Mini Corps Reports?

[Thom]

This is where you can order the shirts!!!

Jason Boyd...JJ Boyd...

boydcomic@aol.com

[Jimbalaya]

Tom.....that's the point I was making. When we elected to go outside the box we knew it was a two edged sword. It would either be acknowledged as something beyond the criteria and separated out of the pack (as had several groups in the history of DCA I&E) or judged solely on the basic and elemental criteria on the sheets. I was always told by organizations in which I've had the plasure to judge that demand was always inherent in the sheets. OK. My point.

Hey, I'm not saying that Xtreme should have won or have been in the top, no matter what. We were happy just to be there on the stage with our peers. We took our shot and lost. Big deal. There's always next year. Hopefully we can look forward to other 'movement' corps for a like comparison.

PS........park & bark was not meant to be demeaning.........I've been using that phrase for over 40 years.

Umm .. from one of the "park and bark" corps':

Even though you didn't get credit for your drill, wouldn't you still have been judged on an even playing field with us musically?

I'm a little put off at the statement that you got "buried" by NOT getting credit. How could it effect you negatively? There was ONLY ONE SHEET - for MUSIC. WE did little movement and got the SAME zero credit for it as you did for DOING drill. So our music programs would still have been compared on an equal basis, on the sheet.

We prepared our show according to the judging criteria, which WAS clearly stated to rank the units according to Musical Technical Ability. THAT was the criteria of the contest, and it seems unkind, then, to label us as Park and Bark because we didn't bother writing for criteria that wasn't on the sheets.

[brassomaniac]

Guys, a number of excellent points have been raised in this discussion. The bottom line is that all of the competing Mini Corps from top to bottom are to be congratulated for the hard work and dedication required to get up on stage and play for the crowd and themselves. The level of musicianship and performance is increasing every year.

Regarding the use of drill for the Mini Corps competition, Strutta may correct me on this, but I believe that the official charter for Mass Brass states that a “rapid movement in any direction in excess of four paces (such as the distance to the nearest open cooler) constitutes drill and is expressly forbidden”. It is clear to me that rules such as this were written by very wise men and were intended to protect us from hurting ourselves.

In all seriousness, I applaud the use of visual enhancements to augment many of the Mini Corps shows and some corps clearly used them to greater advantage than others. We’ve been kicking around an idea of a human sacrifice for next year’s show, but it’s tough enough to get good horn players.

I for one would hate to see this niche segment of the drum corps activity known as Mini Corps morph into nothing more than scaled down in size field corps. There are existing opportunities for those that wish to produce a fully integrated show to compete using a full complement of Horns, Percussion, Guard, and Drill.

There are many of us in this particular activity that have been there and done that regarding drill in our younger (read more flexible) days, and are quite happy to leave that to other segments of the activity. There are many others that participate in both Mini Corps as well as Full Corps and once again, I congratulate them on the level of effort to do both.

I guess moving forward, I’d like to see more clearly defined judging criteria for the score sheets that reflect the effective use of visual enhancements, but I’d always want this particular activity’s principal focus to be on musicality and performance.

I consider myself fortunate just to be part of the show and would hate to see it change too dramatically.

Just one man’s opinion for what it’s worth…

Paul

I'm with you, Paul. It's all about the music. I hung up my marching shoes some time ago. (and replaced them with 40 or so lbs! - at least I had fun packin' it on)

[Jimbalaya]

Hiya Fran........soooooo great to see you over the weekend.

One question........are your shirts DCA sanctioned?

LOve to Barb.

and remember folks........I'm not thin skinned, just vertically challenged

Guys, your points are well-taken.... and again I apologize for sounding like such a grouch about all this!

You're right..... DCA, and I guess MCA too, will need to make some decisions about the future format of the mini-corps show that is part of the DCA I&E event.

I'd hate to be the person who tells a mini-corps that they can't come because there are already too many entries. But perhaps some day, a tough decision like that will have to be made. There are time and venue constraints to be considered.

Just an idea here.......someone suggested to me during the weekend that Prelims could be held starting Saturday morning (like they used to be), with the Alumni show Saturday night.... and Finals Sunday night. That would leave Sunday morning/early afternoon open.... perhaps mini-corps could fit there? The rest of the I&E show could be held as scheduled on Friday night. Again, just an opinion from someone (me) in the peanut gallery.

And please remember.... no matter what decisions are made...... the I&E/mini-corps show is a DCA event, and at the end of the day, all of those who enter will need to abide by the rules set down by DCA. Ya can't please everyone.

Heck, if I have to follow DCA rules, then so do you! :P

Fran

[Donny Drum Corps]

Hey I am all for banning mr. cheesy pants from mini corps competition.

