Atlanta – Just the NEGATIVE

[Jeff Ream]

Howdy...let me be blunt.

No one on DCp cares about your "resume". Have you not realized everytime you sign in, you get mocked? And I'll tell you why...because it's all about you, and your resume no one cares about.

You're still here dredging up #### from RAMD from 15 years ago...AND NO ONE CARES.

oh and I watched CV tonight. for a corps with 6 weeks to go in their season, they had the issues I saw with other corps up here live saturday. Funny tho, for a guy who quit two weeks before finals, I don't see you out there doing anything...then again, no one wants you.

give it up man. This isn't about old RAMD grudges here. This isn't about your resume. it's about drum corps as it is today, not what you want it to be.

Edited August 2, 2011 by JohnZ
removed quoted personal attack

[WWonka]

To the OP good stuff.

[Kevin Doherty]

RBarron10,

You are perfectly within your right to give your opinion about a Corps' show and performance, as long as it's within the etiquette rules for the site. I don't see where you said anything wrong or out of bounds. I have been following the activity for about 60 years and am thrilled with many of the improvements made to the performances, particularly the large bass horn lines.

But I did want to address one question that you asked that has not been addressed, as of this moment, by anyone else. With your military experience I think it will make sense to you.

Why do they call it a guard?

Answer: because it was a guard.

Drum Corps were started by American Legion and VFW Posts (Along with CYO organizations, PAL organizations, etc.) as neighborhood youth organizations. A number of Posts also had senior corps started by WW I members of the Post. The AL and VFW were the major governing organizations of the activity until the eventual advent of DCI in 1972. The two major Drum Corps Championships were conducted by each organization as a feature of their annual national convention.

The sponsored Corps were required by their sponsoring Posts to carry the flag and follow the conventions of Flag Etiquette applying to when the Flag is on the march. This involved having rifle guards flanking the Flag and often a saber or two representing Officers who did not carry rifles. This etiquette is still observed today by AL, VFW, Police and Fire Departments, i.e anyone who marches the Flag including Drum Corps. Take a look at the All Age Corps topics where there are photos posted, e.g. of the Caballeros Alumni and you will see the traditional Flag honor guard still in use.

However as DC field work became more complex more rifles and sabers were added to perform skill drills with their implements. They did this away from the honor guard closer to the drill of the corps. This is not without long precedent, witness the baton tossing techniques of British military Drum Majors, the rifle techniques drawn from the Manual of Arms utilized at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the USMC Silent Drill Team.

Around the 50s and 60s other flags came into play which evolved into the decorative flags of today. E.g. at one time in parades the Cadets carried their National Championship flags on the same line as the American Flag. Eventually they had so many, they formed a separate group of flags marching behind the honor group. This group wes incorporated into the field show along with the fancy rifle and saber work.

Because of the etiquette requirements of the honor group, they could not be integrated into the complicated drills of the field sections and eventually, in the Junior Corps ranks. the Honor Guard was replaced by raising the Flag and playing the NA.

Many Senior Corps, however have dealt with these developments by bringing a traditional Honor Guard onto the field ahead of the Corps and posting them into a "planted" position to the right of the audience.

Make sense?

I welcome corrections, additions, amplifications, etc.

Kevin Doherty

US Army 66-69, VV

[JohnZ]

removed some personal attacks....play nice, boys and girls..

[StephanieT]

Ok, I’m 50 … I’ve been around DCI so long I was one of the original “Friends of DCI”. I sat through 16 drum corps and enough of all this positive stuff everyone feeds everyone I wanted to share with you the cold hard brutal truth … only one corps will win and some corps are better than others. Deal with it. Here we go

The Colts – what’s up with the lightning bolt on those uniforms?

The Academy – What happened? Cavaliers have a sell on guard uniforms last year and you thought “The Matrix” look was cool?

The Glassmen – Guard was scary – horn line wishes they were scary.

Troopers – The Road Home? Come on I didn’t see an I-40 sign at all in your show. Ok, I will give it to you, you got me all emotional at the end with those old Trooper Flags waving off the background. SHAME on you for making an old man cry. I had a senior moment, sorry it won't happen again.

Spirit of Atlanta – too much white … loose the white plumes. Man you guys spent a fortune on those story boards. Please let me know when you have a sale at the end of the year. I know a couple of movie theaters that would buy those from you. I think you have a solid Top 12 show. Now clean clean clean to stay their.

Blue Stars – Why are the DCI judges picking on you? I thought you guys had a much more accessible show than last year’s “magic act”. But if you move across that scaffolding watch your dress and cover. Spacing issues up that high can be killer distraction.

Blue Knights – I was so excited that you didn’t have one single “tide died” flag in your program. Still you have the oddest flags in DCI.

Madison Scouts – I kept getting choked up during the middle of the program, I had to keep telling myself this is only a drum corps show don’t get carried away. Ok, I lied I said I wouldn't cry any more. Your ending was a little loud “thank you's” were heard from some of the fans … I have no idea what they were talking about. I thought business men wore dark suits in New York? Or is gray the new black? JZ and Alisha Keyes called and they want their song back, because you NOW OWN IT!

Boston Crusaders – Well well, some music I actually knew. If you’re going to whistle coming on the field, put a microphone on ya, I could barely hear you. Where was the BLOOD? I’ve never seen wounded Airmen without blood! Come on this is DCI put on your war face.

