GeorgeHester

my definitions, and some might not be what others would say... As a trumpet player, I've missed my share of notes and know all of these too well: *chip* - when going for a high note and miss it, hitting the partial below, but then recovering quickly to get that higher note. *crack* - simply just a missed note that sounds kinda wrong... usually gets buried in the section and in the middle of a phrase. just a missed partial and it lasts just a millisecond. you hear something was wrong, but it wasn't too awful. *frack*/*frak*/*cack* - a missed note that is painfully obvious and makes you go "ooohhhh". Typically hitting just between the partials but on a bit longer of a note than a *crack*. Usually the last note of a solo when it's *cracked*... seems to echo a bit longer than had it just been a missed note in the middle. At times, the name is relevant to the quality of sound and the instrument who plays it. Sometimes it sounds more like a frak... other times it's obviously a cack! *splatter* - usually associated with the low brass instruments and the sound you get when the sound goes a little past that "edge" causing the note to literally split and accidentally hitting another note somewhere in the middle or end of the long note. (another word for this is *spread*). *splee-ah* - one of the worst errors, but also the most colorful sounding mistake and one that makes you giggle when you hear it (unless it was you playing it)... the sound when a note is hit then immediately missed up then down. Almost like an unintentional turn/grace note. I could name solos/moments in shows as examples of each of these, but I'd rather not as I don't want it to be interpreted as me making fun of those musicians. I don't want to do that. Nobody's perfect and mistakes happen... but I will say that I have committed ALL of those *effects* at one time or another and I'm okay making fun of myself. We all have very different explanations of all these and different names. Those are just the few that happen the most often that I know of.

2000... best Cadets show ever, next to 1987.

no prob! :) I don't post or read much on here except right around and after finals, so I probably missed the original one. Thanks. :)

surprised it's not on the list - 1988 SCV... anyone? I'd say 1993 Star, but 88 SCV is a very close second. I personally liked the 88 Phantom of the Opera show better than the 89 version. edit: oops, I just saw this was part two... could 88 scv be in part one? I couldn't find it, so I guess I'll leave this as is for now. :)

tough for me to choose just one... I'd say the Troopers story is what I would consider to be what I will remember most. Such a talented corps that has a strong history and great people running and teaching them. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the future seasons. Crown is my next fav story... followed by SCV. Those shows were just amazing.

Agreed. But I don't think the mass brass was longer... we definitely took forever when playing off the field. but I do wish it would come back. I loved hearing all the corps songs or selected show segment specific for that "exit encore" - which is kinda what it is.... a little mini-encore for each corps to leave the audience and the champ with a little "thank you". I know it takes a while and stadiums wanna kick everyone out so they can shut down and clean. But you know, it would make up for the fact that they only do retreat for finals now. Back in my day, we'd do full corps retreats for EVERY show... even those little ones in Iowa. ;)

YES INT!!!! they got shafted in GE.

haha!!! yes! :)

I'm not exactly sure, but I don't think Dean has worked with The Cavaliers since 1995. He took a couple years off, but I think started at SCV around 1997m was there until 2001-ish when he went to Cadets... now at Troopers since last year. I, also, could be mistaken some, but that's me going off what's on the top of my head without looking it up. Dean is an incredible teacher, musician and person. Probably one of the best friends and teachers I've ever had. Gordon Henderson had been the brass caption head at The Cavaliers from the 1992-1994 seasons. That was during the time of the "3-year" cycle they had with brass caption heads - '92-'94: Gordon, '95-'97: Bill Watson, '98-'00: Drew Shanefield... and Bertman since 2001 has been the first time in a while a caption head was on for more than 3 years consecutively. Back on the topic though - Gordon then went to SCV, around the same time as Dean, where he stayed for a while... I honestly didn't know he worked for Cadets, but knew about Troopers. :)

my first time online since it all went down. what a mess. my apt. still has no power and no water. who knows when it'll all be back. Thankfully i have some friends in the surrounding cities. I hope everyone else is okay!

