xandandl

It's those spurs on the back of their drum major's boots that have me worried. If one thinks the current ruckus in Indy is upsetting now, wait until PETA rushes in to defend their beloved animals. Despite spurs being the favorites in San Antonio, at the home of the colts it is going to be one blood bath!!!

Real reason CT. Gov. bans travel to Indiana came out the morning after he had nice words: http://www.wfsb.com/story/28694670/malloy-orders-137-million-more-in-mid-year-budget-cuts

I hope you realize there was a practical side of the no sunglasses rule. It goes back to the '70's and '80s. Besides Garfield (the corps not the poster) rediscovering its historical legacy, its West Point Cadet image, and its competitive success, field instructors found it easier to see where the MM was looking for cues and concerns, even distractions, as the new Zingali style of drill entered the drum corps arena. Although suggestions might be made from the GE box megaphone, the field techs seeing who kept focus and who did not helped to correct the ticks, even as the sheets moved to a more evaluative adjudication. Everyone seems to remember the meltdown in Whitewater mid summer which led to the fallen pile-up. Fewer remember the long sessions of practice to guarrentee it didn't happen again.

Been there, done that...twice, every five years. Definitely lets one know how much pain one can take... We should form a DCP support group. :-)

Come on, dinosoars, get with the program. With the new types of uniforms/costumes on the field, many corps already do give the kids the "show whities" for under the uni. Of course, the cost is paid out of the tour fee package. Many corps do make the suncreens available, sometimes free, sometimes at a discounted cost. This is similar to the Eastern corps giving their kids Deep Woods, etc. when they tour in Minnesota and Wisconsin and meet the state "bird." And for the Swamp tour of the bayous, well I don't think anything is strong enough, (although some use the stuff one uses for the clothes driers.) Even Cadets have relented and now allow the MMs to wear sunglasses on the practice field so as to protect the eyes.

Thank you. The good news Friday was that the additional November experimental treatment for the cancers the derma-skan found on the underside of the eyelids has seemed to work. The Medical School faculty with whom I am working was quite pleased. (My mom had already lost her eyelid to the same problem; previously there had been no cure.) Imagine yourself without eyelids...and I am not talking about some WGI guard show made-up show face. I looked pretty ugly (leperous?) during the skin peals...without the eyelids would have been hard for folks to take. I am thankful and amazed for how the previous surgeries on the face finalized. Wear your hats and your +50 sunscreen; apply every two hours even on cloudy days.

I have had to have a part of my face replaced due to melanoma from my years on the beaches of L.I., drum corps practice fields, and Irish fair skin. Thank God for great doctors and surgeons; it all wasn't pretty before their magic. There is an instructor for The Colts/Crossmen/ and/or Blue Knights who has gone through similar struggles and now shares that personal journey with the corps members before Spring Training sessions begin. Since most skin cancer problems root many years before their manifestation, it might be an apt talk for all corps.....even in this age of domed performances.

The joke is these changes have not been jokes but have actually been changes in practice procedure. The impending common Dress Code Policy may be the 4/1 joke but what I posted has actually been the matter of DCI meetings, guest presenters, and the medical staff.

This is not news if one has been present at DCI practices for a while now. The change is based on 3 reasons: DCI'd medical committee took the suggestions of the emergency room staffs, medical schools which studied drum corps (such as Indiana), and best current practices to heart. Better understanding of skin cancer, hydration, audio and aural health, and nutrition and rest have led to better practice procedures (number of water breaks, types of diet, physical training, etc.) The matter of neighborhood and school district standards have been given greater respect. No smoking on school property, strict adherence to laws concerning alcohol and intoxicants, and the issues of sexual pressures/assaults/sensitivities all come into play beyond common decency. If the school district has a rule no one is shirtless on school property it applies to the corps as well. Corps almost always give the clinics to band kids in some sort of uniform look whether matching tee shirts or section clothes. Corps today practice more often in practice shirts, section colored shorts, show head gear, show shoes etc. It is easier for the instructor(s) from the box to see the problems, give advice, and correct them. With so many faculty flying in and out of the whole tour, it is easier for the visiting faculty to teach. It also gives a better sense of the total package and whether proposed changes actually work in reality, not just theory..

Further background... John Hannigan, drum major, is pictured as the corps plays "I don't know how to love him" from Rice-Weber's Jesus Christ Superstar. The song ended with added horns and then a vocal Gregorian Chant "Amen" from the corps. Since the penalty was given previously, Hannigan turned to the crowd who then sang the "Amen." Same effect, no penalty.

DCI has provided a wonderful palette for DCP posters to be creative, imaginative, and perhaps ventilate recent frustrations. Pick a photo from here or a similar one from your collection and add a caption. Post both. I'm sure the judging tapes will be spontaneous from poster-peers and the comments perhaps as humorous. What could be more appropriate for April First? Copyrights issues have to be cleared with the contra line and bass drummers on your own initiative. Enjoy. http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=bc5b0c33-42c1-4402-a8c7-f8944775e52a

If it weren't Holy Saturday night with the Easter Vigil, I'd be there. Gene deserves this and much more.

