usmcontra

As much as it stinks, I'm guessing it's to give all the corps a head start to California after the show.

####, how did they ever get a football game going in there with no footballs?

You didn't read close enough.

The other day I was at the grocery store and I saw this guy comparing apples and oranges and I said, "Hey, you can't do that- that's just like, well, nevermind..."

Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't seen anyone saying that the Cavies staff should write for BD. I don't think that would work either. I enjoy each corps having its own identity. More corps are starting to look like Cavaliers in my opinion, but I don't know that everyone needs to. I would like to see Phantom change their style some, but I wouldn't want to see them do Cavaliers drill, either. Besides, according to most of what I've read here, BD would have a hard time marching like Cavies because they actually play, and you can't march like Cavies while playing.

Cavies- founded 1948 Cadets- founded 1934 Star- founded 1984 Devs- founded 1957 Scouts- founded 1938 X-Men- founded 1975 SCV- founded 1967 Phantom- founded 1956 BK- founded 1958 VK- founded 1963 Coats- founded 1974 Freelancers- founded 1933 I guess since it was DCI's 20th anniversary, everyone should have won! Sorry you're upset about coming in third.

I was in San Antonio, as well and thought that BD had taken it. They were much much cleaner than Cavies were. There have been plenty of other posts about the difference between Cavies' shows vs. others this year and everyone has their different opinions. Yes, watching the view from the rafters, BD's overall drill design seems simpler, but, just like seeing it live, it also looks much cleaner than Cavies. I did think that BD seems to jazz run more the last few years just to show that, "Hey, look, we march fast now." One particular move has members jazz running into scatter drill. Huh? Again, go find the other posts arguing about the degree of difficulty in different shows. BD just performs their show better right now. Will Cavies be able to catch up? Who knows? Will I still be alive and breathing on August 12 if the Cavies don't take it all? Of course I will.

I'm trying to dig back into the memory banks. Somone else is doing Firebird, but it sure isn't Blue Devils.

Sorry, but one man's "definition" of a bugle is different than another's. According to Webster's dictionary, a bugle has no valves. Was it still a bugle then when we added a valve? A rotor? Two valves? Three valves. Oh, well, it DOES have three valves, but it's in G so it's still a bugle. The original field trumpets (the original name for a bugle) were not in G. The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, now revered for holding onto tradition by still using two-valve G bugles actually started with Bb bugles in 1934, so where does tradition begin? Originally, I would have answered the OP's question by saying "around the turn of the century." Even my dad has stopped going to drum corps shows because of one he went to a few years ago and didn't like a thing. Mind you, you couldn't have dragged either of my parents away from a drum corps show since the first one they attended to see me in the Cavaliers in Michigan City, Indiana in 1990. Somewhere in there, corps started playing obscure music (not many people REALLY liked Star's choice of music in the 90s, either) and individual identities were lost. I would have even argued about the lack of volume, not just in drum corps, but in high school and college bands lately. When did loud become a bad thing? After going to the San Antonio show yesterday, though, my mind is completely changed. Did I get into every show? No, but everyone was FRIGGIN' AWESOME. A couple of corps weren't quite up to snuff with everyone else, but they were still good. Let's take '92. I can listen to SCV before I can't take anymore of the declining quality of the bottom of the Top 12. This year, however, I was amazed at the level of performance and excitement of all 22 corps. That's just unheard of. The volume was there, too. Colts came out and melted people's hairspray. SCV parted my hair. Cadets and BD parted it in two places. Even the Cavaliers, who I'd heard didn't play above mf, were plenty loud for my taste. This all reminds me of a Marine joke: November 10, 1775- a group of young men is lined up at Tun Tavern to enlist in this new thing called the Continental Marine Corps. The first guy signs his contract and goes outside. The second man signs his contract and also goes outside. The first man walks up to the second and says, "So let me tell you about the old corps." Another: Q: When did the "new corps" start and the "old corps" end? A: The day you went to boot camp.

'88

Green field+ black lines+ color blind marcher= BIG problem

Four pages on a title and incomplete question that don't even go together? I'm not getting it. Could someone tell me what was ACTUALLY asked?

Oh, and how do I forget the 8 silent counts of OUR show in '92 with the kaleidoscopic drill sorta rehash of the end of '91. Does that even make any sense??

