mrtrumpet86

Even though I'm young, I still appreciate the early drum corps stuff, so I say start at the beginning and watch as much as you can. Watching a few really good shows won't really convey the scope of drum corps' impact. Sorta like a self-taught history lesson or something.

If both corps follow their recent trends, then crown's arrangement will probably be closer to the original. BD's arrangements over the last few years have been very cut and paste. Don't get me wrong...I've loved BD's shows over the last few years, but the fact is that the arrange bits and pieces of music to tailor their show concept while Crown usually arranges true to the original pieces. I'm sure both corps will kick arse anyway.

This really hurts...for it to happen to my corps and second family, and then to another great organization...makes you wonder why bad things happen to good people. Best of luck in settling this issue. Thank goodness for insurance.

Probably a little biased because they're my favorite corps of all time and this show was the show that made me go to auditions, but... SCV 04

While I really, truly enjoy a crapload of great drum corps shows, there are only a few that make me really really wish i could have seen them live. Everytime I listen to 95 Madison (and that's a lot), hearing the crowd sustain a volume louder than the corps for the entire final minute, and then hearing the corps actually come close to being louder than tens of thousands of people...I can't even describe the feeling. If time travel is ever a reality, I won't go back in time to see an influential point in human history...I'd go back to 95 and watch Madison absolutely destroy my face.

I think the Raiders did Master of Puppets in the late 90s...you should check it out.

The thought of Madison doing the overture to "Gypsy" makes my mouth water.

MikeD, I completely agree with you! It baffles me every year that goes by without a corps programming "Sinfonietta" by Janacek. It's an incredible piece that has the big broad brass scoring already built in. I think it'd be perfect for Phantom or Crown.

Every corps, no matter the subject or content of their show, has put a superhuman amount of effort into performing the #### out of their show. That, in and of itself, deserves a standing ovation. When I see a drum corps show, I stand up after every performance.

I generally don't disagree with the high brass awards (there are of course a few exceptions), and this season was no different. I thought the Blue Devils were the best brass line out there. But my favorite? Phantom. I'm a sucker for emotion coming through your horn and I think they were the best in that department.

I think (or hope at least) that most arrangers these days are looking for ways to entertain audiences while at the same time opening their minds and ears to innovative and new musical ideas and nuances. There is also the pushing the envelope element. If arrangers write familiar, hum-on-your-way-out music year in and year out, a lot of people will get sick of it very quickly. I think current arrangements do a good job in exposing this generation's drum corps audience to something musically and even intellectually stimulating.

In 2005, we had horn arc on the beach at West Haven, a couple of blocks away from the stadium. It was the most relaxing but productive arc I've ever been in. Quiet intensity could not have described the atmosphere...then we went out and had a crazy good show...good times.

Phantom 93, Madison 95, Vanguard 98, 99

I'll never forget the intensity of that night...in the 'tunnel' just yelling like crazy...all of us wanting to let the energy out, to leave it all on the field, then finishing the show with that feeling that we really did leave it all on the field...I don't know if I'll ever experience that in the same way again.

This is kind of a bummer...I've always wanted to march flugel and was hoping that some junior corps would add a flugel line next year, but that doesn't look too promising...

I still have 4 more shows to perform and that makes me very happy.

I've never heard of this 'podium kitty' you speak of...are you sure you're talking about the Bushwackers?

Bush will!

I think Carolina Crown did Stormworks in 95...but it was still an awesome show. Someone mentioned Boston's russian shows...I love their 93 show...still my favorite non-finalist show...I loved the way they handled Scheherazade and Russian Easter Overture.

93-94, 02-03, and hopefully 05-06

Well in that case, the walls at Rutgers-Newark are still looking pretty new. We need to break those in.

What I'm really excited about is how much attention everyone has paid to basic musicianship so far. The easy thing to do is to play really loud without paying attention to tone or articulation, rip the horn from your face 2 counts after the cutoff, then go "yeah, that was awesome, we're gonna win high brass this year". But we have been playing with tone, dynamics, great articulation, AND blowing the walls off of Rutgers-Newark/Garfield AL post. I'm excited.

That's so exciting to watch! I can't wait for the next rehearsal to start working even harder!

Yeah...there are most definitely bus stories I cannot share here...

I just have one question...Will all of us be able to fit inside the AL post?