festive

Heh...this sounds great...I can't wait to see VK this summer. The show theme has tons of potential!

The Madison shots look very impressive. Drums/horns...yeah...liking that a LOT; that's a good look for them. When I saw them I thought "Yep, that's the Madison I know...they're back." Just still shots of course but it bodes well I would think. Thanks for those photos Granny Smith!

Looks like BAC is en fuego this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they're doing.

I think it looks fantastic.

PR--1000 airplanes...whole thing. and the big hit in the ballad. Good lord I think I might've lost my mind when I heard that live, and it's so good to hear it on headphones and still get that stupid grin every single time. BD--is becoming the most played track on my ipod. from that space chord thing through the drum thing...AHHHHH!!! again with the stupid grin. I must look like a total lunatic listening to this stuff on the bus every morning. So be it. :P

I liked 'em...I'd like to hear them in a Div I line again.

The good thing about a young drill designer is that he can grow into the gig by working with the current design team...he may be easier to work with for them, and be more, um, malleable in terms of his view of drill and how it will work with the other design elements. I think this'll be OK. I have a good feeling about it.

VK shouldn't ever get nasty about it...good comedy is always done with love. Of course, it should bite a little, and be funny because it's true. There are corps people this summer that approached VK and asked why they hadn't included "tributes" to them in the VK show this year. And that's the way I've always seen what VK does...then and now...tributes. Of course, the wackier the tribute, the better.

I mentioned this to JD when I saw him...I personally see this 07 show as a real triumph for his writing for the corps, and I am becoming more certain (daily, seemingly) that it's his best arrangement so far. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he comes up with for next season...

As long as they maintain the trademark sound, I'm open to change in brass or drums. Rennick's line would sound great on plywood, for that matter, so whatever.

But you might get people to stop believing it's completely objective. Like the objective "win." So it's a subjective win. My work here is done.

I wouldn't take it that way. Not at all. It's how movement and effort translate into effectiveness visually. There are some very effective things Regiment is doing, of course, in that department. And whether or not that unique visual identity is coming across, beyond a few signature moves. Regiment is maturing, even at its age...I think of this corps as more a seven year-old than a 51 year old. Anyone else think that? There's the old, but there's new, too. Like winning drums in 06. On the demand thing: I think in 2002 there was a move in the show where some sopranos had to run like crazy...the demand was stupid...and they got no credit for it. I couldn't even remember seeing it live. We're obviously dealing with a different situation now. Regiment is heads and shoulders above that design, visually. But it's that last little bit, where it is so painfully obvious to everyone who is going to win, from day one...getting to that. Think about your recent champions. Even BD this year...it was obvious, to me anyway, when I saw the opener. Just shut it down...game over...and better luck next year to everyone else. People love Regiment. They're talking about it because they love the corps. If they are here to undermine, of course, then that's thread-crap. Not to say that some people won't complain regardless...but most of this seems well-intentioned to me.

Bingo.

Duh. Duh is right. Nine people. Which nine? It's BS, dude. You get the right 9, you win. You get the wrong 9 (or even the wrong 1), you lose. Duh.

Back to this "better than other corps" thing. It's still an empty term, and subject to the whim of the judging community, at least to some extent. Finals are a full year after the show was initially conceived. So, no. Not buying it, fully anyway. Unless you scrap the show because of what judges said about your design. And what good would that do? Why are you putting on the show at all? To win? To entertain? What? Apples and oranges. Ask two different judging panels, maybe (I would say probably) you get two different results. If better was an absolute, how could that possibly be? The judging sheets try to lay a veneer of objectivity over it, but at the end of the day, when you lose by 0.1 or less, sorry. You lost because somebody liked an apple more than an orange. And that simply does not translate into "better" in absolute terms. Except, of course, for the fact that someone carts home one of those black tombstones as a souvenir of their travels. About all I can say from this year is that quarters, semis, and finals panels saw their champion and called it. The rest? Could've been anything. As long as Regiment does their best, in design and performance, I'm not concerned. My issue is that I think maybe certain parts of the program need to be thought about. Not that what they are doing isn't great, because musically, the corps is untouchable (and sorry if the judging community doesn't agree... Visually, it's cool. I just want more from it. I dunno. And what about GE? How did something so hideous get into a judging system? Quantify it better or get it out of there, especially when even DCI TV commentators have to question what show the judges were watching when talking about GE scores. Higher score = better? Always? And what happens when it doesn't? Because one must be of great faith to believe a system like this works in every case. I happen to think that, as a human system, it doesn't always work. And we deal with it and move on, because it is less important than other things. It's great to win. It's better to win at your own game, by setting a goal for yourself and achieving it, and if judges happen to like you, too, then cool. Regiment doesn't do anything less than win every year, from the perspective of what I think about the members. I'd rather focus on that, and that'll be where I leave this one.

