PhantomMom

Thanks, I did not know that. Okay, I changed my avatar in protest. <**> :P

Whoops!

I say black AND white to go with the good vs evil theme of Faust. Whatever they choose to wear, it should prove to be a gorgeous show. Summer cannot come fast enough.

I love DCP and have truly become addicted. Thank you George and all who helped make this site what it is today. I hope that it continues, as always, feeding my need for corps info and gossip. If not, I will be looking for a good 12 step program. I have a stupid question. What stops someone from doing this? edit link in violation of terms of our use _GD

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! How cool is that? My daughter will be impressed since we are AOL subscribers. Go Phantom!!!

DONE!!!! Loved it! Thank you for the link.

ABSOLUTELY!!

I was very pleased with the ESPN2 program. I think that they (DCI/ESPN2) did an outstanding job. I loved the stories behind the activity to help those who are unfamiliar, understand what they were seeing. I thought of my parents, who know very little about the activity, and now, they have a better idea of what was going on and what their granddaughter did all summer. The story about Megan Ivers was a real tear jerker. Like I don't cry enough when I see the kids perform. The only negative I saw was having to wait impatiently during the commercials, although I was pleased to see the corps/music related ads. I thought that was great! Especially the ones regarding music education. Excellent!! Of course, I would have loved for Phantom as well as the other finalist's shows to be longer clips but I expected a "snippet" just like last year on PBS. They did say, at the beginning of the telecast, that they would be showing a "selection" or "portion" of the shows. I don't think a huge number of people will get the impression that the shows are only 2 minutes long. In some of the highlights, it was obvious that they were starting in the middle of the performance. Have you ever seen ESPN coverage of a national cheerleading championship? or a dance team competition? They show a few seconds of the routines and I doubt that anyone thinks that their routines are that brief. Yes, it would be nice to see every show in its entirety...but, I am happy for any amount of coverage, on a national scale, that the activity gets. Thank you DCI and ESPN2 for giving my daughter and her corps friends another 15 minutes of fame. It will help hold me over until my finals DVDs arrive. :)

How cool would it be that after PR completes their finals performance, if every Phan were to stand up and open an umbrella...paying homage to this WONDERFUL show. Then the rest of the audience could commence beating us about the head and shoulders with our own umbrellas. :P

Go Phantomettes and Phantomgent!!! WE LOVE YOU!! GO SARA!!!!!!

Words cannot express how proud we are of you all! Congrats on a fantastic year! The show is beautiful and you are all champions. We cannot wait to see you in Foxboro! We love you Sara!!!!!

What an exciting summer this has been! My bags are packed and are sitting on the curb. Thursday cannot get here fast enough. I hope that Regiment takes the championship but will happy just to be there to see them perform again and to see my daughter. She broke a rib early in the season but has continued to push through the pain. All of the corps' kids have worked so hard, with braces, ace bandages, icy hot, and advil. They are all truly devoted to this activity. I hope that every member of every corps feels that they had the best show of their lives come finals night. Good luck to them all.

Can someone explain the Allentown Regional to me? The corps are split over two nights but the judging panel is supposedly the same for both nights. Are these considered two separate shows to the judges or is it ONE regional with the scores reflecting the standings of all corps over the two nights ranked against each other? As usual, I am confused.

No, was just watching the DCI site and happened to see it come up. They are on the ball tonight. I was listening to Phantom's scores being announced by phone as those scores were posted as well. Good job DCI.org.

DIVISION I 1 The Cadets 96.500 2 Bluecoats 91.200 3 Blue Knights 86.450 4 Crossmen 83.750 5 Mandarins 79.650 DIVISION II 1 Jersey Surf 83.100

From what I can see, she has only judged them twice this summer...once in Rockford and then again in Denver. Yes, she gave them lower scores than the previous show's Colorguard judge's scores in both instances, but ALOT has changed since Denver. Maybe she will LOVE the additions to the show not to mention how hard the girls (and guy) have been working since her last viewing to clean the show. I would hope that EVERY show is judged objectively and without any personal bias by the judges. :) Go Phantomettes and John!!!

