OMello1

I think identity and style are different concepts or ideas, but certainly closely related, as one always affects the other. I think a corps' identity has as much to with their thier off-field choices as it does their on-field choices. A certain style of show or music will help define a corps identity, but that is not what their identity is solely comprised of. M

But they are 501-C organizations, which means their federal tax filings are available for public view. In fact, I have personally viewd the tax filings of DCI and several top-12 organizations. Check out www.guidestar.org. M

Of course, it is always sad to see ANY drum corps go through was Scouts have the last 5 or 6 years, and Capital Regiment's current woes are unsettling. BUT...on the bright side, there are numerous examples of success stories of corps who have gone through very tough transitions of staff and management, and came out on the other side glowing. While most don't see this kind of mass exodus, look at SCV and their strong comeback after 2005 with a very new staff in many ways. Look at Phantom, who has taken a long time to climb back from their slip at the end of the 90's to become what they are today. Look at The Cavaliers after 1997 and what they have done this decade. All the best to the Scouts as they start this offseason with a clean slate. M

I'm sorry, you must have missed your turn back there on the internet super highway. You must have meant to end up at rec.arts.marching.drumcorps... you can see yourself out... M

But don't you see that that is a tick-based mindset? To automatically rule out a 20/20 because it means "perfect" is to be stuck in the 1970's. When judges assign a score, they are rewarding achievement (and ranking), not punishing errors or bad training. Again, a subtle difference, but one that makes a big...um...difference (allow myself to introduce...myself.) Anyway, I will argue TO MY DEATH! that a 20/20 should NEVER be called a "perfect" score...it should be "maximum" score (maximum score for maximum achievement, not perfect score for perfect performance...that is a tick-based mindset). My issue isn't really with the word "perfect", but with what it implies. M

While I certainly understand why 2005 would be considered uncharacteristic for Cavies, lets not forget that for many seasoned drum corps fans, Cavaliers are still referred to simply as "chicago". So, it may not be entirely characteristic (given the shows that bookend this production), but it is certainly part of their identity and I feel the My Kind Of Town show was a neccessary inevitability for the corps to do. For me though: Most Characteristic: 2004 Least Characteristic: 2004 I'm mean, lets be honest, didn't we all do a double take when they announced a James Bond show? Given their previous history, this was a HUGE shift in their programming ideas. But they OWNED that concept from day one and now the 007 idea seems, well, rather natural for them. M

Um, yeah...that is pretty much exactly what I said too. Also, how do we know these judges didn't start their numbers lower on finals night? Their first score of the night might have been higher than what that corps earned the night before (from a different judge, too), but we will never know whether or not that judge, in their mind and opinion, intentially lowered their score by a few tenths to make sure they didn't get boxed in later in the evening? Granted, it wouldn't be likely that a judge who intentially tried to avoid getting boxed in would anyway, but still, there is always the chance and we will never really know what went through that judge's mind as they were viewing the performances and awarding scores. Also, lets not forget that a judge has only one pair of eyes. Maybe people point to the guard score of 20 for '02 Cavaliers and look at the drops they had and wonder why Rich Kemp thought they were "perfect". First, I've said this a ton of times...a 20 in a caption does not mean they were "perfect"...it means, supposedlly, and according to the caption criteria, that they achieved at the maximum level. There is a big, albeit subtle, difference between the two concepts (perfect vs. maximum achievement). And who knows, maybe he was watching the flags do something and didn't catch the mistake on the other side of the field? Finally, with all that being said and taken into account, couldn't the answer here be as simple as those judges, in their educated opinions, felt that the corps EARNED a maximum score based on their performance? Couldn't it be something and wonderful as a corps achieving at such an incredibly high level that they clearly maxed out the caption and clearly earned the ultimate reward? Or does it always have to be that someone is screwing up? M

Well apparently the numbers management all season was poor, across all captions (save percussion maybe), because The Cavaliers outpaced all the other corps from a scoring standpoint all season. While there were times when they would drop a caption or two here or there, they were untouchable from day one. The 2nd weekend of competition, in Orlando, didn't they 3 point the 2nd place corps? (and EVERYONE was there...) Their 99.15 was a product of a remarkable, almost unprecedented season of competition. They posted the 2nd highest score EVER at quarter finals (98.7) and broke 99 at semis. To say their 99.15 was due to poor numbers management finals night is to undermine their achievement in 2002. I'd also like to point out that 3 judges arrived at 'MAXIMUM' scores in their captions separately. Each caption in DCI has it own unique personality, people, philosophies and politics. Each caption is a mini judging world of its own...the general consenses among judges in the brass caption about a corps is likely to be widely different than that of another caption. So, lumping the the 20s together and calling that poor numbers management disregards the individual caption conditions, which we will NEVER be aware of. M

Thank god...it is nice to see other people around that understand that the evaluation of achievement doesn't mean searching out errors. As it has been said, a 20 in a caption doesn't mean they were "perfect", whatever that would mean anyway. It means that they did one of 2 things (or both): they (1) were clearly achieving more than the 2nd place corps, who was also achieving at a very high level and earned a 19.8 or 19.9 and therefore the 20 must be awarded or (2) they achieved, at such a high level that weather or not the achievement level of the 2nd place corps (and 3rd, 4th, etc...) pushed the numbers up, they fully realized the criteria of the sheets and earned a pure 20. There is more than one way to get that 20... M

