Lieut. General Effect

'75 Hawthorne Muchachos... Hands down. ...Nobody else even close. ( but that's just one guy's opinion here, mind you )

'' Star 93 " ?.......Hardly. That Corps finished in 2nd place ( to the Cadets ) that year. Even with the judges. And by no means were they the fans favorite that year.

I like variety in shows and approaches. 3 years ago, at DCA Championships, I watched a Corps from Japan ( the Inspires )whose average age was probably about 22, entertain the DCA crowd with a highly innovative, sophisticated and "quiet show " that simply dazzled everyone in attendance. The crowd was mesmerized by their truly stunning musical and visual show. Within moments, I and others listened to another competing DCA Corps ( San Fran. Renegades ) that literally peeled our ears back. I hadn't heard a wall of sound like that since "95 Madison Scouts. It was incredible. Mouths dropped wide open at their opening chords. The Empire Statesmen exuded showmanship and were very entertaining. I could go on. But the bottom line is... there are very few people who leave a DCA Finals weekend of mini Corps Competition, Alumni Corps Spectacular, IE Competition, and the DCA competing Corps competition, saying they did not enjoy themselves with what they saw and heard.

I agree. Boy, does this poster seem out of the loop regarding DCA. Personally, having attended both DCI and DCA Finals both the last 2 years, I'd say neither is more superior to the other in the overall 3 day entertainment package. If pushed, I might say that DCA was a tad more entertaining as the short season made no Corps a clear favorite and there generally was a real question mark as to who would win. That made it exciting. 3 years ago, a Corps from Japan, the Inspires, shocked the DCA Crowd in attendance. They literally came out of the blue to compete at DCA, and they were clean, polished, sophisticated and musically and visually stunning. They beat a lot of Corps that never anticipated them in the mix at all. That made things very interesting. At DCI, once the Semi winner is announced ,you pretty much have the winner of the Championship. That's because for the last 30+ years, the Corps that wins the DCI Semi's almost always wins the Championship. There are also many more surprise placements between the Semi's and Finals at DCA than DCI most years. ( Inspires beating Hawthorne Cabs ) Plus, the DCA crowds are getting more of a younger audience every year, as more younger people opt for the DCA Corps than in previous years. I like DCI. But DCA is on the right track, as it's member Corps continue to grow, and it's audiences grow in numbers as well.

Everyone is entitled to a contrarian opinion and you've expressed yours. The 2005 Phantom Regiment were, hands down, the crowd favorite from coast to coast this year. No other Corps came close. The applause they got when their score was announced at DCI Finals made the announcer have to stop before he could anounce the next score as he correctly concluded that he would not have been heard over the din had he proceeded. So he waited until the thunderous applause stopped.That said, there were surely a handful of people at DCI like yourself that felt the 2005 Phantom Regiment was " uninteresting " compared to earlier Phantom offerings. It just demonstates that when it comes to personal likes and tastes, not everyone has the same likes nor dislikes. And if they did, how boring that would be.

I'm in. SCVwere a definate crowd favorite at Quarters, Semi's, and most definately on Finals Night in Foxboro, Ma. ( The hand they got completely dwarfed that of the Blue Devils for instance )

I'm a sucker for Crown's " Angel " ballad. It sounds so smooth on audio. It has gone right into my top 10 best Drum Corps ballads of all time.

The year the Bridgemen awesome drum line line played a piece blindfolded with bandanas. That was pretty " cool ". That " groovy " concept was later incorporated into the stage hit " Blast " by that group's shows designers too.

The first time I ever saw the Bridgemen enter the field . That Corps lived and breathed the term " hip ", ..." cool "..." groovy". Nobody took the field for competition like they did.... NOBODY. Prior to them , Corps members marched onto the field to take up their field formations. The Bridgemen ? they had a Completely different entry onto the field. Their entry was a very defined and very unique.....SWAGGER entrance. Right away...instantly....the audience knew that this Corps was definately" different ". Those who were around to see the Bridgemen know exactly what I'm talking about, I'm sure.

