How do you think corps would place

[cantgetenoughcorps]

With the current staffs, what kind of placements would you predict if every single corps had entirerly new members, with no one returning from the previous year?

I think the top 3 would end up

Blue Devils

Cadets

Cavaliers

These 3 corps staffs have the best success of any, and I think the every day details are covered better by these 3 corps year after year. Even with brand new members, after watching their rehearsals, I think they could still perform close to the level of other years.

I think Pioneer would probably move up in the standings a little. They would actually have the biggest advantage as they probably have the most new members percentage wise on an average year. I think Troopers, Colts, Pacific Crest, and Crossmen would also probably have some advantages, as they also have decent staffs, with alot of turnover to other corps.

How do you think things would end up if every single corps had entirely new members in 2009?

[drumno5]

How do you think things would end up if every single corps had entirely new members in 2009?

Of course, a lot would depend on who those new members were: young bandos with limited experience, or the kid who has already marched for 3 or 5 years with a lower/middle echelon corps and is now shopping for his/her ring before (s)he ages out. Much is made of the corps' respective staffs (and rightfully so, mind you). But as Casey Stengel used to say, "ya gotta have the horses."

respect to all,

Fred O.

[OdeToArsenal47]

And let's not forget about the show. Personally, I don't think Cadets would be that high because of their shows. But that's more of a personal opinion, I guess.

[contrajedi8]

A tad off topic, SW had 99.9% all rookies in 1999 and finished 15th.

[TerriTroop]

Well, we could take this exercise a bit further. I mean, if we really want to level the playing field, let's give all of the corps the same handicaps/helps.

1. All corps must have at least 50 members without any corps or winter guard experience.

2. All corps must have at least 50 members under the age of 17.

3. All corps must have at least 10 members with no marching, guard or dance experience at all. (yes, 1, 2 & 3 can overlap/combine)

4. Every corps is assigned 1-2 well-renown, long-standing major players in the design world to assess and assist in the design process. (if such people are not already in place)

5. Corps will perform in rotating show orders so every corps gets to experience playing first or last and everything in between. It also gives every corps the benefits or handicaps of getting to the site later or earlier.

6. Staff and designers will not get opportunities to discuss their product with judges via critique until after they have performed in at least 8 judged shows.

That's what comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure there's more. It's a silly exercise, but what the heck. It's September and we're all bored to tears.

[hrnguy500]

Chances are that a corps in such a position would not "win it all" as some may be wondering. Its just not going to happen.

However, it would not be beyond a corps to reach finals with a "rookie" corps.

Its just the nature of the beast. Even with great staff (which almost every corps does have great staff, just some staff is more well known than others) new members must be trained in M&M and specific playing techniques. And depending on your corps, the M&M might be extremely hard to clean with all rookies.

When you have a corps stocked full of experience its just a lot easier to teach them because you don't have to teach them that much, they already know what to do. Therefore you are able to focus on the performance aspects of the show which is generally why some corps are consistently on top and others continually "struggle" to compete.

[drumno5]

And let's not forget about the show.

Yeah, of course. I was thinking that for the purpose of this exercise, the design team would be considered part of the staff.

[GGarrett]

I've wondered about this kind of thing before myself. The thought even "evolved" in my own whack mind into wondering if the day might ever come where corps are "trading players" ... you know, a stellar soprano player for a corps that lacks one for a tenor drummer from a corps with an excess of phenom tenor drummers. (actually, could you ever have "too many" great players in any section? Nahhh. But for "concept purposes" I was just thinking these things.)

It is my feeling that most kids run right to the top three or four corps now days... so it's the talent level of the kids AND the creative staffs at a given corps who make it all work together. Should the members who would normally come back or not age out, and normal attrition occurs from say the 2008 Bluecoats drumline as a whole, Phantom Regiments hornline as a whole and Blue Devils color guard as a whole all three come together at Pioneers camp this winter and head out as a completely new corps with the Pioneers staff in place calling the shots, I think you'd have a pretty darn good corps out there.

Should the concept as stated - at least as I think I understand it - be that the entire Santa Clara Vanguard membership all quit and go to Troopers and the Troopers staff stays put, and all the Trooper members quit and all go SCV with their staff staying put there, I think the prevailing difference would be only in design of show and execution with which it is performed, with the "new" Trooper membership all benefiting from their previous experience with SCV, and the experienced staff at SCV all utilizing their skills and organization habits to polish the skill set brought in by the former Trooper membership.

[Jofus]

A tad off topic, SW had 99.9% all rookies in 1999 and finished 15th.

So less than a whole member was a veteran? :)

[contrajedi8]

So less than a whole member was a veteran? :)

Slight exaggeration. I think there was about 10-12 vets in the corps.Mostly in the hornline. 7-8 from Alabama SW, a few from Pioneer, one from BAC, maybe one or two more.