xmenjeffb

Happy to clarify as i was there 2 years and saw first hand. Did we get a few members that did not make Cadets ? Yes and they were great players and members .Was it alot ?? No. Did they stay with Crossmen more than a year ? Most did . Yes What people confuse sometimes were the Audition week ends that we combined on . Not one kid that wanted to try for either corps was recruited by the other . Many kids just wanted to march somewhere . We also sent kids to other corps out of those week end auditions . The brass auditions had Cadet and Crossmen staff in them. And the rest of the kids did a typical drum corps week end during the process . So i always felt it was a good thing for the kids and corps. Did 135 kill some corps ?? IMO , NO !! having built several corps up the kids that wanted to march a top corps and did not make it, generally did not go try out for a lower placing corps. Much less corps that were not in the top 12 . A few would trickle down to 13-17 and far less to 18 and down. You have to recruit and sale your program. Then you have to be consistent with what you said they would experince .Look at what Blue Stars have done and others before them. You have to sometimes go to where the kids are . But adding a few members on top did not kill anyone . Jeff

Chuck Naffier alias Buck Naflo Chuck has an incredible voice for radio and stadiums. Vote Chuck !!! Vote Chuck !! Vote Chuck !!

We tried the hat thing before --didnt work then fans didnt like nor did the corps in general . makes the season pointless. That was like saying ok Divison winners great year but we are pulling the play off teams from a hat !! The idea of average has been proposed before by guess who ?? GH--The idea was actually to have a winner each night and count 20% of the thursday show 30% of friday 50% of saturday to determine the grand Champion of DCI So you could have 3 different winners and then determine who is the champion based on 27 judges over 3 days. The idea failed by vote.

2006 just design current top 12 Cavies BD Crown Boston Non finalist at this time Colts SW manderians

What do you want out of the time experince ??

Great review and i respect your approach . Also glad you got to the correct seats!! I had a friend go to this show with her Grand kids and i am looking to hear her take as she is not a Fan or music person but enjoys this kinds of events and shared her enjoyment with her grandchildren. She wrote me last night with a quick message saying that everyone was great and the whole night was exciting. Sounds like my reaction in 1975 first time i saw it and everyone was good but they just got better as the night when on. I almost wish for that feeling of the experince again .But , alas we can only have one first time . Again very cool review .Thank you.

No , that is what i am saying. Part of judge training involves numbers management. The more you understand the value of a tenth the more you will understand what a spread means.You may think not much difference between .3 or .4 but in a subcaption it makes the difference between we can catch them or it might be too much to overcome with that judge. Spreads are not randomly set by each judge. There is a method to arrive at the spread Is all i am saying.

No . They dont. We can get a good idea based on who we have seen where . But we dont always know/ And Do not know what day or caption until wednesday night of that week .

Different leagues i do not agree with . Have you ever read the judges paper on the value of a tenth ?? And what spreads really mean ? I have no issue with Cavies winning GE visual in SA . But they are hardly in different leagues. Different approaches ?/ Absolutly ! And you may favor one over the other . But as a judge on effect you make the call that night . And up to us to understand the value of a tenth .

No different than a box score for sports . It is competitive and you see trends with strenghths and weakness . Numbers are just part of the game . As I dont think umpires keep track of teams batting average , nor do i think judges follow recaps as much as some here say or think they do.

Ensemble Visual--Comp---Is the contruction and orchestration of the design including form body and equipment. Just like writing a paper for english--It can be written properly with correct grammer and proper sentences structure.And the sentences make up a paragraph. Excellence is the entire visual ensemble as it relates to form body and equipment relative to achivement of the Comp. Comp -Is what we do . Excellence is how we do it . Visual performance IS What --techinques and skills given to indiviuals to achive the written responsibilities And the Excellence in which the individuals achieve those skills. Music ensemble Is based more on the normal requirements of any music ensemble. Balance , blend,uniformity, Musicality of the whole music ensemble and ensemble accuracy. Musicianship IS one sub caption . While Technique is the other . Demand on all performance sheets is inherent. Quick and in a nutsheel but that is the basic idea.

Well that is one way to read it . Another way is : Cadets beat Blue in Effect --eeked by them in visual - But was down to Blue in the music performance captions by a point .

