ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar

<s>But people on staff, especially guard and visual staff, are so cool. You should be lucky that you're in their presence.</s> I agree as well. Some people go into "tour mode" or "rock star mode" and disappear up their own ###. If you see some over-tanned twenty something with a staff pass behaving this way, call them out on it.

Who offended who in the what now?

Besides @yeaguy, are there any other good people to follow?

Good thing I got one through my carrier when it was still a thing.

Hoppy is live right now.

I can't upvote this enough. This activity is living in a completely different cultural and economic climate from 30-40+ years ago. You can argue that the very concept of truly "live music" is being threatened (kids pay buttloads of money to go to EDM festivals ... only to watch some hack DJs stand behind a laptop).

I marched with a skinny, 5-foot-nothing contra player from Japan. She hated life occasionally, but never showed it and outperformed most others in the section. I've also marched with some large people who initially had trouble with moving, but got it by July-August. It's all about the will to get better and perform. Here's one caveat though: a lot of visual staff members in the top 12 corps simply won't tolerate overweight members. Some of them are total dicks about it. If it's between a great musician who has trouble moving or a fit person who's a meh musician, the latter will typically get the spot. EDIT: to answer the actual question in terms of straight up height, it doesn't matter from what I've seen and from the people I know who teach. One of the shortest people I had ever seen on the field marched tenors for Madison in either 2011 or 2012.

... except it's not.

Here's my guess ... General Effect Visual: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] General Effect Music: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Visual: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Visual Analysis: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Color Guard: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Brass: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Music Analysis: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps] Percussion: Some jerk who has it in for [my favorite corps]

Solid comparison. Maybe I'm just overthinking it ... I will have a couple of MN shows close to me in the coming weeks in Rochester and Mankato, but my schedule is blowing up. My only guaranteed show this summer is the Minneapolis regional. (I know, I know ... it's so hard to live in an area with a healthy drum corps scene).

I've gone to (and will continue to go to) the quarterfinals broadcast. It's been pretty enjoyable the past couple of years. Haven't watched early season drum corps in a theater. 80 percent sure I'm not going tonight. Anything that would make me reconsider (interesting filler, old shows, etc)?

All I can say is good luck with that. I enjoy lively discussion, even if it includes occasional unjustified criticism. My former corps has drawn/continues to draw idiotic speculation from a tiny group of keyboard warriors, but I view it as a part of life. I'll keep using DCP and /r/drumcorps (a reddit group with fewer guidelines than DCP). Both offer plenty of constructive discussion.

That is really cool. I personally want more people like you on DCP: people who are actively involved and know what's truly going on in the activity world-wide. Most people on DCP understand that Pioneer operates on a different set of principles from the usual status quo. Many corps that have chased the ever-changing "top-12" status are long gone. Pioneer, despite its recent finals week placements, continues to thrive and serve its mission. The overwhelming majority of DCP understands this. But DCP is a large community ... and, like any online community, there's people who don't show tact or simply say things they know nothing about. That's the Internet. The well-being of Pioneer is not dependent on what a handful of people on the Internet say.

"Leaving Drum Corps Planet now......the most closed minded group I have ever seen. Controlled by a handful of bitter people without lives. See ya!" ... various YouTube channels, various sub-reddits, RAMD ... I could go on. DCP is teddy bears and rainbows. Whatever: best of luck to Pioneer.

There's another thread a few pages down entitled "Pioneer 2015: A new era?" Not sure if that's an "official one," but whatever. I'm excited to see what they offer this year. I hope some of their indoor performance energy transfers to the field. Great to hear about the membership increase. It can lead to some new sets of problems, but it's a huge step in the right direction.

Hoping they follow a version of the blueprint Southwind is using: 1) galvanize enough alumni support, 2) create a Soundsport team made up of young people, 3) If there's enough interest and various funding via the community/alumni/parents, move on to DCI open class. If Southwind can get it done in a region that's not a drum corps hotbed, there's no reason Glassmen can't get it done in their own area.

What was the event (BOA, sporting event, etc)? Just curious.

This. What matters most is your overall sound quality. Your technical skills don't matter if you can't produce an open, clear, present sound.

Are crappy pre-season clips that important to you?

*THREAD RESURRECTION* Do any current DCP users have experience on the current crop of IYM mouthpieces? I'm considering using one for tuba. Currently playing on a LOUD LM-7, which is nice for low register.

Could you? I'm genuinely curious. I'm no elite costume/general design mind, but I'm in "wait until showtime" mode. If it helps the show, great. If not, it doesn't necessarily means the unis will hurt it. If I was running a corps, I'd leave the show-centric costume designs toward the colorguard/drum major, but that's just me.

Wait, what!?! *Google image search "Crossmen shakos* ... just ... no

If they finish 12th or higher, I'm making this my signature.

Regarding narration: I was put off by it initially (caught off guard by the wise-guy voice), but I warmed up to it after a second listen. The narrator sells it. Ballad vocals ... not so much (performer sells it, too ... but the lyrics don't really serve the show). Some of the narrator's lines should change ("one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest" ... barf), but the old-school radio drama idea definitely has legs. I already like this better than last year's show. I appreciate them trying something new, but I still couldn't follow the story by finals (the scarecrow went crazy and killed everyone ... Or something?). This year's show already has more focus and seems easier to build up.

I really hope this is the year something changes. A larger ensemble doesn't automatically equate to a better score (sometimes, it just breeds a new set of problems). But if (and that's a strong "if") all captions can find a way to capture some of that indoor mojo, we might have a sleeping giant.