ESPN will be able to gauge TV 's that stay tuned to the program, and those where interest waned for one reason or another and the remote was used to switch channels. So we will learn not only the raw numbers, but the internal activitiy as well, as to whether or not a viewer who switched on the DCI telecast stayed with the program, or became bored and switched quickly after initial peaked curiosity. My guess, ESPN will be doing a focus group, or sampling, and will be able to get back to DCI with the good or bad or so so numbers regarding the national audience reation.

Either way, this ESPN telecast will be providing us all with an innovative and fresh look from outsiders as to what they think of DCI brand of Drum Corps. If the ratings are good, it wil tell us all that DCI is on the right track in growing an audience. On the other hand, if the public is confused or disinterested with the shows, then this might be just the impetus that DCI needs to change it's format to become more general audience friendly. Then again, if the ratings are low, and DCI Corps do not change, then we can at least acknowledge that DCI is happy being an activity that has liitle popular appeal, and any future claim that DCI is interested in growing the audience base ( without more general audience appeal as a priority ) is simply hollow rhetoric. So either way, we are going to learn some very interesting things when the ESPN telecast numbers come in after the telecast. I'm not nervous at all. Why should we be ? It's all good as far as I can see. As we will learn some interesting things. And learning some interesting things can hardly be a negative for those of us not involved in the decision making at DCI or the DCI Corps music and visual design at all.

I was in Foxboro in 94. Blue Devils were the crowd favorite. Madison a close second. Madison 95 though was the crowd favorite. 89 Santa Clara's Phantom of the Opera was a classic. Hands down the best in 89.That's why it was voted best show ever by DCI fans last winter. ( I actually thought SCV 88 version was better ) Although 89 Phantom was also a heck of a show, and one of my favorites. I'll also put in a plug for Blue Devils 86. They won that year, and If there was a better crowd favorite than them that year, I forget who that was.

75 Madison, 84 Cadets, 88 Madison, 89 Santa Clara , 94 Blue Devils, are a few that immediately come to mind.

Crown. I've played all the ballards of the top 12 on DCI Pass. Crown's ballard sounds just as good to me as when I heard and saw it live. Their ballard was simply " angelic " this year. One of the best ballards I've ever heard. And I have heard quite a few. Cadets drum line parts ruined what would have been a close 2nd choice for me, despite the fact the brass arrangement and execution was superb. I understand what the snare line was doing in this ballard with it's different tempo from the brass section and that fit in well with the theme. It just gets beat out by Crown's ballard that overall was just more pleasing to this poster's ears in the end. Percussion, battery, and brass line all were better integrated into Crown's ballard to give them my vote. What an incredible mellophone line useage in Crown's ballard too.

THE GOOD..... Kudos to DCI for their getting Drum Corps onto ESPN2, Nationwide Cinema's, and the intro of DCI Pass that despite some early glitches still has a lot of good possibilities for fans in the future.......Phantom Regiment dazzling many of us this year........East Coast Jazz coming on strong with a pleasing show and winning the Div 2 Title.......Carolina Crown " Angel ' ballard. On DCI Pass it sounds great........ Glassmen with a surprisingly fan friendly show this year.......SCV at finals( wow)..... Boston in the Quarters ( wow)...... Southwind a corps to watch in the future.......Phantom's central performer with 19 stitches in his hand from an injury the week of the Championships and yet performed flawlessly at Finals...........Bluecoats with a strong year for them and a visual and demanding drill that should have gotten more credit.......Madison's stong year......Crossmen's pleasing musical book despite their placement.........Blue Knights late run. Very clean at Finals........DCA continued growth in fan base and no. of Corps........Continued growth of Corps Alumni Associations ( some fielding parade and exhibition Corps )....... Legendary Hall of Fame Jazz Trumpeter, Maynard Furguson playing a public musical gig with some legendary Drum Corps buglers in Bridgeport, CT earlier this year.........Reading Buccaneers steady climb to the top.........Div 3 Title winner the Raiders doing so without a drum Major who left mid season due to illness in Family........Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Corps ability to continue to exude class and showmenship that has never gone out of style with this fine corps that has collected enough trophies in it's history to fill up most of the lower concert side of Gillette Stadium.........and finally, the baritone soloist in the Colts who fracked the beginning of her solo in " 'till there was you" in the Semi's, but kept her cool, and finished the rest of her solo well, and marched and played flawlessly the rest of the show....... That is what makes Drum Corps so endearing THE BAD........ I'll leave that for another day.

