SkyRyder86

If Crown holds on to 2nd place, they will be just the 10th corps to do so in the DCI era, the latest corps to do so since Star in 1993, and the first non-champion corps to do so since Cavaliers placed 2nd in 1990. (Last one before that was 27th in 1980!) Only 12 different corps have finished in the top three in the 37 years (not counting this one) of the modern DCI era. Only 8 have won championships Only 9 groups have finished 2nd Only10 have finished 3rd. Of those, Blue Devils, Cadets, SCV and Cavaliers own the lion's share of medals, followed by Phantom and then a sharp drop off. Medalist corps and their number of 1st,2nd.3rd and total medalist finishes) Corps (1st,2nd, 3rd, total) Blue Devils (12,6,7,27) Cadets (9,6,5,20) Santa Clara (6,7,8,21) Cavaliers (7,5,6,18) Phantom (2,5,4,11) Madison (2,2,1,5) Star of Indiana (1,0,2,3) Kingsmen (1,0,1,2) Blue Stars (0,1,1,2) Troopers (0,1,0,1) 27th Lancers (0,1,0,1) Bridgemen (0,0,1,1) Stats from corpsreps.com So...whatever the finish tonight, congratulations to Crown on their ascendency to DCI's elite, congrats to Devs, Cadets, Vanguard, Cavs and Phantom on continuing traditions of excellence, congratulations to Troopers and Blue Stars for hanging in there over all these years and returning to finals, and congratulations to the remainder of the top 12 and everyone else for a great year of drum corps!

Clever quiz!! Spirit "Dixie" 1986 Scouts "Strawberry Soup" 1983 Devils "La Fiesta" 1984 Star "Close Encounters" 1986 ??? Garfield "Candide" 1985 Devils "People Alone???" 1982 Sky Ryders ""Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (nice solo, Mike Ellis!) 1986 ??? That's all I can pick out so far...but it's got me thinking! Thanks for the trip down memory lane...I remember those tunes like they were played yesterday!!

Didn't you guys have some kind of food disaster at your home show in '86...? I seem to remember Phantom members, even the the little cadets, puking their guts out...ambulances coming and going, and the corps going on the field at about half strength. Word we got was bad spaghetti. Do you remember this or am I having an early "senior" moment? :(

No doubt!! That push on "Age of Anxiety" is a great one... I also dig the company front push in 1988 Cadets Copland Symph. #3. Visually, a diferent take on the 1987 deconstructing/reconstructing company front. Musically, a gas!

Another Cadets moment for your consideration: The push in the 1988 Copland 3rd Symphony show where the guard starts on the ground and they pick each other up (ala the "brotherhood of man" theme of the Symphony) and then reach out across the sideline to the audience (the sideline was much more of a "barrier" at that time. Still gives me chills!

Hi guys. Longtime "lurker," first time poster! The way I see it: *The G horns have (had) a unique tone, almost a "vocal" or "choral" quality about them...I do miss that sound...the Bb horns sound like the band or orchestral instruments they are...not better or worse...just a thing. I think the "face ripping" quality had more to do with how we were taught to play back then... *The 2-piston bugles I played were just fine...they had some weird tuning tendancies, but then so do the F mellies and Bb baritones they are using now (I bought some from Cadets for my marching band.) *The drum dudes have had deals with manufacturers for YEARS...The corps finally being able to the same with brass instruments is bound to be a big help for the groups. If band directors (or individual students) like the sound of the Cavies or Cadets, they'll buy Yamaha; if they like those fantastic sounds that the King contingent produced this year, King will sell a lot more brass, enabling them to cut even better deals for more corps. *There are not nearly as many corps as there were 20+ years ago. If someone can start a group using instruments readily available in a band hall, then GO FOR IT! We need more folks participating in the activity, even if they are just weekend warriors. *Although it nearly killed me the first time I heard "trumpets" and "tubas" in a rehearsal...I have gotten over it and I believe the groups should play whatever they can pay for. G horns, Bb horns...who cares as long as they are played well! Sorry for the ramble...this was more fun than I thought it would be!