jwillis35

Amazing man, incredible legend in the drum corps activity, his marching band charts were first rate, and his concert band pieces were outstanding. His Troy University bands were incredible. There probably is not a band director in this country who has not conducted several of his works or arrangements. He wrote or arranged so many good DCI shows. I think my favorite is his 1985 A Florida Suite. HIs Les Miz for The Cadets in 1989 is top shelf. As Bocook noted in the DCI Artcile his 1988 score for Suncoast changed the activity and the other arrangers took note. We lost this man way too soon. 😞 R.I.P.

Tears...Thank you Madison Scouts! 🙏

Thanks. I knew I had some of that timeline wrong.

I wrote about this a little in my review of the Pittsburgh show but I fell in love with the Seattle Cascades. The show music and theme were wonderful. But more specifically it was watching those young members absolutely busting their tail-ends to march that show. They were mostly young. The one instance that will remain with me was this young mellophone player (? I think it was mello). The kid was maybe 13 or 14 years old. Toward the end of the show the drill was picking up and I could see this short kid with his hat beginning to fall to the side as he/she just kicked it into gear and made a few difficult moves to keep up with the others. I began cheering loudly and others joined in. The effort was 110% electric. I stood up and began cheering even louder...yellow "go go go" as he and the corps completed their show. Big standing ovation from the crowd. I honestly had a tear in my eye as I was telling my girlfriend how much I love the show and the effort from all those kids, esecpially that little mello player. To me...that is the DCI experience and this fan loved it. 🙂

The G7 wanted more control of ticket pricing, payout, more control of what would could be done on the field, more control over DCI (a direct attack on Dan and his power), and they wanted to run their own shows their way. They felt they were the big dogs and the reason most fans came to the shows. GH often spoke about how there would only be 7 or 8 corps left in 10 years so the activity had to move in a new direction and operate in more of a top-down survival mode...trying everything and anything. All of this resulted in TOC shows (Tournament of Champions). In 2004 (??) I believe Finals were in Denver and there was this TOC tour after Finals. The tour went west to California. This was the first time we heard the term TOC I believe. Feel free to correct me if this happened in 2003 or earlier, but I think it was 2004. Out west on the TOC tour the corps did their field shows (exhibition only), then some combined ensemble performances and small ensemble productions (like the Cadets little William Tell skit). They did a few indoor performances as well. Funny that it was called Tour of Champions yet the Bluecoats took part and had not won a championship at that time. I forget if Madison did that tour and also Crown.?? Madison may have not taken part but I just cannot remember. My first impression on all this was they overworked those kids to try and make a point. At the TOC shows that followed in seasons after they would rotate the lineup so each corps would take turns going on first, last, and all other positions in the middle. Not a bad idea but the focus on these 7 corps was not a good thing for the other WC or OC corps. It was a top-down approach to grab what's left and weaken the lower end of DCI. Fans were more likely to attend the TOC show and not some other DCI show featuring other WC and OC corps. The members of the 7 TOC corps often had to perform for fans while they were entering the stadium, then again for their field show, then again in some mass ensemble selections, and then again as they were marching off the field. I personally thought they were using these kids to further an agenda. Those kids should have been paid for all this extra work. To Me: DCI is only as good as the lowest placing corps in WC or OC. It's only as good as the total balance and depth of the corps and the members interesting in marching in this activity. GH and others did not see it that way. GH was convinced their would only be 7 or 8 corps left in so many years. He and others wanted to get their piece of that puzzle. They were playing a doomsday game of survivalist. They did not care for the other units...or at least this is how many fans thought about the G7. I am glad it died. It was a good-ole-boy network that needed to die.