This may have already been mentioned, but the re-sell value of woodwinds won't be nearly as good as brass if you're rehearsing hours and hours in the 90-degree and humid south. I don't know anything about woodwinds and their pads, etc., but I do know that water/humidity isn't so good for them. Since many corps buy/sell their brass and percussion equipment (and some is endorsed, on loan or rented) I doubt that adding even a handful of woodwinds would make it financially beneficial to the corps, just for the sake of creating a musical moment that won't stick out any more than if it were done with brass. I do understand that woodwinds have some different capabilities and less range limitations as brass, but that's what makes the drum and bugle corps so special and why I have the highest respect and appreciation for the amazing musicians that arrange/compose the shows we see and hear today. They can do so much with so little and it's such an entertaining activity, for me at least. I love band, but drum corps is drum corps and should remain drums, brass and the occasional acoustic voice, IMO.

edit... missed a whole section from OP. answered my own question. :)

I'm very excited about this!

a bunch of memorable ones I keep seeing: - SCV 88 vs. 89 - the Star "what if..." questions - what's louder? G or Bb? (not so much these days but it lasted a good 5 years until it died down) - what does Splooie mean? - what does SUTA mean? - What is your favorite finals location? - favorite 2nd place show - What happened with the 1989 BD soloist? - Star 93 should have won - Tie scores...

it's free to sign up and takes no time... just do that because you'll get all your info faster.

Crown's ballad!

so many replies to go through but here's my take. It's too difficult to define drum corps with any single show. So many unique characteristics from corps to corps that makes the activity as much fun as it is. My suggestion - give them the 1995 videos/DVD and that would just about cover it. The precision and power of The Cavaliers playing a very symphonic show and a visual design that still today gets much praise. a Cadets show and Bluecoats both doing very "American" and patriotic shows in each of their own ways. Blue Devils portraying probably one of the darkest shows ever in the top 12 and one that couldn't contrast more with either The Cavaliers or Cadets. Then you have Madison... now that show just rocks! By itself, just an amazingly entertaining show that I think we can all agree is just a rock 'em sock 'em, thowin' down just awesome drum corps show. :) I'm sure anyone would enjoy that show. A Regiment show that features one of my favorite ballads, with the Rachmaninoff. SCV doing something a little "out there" with Not the Nutcracker. Colts with a show based on a Sondheim broadway musical - Sunday in the Park. Glassmen with their twist on Baroque music for the drum corps field. Crossmen, with what I think is an all-original show... quite modern and a bit abstract, from what I remember. Robert W. Smith compositions?? Magic's second year in finals, I believe, and doing an show that may have also been original. And to tie it all together to today - Carolina Crown in their first ever finals performance. So, in my opinion, loaning that person the top 12 from 1995 would pretty much cover the bases. I didn't march that year, but it's one of the years of drum corps that seems to be most memorable to me and most enjoyable to watch ALL of the top 12 from finals. I think the average person would have a hard time understanding the activity after watching any single show, but I do believe 1995 does a great job showcasing a huge variety of shows from corps to corps that portrays a more diverse selection than most any other year. EDIT: I'd just like to point out that I understand what the OP was asking for, but I don't think it's really worth just showing ONE show. If the newbie(s) are actually going to get anything out of it (IMO) they need to see more than just ONE show... and I believe they would want to also.

One that's out on YouTube somewhere... 2006 Cavaliers in their victory performance, one of the tenor players totaled his carrier on the last note of the drum break. The video is right on him too as they are jammin' at the end there and then "wham!" the carrier snapped or something. I never confirmed if the guy ended up just carrying them by hand for the rest of the show but it's both funny and unfortunate. At least it didn't happen the previous performance. :)

I think you mean, until BluRay players are cheaper than DVD players. I have been to Best Buy and seen just how amazing BluRay looks (and sounds) but just like DVD players were when they first came out, they were just too expensive for the average consumer. And to get the best quality, you also need an HD tv, right? So, I would LOVE it if dci came out on BluRay... heck, you would probably be able to fit it all on ONE disc... and maybe have extra room for a bunch of other stuff. But the dci market might not be able to benefit from mass producing to bluray until it is essentially the "standard" video disc player - which might still be another 5-10 years away.

Finally!!!! Awesome!!!!!!

wow... what an amazing gesture.

