shostahoosier

Actually, 10 years ago the talent was distributed among the "Top 6". 10 years ago you couldnt have told me the Cavaliers would go on a 5 year run of never finishing below 2nd at finals. You also couldnt have told me they would have a 3-peat. 10 years ago, I heard the argument "No one will ever win except for the Blue Devils or Cadets...unless one of those two corps drops the ball" You also couldnt have told me that Regiment and Scouts would fall out of the Top 6 for several years in a row....or that Madison would miss finals in Madison. I think there will be more parity in drum corps. I think that more corps will cycle in the 1-8 spots. I even think there will be a new Champion by 2016. Unfortunately, I also have this sinking feeling that one of our championship corps will fold (by 2016). I think Div II/III will be scaled back a lot as well...but I think more regional touring and weekend corps will pop up. Oh, Star of Indiana (Alumni) will return and do a finals performance at Lucas Oil Stadium when DCI Finals are hosted there.

I would agree. I marched 3 different corps, and the support staff at Phantom Regiment was by far the most friendly and welcoming. I always enjoy seeing my old bus mom, Ms. J after shows.

Getting fitted for a uniform early isnt that big of a deal as many members will lose quite a bit of weight.

I dont know about after the 1998 season, but I know BEFORE the 1998 season, Phantom Regiment's website had its own message board. I think the buzz was positive as the corps had hired Dr. David Kampschroer as the corps director and Jim Wren returned as the arranger (I think he retired after the 1996 season, but did some work on the book in 1997 - someone else can correct me if I'm wrong). As for parallels, I dont really see a lot other then SCV having a lower placement then usual (as Regiment had in 1998). Some corps bounce back stronger then ever the next year and some dont. Its really all a mixture of the strength of the corps internal workings versus how competitive everyone else will be that summer.

I agree with my former co-marcher :) Its really quite emotional to play your corps song one last time as you exit the field.

I understand where you're coming from and it was a friendly question :) Being from Indiana and the Chicagoland area, I always loved meeting people from Indiana when I marched corps. It was great to be able to identify. It was very comforting. But...what really caused me to grow (and this is why I will always have so much love for drum corps - it truly did have a profound affect on my development when I was a teen) was meeting people who were NOT from the midwest at all. It was interesting to have a seat partner from Texas....and to never hear them shut up about how great he though his state was. I also enjoyed having a Puerto Rican seat partner one summer (there werent many latinos where I grew up) and a gay one another summer. Of course I never did much enjoy seating with the staunch conservative one year...but...at least I learned tolerance :P Nah...Ive always been an open minded person, but sitting in a seat next to someone for 3 months really gets you "close". This is just my opinion of course...I hope your roommate meets some Hondurans....a friend of mine, I actually have two friends from Honduran friends here in Chicago. ...back on topic though...I love Drum Corps! Its one of the most accepting activities...if you dont include electronics or Bb horns.

Not trolling or trying to pick a fight...but my question would be why is this information so important?

Cadets 1995 - They had this theatrical quiet ending that was really emotional. I saw it at the show in Pittsburgh...but didnt see it in Buffalo.

Is there a get together before the show tomorrow night? River East is right next to a bar...a crowded, slightly overpriced bar (it IS Streeterville). How many people plan on going? Or are most of Chicago's drum corps nuts out in the suburbs?

Regiment is back on top...thanks in part to my unbiased vote of course (tee hee). I would be happy with either corps winning though... ...its a Midwest thing...ya'll just wouldnt understand

My favorites: Cadets of Bergen County 1993, 1994 & 1995 Madison Scouts 1995 Glassmen - 1998 SCV - 1991 Star of Indiana 1992 Blue Devils 1994 &1996 Cavaliers 1997, 1998, 2004 Phantom Regiment 1987, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2004 and 2005

AMC River East in downtown Chicago...anybody else going from the Windy City of Big Shoulders?

I think he was a staffmember for a corps that I marched in the mid 90s...he only taught one year though.

Every summer I hear about how Corps "such and such" is doing so well and blowing all the competition away, but that they better watch out or they might peak. I was wondering, does this actually ever happen? If a corps performs a show to the maximum of its design, and its beaten by another corps, isnt it an issue of show design and not peaking? Do corps start performing show worse after they peak?

You're right...I meant to say the Cascades...my mistake everyone.

Before I even opened this thread I was thinking "Star of Indiana - 1992". It certainly is encouraging knowing that I'm not in the minority. The sound that they produced with 2 valve sops is incredible! And the visual program that they had to perform while playing this music was amazing on its on account (too bad that drum break thing didnt work out though). Star 92 used dynamics to the Nth degree. A lot of corps can play loud and soft...but can they do both? And can they switch dynamics on a dime (I think this idiom works better when talking about cars)?

Pacific Crest is an excellent example. Their first year as an open class corps they were able to beat some stiff competition and make it into the top twelve. Never say never.

Interesting enough, it seems like most of the new corps are on the west coast. Have any new corps emerged on the East Coast?

I understand your point and concern... ...but (and this isnt mean to be a flame) maybe subconsciously you actually do believe that Div II/III corps are lower...as you just referred to them as "lowe[r] divs from div 1".

How positive or useful can hype be? It sets a corps up for a high, sometimes unrealistic expectations...and if the corps meets them...then its something that was expected...if they dont...they're crucified for it all summer. I say keep it quiet and give your show as easy a chance as positive to hit the ground running with no preconcieved notions running against it. Dont think I dont like press releases. I enjoy the updates and videos that corps give us...its a long, cold winter between the first and last drum corps shows.

I think the dog thing is creepy...but funny... haha..the dog thinks he's people.

Things I didnt like about DCM finals: The mosquitos The aesthetically unpleasing NIU campus That stupid 50 mile high brick wall that horn players had to point above to reach the audience. What I did like: I miss the fun of the DCM retreat. It was almost as long as the DCI retreat. The Sunday picnic was a ton of fun too. I loved the potluck style buffet line that all of the corps would put out. Those "intramural" games were a ton of fun too! I think my corps won the volleyball game one year. I get the feeling that DCM finals meant a lot more to the smaller corps then it did the bigger corps. When I marched Division III, my corps took the entire week off of touring before DCM finals to clean our show. Back then there were a lot of Division III corps (well, not a lot, but many more then there are now) and making it into the evening show was an honor - and quite difficult. When I marched Division I, the corps I performed with didnt blow off the DCM show, but there was certainly less emphasis. All of that practicing the week before DCM built up so much excitement and anticipation. It was fun to let your hairdown for one afternoon and talk to other corps members.

Regiment 2000 was a meaty book...and the ending gives me goosebumps/nightmares. Whatta hornline!

Since when did Beethoven become an alchoholic drink?!

I think the Cavaliers seem like they have a lot of boxes in their sets because their drill is geometric. But if you're talking about marching in simple blocks...then hands down the Blue Devils win that award. By the way...marching in blocks and geometric shapes like that is really hard to pull off clean...even though people often think otherwise.