BanditKir

Sweet, that's exactly what they look like (as far as I can tell). Looks like I'll be taking a mallet to Home Depot this weekend...

Does anybody know that instrument Glassmen and Blue Knights used in their pit last year? It's the one that I can't think of a way to describe other than it looks like a block of ice. It's what Glassmen used to begin their percussion feature after their ballad. You can see it in clip 4 of the Glassmen DCI Championship videos on IP's website. (I assume these videos are okay to link to...) http://www.innovativepercussion.com/pages/...&menu=dci09

Well, to be honest, I actually knew someone in Phantom's pit and my attempts to objectively observe them failed miserably. I will say, however, that they have the best timpanist in DCI

Here's a very quick and dirty review because I'm losing sleep as I write this but maybe a couple of people hopefully will appreciate it. WARNING: I tend to think of myself as a pretty positive person but writing this review makes me want to point out all of the negative things so do take them with a grain of salt. I do love all drum corps and I thought all performances were great and it was well worth the trip... however being tired sometimes brings out the worst in me. The Facilities Long lines plagued the small stadium that obviously wasn't designed to ever reach maximum capacity. I guess the bleachers weren't that bad... if it weren't for the fact that the lack of a proper amount of exits would have meant we would have all died if some kind of emergency happened. Spirit Unfortunately I missed Spirit because I had come straight from work and decided to try and get some food, which then didn't happen because despite the concession stand only selling pretzels, hot dogs, and candy, the food seemed to be coming out at a pace slower than a Chuckie Cheese at a crying 4 year old's birthday party. Crossmen As an alumnus of the Crossmen I admit I have a bit of a bias so take that into consideration when I say this show was kind of a let down. Don't expect the style of arranging to have changed with the new music. My biggest beef with the style of the arranger (too tired to look up his name right now) is that he loves to take melodies that are beautiful in their original contexts and put them in unusual places... whether or not it works. The ballad, for me, just came off as... strange. As a mallet player I was really disappointed to see how far the pit was lagging behind in technique. I think even Surf had Crossmen's pit beat in this aspect. If we're going to be playing the ostinato from First Circle together in unison... can we please at least attempt to go for the same height? I also lots of extra preps going on etc. that made me wonder if technique had even been defined. Also, I thought it was weird that a member in uniform was working the sound mixer... Some positives... best cymbal line of the night, imho. Also, the hornline was much better than I was expecting. Phantom Regiment To be honest I don't remember much from this show other than the whole thing was pretty. Everything was a definite step up from Crossmen, but nothing particularly blew me a way. Looks like they're down to only 3 tuba holes so yay? I really enjoyed Phantom's flugel(?) soloist, though it looked like all he was doing for the summer was standing in the back of the field taking solos. Boston Crusaders I think Boston must start with a really cool visual idea and then build a show around it. The hop move, I thought, was really cool. Boston certainly knows how to build wow moments into their program. I could have taken or left the chair... I thought it didn't do much other than give their show meaning. Kudos to the pit for bringing it old school and switching out on the timpani. I thought it was pretty funny that this girl throws down a pretty awesome timpani solo, then gets up and gets on a marimba. Bluecoats The Bluecoats were on fire tonight. All of the technique the Crossmen pit were lacking, the Bluecoats had. There were a couple of uneven hands during runs (which was easy to spot because they use white mallets and did so many darn runs!) but other than that they were very much on throughout the whole show. The tuba feature during A Ha is of course a highlight and I remember being pretty impressed by the rhythmic timing going on with the synthesizer and malletkat, kind of similar to what was going on last year in Hunting Wabbits II (hopefully no slowdowns! crazy hard part) It was interesting to note that the Bluecoats seemed to have been the only corps of the night that didn't march any tuba holes. Carolina Crown After hearing so much good stuff about this show I was prepared to be impressed... and I didn't really think they delivered that night. The beginning is gorgeous and it seems they love to showcase their ability to play in time across the entire field. Other than that the show just kind of fell flat. There were some noticeable timing issues and the drumline had a couple of very rocky moments including a big tear at the end of their drum feature when they went into the tenor/2 snare formation. It obviously didn't help that their center snare was missing so I wasn't surprised at all to see them finish third in drums. Also, if you didn't like how note heavy their drumline writing was last year, I don't think you'll feel much different this year. I actually loved the writing last year and how all of the metric modulations added texture to the music but this year there were times I was just kind of like "what is the drumline supposed to be contributing here....?" Other than that a very solid show. Hornline is just as amazing as we've come to expect from Crown and their guard is one of the only ones, not being a guard person, I can remember as being pretty exceptional. Jersey Surf I liked the hometown response the crowd gave them though I don't think going last helped their score very much. It was pretty apparent the level difference between them and the corps that went on before them. Even just watching the pit I couldn't help but think about how little they played compared to the other groups. I honestly thought the snares played like they didn't like each other. Their parts are so heavily exposed but it just wasn't clean. I know it's not yet July but it looks like it might be time to hose down some of those parts. Other than that I thought it was a decent show, though I couldn't shake the feeling that they played the same song for 11 minutes. I really wis they had more of a story in it other than "we love America" but that's just me.