[Jimbalaya]

Thanks for your input Paul. I think that the Mass Brass charter in so stating about forbidden movement is great.....for Mass Brass and other corps who do not want to move and wish to be a 'concert' minicorps. I never proposed that anyone should or must move. It's up to the individual organization to come to the realization that there can and eventually will be both moving and static displays of superior musicianship.

I also agree that one should never, ever be more than 4 paces from an open cooler.

Good to meet Strutta and the other members (whom I have not previously known for more years than any of us like to remember) of MCA.

Let's keep up the good work started years ago..............

Guys, a number of excellent points have been raised in this discussion. The bottom line is that all of the competing Mini Corps from top to bottom are to be congratulated for the hard work and dedication required to get up on stage and play for the crowd and themselves. The level of musicianship and performance is increasing every year.

Regarding the use of drill for the Mini Corps competition, Strutta may correct me on this, but I believe that the official charter for Mass Brass states that a “rapid movement in any direction in excess of four paces (such as the distance to the nearest open cooler) constitutes drill and is expressly forbidden”. It is clear to me that rules such as this were written by very wise men and were intended to protect us from hurting ourselves.

In all seriousness, I applaud the use of visual enhancements to augment many of the Mini Corps shows and some corps clearly used them to greater advantage than others. We’ve been kicking around an idea of a human sacrifice for next year’s show, but it’s tough enough to get good horn players.

I for one would hate to see this niche segment of the drum corps activity known as Mini Corps morph into nothing more than scaled down in size field corps. There are existing opportunities for those that wish to produce a fully integrated show to compete using a full complement of Horns, Percussion, Guard, and Drill.

There are many of us in this particular activity that have been there and done that regarding drill in our younger (read more flexible) days, and are quite happy to leave that to other segments of the activity. There are many others that participate in both Mini Corps as well as Full Corps and once again, I congratulate them on the level of effort to do both.

I guess moving forward, I’d like to see more clearly defined judging criteria for the score sheets that reflect the effective use of visual enhancements, but I’d always want this particular activity’s principal focus to be on musicality and performance.

I consider myself fortunate just to be part of the show and would hate to see it change too dramatically.

Just one man’s opinion for what it’s worth…

Paul

[Jimbalaya]

Gary........the comment was on the percussion sheet.

Still stirrin

I'm looking at the sheets right now, and I see nothing in regards to a "Keyboard Box"

[Jimbalaya]

Joe:

Should we assign him as cooler watcher?

Joe

Hey I am all for banning mr. cheesy pants from mini corps competition.

[Jimbalaya]

Hey Cheesy..........see my posts about the what, who, how & why of minicorps. Ask Joe Salorino who he spoke with to get T'birds out as a 'minicorps' and who beat us (Archie) several times. Never intended the post to be AGAINST anything except change, which is how minicorps came to be............it was and is about change.

I agree that Dick did a fantastic jobn, as usual, and put out an incredible product. It's a wonder that he and Barb don't use Maalox as a breakfast drink for all that they do with this, the greatest I&E show in history. It's become the "circus" (I just know somebody will take it the wrong way) of the Championship weekend. The carney atmosphere, inside/outside constant crowds and movement from venue to venue. Man it doesn't get better that that.

My post a bit back explains that we adknowledged that it was a two edged sword. enuf on that......heck we're starting on next years' show already..........lololol........I may be the oldest beer cooler watcher out there

Ok.

Jombajimba.....Did you see our show(T-Birds)?!? Prehaps not.

The Thunderbirds have ALWAYS represented as a true MINI-CORPS(see: mini drumline, 3-5 players......no drumset.)

We had 5 in the percussion this show......and two of them also played mallets,.....and cymbals, and throw-down contras....congas,.....and of course a tri-bass! .So I don't want to hear this " the only corps to do so"crap.

Thanks for the side note there Scott.....right on.:)

Ain't nuthin wrong with park-and-bark.

Some of these folks in these corps just can't do all that runnin around drill.

There should be some type of "visual enhancement" involved with a show's design, i agree.

The different flavors Is what makes this competition great!

remember, this is DCA's show,.....DCA's competition....you get what Mr.Pronti Arranges for us(and a FINE job he did this year!).

It is what it is. B)

...And Fran beat me to the DCA point. lol

[Windsor]

Gary........the comment was on the percussion sheet.

Still stirrin

Actually it was written in on the sheet as a judges comment. I thought I saw a box... or two... maybe I did, the beer was cold... b**bs

but that doesn't change the fact that Xtreme was not credited for the two mallet players... <**>

and as a side note, nobody from Xtreme is complaining about not winning, for us it wasn't about winning, we did our thing and we did it proud, but we do want the credit for what we do. I think the DVD will speak volumes for what I am talking about for those of you who didn't get to see our show.

Edited September 6, 2007 by Ring Leader