raphael18

At least for myself, when I made the transition from a Div 3 corps of 18-23 horns to one with 23 Euphs, it was a pretty big change to say the least. The sheer size of div 1 corps requires a higher level of professionalism and initiative from each individual member. In my own experience, we were a pretty competitive div 3 corps (placing 3rd and 4th), but the demands were different. Where it was okay to get something right after 2-3 tries in div 3, you were expected to get things right on the first time in div 1. The desire to hide in the ensemble, and not play during particularly challenging drill, is greater than ever with so many people around you - but you have to have the initiative to not do it. If you can get past the being away from home all summer issue (which I will say is amazing, and I saw so many people grow be leaps and bounds), then you have to consider if you are up for the constant demands that the corps will put on you. Being in a big corps is incredibly rewarding. You will feel like a rock star all summer, and you will be thinking you are in the best ensemble you have ever been in by the 2nd or 3rd camp (and things are just getting started). Whatever you do, do it with confidence and leave no regrets.

I'm not sure what implications your allegations about Mr. Hills personal life have on his ability to arrange for the corps. Personally, I am far more concerned with the fact that he is not a former marching member. Regiment brass is very much about a certain style which has been handed down from one arranger to the next. While I do not doubt that Mr. Hill will be able to capture some of that tradition...there is only so much an outsider will be able to understand. Point blank: he will never truly understand SUTA. I am very concerned as to the future status of the buick tradition - I really hope Dan Farrel pays more attention, and helps retain it. I am a bit of a Regiment homer, but even I will admit that these changes are far from inspiring. However, I do love SCV, and am not dissapointed that they will benefit greatly from these changes. Time will tell, but only a fool sticks their head in the sand and pretends that everything is okay.

As a FMM who has no knowledge of why JD is departing (very sad news indeed), I wanted to chime in here quickly. As for arranging, I have no idea who the new person will be, but I will be even money that it will be an alumn, and that Dan Farrel will be right there ensuring that we get that Regiment sound we love. Even with a new arranger, it will still be the PR low brass line. __________ The above quote is accurate, but it is the kind of experience that members of PR EXPECT. You march PR or Cadets because you want to be pushed hard, rehearse long hours, and be a part of a great hornline. First things first, at least while I was there, these descriptions of abrasive staff were exclusive to the visual staff (namely the caption head) - and are wholly removed from the music staff which this thread is about. Now, I do not have experience with the current visual staff, I marched at the tale-end of the Bob Smith era, and he had a very abrasive style to his instruction. He was the only visual staffer that I remember ever yelling. I mean, he was loud - you could eassily hear him from the scaffolding from any point on the field without the aid of amplification. To an outsider it would have been really easy to look in without contxt and misunderstand what was going on. As a rookie, it was terrifying and overwhelming. However, eventually it all made sense, and by the end of the season we were quietly snickering on the field in response to his Full Metal Jacket Drill Instructor persona. While I was going through it I really didn't like his style of instruction, I found it frustrating, and at times very demoralizing. However, that frustration fueled my efforts to improve, and I came a very long way over the course of the season. The individual experiences were very tough, but taken as a whole I treasure that summer. So yeah, the quote is an accurate description of PR for me.

http://www.dci.org/scores/recap/view.cfm?event_id=7ad6facc-cc50-4cf4-bd6b-54f8741f61fa

Two of us have already said it - it's on the recap

Recap - BD - 96.85

Was going to say, there is a wide enough gap there for BD to easily fit in.

I wasn't sure if you were based on the OP, but we'll give it an hour or so and see what they do. I bet we won't hear a lot of complaining if even the one on top comes in under an 85. They can push their number up a bit tomorow night of course.

I would be afriad that going Open Class (while smart from a competitive stand point) would probably hurt their recruitment. Unless things have changed, one of the main draws for Pioneer members is the ability to say, "I march in a div 1 corps." They go to the major shows, and get much of the div 1 experience. For some people, that may be enough...until they get some experience and go to one of the very good nearby div 1 corps. If the corps went Open Class, they would probably have a good shot at being a regular in the top 4, but it would probably make it even harder to fill out their ranks. I don't think giving up their World Class status (and having to qualify for it again later) is really a good idea.

The actual totals are not that important, key in on the spreads.

Next step? Equipment check in, a corps meeting - perhaps an anniversery celebration or discussion about going back to see other corps? As for competition...I haven't seen these 4 corps. Is it that Pioneer is unusually bad this year, or were those three open class corps just that good this year? Not to beat up on Pioneer, they're nice people, but they have a history of struggling. I'm not 'in the know' so I really don't know what their specific problems are (as a vet you probably have better insight). That said, the same was true for the Troopers not that long ago and look at them now - fighting for that 12th spot. This season is over, time to celebrate the time they have left together and enjoy the remainder of the season. There is hope, but not without a lot of hard work.

I'll preface this by saying that every marching member I've ever met from BK was a fine example of the caliber of individual present at all levels of corps. That said, I think some of it comes down to their signature design and programming. While I agree that we should have lots of different flavors of corps, that doesn't mean we have to like every flavor. For me, BK is like black licorice. It's not for everyone, and is sort of an acquired taste. Right now GE is the pathway to higher placements. Unfortunately, and this is subjetive so don't throw things at me, BK tends to program very cerebral shows which are not GE heavy. In fact, when corps as a whole were going through an esoteric phase there, I would say that BK was one of the few that was right in their element...thus, a time at which they achieved their highest placement ever (also a time when Glassmen made a surge). BK is a quailty corps, but there are simply a lot of great groups out there right now. For example, I love Regiment's show this year, but I accept that there are at least three shows out there right now which are just better designed. Would I love to see PR in 4th come Saturday, oh yeah...but it won't diminish them in any way if they don't pull that off. Blue Knights should be very proud of their status as a perenial finalist corps. It's easy to forget, but being top 12 in the world at anything is nothing to sneer at.

Absolutely fantastic show, no questioning that. Not to sound disrespectful (I'm a huge SCV fan), but what about this great show was 'influential' for other corps in a way that sets it apart in that regard?

We were doing a show in Pennsylvania (think it was 2001 or 2002), and there were SWAT officers with automatic weapons standing by the corps entrance. That struck me as slightly odd.

The sheets aren't that much different are they? I thought the only difference was that there wasn't really a Box 5 on the Open class sheets. In honor of championships, I'll share an old one with you guys: "What do Box 1 and Box 5 have in Common?" "There is no recovery."