Ed Otto

Can't wait for Indy!!! 2-12 going to be entertaining.

I like all of the shows but diss appointed in the TOC results most of the time. I thought Allentown was a good sample of all of the groups on both nights

I think I am looking at different shows from a construction standpoint........differently. BD has a great construction as well as a balance with regards to individual and group responsibilities being asked of the performers. I am not seeing that with the perceived really clean team. Just sayin. In years past.....absolutely!! Just not this time around. Allentown really exposed that for me. With me the comp numbers are different in the TOC shows. Just IMO and my experience

Great season!!

I've only been to three and I think they were last at each? They're all running together. I would think they rotate that ..... Dies it really matter? I don't know

ah yes - but it is only a part of their repertoire of many different responisbilities and approaches to a very exciting, effective, competitive and crowd pleasing show for a really well balanced corps this season. I'll take that well rounded approach for my son. Happy to be a BLOOOO guy!

Go Bluecoats

They (BLUE) also do that - so -

I just read this from yesterday and found the predicted Spread spread betwen Bluecoats and Cadets hilarious. I had to say it because I actually laughed out loud

Every show I have attended this year in the east, Cadets go on last. How is that determined?

The reaching thing is an understatement. I agree - I had great seats last night. I disagreed with placement but I probably do not have enough experience to fully understand how the adjudication process works - content is content and execution is execution and audience engagement is audience engagement. Two great surprises - Cavies visual is on it's way back and Crossmen - everything. Great night over all Ed Otto

Great Review - disagree a bit regarding the placement last night but biased as a Bloooo parent, band director and drill designer. On a side note - the weather was great!

I didn't mean to be that long winded - just pushed send - I apologize

Involving the content - Content is content. On any given night.......yes I get that. Having said that Ruslan and Lyudmila, for example, is a bit more meat than Applachian Spring. Only using these two for an example. Not because of Crossmen vs Cadets - ha! - Anyway, the written composition is obvious so the content should be up in my opinion. BUT if the achievement or excellence is not there then that is where the judge should make it clear by an either rewarding or not so rewarding number. Content questions seem to be subjective. What I think is difficult or engaging seems to be different than what others may feel are difficult or engaging. I use my personal experiences from teaching in DCI, DCA and WGI as to what I think is difficult to write, teach and achieve. I am always hopeful that the judges have the same level of experience if not more. As an instructor or caption head I wanted to hear the comments and would play them for the group. Sometimes that helped with steering the rehearsal the next day. THe kids would know which direction we were heading with regards to cleaning and fixing. In my high school band, I will sometimes have the kids watch in silence the video of the performance - with the sound turned off. They don't get caught up in the hype and then they too see what was happening and why there is a concern. I remember watching BD's staff use several people recording particular sections of the ensemble during a performance and would follow the section the best they could through out the show. They, staff and sections, would then watch their section video / concerns (even the pit had their performance visually recorded) I will add to this a bit. Sometimes age does get in the way. If there is a jurrasic panel, then sometimes they only know intervals and if a group does not have well maintained intervals but their feet are in time, it is often distracting to the older folk who put numbers down. Sure they may know the lingo and are about 73 years old (I wish I was making that up) but being human - intervals on the move have to be clean. The step size into and out of a move/transition when going to the next set has to be dead on wth regards to not only the size and upperbody but also the angle of the direction change has to be instant - if it is not, some will not get past it - and probably should not. Time to clean - Wow - I just thought of something else.......change is not cleaning either. Some groups may have a really creative team but techs may not be used in the best manner. For example, the group is at rehearsal and after just running their assignment, form check / adjust they receive a brief critique from the scaffolding or box for each and every section of the group. Scaffolding then says Field and then the field staff has additional important information tat will involve the closer detailes for the individual for about 30 seconds - "wrap it up" and reset and the process starts over - It seems like a logivcal approach but I have been watching various groups reheharse this year and groups having problems this year need to use the field staff more efectively. On several occasions I see the field staff on the side. Maybe the expectations need to be clearer. This is the time of the season when anything can happen!! I'll help clean - HA!! Long winded I know - but passionate - sorry.

In my opinion it could be they have more to clean because there is more for each person to perform. They'll get it -

Really - I'm really disappointed in your assessment. But it is your read.

Really - I'm really disappointed in your assessment. But it is your read.

Woo Hoo

Here is my Rant - Drum Corps Rocks! I loved it when I marched, taught and wrote and still do to this day. I pulled myself out of the teaching and writing thing because it was family time. I am still a HS director, I still write my own and stuff and a bunch for others and was a college band director as well. I announce at the college band exhibition in Allentown each year and just really think this activity is the best - my son marched three years in the Reading Buccaneers and now is marching in Bluecoats and it really is a great activity and teaching tool on every level - I just wanted to put that out there because sometimes we lose the point - that's all. Go Corps!! Blooo! Go Eddie (my son) the tallest kid in the Trumpets! AND that was my Rant!! and one other thing - aren't triangles awesome!!! TILT!!

Crossmen 89,90,91,92!!!!

I like going to the events. I have a son marching in Bluecoats this year. He is having a great time. A really entertaining show. Usually we leave the event after the last group performs to see him in the lot. The outcome really does not matter to us. He is getting a great education on so many levels. Having been a part of the activity since 1976 I have seen so many changes. Even when I was teaching in DCI in the 90's the activity was moving forward faster and faster. The education is on all levels as I mentioned earlier. Another reason we try to be in the lot during the scores. When we were attending the East Coast shows I think everyone had the same approach - and not just Bluecoats parents. I have former students in a lot of groups or teaching a lot of groups. Nice to see that as well. Still have some friends out there as well. At times, after hearing the outcomes in the lot, it is hard to bite my tongue having been writing shows since 81 to present in most of the circuits including DCI and DCA. But I am playing band dad this summer. HA!! Good Luck - Go BLOOOOO

AMEN!!!!!!