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hsreed

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  • Your Drum Corps Experience
    Three years marching, 25+ watching
  • Your Favorite Corps
    SCV
  • Your Favorite All Time Corps Performance (Any)
    1988 SCV
  • Your Favorite Drum Corps Season
    1983 - My Rookie Year
  • Location
    Los Angeles Area
  • Interests
    Family<br />Trumpet<br />Golf<br />Purpose Driven Life

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hsreed's Achievements

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DCP Veteran (2/3)

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  1. Designate speaker placement zones and have sufficient resources to capture the sound. Live broadcasts are a product. Some sound was spotty during broadcasts, but probably sounded great live.
  2. Here's my approach: This is not the drum corps I grew up with. It's their drum corps. Sure, there are several things I miss I prefer the sound of G horns, they sound more powerful and Bbs sound thin - like bad headphones. I also miss concert tunes - imagine the sound of the corps in the lot on the field for one chart? - and pure drum solos. I miss the music performance aspect of show design. Many current shows are snippets or highlights of pieces of music instead of developing a musical phrase or message through music. There are also some cool new things: The talent on the field is awesome. From the outside - because I can't walk on the field don't go to rehearsals or the lot, there just seems to be talent from top to bottom. But there's a high probability it's the similar to when I marched. Things that seem to be the same: the life lessons you learn and the enjoyment of participating and performing. I went to multiple shows every year since 82. In the mid 90s, I stopped going every year as I found the shows less and less entertaining. I've been to finals three times in the last 16 years. I stopped buying CD and DVDs somewhere around 2002. There were some years that I just had to see, usually because one corps had a great show: 94 BD, 99 SCV, '00 Cadets, 02 Cavies, 04 SCV, 13 SCV, etc. If there was not a local show on these years, I went directly to the corps website and bought their tour DVD. I poke my head in to see who is doing something I want to hear. In 2009, I had to see SCV, so I went to one local show after not going to a show for about 5 years. This year I had to see SCV play Les Mis. I took three newbies and we drove from LA to Stanford, spending about $500 for a day of drum corps. Three of us are professional musicians. Side note - I also tech'd HS marching band for 10 years until just a couple years ago. We listened to SCV, Crown and BD at the pre-show picnic. We all had the same opinion: SCV was solid, Crown was amazing, BD wasn't worth the effort it took to walk 50 feet to stand in front of them. It was a great trip because SCV and Crown made it worth all the effort and money to go. I have also financially supported corps and performers through the years. Not because I like what they're doing, but I believe their lives will be enhanced because they'll have a great experience and they learn life lessons. One year, a kid in a HS band I was teaching wanted to march, but couldn't raise enough money to march. After talking, I told him I would match any new money he raised for his tour fee, up to $500 or $1,000 (whatever it was). We talked about a strategy of who to ask (everyone) and how to ask (the pitch) and I matched his new money with my max in a week. I didn't even go watch a show that year. Fast forward four years: he's a fifth year vet, aging out, and the section leader. There was another kid in a band I taught, I offered to contribute to his tour fee, he asked me to help out another person because he needed the money - how awesome is that? I've also helped out several other students through the years, one is a guard captain at SCV this year - I gave him $50 for gas money to drive up and try out five years ago. Bottom line: I simply don't find very many of the shows entertaining these days, it's just not what I want to hear or see. But I do want to give the opportunity to experience drum corps to the kids I know or have taught. It's not my drum corps, it's theirs.