First college course I took was there, summer of 1969, first time to Indiana too. Here's your answer HT: http://www.und.com/trads/nd-m-fb-name.html And for those who fulminate that it's a religion vs. gay rights jilt, there is this: https://twitter.com/roccopalmo/status/583070567227609088/photo/1

2 much coffee: Thanks for posting the link. I hadn't read much of the magazine since its founder died. Glad First Things is still sticking to the depth of discussion it's founder Richard Neuhaus intentended. He was a Protestant theologian who became a Roman Catholic then a Roman Catholic priest. He continued his dialogue with popes, presidents, and plain folk. We're better for it. JJeff: There are circles of folks who won't dare discuss religion or politics due to how personal and varied are the opinions. I guess DCPers aren't restricted to circle drills. And that is a very good thing.

Exactly.

Seems that Cadets are moving into Canton's backyard for Spring Training as fields in Johnstown get a re-do. Cadets slated to use Ohio Northern in Ada. Ada is 69 miles from Toledo, Ohio, to the north, 80 miles from Columbus, Ohio, to the south and 15 miles to Lima, Ohio to the west. http://www.onu.edu/pawprints/onu_virtual_tour. Corps is also looking to do Memorial Day with loads of parades back in the NJ area; still in the works, watch for announcements.

Since when are you the only Canadian on DCP or who PMs? That's symptomatic of some of the histrionic reaction I mention.

In some ways I agree with you. I guess it was histrionic emotion and the comments I was PMed about the US attacking Arabs throughout the world and that the US was to blame for 9/11 because his lover was killed in the Twin Towers take down (Ground Zero, NYC.) Plus there ware that Imperial attitude that only the Throne knows what is best for The Colonies (even though they lost that battle in 1776, 1812, etc.) The ranting that Europe really didn't need the US in WWII put it over the top. (For full disclosure, my maternal uncle died after the Battle of the Bulge and is buried in the U.S. veteran's cemetery in the country where the poster lived; my uncle had not reached the age of DCI age-outs. My family came to this country due to the government in Europe taking my family's land and forbidding education solely because they were Catholic. It is a personal issue for me on many levels.) You are correct. Some of "craziness" has not always led to good conversation, dialogue, or truth-seeking in common. Some of it is like the Chinese saying, "A chicken trying to talk to a duck." Your hedge of whether non-Hoosiers can comment about Indiana law is not dissimilar to the newest facet of the argument being presented by the genuinely interested, the rabble rousers, the media, and the academics. Lawyers are now looking into whether Governors (like CT) or Mayors (like Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland in Oregon) violate US law on free trade, equality of States, and discrimination by favoring some States and boycotting others. One could go bald with all the hair splitting and finger pointing which only makes lawyers and the media rich.

Well not too many choices here. 1934 original uniform with overseas cap and cape until 1939. 1939 until 1958. maroon jacket, cream pants (with stripe), gold cummerbund, white crossbelt and white plume, shako. 1958-1959 (as uniforms had been sold to St. Mary's Cardinals, Beverly, Mass. corps.) white shirt, aussie hat and feather, shorts, 1960- return of the 1939 uniform used until 2005 with only minor tweeks (type of silver buckle, length of side sash, width of cummerbund, height of plume.) 2005-2006 the bad dream (which went with the show theme.) 2007 return of the 1939 uniform 2011 traditional color guard captain's uniform used for the Angels, Demons don maroon pants with traditional top, maroon shoes, sox and plume. Stripe takes retirement package. 2012 to present traditional uniform is back sans stripe. next up the photos posted by a tech savvy person of great elan.

I agree with Arrowmarcher on many points and disagree totally with Troop 12. "The grey uniform didn't ... "pop" TO the box (especially against the grass), while the 2014 uniform stood out .. more.... Personally loved the red plume and I hope they continue to use them going forward." The grey uniforms were too generic reminding me of too many BOA Indiana/Michigan units rather than the drum corps which placed second at the first DCI's. The 2014 uniform paid tribute to that legacy by returning to the corps traditional color scheme. This was most obvious when the corps and alumni corps donned the field together in LaCrosse for the Midwest Regional show.

While this is a great offer from WGI, DCI has been a little busy of late. For all that it does as an organization, DCI front office staff is not really that large. Most help comes from volunteer assistants per project from what I hear or subcontractors when the skills are special and not readily available. Besides mainstreaming all the anit-Indiana discussion of other threads and media, packing and unpacking the office to go to stay to go to stay, refunding all those tickets of boycotters and filling orders for those deliberately coming to make a stand, plus whittling out press releases and the details of all the other tour contests, yup DCI has been busy. Have patience with them, NOW.

http://www.madisonscoutslive.com/mainsite/2015/03/madison-scouts-response-to-indiana-sb101/

Interesting synopsis, comparison, and history from CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/indiana-religious-freedom-law-mike-pence-presidents-obama-clinton/

How could I ever fail to mention the Crossmen??? my old memory continues to fail to remember that Hopkins moved them to Texas, not Pennsylvania.

While I have been pondering, reflecting, and praying over the issues raised and debated about this legislation, about religion, and about people I search for good words to friends and others who have shared with me. This has challenged my memories of my experience in the marching arts. Unfortunately it has also re-triggered memories of conversations I have personally heard. Sadly I recall outrageous but not sarcastic nor humorous comments/statements made quasi-privately by men with much animousity about homosexuals. Each of the four is currently on the faculty of four different World Class drum corps and all head the program for the same section of the corps. I know one quit the corps he taught when he found out that the section leader he had chosen was homosexual. The director would not let him change his selection. This is about ten years back. Others may know more about it, but I would only state that these are top named people otherwise. Before we point the finger at Indiana or businesses or people of religious faith, might drum corps need to do some housekeeping and reflection of its own??