davidmccain

All we can ask is that the judge scores each Corps without bias and judges them all fairly (whatever that means). Everything these judges do is subjective. Some people will disagree with the judge and then label the judge a bad judge. Some people will agree with the judge and then label the judge a good judge. Our assessment therefore is biased with our own personal beliefs. I've been to over 150 drum corps events spanning 35 years. There were times I thought the score was rediculous and the judges must have been smoking crack - - - meaning they gave high scores to performaces I struggled to appreciate andgave low scores to performances that really entertained me. I have biases when watching some of my favorite Drum Corps. But, just because I've seen every show on the now defunct Fan Network at least 2 to 5 times and I've seen approximately 800 - 900 performances live, doesn't really mean that I could be a good judge either. Basically, I'm just a fan. There are things I see in performances that I love that didn't really score high with fans such as the Academy's Front Ensemble last year and Madison's Trompone Quartet. And, there were things that I hated of course. And, one of favorite all time Drum Corps color guard is killing me as of late. But, when I go to the regionals and finals this year I will watch every one of the performances from start to finish. And, I'll sit in the middle of Drum Corps Snobs I'm sure like the group of BD vets I sat with at San Antonio last year. It was refreshing however, when I sat with the Academy's kids watching Crossman last year and they were cheering their heads off for them.

Yes, Mike, his dad, is a great guy and volunteers a lot. I wish Cadets all the best this season and my son has a bet with me that Cadets will win it all this year. I'm going for Bluecoats because I got a friend on brass staff there. $10 is on the line otherwise I would root harder for you guys. :-) haha.

Ben Penticosts - Mellophone. Marched with Spirit Last Year - From Dayton Ohio.

Denver, San Antonio, Opelika, Atlanta, Annapolis, Indy... Hehe.

I wish I was there to see it. But then again, INT isn't want it used to be.

Hmmmm????

My friend's son is playing with Cadets.

I like his photo

OK. Let's go Spirit!!!!!

GO Spirit F<(mily!!!

I hate narration. I didn't care for Cadets "And, that's what he said." stuff last year either.

Really enjoyed the Colts show last year. Can't wait to see them this year.

Is your corps ready? A video posted by Spirit of Atlanta (@spirit_of_atlanta) on Jun 23, 2015 at 8:46pm PDT

Go SPIRIT - F<(mily

From Twitter - Pio is at the gate. Good Luck Tonight.

Well. I actually love the guy. Entire staff is amazing and I really like the passion of the CEO to establish a different identity.

Well. I actually love the guy. Entire staff is amazing and I really like the passion of the CEO to establish a different identity.

Well. I actually love the guy. Entire staff is amazing and I really like the passion of the CEO to establish a different identity.

That looks like an artillery piece. How do you load it?

Early on the mix of captions being judge really play a part in the these scores and explain how some corps are getting jumps. It would help to understand everyone's relationship to one another especially when it is non-head-to-head competition if all Captions / Categories were represented on everyone's score sheets.

Spirit with a 5.2 point jump. Hard start for Pio.

With SCV he had 4 top 5 finishes with including 1 championship (tie with BD). From Spirit's Website - - - J.W. Koester (Corps Director), a long-time educator, consultant, adjudicator, pageantry professional & percussionist since 1971, has many years of management experience behind him as he returns for his second year as Spirit of Atlanta’s Corps Director. Koester has performed with such groups as the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps (during which time the Corps won 3 DCI World Championships & 5 Best Percussion Section Awards), the San Jose State University Marching Band, and the West Valley College Wind & Percussion Ensembles, as well as numerous Community Theater Musical Productions. In his years as a director, designer, instructor, consultant, & manager he has worked with several top, award-winning, Drum & Bugle Corps, including the Santa Clara Vanguard, the Glassmen, the Vanguard Cadets, and the Phantom Regiment, as well as numerous Marching Bands, Winter Guards & Winter Percussion Ensembles in California, Nevada & Hawaii, including the 6-time World Champion San Jose Raiders Winter Guard. Koester has over 20 years experience as an adjudicator of Marching Band, Drum & Bugle Corps, Winter Guard and Winter Percussion Festivals & Competitions throughout the Western United States (including the State Championships for Arizona & Colorado). Koester has also served as Drum Corps International Division II & III National Coordinator. Koester works and resides in California with his wife Roxanne and has a daughter, Laura, and a son, Joshua.