Staff changes

[Jerseyboy]

Crossmen get (Blue Stars') Tim Greene Percussion Caption Head for 2013

http://www.crossmen....n-announce-2013

wow !

[bluecoats88]

That definitely doesn't mean Andy's leaving Madison. As the position is Drill Designer, he could just be doing their drill. I know this happens in the activity because, for example, last year Lee Beddis wrote for Crossmen while working at Madison. So, I wouldn't say he's gone. Also, Donnie is probably the same way. He has a history of working with multiple corps at one time. If I remember correctly, he was working with, at least, Crown, Madison and Blue Stars all during the same season.

happens all the time when staff from upper corps will write for lower corps also. Even happens occasionally for members too in 1990 Amy Putnam, Marimba Player for Bluecoats, also wrote the Pit parts for Limited Edition.

[general_tsos_chicken2]

oops accidentally posted in wrong thread

Edited September 15, 2012 by general_tsos_chicken2

[Elmo Blatch]

Michael Gray threw him under the bus in 2011 in favor of Danny Wiles, who had never written drill before in his life. In the world of people with no tangible talent or contribution (other than talking) operating under the guise of "program coordination", someone on the team has to hang when a show fails to find an audience and it's certainly not going to be them. The drill is always an easy target.

Hear, hear. In summary, I think its a great thing that Gray is doing less of the creative decision making and some new folks will get the opportunity to actually take the corps places without being second-guessed. There was some amazing talent that was wasted this year on a boring and predictable overall design concept. Please, whatever you do, don't lay blame at the feet of the horns and drums--they got it done.

I won't say Gray is arrogant, ineffective, or uncooperative, but I would add that the number of people who have left the corps (even mid-season) since he arrived speaks volumes about staff unhappiness and self-worth.

Seriously, have you ever had to endure one of his motivational or philosophical conversations? It seems as though the most dangerous place in the world is that space between Michael Gray and a microphone. He loves the sound of his own voice so much that he is drawn to a video camera like others are drawn to oxygen. When scrolling through FanNetwork videos, I no longer watch the official Bluecoats videos for fear of having to endure some long rant on how the Bluecoats' show conveys some nebulous or meaningless mindset. This is so much the case that I know which videos he has scripted, even though his voice may be absent from the video--others are doing the jibber jabbering for him.

[chaos001]

Hear, hear. In summary, I think its a great thing that Gray is doing less of the creative decision making and some new folks will get the opportunity to actually take the corps places without being second-guessed. There was some amazing talent that was wasted this year on a boring and predictable overall design concept. Please, whatever you do, don't lay blame at the feet of the horns and drums--they got it done.

I won't say Gray is arrogant, ineffective, or uncooperative, but I would add that the number of people who have left the corps (even mid-season) since he arrived speaks volumes about staff unhappiness and self-worth.

Seriously, have you ever had to endure one of his motivational or philosophical conversations? It seems as though the most dangerous place in the world is that space between Michael Gray and a microphone. He loves the sound of his own voice so much that he is drawn to a video camera like others are drawn to oxygen. When scrolling through FanNetwork videos, I no longer watch the official Bluecoats videos for fear of having to endure some long rant on how the Bluecoats' show conveys some nebulous or meaningless mindset. This is so much the case that I know which videos he has scripted, even though his voice may be absent from the video--others are doing the jibber jabbering for him.

I definitely noticed his penchant for mindless drivel after listening to his second installment on The Marching Roundtable. I think he means well, but he's caught up in the business of being an artist with its usual motto of "everything must be meaningful and deep" nonsense. Maybe I'm just jaded after studying and taking a billion art and philosophy classes that anytime I hear anything that resembles a search for the metaphysical, I roll my eyes.

[ashyUechi]

Daniel Riley is leaving Cadets as guard caption head. Who will come in and run the guard?

[general_tsos_chicken2]

Hear, hear. In summary, I think its a great thing that Gray is doing less of the creative decision making and some new folks will get the opportunity to actually take the corps places without being second-guessed. There was some amazing talent that was wasted this year on a boring and predictable overall design concept. Please, whatever you do, don't lay blame at the feet of the horns and drums--they got it done.

I won't say Gray is arrogant, ineffective, or uncooperative, but I would add that the number of people who have left the corps (even mid-season) since he arrived speaks volumes about staff unhappiness and self-worth.

Seriously, have you ever had to endure one of his motivational or philosophical conversations? It seems as though the most dangerous place in the world is that space between Michael Gray and a microphone. He loves the sound of his own voice so much that he is drawn to a video camera like others are drawn to oxygen. When scrolling through FanNetwork videos, I no longer watch the official Bluecoats videos for fear of having to endure some long rant on how the Bluecoats' show conveys some nebulous or meaningless mindset. This is so much the case that I know which videos he has scripted, even though his voice may be absent from the video--others are doing the jibber jabbering for him.

probably why bluecoats are always doing shows about themselves, finding themselves or some bs like that ... ick.

[chris ncsu]

Daniel Riley is leaving Cadets as guard caption head. Who will come in and run the guard?

I have no idea who's in charge of the book and who's in charge of cleaning, but I think they need some shakeups in both. I like The Cadets' approach to usually have a lot of flag work (esp. unison), and I like some of the dance they've snuck in (this year; 2006). But IMO they need to be a little more interesting and inventive throughout their program, and they need to be consistently cleaner. Their silks also could use some shots of color in them -- doesn't have to be on the level of 1998 (new and interesting silks every couple of minutes it seemed like, and the ripple!), but some of their digital prints haven't worked for me recently, and the colors often seem muted or unchanging.

[chaos001]

I have no idea who's in charge of the book and who's in charge of cleaning, but I think they need some shakeups in both. I like The Cadets' approach to usually have a lot of flag work (esp. unison), and I like some of the dance they've snuck in (this year; 2006). But IMO they need to be a little more interesting and inventive throughout their program, and they need to be consistently cleaner. Their silks also could use some shots of color in them -- doesn't have to be on the level of 1998 (new and interesting silks every couple of minutes it seemed like, and the ripple!), but some of their digital prints haven't worked for me recently, and the colors often seem muted or unchanging.

There's also something about the silks the last two years that have bothered me. They've been too block-shaped and don't look good when spun.

[Corbin]

probably why bluecoats are always doing shows about themselves, finding themselves or some bs like that ... ick.

I wouldn't go this far, but I will say that there seem to be several members of various staffs that have HUGE egos that at the end of the day really hurt members' chances of reaching various levels of potential.