I'd agree. Phantom Regiment 2005 goes into my top 30. I guess I was partial to the fact that Phantom's priincipal dancer showed that he could utilize the Color Guard equipment that makes up a Drum Corps competition. Plus, there's was a seemless show that just flowed from beginning to end. ( not sure who gets kicked out though that's already in......haha). Cadets 2005 isn't even in any of my top 10 of Cadets shows, as talented as they were this year. Terrific ballard. Otherwise, too choppy and confusing a show and exceedingly gimmicky for my taste. Also, The Cadets and Madison's principal characters.....dancers..... had limited or no abilities using the equipment in a Drum and Bugle Corps and Color Guard as near as I could tell. But some loved the Cadets which is fine with me too. To each his own. Not everybody likes the same automobile, nor brand of ice cream. Nor should they.

Anyone on this thread, whether they subscribe to DCI Pass or not, can get a free short snippet of the contrast betwwen the G and the Bb. Simply go to DCI Pass. Click on " Corps " in the upper right hand corner, and click on Madison Scouts. Then click on year 1984. If you click on that year, it is programmed to provide a snippet of Madison. They are playing " Ballet in Brass ". One can readily hear the " G" sound in the soprano section piece that is played for a few seconds. This might help people understand a little more about the contasting sound in the soprano " G" bugle and contrasted with the Bb trumpets. Those who subscribe to DCI Pass can play the song in lengthier detail, and then go to Cavies last year for instance and play the opener when the soprano's are featured and the contrast in the sound is apparent. ( Again, we are not contrasting musicianship levels here, just the SOUND )

Excellent points and right on the money. Now that we have DCI PASS, subscribers can listen to the G Bugle lines and the more current Bb trumpets. What is most noticeable is the soprano sound whan played in tandem. When the Cavies, Phantom, Cadets, etc do their soprano licks apart from the other brass sections on occasion ,the stark difference is immediately noticeable. There is a clear and pronounced high pitched tinniness there that the " G " bugles did not have.I'm sure even to the untrained ear. it can be noticed. Those who have DCI Pass may want to play these recent Corps Soprano lines, and then listen to the lines in the mid 80's for instance. Forget the musicianship for a moment. Just listen to the contrast in the soprano sounds. The " G " Bugle is deeper in tone, and carries the air more quickly to the bell, and thus the Corps could generate more volume. The " G " soprano bugle has a deeper darker lower sound. I'd even submit, a more quality sound, but this is certainly subjective and revolves around personal taste. You are correct that this is a result of the wider bell. Nice thread discussion. Very informative too!

I don't see woodwinds in Drum Corps. But I could be wrong too. Did DCI allow these musicians this year to demonstate their multiple creative musical talents by allowing other instruments into the DCI Individuals Competition this year ? It's a fair questiin isn't it ? Would DCI have allowed a band kid to bring in ( say )an electric guitar to the competition, that heretofore was reserved for drums, bugles, and auxiliary equipment ? Surely there are band kids who are talented with the electric or folk guitar. If the answer is "no " than the refrain that this was just a harmless opportunity for band kids kids to demonstrate their musical talent in other areas could be questioned by a reasonable person as possibly....just possibly......duplicitous. There is nothing wrong with people being vigilant who are against woodwinds in this activity, nor asking whether the Saxophone Competition this year at the DCI Individuals and Ensemble Competition was nothing or was in fact the clever camel getting his nose underneath the tent for the first time and watching to see if he caused a ruckus or not.

