jwillis35

Those are fantastic laptops. Nearly 20 hours battery life, pretty darn fast, and the power efficiency is amazing. I'm still mostly a PC laptop guy but I give mad respect to Apple for the new SoC design of the M1 chip. We have PC folks in our company who use the M1 or M2 Macs and they love them for travel. Gaming is still not a thing for Mac, but for getting a lot of other work done it is very impressive. Even uunplugged they retain most of their power and performance. When I unplug my Lenovo Legion 5 I am running at 70% power and the batter life is crap. Back to the app, I love it. Bravo to the designer/programmer. I love getting the alerts. Being on Eastern Standard Time it is nice. Last night I was already in bed before the show in Texas was completed. I heard the alert, checked my phone, scores and captions were there, then I went back to bed.

No doubt. That show is intense! It's a joy to watch.

Correct. We have seen the flip side of this as well. It was 1984. @Jeff Ream will no better than I but I think Cadets were 7th in field perc and 9th overall. Still won the show by .1 over a killer good Blue Devils corps. To me this would be difficult to pull off today. Even if you are top 3 in all other captions and sub captions, being that low in a major performance caption would push you down the ranks some. Also while 1984 was the first year for the build-up system vs the tic method, the guard was not part of the sheets. They were likely judged within the parameters of visual but there was no specific caption. It was definitely a different system than what we have today. Keep in mind, too, that Garfield had a revolutionary show that made up for the one weakness.

This is not how it works though. The judges for last night could care less about Saturday. They are just judging last night for what it is. No preconceived notions. And while Saturday was a large Regional show DCI does not send out a memo to all the judges that states "The scores and captions recorded on this day, July 22, 2023 shall forever-more be the spreads and general assumptions of who is better and how they should be scored." Let's face it, some judges last night looked at those shows ( in their caption ) and had a very different opinion...or perhaps they saw and heard very real issues.

Excellent thread title. Very clever, @BlueStainGlass. Some great matchups in this show. I hope all the members from every corps are feeling good and staying hydrated and healthy. It has got to be brutally hot down there with the humidity. I was surprised that scores were not affected by the performances at last night's show. I did not think anyone had their best run but scores looked good. Over this next week I am not so much concentrating on the scores but on who begins to make some big changes and what shows really start to come into focus.

That's my point. They have better talent than 11th in brass. I just don't think their show is letting this talent shine just yet.

Listen to all the talent in this brass line! Like seriously they have some exceptional players, and this is not an easy arrangement of Sing Sing Sing. I don't think their show quite showcases just how talented this corps is. But this standstill is fun.

I definitely appreciate your thoughts. I agree with so much of this. I know that personally I would prefer no mic'd soloists and certainly no mic'd soli ensembles. I was sort of fine with amplification in the pit, but often that has been abused. At times the synth/bass is so loud that I am not sure a tuba/contra line is needed and I can barely hear the sonority of the brass. I thought the whole idea of amping the pit was so we didn't need 10 to 12 keyboards and just a few players could play in a more concert like setting. But that is not what happened. As for the G Bugles, I really do miss those but I saw the hand-writing on the wall when those manufacturers were not making the money or closing shop, or where it just didn't make sense for them to venture in that area since so much of what sells to the music education community is band, jazz, or orchestra related. So in that sense I am fine with the Bb/F horns. Interestingly the young lady playing the solo in Cadets first ballad is actually playing a Cornet and I love the tone of that instrument for purposes of that solo. I will support what the kids and corps want to do and try. There are times I think the electronics and mics have been used well. A happy medium for me would be mics for soloists only (or a pit instrument or narration if needed). Most of the pit will be run through the audio system and I continue to hope that all the corps learn how to mix and balance better. But I would prefer no ensemble mics, presence mics, or mics for section leaders, etc.

For the most part I agree. DCI must have a presence in Texas. But I can remember big regionals in Madision, WI or Bloomington, IN when they use to hold DCI Midwest or DCI Mid-America there. Even Whitewater, WI would draw massive crowds. DCI North in Yipsilanti, MI used to draw big numbers. There are a massive amount of fans in the Midwest but because there are many early season shows in the Midwest, along with Finals in Indy, we have not had any major regionals like we used to. DCI North, DCI Midwest, and DCI Canada used to be very large events. But back to Texas. We have to have a presence there. San Antonio is perfect because of the dome. I do think they need to look into using a dome in Houston and Dallas as well if available. If community noise ordinances and citizens were fine with a later start time I would be in favor of a 9PM start to these shows (except for SA). But I know those of us in the East and Midwest would be very tired trying to stay up for those shows.