To be honest, this is somewhat embarrassing. I've read the same things y'all have and I'm just in shock that it would go this far. I know it's "just retreat" as some would say and I already even commented on this same thread poking fun at the subject... but if you're falling over into the Cadets block, and on the feet of one of their members... that's just wrong. I believe it was a mistake... maybe they didn't mean to do this to that extreme but come on guys... that's ridiculous. I am somewhat ashamed of this incident. I think it's great that everyone has their own etiquette at retreat and does what they want to sometimes, but I agree that it crosses the line (no pun intended) when it goes as far as physically interfering with another corps' block. Some of them probably all saw this and laughed (like I did at first) but if it were a momentary thing... maybe it could slide. But lying there until George Hopkins had to come over and say or do whatever is inexcusable. It very well may have been this individual's bad judgment and people around him (in the cavaliers) probably tried to get him to move, but he chose to ignore everyone? I don't know. Kids are kids, ya know. But this really shouldn't ever happen.

we usually just were relaxed in retreat... and I'm pretty sure it's very similar now as it was when I aged out 10 years ago. I can see how people perceive us as "mocking" the other corps, but that's kind of what we do. But we do it as subtly as possible. Yeah there are times it went a little too far but I wouldn't call any of it disrespectful. In many ways, it's just a matter of opinion. What was great was that we would get out there and line up and it wasn't that we didn't have a plan... but sometimes (when it wasn't me) whoever made the calls to 'step off' and 'halt' would make it much more interesting than the monotonous "1, 2, ready, move" and it made retreat that much easier to get through. Of course, when I marched we had retreat 32 times a year. :) Did anyone catch Bluecoats in 2004 as they entered the field for finals retreat? I vaguely remember them putting together a tetris sequence as they came on! I didn't see it because I was with the staff in the back field, but I heard it was pretty cool. Some corps are very very straight forward and have a traditional way of composing themselves during the entire retreat process. Others are simply more relaxed about it. I would never want to see it turn into a big circus but from what I've seen from many corps over the years, it's actually nice to have some corps more relaxed about it and some who are traditionally, well... traditional about it. (not to say that everyone isn't relaxed... no need to do a play on words.) There are people from other organizations that would disagree but in the years I marched, it was just a fun time sitting on the field for what seemed like 2 hours as they announced scores for some of those shows. And Preview of Champions in 1993... we were in Ypsilanti, MI and our hornline had just kneeled down. I forget who was around us but out of nowhere someone yelled "INCOMING!!!" and I saw a load of jolly ranchers land about 2-feet in front of me. (thankfully it didn't hit my horn). :) But then a couple more came in and landed right next to me... one even hit me in the hat! I just picked it up and ate it! hahaha! Probably wasn't supposed to eat in uniform and all that, but hey... I was 16 and friggin' hungry after not eating for so long. Anyway, I could talk all day about my retreat stories, but that would have little to do with what this thread is about and that is The Cadets, who are always the most classy and traditional when it comes to their etiquette at retreat. Every corps has their thing and whenever I've seen The Cadets in retreat, it has always been very classy and very professional. :)

Actually, one of the Cavalier guys yells out "help me find Courtney" who is a good friend of his in Phantom's hornline and former schoolmate. I know them both so when I heard that I smiled. :) (it's at the 1:00 mark) That's definitely something I will never forget. It was such a great feeling to be in retreat right next to Phantom and when it was our turn to play we set up our arc facing them and played Rainbow. And what was really neat was that everyone in Regiment's corps stopped for those few moments and just huddled together as an audience and listened to us play for them. They didn't have to stop but they did. It was and is probably my most memorable moment from 1996. Since I had so many good friends in that corps, it was an amazing feeling to be able to give our final musical performance of the season for them and seeing the looks on their faces as they watched and listened to us was something I'll never forget. There were lots of tears of joy shed that night. :,) Congratulations to the 2008 Phantom Regiment and all my friends who are there... Adam, M.Floyd, M.James, Courtney, Emma, Miho, Ellis, Daniel, Paul and anyone else I forgot. :) I know this isn't the official "congrats" thread, but I don't think it matters. :) Congratulations!

That was quite nice. Congratulations to Phantom Regiment. I loved the show when I saw it live in San Antonio and I loved it when I watched it on the Fan Network for semi's. Those corps members said it best. It's all about the performance and the feeling of connecting with the crowd. I miss performing as much as I used to but there's nothing better than that feeling of going out there and doing what you love and having people show their appreciation for it. Great job to all my friends who either marched or taught at Regiment this year and congratulations on an amazing season!