  3. If you want to march and have an opportunity to do so, you should do it. If you like the activity, you'll love your year in drum corps. I bought records from 1982 until 1988, the first year they produced CDs. I bought CDs until 2005 - 24 years of drum corps music. I have also purchased VHS tapes and DVDs through the couple of decades. I've been to finals at least 20 times, the last time in 2007. I also went to the first several movie theater events. While my support waned over the last decade, I quit drum corps a few years ago and haven't been to a show in two years. I'll come to DCP to read reviews and get some news here and there, but attending shows is frustrating. I prefer acoustic drum corps played with traditional instruments. I like powerful hornlines that play recognizable or interesting music. I love the changes in drill over the past decade or two (four count moves, quick form changes, etc.) I like stories and messages communicated through music - notes and beats - not vocals. I still financially support corps. I donated enough money to be in a club level with a corps I marched. I put together a "matching plan" for a performer last year, matching any funds he raised through asking his friends and family. Money was the only thing stopping him from marching and he's marching this year as well. I also give money to any kids I've taught while they were in their high school marching band. While I fully support the benefits from being a member in the activity, drum corps has changed into something I would not call drum corps. Going to shows was frustrating, especially to see one corps possibly play something I like. It's arrogant and condescending for current fans who enjoy this kind of drum corps to tell old timers that "they simply don;t get it." My response is that they don't get it. While the activity is not much different from how the activity was when I marched, there are a few things that truly are unbearable. I don't like the cut-n-past arrangements, guard focused shows, and most certainly can't stand amps - especially when used to amplify the human voice. So I will support from afar and let the people who are interested in going to shows have great seats.
  4. Whet my appetite: Saw a video clip in high school of '81 Blue Devils, specifically zooming in on a high note sop solo. Caught my ear. Hooked on Corps: Went to Drums Along The Rockies in '82 (between soph and jr year) to see some of my HS friends march in Freelancers - saw Freelancers (Sunshine Of My Life), Phantom (Spartacus) and Madison Scouts (Slaughter on 10th, Strawberry Soup, Ice Castles), the hook was set. Marched the next two years with Freelancers and my last with SCV, been a fan ever since.
  5. Key left SCV for personal reasons. SCV moved forward and hired JD Shaw. Key is simply arranging Glassmen's show, seems less involved with Glassmen than he was with SCV. Give Key room as it seems he needs it.
  6. While I don't necessarily think staffers should be silent during the show, I appreciate their honest reactions. As for non-staffers shouting things to make the album, shut up, get a instrument, and let your music speak for you. Yelling something and trying to be part of the show is nothing short of disrespectful to the marching members and activity.
  7. If we're going to change stuff, why not have a DCI Finals shown in theaters on Monday? Final show of the season, Monday is a dead day in theaters, DCI can edit out some of the waiting between corps and they can start the show at 7:00 (or 10PM - after your non drum corps spouse is asleep) in the various time zones. There might even be more demand if the times are flexible - maybe two showings. Back in the day, we were glued to our TV sets when DCI was shown on PBS. We even had to call the individual stations to see if and when they were going to show Finals. I do like the quarters in the theater, but the early start time here in Cali is sometimes a problem. Unfortunately I'm missing this week's show because I have a conflict. Also, some people may not go to the theater because they know the outcome. Lastly, would it compete with and affect DCI finals attendance? I doubt it, but worth considering.
  8. That was a fantastic review. Thank you for putting in all the time and effort. I'm not a fan of Key's arrangements of anything. SCV will not win a title with his music. Time for SCV and Key to move forward in different directions. Not a fan of BD's show either.
  9. I watched 10 of the 15 shows mentioned in both articles. Having been there, I agree with most of the choices. SCV 89 built upon and exceeded 88. If you remember, 88 SCV really had only one great show that year and it happened to be finals. 88 should jut be called The Year of Malaguena. Scouts performed a much better show at prelims - actually much more in tune - than at finals. 84 Garfield is still the best show I've ever seen. A great erformance of easily accessible music. And I can't remember so much hype around drum corps as what was created by Phantom 08. Come on, who didn't say "I Am Spartacus." Star 93s inclusion is disappointing. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. It was a highly technical show that was extremely well performed, but it ushered in a period of drum corps shows that were simply unentertaining. It was an intellectual show that significanty lacked any real entertainment value. This is the polar opposite of Madison 95 - pure entertainment that wasnt nearly as cleanly marched or technically proficient. The fact that Blue Devils have only one honorable mention is surprising, but not unreasonable. They've generally let others lead the way in innovation, then just did it better. Well designed, highly technical, and well performed shows may win the title, but truly great shows must have a significant component of entertainment to be memorable and lasting.
