Phirefenix

My seat partner circa 05-07. We were both contra players, and both aged out together in 07. We had a system that worked, and were rather similar people to begin with. Don't talk to him as much as I mean to these days, but he was probably the best friend I ran into during my years marching.

Probably 2005 at NightBEAT. The entire corps is halted for four counts. Minus a single contra player who wasn't thinking. That's what I get for going out there on autopilot. Never happened again.

Man I marched at shows with so many of those corps that are gone. The activity would be a lot richer were they still here. However if it were a case of the members having a good experience, or more shows I land on the side of good experience. I remember doing regional shows in 2001 that had enough corps to split into two days, or do prelims/finals. We were ecstatic to make finals for the Coast Guard open in 2001. The Garden State open in 2001, and then in Buffalo. It was like our triple crown.

"Dutting is not a musical effect" Best line I ever heard on a judges tape.

CRAP. I wanted this so badly when I marched in Spartans. I think it's exactly what open class needs. Enjoy it this year OC, go get em'.

The bugles were nifty. I enjoyed playing in a G hornline all the way to a championship in 2007 while the rest of the field was playing Bb's. However I don't see the activity ever going back en mass. Plenty of room for groups here, and there to do it. However it takes time to train a G hornline properly, and you need a mature group to understand the work involved. Yes the top 5 sounded great on bugles. Star of Indiana still sounded as good on two valve horns as a modern line from the top 5 to my ears. But put aside the rose colored glasses. My first few years in a small hornline with inexperienced players were rough. They are more difficult to work with, and younger lines struggled early in the season. Sometimes we got better. Sometimes we didn't. I'm speaking from personal experience here, but I believe the switch to Bb horns was a great boost for the smaller corps. They could more easily put together a competitive product, and that alone raised the bar for the activity. From 2001 to 2007 I witnessed the change firsthand from all G hornlines to being in the last G hornline to win. During that time the quality of the groups around me in warm ups was far better on average in the later years. With an eye towards the experience for the members themselves I recommend Bb's. There are still going to be rough hornlines out there, but saddling them with horns that undeniably were hell to tune given any number of conditions won't work. Far be it from me to tell someone how to run their corps, but I think everyone gets a tad nostalgic when this whole G vs. Bb discussion pops up. The activity succeeded in the old days for the same reason it succeeds now: Innovation. Fewer corps? Fewer tickets sold? The economy sucks. Disposable income is scarce all around. But the kids who can march, and the groups that can go to shows still innovate, and put out ever more impressive products. DCI is not approaching it's death bed anytime soon. The activity is evolving at a rate that mirrors the rapid rate at which an entire key of brass instruments evolved 40+ years ago. The staffs are competent, and the members are willing. Applaud them for it, and enjoy the sonic treat that hornlines still do offer. Regiment still sounds like chocolate, BD can still scream, and Cadets are balls loud.

Phew. I was a bit worried for a moment there. Thanks for clearing that up.

Thank you for clarification. No matter how alarmist threads get in here you offer inside perspective. I'm still dismayed at this: "By taking these steps it does give the G7 a case to cast off the OC corps." Is this an admission of the view DCI takes towards OC behind the scenes? I just want a little background I guess. Lately DCI's actions have seemed intentionally suicidal. Driving OC to the breaking point at a time when more kids need this experience regardless is frankly mental. G7 or not there was never a warm fuzzy feeling for the little guy. I really hope the governing body of DCI chooses not to cater to the elite few. Time will tell.

Wait, what?

I didn't wanna dump all over the data, my bad if I came off that way. I agree that west coast scores tend to be higher when you look at raw numbers. Though I tried to never focus on it until we met up head to head.

My thoughts: BDB, Spartans, 7th: BDB is big, talented, and hungry for a repeat. Spartans are being taught by the same staff that brought them 4 titles since 2004. They KNOW how to drive a corps to the top, simple as that. 7th is young, driven, and fresh staff provides a boost. Revo, Raiders, OC: A lot of experience in this grouping. I hope to see a bright future for open class planted this season. Impulse, Gold, Music City: Hoping to see Impulse back in mix, but I wanna see fresh faces taking strides. Music City is new, and has a lot to learn so if the kids stay sharp, and attentive, good things will happen. I dunno who else is showing up for Nats, so that's what I have. As for BDB being too big, and too competitive, big deal. In my time at Spartans we were NEVER the largest corps in top three. We worked with what was available, and cleaned the everloving crap out of it. Let BDB worry about BDB, Spartans worry about Spartans, etc...

Every summer, like clockwork I hear this phrase. I cringe every time. Just march, play, and get judged.

