soonerjeff

Best come back in a long time!! Thats classic! Pioneer was in Div. 2 for quite a few years before the jumped up to Div. 1. Maybe they haven't had the winning success that they did in the lower division, but they're at least still around and have been for many years! It'd be nice to see the kids from corps that fold or don't march for a year move to another similar corps instead of trying to shoot higher or not march at all. It sure would help out corps like Pioneer and the like who struggle to get enough members each summer. It sure would be interesting to have some more info about the corps wanting to move to Kansas.... Didn't someone try to start a corps in Salina or something recently? Silver Sabres?

Another Pride alum here! I'll be in OKC, but I'm glad to see that they added Tulsa this year. Good stuff for Oklahoma! Enjoy the show :)

Forgive me if this shows my lack of knowledge, but how would things work without a drum major? Who starts the show? How is the corps introduced and acknowledged by the announcer and judges when it is time to start? Its nothing I've ever seen before, so I'm a little curious...

JoelD, a guy who's been posting here every so often lately, just went back to the Bluecoats to fill a baritone hole. He marched with them 2004-2005, but chose not to march this year. Now he'll get to age-out with his corps!

From what I saw at the rehearsal yesterday, they were getting rid of all the vocal at the beginning ("History Repeating") and inserting the same Twilight Zone theme/intro from last year's opener. Nothing was said about changing the vocals during the drum break. In my opinion, the History Repeating singing was okay, and I see what they were trying for, but it didn't help introduce the story that well. I can't stand the vocals during the drum break! They are distracting and completely unnecessary!! (And isn't it embarrassing to them that they have to do a mike check for each of those wireless/headset mikes while setting up for the show?! "Mic check, White Rabbit. Mic check Red Queen." Ugh!! That totally took my mind out of the show.) The more I think back to what I saw yesterday, the more I start to be 'okay' with the show. Its a cute show. But getting rid of those lines from the characters in the drum break would still be my priority if I was editting this show.

I loved the whole thing! I was blown away by that show! My jaw dropped from the first beat, and it never came up from the ground! I couldn't believe how difficult that show was (or at least seemed to be.) I loved the section when the sopranos switch to baritones/euphoniums-- What an idea!! I would love to see this show again b/c there is just so much going on that I know I missed a ton of things. Great job, PR!

I went to the Enid show yesterday, and watched the rehearsal/clinic that the Cadets hosted in the afternoon. When I got there they were practicing some drill with music that I recognized from last year's opener. Then they practiced the same drill, but it was this year's opening singing that I've heard online already. Later in the clinic Hopkins said that they had learned this new opener that morning (yesterday) and it would be added at tonight's show in Kansas. My opinion is still out on this year's show, but I do think its interesting that they're going to play with the opener like this. Maybe the crowd wasn't getting it? Maybe the staff didn't like the feel of it? Who knows. BTW, Phantom rocked Enid's face off last night! Everyone was blown away by their show! It has to be one of the most difficult shows in a long time.

Cadets are adding their new opening tonight. They're scrapping the singing intro and bringing back the music from last year's opener. They're using the same drill that they already had. They learned it yesterday in Enid, practiced it in the afternoon, and Hopkins said they were going to replace it tonight in Kansas.

Hey, its Joel D!! b**bs Whats up, buddy? I haven't hardly heard any music this summer, but I love the clip I've seen of SCV's opener!

The backward-building box in the opener is one of my favorite moves! Can't wait to see this show!

You would have thought that people would have learned from the Colts last year, with their giant postcards. Seemed like those were a huge hassle that might have not been worth it. I can't imagine what the Cadets need that is as big as these things.

I do agree that money can be a MAJOR reason for staff, from techs to caption heads, to leave. Especially for the 'lower ranked' Div 1 and 2 corps, these staff people are usually college kids who are still in school or recently graduated and need a real, sustainable income. I have seen wayyy too many times through my group of friends who marched where they were offered staff positions and were promised that they would be paid a certain amount and in the end they were either never paid or barely paid anything. It seems like sometimes corps aren't even having these younger staff members sign actual contracts, which almost means that the corps isn't locked into having to pay them. The staff member keeps hanging around in good faith, hoping that the corps will live up to its promise, but in the end the corps is basically cheating them and getting their teaching services for free for the winter camps, move-in and part of summer tour. Unfortunately it seems like a vicious cycle though-- The corps don't have enough money to pay the staff anything reasonable, and these staff members need a sustainable income ($500-800 for an entire summer won't help cover the money they lost by not doing a different full-time summer job), so there is never a 'meeting in the middle' and the staff member leaves. The 'big boys' have enough money to hire professional staff (most of whom already have full-time jobs away from the corps), leaving the lower corps to rely on young adults who need the income. What can you do?

