Sayre Kulp

Garden hose works pretty darn well too.

I'm not 100% positive, but I thought Gold started out Open Class. I was with Sky at the time and remember competing against them (actually tying for 11th with them in Open Class at Championships one year.) Come to think of it - Can you really say that Sky was unsuccessful after returning to Open Class? I mean we did do the Sunday show at least once during that time and were always there in the hunt for one of those spots. I mean maybe the competitive numbers weren't exceptional (hey - not everyone can be the winner) but we DID put out several nice sized corps and some entertaining shows. And let's not forget all the young folks who went through the ranks - some of which are teaching corps right now. Just some food for thought.

Yes they did, but that wasn't the question. I believe he was referring to corps that had been Open Class, switched to Class A, and then were able to move back to Open Class successfully.

It IS ALL-age after all.

Erie show one year the DM started the show completely different than ever before. There were some bleeps and bloops and then awkward silence. A total false start. I don't want to pin it entirely on the DM, (could have happened to anybody), but it was awfully embarrassing.

I think Windsor is parading in Pennsylvania this year.

I know the Sun Devils are.

Someone's suffering from sunshine envy...

I feel that way about the northeast. That's why after living in Pennsylvania for 29 years, I made to move to the sunshine state. Don't regret it for a minute.

Try this one.

A most excellent review and thank you so much for the pics. It really helps whet the appetites of those of us who will have to wait a while to see a live show this year.

Great review Kyle. Thank you!

I believe HCB is still planning on coming out. That would give us 12 & 12 again. 12 OPEN CLASS 1) Reading Buccaneers 2) Minnesota Brass, Inc. 3) Hawthorne Caballeros 4) Cadets 2 5) Empire Statesmen 6) Fusion Core 7) Connecticut Hurricanes 8) Atlanta CV 9) Long Island Sunrisers 10) Carolina Gold 11) Kilties 12) Bushwackers 12 Class A 1) Windsor Regiment 2) Tampa Bay Thunder 3) Govenaires 4) Sun Devils 5) White Sabres 6) Heartliner 7) High Country Brass 8) Shenandoah Sound 9) Cincinnati Tradition 10) Lakeshoremen 11) Centurions 12) Excelsior

I'm glad the activity is indeed alive and well here in my new home state. And I'll second that vote for a non-existant hurricane season. BELIEVE that!

Ah - missed that. Thanks!

I thought Tampa was Open, no?

Facebook is more or less the place to go. But even then, with everyone feeling like they need to be in "stealth mode", you won't see much.

I like this a lot. Though I was always hoping to see someone do Get Happy with the dark treatment done in an episode of House MD. ( )

I must see this group.

If this is what's coming up in November, it ought to be INSANE on here by next May...

Seriously? This idea of, "I don't like it, therefore it is not good for the activity," is totally unproductive. I've heard A&E usage that I liked and A&E usage that I just couldn't listen to. But for each and every example I could list - both positive and negative - there are plenty of people who feel just the opposite. So why bother even having a fruitless argument?

Two things I want to comment on here: 1) In many of the debates that rage on DCP, I ask the question, "who are we doing this for?" And I do this because it heavily influences the my opinion on certain issues. For example - as a TUBA PLAYER, I am not exactly thrilled by the thought of my entire section being replaced by a bass guitar or a synthesizer. HOWEVER, as a drum corps fan & spectator, I prefer to see and hear the best shows that drum corps can serve up. And if that is a good bass player sounding superior to 8 tubas, then so be it. That is not to say that you HAVE to use a bass instead of a tuba line - just as you are not REQUIRED to use Bb horns over G. Viva la difference, eh? 2) With regards to the popularity of the activity and how to regain fans - I still believe that the answer lies in reviving LOCAL drum corps again. If you look back at the heyday of the activity, it was at a time when every town, church, boy scout troop, CYO, etc, had a drum corps. Sure, if you weren't happy with your local corps' style or wanted to go compete at a higher level, you could take a trip down the road, but I bet it beat flying cross country. Not only that, there were LOCAL SHOWS!!! How much easier would it be for corps to work an annual budget if they could have MORE SHOWS while staying IN STATE for the majority of their season?!?!?! The Tour of Champions strikes me as a form of trickle down economics. If you think about it, many drum corps lifers started in a small local drum corps and then eventually worked their way up to one of the "big boys." How many people audition for say, Cadets or Blue Devils - don't make it - and then don't march at all? I think that's a real shame. Right now I think there are a WIDE gamut of factors affecting the decline. Among them are: * Decline in Number of Corps * Geographical Distance Between Corps * Lack of Local Shows * Increased Cost to March * No Local Corps * Other Distractions (i.e. - video games, etc) But I honestly think that if you want to see a resurgence of drum corps, you need to invest at the lowest level. We need small local groups that operate on modest budgets and can introduce students to the activity and help it become a regular activity choice again - just like scouting or other pastimes. If groups like SDCA can really take off nationwide, they can help bridge the gap to larger regional corps. I believe that will help strengthen the activity by shoring up the foundation. Of course, this is just my opinion.

I'm very confused now.

This came out last month. I thought it was meant to answer a lot of the questions. Did I miss something? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowrO9cfckc