rut-roh

Well, if I dissect every show I see from all the corps, I find parts of every show that are challenging and parts of every show that are "safe," so I guess all I can say is that if it works, it works. Safe, challenging, or somewhere in between (which, to me, characterizes most shows in any given year). When it comes to those individual "moments" which add up to complete any corps' performance, sometimes easy works better than all that fuss. Sometimes it doesn't. I'm glad there's room for both.

Not if it doesn't really make sense in the context of how the corps is generating a specific effect. Less is sometimes more.

Context is impressive to me. I could care less if a corps is running all over the field playing a million notes (even if they do it brilliantly) if it doesn't fit into the context of the effect they're trying to generate. If it's there just to say 'look at how much running we do and how many notes we play,' then I'm not impressed, and no I don't think it should necessarily be automatically rewarded. And honestly, if a corps who is playing less notes and moving less is doing a better job of generating their effect (less is more), then I believe it should be rewarded. Just as I believe that loud doesn't always equal good, I also believe that lots of notes and running around doesn't always equal good. Sometimes, everything a show needs, it has. Even without the million notes and running all over the place.

Please don't speak for "us." Thanks.

Every corps has a story behind them, regardless of how competitively successful they've been. Some of those stories are endlessly fascinating in their own right, and for any corps to survive this long and in this day and age, I'd say to an extent they are ALL legendary. List of World Class Corps and their founding dates...... Academy - 2001 Blue Devils - 1957 Blue Knights - 1958 Blue Stars - 1964 Bluecoats - 1972 Boston Crusaders - 1940 The Cadets - 1934 Carolina Crown - 1990 Cascades - 1957 The Cavaliers - 1948 Colts - 1963 Crossmen - 1975 Glassmen - 1961 Jersey Surf - 1990 Madison Scouts - 1938 Mandarins - 1963 Pacific Crest - 1993 Phantom Regiment - 1956 Pioneer - 1973 Santa Clara Vanguard - 1967 Spirit - 1976 Troopers - 1957

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the Garfield Cadets and Boston Crusaders were founding corps of DCI.

Yes, yes, yes, yes and YES. In my experience dealing with DCI judges, this is certainly true.

Haha, looking back and reading some of this stuff, this thread is pretty funny.

Yes, the entire visual judging panel was different than their last performance. Actually, two of the three visual judges at last night's show had not adjudicated Crown all year. This was their first read. Clarke Williams has seen them five times, including last night. Before that, his last viewing was at the Chesapeake show on July 7.

Hear that sound?? That's the sound of me standing and applauding. I totally agree with their decision and I can only hope that certain other corps follow suit when it comes to these things.

Toss up between 2003-2005 and 2006.

You're on crack. They should have won by elevnty BILLION!

High horse, party of one. Get back to me when you've actually spoken to these corps about what they've been through during this process. Until then, save your judgmental nonsense for something about which you're more qualified to comment.

It might if you heard all sides of the story. Not that I have, just sayin......

Some corps just don't have the people who can do the job and have focused their efforts on other areas of operation. If someone feels as if their favorite corps isn't taking advantage of the media opportunities, perhaps they can inquire directly about why or maybe even offer their services if they have the time and the know-how.

The only thing I expect from the tickets I buy is that every corps go out there and give me the best effort they've got. Whether that means their show is complete or not. To date, I have never been disappointed.

Hmmm, rant online to people who really can't do anything about it? Or perhaps contact DCI and offer your obviously expert services?

Awful. Just awful. And that includes the corps proper and the color guard (and yes, I know what the theme of the show is, and no, I don't care...they still look awful). This is such a garbled mess of color the likes of which I haven't seen on a drum corps field in a very long time.

Do I defend a staff's choice to do what they like, what they're good at, what they're comfortable with, and what they feel (and what has been proven) works best for them? Even if I may not care for it as a matter of my own personal taste? ABSOLUTELY. I have a hard time understanding how someone could have a hard time understanding that.

Or maybe YOU can get off your holier than thou soapbox and let them go with the approach their staff are most comfortable with. And the approach that seems to have worked for them in the past.

I'm talking about the famous whistle that starts the original musical, the gang whistle.

That must not be the same 1984 Garfield show I've been watching all these years. The parts in question were played by the xylophones in the pit. Not by any whistles. There were no percussive whistles anywhere in that show that I could hear. And I just re-watched it over on Ytube (as well as the Pittsburgh performance of this year's HNC for comparison of the parts in question), just to reassure myself that I'm not losing my mind.

No, he's got it about right.

As stated, they are not simply pushing a button and letting the entire sequence play. They are adhering to the one stroke/one note guideline.

Not sure if this has been made clear yet or not, but the Cadets ARE performing that whole opening sequence using the one stroke/one note guideline, as it was a pre-recorded human whistle which was altered electronically.