Finals I have attended: 1982 Montreal, 1985-1987 in Madison; 1989 Kansas City, 1990 Buffalo, 1992 Madison, 1995 Buffalo; 1996-1998 Orlando; 2000 College Park, MD; 2001 Buffalo; 2003 Orlando, 2008 Bloomington (semis only); 2009-2011 Indianapolis; 2014 Indy, 2016 Indy. So 20 Finals total. Favorite Finals: 1990 in Buffalo, NY (followed by 1992, 1995, 1987, 2011, 1996, 1985) Coldest Finals: 1992 Madison (we camped out that year and I froze my rear-end off) Hottest Finals: One of the Orlando years...thinking 1996 or 1997 Rainiest Finals: 2003 in Orlando (I believe at Semifinals BD had to step off on the field at like 5 or 10 minutes after midnight ??) Favorite Singular Moment: Garfield Cadets performance of Candide to end their 1985 show, followed by Phantom Regiment moving up to tie Blue Devils for 1st at Finals in 1996. I remember my buddy (a big Phantom fan) lighting up a cigar in the stadium and smoking it while we watched retreat after scores and no one saying a word to him. Favorite Location: Madison, WI - It's a drum corps town and on a Finals week it seemed no matter where you went for food or drink or to hang out after the shows you always met so many drum corps fans and you heard amazing stories. My WISH for a future DCI Finals Location: I know we are contracted with Indy for the next 10 years or so but I would love DCI Finals in Las Vegas, NV. I think that would be cool.

This was really well written. I agree with some and disagree with other things...but I like that it is written in a non-offensive tone. I think even die-hard BD fans would have no issue with the way you have crafted this even if they disagree.

Carolina Crown Blue Devils Boston Crusaders Phantom Regiment Spirit of Atlanta Mandarins, Bluecoats, The Cadets, Troopers all amazing too. The surprise for me was Spirit partly because I saw them live and the show just grabbed me.

Time for Cadets to tackle some David Holsinger again, only something they have not done yet. On The Grand Prairie Texas would be a good one.

I agree. I watched the multicam view of the encore and was simply blown away. It's just next level stuff. Let's face it, they would have scored a 99+ had their not been two corps with section strength comparable or better. That being Cavaliers percussion and Crown's brass. That held them back a few tics, otherwise that show could have been a 99.15 or so.

Those 1970s Madison Scouts alumni have done a lot of great work in the activity. Both Todd Ryan and Scott Chandler are Madison guys from the 1970s. Even Michael Cesario (who did not march Madison) was I believe born and raised in Wisconsin and was always impressed with Madison guards in those days. He and Scott talk about it in a lengthy video clip from years ago. They met for the first time on Broadway in NYC and began to change the activity. Michael first with Garfield Cadets, and then many others, and Scott with Spirit of Atlanta and then BD. There are many other Madison alumns from that time making a difference in the activity as well.

I don't think Todd Ryan went to BD until 1994. He was working with Star of Indiana in the early 90s I believe. After Star left the activity after the 1993 season is when BD got Todd. But I do think Scott Chandler was on board BD in 1990. ...and speaking of 1990, Blue Devils can bring back Tommy any day as far as I am concerned.

Great post and very true. In the 1970s they were a consistently higher-placing corps. In the 1980s and 90s they had their moments of top 5. I want to say off the top of my head 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88 are all top 5 shows in the 1980s. In the 1990s I think 92, 95 and 97 are top 5. They had 6 top 5 finishes in the 70s. So that's 15 top 5 finishes from 1972 to 1999. Not bad. But I will echo what @Swmstom1998 stated. Madison was never really in it to win it. Often their staff did not go to critique. What they were was one killer entertaining corps. From the 70s-90s no corps -- and I mean no corps -- could string together entertaining shows and audience response within a show the way the Scouts could. Not Phantom, Cavaliers, Garifled, BD or SCV. Maybe VK for a while? When it comes to looking back at the sheer number of shows they produced in those almost 30 years and the level of audience response and spontaneous standing ovations there was no corps that could light-up the house quite like the Scouts. That swagger, power, showmanship and fantastic music is what people miss. Not the scores. But those kind of shows were more difficult than many might think. In the famous 1988 or 1995 shows Scouts had a brass line that rivaled BD. They actually tied BD and Cadets in 95. It took that kind of talent to pull off that kind of brass book. Wayne Downey of BD discusses this in a video series that BD staff did during the pandemic. He mentions how Madison were the brass kings of the 70s until BD began to challenge them. Those old books required numerous sopranos (now trumpets) that could play in a wide range and with power. Mellos had to have killer chops. Their tubas and baritones were super strong and also had a wide tessatura of range and power. Most players seemed to really understand jazz and swing and latin. They often had soloists that rivaled anyone. This is the part that, until they can really recruit the more experienced players, they will struggle with. So the music book has to be different and playable for now until they begin getting more experience. But you have to start somewhere and I always wish them the best. Do what is right for the members. Program a good, solid show that works. A show that can be cleaned. Then see how far you can take it while maxing out the cleanliness.