I like the show. I think this is the strongest vehicle they have had in a few years. Musically this show is fairly strong and I am digging the tunes more and more with each viewing. Visually they need to clean. They have done a lot of cleaning already. They seem more confident. Thematically they need to do some concept shows that are not too deep and that can be musically driven. That would help. From my uneducated perspective -- and I say that because I am not involved in the org and therefore I don't really know what goes on -- I believe their no. 1 issue will be to retain talent. They have some outstanding musicians in this groups...brass and percussion. Yes, they are not as old and experienced as a corps like BD. So when you have lots of young talent you have to retain these kids. Make sure they want to come back, because my ears tell me they do have some serious talent. Minus those that do age out if most of these kids return they can be incredibly good next season. I've seen what happens to really good drum corps when you get "knocked out of the box" if you will. Moving back up the ranks is not easy. Take Cavaliers or Cadets. Even Phantom...who this year may jump back into the top 5. Take Spirit of Atlanta years ago, or 27th Lancers (ultimately leading to them folding the tent). Too many corps have folded. Madison is very lucky to be alive and well. But at this point they need people on staff who can teach younger members and really develop them and keep them coming back because the experience is so positive and educational. They are not a destination corps the way BD, Bloo, Boston, and Crown are at the moment. But most corps are not and have never been. In the 70s, 80s, and 90s Madison was a destination corps to some extent -- though the activity was very different in those days too. And of course Madison was synonomous with high excitement and energized performance levels. I am sure their leadership understands this. I am not one to hope or call for people to lose jobs. Getting Scott Boerma back on brass is a big deal. I am sure the others are top-notch as well. They need to keep these kids coming back for the positive experience, the excellent education, and they need to share show ideas with them for the next year or two that gets the members excited. A good year-round development program or two can also help. It's a slower process than what many will want, but it is a process. I wish the staff all the best and hope they and the members can finish strong. I am cheering for you Scouts!!!

This is likely an error on Flo. It may be they are just listing it once as in to say "yes, we are covering DCI East." I don't know. Others have speculated on this too. But DCI East is 2 days.

Thanks for sharing this post. Yes, Dan deserves more credit than most of us realize. There have been so many issues thrown at him, from amplification to the G7 stuff to the scandals that have rocked the activity, to increased safety protocols for the marching members (and staff), to handling financial expectations for the corps and how to handle those issues when a corps did not have the funds to finish tour, to Covid 19 and many other issues. In fairness the job probably does not pay what it should. It is a BIG job. The activity may be a niche thing but it still has a wide following in music education and arts circles. I know people in higher education who are band directors who still expect DCI to lead the way in marching music excellence and all that comes with the physical nature of the activity -- not to mention touring, health, and an expectation of the best training for these kids. I wish Dan all the best in retirement when that last day comes. He should get a massive standing ovation at DCI Finals if they decide to bring him down to the field. Classy guy.

Blue Devils percussion is just fine right now. By any measure they are scoring well (top 3) and playing an incredible book. It's not a big deal at this time of the season if your achievement numbers are lower than the content. It just means as they clean they will be rewarded. By the way I continue to say this year in and out -- I Iove how Blue Devils use their pit. The writing and the styles and sounds they achieve are so musical and really provide their overall show a wonderful base. They really treat it like a jazz rhythm section and not so mallet heavy -- even though they do have lots of mallets and play them extremely well. But their ideas are much more varied. Some great musicians in that pit if you take the time to watch and listen to what they are doing.

All I know is I was most pleased with every show last night. It's easy to talk the numbers, the captions and all that competitive stuff, but in the end everyone was really good. I was floored by Guardians. I loved Genesis. I think Madison has really cleaned up their show and I am really enjoying their brass sound and style. Spirit was amazing. Pacific Crest is possibly making a run for top 12. Yes! Colts and Troopers are killing it with great shows. Cavaliers not only have an all-world percussion section but I love their show music as well. With more cleaning and some musical nuance and they should light-up the house at Finals. Cadets, Phantom, and Mandarins are just incredible. Seeing Mandarins in the top 5 come mid-season is a joy. Back in my day (1980s) who would have thought that. Of course they were always a really good Open Class corps. And the top 4...not one bad show in there. Yes, the vaunted Blue Devils remain the standard for excellence, but Boston and Bloo and Crown all have outstanding products. Nothing to complain about. It's easy sometimes, in the heat of competition and scores, to say things like "their guard is holding them back, or their percussion is holding them back, or they don't have the GE." Yet if you're in the top 12, heck top 17 in this activity I know just about every college marching band director would take those brass lines, the percussion sections, the guards, and on and on. So yes, we can still be competitive and root for our favorites but don't lose sight of the bigger picture. There are going to be a lot of standing ovations come Finals. It is a great year for DCI.