The times, they are a changin'. Ron Burgundy never heard that song. Though DCI is changing because the corps themselves are changing. Compared to what may have been in VFW, or CYO, DCI has always charged forward at a rapid pace. That hasn't slowed today. Every year I see things happening somewhere in the activity I never thought possible. This is good. Seeing shows from now compared to 1972 can be worlds apart. Still the fact remains that you are seeing a group of individuals running around a football field playing music. The formula was a success, and thus hasn't really changed. I applaud the accomplishments, and the creative streak that brings them about. From a fans point of view however times are far different. Social media, the internet, and all the forms in which we as a society can consume information and entertainment have advanced tremendously. Webcasts, youtube, FB, and Flickr can all be relevant sources to watch the activity from afar when need be. Fans are expecting ease of access to come with high quality these days. I see the proposed changes as a way to expand access, and make it easier for fans to see a live show. I'm not sure how all of this will play out, but I want to witness it happen. Any governing body that doesn't experience revolution can become complacent. DCI was a revolution, and now possibly stands at the brink of yet another. Something else to push the activity forward. We have DVD's, VHS, and even LP's as a means to remember the greatest shows ever thrown down. I look forward to cheering on some of the greatest shows yet to be done. As DCI comes to grips with change in the media landscape there will be decisions that are difficult. Reach out to new potential fans? Or please the home crowd? They aren't mutually exclusive goals. Bringing drum corps where there previously would not have been however is simply never a bad thing. I cannot think of a single show that I thought was useless or unneeded. The changes proposed by the G7 corps reflect a desire to expand on the current schedule for their own needs. Far be it from me to cast stones at them. They wish to bring greater opportunity for people to enjoy their passion. That is an honest goal with the potential for numerous benefits. I'll keep an eye on this over the summer. I hope more do the same.

I leave for five minutes, and this happens? I'm gonna sit back, and see what this is all about first. But I'm admittedly leery.

Is the dead horse still in one of the 'Crown is the new Star' threads?

You go home. If you marched, cereal in the morning never tastes quite right unless you're sitting on a curb.

Spartans plumes are almost comical in proportion. Though it made our contra line look monstrously tall. All of us were between 5'11" and 6'2" to begin with.

Can't believe my account still even works after my drum corps sabbatical. I'm out of the open class loop, but I'm glad to see fresh faces coming to the field. My hope for the season: I'd like to see Legends expand their membership, and continue developing. They've taken their time, and that shows great attention to the long term success of their org. A successful (in quality, not just placement) season for Spartans. This corps means a great deal to me, and seeing them stumble was nothing short of heartbreaking. Though they are an organization with 54+ years in the activity. No reason they can't muster 50 more. I wanna see Music City continue the good work. Again, fresh faces to replace those lost, or who moved on is ALWAYS good. I didn't see you guys, but I look forward to hearing more about you. Another good season for Revolution. Shout out to Bill! He used to teach me at Teal, and I'm sure is a great influence on their brass program. Another finals berth for 7th Regiment. It was excellent to hear them making finals.

Can Colts regain a finals berth?

I'm disappointed in them TBH. The visually interesting elements are all mid torso, and lower. Giving it the impression of being short to me. Lack of contrast from the legs vs. upper chest exacerbates this. Cream pants=HAVE to be #### clean visually. And frankly Teal has marched terribly the last few seasons. Harsh? Yes, but I stand by what I think. As a former member of Teal I am excited to see them grow, and with the massive growth they will naturally have areas to patch up along the way. I just hope they can fix the visual element soon. I want them to be phenomenal, but until they can march they won't.

I've done straight, and bicycle in my time. Way more of the former. I enjoyed the natural intensity behind straight leg. It put me in that kind of B.A. mindset. My knees felt fine after I learned how to properly execute the style. Same for bent leg. I think the greater issue with knee problems stemming from marching is in that period when people new to the technique might not always do it properly. It's IMO essential for staff to catch this early, and correct it until it goes away.

Florida isn't a corps killer, it just slays the members. The vast majority of the hottest days I ever had in corps were in Florida. New England gets hot too. Nobody was excited to take the field at Grand Finals in 2005 in Brockton. That by far is the single hottest day I've ever marched in.

Thanks :) The 2005 ring says Spartans on one side with the Spartan logo, and year. The other side has the DCI logo, and KLINE above it. At Spartans from about the early 90's on, or perhaps earlier, the contra line was known as the K-line. It was my first year as a Spartan, and one of the most talented contra sections I've ever had the honor of performing with so that's what I got. The 2007 ring is identical minus KLINE. That one says PETE instead. Might as well get my real name on one lol.

2005 on the right. I know it's a half ring, I hope none of the ECJ alum get upset but that was a messed up finals format on DCI's part. 2007 on the left. My legit uncontested ring. I rarely wear either, and when I do it's the 07 ring. The background on 2005: Division 2/3 that year had 'finals', and 'grand finals'. The Spartans won 'finals', and thus have a gold medal. One that says DCI division 2 'divisional' champion. Then at 'grand finals' ECJ surged for the win, and thus captured the World title. Needless to say a lot of the Spartans were confused, and under the logic that I had a gold medal, and may never have the chance again I got the ring.