mattvk

As of their run-through about 2 hours ago, no - no narration. But don't worry, they've still got a day left! ^0^

Forecast highs for Corona next week are the low 90's - for SoCal in August, that's really not that bad! Having marched finals in Jackson and Dallas, I have a feeling that this year is going to be rather comfortable, comparatively speaking...

Not that this discussion really needs more opinions, or that anyone is really going to care, but here goes... First off, I wish Troy, Spam, and all the rest of you the best of luck. It's a daunting undertaking to field a corps, and resurrecting/remaking/whatever it needs to be called VK comes with its own share of burdens that a completely new organization wouldn't face. I'm sure you guys know this already, and Ron, Ryan, Bill, and the rest will I'm sure continue to offer their insights. The only thing new I have to offer right now is perhaps a slightly different perspective of the potential Southern California member pool available to VK and the rest of the corps in SoCal right now. Having marched in the "glory days" of the late 80's and early 90's, I know full well the problems that we had attracting and keeping talented members with the ever-present pull from up North. I also know that in the GOOD years we WERE able to keep the best and most experienced players around, if for no other reason than people wanted to be a part of the VK experience. '93 was a perfect example - everyone remembers the final standings of that year and the chaos that followed, but I wonder how many recall how WELL the 93 season started out after the powerful year we had before? The vets were all excited with the potential of what we might possibly have been able to accomplish, and we had tremendous interest from new potential members at auditions. The talent was there, and when presented with the opportunity to get that "VK Spirit" people lined up. Fast-forward 13 years - is there less talent in SoCal today than there was in the early 90's? Not a chance. I've been intimately involved with the state of music education and marching bands in general since before I aged out, and I can say that the high school bands we see in the area today are stronger than ever. Add to that the recent California state budget that gave a massive shot-in-the-arm to school music programs, and I think the next few years at least will see even more growth and improvement to the region's already strong presence. I honestly believe that the number of talented students and the level of their individual achievement are higher now than it was when VK rose to glory. The potential for full membership exists, and in record numbers. However, that's not necessarily an entirely rosey assessment for any corps in the area. The truth is, students in a STRONG marching band program are less likely to march in a corps than students from a weaker or non-existent school program. Between already full rehearsal schedules, band camps that stretch through the summer, and a strong sense of identity and achievement, students in a successful band program may not find much reason to add drum corps to their plate. Even so, I for one would rather have a strong and well-trained pool of potential members to draw from, and I think that's exactly what SoCal offers today. Again, good luck to all of you guys - you have my utmost respect for heading down this path!

Connor, another thing to keep in mind is that message boards in general tend to attract people who have something to say, and in general people who are unhappy and discontent have more to say than people who are happy. This is true in all aspects of life - for all the "Squeaky Wheels" out there, there are a lot more wheels that have no need to squeak. If you want to find affirmation of the activity, go to a real live show and listen to the applause and cheers. THAT is the way to gauge the success of a corps' show, not the rants posted on a message board. Back when I marched (I can't believe I just said that!) the internet didn't exist so there was no way to gauge fan reaction other than by how many times they stood up and went nuts during a performance. While messages posted on a board like this might last longer in time, the emotional impact of seeing an entire stadium of people cheering for what you and your friends just did burns a much deeper and more meaningful memory into your soul. Hopefully someday when you march you'll get to experience that joy firsthand, and when you do I suspect you'll be much better prepared to handle an occasional negative comment from someone with a different opinion. (edit - heh, nice to see the gentleman above me voicing the same general thoughts. Guess I type slow!)

Hey now, that wasn't aimed AT Bill, just that the splash might have come in his general direction. Besides, Bill always fit the VK DM qualifications perfectly - he was a natural showman, pure and simple. I never had the pleasure of seeing you conduct live, Ryan, but considering your persona and reputation I suspect you fit the description just as well!!