This was our 6th annual pilgrimage to Murfreesboro and it was, without a doubt, the best so far. The weather was beautiful, the crowd was huge, and we had great seats on the 50, 14th row. This show is what introduced my daughter to the activity and I was so happy to see the large number of high school bands there to get a glimpse of how spectacular the marching arts can be. Congratulations Murfreesboro on another great show!! Boston Crusaders I really enjoyed this show. Ode to Joy was beautiful. Their use of the "expanding transparent wing flags" made me say, oooooooo. Very nice music. Beautiful sound. My husband also commented on how much he liked this show and he usually keeps his opinions to himself. Carolina Crown I loved the angel theme and thought the guard was excellent. Sarah McLaughlan's Angel, brought tears to my eyes. Lovely. The angel wing flags were appropriate and visually beautiful. Can someone explain the 444 to me? Bluecoats I love this show. Very entertaining. Excellent sound coming from the brass. The music is wonderful, the guard is fabulous. I love the color scheme of the guard uniforms and silks. There is nothing more exciting than a guard doing silent work well. Shout out to Elizabeth Heath....your solos were beautiful. Congrats on a brilliant show, Blooooooo!! Phantom Regiment Last time I saw the kids was in Rockford. Wow...they have added SO much. It was spectacular. The tears began to flow when they entered the field with the umbrellas up....how clever. I love Gershwin. They have done a spectacular job with the arrangements and their brass sound is unbelievable. Being a mom, I am biased but the guard was sensational. The costume changes were done so well and the outfits and silks were gorgeous. John Owen....what a talent, so much fun to watch, and all around nice young man. The umbrellas were visually stunning. Fast paced drill...executed effortlessly at lightning speed. Congratulations on a wonderful show. Obviously our favorite this year...hope it wins it all. We love you Sara and are so proud of you. See you in Foxboro. Madison Scouts Great big brass sound and a fast paced, action filled, drill. Carmen is beautiful and her entrance is very well done. I have seen the show a few times and have NEVER seen her enter until she is "unveiled" by the guys. Great job. The guard guys are very talented and do a great job of telling the story. Their contrasting uniforms work well with the "gang" theme. Madison's unis have been my favorite since they made the change. Madison has an "air" about them which makes you sit up and take notice. Good job guys. Shout out to the Brothers Watson. Blue Devils I am a huge fan of BD. Their shows have always been my favorites and their talent is undeniable. I love the concept of this show. Great choice to showcase their extremely talented guard. I love to watch the BD guard dance...they are stunning. I felt that they ran around alot and I would have liked to see more dancing and "work". The backwards nature of the dance marathon was interesting. I did not care for the running disortation coming from the pit. It distracted me.....I was trying to figure out where it was coming from. I left the show after BD, so that I could go visit with my daughter because I feared that with the abbreviated retreat, she might end up being gone before we could get to her. Luckily, that was not the case. The following are just my opinions based upon previous viewings and have nothing to do with the Murfreesboro show. Cadets The last time I saw this show was in Lisle. I did not understand what was going on but I attributed that to not seeing Kill Bill. Seemed a little chaotic and hectic. They played well and the guard is always very talented. Looking forward to seeing them again in Foxboro...maybe I can watch Kill Bill before then to help me. Cavaliers I love the Cavies. Every year their show is my favorite. I saw them in Memphis and it was my third or fourth viewing. I LOVE THIS SHOW!! The ladders are great props and add so much to the visual package. The guys have that distinctive style to their marching that sets them apart from all of the others. They have a dignity to them that is a joy to watch. The guard is fantastic as always and I really do like their uniforms but do not care much for the hats. Their hat changes remind me of the cartoon where Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd have hats falling from the sky and they take on the character of whatever hat lands on their head. Anyway.....I hope that they finish in 2nd place....right behind my Phantom Regiment. :) Side note: Hanging at the corps camps after shows is always the highlight for me...getting to visit with my daughter and seeing her friends in other corps. I did not like the fact that I felt the need to miss the Cadets and Cavies in order to have time with her. I was relieved to see that they did not pull out until midnight but was disappointed that I missed out on two great shows. The most memorable moment of the evening was back at the corps' camp where we all watched three young men streak through the different corps wearing nothing but a yellow chicken head and foam cowboy hats. My daughter just shrugged and said, "Welcome to drum corps." :P

1.Cadets - Scoring very high. I am not bright enough to understand this show. 2.Blue Devils - Have not seen their show....but I am sure it is fabulous. Love the concept. ^0^ 3.Cavies - Champion, IMO. My favorite EVERY year. Love this show. b**bs 4.Bluecoats - Coming up quickly behind PR. Scary. :( 5.Carolina Crown - Congrats. High guard scores...they must stop that. :) 6.Boston Crusaders - Have not seen their show yet. 7.Madison Scouts - Have good friends with kids marching there. Otherwise, they would be higher on my list. :P Good luck Joseph and Chris. 8.Phantom Regiment - Even with my bias, I think their show is the most beautiful of all that I listened to from the San Antonio APDs. I have not seen the many changes since Show of Shows, but from what I hear, they are wonderful. I will be in Murfreesboro, front and center, with my rainstick, sweating and balling like a baby. Go Regiment!! Go Sara!! Work that umbrella, girl!!

I think Phantom's show is wonderful, but I am completely biased. The music is breathtaking and the guard members are beautiful and extremely talented. I cannot wait to see the show again in Murfreesboro and oh yeah, I get to see my daughter. Tears WILL be shed. Thank goodness for DCP and the reviews. I am addicted and need a 12 step program. Phantom Regiment ------> We love you Sara!!! Go gettum!!

