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bldbrkr

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Everything posted by bldbrkr

  1. There are fewer corps to audition for. That can make it seem like more kids auditioning. Does anyone have the real statistics? Itemized profit and loss sheets would help. Uniforms, electronics and other equipment. What is the real profit or loss on these? Lawsuits and other legal matters? Salary distribution and any perks? What are the actual numbers? You can say "something doesn't matter that much" but when you are accounting and moving head you have to take everything in consideration. Even a slow bleed can kill you in the end.
  2. I know there were recordings of Crossmen, SCV, 27th and I think either Garfield or Blue Devils. Yes, the were of prelims and of finals ( McGill and the Olympic Stadium) They floated around for awhile, some placed in defunct archives. You might want to ask on Facebook group 80's drumcorps.
  3. Yes, skaters listen to their music. There is an interpretation score they receive in program components. As a skating coach and Crossmen Alum, I understand what you are saying, but I can see the same mismatch thing on the field. In skating, we have to fit things in. Timing of a jump or a sequence of turns required for higher scoring may not naturally fit the music. Every person and element has a unique timing. You can't stay up in the air longer or hold an entrance longer just to accomplish landing on the beat.
  4. I lived there. Tutor 9 hours a week plus speaking it on the job. The language is a beast. But on a related note. while I was there they had a cultural shift. 6 year old kids could walk safely 5 blocks to home in pitch black and alone. I think it as my 2nd year there they instituted sports safety rules and public safety campaigns. like don't get in the car with strangers, it's not ok for old men to sit and watch young girls training, BUT, there was the whole "Free the ******" campaign here everyone fought for the right to be topless. Talk about awkard coaching teenage girls then! Yes, swear words are aloud in most countries I've been too as is nudity on TV. It's intent that matters to them. Puritan values here in the states not there. Having said all that, I really hope they put some kind of BOD in DCI and in individual corps that have business sense, maybe an HR background... so many resources other than people in the activity. You need people that aren't entrenched in pageantry to move it ahead.
  5. Well, there is ð, æ, þ, and ö and yes, I passed my Icelandic language test to get my citizenship there.
  6. It has. I don't want to stir the pot, but my years in drumcorps were filled with MANY inappropriate happenings. I think that even with all the things going on now, it pales in comparison. So often, the abused became the abusers. The list of things that need to be changed is huge. Even zero tolerance hasn't prevented abuse in other sports and arts.
  7. It happens in figure skating and hockey as well. No matter how much Safesport training we go through. Mandatory yearly education, liability insurance and so on. Some jerks have to make it rough for the rest of us who try to do our best for the athletes. Is there any place that hasn't been troubled by all this crap?? Ok,,,,, maybe curling... maybe... not sure about that.
  8. Yes, even in my day things went on that shouldn't have. In some cases, really bad things. Safesport https://uscenterforsafesport.org/?utm_term=safe sport&utm_campaign=SRCH-BD&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=5032680901&hsa_cam=14300958462&hsa_grp=126837155518&hsa_ad=565799991296&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-318236685036&hsa_kw=safe sport&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAiAz--OBhBIEiwAG1rIOgnBsTG-NcYM_BEa4Yghmt8TRAFvWaaNNgRLKfs41W_O2qpUWHXKqRoCidYQAvD_BwE was instituted in many sports. We have to comply with that as well as a background checks in my sport. We are also mandatory reporters. Too bad DCI corps couldn't jump on that band wagon instead of trying to police themselves.
  9. A really great guy and amazing musician. RIP Gary.
  10. Oh, ok. So, basically everyone will get it. Just holding off on everyone getting it at once. That does make sense. Better care of the medical community isn"t strained all at once.
  11. I'm confused on the two weeks thing. I understand 2 weeks to clear yourself and if everyone was doing it at the same time, that makes sense. Everyone on a different two weeks? Kind of like a scatter drill. Can someone edumacate me? Seems like a ways that won't work.
  12. Sorry, yes. It is ,25 to 10. I Meant the feel and ambiguity of the 6.0 system is alive and well. ISU is great at putting out educational videos on PC, but there is still much left up to individual interperpretation in that part of the scoring. Even the Techincal Score GOE - grade of execution, can be a wonky at times.