Hey Charles, I had no idea you were a VK alum - you know me better as Matt from Anaheim Band. It seems like just about everyone in SoCal had ties to VK at some point...! As for my own personal worst moment, DCI South in '92, backing up at the end of a very quickly rotating pinwheel right after the big band feature. The drill at this point opened up a 6-step hole between us and another rotating pinwheel, through which a guard member shot while ALSO backing up. We had never had a problem until this particular night, when all of a sudden I get the wind knocked out of me and am lying flat on my face as the corps quickly moves away - the guard member and I had collided back to back at high speed. Not my most graceful moment (or recovery, for that matter).

Since when was that ever a pre-requisite for being a VK DM?? ^0^ (Sorry Bill!)

This has been bugging me all day! I finally tracked it down courtesy of Jeff Queen's website - it was Dave Dillulo in '90. Not that anyone else really wanted to know that, I'm sure, but when you've got an itch...

Doh! Charlie, that's what I get for being a horn player. According to his DCI Hall of Fame nomination page, Float with still with BD in '90. Considering that both Float and Glen are my customers, I guess I'd better watch myself.

Very tail end, just before we go into the closer/tag (with the big guitars). He hit it, but he couldn't hang on - perhaps choke isn't the right word. He'd been nailing it all season long, making a sweet touch on a very pretty song, but the finals curse haunted him that night. As for me schooling YOU, Mr. Turner, I'm certain that you have the lion's share of VK history under your hat. I just happen to have been there, and the memory of Chuck playing that solo in the middle of the night out in Coachella is one of my all-time favorites!

I just checked the DVD's to be certain - my memory gets a bit foggy about ancient history like this... The VK soloist in question here was Chuck Betz - Chuck could do a verbatim impression of the BD solo from the year before, missed partials and all. I have a great memory of him at a camp out in the middle of the desert playing that solo at about midnight after the rest of us packed up for the night - it was spectacular, and those vets that were around to hear it just about died laughing! I'm pretty sure that the tag at the end of his VK solo (during the Hollywood sequence) was intentional, but I suppose you'd have to ask Chuck to be sure. Knowing him, I doubt it was an accident. If I remember correctly, John Meehan did NOT march with us that year, but his younger brother Tim DID. Tim was one of the four screamers in BD '89 at the end of "If We Were in Love", and was in fact the one standing next to Rerun during the infamous choke - some of the camera shots almost make it look like Tim was the one at fault there. It's almost karma, because if you watch the rest of VK's show in '90, Tim is the one that DOES choke at the end of the duet in "Summer of '42", but the camera is focused on Chuck... As for the staff, Ryan H. Turner is correct that Brad Pearson was the arranger, Tom Float took over as percussion caption head, and Dave Weinberg was the drill writer, along with the infamous Greg Clarke as show coordinator and none other than Jack Meehan as brass caption head (John and Tim's father). Credit is also due to Mike Collins as a spectaular brass tech for us that year - Mike was the BD '86 sop screamer of legend, and still teaches here in SoCal (and is on Vanguard's staff this season as well).

Hey Bill - didn't somebody actually find the first pair of these at the swap meet that was going on in the OCC parking lot while we rehearsed? I have memories of someone modeling a pair along with the brand-new tux jackets there at OCC. I'd completely forgotten about anyone actually staggering around at the end of the show before the faint. Was it Joe "Eupho" Orth? It's all a blur to me now...

If I remember correctly, several holes suddenly appeared in a few other corps right about that same time. The rumor was that other "suspicious birth certificates" suddenly started showing up. Of course, I was a rookie that year, so how much did I REALLY know.... ^0^

I was about to say that we went with white to make the visual scores better, but then I remembered we wore the baggies in '90 - not exactly the best way to blur the line between the leg and the foot! It was #### trying to keep those shoes clean from show to show... As for the end of the show, I don't think there was anything in the end zone at all. The whole thing was a nod to the Bridgemen, specifically from the end of their legendary '82 show. I'm embarrassed to say I've never seen that classic show, so I don't know exactly how the Bridgemen handled their faint, but that's where the idea came from (our show coordinator that year was the great Greg Clarke, a Bridgeman alum).