ChwyNiblet Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Again, doubtful. I understand that rep is important for those corps; if the show is cool, more people will choose X over Y. Doesn't change the perception of the Bridgemen as a bygone corps. Nor does it overpower other factors such as visibility, retention, location, etc. Show becomes the deciding factor when there are multiple lower-tier corps one could march with and must decide. Plain and simple, it may be presented as a draw by the staff who actually understands and cares about the Bridgemen. To be fair, the only reason they had so many kids is because of Cadets2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bersurkman Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 To be fair, the only reason they had so many kids is because of Cadets2. WHAT????? Please explain this logic to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalTones2012 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 To be fair, the only reason they had so many kids is because of Cadets2. Yeah I'm confused too. If anything, Cadets2 would have taken members away from Surf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirdcoast Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I have to admit from the beginning that I am one of the many who did not know I loved the Bridgemen until they were no more. From 1976-1980, I saw them as a nuisance. If 27th was in a show, I always wanted them to win, and if it couldn’t be 27th then I’d want Phantom or Madison to take top honors. On more than one occasion, the Bridgemen did their show and disrupted how I thought the order of things ought to be. Competitions were always exciting when the Bridgemen were involved because you never knew how the judges would react—they were always the wild card. You also never knew how the audience would react. Everyone had an opinion on the Bridgemen. As I look back at their glory days, they were not of that era, if anything they were a large part in defining that era. At times there could be too much going on, but eventually had a nearly effect blend of innovation and tradition. They were also good. Their drum line was often one of the best, their horn line was could fill a stadium with sound and their shows were a lot cleaner than they were given credit for back in the day. I’m glad that Jersey Surf is doing a tribute to the Bridgemen this year, and I hope it goes well. From what I hear, Jersey Surf is a great organization and it seems to allow the drum corps experience to young people who otherwise would not have it due to school and work commitments. They are also well suited for doing this show. Jersey Surf remembers the audience, and whether you loved or hated the Bridgemen, you can’t deny they loved to please the crowd. I’m also glad the Bridgemen are being remembered. I appreciate what drum corps is doing today, and I do not question the skill level of the young people, but I do feel that some of drum corps tradition has been lost. I know we can’t turn the clock back, but perhaps by remembering as one person called them “bygone corps” and paying tribute to corps such as Bridgemen, 27th Lancers, Anaheim Kingsmen, and so many others that made drum corps what we have today, we can not only keep the memory alive but also build on tradition. Nice post! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SopSauceBaus Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Yeah I'm confused too. If anything, Cadets2 would have taken members away from Surf. I'm not so sure about that, I think he has a valid point here. Look at it this way. Kids who are looking into Surf are usually going to also be looking at The Reading Buccaneers, Raiders, any of the other "local" corps [lower tier or DCA] that aren't the Cadets basically. With Cadets2 and Surf being so close to each other, distane wise, gives kids who don't want to march with anything that has to do with the Cadets a place to go, its a great alternative for them. Plus with Cadets2 is a DCA corps, this gives kids who wanted a DCI experience even more incentive. You also have to remember a reason some of the kids at Surf are there is because Cadets was the only other corps that was close to them and either they didn't feel like they could cut it talent wise or just don't want to march with the Cadets. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bersurkman Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I'm not so sure about that, I think he has a valid point here. Look at it this way. Kids who are looking into Surf are usually going to also be looking at The Reading Buccaneers, Raiders, any of the other "local" corps [lower tier or DCA] that aren't the Cadets basically. With Cadets2 and Surf being so close to each other, distane wise, gives kids who don't want to march with anything that has to do with the Cadets a place to go, its a great alternative for them. Plus with Cadets2 is a DCA corps, this gives kids who wanted a DCI experience even more incentive. You also have to remember a reason some of the kids at Surf are there is because Cadets was the only other corps that was close to them and either they didn't feel like they could cut it talent wise or just don't want to march with the Cadets. Well, that logic happens every year regardless of Cadets2 being in the mix or not. Actually adding another corps dilutes the talent pool even that much further. But going back to an earlier post, it is clear that A LOT of the kids are in Surf for the program. There are quite a few rookouts this year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 To be fair, the only reason they had so many kids is because of Cadets2. I'd love to see you explain this. I mean I see some people in here bagging on Surf for horn posture etc during a winter camp, and it's not like anyone realistic expected them to challenge CaDevilers for the title, but this makes 0 sense 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Well, that logic happens every year regardless of Cadets2 being in the mix or not. Actually adding another corps dilutes the talent pool even that much further. But going back to an earlier post, it is clear that A LOT of the kids are in Surf for the program. There are quite a few rookouts this year. the only thing I could see is that if a kid has to pay $1400 plus extras to march DCA, maybe $2300 to do a full tour minus four days is more worth it. But I gotta be honest...Surf is out there working their ##### off at recruiting. And that's why they are getting bodies. They've built a buzz they never had before, they have good working relationships with some of the local band circuits, and they are starting to build a core of loyalty within that may help them retain bodies for the long haul, not just til those kids are good enough to go elsewhere 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warsawstory Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 But I gotta be honest...Surf is out there working their ##### off at recruiting. And that's why they are getting bodies. They've built a buzz they never had before, they have good working relationships with some of the local band circuits, and they are starting to build a core of loyalty within that may help them retain bodies for the long haul, not just til those kids are good enough to go elsewhere Ding, ding, ding. Winner! This is what I appreciate about Surf. They are out there forming alliances, sponsoring local band shows and just working to get the word out about their organization. There are some lower tier corps that are squandering or ignoring these same opportunities. Cheers to Jersey Surf for making things happen. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbones7480 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 George Hopkins! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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