raphael18

Honestly, we're talking about the difference between musical excellence and technical excellence. Of the top 8, BD's show probably did the least for me - sure, they were technically amazing...but that show was a total wash for me. So, consider that the fans will be voting based on how well the repetoire is performed - while judges could care less what's being played as long as it displays the technical aspects they are looking for (Cavaliers 01-03 are great examples of this). As for Regiment, well - I can't change if you're a hater. However, they played as hard a book as anyone, with little down town, while running most of the time. The judges agreed that they were a breath away from winning brass that year as well - lost to Cavaliers by .2, and lost music ensemble by .1. So, even though some of the expert ears here on DCP didn't appreciate it - even the guys in green gave it to them that year.

Consider for example, 2003. Both Crossmen and BD played Blue Rondo A La Turk. Both played roughly the same parts, and they were literally apples and oranges (Crossmen used it for their percussion feature). In this case, I will argue that Crown's version will likely be more in line with what I enjoy hearing from a line. I don't doubt that BD will put out an amazing product, but I expect it to be top-heavy - and this is a work that calls for a very dark sound. It's not so much about the 16 Contras, because BD's contras definitely hold their own...it's more about the overpowering lead sops/trumpets, and the tendency for all BD parts to be written in the upper register's of each instrument. Definitely a personal opinion, so don't fault me there.

Hey, right now (with the absence of Southwind), Crown is my third favorite corps out there. It's not overhype if they deliver. :)

This is so simple. Bring your own power strip (nothing to fancy) - watch how quickly you become very popular.

I have major respect for the Pioneer crew. I know for a fact that my tour in 02 would have been cut short if it were not for them. When I was at 'Canos, we lost my bus for the last month or so of tour. So, they were good enough to allow us to use Plan B (yeah, the one used for bus pushing). ...in some ways it was actually an improvement - considering that our tour buses didn't have TVs or AC to begin with. So, 4x70 air was very welcome. :) For those that are hesitant to march in a lower-tier corps. Well, it's simply the best way to break into the drum corps community. I know that people who had previous marching experience had a major leg up when I auditioned for Regiment. Also, I won't lie, when I marched div 2/3, I partially considered my tour fees as a sort of season pass. In addition to receiving my own great instruction and getting to perform in an entertaining and competitive unit, I also got to see a lot of great shows repeatedly throughout the summer. This same point of view is doubly true for Pioneer.

From that list: Fire, Ave Maria, Bacchanal, and Malambo (I'm assuming this is Estancia) If I were going to write more in: - Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings - Shostakovitch - Pretty much anything - Traditional - Amazing Grace (did it in 03) - Vienna Boy's Choir - Canon in D - love that arrangement

As for the meat comment - sounds like plenty of meat where I'm sitting. There are so many great drill opportunities here, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's a pretty long chart though, without a many breaks for the hornline - wouldn't be to surprised by at least one more solid re-write. Reminds me a lot of the 03 show (a good thing)

It means that the fans of those corps were not as active in this poll, they had more shows going head-to-head, and better shows tend to occur more often among the top spots, and when it comes to lower placing shows more recent shows definitely have an edge. Seriously, there is no way that Madison 01 was the best, well, anything. I remember that show well, I spent the majority of the DCM tour with them. Sure, it was better than 02, but 02 was probably the worst show they ever put out. I'll grudgingly give most of these shows the nod - I can see where people are coming from - just not that one. As for the top corps like BD, Cadets, Cavaliers, etc. - consider that the majority of their best shows overlap. For example, BD, Cavaliers, and Cadets have more championships than anyone - therefore, the vote would be spread widely among those shows, and they would have fewer entries for lower positions. Whereas Star has only one show in that category (it's a freaking amazing one, but only one), and it is therefore easier for their fans to focus their support on one show. Therefore, I argue that the top corps are a victim of their own success in polls of this nature. Also, it really depends who happens to be online when the polls are up - I know I don't look at DCP every day during the off-season. Therefore, it is also a question of which corps' fans are on DCP more in the off-season. Another thing to consider is what I jokingly call the Madison factor - it is simply a fact that Madison put out some of the most viscerally entertaining shows ever between the years of 95-99 in placements where stand-out shows are a bit less common. Granted, the fight for fourth is as tough as they come. The fights for fifth and 6th are a bit less stringent. However, the fact remains - Madison will always be well represented due to their remarkable late-90s performances. Well, that's just my .02 cents - obviously totally made up of opinion, so feel free to disagree.

Honestly, I don't think anything that exists at the present compares to what it used to be like back in the day. The average amount of time each member marched with their corps, and the more geographically centered nature of drum corps back in the day created a different environment.