  10. Great Southern California day to be outside. I like the stadium and financially support PC. I like Stuart (Director), we even chatted in the VIP area with Dan Achesen before the show. We talked smack about golf and nothing about drum corps. As for the kind of drum corps I like: loud, emotional and entertaining. In the past 30 years (and excluding my years - 83 to 85 - and recordings to be fair), I would have to say BD 82, Star 88, SCV 89, Madison 95, Cavies 95, SCV 99, Cadets 00, BD 03, SCV 04, Crown 07, and Phantom 09 provides a solid and very small sample of what I think is a quality drum corps show. From my perspective, the stands were less full than previous years, especially the area I was sitting in - row 27 (out of 32) and just off the 50 on side 1. I felt the same way about most of the corps - soo many holes. I think BD was the only corps without holes. Sorry, but I missed the first half of the evening as I was in the souvie area with a drum corps friend I haven't seen since 91. I've also seem thousands of drum corps shows and these simply do not entertain me. Buying tickets so they have a venue to perform in is my contribution to them. Intermission - bought my first drum corps DVD in 5 years, the SCV Tour DVD from last year. I loved SCVs 09 show. I also wanted to see the guard show. I watched "The Kiss" yesterday and it was amazing, as all my guard friends have said. Thank you SCV. Mandarins - a little less than I was expecting from them. They've grown tremendously over the past decade or so and their horns are usually better then this. Pacific Crest - While not the most entertaining show they've produced, this seemed the most mature at this stage of the tour. I'm glad they hired Gordon Henderson as he is a great instructor, an encyclopedia of marching music technique, and he can water down a horn book like no one else - which is actually a great thing. Academy - They should have won. Most entertaining show if the evening. Nice hornline (did they dump the Jupiter horns?) and overall an entertaining show. They were the winner of the Harrison Drum Corps trophy last night and performed a show beyond my expectations. Santa Clara Vanguard - I have a bias here as I generally love SCV. There are some good moments, the drill is relatively interesting (a good mix of staccato or 4 count moves and some longer marching phrases that take time to develop). There is a lack of precision when it comes to body movement though. Some of their dance moves were not in sync and there were many angles to their arm movements, body angles, etc. The horn book is stale. As my friend said (has a DCI ring, won individuals on his horn and is a professional) "How can someone write that and think it is going to be good?". It's not the music, it's the writing. There were also several times where the horns were just playing notes and not interpreting the music. This is a talent and training issue. For example: The baritones hammer tonguing their entrance and weren't playing together, in tune, or with the appropriate tone. That really annoyed me and it happened at the beginning of the show. Drums are getting closer to the typical sound of the staff head, just need to clean it up this year and attract more talent over the next few years. I heard they had their complete show on the field and the ending seems like a car running into a very sold brick wall, prompting the question "Is that it?" Guess so. Blue Devils - really thought they were going to play A Chorus Line with all the mirrors all over the field - probably would have been more interesting. I liked their introduction, but the show goes flat after that. They have some very impressive drill moves that are relatively clean. From one aspect, they've finally challenged the massive talent that have by putting some of this stuff in. BUT they only do it for a short period of time. It seems like there is quite a bit of "non competitive" marching going on here. The hornline sound fabulous, top notch. Some high notes lacked confidence and completeness, I'm expecting a frack at finals if it's still in come that day. Guard uniforms look like the floor after my daughters cut bright construction paper. So much for the blending in with the corps concept. Overall, I'm generally displeased with early season shows as they change so much over the season and the level of execution simply isn't there. As for the spread in points, it really shouldn't matter until there are head-to-head competitions. Other than that, it's just a way to slot corps. So if I'm so unhappy with drum corps, why do I support it? Because I know the performers are learning similar lessons that I learned when I marched that have stuck with me forever, it takes a lot of work and commitment just to participate, they're doing what they love to do, I do want the activity to thrive - which requires money, and every once in a while I'm surprised that one show or a moment in a show is so good that it sticks out from a historical perspective and m,akes it all worth it for me.
