Drum Corps Driver

My criticism of last years show was lack of overall volume/impact from 64 horns - sound was too controlled. I guess adding another 8 horns will help them with that. Additionally, some of you may know, Cavies do a lot of their drill in blocks of 8, so with 72 horns now drill still works with that 8 man concept. Just not 8 by 8 now 8 x 9.

Madison 1996 best opener ever. John Shipper was smoking in Orlando!

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I would like Scouts to something completely new and different! One WORD and no one has ever done a complete show of it in Div I! SINATRA!!!!!!!!!! Guard in blue pin stripped suits, white shirts, with skinny ties (different colored ones) and a fedora. The only song I don't wanta hear is New York New York. Sal are you listening? You guys could seriously pull off that jazz big band sound Sinatra had back in the 50s.

Finals 1995 - I was sitting in the upper deck at Buffalo about 5 rows right behind the judges. When Madison did the pinwheel the upper deck started to shake and as they did the push forward all you could hear was fans screaming, I remember one of the judges looking back over his shoulder as Madison pushed forward during the company front. I've never been in a stadium that large that shook like that before. It was definitely a moment in time for DCI fans. My friends that marched Madison said as they did the pinwheel the drummers that did the dat dat dat the corps members could not hear it and once they got into the company front the corps members could tell everyone was on their feet and he had never heard a crowd so loud. He told me after the show, he could barely hear his horn and he played contra. The Madison 95 show is still my all time favorite.

Reading thorough all these post. Some great fun ideas, but most can't happen because of how far the activity has come. But a couple of things could be incorporated. Color Presentation could be done Retreat - most definately could be done VK - well maybe someday those "red converse's" will bless a field again I would like to see all corps start from the endfield, kinda like SCV did in 1992. I just long for the day that corp members stood 10 foot tall, I was only 15 when I saw my first show and those guys from The Kiltes just towered over us, those monster screaming solos from the sopranio line/now trumpet line gave me goose bumps; inuninson rifle tossess, I'm talking about 7's here people. Retro show should = Louder, faster, and higher with a few of the old scores treated to a 2006 show. Will we EVER hear the bottle dance again - was retreat in 1992 the last time we get to see fans go nuts when SCV plays those familar cords ... oh the olden days were such great fun! VK - how I long to hear/see them play the open cords from The Bottle Dance kneel down like they're about to do the dance then flash a big NOT sign. Classic drum corps moment and to have seen it live ... retro if done right would be so much fun.

1988 - Top 3 shows were on fire! BD was undeafted coming into finals. Madison came back from Europe and just surprised everyone! SCV and Phatom of the Opera, well people are still talking about it to this day!

Madison off the line with MacArthurs Park, Ice Castles for the balad, Rememberance for the drum/pit feature and The Way We Were for the closure. Of course a few sniglets of Stars and Stripes Forever, Malaguena, Cats, Slauter on 5th Ave, and Strawberry Soup. You could call the show "Tribute". With 72 horns can you imagine how loud this show would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my God, I now know where those cots went from this years Blue Devils show. REST - a bunch of CR guys snoozing around on cots.

No not a sport. More of an art form more than anything. Just like POKER - sure it takes skill to be a marching member or a poker player, but neither are sports. Now if you asked the question whether or not drum corps kids are Athletes that would stir a different debate. I would say corps kids ARE Athletes, just like NASCAR drivers are Athletes.

I'm going to win the $148 million dollar Power Ball Wed night and I will BUY Star and they will be on the field in 2006. They will be doing a show called the Deconstruction of Innocents in four parts, with a Go Go dancer. ONLY IN MY DREAMS - but it's a good dream :)

There was a judges conspiracy against the Madison Scouts, 1977-2002! This one is true - depends on who you ask though.

From Las Vegas, Nevada, STAR OF NEVADA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Featuring their topless color guard! :)

Southwind goes to King Bb instruments this year and look where they ended up this year 15th! Troopers have gotta either get on board or face the fact they will be a 20ish place corps yearly. Jim Jones would turn over in his grave if he knew The Troopers were placing so poorly.

