Memphis Sound Move to TX

[no_itsnotadash]

Oh No hold up buddy...I agree the idea of movin to Texas is a stupid idea that is retarted and makes no sense whatsoever....

How is the move stupid? A drum corps was not working in Memphis. I hate to see my corps go too but I can't sit back complain because it's changing, when I did nothing to help it. Drum corps moves/name change > No more organization at all.

However I marched 07 and I had to hear about that alumni BS all summer....Just because some staff came in...THAT ARE SUCCESRFUL IF YOU HAVEN"T NOTICED....ANDRE FEAGIN-BRAGG CAPTION HEAD AT VANGUARD,SOLOMONSON IS AT PHANTOM,SOME OF OUR DRUM TECHS AT CROSSMEN.....

In case you didn't notice the summer you marched, staff are just as much apart of your summer as the members you march with. No one is questioning how good the staff was. Staff shapes the members experiences in alot of ways. When the staff I loved left, I didn't return. It's not because I hated the organization or the people now in charge, I was just ready to move on.

JUst because we came in and tried something new in 07 and WON A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP a lot of you vets got pissy and pouted about it because we didnt play the old jazz bull that got us nowhere.

Winning does not validate your summer. I had two great seasons. The success Memphis had those two years cannot be measured in scores. I'm sorry to hear you thought our music was "bull" but I certainly enjoyed it.

ITS been 2 years just GET OVER IT...Thats not to all the alumni some were fine with it and backed us up...thanks for you who did

ANYWAYS This move to Texas makes no sense though because NEWS FLASH!! You arent going to be the only corp in texas...In case no one has noticed most the marchers at any corps is from a big state like texas.Memphis had a good thing going here as far as recruiting tennessee marchers......

From my experience, Memphis got a fair share from Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana as well. Besides, if you're going to march a drum corps, you'll march it no matter the location (within reason )

I think you should step back and look at this from the big picture, because the attitude you've taken is the same attitude the "vets" from the earlier years had.

(also like pinkies said, most of this dirty laundry needs to be aired out away from public discussion)

[OdeToArsenal47]

As a Tennessee drum corps fan, I see this helping both Mempho and Music City. Music City will get a very large increase in members in the future, and Mempho dives into the gold mine of talent known as Texas.

I'd be really interested to see how The Artist Formerly Known as Memphis Sound competes for marchers against Revolution and Crossmen.

I'd also be really interested to see how many Tennessee Memphos are going to follow TAFKaMS, or migrate to Music City.

[OdeToArsenal47]

ANYWAYS This move to Texas makes no sense though because NEWS FLASH!! You arent going to be the only corp in texas...In case no one has noticed most the marchers at any corps is from a big state like texas.Memphis had a good thing going here as far as recruiting tennessee marchers......

Actually, from my knowledge, Mempho is mainly just getting people from West Tennessee (not to mention Arkansas, and that whole area). Houston, Munford, Arlington, Arkadelphia, Madison Central, those high schools. Music City is taking most (if not all) of the Middle Tennessee marchers going into corps, where I believe the real talent is at. Tullahoma, Siegel, Columbia, Mcgavock, Cleveland, Page, Overton, not to mention some of the East Tennessee guys, like Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett.

IMHO, Mempho saw the writing on the walls when Music City came to town. If Mempho and Music City were going to duke it out for the Tennessee kids, Music City would win.

Another IMHO, I don't want to be overrating Music City too much, but I think they have the possibility to be the next Jersey Surf. Tennessee has a lot of GREAT musicians, and the departure of Mempho will only help the corps. Along with the talent, they're running the weekend system, and that can only help the corps attain members.

Edited March 13, 2009 by OdeToArsenal47

[rockinbrass]

Actually, from my knowledge, Mempho is mainly just getting people from West Tennessee (not to mention Arkansas, and that whole area). Houston, Munford, Arlington, Arkadelphia, Madison Central, those high schools. Music City is taking most (if not all) of the Middle Tennessee marchers going into corps, where I believe the real talent is at. Tullahoma, Siegel, Columbia, Mcgavock, Cleveland, Page, Overton, not to mention some of the East Tennessee guys, like Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett.

IMHO, Mempho saw the writing on the walls when Music City came to town. If Mempho and Music City were going to duke it out for the Tennessee kids, Music City would win.

Another IMHO, I don't want to be overrating Music City too much, but I think they have the possibility to be the next Jersey Surf. Tennessee has a lot of GREAT musicians, and the departure of Mempho will only help the corps. Along with the talent, they're running the weekend system, and that can only help the corps attain members.

I'm not going to attack this post because its flaunts your youth....but give it a few years and come back to this and you'll see that your statements have NO merit. Especially that first paragraph...and second..and...oh, the whole thing is just the vague perceptions of a high school band member who wants to march corps and thinks they know the music education scene in TN

[OdeToArsenal47]

Well yeah, I'm just being a vague and crazy corps fan trying to tie everything together. Those are all just my opinions from what I've been around and I understand that I'm just kinda rambling.

[ContraRich77]

I am making NO judgement whasoever for or against the corps move to Texas. I've worked with Chris Green before (or, marched in Frontier UNDER him would be more accurate) and he is a fine upstanding individual who's done a hell of a lot to help the drum corps activity (he FOUNDED THREE CORPS before he EVER got involved with Memphis Sound) and, although there have been plenty of times we haven't seen eye to eye, he's always had his heart in the right place and has never done anything but work his ### off for the betterment of the drum corps community.

Having said that, I think it's sad that a city like Memphis, a JUGGERNAUT of a music community of ALL kinds, had no room for a simple drum & bugle corps. It's painfully obvious what with what's being said about housing, rehearsal sites, that Memphis just did NOT want to make room for a corps that wasn't under a prohibitively expensive format.