  11. My name is Danayle Royescoione and I am the ultimate Drum Corps judge. I will be attending the show on July 3rd and bring resolution to this dispute. All opinions are irrelevant next to mine. This is the law because I say it is.
  12. So why did DCI move finals forward one week (and occasionally two) on a permanent basis beginning in 2002 after having it on the third Saturday of the month (or thereabouts) for 30 years?
  13. Some very interesting points. First and foremost, I did not bash BD. If anything, I complimented them for having the vision to manage their season before Summer competitions every began and they do it year in an year out. No one else comes close. I also said they get the best talent year in and year out and I've also state in another post that the have the best staff. I've also credited Texas with changing the timing of DCI finals due to all the musical talent in the state. The whole point of DCI changing things for Texas actually wasn't due to the talent, but to increase the sheer number of people participating in DCI and the talent is a bonus. It's purely about the number of people on the field. The more people on the field, the more money DCI can make and increase their ability to perpetuate DCI. The other people I've complimented are Texans. Without Texans, DCI would be significantly smaller than it is today. I also agree with the statement you don't have to be an Obama supporter to bash Bush. Bush rarely sounded intelligent when he opened his mouth (and Obama can't open his mouth without a teleprompter). BUT Bush has been the only modern day American president willing to stand up and take the fight to a group of people continually trying to kill Americans since the late 50s and possibly before then. Ironically, Obama's receives his highest ratings on issues where he has basically continued Bush policies. But I really don't want this to be a political discussion. There's enough blame and credit to go around, just a politician. Several people have made statements along the lines of "my kid/I start school today or in a week. Someone actually responded with: "Texas no longer starts school during the second week in August. School now starts in the 4th week in August. The Texas state legislature made this change during its last session. School in our district starts August 27th. This is the same as much of the rest of the country." Is someone in a position of knowledge proving my point? What I'm reading is that Texas leaders knew they started school earlier than the rest of the country and the legislature had to mandate starting school on a particular day late in August. Maybe it comes down to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Maybe it was brilliance on DCI's behalf. While I can't really tell if it was mandated by the act, but there is quite a bit of information linking 180 school days and 6 1/2 hours of instruction mentioned with the act. Maybe all these unrelated events led us to the place we're at today. As for when Texans began primary school in the late 70s to mid 80s, I know school began in the middle of August, before DCI finals, because I was there. I lived in Texas with my dad during the summer. I was always in Texas two weeks after all my Texas friends went back to school and I began school in CA the first week of September. Family in Michigan, Ohio and Florida also began school about the same time I did because I remember talking about it a a family reunion the late 80s and specifically discussing how Texas began school before everyone else. My brother graduated from school in Texas in 1997 and he could not march drum corps while in high school because his school started before DCI finals ended. He would have had to miss the entire winter band program because he couldn't make it back for band camp. I do not know more than this regarding his topic because I wasn't involved at any of the other times. If you went to high school in the 80s, 90s and early 00s, what part of the country are you from and when did you begin your school year? I would need this information from an acceptable sample size to help prove my hypothesis that DCI changed the weekend to finals primarily to accommodate Texas and attract more participants. Another set of questions could be: When did you march in DCI and were there any Texans in your corps? I would expect the people who marched before 2002 marched with fewer Texans than people who marched hater 2002. Someone stated Crossmen have quite a few people from Texas. What I do know is the pure number of people participating in drum corps dropped throughout the 90s and it probably started in the 80s. DCI had to begin addressing the issue 15 to 20 years ago. So when you or your kids begin school this year or any year in the last 8 is absolutely irrelevant to my theory that Texas is partially responsible for DCI moving finals forward one week. So if there is enough data that allows my assumption that DCI moved finals up a week to accommodate Texans, we can get to my original thought: If there was another two weeks of drum corps this year, would Crown and or Cadets have passed BD? I know there have been more than just the couple times I've noted since 82 that the leading maxed out their show and gets passed at the finish line. It's also my opinion that Crown and Cadets both had better show concepts than BD this year, but they were unable to maximize their show because they ran out of time. the other reason would be because they didn't have enough talent. I also don't have a dog in this race. If anything, I'm much more of a Cadet hater than a BD basher and I'm still getting over Crown singing on the field. I also ran out of time to go through the years and track the last three or four weeks of each season to see what years had corps passing the front runner the last week and if there's any correlation to the shortened competition season. As for bagging on Bush, all the news agencies blame Bush for all the bad things in the world and credit Obama for all the good things, when, in fact, the no President cannot sign a single check without Congress while the same cannot be said about Congress. If your still wondering what this is all about, it simple: Would Cadets and/or Crown have passed BD this year if there were two more weeks to the season as well as an examination or speculation as to why the season is one week, and two weeks this year, shorter than every season through 2001.