DCI knows who is going in for Nationals week . You realize people do have to make plans to be off for a week. What is not known is what shows they will be judging. They could be on a Div 2/3 panel , thursday , friday or saturday .The panels are usually released to the corps Wednesday night of that week for Div 1 . There has been an effort to keep the GE judges fresh by not assigning them to effect to many shows early. This makes sense with effect being the reaction caption. It is possible that the effect judges they are seeing now may be on other captions , but not a given .

Almost as scary as the line it;s self !! This show visually is strong enough to compete with Spirit . But The Music ensemble numbers and drum numbers will hold them out . The drum line is playing way too many notes , walks all over the ensemble and then on top of that does not play them well. I really like this Colts show alot !! I hope they bring large hoses this week to allow a better performance from the percussion.

After viewing Blue Stars , Crossmen , Colts and Spirit I have the following views. Blue Stars -nice sound , some good moments of coordination but they miss some chances for better pacing in the ballad. Crossmen--Stylistic issues as it relates to GE showmanship. I thought they had a rough hornline day . Guard excellence wavered too much in features and the ballad went no where today . Colts --Simply wonderful Guard . Smartly written guard book and well placed and used in design . Very strong use of drill for staging and effect. Visual cleary IMO their strong point !! Kudos to the visual team !! Musically there are issues today !! Hornline not pulling off subtle moments and waiting for the highs not taking me to them. Drum line Just TOO MANY notes !! Call in the fire department and pull out the axes and hoses . Music Ensemble and effect will be hurt here unless this is done. This show Should be in finals . If the music gets to the quality of the visual and they match the visual musicality They could be 12th !! I love what they done with the programming in general , Spirit --I like them . Nothing not to like but then nothing for me to love either . Horns and drums are better in music than the Colts at this point . The Pacing of the program works well . Was not crazy about some of the endings, mainly the music , but didnt hate them either. Guard IMO not as strong as the Colts . I believe they well beat the Colts based on performance But i Like the Colts show alot more today .

My point exactly but those are the points required for how design is viewed . Those plus many more like negative and positive space , horizonal and vertical design , variety and pacing . I am showing you proof that there is a system in place and you are providing me with .....?? Fluff !! I am more than willing to discuss design and to learn ways to improve and grow . You say if you did design a show it would take excellent performers only and 5 years to clean ?? Then what ever it is you wish to see happen is a fantasy that resides in your mind . leading to conclude that you may be a " legend in your spare time" . Drills must function on multiple levels for the students to achieve the design. What maybe should be considered the the quality of technique that seems to be missing in some shows. Now is that due to the design missing the level of the performers or is it bad design or has the boat been missed on the techniques required to achieve the intent ??

Now all of this line of thought i agree with . There is drill for the sake of movement and it to me seems like the visual answer to playing loud all the time. My other pet peeve contrived dynamics and shaping. So many times this makes drills look wrong. The score is marked FF for 4 bars and then they put in some psuedo dynamic shaping and the drill looks like it should be doing something else !! This happens far more than people may think. That and I know some humerpus yet sad storied of drill being changed in sectionals while the designer is away and it is like What happened there ???

Florida Wave 86 87 88 89 Got to stand with my south florida women !! Colts 93 And Devils 88 Phantom 2000 Blue knights Most recent years . Not that i was paying attention but from what i was told b**bs

OK Mr Spock lets get logical . Show me those moves . Describe in your mind what would be better . Pick a block any block .And tell me what you would do in it's place. How do you feel about follow the leader ?? Company Fronts?? Pass thru's ?? Squares that fold and flex ?? Files that open to box ?? What do you know about tension release?? Any views on push , pull ?? Shoe string ties and pulls ?? Action / Reaction ?? Body sculpturing ?? Expand / contract ?? Velocity ?? Flex , inversions , and dare i ask rotations ?? What other forms are used that you find redundant ?/ Define for me visual musicality . Will you share with me your understanding of Comp and Rep . Enquiring minds need to know ??

Or different panel in a diffrent stadium ?? It is not by any means the biggest point drop i have seen at a show in a season . I did read a review that said the horns had a rough night ? May be that simple .

And i am saying we do that !! I am waiting to hear you say how your system is better and will make design better . What is this " system" you keep speaking of ??