Santa Clara Vanguard – What’s up with the Plain Jane flags? Solid yellow? Huh? Did your order not come in? Drum line was smoking – only real Devil I saw on the field. Horn line, I think you’re over your head. I think I need to sit up higher to find out why random horn players just take off running for no reason during the program.

BlueCoats – In a song you just described me with your opener,“I’m a creep, I’m a looser” best horn part of the night, of course I like Radio Head. Guard, please get rid of the color blind uniform/costume maker you used this year – those guard uniforms were just ALL wrong. Horns stop by the gas station on the way to Indy to fuel up, because you’re running out at the end.

Phantom Regiment – Oh how I love to hate on these guys from Rockford Loves Park. I hate the word LOVE in anything. Ok, you had the best horn line of the night, drums were not as bad as I thought they were going to be and the guard was 100% rock solid. New uniform with some type of coat of arms in the middle was a little small and those mirrors kept distracting me; you should have made that coat of arms thing bigger!

Carolina Crown – How many times are you going to play Queen before we all get sick of it? You’re like Madison with all those Maliguna songs they played. I was hoping to not like this show, but it works. It has a very cool hip vibe all it was missing was the smell of that wacky tobacco stuff we smell at rock concerts and you would have me. Oh BTW tell Jimi Hendricks Jr., he needs to throw that rifle higher at the end on top of the scaffolding he’s on. If he’s not careful he’s going to bust a score board one night. Oh one last thing, for finals the guys you surf over the horn line, put them in a judge’s uniform! That would be awesome if you could get a judge to crowd surf!

Cavaliers – Ok, I hate you! I’ve been humming and singing Nature Boy all day. I can’t get it out of my head! I didn’t know Nate King Cole recorded that song. Taught me something new. See this old fart can learn a new trick. Guard this year wins the “extraordinary” costume award, and those stilts are nothing short of genius! I thought for a minute I was watching “Avatar” again. Oh those little feathers in the headgear of all the guard guys, I wish I could have seen their expressions when that uniform was unveiled. I’m sure they thought … “OMG you gotta be kidding me, I’ve gotta wear that all summer.”

Cadets – shame on you! Tearing up a perfectly good baritone horn just for effect! Now if you threw some saxophones and flutes on the field that would have been WILD! I would have hated to be your drill writer keeping all the red guys and white guys in their own little groups like you did and then alternate red/white red/white all throughout the show. I thought for a minute you were about to pull a Phantom Regiment on me and play “Amazing Grace” the way they did OMG that would be the deal for sure for us old farts. All in all George I think you found a show that perfectly suits you! I liked it. Ok I said it now sue me.

Blue Devils – WOW that guard loves those wild colors don’t they. Black and white and pink, ok I didn’t know those colors go together. BD’s new uniforms are a departure from conservative for sure … two white stripes on one pant leg – you need to send those back to FJM and get one sewn on each side. Nice old school throw back in your show to Burt Baccarat … one fan liked it, he yelled out “Thank You”. I bet the LOWES guy in Concord CA loves seeing you guys in May when you want to buy show props. Next year if you buy the middle section of the fence you got post for this year you will get a 5% discount! If you moved some of those cubes out the way you could march and move around more like the Cadets and Cavies.

If I was judging the show last night here is how I would have judged it ..;. You don’t need no scores.

1st - Cadets

2nd – Tie Blue Devils and Cavies (I couldn’t make up my mind)

4th – Carolina Crown

5th – Phantom Regiment

6th – Blue Coats – and no one explained the “BLOOOOING” on the PA last night either YEA

7th – SCV – Devil is in your house but he didn't go down to Georgia

8th – Tie – Boston and Madison (I was going to put Madison in front of Boston – but I love a good war)

10 – Blue Stars – Brass line is really solid

11 – Blue Knights – I watched I listened and you are exactly where you should be

12 – Hometown Favorite – Spirit of Atlanta – I would love it if they would play “Let it Be Me” as a warm up!

13 - Troopers

14 - Glassmen

15 - The Academy

16 - The Colts

Love me or hate me I speak my opinion. THIS IS MY OPINION, THIS ONE IS MINE, THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE.

At Ease!

Fear not RBarron, that baritone had been run over by a soccer mom who was picking up her kiddo at the school where the Cadets were rehearsing.

[StephanieT]

Back to the OP. Possibly one of the most clever posts Ive seen here. I love it and saw lots of positives in your post. People of DCP need to chill and understand the intent of the post. Loved it!

Why on earth do so many people get their panties in a knot over a post that was blatantly intended to be humorous and tongue in cheek. Lighten up why don't ya!!

[Howdy]

Howdy...let me be blunt.

No one on DCp cares about your "resume". Have you not realized everytime you sign in, you get mocked? And I'll tell you why...because it's all about you, and your resume no one cares about.

You're still here dredging up #### from RAMD from 15 years ago...AND NO ONE CARES.

oh and I watched CV tonight. for a corps with 6 weeks to go in their season, they had the issues I saw with other corps up here live saturday. Funny tho, for a guy who quit two weeks before finals, I don't see you out there doing anything...then again, no one wants you.

give it up man. This isn't about old RAMD grudges here. This isn't about your resume. it's about drum corps as it is today, not what you want it to be.

I agree with John, enough with your classless cheap shot inaccurate personal attacks. Thank you John.

Jeff they were in poor taste.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Howdy

[bawker]

That'll do.

Closed.