Thanks, Chief! Congrats to your son and those Mandarins! What a show. So exciting and so visually and musically captivating.

I do think this is a very good point. I know everyone wants to see old Madison Scouts back in action. But the job of a good design team and teaching staff is not to write that kind of show if the members cannot handle it. You have to write to the talents you have. Madison actually had some good brass and percussion musicians this summer. The visual book was overwritten and did not work that well with the music. The prop did not work. The guard book was too far behind by the time they finished learning the full show. They have to do a better job of getting a show on the field that can be performed at a decent level so they have a chance to clean while also making changes. Age and experience is what it is. They need a show that is well crafted, can be fully taught at camp, and one that meets the talent and experience level of the members. Then they can clean, tweak, and layer from there. The theme or concept of the show needs to be obvious and easy to understand.

I think Blue Devils made a shift in programming after all the criticism they received or viewed when they did shows like 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013. On DCP alone there were many who felt they were not entertaining and just trying to write to the sheets and win. To me this was not true but I remember fans on DCP and elsewhere constantly complaining about their shows not being for the crowd. Now that BD is more fan friendly fans want more innovation. Personally I still find an "air" of freshness to their shows. Their style is still unique in the activity. It may not be new to them but it is unique in the activity. There is no rule stating that if you win and win a lot that you must take the greatest risks and push the activity somewhere new. In the 1980s the Garfield Cadets were often cited for innovations. They certainly were at the cusp of change, but those changes were things like taking asymmetrical drill to new levels, getting rid of the concert number, starting a show with a ballad (1984), some harder drill, flexing intervals, and things of that nature. By the late 80s and through the 90s what did they change? I think the shows just became more fast paced and more demanding but I think their unique style was still in tact. They were not reinventing the wheel every year. This was true in the first decade of the 2000s as well. Did it stagnate at some point? Yes, but not until 2002-2003...and then they tried something a little new in 2004 and again in 2005. But what was different? A baton twirler? A uniform change? A use of a box in the middle of the field? They were still marching high-velocity drill in a style and manner that they employed in the 1980s. The music was still exciting with lots of mellophone runs. You still new it was Cadets. I don't think Blue Devils feel this formula and unique style of theirs has stagnated yet. To me the 2023 show was still pretty fresh and entertaining. The concept was a wonderful idea. When I address their formula I am referring to shows designed from 2014 to now. Their are similarities with 2008-2013, but that minimizes changes they have made. Their 2014 show felt very different to 2013. The 2015 show which was even more theatrical. To compare 2015 to 2017 also shows vast differences. The way they handled old-school vs new-school corps identity in the 2017 show is completely different from anything we'd seen. Their use of props in 2019 was wild and wonderfully creative. People love to say they just Rinse and Repeat but really that is not true and not even close to what they have been doing. There is more to the Blue Devils than meets the eye.

Good point, but they haven't always hired from within. Two of their most important instructors right now are Scott Chandler and Todd Ryan. Both are Madison Scouts alumni from the 1970s. Also Michael Cesario has had a hand in the look of BD and some of the ideas behind many shows. See the interview Scott Chandler does with Michael. I actually just posted a link to it on the BD 2024 thread. In the early days of bringing BD to prominence many of their staff were Santa Clara Vanguard alumni. Wayne Downey marched with SCV for a few years and won a ring with them. But you're right in that as the program became so strong with staff and design teams being there for many years it allowed them to train others and pass on the wisdom and experience of how to run things and how to design and teach.

Boston will bring another fantastic show to the field, just like they did this year, last year, and many years prior. They are championship caliber. Caption strength is amazing and I do not see that changing.

Speaking of show design this clip between Michael Cesario and Scott Chandler is very cool.

