DCI Nerd Alert

Pacific Crest climbed the ladder this year! 61.85 -> 85.35 (23.5 difference) 19th -> 14th That's quite the climb!! I'm looking forward to seeing how they do in 2020!!! Congrats to the members and the staff on this monumental year!!!!

Anyone else notice PC beat Phantom in feet last night?

Just looked at the recap from Atlanta - 13th in Brass, 14th in Guard and Visual Prof. Great job PC!!!!

I love this show!

Can you put the Reddit link on here?

Placement from semis 2018. SCVC and BDB beat them.

And Music City and Oregon Crusaders.

I believe Lisa was the brass caption head for Oregon Crusaders in 2018.

https://www.arizonaacademy.org/2018/09/04/the-academy-introduces-2019-brass-and-color-guard-caption-heads/

I just went to the Oregon Crusaders staff page. The entire page is blank. I think the entire OC staff left.

You make a good point - age ranges 14-25 is more akin to 75/25. One quarter of the world population that is eligible to march. 1/4 is still a large amount to turn away due to tradition.

I agree. They are turning away half of the population for a dated tradition. One female member is not co-ed.

When did you march the Madison Scouts?

Knowledge - marching/movement, playing/performing... knowledge they can take to their students in the future Leadership - becoming better people through hard work, discipline, time management, and leadership development - they've had 3 Jim Jones Leadership winners since 2010... not bad Health - being provided meals and beverages that are nutritionally designed to give them the fuel they need to maintain top physical, mental, and emotional health Camaraderie - unity and trust in their fellow performers History - knowing of the shoulders on which you stand, and perhaps creating life long friendships Performance - very few things compare to the feeling of the performing in front of crowd who is there to see/hear you Competition - a crucial part of the drum corps activity is competition Art - being part of the creative process in bringing a collective of individuals together to create something unique and special Fun - it's important to enjoy the process ... after all, they are paying thousands of dollars to participate in the activity Competition is only a portion of all the important aspects of this great community. Drum corps (plural) are getting better - all of them. Somebody has to be 1st. Somebody has to be 12th. Somebody has to be last. Do I love competition? Absolutely. Is it the only reason to march drum corps? Absolutely not. I guarantee the Madison Scouts are providing top-notch education, leadership development, health, camaraderie, historical awareness, performance experience, art, and fun. Competition is decided by a panel of people who have opinions that vary and that can be influenced. The Madison Scouts administration, designers, and teachers are making changes in an attempt to be competitive in the modern sense. Change is scary. Change is risky. The Madison Scouts need alumni support.

The activity has changed. Like it or not, what was considered "the best" in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s is no longer competitive - not "top 12" competitive. The Scouts went back to their roots in 2010 - traditional uniforms with a familiar show. The crowd loved it; they got 10th place. They held on to the uniforms for a couple more years and presented familiar drill moves that were signature "Madison Scouts" ... they inched up in placements ... and they were told, "Your effect is dated." They did a Jesus Christ Superstar show in 2016 in a Madison Scouts uniform... look where it got them competitively. The adjudicators (the ones who decide who is 1st, 6th, 10th, 15th, 22nd) have chosen not to reward traditional shows or shows that have a sense of historic-ness about them. Nobody in the top 12 is wearing traditional uniforms anymore. Not even The Cadets. The Scouts had to evolve with the activity. They are taking risks and redefining their shows to be more modern. Risks are exactly that - risky. Innovation comes from risk. The same old thing wasn't working. 2017's show was risky - some liked it and some didn't, but they gave it a shot. They are on year 2 of the risk-taking. Support them on this bold journey. There are plenty of reasons to be afraid. Evolving and redefining can be very scary. A life lived in fear is a life half lived. Standing on the shoulders of giants who constantly shrug is not going to help the Madison Scouts of today or tomorrow. They need strong shoulders on which to stand.