My university marching band had a weight requirement for my first two years here. That was the end of our former director's 30 year career here, though. The new guy came in (2001) and has not reinstated that requirement. I sorta wish he would, because some of the girls keep gaining throughout their career and their technique keeps getting worse with it.... Its a little surprising that public institutions can get away with this despite using public money (not discrimination?), while drum corps are a little more lax about that despite being private and being able choose their own members.

I think it would depend more on the device that you're using to listen than it would the recording device. If your IPod or whatever has the 'rewind' button then it should work, but if it only has a 'skip chapter' button then you'd have to listen to the whole thing again. (Think about how DVDs work. They're about the same I think.)

The Rose Bowl is the only bowl left that makes the TV show part of each band's halftime shows. They showed about half of our (Oklahoma's) show vs. Washington State on ABC back in 2002. They do it every year, not just for texas :P . All of the University of Oklahoma's drum corps kids will be playing at the Holiday Bowl tonight. Whew, I sure am glad I was at OU when we were going to the BCS games (Watch out next year! :) )

If, as the article says, the Troopers are no longer members of DCI (which I had never heard until now-- I thought we had only heard that they were inactive this year, but not losing membership status), then why are they still listed on DCI's website?

You've chosen to two top corps that I'd dream of auditioning for. I had four friends march with the Bluecoats this past year, but I've always loved the Crossmen. I'd say either one will be a winner :)

This was posted a week or so ago. The "Favorite Drill Moves" video is very cool! That was the first time I've ever seen the Star 93 (right?) double-cross move

I'd just send it to a monogramming place. If you live in a college town there should be plenty of those shops around (those places thrive on the sorority girl population :P ) On a similar note: Does anyone have an extra, or know where to get an extra 2004 DCI Championship patch? My sister rooked-out in Denver that year but they ran out of patches at the DCI souvie stand by the time we got up there. Her jacket just isn't complete without it... Can anyone help?!

I saw the Cascades in Enid, OK when their trailer was late getting to the show and they marched without the props-- I thought it was a great show that way! I could totally see the drill formations and what they were intending to make (i.e. the plane toward the beginning of the show.) Not knowing that they were supposed to have all the big props, I thought it was a great design choice! I guess the props were an okay "addition" once I saw the show again, but I wouldn't say they were completely necessary. I think I'd actually bump Seattle up a point or two based just on the guard's uniforms. Ow ow!!

Just saw this and I'm not sure what to think. From everything I noticed (as a distant outsider), it seemed like everything this season went right except for the final standings and scores. Best of luck to Larry and hopefully the Crossmen can find someone to start moving them back toward the top. (The article says they'll announce a new director tomorrow, Sept, 12-- Thats pretty soon, so this is obviously not a surprise, especially since Larry said in his blog its been done for a while.)

If I remember correctly, Pioneer had their pit on benches and platforms around midfield back in 2002 for the "Oliver" show. It was actually a pretty creative way to shrink the field size for the small marching numbers and involve the pit members as more 'actors' than standing musical members.

And that is why Pioneer is so awesome ^OO^

I'm not saying the woodwinds are good or bad, but the one thing that does jump out to me is that this event allowed the flute player from Pioneer to actually get a medal! Lets be honest: I&E is probably the only way that anyone from Pioneer would be able to get a medal (or beat anyone from the Cavaliers, etc)-- and this is coming from a big Pioneer supporter, so don't take that as a slam. With this event he was able to expand his summer musical experience beyond just his regular instrument in the corps and he was able to be successful in this other event. He won't have the flute on the field tomorrow afternoon, so what is it hurting?!! He should be recognized at some point (age-out ceremony/Semis night?) for having the highest score in the woodwind division, and he deserves to be proud for performance he gave, especially after he gave up free time to practice that additional instrument.

I've only seen Madison in person and they definitely make the guys look "cool". But from the pictures I've seen of Cavies and Cadets, I don't think either classify as "hott" for me. I'd vote for Seattle-- Those girls had my attention the whole show . (You have to wonder if those zippers could accidentally fall down sometime :b**bs:.) I also really like Phantom's. They make flapper dresses look good ^_^. Glassmen's guard unis are pretty hott in that they make the members look really really good. Cap Reg has a pretty interesting guard uniform this year. Sorta a dominatrix fashion with the black pleather that must be at least 100 degrees on a cool day. Now that is "hot" Colts need to go back to last year's guard unis-- Those were by far the best uniforms of 2004 :D