Henson

So we've got a few things here: 1. Money 2. Staff chemistry/consistency 3. Design (which falls under the other two) 4. Older/more experienced members It seems that if you want to build a corps to the top level, you need a leader with the foresight and vision to organize the business and build a loyal and competent staff - and then go the extra step of ensuring that your veterans return instead of "trading up." Take a young corps and a new staff that works well together and build the group over a number of seasons by steadily improving the business model and the design. In other words, what corps really need is brand loyalty from members and staff. It's not rocket science, but our community can at times be too short-sighted to make it happen.

Not sure I agree with him, but in his defense there are two things you're not seeing. First, the school he mentioned is a performing arts magnet school. These are kids who "major" in the different performing arts while also pursuing a regular high school curriculum. They are directed by Kevin Ford, BTW, so you can easily see the connection with Blue Stars here. Second, part of what made the Tarpon Springs show so strong was its seamless integration of the ensemble with both electronics and more props than you could ever possibly imagine - more props than a drum corps could EVER handle. Their props, unlike the props (and electronics) of most BOA bands, are effective. The Tarpon Springs band and especially their design staff do a lot of things exceptionally well, but much of what they do there so successfully from an audience standpoint will not ever appear in a DCI show unless a LOT changes - probably not changing for the better.

Crown already did it.

I actually am a prop fan, and I don't mind this prop - I just dislike how it's (not) integrated (well) into the show yet, especially in the opener. Forget the gimmicky entrance, push it backfield a lot more, and then open up the drill a bit and I'd probably love it.

At the risk of being all bando here, I'd like to remind everyone that this (along with their crazy-hard drill) is exactly what made Tarpon Springs' similar show a couple years ago so great. Of course, they had a DJ and an electric drum set instead of a battery, so that automatically invalidates their artistry in the eyes of 90% of DCP posters.

Heh.

Hey, yeah. Props are on the back hash. I get that. It doesn't keep them from staging the entire hornline in a 30 yard box for the whole opener. Frankly, it surprised the heck outta me, because if anyone should be able to deal with props well, it's Kevin Ford (considering the shows he puts on every fall...) I want to like them, not least because their guard is ROCKIN' again. I just wasn't feeling it until the drill stretched out a bit halfway through the production. Heck, it may even have been an intentional design decision to make the drill dense and claustrophobic to fit the Bourne theme, but if so it's a gamble that isn't paying off for this spectator.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that they need to re-write the drill through the entire opener - and that probably ain't going to happen. The staging of the prop so far forward is forcing everything into a tiny space front-field, and it seems like the visual folks figured out how to deal with that about halfway through the show. Before that, though, it just looks messy and claustrophobic. They're marching it well, and I LOVE their guard, but it's just not effective yet.

Fun little show. Weather was awesome. Perfect night for Drum Corps. Thoughts: Crossmen: Meh. Fell flat. They're quiet, and the show is safe, with little field coverage. Their ballad, on the other hand, was a thing of beauty - and they love playing it. You could see that during the field show, but they REALLY brought it during the standstill encore, which was also about ten levels louder. I think the staff may have them holding back intentionally to keep the sound from getting edgy while they get the drill under their belts. They need a confidence boost - but it's June. Spirit: Wow. Now THIS is Spirit of Atlanta, just with odd uniforms. If they had been writing their horn book this sultry for the past decade, they'd still be a fan favorite. It's a very good vehicle for them musically, and the kids are having a blast playing it up without getting weird or over the top. Loved the show, and thought there should have been more of a spread between them and Crossmen. Good soloist moments as well. Scouts: Can't say enough. The clear winner. They're for real, but I think they proved that last year. I LOVE Smith's writing, and the show is so emotional and the music so well executed that they convey the story very well. The drill is demanding, but it's not really what I like. I wish they'd do some more of the cool geometric stuff that's "in" today rather than the Blue Devils formula of really challenging follow-the-leader followed by scatter sets. I always found that to be just a lazy drill writer's way of staging, but it obviously works for the Blue Devils, and it'll probably work for the Scouts. That said, I just couldn't get enough of the show. If they have some tweaks left, they could be as high as 6-9 on Finals night. Their horns sound amazing - very balanced, loud and emotional. Crusaders: They're the Boston Crusaders. They're loud, they're aggressive, they're red - but it's ALL THE TIME. They need to learn how to do mp volume levels with the same intensity, and they were dirty. They have plenty to clean, and I expect to see them in finals. Really cool drill moment during the drum feature where they put the horns into two parallel lines and marched on yardlines for about 12 counts - then sped up unexpectedly while rotating those lines into a double company front. Well executed for June, and fun to watch. Didn't get the whole 1812 Overture thing - it was oddly written. Overall, it's not my favorite show design, and I couldn't tell you why. I was trying to figure it out during Crossmen's encore - it just seemed dated and safe, like they were marching a really aggressive show with no story that we've all seen a million times before. That doesn't make sense, because if any source material should convey a story it's this. I expect to get a better read at Allentown. I've been at better venues. I was a bit disappointed that there were only 4 corps (while we still paid a full DCI price), but once I got there I recognized that there was NO parking at this school. If they had brought any more there's no way they could have fit the corps vehicles in the space. Hey DCI - find a better venue, and bring more groups. You were less than 10 miles from George Mason University, for instance, and the DC area has more colleges and universities than you can possibly imagine. Pick one. The Cadets would have a gazillion fans show up to this show if they came out here.