  13. HI, The old 6.0 system is alive and well in a certain part of the International Judging System. It can be found in the Program Component Scores. That includes, transitions, choreography, skating skills and so on. In many cases it can sink or elevate a skaters placement. I personally prefer the IJS system to 6.0. Each competition is like getting a report card from the judges . The 6.0 system was too vague. The big difference i feel is that DCI and the marching arts don't have set elements that are judged. For example, if everyone had the same Mello sustain and the judges awarded a score based on that same feature in every corps. I think back in the very old days they might have something like this in Drumcorps?? even before my time in the 80's :-)
  14. I speak Icelandic. Either it's the audio of the videos or the actual singing, but it sounds very "english" to me. They need more of that lofty, accent on the first syllable, what the hell are they saying feeling. That's Icelandic :-)
  15. The were' in 12th in prelims and finals in '79.
  16. Brought back some good memories. Thanks for posting!!!
  17. So, it becomes or will become the visual equivalent of "Thunderous Goo" :-(
  18. HI all, this topic might have been beaten to death somewhere else on here, but I couldn't find it. My question is when did spacing, staying in step and form recognition become a thing of the past? I was looking at the stills from Allentown and wow. I was amazed that even the top performing corps .. especially ones that in the past had a great reputation for the old M and M were very much a bit of a mess. I would find it embarrassing to have still pictures on a major website of a cluster of my corps errors. So, is this just me being a dinosaur? Is this all a thing of the past? Thanks, John XMen 80-81
  19. HI, Well, thanks for cheering up this old skating coach. I'm impressed at the knowledge you guys have :-) You should all hope that DCI never adopts a scoring system like the ISU ( International Skating Union). While it is supposed to be more transparent, it still has many grey areas and does indeed lead to cookie cutter programs. AND, it can be tough for the average bear to understand. There's only so many ways to get a level 4 spin and even fewer to get a level 4 step sequence. I do miss the old 6.0 system at times, but it still has some presence in the component scores. On that note... Bluecoats.. WOW! Can;t wait to see the Crossfoot Spinners and the Santa Clara Salchows :-) I do miss figures... compulsories, but they compulsories wouldn't work in the drumcorps activity. Appreciate diversity, not sameness. Best Regards, John Crossmen '80 and '81 Former Head Coach, Skautafelag Reykjavikur, Iceland.
  20. DCI isn't exactly broken. It continues to change and try to keep up with the ever changing financial and social climate. I'm sure DCI has rules, bylaws or something in regards to corps folding and financial situations. Someone should post them if allowed. This isn't the first corps nor will it be the last. I agree that it's sad for the marching members and staff that put so much hard work into this season and have to stop. Should DCI swoop in and solve the financial situation? They can't. Can they prevent this from ever happening again? They can try, but they are limited by what their board agrees to. So, maybe they'll take a look at the grass roots of the whole thing, go back to basic and rebuild. So many things could be done here. But it does cost. Gymnastics is taking a hit right now from the judging system and figure skating is still trying to be more accessible...more youth activities that are having some issues in the finance, judging and popularity sense. Hard to get some people off the couch and off the net! Just my two cents, John Crossmen '80 & '81 and yes, a skating coach
  21. Pretty much the same spread as where they left off last year.
  22. There is a severe weather alert for the whole area. Best use of their time is indoors.
  23. I'm Aghast!!! I read the articel and at the bottom I see Michael really wrote a book on figure skating!!! And here I thought I was the only figure skater/drum corps guy in the village. John Crossmen '80/'81 Master Rated skating coach
  24. HI, Does anyone know if there is a Crossmen Alumni Corps this year? I went to the Xtreme homepage but no updates. E-mailed Jim Cossetti and no reply. Anyone have contact information for this group? Thanks, John
  25. I agree with alot of what you said. I have to admit though, practicing my French Horn never compared to skating training. A competitive skater spends 15 to 20 hours a week on ice and at least an additional 5 to 10 hours a week in off ice training. Oh umm equipment??? one skate boot is much heavier than a soprano. Some can weigh up to 5lbs each. The fact that you reach an anaerobic threshold in skating in usually less than 30 seconds into a skating program compared to going through an entire hmm what was it.. 13 minutes? LOL I can't remember.....field show. It's sort of like comparing apples and oranges. They just aren't the same..good bad or indifferent. Dc is Dc and skating is skating. I loved my years in corps and they really helped my work ethic as a skater and now as a coach. Back to the original topic, there are certain criteria tha have to be met. Skating has many more members world wide than DCI. The money in skating far exceeds what there is in DCI. My parents were more than happy to send me to drumcorps, it saved them a ton of money. Feel free to ask any skating questions. John
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