I think it would be helpful though to differentiate between booing a Corps performance, ie right after they finish, and the booing of the judges who may have put a Corps in a placement that some of the boobirds did not like. Booing the judges is as much a disappointment that another Corps did not finish higher for some reason, than being about the other Corps the judges placed higher. Booing is uncivil, and inappropriate. in my opinion. But it's a little more forgiving in my book, than booing a Corps after a performance. Booing a Corps after a performance is so rare, I'm no sure I recall hearing it before. As for not clapping for a Corps, I have only a slight concern with that. I'd hope those fans who were not entertained by a Corps would at least acknowledge the effort. But it's a personal choice. And with the price of admission goes that inherent right. I prefer to clap for all the Corps for the effort. But my most enthusiastic clapping is reserved for those Corps who connected with me in some way that was more unique than some of the others. And this was done at DCI this year. I think most DCI fans reserve their best hands for those Corps that they enjoyed the most, and this generally has little connection with a judges evaluation. It is only the very special Corps that come in first with the judges and win the entertainment award with the most fans that year. Those are the truly special years, where the judges and the fans are on the same page and the best executed show and the most pleasing show to the most people are one and the same Corps. But we have had those years in DCI. ( 75, 87, 89, 94, etc ) It has happened. But those years are more the exception, rather than the rule. Some things never change. And this is one of them.

No. Most Fans in Drum Corps know that many kids in Boston, arn't from Boston, nor the Cavaliers from Rosemont' Illinois,. The Bluecoats are just as easily a Corps from Texas as from Canton, Ohio. The Cadets arn't all from Jersey either. Not by a long shot. So there is no regional approach to looking and supporting Corps now. That's passe. To do so would be " weird " as the Corps have gone Global now, and have for many years. Thus most fans cheer enthusiastically for a Corps now for all the right reasons.....because that Corps show connected with the audience. The regional pride stuff went out the window long ago, except for those remaining fans still stuck in the past.

The Star of Indiana must have been booed in the midwest in 1993. That's because a review of the schedule for that year from Corpsrep shows that the Star of Indiana never came to New England, New York, New Jersey. They were never in the Northeast that year. So this repeated story of Star being booed in 1993, could only have occurred in the Midwest where 90% of the schedule for the Star of Indiana for 1993 took place until they headed South for the Finals in Jackson, Mississippi. The fact is, I've never heard a Corps booed in a show in the East. Ever. And it was a Corps from the Midwest....Phantom Regiment.....that clearly was the favorite of the Eastern fans I spoke with this year. They loved Phantom this year. More so than any Eastern Corps. So there seems to be a little regional bias here among a few posters where the facts just don't match the scurrilous charges of the fans at Foxboro this year. There was nothing wrong with the fans in Foxboro, many of whom came from all over the Country.

I saw the crowd electrified with Boston's performance in the Quarters, the Crossmen's in the Semi's, Phantom's in all 3 shows, Santa Clara's in the Finals, and there were others that the crowd responded well too as well. If Corps connected in a visceral or emotional or intellectual way with the audience, the audience responded well to that connection. If some Corps failed to connect with the audience, many of whom came from all sections of the Country, and from various backgrounds and experiences, that is not the paying audience's fault. It is the height of rudeness to blame the many fans in the audience when a performance leaves them flat. And again, this was not a college football crowd filled with booers in Foxboro, that's for sure. These posters who say this are simply rude to unneccessarily blame the audience for booing. Something that just did not occur from my vantage point in watching all the Corps for 3 days.

Now it's come to this.....we criticize the people who forked over $1,000 or more in some cases to fly in or drive many miles in, attend DCI Championship Week, and because some decided they did not want to give some Corps a rousing ovation, it's " the fans fault "who attended. I did not hear any booing at Quarters, Semi's, or Finals. I also do not recall any booing in 1993 of the Star of Indiana at Finals in Jackson, Mississippi after their performance there either. This seems to be a " surburban " myth that is out there. How these things are created, I'm not sure. But I did not hear a single Corps booed at the DCI Championships after their performance this year. So I have no idea what you and others are talking about as you set out to castigate the 25,000+ fans at DCI this year ( and in 1993)for something this poster never heard from a single DCI fan at any of these shows.