It's not easy. Right after Finals I always feel like summer ended even though technically summer does not end until September 21 or something like that. I managed to finish all my field charting for other bands and some music arrangements as well. Most of that has to be finished by early to mid July. I continue to gig on the trombone and try to take in as much College Football as I can. I am not as much into the NFL. Only really watch come the playoffs. This is mostly due to the Cleveland Browns having poor management. Fall is great for beautiful weekend drives on the backroads as the leaves change colors and the weather cools. We love finiding neat B&B places and going to neat and small midwest town. We will usually pick 2 or 3 weekends to hit places like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Lake Chautauqua (NY), and Columbus. My girl loves Musicals, and for me it's all about the Cleveland Orchestra. As we get closer to Thanksgiving and beyond my girl and I head to NYC for a few Broadway shows. Got to see Patrick Page do his last show with Hadestown on December 30 over New Year's weekend last year. Amazing performance and incredible show. Somewhere in there if we get enough snow (usually by mid-to-late December I will go skiing, but usually Ski season in NE Ohio, Upstate NY begins in January.

I would be happy if Blue Devils went back to the Dance Derby of the Century show and did it right. Only call the show Dance Derby from Then to Now! Think slow opening with a modern arrangement of Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller), then Benny Goodman's Sing Sing Sing or something similar, then move to Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire (listen to link below). After this section move to a percussion feature with a modern version of Dave Grusin's Mountain Dance (see 2nd link below). Do some original music with split percussion ( or pit vs battery ) with some dance-off fun, then close with Gordon Goodwin's Sing Sang Sung (link below). I think it would be a killer show...and with their guard -- Oh heck yes this would be incredible. https://youtu.be/RbT7lfOMnJ8 Dave Grusin - Mountain Dance Gordon Goodwin - Sing Sang Sung

I liked the whole post. Not easy for sure and setup time would be even longer. There is always the danger of electronics with weather but we already have that. Honestly I thought some of these things were coming (special effects lighting, video, more natural sounds and sound effects) after the Bluecoats absolutely turned the activity upside-down with Downside-Up. With all credit to Blue Devils use of props in 2019, the 2016 Bluecoats is the most amazing and large-scale use of props I have ever seen. Now take what Bluecoats did that year and marry that with what Boston Crusaders did in 2021 during the exhibition year and you are beginning to get somewhere. My girlfriend and I did not do DCI Finals this year (we will be there next year) because we went to Orlando and did a 3-day weekend at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk. One of the big things there now is how well they can do 3D video/Animation and marry it with a short coaster ride or some tricked-out coaster or bus or seating arrangement. There would be a cost for video panels, lighting, 3D tech if possible, and working the sound system would require a real pro or perhaps 2 or 3 people doing any number of things. Maybe DCI needs an experimental FUTURE CORPS division for those corps (big or small) that wish to try some of this stuff.

I am bullish on most corps from a show/performance perspective. I am not going to get into staff, design team, money, management or any of that stuff. I really enjoyed almost all the shows this year. There are always little things that I didn't care for but that is common with most shows. Blue Devils - Stock is always up (buy more if you can). Great show. Fun music. Easy to watch and enjoy. Great performance of course. The Blue Devils do the very thing that I think is most difficult to do in DCI...and that is to be consistent. Bluecoats - Stock is always up (buy more if you can). Bloo does Bloo well. They take risks but they also have fun and get the crowd engaged. Personally did not care for the concept of the show but the beauty of that was I didn't need to care about the concept. The show still worked from an entertainment perspective. Staging, choreography, body, and drill continue to be top notch. Music book was fun and rhythmic. Carolina Crown - Stock up (may buy more). Loved the show. May be my favorite show of the summer. Did not start that way but it ended up that way. I did get to see them live in Pittsburgh and that helped. They were a tour-de-force live. Brass and percussion were great. Guard was fantastic. More shows like this for the future and I will be very happy. Boston Crusaders - Stock Hold (It's good stock, just not sure if I am buying more). I fully expect Boston to be top 4 again. I expect they will have incredible performance captions just as they did this year. Looking forward to seeing what the theme/concept is. If the goal is to win then they are close but have not yet put together the total package. If it was so easy everyone would do it. Boston knows that what they are trying to do is extremely difficult. Regardless, top 4 is amazing and I still enjoyed the show and loved their performances. The Cadets - Stock Up (BUT Hold and buy with caution). The 2023 show was fantastic! Brass, percussion and guard were rock solid to specacular at times. Do we apply an asterisk to their 5th place ranking? No! They earned it. Do we consider a possible return of Santa Clara? Yes. As far as what Cadets are doing with the members and staff their season was absolutely STOCK UP! When trying to predict rankings and scores for next season I think the Stock is a hold, wait and analyze. Once a corps moves into the 5th or 6th position it is more difficult to push into that next level. Trying to take on Boston, Crown, Bluecoats and BD is a difficult next step. Who ya gonna kick out? There is the prospect of a strong SCV returning. Mandarins - Stock Up (BUT Hold and buy with caution). Everything I said about Cadets is true here too. Fantastic corps this summer. Loved the show. GE was incredible. Great visual program overall. Moving up for next year? All the same things apply. Who ya gonna take out? Can you recruit the talent for top 5 or higher? Does the design team have it in them? And if they do, is it better than what the others have? The next steps for Cadets and Mandarins (and PR, Cavies) are the most difficult steps to take. The competition at the next level is serious, real, and those corps are not going anywhere. More later.