  14. As I watched BD through Fan Network at semi's, and yes I believe I could not get much perspective over the internet, I just found it hard to believe that a corps that moved between so many measured chairs, sat down, and had so much scatter drill ad random movement could beat two pretty solid shows that had much more demand and captured my interest. I started this analysis for two things: 1. I was wondering if there was another week until finals this year, would the results be different? I believed Cadets and Crown both had much more interesting, emotional, and demanding shows than BD this year. BD's design (I look forward to the day the designers truly challenge their members) and extreme talent (they get the absolute best year in and year out) always give them a huge head start on everyone. BD was very clean pretty much all year. Neither Cadets nor Crown could clean up their show enough to pass BD in the end. Through hard work, more demanding shows and the availability of time, other corps in the past had caught and sometimes passed BD. For example: Undefeated BD placed 3rd in 88, passed by two corps in the final week. BD was also not the only front runner to get caught the last week. SCV beat Cadets by more than a point the week before 87 finals, but Cadets won by .1 at finals. Many more times than not, BD is the front runner and they get passed in the end, if at all. Now there was some history introduced into my question, so I wanted to get some historical perspective and see what years an undefeated corps was passed in the last week or two if the season and which ones were getting closed on, but the pursuer simply ran out of time. I was gong to analyze the rate of close and a projected pass date for every year, but that would simply take more time than I was willing to put into it. You could also apply this analysis to every tier (maybe 6-9 for 1997, etc.), but I was only concerned with the feasibility of BD taking third this year had the season ran until August 22. For the historical perspective, I was going to draw upon my personal opinion and experience gathered by being a fan and participant since 1982. 2. DCI has been losing marching members or not attracting new members for several years and they've had to make significant changes to attract new blood. I know one reason the season was shortened by a week was to accommodate Texans because Texans simply did not significant participate in DCI until the last decade or so. When I marched, I knew of one Texan in one corps, SCV had a guy named Larry. That was it. Now several corps are hosting auditions in Texas and someone has responded than Boston has a significant number of Texans. I also remember Sky Ryders moved from Kansas to Texas, I just don't remember the year. If you know anything about Texas, you know it's the band capital of the US. There are two things to do in Texas, play football or be in the band. Before I joined corps, I spent every summer in Texas. Based on my own experience, schools in Texas started well before schools started in CA, usually by two weeks. Thy started school in mid to late August while CA went back to school in early September. When I marched we knew there were few Texans involved in drum corps due to the DCI finals taking place after Texans were already back in school. I just looked it up and UT students must register by August 21, a day before the old DCI finals weekend. On the other hand, UCLA enrollment begins September, 14th (but UCLA generally gets a later start than most colleges). I accepted the idea that Texas student begin school earlier than most states because that's how it was when I went to school. Clearly, while there may be variances from school district and it's not a law that Texas students go back to school before the rest of the country, it was a viable assumption. Therefore, blaming Texas for the shortened season is not unreasonable. Tour costs are also a significant reason, but I believe getting Texans involved took precedent. I had to post my thoughts very early because I had to take my family to a birthday party. Sometimes life outside drum corps is more important than drum corps. Anyone interested in pursuing the historical analysis?
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