garfield

Also, me thinks this is a reverse-psychology tactic to get more fans to post long reviews, which you obviously enjoy. Let's see if it works...

Bruckner, couldn't disagree more. I agree that the slice of Americana that actually cares about drum corps is very, very small. But lack of review posts is a pretty pointless way of measuring the "relevance" of DCP. I suggest you start writing some letters to directors about G7 and include a reference that your backup data set includes DCP and see what kind of response this illicits. I think you'll find, dare I say many?, directors will reply with "Yea, I've seen the posts...". I've started several (and in some cases, ongoing) discussions with directors and, whether or not they ALL follow DCP you can be sure that word of DCP comments and opinion gets around. Heck, we know GH trolls and posts here so if he's paying attention to DCP, and you were his competition, wouldn't you want to see what DCP "thinks", too? If your contention is that your definition of a "real fan" is the one held by the G7, then I would tend to agree. They want to turn the young skulls-full-of-mush into certified tea drinkers of megashows and woodwinds and Miley Cyrus videos. They are willing to throw the "real fans" overboard to grasp the high school ring. But the anti-G7 crowd values the input of the legacy fans much more. And I doubt they peruse "Halftime" magazine for that opinion. Just my opinion, but I think mine's more right than yours.

Love it! You're right, great movie. Was that Cavaliers? Or Madison? Fading memory... Or SCV?

Oops, Mods, help please... meant to post this to the Official Cadets thread. Please move.

For those of you who can't get enough WSS, the original is now playing on Turner Classic Movies (8:00pm est) I've seen it, maybe 15 times, and Bernstein's music is just amazing... Well, and of course Cadets have done it pretty well over the years, too.

OK, good. Fire away. What's confusing? Please, ask.

Two thoughts on your theory: First, I think the judges think the same thing I do when thinking of Cadets: ZAG. You just don't know what to expect from GH. He's hinted to more fan-friendly and "old skool" shows but few doubted he'd do it. And second, and please forgive me, but if your theory is, in fact, true, then I wonder of the extend of the downsizing ahead of the G7 to let all those high school kids march. To make his plan come true, IMO, it's nearly inevitable that a severe "dumb down" has to take place. Go CADETS! Go CROWN! Go ANYBODY east of the Rockies! (but mostly GO Cadets)

I'm a little surprised you're asking this. You've obviously been in the G7 thread. Did you read the source material there? Is this a rhetorical question, or are you serious? Maybe sarcasm? If you're serious I'm not surprised at the responses so far. I'd love to banter the issues with you, but you've got to read the G7 presentation, DCI's 5-year plan, Dan Acheson's initial response, and the survey info. Then, tell us what YOU think!

Does he always go out in bare feet?

Mike, I tried to do this because Crown's going to be in Dublin twice this year. But Google wouldn't let me assign more than 20 stops. Did you run into this? Cool map. I love maps.

Whew...thanks. I've swapped emails with Mr. Cook for years but haven't for the last 9 months or so. I'd feel terrible to find out he'd passed. Thanks for clearing that up. (on with the show)

Where's Mike Boo when we need him? I always understood the story as Cook and Knight were (are) very good friends and, after Cook described DC, Knight had his team watch Star's practice and run through. I've also heard that Cook just showed Knight some videos of shows and that, plus Knight's friendship to Cook, prompted him to agree to do the interviews for DCI.

No...that's not my question. Jeesh. LOL! You said Bill Cook "WAS" quite a man. He's either dead or he's no longer quite a man. Or you were speaking of his history "back then" with Star. Which is it?

Well, he did do two interviews for DCI that were part of the finals vignettes. That was something. Don't know of anything recently (i.e. since Star's been gone).

Brasso, you speak of him here in the past tense. Did I miss that he died? Or were you speaking specifically about his time with Star, which certainly would be past tense.

Why? Was it late for rehearsal again? Let that be a lesson...

Oooh, I like the way your think.

And you and I - and I suspect many others - will happily skip down the road happily watching REAL drum corps DVDs. Woodwinds are it for me. Always will be. A skeleton of DCI, sans woodwinds, will be infinitely better than the G7 with woodwinds.

Nothing like getting the "behind the scenes" from the front line that's actually behind the scene... Thanks Irving. Great stuff. And I can't wait to hear how you're holding up under the all-night routine...

In Irving's wonderful update post on the CCC show, a question begs... Does the finish of Crown's horns change the sound of the horns? Does it make it somehow lusher? Hoping some smart horn folks will add their two cents...no wait this is DCP...here's how I should frame the question to get lots of opinions... The finish of Crown's horns DEFINITELY changes their sound to be more lush, warm, and enticing than ANYONE else on the field! In fact, I would say it's an unfair advantage because Crown can afford the new horns and the "Will the kids eat today?" corps can't compete. Crown should be made to buy new horns for EVERY corps! You can't possibly disagree that the new finish makes the sound warmer and lusher! (How's that? Are the fish biting?) (Now where's that sarcasm emoticon...)

Drum line warmups are harder today than what I wrote for our lines back in the late '70s. I'm sure they'd bore you to tears. Heck, they bore ME today!

Now, what possible fun would that be? As I always say, no time like the present!

Well, yours is a qualified opinion of course, so I'll hold my nose (and plug my ears) and watch. But I'm glad I've got an aisle seat right at the tunnel steps. And I'll surely give them extra credit if they can turn THIS into something that makes me want to stay. Even 1930 made more sense than this. Oh, and I did like the "ballad" in the preview; just hope they give us more than 3 measures of it!

Well, if that's the case, I'll continue to race towards Bruckner and continue to build my classical collection. Thanks for the heads-up that I don't have to waste much money on what "arrangers are pumping out today". And so many think Mackey is weird? I know it's a different style; thank God we've got it, I say. I'm mostly curious how BD will turn this into a show. But I'll watch it when I can click STOP, and put in something I can tap my foot to.

Good God! I'm going to be running out with my ears covered looking for the peace and quite of the bathroom. I know I'm probably a cretin in abstract music education, but I just can't get my ears around this kind of noise. You BD honks will enjoy this, I'm sure, and I'm also sure that if the judges view its content and cleanliness like they did last year that BD might probably win. But, though I'm just a knucklehead drummer, I think this music defines the difference between winning and entertaining. Buurrpp! That was a great hotdog!