So what do we want the cadets to be?

[bawker]

wai. :)

[BigSnareline]

Time for GH to step down.

[X DM]

You know, there were marching bands long before there were drum corps. You could therefore say that drum corps is entirely derivative and illegitimate.

Oh really ?...., I could have sworn the Brittish militia had a drum corps that they brought to the Colonies instead of a marching band that they marched in formation with....... I learn some new revisionist history all the time. So maybe this is my dose of " new history " for the day. My historical understanding is that the " derivative " of the drum and bugle corps is the fife and drum corps. Common in the early colonies,and well before the marching band. But who knew that the Brits and King George used a Marching Band in the American Colonies and marched out to Lexington and Concord with one ? Surely, not I.

Edited September 6, 2007 by X DM

[CuriousMe]

The legend the Cadets made in the 80s was the direct result of a change in the rules. Without taking anything away from the brilliance of those corps, what the Cadets did from ’83 on was to exploit the end of the tic system, etc., with shows designed to maximize the new possibilities. So the legend some of you purport to covet wasn’t merely the evolution of traditional drum corps; it was a revolutionary break with former conventions made possible only by the willingness of the drum corps community to redefine achievement with fresh criteria.

The Cadets of 2007 are easily in the same category as the Cadets of the 1980s. They’re exploring the possibilities of fresh criteria that define achievement in this activity. What some call blasphemy now is little different from the resentment some heaped on the Cadets two decades before. Some of those doubters relented and came to appreciate the Cadets and the corps that followed their lead. Others departed the scene. All of us will make similar choices to enjoy or leave.

Narration is working. Cadets used it to good effect in a championship show in 2005. Two of 2007’s most beloved corps – Crown and Bluecoats – demonstrated unequivocally how words can add value to the performance. Even the Cadets – amid all that drama over the words they chose – have to be judged a success, finishing second with arguably the most ambitious narration yet.

What do I want from the Cadets? I’m going to define what I want in the negative. I don’t want the Cadets to compromise. I don’t want them to settle. If anything will kill this activity, it is conformity. I’d rather have the Cadets be criticized for being different than for being the same.

HH

I second the Amen :)

[CuriousMe]

Time for GH to step down.

Unless you happen to be on the Cadets BOD, that will remain just a wish of yours.

[tubacurt]

Is it impossible to mention the cadets in any context and not generate a flamewar?

i think ill start a thread that just says "cadets" and see what happens.

this thread was not about if they should have won, this thread was not about if their narration was good or bad, this thread was definitely not about george hopkins. it was about what you want the cadets to do in the future.

anyway, what i want from the cadets is what they did with the second half of their production this year:

A challenging show performed at an incredulously high level that gives me chill in my spine and has me on their website looking into audition info the next day.

[atlvalet]

I at least have respect for Hrothgar who sticks to his anti-narration guns, no matter who uses how much or little of it.

I wield anti-narration bazookas. Hrothgar has nothing on them :)

[atlvalet]

The Cadets of 2007 are easily in the same category as the Cadets of the 1980s.

Except for Z-pulls being cool and narration sucking, yes, you're totally correct.

[glory]

Except for Z-pulls being cool and narration sucking, yes, you're totally correct.

Well you made me laugh. Don't agree with all you say. Funny nonetheless.

HH

[X DM]

Did anyone else catch Hopkins' pep-talk on TV last night where he told the members something along the lines of "They might not like the artistic direction you have chosen, but they can't deny the quality of your performance"? While I agree The Cadets performed that show extraordinarily well, I found the first part of his statement to be suspect. The marching members don't chose the artistic direction of the show. They perform it. They joined the corps to be part of The Cadets, and who can blame them? It is a great corps. Hopkins and the rest of the staff chose the theme, the repertoire, and they made the decision to use narration to the extent it was used in this show. The marchers took what was given them, and ran with it.

By the way, I want the Cadets to be what they were in 2000. That was a great drum corps show.

As we learned in The Cadets narration spiel to the audience, it's all about the "value of choices", and "who gets to choose", etc. These are good lessons the Cadets members learned this summer. And remember, there are kids under these un...... narrations that were given to them.