Well....I'M old (and mature) enough to understand that corps IS band, and vice versa. Different circuits with different memberships, different insturmentations and some different rules, and certainly a different "flavor"...but we both do the same thing. Can we just accept that and move on? I'm not so young or naive to think that Drum Corps = good and Marching Band = bad. That is just silly. My comment was neither a compliment nor an insult. It was an observation...an opinion. I feel the Bluecoats lack a certain amount of drum corps "flavor"...they seem to capture more of a marching band flavor than most other drum corps. And to be ultimately successful in drum corps, well...I'm not sure that would is working in their favor. M

They still need to develop and solidify their identity before they might become a serious contender...and that will still take years to happen. Look at Cadets, Phantom, Cavies and Blue Devils. 4 corps, 4 WILDLY different identities. You can throw SCV in there too. I think Blue Kights, Crossmen, the New Crown and maybe even Boston have better developed identities than Bluecoats do. They need an updated uni (something a bit more unique...I personally liked the more fitted navy blue from '94...). They need to take some risks and bring more to the table in terms of innovation and forward thinking. An edge. They feel almost too wholesome or something... I also think Mitch is a great drill writer, with lots of neat ideas. But sometimes their shows feel like a string of neat ideas and, well, not much else. There seems to be a piece of coordination or continuity that is missing from their visual design. Too many cherries and sprinkles and not enough quality ice-cream, if you will. But I think they'd win BOA in 2007 in a heartbeat. That isn't really a slam, though i'm sure I'll hear about it. Their problem is that they look like John Doe High School Marching Band...a very, VERY good one, but they just don't have that "it" factor yet. just my humble opinion... M

The source of a corps identity comes from much more than their on-field offerings. As someone who has been touring each year since 1995, I can certainly tell you that the Scouts are still the Scouts, regardless of what they do on the field. They are easy to pick out in a parking lot...they just...well...LOOK like Madison Scouts. NOT a bad thing. Somethings change, some don't... M

It would be nice to think that DCI has planned to assist corps with the increased travel expenses. Since DCI's revenue is increasing dramatically each year (DCI's tax filings are public record), it would be nice to know if they have set aside any of these funds in some sort of interest bearing gas fund, where the interest could be split between the corps... Now, someone else pointed out that for many corps an additional $12,000 for travel/gas costs for a season is not the end of their world, compared to the corps overall budget. Many corps are beginning to push the $1 Million budget mark. So in these instances, $12,000 represents between 1-2% of their overall budget. But, I know some corps are feeling the pinch. I know of at least one top-12 corps who is limiting/decreasing the size of their fleet to compensate for increased gas prices... M

Good point. But aren't these whites only 3 years old? If not for a new design, why would they need new unis again already? M

Are the two mutually exclusive? I wonder how much of the bill for the stadium is being footed by the City itself (that is probably public record...I'm just too lazy on Sunday mornign to find out for myself...). Probably a hefty chunk. And if that is the case, the city has their own interests, aside from the football franchise, to consider. And since Indy, as silly as it might seem to the Colts organization, is attempting to become the Marching Music capital of the world, I'd say they would have a certain amount of leverage when it comes to assuring the stadium design meets the needs of more than just the Colts. Just a thought... M

not to my recollection...but that whole pole moment was added right near the end of the season, so they didn't have as many opportunities for problems. Perhaps in 94, when the pole climb was first introduced (and done more than once in the show and for more of the season), might have had more opportunity for mishaps... M

I think it should be pointed out that the ensemble music caption covers much more ground than whether or not they had any ensemble tears or not, although those certainly are part of the mix. It can be easy to dwell on those flaws, but the judges felt that whatever phasing may have shown up on finals night didn't negate enough of what they were doing well to swing the caption out of their favor. I also think it was one of their best, most highly polished performances of the 1990's. M

Is it just me, or does this come across as slightly creepy? No offense... M

Don't they already make the trip EVERY year? Often times much further east than Indy. Granted, Denver was a bit better, and certainly Pasedena will be a nice treat for the CA corps next year...but heading WAY east for championships is already part of their yearly process... M

I'm kinda with drumcat on this one. I think this is a sweet deal. And...I've heard (Rumor alert) that the deal might get set up so that championships still rotate out of Indy every few years. Isn't there some committment for the stadium already in 2013? M

Geez...what a drag... M

So...then...are all of those 'happy' threads accomplishing something? I thought this was just an interesting way to waste some time each day... M

1994 & 1996 Cavaliers - two of their best "G" hornlines, loads of talent... 1994 Glassmen 1994 Cadets M

CornoBehnke - I would just be more careful about generalizing your experiences in the activity for all others. I for one got plenty of individual attention as a mellophone player when I marched. My technical issues were addressed by our staff on an almost daily basis, all in the name of creating a more unified approach to the instrument for the benefit of the entire line. I also had more than enough time to practice on my own...usually after shows, and the brass staff was always willing to be around for help during those times... M

First exposure: Band camp 1992. During "Music Appreciation" class, they showed us the 1991 Top 5. 1991 Blue Devils was the first drum corps I ever saw. I was floored watching it...couldn't believe the precision, but strangely, I didn't think about it again aftewards. Fast forward to fall 1993. Two guys at my high school just finished marching with the Quad City Knights, and they had taped the live broadcast. Even though I had seen the 1991 championships, I had forgotten completely about it all until they loaned me the 1993 tape. I was instantly hooked and wanted to march. I bought the 1994 videos when they became available, and eventually auditioned for and received a spot in a top-six corps, my rookie year being 1995. I had still not seen drum corps live at that point, and only been exposed to 1993 & 1994. M