do it for the fans, or because they love the competition? Hah. edit: That may have been a bit OT, but the idea is that drum corps will never meet its downfall as long as that passion is there.

Well... like I said... there are other things drum corps do don't really make sense, but they do them in the name of tradition. We associate rifles with drum corps. They are a symbol of drum corps. Although I suppose I wouldn't really object to it, exchanging rifles for crescents or wooden poles or anything else would be considered by many to be making the activity "less drum corps", if you will.

As was yours. Rifles were primarily designed to kill living things. Also, the rifle emerged in the 15th century... long before most of the world even knew about the land we now call "America". Not exactly apple pie. Just saying.

Well, everyone knows (as I'm sure you do) that the use of rifles as equipment stems from the good ol' days when the color guard actually guarded the colors with sabres and rifles. I think that there are many things that drum corps do today that aren't necessary, but are important because they remind us of the history of drum and bugle corps I believe that it's important to hold onto these little links to the past, even in the face of political incorrectness (or whatever you would call Daniel's arguement).

That would be terrible! It would give the big question a definite, scientific answer. Then what would we argue about? Actually, nevermind. I'm sure we'd still find a way to argue with science.

Personally, if I wanted to be entertained, and I had to choose one of the two to watch, it would be '07.

Of course it's improbable. It's the low caption numbers that got them out of the top 3 in the first place!

You seem to have the process reversed. The judges have no idea where a corps is sitting overall when they write down their number. Each judge evaluates his/her own caption, and ranks accordingly. If Bluecoats' brass was better than BD that night, it would have been on the sheets.

How about half hour waits to get into the stadium? :)

Gah! Why didn't this show up when I searched for it?

In anticipation for the upcoming season, what is everyone's ideal numbers breakdown for a full, 150-member drum and bugle corps? 11 pit 20 battery (5 bass, 10 snare, 5 tenor) 40 guard 76 brass (24 trumpets, 12 mellos, 14 tubas, 26 baris) 3 drum majors

We all know that there have plenty of G bugle hornlines that could blow buildings over. I'm talking about the increase in volume since the switch to Bb horns.

Yes, but I'm pretty sure they were on Gs that year. We're basically talking about the increase in volume since the switch to Bb.

Uniforms! Some good changes (Phantom, Cadets, Colts), some bad (Crown, Spirit, Crossmen). Overall, DCI got a facelift in '07, for better or for worse.

The Cadets had a fabulous performance Friday, but Saturday seemed to lack that same energy and cleanliness. I enjoyed the Cadets show more. I think the Cadets could have won if their performance was little stronger on Saturday night. But it wasn't. BD was the best performer that night.

Agreed. Not only does it not match up to most of the other championship shows; it doesn't match up to some of their non-championship shows (see 2000). For me, the show was difficult to "get into", from the concept right on down to the execution. Reading the program, it sounds like one of those intentionally ambiguous, overly worded marching band show descriptions. It could have just as easily (and perhaps, more effectively :P ) said "stuff about wings and flying and birds and stuff". If the music and drill were amazing, one could easily disregard the lackluster concept, but they weren't. Maintaining interest in the show was almost as difficult as following the concept. Obviously, this is all my opinion. You are allowed to like this show, and we are allowed to disagree. :)