What people are saying is 1) the judge doesn't care that they are mic'd, 2) His job is to judge what he hears in front of him - from every single player, 3) Someone else from a higher perspective will judge overall balances with mics, pit, brass, perc, sound effects and on. Your argument seems to be "screw it, just play loud and louder and then you will not need mics." This is not always the best approach either. Look I definitely get where you are coming from. You don't have to like it. A lot of people do not like the mics and amps, or singing and narration, and other sound effects. It is a different activity for sure.

I loved this Spirit of Atlanta show. Great music! Brass, Perc, and Guard are wonderful. I honestly had them higher and was surprised by the results. But yes, do not worry about the numbers. Clean the show. The crowd loved them yesterday and they will love them at the other regionals and finals.

In this case The Cadets would like their 2015 Trophy. 🙂 I kid of course.

If you are having trouble getting the percussion recaps, the top 5 are: Content + Achievement = Total Cavaliers 9.4 9.3 = 18.7 Boston 9.25 9.15 = 18.4 Blue Devils 9.3 9.0 = 18.3 The Cadets 9.1 9.1 = 18.2 Bluecoats 9.2 8.9 = 18.1

Some interesting and positive number for The Cadets tonight. 5th in GE on one card, 7th on the others 6th in Vis Proficiency 5th in Brass 6th in Music Analysis 4th in Percussion Not bad. GE and Vis Analysis are the key areas they need to work at.

Finally a note about the Cavaliers percussion section........................WHAT ON GOD's GREEN EARTH ARE THEY FEEDING THESE PERFORMERS! Just an incredible percussion section playing the bajesus out of a demanding and well written book. Good gravy my hair was on fire after watching them.

I think scores are close to what I expected and so much can change from now until Finals. Heck a lot can change from now until the SE Regional. Impressed that The Cadets pulled a great number going on in the 10th position tonight. They are in deed in it with Mandarins and Phantom. That should be one heck of a race. I still favor Phantom but I love each of those shows. And by the way...can we all show appreciation to the Mandarins for this monumental achievement?! To be in a tie for 5th place at mid-season is a BIG deal. And what a show they have! The race between Music City, Spirit, Madison, Academy and Crossmen can frankly change a lot. All very close. Blue Knights and Pacific Crest will be a battle down the stretch. Troopers and Colts might as well be a tie. I still like Troopers here because they are quite dirty in the feet and body and I feel when they clean their GE will pop a bit more than Colts. Love both shows. The top 4 are essentially separated by 2 points. Boston managed to cut into BD's lead on them by roughly .5. Bluecoats and Crown are not far away. Any one of these corps can make a run at it...BUT...catching or defeating the mighty Blue Devils will take more than just winning some captions over them. They are just so strong everywhere you look. No doubt they are still the odds-on favorites to win the title, but it's a fantastic top 4 that we should all celebrate. Not a bad show in there and there is something for everyone to like. Congrats to all the performers!!! Today was thrilling with many great musical and visual moments.

Blue Devils. Stunning! The music is so good. It's definitely a fun and demanding musical book. Brass and percussion were on fire. Plenty of cleaning to do for BD, but the level of detail and excellence they have in upper and lower body control and timing is truly wonderful to watch. The way they can extend and push a phrase to perfection is only matched by Crown. The range asked of the performers, the level of articulations, key signature and meter changes, and style changes in the music book are really not matched by anyone...though Crown, Boston, and Bluecoats all do well here. Thought their guard was incredible and doing some amazing things. Very demanding book. Visually this show is wonderful. As this continues to clean, and with such a wonderful music book, the GE should be something special. Way to go, BD!

Oh that ballad...has MY HEART!!!!!

Blue Devils are just on a different level. It is a glorious thing to see, hear, and just behold.

BD's pit warm-up / sound check sounded like an 80s TV show theme song. 🙂