xandandl

How strange, maybe even rude, to post a critique of this one high school's design which in the subcaption admits that the show is unfinished just as the band heads off to Grand Nationals in Indy, their World Championships where surprises are usually revealed. Why pick on one school to criticize plus and minus while not scrutinizing the same treatment for the shows they challenge face to face this week? The timing holds the show up to negative nit-picking. The OP has his own agenda beyond these kids. This school has had a tremendous use of DCI designers and instructors to augment the talented local staff (including Zach Schlicher, Wes Cartwright, Andy W., etc.) who each summer host a DCI corps (or two) and sponsor a show. I can think of Leon May, http://carolinacrown.org/web/index.php?Itemid=476&catid=21%3Asupport&id=526%3Adonors&option=com_content&view=article (cf. last paragraph of article;) mwmbers of their percussion staff i split between teaching two DCI World class corps; and a number of DCI judges and brass arrangers who have built the Broken Arrow brand. Each summer BA has been hosting a DCI show that packs the house. Methinks one would have to buy a ticket for Grand Nationals BOA championships this year to see what the props reveal.

I deliberately DID NOT mention guard so as to highlight the OTHER changes and not to re-cycle the flag-waving and lack thereof which DCP has already endured the previous month.

Some nice returns, some nice renewals, and some promising new faces. Certainly more to be added to the viz tech staff. http://yea.org/programs/cadets/cadets/staff

Now that it is officially posted, http://yea.org/programs/cadets/cadets/staff, glad to see Jarrett Lipman back with Cadets and promoted to the design team. He's done great work with the low brass for Cadets and also as band director at Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. in San Antonio, Texas where Darryl Pemberton designs the drill. Their programs there have had some nice creativity which I hope translates well in Allentown http://johnsonjaguarband.org/web/page.aspx?title=Directors. I am guessing more names will be added to the viz staff list in addition to the dependables returning for camps, ST and tour. nice to see Robert Scott returning to Front Ensemble instructional post. Very talented alumnus of Cadets and UMass.

But how has it affected the brain? You know those "back of the bus" folks in drum corps, the ones the directors' are always a bit wary of.....

With only a week to go until "The OFFICIAL DCI Tour Schedule" is publicly posted for all to see on Nov. 18th:

My condolences to you Mike. The deep fraternal feelings and sense of still present loss is obvious in your writing here. Anything I ever heard about Rich has only been exemplary and why even 40 plus years later he is still held up as a model Cadet for members to aspire. So may it be in 2016 too.

Maybe we could take the thread back to topic and leave the footballs stuff and sports bragging to the ESPN site and Bradygate. Signed, OP

Of all the Riverdance-esque shows I have seen done competitively, the work of Zingali and crew with his color guard in Boston (was it Erte` or the other version with the A-name then?) still stands out as the most dynamic, enticing, and complex, tapping included.

Thanks. His cigars should keep the mosquitoes away from drill practice as an added benefit.

In full disclosure, my baseball team was soooooooooo bad that we, the players, used to watch the drum corps practicing on the next field during their Spring training. Thus began my love affair with drum corps and the end of my Dad's dream that one day I would play MLB as he once did. Now back on topic: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf-debate/senators-call-independent-crumb-rubber-turf-study-n459001

"First DCI corps to do Soduku" rating in Northern Thunders' drum corps catalog of too-young-to-drink Guinness Book of Records???

Ok, One time at not-band camp, the designers discussed how to increase the impact of GE and move the judges and audience with surprises and more excitement during Championships week. The result was rolls and rolls of toilet paper descending from the upper decks upon the spectators as the Phantom Regiment ended the 1812 Overture by tossing streamers from the cuffs of their pants and into the air to mimic fireworks. AND THE CROWD WENT WILD! Fast forward to 2009 and the crowd shouts "I am Spartacus!!" while corps members on the field (or phield) do the same. Some phans even wore centurion helmets. AND THE CROWD WENT WILD! Fast forward to 2014 and Hopkins and corps members grow beards portraying Lincoln (and the Troopers) on his anniversary and their show about Presidents. AND THE CROWD, well not so much. Some might reference Santa Clara's and Bloo's electric shows and Crown's 3 peat of the pull the-drape-above-the-corps-trick borrowed from BAC as better AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! But now comes this: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-video-games-are-saving-symphony-orchestras-and-filling-concert-halls/ Will it soon be in a DCI stadium near you? What next to make THE CROWD GOES WILD! ???

Funny, I thought this would have been sponsored by Demoulin rather than Yamaha. Does it portend with any hints at what to expect for 2016? (Since it is Sylvester who has done all the uniform tinkerings and he's back this year...) https://www.facebook.com/cadets.org/photos/a.291604066348.180803.31303916348/10153829056081349/?type=3

I was reminded that drum corps without football stadiums (or teams) was the experience when Blue Devils ensemble recently visited Switzerland Tattoo in Basel and Hopkins visited the one in Edinburgh, Scotland and in Norfolk, Virginia. In fact, GH tweeted something like, "not now, but in a few years" which was presumed to be a reference to Cadets and/or DCI. I do know that GH went to Scotland originally to see his daughter perform in a dance troupe with a few other Cadets FMMs and Greg Lagola's involvement. Rereading the G7,G8 presentations and comments, these global band shows may rate a place. Irish corps and Soundsport groups have also appeared recently at Belfast Tattoo and were noted as such on DCI website and FB as were the BDI group.

Not maroonies or Crownies, maybe Green team, but orange shoe-laces don't say Bloo....so who? http://guff.com/these-perfectly-timed-photos-are-absolutely-real/guns-blazing

"Pine-ing in Rome" ???

wasn't that the conclusion of Hopkins' G-7 thing a few seasons back... The more things change, the more they stay the same. (French proverb)

Isn't this thread supposed to be about Cadets 2016 ? Sounds like re-treds of old gripes.

Mods, This again is a circular link. If one hits the link, one is back to the OP. Too bad because Joe is worth the notice. Great guy, great teacher, great results.

If I recall correctly, up in Massachusetts out south of Worcester and northwest of Providence, Blackstone-Millsville H.S. marched a great and large competitive marching band although the h.s. at that time and for awhile had not football team or program. The band did do exhibitions for the Varsity Soccer team at the high school Eventually the high school began football, but the band was quite strong with out it winning many contests and titles in NESBA, USSBA, and other circuits and contests they entered. Football is huge in some areas of the country, but not all. B-M is not the only non-football h.s. to have competitive marching bands of worth.

The legacy of Cadet member leadership continues from River Hill H.S., Clarksville/Ellicott City in M.D. From that one school has come in the past decade of '06-'16 one Cadet D.M., a horn sgt., a few baritone section leaders, a few mellophone section leaders, and a pit leader from that same town.. Great things going on in Howard County evidently. Almost seems like a local corps.

Me three. Hey look what three I agreed with! (or they agreed with me, ha, ha.)

Wishing him the best. Without too much info, the rumors swirl about his challenge "taming" "The Wild Horses."

Generally, the Cadets don't play backyard football. One of their drum majors Richard Chirichella was killed in a game against New Jersey neighbor-rival Hawthorne Muchachos in 1972. Now if you want to talk this century DCI corps, a game of "ultimate frisbee" with the baritone and tuba lines would be more likely.