Personally I enjoyed just about everything with the 2023 season. Not sure there was a show I really didn't like. Congrats to the Blue Devils on their 21st Championship. Congrats to Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, and Boston Crusaders for the nail-biting competition and the fantastic shows. The Cadets, Mandarins, and Phantom all had fantastic and fan friendly shows and gave us so much to look forward to. I got to see Cavaliers live in Pittsburgh and by then the show had really come together. They were a treat. Percussion was WOW, but I enjoyed the whole show. Colts, Troopers, Blue Stars and BK were all amazing as well. Saw Spirit of Atlanta live and that was one of my favorite shows this year. I absolutely loved the Seattle Cascades. Watching them was a joy and I loved their music. I feel Madison made big improvements with their brass and percussion. They need to get the visual and total show development going. I think they were young and very talented. =========== As for the 2024 season here are some ramblings. When it comes to score and rank if a corps did not place as high this season as they did in 2022 it does not mean they took a step back. Sometimes the competition is super strong, and you never know how judges will read certain things. Take Boston. Last year they were tied for 2nd. This year 4th. Do I think they took a step back? No. Sure, we can argue show design. This idea didn't work, this one did...etc. To me their brass, perc, and guard have not lost any level of talent. In fact I think they were 2nd in brass, percussion and guard in Semifinals. Sometimes you just get a tough judge who catches something or just sees it differently. Bottom line: they have great caption strength and I suspect they will be amazing once again in 2024. If your favorite corps moved up a notch or two from last summer it doesn't mean the next place up is guaranteed. In 1989 when Phantom Regiment took 2nd a lot of folks thought they were destined for 1st in 1990. Ended up tied for 4th with Blue Devils. Madison won the title in 1988 and fell way back in 1989. The Cadets won in 1990 and fell to 6th in 1991. Bluecoats were making big gains in 2005 (5th), 2006 (4th), then fell to 7th. Then 8th. In 2010 they took 3rd...then fell again. It was not until the Tilt show in 2014 that began a more consistent run for them. Consistency is the most difficult thing in DCI competition. Recruiting, design, teaching, management, money, support, etc. all add up. In terms of entertainment I feel most of the corps were genuinely trying to give the fans something to enjoy while also being competitive. Hopefully we see more of this in 2024. Don't let design get in the way of great music and great visual ideas. There were still times during this past season where I felt some shows were designed in such a way (or the theme/concept was too out there) that it made life difficult for staff when cleaning, and also for the designers when rewrites were needed. There are still too many occasions when corps are doing needless body moves that absolutely mean nothing to the show and just add clutter. Stop. Unless it has some real meaning, or just add to a unique visual, it is not necessary just so you can show simultaneous demand. In some cases whatever you gain in demand (if anything) you likely lose in GE or Visual Analysis unless it really makes sense. Let's hope all the corps have successful off-seasons in terms of funding, retention, recruitment, and all their other ventures.

This would not even the playing field because it wasn't even when the season started and it's not even when most shows start. Changing the order doesn't do much. To think that putting BD on 1st or 2nd changes things is crazy. They still win. Any of the top 5 or 6 corps could have gone on 1st and they still would have been top 6. Before the season everyone knew who the top 4 corps would be. It was no secret. They had the talent and the experienced staff and design teams. Furthermore this is what the regionals are for. The corps come out and perform at all those early shows to get their consistency and design in place. Then there are a few shows that do determine order of performance for San Antonio, then again for Atlanta, and again for DCI East. Ultimately this determines the order of DCI Quarters. Why take that away from the corps who have worked so hard to earn their performance spot? If a corps has consistently beat another corps the so be it. They get to perform after.