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L1STEN2311

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Posts posted by L1STEN2311

    Crossmen 2019

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Ghost said:

    I also see no value with marching cymbals in the competitive arena, but to be fair, what do the students who had those "4/5 spots" do now?  Take a crash course on another instrument?

    Sweet cymbal pun - but a fair question that I don’t have an answer to. I’d be curious to see a break down of cymbal players in DCI’s primary instruments.  

    Crossmen 2019

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Please elaborate on the educational value of playing in a cymbal line vs any other position in an ensemble.  

    if education is your concern, why not field flub lines instead.  My main reason for not having cymbals in my program is that I don’t want my students not drumming for 5 months.  They’ll be better prepared for concert season (or the next marching season) playing a keyboard instrument or a flub drum vs cymbals.

    I was told in high school that marching drum corps was a waste of time and that I “would never make a dime playing a drum on a football field”. Marching drum corps changed my life for the better and it’s an experience I wish for anyone who wants to achieve it.  But from the administrative side, I understand the cost vs. value of cymbals. It’s always hard to take away an opportunity for students to perform, but those 4/5 spots will go to other students who will now get to march.  

    Crossmen 2019

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    As a Crossmen alum and band director in Texas, I would absolutely do the same thing if put in the position to make the call to cut the cymbal line.  Cymbal lines don't provide any real value for the amount of investment involved for a drum corps show.  The amount of time and effort composing their music, instructing, cleaning, paying a staff... all for something that will receive little to no credit in the grand scheme of the show doesn't make sense.  Don't get me wrong, cymbals have a place in parades, in the stands at football games, and indoor drumline but they're unnecessary in DCI.  

    • Like 1

    Sanford trophy vs. DCI ring

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    To me what you posted would be like if you were a pit crewman for a NASCAR team stating that you would feel more accomplished winning the Pit Crew Award for fastest pit work than winning the Sprint Cup Title because you were more a part of the pit crew than the overall team.

    Fair enough. As someone who marched 7 different corps, I liked playing drums, didn't really care what uniform I was wearing.

    Winning drums meant I (and my 30-something fellow drummers) did my job better than everyone else. Winning a ring meant someone designed a show better than everyone else and luckily all of the captions were ok enough to balance out the scores to win.

    GE wins rings, clean beats wins drums.

    I like clean beats.

    • Like 3

    Being Cut because you're fat?

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    topic on!

    while you being upset is understandable... being cut for any reason, just or unjust, doesn't feel good... but i've gotta side with the staff on this one...

    now maybe an outright initial "cut" wasn't in order... i have seen a few times a staff give those in question the opportunity to show improvement over time. but at the same time there are potentially hundreds of kids auditioning for this spot who've all not only worked on their playing/ spinning, but also their physical condition. they came into the audition knowing it was to be an athletic one as well.

    regardless of how talented one may be, they almost become a liability once they pass a certain size. 2002 blue devils soloist became a 2003 cut... why?

    weight.

    I have no clue how large you are or are not... but i could see/ have seen one's weight being a distraction from the show, especially in the guard. #1 the drill and physical demands could become an issue #2 it's a visual activity where there is an attempt made for all to look as one... if one looks like one and a half it doesn't quite work...

    hopefully that wasn't too unsensative...

    Cavies flute player

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by L1STEN2311

    What DIDN'T generate much discussion was the huge amount of IMO illegal signal processing used in the amplification to create the reverb effect for the whistle and the dulcimer.

    that's because there were no "signals"... that's good ol' fashioned echo baby!

    Blue Devils Reaction to Finals

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Oh yeah...absolutely. I take complete pride in placing as high as we did...a lot of people counted us out early, especially with SCV spanking us a lot until after Whitewater...I mean, that was the only time I remember taking 3rd....every other show was 2nd or 1st.

    I CAN say with complete honestly that we beat everyone out there at least once....we just beat Garfield a week too early!

    As for those who would never place as high as 2nd....a little story.

    Sada Jacobsen was the world #1 in women's sabre going into the 2004 Olympics in Athens....fully expecting and being expected to not on bring home the gold in the first place, but to break the US' 20 year drought in fencing medals at the Games.

    So what happens? She loses her semifinal bout and ends up taking a bronze, watching teammate Mariel Zagunis take the gold in convincing fashion (same thing happened in Beijing....but this time Sada lost to Mariel in the gold medla bout)

    So now Sada has an Olympic bronze and silver invididually, and bronze in team....but keeps tham at the back of her sock drawer because they aren't the gold she expected, trained for, was the big hope for.

