zackiedude

15 points below block. Block this week was 76 and will go up 2 points every weekend until March, at which point it will go up 1.5 points every weekend. So last weekend it was 61 and next weekend (when block is 78) it will be 63.

I head the pleasure of hearing a performance of the Opera live and I have to say that it would make AMAZING drum corps material. Whitacre, although not a trend-setter, is great at combining new and traditional aesthetically pleasing techniques to create breathtaking pieces, and his use of electronics is just amazing. We're not talking gimmicky synthetic beats and keyboard melodies of 80s pop music, but a sophisticated, grand sound.

Ronald Regan from San Antonio had great uses of electronics in their early years. They added so much to the shows, yet they've proven they don't need electronics to survive competitively.

Well add to the fact that 90% of corps all audition on the same weekend and you have yourself a problem. The unusual corps that don't are usually the ones waiting for cuts, and those are of a different tier. Again, that's a whole other issue too.

If you could perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, why would you choose to spend thousands of dollars to perform with a high school orchestra? It doesn't make sense, especially when you consider the cost of drum corps today. And I HAVE heard of people not doing even the best drum corps because they were too good for it. There's nothing wrong with that. But usually the top drum corps offer something challenging to even the best.

Imagine the body image thing was out, and this was a hypothetical which does happen many many times: she was good enough for one corps that didn't have enough spots to go around but was too advanced to learn much from another corps because (as the staff told her!) she was the best.

Well maybe its the diehard in me, but why do drum corps if you're not going to be pushed to the breaking point? For me, the point is to look back and say "wow, I never thought I could do that, but I did." If you already have the talent to get through everything then you couldn't really claim that... Anyhoo, I guess my point is that there are more than enough talented performers auditioning for top corps. I think cutting people would almost be harder than auditioning. There just aren't enough spots for everyone.

Or maybe she didn't have the body image, even though she's not overweight at all... but that's another post for another time that could open a whole other can of worms.

No, she was the best there. She was flat out TOLD that. Why would you march somewhere when you were the best one there? How are you going to learn anything from that? It's not about marching with a champion, it's about marching somewhere where you'll be challenged.

You know, I agree with the 150 proposal. I have a friend who auditioned at a top Div. 1 corps and didn't make it.. she had the talent, the drive, and performance to do it but didn't make the less than 15 or so spots open out of 100 auditionees. She went to a middle-tier Div 1 corps and was hailed as the best in the land, but she didn't want to march there -- she wanted to march somewhere where she would learn and be challenged. People who don't make top corps are not going to just up and go to a lower corps. Some people are more advanced (sorry to say that, it sounds so snobby, but it's true), and when you're paying more than $1000 for an education, you want to make sure you have the right fit.

I saw a Belleville Black Knights hat in an antique store in Wilmington, IL about 2 or 3 years ago... didn't know enough to buy it at the time. Wonder if they still have it...

As someone who's movement-########, I find strict dance regimen's really help me out. I look better spinning because of it. And it's not fair to compare old color guard days to modern days. There was no dance training because everyone looked very military-like. And though that's cool as hell (I always say I should have spun in the 80s!), it doesn't reflect the emotion of the music, what I believe to be one of modern color guard's strongest suits.

We used carpet tape on the undersides to get the seams from coming up, then we also duct taped the heck out of the bottom. We'd tape all along them seam, then tape across every few inches like treads. Then we'd tape a couple more lines across. It makes the tarp heavy but less likely to fall apart.

Not every is entertained by balls to the walls playing year in and year out. I like intricately designed shows, shows that make you think, and shows that you don't quite understand at face value. We all have our own tastes and for you to claim that Cadets this year weren't entertaining is wrong. I was EXTREMELY entertained and they were my favorite corps to watch this summer. That's just how art goes.

I like 06 because of the innovation.. it was hella fun to watch, although the design just wasn't quite perfect. It's almost impossible to make something perfect on the first shot. But hey, they took that shot, and I thought the show was entertaining.

The statute of limitations is up. And DCI has since taken measures to protect itself. And why in the #### would you sue a corps or DCI? That's hurting absolutely no one but the kids. DCI is not some grand entity with CEOs making tons of profit off of the slave labor of performers, it's a non-profit designed to help the individual corps (and individual kids) perform well. I know I'd be ###### if someone sued a corps out of spite or greed.

You're right, since DCI is some evil entity that is profiting off of us kids... Oh wait, the corps get the majority of the money DCI makes........

I like looking at the old photos (especially Les Chatalains old uniforms, those were awesome), and I read through the discussions and wondered: did DCI ever tell anyone to stop? No one ever said DCI contacted them and told them to stop putting up pictures... is that true?

Eh, you do what's best for the group as a whole. Those guys most likely knew going in it would have been a more feminine style, and chose to do so anyway. Some guys even like a more feminine style better (say it ain't so! :P). I just think costumes should try to all look alike; I really dislike when guys' costumes vary greatly from girls costumes. Also, allowing both genders just gives you competitive advantage. You have a greater talent pool to choose from and can work of strengths and weaknesses of a greater amount of people. That's why many companies now adays are promoting diversity in the workforce.

My roommate asked the same question lol.. it's an Alice in Wonderland reference.

Having the alumni corps taught me more about what the Madison Scouts are about that any sort of money could have. It brought to live the videos I've seen, the history I've read and the stories I've heard throughout the years. It demostrated the brotherhood to a greater extent than I'd ever realized before. It was well worth any opportunity costs it may have created.

Recordings never do drum corps justice. The new generation will probably never appreciate drum corps they didn't see live as much as those who did.

The stadium was designed with acoustics in mind.

I'm not sure of the sound, but I know bowing all sorts of metal things can lead to different sounds -- cymbals, break drums, gongs, thunder sheets... bowing those would all make a really "creepy" sound.

Understanding the story of Alice in Wonderland requires a Ph.D in musicology?