I'm confused - exactly why would Regiment be jealous of Madison again? Maybe some of it is jealousy, but I think more of it stems from the naturally competitive nature of the activity and its participants. I agree that part of it also arises from enthusiasm for the way your corps operates. The classiest corps in DCI, imho, has got to be SCV. Simply a classy organization from top to bottom. I agree with pretty much everything Mad Scotty said - we're pretty much just a bunch of fans anyway

My favorites: Sam Pfilafian and Pat Sheridan - they are a perfect combo, and simply a blast to have instruct you. Dave Tippit - he came in as a consultant for the 'canos a few times, when we were around the Cadets - and he was freaking amazing. JD Shaw - I love how he instills passion in the music, and helps the members bring it to life through his arrangements and instruction. All four of these guys are easily the best instructors I have encountered (can you tell I'm a brass guy?), and I can't speak highly enough of them.

Not that I would support such a thing, but some of the larger media sites on the net have a lot of these shows available for your viewing pleasure.

That's actually a really good point that I hadn't considered. In the long run, there is an argument that a removal, or heightening of the age limit would strengthen lower tier corps in div 2/3.

Wow, you guys are nerds and way off topic. haha

I have never seen (and paid attention) to PR 81-81. I may have seen them the tapes, but I was preoccupied at the time, and honestly don't remember them. I didn't see a live show until 1998 (but have been lucky enough to see the champion of each year since then live). I tried to remedy this by seeing the tapes though.

Seems simple - it takes some of us a while, but you need to let that chapter of your life close. I think if you removed the age restriction, you would run into a host of issues. It's already bad enough to have members as young as 15 interacting socially with 21 year olds. I could only see the disconnect growing as the age of the older members goes up. Additionally, you have to weight the priorities between being elite and being inclusive. Without an age-limit, it would essentially become a dead man's shoes principle - much like a symphony orchestra. There are many very talented senior corps out there that you can perform with (though none of them are anywhere near me geographically), and I suspect that if you got enough like-minded people together you could create a pretty hardcore group. I know back when I marched Minnesota Brass could easily play as well as a 12-9 range corps. They even performed their drill very well - they really reminded me of BD when they got their new uniforms in 02 (?). I didn't look - but this would be an interesting topic to post in the All-Age forum.

Phantom Regiment 1993 Huge HM to BD 95 and 2000 - two very underrated shows, imho

Seriously, you're calling this one early? This is the category that nearly all of my favorite shows come from...I think it's kind of lame that you'd call it before even 24 hours has passed, but it's your poll. Then again, I've never been a fan of mercy rules - let the kids play. :)

What happens on the bus, stays on the bus. This is doubly true for the showers...haha.

Pat Seidling (when he was at PR) laid it out better than most: If the organization expects the members to have their act together, then it is only fair for the members to expect the organization to have it's act together. For that reason, things like having working buses, good meals, adequate floor time, good housing sites, giving the staff the tools necessary to help members succeed, leaving and arriving on time - those were all very important to him. As a result, the members followed suit and were given more opportunity to succeed. Now, I'm not one of the people complaining about the DCI stuff -though, I could see how someone that already reserved a seat might be upset. Simply, I agree with the original poster. Are you going to the show so that you can say you sat in the new seats in Indy, or are you going to see drum corps? I can see why audience members feel that the organization must have their act together...but I think the thing to understand is that they DO have their act together. They took the punch, did what was necessary, and the show goes on. Some people will always complain - just happens they are usually the vocal minority. The rest of us are just happy we get to see some killer shows.

I'm not huge on 93, but I loved 94 and 95. However, don't ask us - go find out for yourself. :) That's like saying Regiment was horrible with no redeeming value in 98-99. Dare to form your own opinions.

Here's a very valid point - one that hurts corps like the Cadets and Madison a lot. When corps have multiple shows that are very popular, then the vote gets split between them. The end result is that all of the shows receive a decent number of votes, but no one show is really a stand-out. The idea being that a group with many well liked shows will often be at the disadvantage when up against a group that had shows that were just as popular, but less of them. So, if you have 3 really popular shows, that puts you at a disadvantage against a group with 1 shows that was just as popular. Well, that's the theory at least. Gee, that made sense when I wrote it.

Yeah, Regiment got 3 of the top 5 voted shows...that has to mean something. :) That said, Crown's been putting out some great shows and they earned that top spot! I will say, I'm really surprised to see Cadets 05 that far up, that show just didn't do it for me, but to each their own.

First lick that came to mind for me - BD 95 - full line - there are a few before it, but the big one goes from about 8:00-8:10. Runs like that simply aren't supposed to be that clean, especially if you're moving while playing them. :)

Thinking back to my limited live experience and reactions in the theatre: Carolina Crown Pacific Crest (no really, it was a huge hit) Madison Scouts Crossmen Phantom Regiment (well, now you know I was in the midwest) At the end of the day, the playful shows with recognizable music did very well. Fans seemed to respond loudest to songs they knew when played well, innovative drill, and gutsy shows that really pushed their members to the extreme (making them essentially pure corps shows, because no band would touch them).