To those of you with tunnel vision who are just ###### about the move who have NOT looked into it on your own, I say the following: DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE, and YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE UNLESS YOU HAVE PITCHED IN AND HELPED ON YOUR OWN.

[no_itsnotadash]

Actually, from my knowledge, Mempho is mainly just getting people from West Tennessee (not to mention Arkansas, and that whole area). Houston, Munford, Arlington, Arkadelphia, Madison Central, those high schools. Music City is taking most (if not all) of the Middle Tennessee marchers going into corps, where I believe the real talent is at. Tullahoma, Siegel, Columbia, Mcgavock, Cleveland, Page, Overton, not to mention some of the East Tennessee guys, like Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett.

Memphis Sound got members from everywhere. For instance, in 06 in the baritone section we had people from one from North Carolina, one from South Carolina, one from Memphis Tenn, two from Mississippi, two from the Nashville area, two from East Tenn, one from Arkansas. It was all over the place.

IMHO, Mempho saw the writing on the walls when Music City came to town. If Mempho and Music City were going to duke it out for the Tennessee kids, Music City would win.

"Mempho saw the writing on the walls when Music City came to town." Really? The corps that has yet to even perform one show scared away an established drum corps? Considering the both years I marched, members came from everywhere... including all of the state of Tennessee.

Another IMHO, I don't want to be overrating Music City too much, but I think they have the possibility to be the next Jersey Surf. Tennessee has a lot of GREAT musicians, and the departure of Mempho will only help the corps. Along with the talent, they're running the weekend system, and that can only help the corps attain members.

The next Jersey Surf? How about that create their own identity instead?

Also how is losing a drum corps to another area a good thing? In that line of thinking it would be better for Santa Clara Vanguard to move away from California since Blue Devils are there. Competition is not always a bad thing.

[memphomello08]

From the perspective of a 2008 Alumnus:

I think the move to Texas is the best move that the corps could make given the situations we have been faced with. I don't claim to know everything that's going on behind the scenes with Mempho, because I don't. But I do know enough to say that the corps WILL die out if the base of operations remains in Memphis. Chris is doing everything he can to get this world champion corps back on its feet. Last year we had to bag groceries, wash cars, and go door to door asking for donations midway through the season in order to make it down the road to our next show. After working so hard to keep the corps running for one more week at a time, it would break my heart to see the board of directors be stubborn (thankfully, they are not! <3) and try to stay in Memphis where clearly, things just aren't working right now. Yes, people are upset about the move. I am a little peeved myself because I have to fly to Dallas (I live in Alabama, just more proof that few members are from the Memphis area anymore), but it's worth it every time I get there, because my corps is not dead. And trust me, after what we went through last year, I am very glad to see the corps I love given a chance to survive, regardless of the circumstances.

Just my $.02

[silvertrombone]

So when will the name change take place? Texas Sound?

Seconded!! Or 'Spirit of Texas'! Welcome to the Lone Star State, Sound! Can a SkyRyders resurrection be far behind??? And a big Texas Howdy/shout out to Crossmen...and not to forget our own native OC's at Revolution!

Lookey, lookey...Texas seems to have a drum corps presence finally! Of course, that means if Teal wants naming rights they'd better get on the ball!! (j/k Randy!)

As for the naysayers, don't you know the proud history of Tennesseeans going down to Texas? Yeah, yeah...the Alamo didn't turn out so well. But we also got Sam Houston out of that pipeline, and he dang near kept us out of the "War of Northern Agression." Besides, someone at Sound must have read comments about Texas' positive business climate, excellent facilities and quality music programs...that we actually support financially around here!! PRIMO location to relocate a drum corps to.

Now, why Grand Prairie I have no idea...wouldn't have been in my top 10 in even the D/FW region...but, hey--welcome to town! DCI at the Gopher Bowl...now THERE's a funny thought!!

[silvertrombone]

Wow...well, now that I've actually read some of the thread me thinks some of you have too much time on your hands over spring break.

Let's take a peek at the situation from an obviously biased viewpoint...and remember, I hardly ever darken the pages of the OC ranks, so take that for what it's worth!

If you wanted access to GREAT facilities, where would you want to start a corps?? C'mon you guys answer...and I'm sure there are more than one place that fits...play along...give me YOUR answers!

If you wanted access to GREAT staff members...I mean the guys with degrees, cert's, JOBS IN THE FIELD, close by so you don't have to pay to put them up in a hotel or fly them in for camps, folks who are vets of the best corps anywhere, all concentrated in close together just looking for the opportunity to earn a little bit extra bling during the summer to pay off those nasty student loans...where would you want to start a corps??? Again, c'mon...give me some options. Assume I have a million bucks laying around...convince me!

If you wanted access to GREAT, talented members...the kind whose mommy and daddy have lots of GREAT money laying around!...where would you want to start a corps???

If you wanted access to a GREAT network of GREAT Booster organizations in high schools to partner with in building a drum corps market, where would you want to start a corps???

If you had to compromise on ONE or TWO of the above, where would you want to start a drum corps???

If you didn't have to compromise on ANY of the above, could you name a place where you would want to start a drum corps???

Can you name 5 places where you could get all of these??? I can name between 5-10...and they're all located in Texas. So I don't get what the fuss is about for an OC corps to move operations to that market. Name change, scmame schmange...big deal. Heck, I say, "From Highland Park/University Park, Texas...the Phantom Regiment!!!" But Rockford don't likey me too much...too critical of operations, I guess!

Oh, and such a move ain't exactly unprecedented...in addition to Crossmen and SkyRyders (a conversation unto itself!), take a peek at how many corps have auditions here. Sound is just planting itself smack dab in the middle of things. Good strategy, quite frankly! I hope they have good connections in the region so as to take advantage of performance opportunities, etc.