1. The Cadets (76.2) 1. Carolina Crown (tie) (76.2) 3. The Cavaliers (73.5) 4. Blue Stars (72.0) 5. Glassmen (68.5) 6. Colts (68.2) 7. Madison Scouts (66.5) 8. Pioneer (59.0)

Kind of confused... I don't think they have 12-20 tubas, 18-24 trumpets, 12-16 horns, or 18-24 baritones either... And I don't think you can argue that it's because these instruments take over the roles of other parts of the orchestra or that the environment is drastically different and therefore requires different numbers without forfeiting the right of someone else to use the same argument for the pit...

Depends on the show, and in some cases the part of the show, like in 2008 where they took them off for the drum feature. I really like the look of Madison's pit with their aussies on. It's a really aggressive look that I don't think would work in a lot of situation. I think most corps these days want the pit to have a more "human" presence on the field, akin to the guard. While obviously not on the same level, I think if you ask why the pit doesn't wear hats you have to also ask why the guard doesn't either. You could argue that it's because it restricts the amount of movement the guard does/ability to spot weapons in the air, but I'm not convinced that's the number one reason. I couldn't picture today's guards in today's shows wearing hats even if they were doing nothing but drop spins the whole show (well, except for maybe Cadets this year....).

I can't believe there's a thread about Shostakovich's 10th symphony without bringing up by the youth orchestra of venezuela conducted by Dudamel. Look up the second movement on youtube and picture Boston playing it at that tempo and you can't help but get excited for this show.

A lot of the shows I see on here I feel really aren't terribly underrated... especially for a thread titled most underrated shows of the last decade (though I was really happy to see Crossmen 2006 get a nod). Some of my picks (in order from maybe not so underrated to probably off most people's radar)... BAC 2004. People absolutely hated this show because of the narration but I always loved it. Some of the better pit writing of the last decade (which is saying a lot). Crossmen 2000 and 2001. 2002 always shows up as a favorite but I honestly feel 2000's ballad is one of the best ballads ever and 2001's Fire Dance one of my favorite closers. Also, the bari solo in 2001 would be my pick for favorite bari solo of all time. Spirit 2004 A show I definitely wish I could listen to more. Sonoran Desert Holiday and the rock out after 'straight outta compton' were highlights. Mandarins 2005. I thought this show was incredibly well designed and it was one of my favorites to listen to until I lost my 2005 cds

Actually small correction - the price includes the 2010 dvd, which you will get as soon as they are available (site says they are scheduled to be released November, 15, 2010). The other bonus you get is you get to watch the 2010 finals performances on demand, which is excluded from the $59 price.

Funny anecdote... during high school one of my best friends (who was in high school marching band but didn't know two much about drum corps yet) asked me one day "is it some kind of requirement that every band have some sort of ###### slow middle section that sucks?" I have to admit, I actually wish, when it comes to high schools at least, band directors don't try to shoehorn shows into the typical Opener, Ballad, Closer format. Not because I don't like ballads (I really do) but often times it's music that just doesn't click with the kids and this becomes obvious in the quality of the performance. That being said, the school I taught this past season had a ballad that the kids really liked and I think was one of the most effective parts of the show (and the judges ate it up!).

Even if I weren't a pit person I think I would go with audible only because the vast majority of the corps will be listening instead of watching for a majority of the show. Yeah, you can argue the drumline is following the drum major but that's usually a maximum of 4 people (the section leaders) at any one time. What's fun to do is watch a video of the Cavaliers on percussion cam (this works decently well with any corps that wears aussie type hats) and you can generally tell who in the drumline is watching when by whose faces you can see. There's a video interview out there with one of the tenor players from the Cadets in 2006 who was legally blind and he said he didn't find it much of an issue because he didn't really need to see the drum major. Then again, I think another portion of this argument lies in what guards do... do they generally watch the drum major, each other, or just listen? With how far they're usually spread out I can't imagine they can get away with listening very often but I'm no expert on them.

I think this is a really interesting question so I feel like I need to respond. I should probably preface this by saying I have no kids and probably won't for some time =P In no particular order.... Carolina Crown - IMHO probably one of the best run corps out there. I'd feel really safe with my kid on tour with this management staff Blue Knights - Is it just me or do these kids always seem to be having a lot of fun in any video I see of them? Santa Clara Vanguard - I would love to have a child of mine in a corps that absolutely exudes class and tradition like these guys (bonus if they play cymbals) Velvet Knights - This would just be plain awesome Star of Indiana - This is a wish list, right? I find it interesting that I really wanted to pick the Cavaliers but I just couldn't because I know they don't allow cell phones on tour. As a drum corps nut I think it would kill me to not be able to call my kid after every show and I wouldn't want to embarrass my kid with daily letters... or would I?

