Phantom Regiment and the Visual Department...

[Tom Brace]

I just want it known that although I thought the Regiment's show was dirty at Indy last year, it was wonderfully tight at finals. See...being positive...loving the visual program from last year. Making doubly sure the powers in charge see that I'm being positive.

I don't wish to receive an angry email.

[Kdiggy]

I'm second guessing myself....was MY post read in a negative tone? I LOVE the Regiment. My friends can't get me to stop telling my stories.

I took this post as a way to share some more stories and maybe reminice a little.

BTW "Darth Farrel" hilarious.

[The Tsar]

I'm second guessing myself....was MY post read in a negative tone? I LOVE the Regiment. My friends can't get me to stop telling my stories.

I took this post as a way to share some more stories and maybe reminice a little.

And THAT is exactly what it was meant to be. Granted, some people took the opportunity for some negativity, but it was intended as a way for us to tell stories about the crazy things we did with drill and visual....from the crab step to Bob Smith's "booby box" (for those who remember that wonderful bit of nostalgia). You know...I never really let what is said on DCP (or anywhere on the Internet, really) affect me personally....but I have to admit, I am hurt. Because this is a person who should know better, who should know that I am always supportive of the Regiment. Sure, I have criticized aspects in the past, but I have never singled anyone out, and I have certainly been very supportive of Regiment's new visual direction. For me to be told to "shut your hole and be a fan without a loud mouth" is hurtful...especially considering that I have never had anything bad to say about the person who sent me this email.

Oh well...I will get over it, of course. I just don't want Jamey or any other staff member thinking that I've criticized them or that I am not supportive...when I certainly am. I've been branded a Regiment Borg often enough in the past to deserve better than a cheap potshot.

In any case....

I just have one thing to say....Athens, GA is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

Das ist alles. :)

[The Tsar]

It might have something to do with the fact that former members lurking around DCP have no idea what's going on internally with the staff. Almost everyone responding here is responding with their impression of what's happening or what they've heard from a friend of a friend of a brass tech's sister-in-law.

I'm on the board, the program coordinator is one of my good friends, etc., etc. -- and I don't know the details of what goes on with the staff. I know a lot of things, but I certainly don't know everything. How in the world would someone on DCP know the details?! In many cases, as a personnel matter, it's simply none of anyone's business.

I will respond to a couple silly things I read, though:

-- Dan Farrell is the driving force behind PR's competitive resurgence the past 5 years. He hired the staff, he creates the schedules, he manages the design and instructional staff, he makes the final decisions. Without Dan as program coordinator, it's unlikely that PR would be in the top 6 right now.

-- I bristle at the suggestion that the brass staff is just holding down the fort while J.D. is in Europe. Kevin Rabon has been the brass caption head for, I believe, four years now. He is extremely capable as our the other terrific members of the brass staff. Taylor Criswell, Mason Daffinee, et al, are very good at their jobs.

-- Staff turnover has happened for a variety of reasons. Some people were fired, some quit, some simply moved on with their lives.

You know Greg...the more I think about this post of yours, the more I believe that somewhere down the line, something was misread. Severely misread. I was not pointing any fingers of blame toward anyone...in fact, the gist of my post was positive. I wanted to know what we, as a group of alumni, thought about our years with Regiment and the visual aspects of those years. No one was asking for details of what was happening with staff, and if it came across that way, I am sorry.

Also...I didn't see anyone bashing Dan Farrell....why the heck WOULD we? We're all fans of Dan, of what he represents....he is a living embodiment of the Regiment to a lot of people, especially to a lot of baritone players from the late 1980s to the early/mid-1990s. There is no need for you to be so defensive of Dan when no one has really attacked Dan, you know? Judging by your response, and the email I received from one of the staff members, SOMETHING touched a nerve....and for that, I am sorry. But there was never a negative intent behind my post. It was mainly a way for us to reminisce about how many drill charts we learned, the crazy things we had to try or actually put into a show, our drill instructors, etc.

The last thing I want is for a thread that I started to dissolve into negativity, and for people to believe that I am bad-mouthing the Regiment. Obviously, at least ONE of the higher-up staff believes this to be the case, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten that nasty email. What a shame that the intent was so thoroughly misread.