One more BIG change. Add "Inc.," to Velvet Knights, because VKYAO doesn't owe money to anyone. And that's no joke. Wouldn't want anyone to get confused... Now on with your regularly scheduled recruiting thread. :)

Gahh...there it is again. Better. Better than what? Judges decide what "better" means. Judges don't design shows. Corps tends to come up with shows that look/sound remarkably like shows that have already met with competitive success, and then win with them. Even when Cadets got second, I firmly believe that it was in spite of the narration...that the corps underneath the controversy really was that talented. And the narration, itself, wasn't, IMO, "innovative." It was the weakest part of the program, as far as I could tell...and might have cost them the championship. So...better. Better is an empty term, to me. I still think Regiment needs to define itself visually. The guard is getting there (aside from the unis, which I mentioned). The drill leaves something to be desired, even with the difficulty level being through the roof, they are not getting credit for it, so why do it? Anyone who says they need to win early and often is right on target. Win. Win all the time. Change stuff if you want, but master everything along the way. Play every show like its the championship, and go for all the marbles. Yeah...there's something to that. Do I care if they don't win? Not particularly. I enjoyed "On Air' thoroughly, but since this is the discussion...heh.

Put a "THE" above the "Velvet Knights," same font as below, and I'm buying it. Points for it being on a ringer, too. You'll sell millions of these...if not tens. Heh. :P

The visual design definitely needs to pop more. I personally felt that the guard unis didn't convey the "bird" thing as much as they could have. They should have consulted an ornithologist for how to dress the guard...there are so many things they could have done with it that might have been more effective than the brown. Regiment's thing is color against the white unis as a sort of backdrop, or at least it was. But the color didn't really happen as much as it could have. it didn't set the eyes on fire, and when you are talking about birds, there's all sorts of ways to convey brightness and color and iridescence and all that stuff. As for their marching technique, I think they did about as well with what they were given as any corps could have. that would include the three corps in front of them. Might have even done better with it given the strength of their brass line, in particular, and their ability to handle the music while "flocking about". since I've not seen other corps attempt this show, unfortunately, I'm not really apt to say they could have done "better" with it. The product, visually, may well have held them back. Musically, they were right there at the top with the devs (2nd) and that's where they deserved to be. Anything else is just silly...music program needs to stay EXACTLY where it is. visually, I am still looking for them to knock the corps free from the criticism which, justified or not, has become something of a self-fulfilling image among fans and then the corps itself. even if they were to have marched that program "expertly," I don't know that the judging community would have rewarded them for it with "1st place." There are a lot of other variables that are playing into it--most notably that we are comparing apples to oranges, and if you like apples better, I can't make you take an orange.

Agreed.

Holy lord would I love to hear this. Too bad I'm where I am. The pics are great, though!

True. I dare say I like BK's show more in a head-to-head, but there are good things about both shows. I adored BK this past summer...I didn't want to miss their show for anything. Loved it. One of my favorite BK shows ever, actually.

Just because somebody on DCP didn't laugh doesn't mean it isn't funny. You can put that on a t-shirt, too. VK is back, and we're all going to have to remember what it's like to really laugh at drum corps shows. There's going to be a show in the near future, VK's going to do it, and it's going to be so funny our sides are going to ache. I just know it. The universe WANTS it. Nay, it WILLS it. The question is...is it going to be 2008? If you are of marching age, can you march VK and pull it off? The world waits and hopes. And says "Nay." Nay... B) No wait, Nay is Crown. Hee.

DCI doesn't appear to have a problem with the VK Youth Arts Organization, or the new Velvet Knights. That's why they've received such positive press on DCI.org. So, if you don't have a kite to go fly, you can borrow mine, if you want. What are you going to do when the new VK does even better next year? Complain more? Did you see VK last summer? The kids did really well. All the alumni I talked to were extremely proud. Are you an alum? This new organization has some of the most forthright and business-like (not to mention nice) people associated with it that I've met in drum corps. VK is back. They're also very welcoming. That said, I think it'd be hilarious to have a "VK owes me money" t-shirt. Just kidding, Mayra. Or maybe I'm not kidding. ^0^

Flower Duet? Not a chance. Glass? Maybe. But just because SCV played Glass once (99...I can't think of others off the top of my head...anyone else?)...they don't own Glass or anything. Flower Duet sounds like exactly one drum corps. That is pure, glorious, textbook Regiment!