If you're looking for media (during camps) I'd definitely follow: Blue Knights http://twitter.com/theblueknights Colts http://twitter.com/thecolts Boston Crusaders http://twitter.com/bostoncrusaders Madison Scouts http://twitter.com/madisoncorps Phantom Regiment takes a lot of pictures but mostly just uploads them to facebook. Phantom Regiment http://twitter.com/PhantomRegiment For just purely most posts, the Cavaliers definitely take the cake. http://twitter.com/TheCavaliers Almost every corps has one these days, though these I think tend to be the most active.

You might be thinking of España Cañí which is quoted in there. Somebody actually put Cabs in the wikipedia article on the piece: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espana_Cani

Haven't seen it but I'm sure it's hilarious. I still think wikipedia gets a bad rep and to be fair, I have a personal webpage with a .edu domain and I'd hope you wouldn't cite it lol. To stay on topic... I think the name will probably change once the world switches overwhelmingly in favor of the twenty- format. The year is just beginning so it may be too early to tell, but I think two-thousand-ten still sounds right.

Hey, don't knock wikipedia. It's certainly not 100% accurate but it's a bit more reputable of a source than say, I dunno, an internet forum.

I was actually reading about this on wikipedia recently... Apparently it's actually a hot topic in linguistics - when people will go from saying two-thousand to twenty. Copied from the wikipedia article on "2020"

So I figured I would turn to these forums once again with a dilemma of mine... I will be soon moving into NYC from New Jersey and as a percussionist I'm finding it difficult to find any solutions for ways to rehearse. I currently own a drum set and marimba and while through googling I've found that there are a lot of places around the city that let you rent time on a drum set by the hour or monthly, I haven't found any good solutions for mallet players. While it's looking like selling my drum set is going to be inevitable, I'd prefer not like to give up my marimba, or even worse, stop playing. To be honest, I'm looking to focus more on my composition so if I have to limit my time on a mallet instrument to drum corps rehearsals and when I'm teaching it wouldn't be the end of the world however I'm trying to explore as many avenues as possible. Are there any percussionists out there who have found/heard of good solutions? Any tips on finding apartments with understanding neighbors?

I'm sad to say our tech ed department has been drastically cut back so I wasn't able to find anyone to ask. Luckily, I was surprised that after sending an e-mail through Yamaha's site I got a reply back and it looks like I'll be able to order the parts I need. Thanks for the great suggestions, though. That might help someone else in a similar situation.

lol Yes, actually. Though I managed to get in contact with Yamaha and they quoted me the same exact price.

Hey all, The school I teach at is missing some hardware to our tenor stands... I believe we have the Yamaha Stadium RM-SHQ, though not 100% sure on this... I looked at them and all I could read was "Stadium" but they look like the pictures I've seen. We're missing the pins that go between the actual stand and the frames of the tenors. Does anybody know where we can get replacement parts for these or have any home-brewed solutions? Thanks.

1990 - Crossmen - I pretty much played this show back in high school... it's a heck of a lot of fun 1991 - Phantom - Love Nessun Dorma 1992 - Cadets - I would do guard just to get to spin a propeller 1993 - Star - I loved this show. Then I read what Medea is actually about. Now it's probably my favorite show of all time. 1994 - Blue Knights - Didn't have a strong pick for this year so I might as well pick the one that would give me a chance to be in a published book. 1995 - Cadets - One of my favorite shows of all time. 1996 - Magic of Orlando - Can't resist the opportunity to march around the field in those guard outfits for a summer 1997 - Crossmen - Another year I don't feel particularly strong with so I might as well play Birdland. 1998 - Madison Scouts - An opener from an anime that really rocks on the field? I'm totally in. 1999 - Blue Devils - If I were going to pick one show to actually get a ring with in the 90's this would be it. Love this show.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who found the levels to be fine on the dvd's and live. Of course, I'm coming more from the position of remembering the days in summer where we the pit would have the entire staff (including the brass caption head) yelling at us that they needed more on the impacts to cover for the hornline which was somewhat weaker than past years and we were getting nailed by the judges on it. Also at finals I was up in the nosebleed section and couldn't hear much of anything anyway . Still, I was always taught the number one responsibility of the front ensemble is impacts and everything else is secondary (I believe the specific order I was always told was 1 - impacts, 2 - musical shaping and color changes, 3 - everything else). For the record I found what Carolina Crown did with blending the brass with the organ like synth sound to be pretty smart (and I could still hear the tubas before somebody says that EDIT: oops, need to read better. Somebody already said it...). I did miss the timpani a bit, though, and I thought Carolina Crown had an amazing timpanist. I think in the end a lot of it is up to personal taste which is why I wanted to make my opinion known since a lot of time on here it seems like there's only one side...

I think it's a fantastic idea, as well, though $1 million won't be nearly enough to see this come true but it would certainly be a great start. I also wonder where they would place such a facility. Not that I'm familiar at all with the Fort Mills area, but I think there decision of where to build it will greatly impact the scale of its effect.