guard2004

I know it's not north Jersey but we are doing a show in Glassboro, NJ before Allentown! I kinda got a taste of what was being discussed before and it was honestly the best thing for Cadets to move everything to Erie. Everything on one campus. A stable (and great) facility/facilities with plenty of room and storage. Also it being a sports complex allows for more community involvement, of which are already being planned. We're hosting a marching band clinic and community performance for the city of Erie. I know this wasn't the original point of thr conversation earlier but a big reason I came back and a reason a lot of people I know came back, was the modernizing of the organization. They're truly in a great spot. Ps hope everyone is liking what's been released of the show so far 🙂

Ugh there is so much I want to say but I'll refrain. Happy move-in season!

Saying this now. People will be blown away at the show this year. expect something different but with a cadets twist of course. we've got bocook back and stacktig as a consultant. 2021 drill writer is still here and Darcie Aungst is the creative director (works at Dartmouth HS whos indoor percussion has been killing it under her for a while now). I won't spoil anything else

If we're going for consistency in the past 21 years, Cadets absolutely have a win over Boston. My predictions have definetely changed but I don't see Boston medaling still. Maybe a 4th place. People were saying Boston would medal in 2019. They dropped a placement. 2021 was an awkward show. They effectively forced almost all drill to the right side of the field for a show that was supposed to be about being virtual when all signs pointed to it being more about extremem sports (in my opinion). I'm not trying to crap all over Boston but I don't think they should be put on a pedestal until they actually make it to that pedestal if that makes sense. From what I've heard, the two corps rising the most this year will be Boston and Cadets. I think that unless a corps has very similar staff from its 2019 counterparts, going off 2019 is not a great option for predicting. And cadets wont be going through 5 drill writers like they did in 2019 lol. Massive positve changes were made, especiall after our corps director was the assistant director at Boston during their 2017-2019 period of massive improvement.

Disclaimer: I'm newer to drum corps as a whole (I haven't grown up with it and I only started getting into it during 2020. My section is also color guard so the music aspect isn't my forte) Title Holders: Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, MAYBE but probably Bluecoats -Reasoning: BD is BD, SCV won in 2018 but dropped to 3rd in 2019, closer to Crown's score than Bloo's. A maybe next to Bloo because they are a top 5 corps but not top 3 consistently (2016: 1, 2017: 5, 2018: 3, 2019: 2). Other top 6: Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, EITHER Cadets or Boston -Reasoning: Crown post 2017 has been 4th since. Top 3 consistency is also not their forte. I honestly don't know a lot about Cavaliers but as far as my understanding goes, they're a balanced and good corps in finals. Boston is very new to top 6 still. Yes they have a lot going for them but as high as they've climbed in recent years, they could fall out of top 6 aswell. Going off of how frankly awkward and weird the 2019 and 2021 shows have been, if they don't get their design together soon they'll start falling. Cadets is a big fat maybe (coming from a newly contracted CBCCG member). We've seen corps jump giant places in recent years. Cadets, if any corps, have the most to make up for and possibly the best potential (Stacktig is back and advising the drill but not writing it. We'll have to see how that plays out. A Bloo brass tech is at CBrass now, and some returning staff from pre-GH chaos is back for both percussion and brass I believe. I can say that guard staff is solid again with Bloo alumni and tons of 2014-2018 cadets alumni being there now) 7-9: Cadets, Blue Stars, Blue Knights -Reasoning: More likely for cadets to place 7th. I don't know a ton about the other two but I can't remember seeing them higher than 7th (again excuse myself still being new) 10-12: Phantom Regiment, Mandarins, Pacific Crest -Reasoning: I hear things are starting to look better at PR, Mandarins just seems to fit right, Crossmen I can see dropping to 13 and after what happened with SoA, they probably won't be top 12 for a bit.

I'd like to add to this as a newly contracted Cadet in the color guard. I'm a senior in HS and have been into DCI since my junior year. I'll be honest, Crown was my first choice. A jam packed academic schedule with my own orgaizations marching arts made it so I couldn't put anywhere near enough time as I should have into the required video auditions (they determine who comes to the Dec camp. A process I'm not fond of but I digress). When I wasn't offered a contract I was torn between joining my friend (auditioning for Bloo), going with where one of my techs wanted me to audition (Boston), Cadets, and SCV. I was really only a fan of Cadets shows (minus 2019) and SCV shows (2017-2019). I ended up at Cadets for the Nov audition in Salem, NJ and I can say wholeheartedly that there is a MAJOR sense of "let's make Cadets really good again" at least in finals. I'm really only super involved in the guard but I'm guessing my experience carries over into the other sections. When I looked at Crown I wanted the abstract show concepts that were done well and a really good work ethic/environment for all the students. Cadets has that and after hearing some info about Crown being somewhat cutthroat (most notably in brass and in some cases, guard) I'm already questioning if I'd audition next year. What I'm trying to say is that Cadets is in a really good positon to move up. Their new director is the old Boston assistant director, most of the guard staff is alumni, admins were REALLY knowledgeable and super friendly. People are talking about their 2021 success and my guess is they're aiming for top 6 or 7 (this is my guess so take it LIGHTLY). Yeah they probably won't be getting the Zingali, Ott, or any of the other caption awards, but the general mindset seems to be putting Cadets back on the map as a force to recon with but still maintaing a sort of wildcard position they've always seem to have. You know they'll be fantastic regardless