This reminds me of two things: 1) another contra player I used to march with who would say things like, "It's hot," or "We haven't had a water break in a while," or similar things. When we'd tell him to quit #####ing, he'd say, "I'm not #####ing. I'm simply stating the facts." Usually, when I start a sentence with, "I'm really tired of," it's not something I'm juuuust observing and have no opinion about. 2) the opposite of what I call "The Marocco Syndrome," named after my old roommate in the Marines. "Why do I always get in trouble for the same things other people do?" he would ask. "I don't know," I would reply, "but maybe you should stop doing those things." Some corps seem to enjoy doing things their way and then #####ing about their lack of success. It's always someone else's fault. It would be like me going out and driving 50 mph down a 30 mph road simply because I think the speed limit should be changed then getting upset when I get pulled over. Sure, I could go and try to get the speed limit changed, but until then maybe I should slow down or face the consequences. Also, I would say it's harder to play well when marching then to march well when playing, but maybe that's just me.

Cadets '92- silent company front

The Marines learn their drill show in February and March in Yuma, AZ. Then they take it on the road as part of the Battle Color Ceremony with the Silent Drill Platoon for a couple weeks to bases and high schools in California. It pretty much goes on the shelf with occasional drill rehearsals until May, when they do it as a part of the Sunset Ceremony every Tuesday night in Arlington, VA. That runs through August, and in between they do drum corps contests and maybe the Battle Color Ceremony somewhere on the road. In the Fall, they take the Battle Color Ceremony to the bases on the East Coast, and, of course, there's the occasional high school band contest. Most of the performances the Marines do are stand-still and/or part of another ceremony- retirements, the Evening Parade every Friday during the summer, concerts in ballrooms across the US, the Texas State Fair, etc The biggest kicker about doing a drum corps show or band contest is that there are lines, as opposed to the field on Tuesday nights where there aren't any lines. Portions of the drill drift enough so that when there are lines and someone remembers, "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be on this yard line" it can get messy. Also, there is no "tour" besides the West Coast Tour. So, after the show on Monday night, they went back to DC, everyone went home, then came in Tuesday morning for rehearsal for Tuesday night. The longest trips are the West Coast Tour, 5-6 weeks including AZ, and the Texas State Fair, usually about 3 weeks. The rest are up and back or maybe spending the night. Lodging varies, from hotels to barracks rooms to the new wing of an old persons' home ("the nurses have asked that you stop playing with the emergency call buttons"). There are no gym floors- of course, the ages go from 18 to the early-to-mid 40s.

Thanks for the review. Just one piece of advice the next time you use Ticketmaster. To Ticketmaster, "best available" means close to the field. They aren't thinking drum corps where "best available" is in the center high up. You'd be better off ordering by specific section. Again, thanks for the review.

OK, true, math is not COMPLETELY non-abstract, but I am better able to convey how to do things with math than I am with how to play tuba. I also still couldn't tell you how we waddle like that, but I'll show you.

Gosh, I marched 4 years with the Cavaliers and I couldn't really TELL you how to march that way. I might be able to SHOW you, though. It was mostly drilled in my head with lots and lots of repetition. I've also been told I'm a good tuba player, but I choose not to teach because I just wouldn't know how to explain what I taught myself to do one summer. The difference here is between abstract things and concrete things. I can TELL you how to pick up a tuba and make a sound, but I can't guide you much past that, sorry. I am studying to be a math teacher, though, because, hey, math is far less abstract. For those of you who have never heard the adage that was referred to, you've been living under a rock. There have been many great scientists and the like that have been a FAILURE at teaching. OF COURSE, the adage does not apply to everyone, but people on this forum have to take everything personally. For crying out loud, people. Either grow up or turn off the computer. You have way too much time on your hands.

My buddy still in the Marine D&B, who performed there last night, said the turnout was very low.

The idea is to spread the love while giving the other corps extra travel time after the show.

The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps was formed in 1934 using Bb bugles and is now praised for keeping with the "traditional" G 2-valve bugles.

The All-Star Game and DCI Championships have been in the same state three times. 1976- Pennsylvania 1982- Quebec- same stadium! 2002- Wisconsin

Since I've already been quoted, I'll just say here that of course you don't have to take your shoes off at a Jewish temple. That's my bad. But you do at a Muslim, Islamic, or Buddhist temple.

Try going to Japan and not taking off your shoes when you enter a building or entering a Buddhist, Jewish, or Muslim temple without taking off your shoes. You take your hat off the same way you would tip it to a woman. It may seem silly, but it's a sign of respect.