Sad News from Music City

[ajlemm]

This is so sad. I thought they were going to be one of the next Open Class corps to make the jump to World Class.

[Kamarag]

This is so sad. I thought they were going to be one of the next Open Class corps to make the jump to World Class.

I don't believe they ever had long-term plans to make the jump to World, but rather give a great experience to as many local kids as they could within Open Class.

[Tekneek]

I sure hope that someone with particular knowledge of MC's situation will share what it was that brought them down.

We have to learn from these, too.

Indeed. While each corps has their own reasons for folding up, some of which they may never want to make public, the wording of the announcement makes it sound like there is something to be learned and something that could be changed. Hopefully more information may come out.

[ajlemm]

I don't believe they ever had long-term plans to make the jump to World, but rather give a great experience to as many local kids as they could within Open Class.

I guess I meant from the standpoint of their competitiveness in Open Class.

[MikeN]

Don't know anything about them off of the field, but I sure liked what they did on it.

Mike

[hostrauser]

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with Music City and have no inside information.

That said, I know one of the cornerstones of the Music City organization has been keeping fees low and affordable. I think it just reached a point where they realized that fundraising by itself was simply not enough to continue fielding a corps, and the directors of the organization refused to push that projected shortfall back on the kids in terms of higher membership fees in future seasons. Music City was simply never going to be a corps that would charge a kid $2,000 to march for a summer, even if it meant shutting down.

Just my opinion/guess as to what might have happened behind closed doors.

[drilltech1]

This is certainly sad news for the members, the fans, and the activity in general.

I know no specifics nor have I any inside info but this ole drum corps veteran does have these observations.

When Music City began, Keith Hall was prominent in their management and founding as well as Thom Keenan. Hall's company Band Hall was a very active sponsor. During the past year I no longer see advertisements for Band Hall anywhere and wonder what happened. By coincidence, I didn't see either Keith or Tom this summer.

Music City began with a traditional drum corps program and has maintained that direction Their uniforms themselves looked like they had been lifted from the script of The Music Man.

However show design never seemed to flex from that direction, one more typical to the college and h.s. band world of Tennessee and Kentucky from whence most of their instructional staff seemed to originate and reside.

The show designs have shifted, even in Open Class, the past two seasons as is shown by BDB and SCVC. Although they were a large corps, Music City didn't seem to keep pace with what the judges were now seeking.

La Habenera was a selection which I thought would have given them zest, dynamicism, and possibility. It seemed at times more like a dirge. I wondered about the instructional staff's philosophy and perspectives.

At the early season, Nick Scarpetta's name was announced as their drill designer (previously with Phantom Regiment as in 2008 Spartacus, Loveland H.S. in Colorado, etc.) As the summer progressed, I no longer saw or heard his name in show announcements. It might have been my diminishing hearing.

For those in Nashville who expected an overnight open champion, it did not automatically come. Hey it took Crown so many years to get where they are today. Who knows?

I'll be interested in learning more. They marched a full corps for their first time and Nashville is a growing area although economically challenged. It is a locale ripe for another corps.

Edited August 15, 2013 by drilltech1

[ajlemm]

Man, I really wish I could win the lottery...I would love to start a bunch of endowments for drum and bugle corps.

[somerville]

incredibly sad, they were great this year. :sad:

[N.E. Brigand]

The show designs have shifted, even in Open Class, the past two seasons as is shown by BDB and SCVC. Although they were a large corps, Music City didn't seem to keep pace with what the judges were now seeking.

This year's show got their highest O.C. Finals placement (fifth) and score (90.35) in the corps' five-year history, where they were less than two-tenths from fourth place and just over a point from medaling.

La Habenera was a selection which I thought would have given them zest, dynamicism, and possibility. It seemed at times more like a dirge. I wondered about the instructional staff's philosophy and perspectives.

I strongly disagree. The show was lively and entertaining. The audience loved it at Avon Lake, and I think had they gone on after intermission there they would have placed fourth (rather than fifth) in that show, which could have set them up to do the same in Michigan City.