MikeD

How about the 1971 Blue Rock center wheel to get them off of the field in their closer, "Requiem for the Masses", a wonderful closer (a tune by "The Association" of "Windy" and "Along Comes Mary" fame). It's really a rotating company front. Mike

Cavies nearly missed the 1970 VFW finals in Miami when their prelims drill created a bunch of flag violations. Mike

You are right on that...the II/III committee voted to delay multi-key for a year or two.

At the first DCI, 1972, Garfield had a 1.8 penalty for something....I forget what now...might have been a few somethings....kept us out of finals. We were 13th with the penalties...10th without.

No it doesn't. These are visual representations of what the music is doing. It looks just as fine with a flute or clarinet as it does a trumpet.

and how little else there is to talk about this time of year! :P

IMO... NO, it was not generally more creative then. We remember the very best of "then" as being groundbreaking and innovative, as we should. We forget the majority of shows that did not have those drills. Those corps were fine, of course, as most are today...even though most do not have groundbreaking drills. IMO it takes the passage of time to really decide what was groundbreaking and innovative. Mike

I still have my hand-written chat lying around somewhere. I want to bring it to the band as a stand tune for next year. It's pretty decent!

In that era Mangione was the rage in corps and band..."Feel's So Good" was his top-40 hit that summer, so I figured it would be a good idea for the band show that fall. ....NOT. <**> Mike

Seems like a good approach if that were a feasible option, logistically speaking (and cost wise as well). As long as the II/III Committee decided whatever they decided, I don't have a problem with what they chose, though I like your schedule too. Mike

Sure it is...if you don't already have those things. Mike

I arranged "Last Dance" for a band I taught back in 79..good tune. Mangione's "Feel's So Good" has a disco-ish feel to it...I arranged that in 78. Absolutely the WORST Mangione tune ever...the staff and kids were tired of it by the first game! Mike

Should be amazing for you...as I said in another thread....when I was in college (71-75) he came to us and conducted "Music for Prague 1968". Mike

IMO... Actually it IS unreasonable to think that the traditional sponsors xcould have been replaced by combinations of smaller local sponsors. Why? Because it did not happen, and hundreds of corps that had little or no contact with DCI at all folded due to a lack of funds and members, starting in the 60's before DCI and accelerating through the 80's. It was economic issues....plus societal issue...esp in the urban areas where many of the Catholic sponsored corps were located. Militaristic styled organizations like drum corps just did not have the appeal during the Viet Nam era to potential members that they had earlier. The riots and angefr in the cities caused many in those areas to turn away from Authority Figures, such as the police and church organizations. Corps like St Joes of Batavia, St Vinnie's, St Lucy's, St Kevin's, and others I can name, all died out BEFORE DCI ever formed. Holy Name was lucky to survive as the Garfield Cadets...St. Mary's Cardinals were lucky to survive for a while as the Beverly Cardinals. The smaller corps like many in the Garden State circuit limped along through the 70's, sometimes folding and sometimes merging with other struggling corps just to stave off folding for a couple of years. Those corps had little if any contact with DCI. Part of the problem was not the folding of corps...that went on long before DCI...it was the scarcity of startups. Fewer were started to replace the many that folded...and the downward spiral continued...not due to DCI at all, IMO. The World Open, US Open, and CYO Nats were still top-notch shows well after DCI started. Mike

Just out of curiosity, why are II/III finals on Saturday a bad decision in your opinion? And...who decided that date...the main DCI BOD or the II/III committee? As I said...curiosity. Mike

Clears throat....."Ahem"....I'd love to see......never mind! :P

IMO... The vast majority of the corps that folded never had anything to do with DCI in any way, shape, or form, for good or bad. DCI did not push them out fo existence. Good to know you and I just keep on disagreeing on just about everything frelated to DCI...it means all is right with the world! :P

Talk about age-outs....look at the guard members in FRONT of the American section! :P

Oh, so YOU are the one who is not a fan of Hanks. :P

I didn't see a lot of kids screaming that they needed marching timpani (well, at least until some started to WEAR them! :) ) Or screaming that they needed mallets...or 2-valve horns....or other innovations along the way.

She was a very famous Chinese pop singer of the 70's and 80's...named Deng LiJun...also known as Teresa Teng. I was given a CD of hers by a good friend and became an instant fan. Sadly, she died of an asthma attack i 1994. Mike

Wayne, We had both Hoffman and Emmons on the visual staff in my Garfield days... ...along with the great cleanup guy Ray Capacelli.

Hmm...why did the same consideration not apply to Crown and BAC last year...and BD this year. Or 2005 Coats, Cadets, and Cascades too...since all of them used micced something-or-others in their shows. Personally, I agree...but for all of them. Mike

Too late...DCA corps playing Bb/F: Cabs, Bush, Bucs, MBI and Crusaders

Bobby Hoffman....