The men vs women thing is not a factor of how much muscle they have, or how mentally fit they are (wtf ever on that one, jeez - women can give birth...could you?), but of body structure. Women have to condition more to march, because their bone structure is different and their bodies are not built to march. With careful conditioning this can be (and is) overcome, but women and girls are more likely to suffer from lower extremity injuries. If by "break down" you mean physically break/get injured, then yeah - women are more susceptible, and staff need to be aware of this and look for the signs. Unfortunately, a lot of women are mentally tougher than guys and will tough it out more than they should. The military has decades of study on this very subject, and it all points to what I am saying.

Let's say a 17 year old auditions for the Cavaliers because he really likes their image and uniform, and their shows are cool. He's the whiz kid of his local AA high school band from some rural podunk town in Ohio, and thinks he has a shot. Convinces mom and dad to plonk down a few hundred dollars for camp, then another few hundred dollars for another camp. Fall on his face, confidence shattered when the instructors don't hold the same high opinion of him that he holds for himself - is this sounding likely for a 17 year old trumpet player or snare??? There's a few things he can do. Get mad and hate DCI, and never try out again, convinced that they don't know what they're talking about. Work a bit harder, grow up a bit more, and try out again next season. Refocus all of this emotional investment he has in a particular corps identity towards an entirely different corps, going on to have a great season. With some guys, we'd prefer that they do option 2. Some guys really need the experience of failure to get better. With others, option 3 is best - they'd be great assets for another corps - BUT the problem is convincing mom and dad to plonk down several hundred more dollars towards what they now see as a very thin "maybe." Am I saying a big part of this problem is audition and camp fees? Maybe...

We're approaching this the wrong way. Guards are growing while cymbal lines disappear. So, that in mind, I have a question: What makes more sense in a musical ensemble, a cymbal line, or four more people spinning sabers?

How is my calling out your elitist ######## a "high horse?" "Most bands" at BOA use that crap? Once again, bull. In the last several years I have been at at least 42 separate BOA events. I watch them warm up. I watch them backstage. I watch them perform. I go to ALL of nationals, working hard to make these kids some memories. What do you do? You spit in their faces. Classy. Want to know the truth? The vast majority of BOA bands just march and play music. Some of them because that's what they want to perform, other because they can't afford anything else. Lafayette from Louisiana showed up to GN last year and blew everyone away with nothing but horns, drums, and guard. You don't need the extras to succeed at BOA. Most bands that do succeed DON'T have those extras - but those who do use electronics do it a hell of a lot better than the clumsy, hamhanded attempts by DCI groups - Bluecoast excepted.

Oh, bull. They get this crap from you every year, and it's wrong every year. Take a look at Avon's show for the last two years and then try to come back with that BS. Or listen to Marcus' winds and tell me who relied more on synths, Crossmen or Marcus HS. Get off your freakin' high horse folks.

The problem I have is that in some corps the balance is such that the synths are actually ovrpowering the contras. That is wrong. At finals during one particular hit I told my friend, "Wow, that hit would have been awesome if it were the brass." *cough SCV cough* And don't get me started on Crossmen. You want to use electronics to complement, fine. I can think of three corps that actually did this well. For instance, even the doubling from Blue Knights was only in spots, and was NOT overpowering. I was able to celebrate their brass. Bluecoats = awesome. That was the way it CAN be done, and thanks to them for showing us how. I hope this bad balance is just growing pains and not a trend of badness, but my experience watching BOA shows tells me otherwise.

I want to love the Crossmen like I used to. I couldn't this year. Their arranging was obnoxious. Who the hell needs a staff member just to manage the electronic percussion when your brass can barely hit? Don't add layers until the fundamentals are there. Yes, you want to challenge the kids, but you don't do that by allowing them to hide behind a front ensemble that uses more electricity than a small midwestern county. Their sound this year reminded me of certain Texas band from the middle of the decade who also wear all black, but the difference is that they executed well. This corps didn't. Stop trying to be cool and start trying to be good. I'm usually a lot more polite than this, but it really bothered me at Allentown, and I've been sitting on it for a while (can you tell?) Crossmen were one of my favorites several years ago, and I wanted the move to Texas to set them on track, not out of orbit. This coming from a HUGE fan of what the Bluecoats did this year with electronics. I'm not against them as a tool. I'm against them as a focus and a crutch. A lot of marching bands have the same problem.

My advice to the OP is this: stop posting in this thread. I get it. I do. But you need to ask yourself what good you will accomplish by continuing the discussion with all of these people piling on. They will continue to over-analyze and misconstrue the few words you've written until your reputation smells like last week's rotting leftover fish dinner. You've made your point. Now, for your sake, let it go. Don't continue something you'll regret down the road.

IMO, dark vs bright has more to do with the character and timbre of the sound than it does the staging and themes of the production. As a low brass guy, to me a dark, rich symphonic sound is something to aspire to. I'm sure a trumpet player might look for brightness, but I just think that's unbalanced, of course.

Where's the door?

With the Scouts' aggressive and determined marketing to legacy fans this year, does the leak of this proposal position them to take a new leadership role in the non-G7 group? If they come out the gate in the next few years the way the hype expects them to (which is debatable, but certainly possible) could they use their renegade reputation to become the anti-G7? It would be interesting to see how their popularity waxes or wanes in the wake of all this kerfluffle.

It's a credit to the Cavaliers' organization that no one has yet. The contrast with some other corps is striking.

OK, I'll admit...I giggled.

Good to know that it was the Troopers that made this guy sit up and take notice. Awesome.

I swear to you that my first impulse was to post, "He invented 'breathe-DAH.'" I thought I was joking...

Win. Ultimately no difference, and ultimately silly, but it makes people feel special. More power to 'em.