Matthew, Now I feel terrible. I really enjoyed your performance and I hope you take my review in the spirit in which it was given. I take it all back...I loved your sashes. :)

Here are some pictures (although pretty rough) of Phantom at rehearsal and at the Memphis Show on Sunday. http://www.angelfire.com/music6/phantompics/index.html

Disclaimer: I am a Rookie Phantom Guard Mom with nothing but marching band experience prior to this summer. These are my thoughts and opinions and DEFINATELY not that of anyone important. Venue Very nice, new Desoto Central High School. Grass on the field needed some major seeding between the hash marks...was worried about the trippage factor especially when the rains began. Nice capacity crowd. I live outside of Memphis so this was my daughter's home show. Music City Legend Small group from Nashville performed in exhibition. I loved the conductor whose interaction with the crowd was fun and unexpected. They did not do any drill, per say, but had lovely limbo technique. Very nice for the vocabulary score. They played one of my most favorite Pablo Cruise songs. Couture Score: 3 - Lose the sashes. Court of Honor Performed music from Suessical the Musical which I found interesting because being a long time fan of Dr. Suess, was interested to hear the score. I was thinking to myself, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, should have been represented. Couture Score: 7 - Loved the corps uniforms. The Guard's quirky coveralls were very Suessesque and I especially loved the "Cat in the Hat" flags. Americanos The Guard did a wonderful job holding onto their equipment when the cool winds began signaling that the rains were soon upon us. There were hats a-flying and even one of the field judges lent a hand and picked one up so as not to cause any problems. Couture Score: 5 - Loved how their sashes looked like piano keyboards although, I am, in no way, promoting the use of keyboards or pianos in drum corps. Memphis Sound Hometown favorite. I would love these kids even if I did not know them. One of the mellophones is the drum major for my daughter's high school. She has many friends who march there. I loved their show and thought that they have done an outstanding job for their second year out. The Guard looked wonderful and has GREAT potential to be really good as the season progresses. Couture Score: 8 - Unis have great field appeal. Good job Bobby. The Guard looked great in their "shades of blue". What was first thought a "lipstick malfunction" on one of the Guard gals turned out to be an argument between her rifle and her nose. The rifle won but she stayed in the entire show like a real champ. No broken bones, thank goodness. Southwind I really enjoyed their show. The music of the Mummy was lovely. The Guard had some lovely moments which I enjoyed immensely. Lots of color. Couture Score: 7 - Unis are much better than last year...thank you Broken Arrow. The Guard unis are wonderful but I especially liked the variation of the Guard theme on the Drum Major in black. Very fetching. Troopers Besides the obvious choices, the Troopers were one of my favs of the evening. I loved their choice of music which included what I thought was Shenandoah, one of my very favorite pieces. I was standing up and screaming, not realizing that the show was not over yet....then came taps. WOW! What a lovely moment. Loved the flags with the crossed sabres. Couture Score: 9 - I love these uniforms. They are nostalgic and all American. The Guard unis could use some sprucing up but over all....very appealing to this American eye. Madison Scouts I really loved their show. Full of action, full of sound. The Guard was on fire! The last note was neverending and took all of the wrinkles out of this ole gal's face. Blew me away!!! The rotating line was wonderful...reminded me of the ice capades. Couture Score: 10 - What is not to love about a bunch of blond, tan, fit, young men in tight pants? My favorite uniform of all corps ANYWHERE. Phantom Regiment I spent most of my time staring at the skies and praying that the show would not be called because of the rain. I did not care that I was soaked and my hair looked like Donald Trump's. This was, after all, my first viewing of my first born as a member of Phantom's Colorguard. I would not be denied. I was amazed at the speed of the drill and the beauty of the music. With the exception of the ballad, they were at a full run most of the time. The Guard was wonderful with so much talent and were right on in spite of their wet equipment. I thought that nothing could top Madison's last note....I was wrong. Musically, Phantom is awesome and will continue to amaze judges from here to Denver. I feel honored that they would allow my daughter to be a part of such a great program. Couture Score: 10 - The white uniforms are crisp and clean just like Phantom's music. Missed the chickens, however. The Guard was adorable in their different variations on the tango theme. I cannot wait until I get to see them again...maybe in Orlando, where there might be a chance of sunshine. To my daughter, I could not be any more proud!! Go get em, girl!! I love you.

Give me your impressions of Phantom's Guard and most importantly, their uniforms. My daughter described hers but she told me that they are all different. I know, I know, I am all about the clothes...isn't that just like a Guard Mom? I know it is early but I want to see polaroids!! :D

Thank you so much for letting us live through your wonderful stories. ^OO^

This is wonderful!! I have been waiting for Joe Hul's Journal to begin so that I could keep up with all the happenings. Thank you so much for your in depth look behind the scenes. It made my week. By the way, my daughter, was the Guard member you picked up from the Clock Tower after arriving late after Graduation. Thank you for taking care of her for us! I look forward to installment number 3.