Don’t flame me but this is my opinion and as a cable paying person who gets ESPN2 this was my observation. I was watching a few of my friends, and none of them had ever seen drum corps other than what I have told them over the years. Boston came across very well, human interest story on Boston etc, but saying they had a home field advantage, sounds like Boston marches at Gillette Stadium all the time. Boston’s little segment was way short and one of my friends asked is that it? There should have been more explaining that the shows are 11 mins long and the touring season begins mid Jun and goes through mid Aug. Just a little more explaining would have clarified some of my friends questions. . I like the little intro of Boston showing members flashing their horns and the guard posing. OK once was enough but each corps was shown doing the same thing? Whose idea was that - UGUGUUGH. Change is good here people Former Blue Coat young man that is now in the Army Band. I’m sure DCI asked but me I would had the US Army do some advertising and I would have had that young man in his Army Service Dress uniform and even would have done a feature on the Army Band. Those band guys in the Army do more than just play they also are combat soldiers. ARMY missed a golden opp to do some recruiting. Questions now came from who is Santa Clara Vanguard? Since you got immediate scores Boston was a full point ahead going into the finals performance and now they’re behind another corps that no one has seen. Poor explanation as to what was going on. Sports Medicine guy from IU -now this was great. Tied our activity right into athletes. I sure wish we could have captured Bob Knight talking about the work attitude of Star of Indiana. Man that would have given drum corps a lot of credit with making that sports connection. Commercials - ok we have the American Idol “non stars” doing the advertisements. Couldn’t we get American Idol to come on board? At least that blond headed guy that was the spokesperson for all those American Idol shows. Commodores - great band and glad they helped pug music in schools, I thought their would be several different bands that were going to do this, I didn’t have any idea these American Idol representatives and The Commodores were it. Was Earth Wind and Fire too busy, corps have played Birdland enough. How about Chuck Majone and Maynard Ferguson, Tower of Power? Didn’t we have a drummer on the Tonight Show march; I find it hard to believe the best reps DCI could muster up were these two groups. Bands of America, what happened to you? I saw your logo but that was it? I would have thought you’d advertised a ton. Cavies show design team. Very well done. Showed the complexity of putting together this 11 min show and how drum corps is not only a summer time activity. Planning, designing and rehearsal go on for over 10 months. One thing I would have added was a part about the budgets of these corps. How much a corps spends on food, gas etc. Would have been cool to have one of the cook truck featured or soubise booths, corps are always looking for volunteer and this would have been a great way to mention this. Ok back to shows - Carolina Crown - didn’t we just see the same opening for Boston, lots of sharp horn movements and color guard posing? Hummm, repeat, kinda boring. I really wish the segment DCI used here was the “Angel” song they corps did. More accessible music to the general audience. Madison - my friends reactions were actually WOW - very nice section DCI pulled out for Madison and since my friend knew I toured with Madison in the past they could put a corps with what I always talked about. Corps singing Never Walk just before entering field, I sure wish they would have showed some of the emotion that song generates amongst corps members. Only question I had “WHERE WAS SAL?” Nice interview with Carmen. She said exactly the right thing about having 134 brothers and bringing up the fact that she was not the only female on tour eased lots of minds from parents I’m sure. Blue Coats - Now our Army Corporal that was doing the reporting, he could have really gotten us on the inside of the Coats but didn’t. Blue Coats director did himself proud and really came across as caring and encouraging to his kids! Parents want that! But my friends liked Madison better than Coats. I swear I had no bias into this. Story on the gal from Phantom Regiment. GREAT - best part of the whole 2 hours. Now that part focused my attention on the drive and determination these young men and women have being a part of drum corps. Horn feature on the Phantom kids - can you say wear a shirt. Phantom Regiment - show was great, but don’t tell us they were a crowd favorite SHOW US! I know the crazies from PR threw toilet paper like crazy, they always do. SHOW us and then tell us why the crowd is reacting that way. I also liked the follow up at the end of the show with the dad and the gal that had surgery at the very end. Nice touch! Blue Devils - ok it was obvious who ever put the color guard segment together was a little biased towards the Blue Devils. I would have featured WGI and winter guard real quick here and then on to the fact the Blue Devils guard have won top guard honors numerous times. The show and the narration. One of my friends asked what is that? Amps were doing ok I thought until the narration thing came through. THANK GOD NO ONE HEARD YOZZA YOZZA YOZZA. Cavies - Jeff Fedler “mister spokesperson” for DCI. His comments just before taking the field about “will the Cavaliers show up” I thought panted him in a less than flattering light. One of my friends actually commented on it and it wasn’t good. Cavies show was technically excellent. But I think that show could have featured a different section. The announcers making comment about “The Cavaliers hit a home run with this show” was a little over the top. Cavies Closure esp the marching backwards in through the ladders is much more exciting and impressive than the part DCI showed. Follow up interview at the end of the show with Jeff Fedler was much better and painted him in a much better light. But those of us that tour know that the Cavies wanted that win! Come on the New England Patriots of drum corps? Maybe too much sports stuff plugged in. Cadets - nice feature on them, but come on wear a shirt. Some of the gals during the practice parts of the feature got some “racy” comments from my friends. Some parents that are little more conservative my think twice about letting their sons or daughters march. Cadet’s show got very little build up they’re actually 8 time DCI champs and they’re color guard is one of the best in the business. My friends didn’t get the show and I told them that’s ok, I’ve seen the show about 10 times and didn’t get it either, but just enjoy it for what it was. The drum speak - I wish they didn’t show that, it come off as ridiculous. I explained that part for about 15 mins to my friends. Hoppy - came across very good on TV. Made it sound like he took a gamble with this type of show and it payed off. Over all - I thought drum corps was OK. Shows were not very entertaining especially the segments that were shown. No real WOW moments. No mention of Division II or III another missed opp DCI. Overall DCI came across as high brow artsy band--what ever happen to louder, faster, higher. The movie “Drum Line” looked more entertaining than drum corps. Advisement: I was disappointed that only a few advertisers took the time to be apart of this program. Bus charter companies where were you at? US Army and the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps where were you? Gatorade is the drink of choice for lots of corps, where were they? Dynasty, why didn’t you mention that Blue Devils went to Europe and Glassmen are going next year on your dime? Did anyone call Budweiser, may not be appropriate for the 15-21 year olds marching but the fans that are over 21 would surely enjoy an ice cold BUD. I was enjoying a few BUDs when I watched ESPN2. Can you hear it some day - Budweiser the official beer of Drum Corps! Come on we all know real drum corps nuts know how to throw back a few. Corps directors - PLAY something next year LOUD and give us some WOW! My friends favorite corps tonight was Madison - they played louder than anyone else. I didn’t’ tell them I had my home theater cranked a little louder during Madison than anyone else. Heheheheheh.