Tansea

Agreed.

Besides, you clearly missed my point....

Seriously?? Bashing? I marched one of the greatest drum corps battles of all time against the Scouts and have nothing but the up most respect for the corps and the organization. Who did you march with? One of the things people who marched drum corps can do is have fun at each others expense without our panties taking a ride North. So who did you march with?

I actually offered my services as a personal trainer to the judging panel last year free of charge...no takers.

Ho ho ho ho ho!!!!

I just read somewhere in this thread that they felt Madison should have won a show they went to recently, I was just, possibly over, reacting to that.

I know round is a shape, so now that that is out of the way... Drum corps has become an elite sport where music and athleticism are combined to achieve some amazing performances and show concepts, but as with any judged endevour there must be adjudicators. Now I suggest that drum corps judges must remain at the same level of physical fitness as those they are judging. Allen K. someone I mached with back in the 70's, yea, that makes him old, is one of those judges. I would say without fear of contradiction that he is quite possibly the greatest example of judges who have kept up with the activity fitness wise. However, I have come to the conclusion that he is the exception. When I see a battery judge running to the safety of the front sidelines because gosh darn it they are getting light headed from running and talking at he same time, I question whether that person is qualified to judge. Would you have football/soccer, another elite athletic event, judged from the sidelines? I didn't think so... Now...go! Discuss!

Woa woa woa! Fans judging??!! So will we start letting the fans make calls in football or baseball? Like that drunken guy who is convinced, despite the fact that they might just suck, that his favorite team should be winning and every call is wrong? Or, and bless their little hearts, the sweet old folks who think that because a corps uses simple band music in their show and has just the cutest little character running around should win (ed. note I was at a major show his year and was in the lot for score announcements and asked the above named demographic if I could see their program for the final scores and this darling had such a corps in 1st by a good 5 points). Realy?! I have a lot of problems with judges who sit on their bottoms and claim to judge execution battery from the side of the field but at least they have the "qualifications" of having studied percussion or having marched in the activity. If the fans had chosen the winners I don't think the corps I marched with would have ever won a DCI while I was a marching member. Seriously. We pushed the envelope in our time and were not that popular with the average fan, no Yellow Rose an no blasting at the top of our lungs. Now I am not going to just blurt this out without some helpfull suggestions...wouldn't that be unfair? How about, especialy if you are going to charge that much money (seriously $75- 100??!!) clinics that include the fan? Help the activity to evolve by helping the fan to evolve. WOW!! "Include the "fan" in the educational process?? No, that's black magic, how dare you??!! We prefer cute and non-challenging!!" Than enjoy BOA and Open class while you can, because those will soon go over your head too.

WOW!!! Really, Madison??!!! They did that show when I marched!! In the 70's!!! Really??? Has DCP become some place where band people and fans come to pretend a comprehension of drum corps?

Seriously?? Are you suggesting we line up the drum majors and allow the crowd to choose who is the winner by volume of applause? Who did you march with is the first quesion that is begged, on broken knees? And perhaps a clearer definition of "mind blowing, amazing shows", is called for here. When Cavies first started maching their amazing shows they weren't that popular because it was claimed it was too much on the eyes. So what is it you want? I would suggest perhaps a seperate class of dum corps, oh I don't know, maybe open class where the shows can be more appealing to a simpler fan base. What do you think? I am of the opinion that dropping the standard to appeal to the "masses" wil be the death of drum corps and encourage the use of gimmicky characters rather then content driven shows...I'll come bak later to see if my views survived or not.

So it is all in good fun to suggest that we impale characters from various Cadet's shows, a violent activity I don't necessarily endorse, but when it is suggested that one of them be drowned instead, it is frowned upon? What a curious set of values. While I have met "Sarah" in many an AA/NA meeting and have been in motels where they found the trumpet kid blue in the bathroom, I will stand by my decision to "impale" Jeffy as he is an irritating distraction to hide base mediocraty.

There were corps in the 70's, who will remain nameless, mainly so we don't dredge up the tools who love to bring up this topic from the end of a bar, that clearly were marching over aged members, who in fact would joke about it in the off season, bring their wife and kids to rehearsals, etc. If in fact Passports had been altered, wherever they were altered, I doubt very highly, having marched for him, that Gail would know the difference, seeing as how his days with the CIA had been limited to desk duty. There has to be a duty of trust when someone hands you a British passport that it is legit and it is to be assumed that Gail, being the trusting fellow he was (rest in peace), took that level of trust.

Watch this.

I have...

:rolleyes: Awesome!!! I was told they went undefeated that year!! This made my day!!!!

I have been fortunate to enjoy this activity with and under some of the great. I marched under three hall of fame members. I am fortunate to call a couple more friends. So I gave this question a lot of thought. I have to give credit to my Dad, without whom I never would have heard of this thing we call Drum Corps. He took me to my first show, signed me up for my first corps(drum & bell by the way) and nearly s### himself when I cam home one day to tell him I was given a spot in SCV. Without him, for good or bad, I never would have done this. Now with that being said, the one group to have the biggest impact on me is the Santa Clara Vanguard cymbal line. When I was a drooling little kid, sitting on the sidelines watching them, I wanted to be them. I was given that opportunity. So when I left drum corps I didn't think much of it, but when I came back, they had shifted the paradigm so far that, well, I want to be them again. I hope to do that legacy justice soon.

My personal favorite, when I was on staff, was I walked down onto the field after the final runthrough of the night and looked at the section I was teching and said, "I want you all to go to bed tonight reflecting on the train wreck you just performed. Do not repeat it" They didn't. Am I the only one who has winning as a goal. Drum corps really has changed.

We stayed awake and were dragged behind the bus. When we would stop it was for a daily allotment of gravel

I know, huh. I can listen to it played by just about anyone and still get all nostalgic for 27.

Yup. Awesome. I remember talking to her and her telling me she was going to major in that field.

To win.

All I can say is I miss them dearly. They were and are very special, not only on the field but off of it as well. They are good family. Now, with that being said, 1980. Yes, 1980 was incredible! My favorite timp line of all time (2nd to SCV 71), clearly the best color guard on the field, and when they swung around for the final push of Danny Boy, oh my-lanta! (and you do not have "dust in your eyes", Really? Reallllyyyy????) Like I said I miss them every day. Close your eyes and imagine them doing Ruben Blades rendition of Danny Boy in the lot. I know, huh.

I'll go with crowd response as well, since my favorite, "Eureka" was taken. 1973, DeKalb, Ill. On my knees, universal cymbal stand to Rob Carson. We knew that they had added something kind of cool to the concert and we were hoping the crowd would like it, but when I got up, went to the back and turned around...oh my gawd! The crowd was literally throwing babies($.02 to George Z)!!!It was the unvailing of the Bottle Dance and I think it went over well.

That was amazing!! I lost my voice from that moment alone.

She was bad ###!! Didn't she become an architect?