    #### near every fencer I know -- including myself -- would love to just be ON the team and get their head handed to them....coming in DFL at the Olympics is still AT THE OLYMPICS...an actual Olympic medal of any color is a staggering achievement (never mind Michael Phelps....he's on a totally different plane than us mere mortals!) considering the number of competitors and the pressure of the event.

    I've got nothing to be ashamed of for 2nd place...I understand the pain at the time -- GOD do I understand it -- but you can't define your life and worth by a particular score on a particular night....if I did that, I could never listen or watch either 84 BD or 84 Cadets....and denying myself that pleasure -- seeing the people I spent the best 9 months of my life with, the best musicians it's EVER been my priviledge to be associated with, the masterfulmellophone work of Barbara Maroney, George Zingali's drill, the baby-throwing crowd reactions for BOTH shows -- to deny myself that (or to those who happen tp pull up next to my car :thumbup: ) because of the transitory pain of one night in August would be to deny everything I went through and learned about myself at that time...and that would be a crime.

    absolutely good words. Don't get me wrong, there is a definate understandable feeling of disapointment. i can't say that i know exactly what the members of bd 08 and 84 went through, i wasn't there. I definately am not saying they shouldn't be upset or aren't appreciative of a 2nd place finish. And i'm sure that even the members that acted the "least classy" on finals can look back at their season as a great achievement and with respect for the show that recieved 1st... just might take a little while to do so in a "classy" way.

    (in quotes due to the subjective nature of the intended meaning)

    Blue Devils Reaction to Finals

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by L1STEN2311

    Sam, well, you may have a point. '76 was just us coming out of the blue (no pun intended) from 10th to 4th. Second in '77 was great (just didn't like the spread). However, as '78 went along, winning was an "expectation." Not so much reinforced by the staff mind you, but at the beginning of the season when we were cranking along pretty good, I believe it was the mindset of the corps. To not have it fullfilled that evening was certainly a great dissapointment. The result, '79 was all about winning. Did we have fun? Certainly. But after the previous two seasons, we felt it was necessary in order for the "corps" to be considered successful.

    The problem with BD or any of the corps that have had great success, i.e., winning championships is, it's too much of an expectation (winning). Perhaps BD and other corps need to be slapped down a little more in order to truely appreciate winning when it does happen, and not ##### or whine when it doesn't! Makes them all sound like spoiled brats who didn't get what they asked for for Christmas while they're surrounded by presents. Talk about ungrateful.

    maybe not in those exact words... but i kind of agree. sure it's disapointing to come in 2nd after such a successful season up to that point, but think of the other thousands of people in the activity who will never place as high as second. to achieve a second place in this activity is still an honor.

    through being in the activity for as long as i have i've noticed that people who start in the top 4 or 5 corps and stay there for multiple years have a totally different perception of the activity versus the people who started in much lower placing corps and even divisions and then moved to a more competively successful corps. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that everyone who's first corps is the blue devils is an ########... i'm just saying that a lot of kids who start young at that level will grow up with a different idea of acceptable success. it's actually kind of disapointing

    Penalty for Falling ? Famous Falls ?

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by L1STEN2311

    There was a show in 06 in ohio somewhere and it was phantom glassmen and like, teal sound or something like that... some super small show that almost got rained out. we actually had a full corps ensemble block in full uniform when we got to the show site because our rehearsal got rained out... but anywho, going into the first big hit at the pentogram (within the first 20 seconds of the show) a snare drummer stepped on another snares foot took off his shoe and took out about 4 other snares then, they took out about half the bass line then some quads joined in too i believe but by the time we got to the hault there were about 5 people in the whole battery playing. the pentogram looked like a 4 pointed star then a scatter set with the drumline. it was pretty awful.

    also, quarters in 07 was pretty rough. i think BD had like 6 people fall in that one show alone. it was terrible. I fell on a step size/ direction change with a pretty hefty step size right were the recently sodded center of the field was and fell pretty hard. i was so scared i was going to take out the rest of the drum line ( who was backing up in front of me). when i went to stand up though i was under bass 3 and it knocked me back down onto the ground and knocked my shako off backwards with the chain around my neck. that was with about 15 seconds left in the show. i spent the remainder trying to get my hat back on. i finished the show with quite the yell because i was pretty sure i just lost us a championship.

    although i guess it wasn't as bad as i thought it was because the only person who noticed was bass 3. i supposedly played all my notes even when i was on the ground. ha ha

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