And I say It is improving every year !! what are you seeing?/ What can you bring to the table as a designer that will make it better?? Send in your resume of design and let's get you hired. Cause I will go to every show i can and buy the season pass to see what you create that will be SOOOO new , so fresh that all other designers will bow at your feet !! The new MAster has arrived and we shall follow our new " Golden Child " . We will drink the kool -aid as you show us the light !! Please !PLEASE !!! Be our beacon , our lighthouse out of the darkness !! Show me the way to enlightenment and i shall be your grasshopper !! LAy your creative hand upon my eyes so i can see the LIGHT . Please Master Please !! SHOW ME THE WAY , be my :angel: of hope , The one to save the visual world from the path of destruction !! I so see your way !! b**bs ^0^

You are correct . Relative to musicial stucture visually we are new borns . And it has grow creatively in leaps and bounds.IMHO

YOU bring up some very interesting points . However , some lack insight . Many designers do work with other designers before taking on projects . I studied with My high school director first. Attended clinics by Bob Buckner, Steve Moore , Bobby Hoffman , Steve Brubaker and George Zingali. Following recommendations from these designers and others I studied art and different artist to better understand line ,shading and balance . I have studied most forms of design to better understand my craft . I know this to be true from all the designers I know. Every chance i get I engage in converstaions about design , art and our craft . In my early designs with Bands and Florida Wave i co wrote with others to share ideas and bounce design ideas off each other . Each designer using the same basic tools of arc and line work to develope a method , style and approach to design that is ours . Some are very mathimatical while others are more artistic and some blend the approaches. We do have to understand musical orchestration , musicality and skill levels of the people we design a show for . Many great conductors , band directors were not great the first few years they taught and they have a degree in teaching music. But they develop and learn to apply knowledge over time. I think you can draw a line in history as to how design has developed and changed that will answer many questions you ask .Blocks from military, as are wedges , fronts were used to show strength , power and made for a great way to advance your units . Blocks were and still are the most basic of parade forms . The Block has always been a part of design . Study how design has involved in the pagentry activity and you will see it is very logical . You will see where Broadway staging concepts found a place in the mix with military designs . This was not by accident but by great designers of the past reaching out to expand knowledge of design and concepts of staging . The great " Sunburst " of the Troopers was circle drill . Before we played to the audience we marched in blocks to the goal post !We did counter marches or step 2 drills , then the Casavant ( sic ?? ) at the University of Tenn did circles . I know i am leaving out steps to how we got to where we are but you get my point . IN 1978 you will see rotations introduced . In 1980 watch SCV , the great Pete Emmons showed that We can move off the 50 yard line and still have form and balance . Research in our art form Pete , Ralph Pace , John Brazaille , George Zingali and Steve Brubaker . Look at what Bobby Hoffman did with staging and Jay Murphy has always had his own style and approach to design . Then see what Sal Salas brought to the table with his unique blend of staging and theatrics . Mickey Kelly with the skylarks , Mike Raeford with Suncoast Sound . Karl Lowe , Scott Chandler , Mike Gaines , Mark Sylvestor , Jeff Sacktig , Vinnie Monicelli , Kevin Ford . The list goes on and on . All have shared thoughts , ideas and opinions on design and I feel blessed to have come on the scene at time that i could learn from them all . The Book on visual design is being written every year and yes while we are not as formal in training as the music side we are trained and still learning. George Oliverio , Gary and Marie Czapinski , Clarke Williams , Barry Swain ,Phil Madden , Hank Grana, Shirley Whitcomb , and many others have worked for years to define and wordsmith the visual caption as it changes and grows . Does an artist need a degree in art ?? Not all professional musicians went to college but they can play . Designers that last in the business have to study , grow and stay up with new trends in all visual fields not just marching . You would be surprised how many understand dance , stage , art and apply that knowledge to the designs. I hope this gives you some insight to the world of design , while it is short it gives you some things to research and seek answers for yourself . You may be a designer or wish to be one at some point , i dont know and I am not assuming one way or the other .Are there bad designers ? Yes . But is that not true in everything ?? Jeff

^OO^ Yes she if get a cookie <**> No if i dont lol When I marched my Mom would bring her own Fried Chicken and homemade brownies when we were even close .plus gallons of Sweet Ice tea !! Enough for all the guys on Herbie the bus ! And when i was teaching she would bring enough for the staff !! God I MISS MOM !!!!! So yes i vote best Mom to any mom that takes the kid something to eat on tour . I remember it like yesterday and that 26 years ago --WOW i am old !! <santa>