Jeff Ream Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Yeah its crazy. I was in the mens restroom washing my hands in 2010 at I@E listening to a couple of dudes in the stalls whining about some of the corps,,the repitores, the placements and the scores. It was pretty childish and pathetic. Its one thing to make a effect argument about this or that but its another when all you can do is bash someone for winning and how they do it. Yup. I'm sure my comments in here will draw out the stalwart defenders, people will red mark whatever, but when Star United came a bout, it stopped being about who could play the loudest, highest notes. And that ###### many people off. I believe 09 was the last year I went to watch. After scors were announced, several members of a coprs approached me and started grilling me about a friend of mine on the panel that night, and what did he know, yada yada, running the guy they only knew by name down. Well, for those of you that know me, I listened clamly, then blasted them on their coming to me about it, their attitude in general, and the fact the attitude they showed me was why more and more people stopped giving a #### about mini corps. Since that night/early morning, I've no desire to see one unless it;s Star United playing an encore while we wait for retreat at finals 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm the emcee for the mini-corps show next Friday. To fill time between performances, I'll be doing dramatic readings of names from the Annapolis phone book. Seriously... I understand some other stuff... the brass choir category, perhaps, I don't know for sure... will be added to the mini-corps event to flesh it out a bit. Once the schedule is out on the DCA website, closer to the event, we'll all know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm the emcee for the mini-corps show next Friday. ... and in there lies the problem ... how simplistic a solution ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I will guarantee that the Ghost Riders will be in the top 4 this year! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutta Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) Tough talk Donny...way to go out on a limb! Edited August 23, 2013 by strutta 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm the emcee for the mini-corps show next Friday. To fill time between performances, I'll be doing dramatic readings of names from the Annapolis phone book. :lol:/> Seriously... I understand some other stuff... the brass choir category, perhaps, I don't know for sure... will be added to the mini-corps event to flesh it out a bit. Once the schedule is out on the DCA website, closer to the event, we'll all know for sure. Such a welcome releif for the fans I am sure. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbriggs Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm the emcee for the mini-corps show next Friday. To fill time between performances, I'll be doing dramatic readings of names from the Annapolis phone book. :lol:/> Seriously... I understand some other stuff... the brass choir category, perhaps, I don't know for sure... will be added to the mini-corps event to flesh it out a bit. Once the schedule is out on the DCA website, closer to the event, we'll all know for sure. Shirt competition? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Why the decline? 2 cents not speaking for the Ghost Riders, but my own opinion. Cost Involved in travel. hotels. logistics. Cost involved in copyrights. Performance fees. Lack of interest. (It is a competition.) Doing too much drill/Outside venue affiliations with other corps getting in the way Jeff Ream's dislike of mini corps (j/k) Mini corps was from its inception formed to be an outlet for guys that were in Alumni corps and maybe even competing corps to do something on (then) the Saturday night in between prelims and finals and compete. In their alumni corps they didn't get that chance. It was geared toward entertainment and perhaps included some vintage memorabilia from DCA or DCI corps as repertoire choices. It kept the same intent through the fact that they changed it to Friday night, and in Rochester the indoor venue was very conducive for it's success. It was a party atmosphere. There were people that talked through corps performances and no one even cared. Many people were in different forms of inebriation, including perhaps even the performers. It gave the opportunity to fire department groups, like Golden Eagles, Lambertville, et al to do something different than a parade. The people that comprised these groups that I know do take it quite seriously including the Ghost Riders. We had friendly, but very competitive rivalries with Erie, Golden Eagles, Mass Brass, Minne-Brass, etc. One by one (in that same order) I just mentioned, they fell off and there was even talk in the winter Ghost not going to Annapolis because of the distance, cost or lack of energy to see it through again. Annapolis is not as friendly to perform in as the inside venue in Rochester. Doing drill hurt us last year and many of our members voiced their concerns about doing as much this year. Mini corps is for some guys that are too old or too heavy to do the drill it takes to be in an Open or Class A corps. Ghost Riders have used staging gimmicks and limited movement like horn and foot moves and things like that. We also used props to set a stage for the music we had chose. There is no place on any scoring sheets that give credit for doing drill. Yet we were determined to do it anyway. It almost cost me membership from last year, until we assured them we wouldn't do it this year. Inside the staging stuff works great, but outside we thought we needed to do drill. Too much drill is another factor that we had to consider. First of all, why do it when there is no place to receive score for it? The guys we have march in other corps, and we have honored the competing or alumni corps they play with in this regard, making it tough to schedule rehearsals with full attendance. Some of them are elderly, and we have never cut someone for being too old or overweight etc. Anyway...I hope and believe to watch it begin to be back to (normal?) next year in Rochester. I have heard mumblings about new corps that are reforming from old corps out east. I would love to see Erie, Golden Eagles and Mass Brass come back especially. Any ONE of us could have won and that made great competitive battles. Something coincidental does happen when we feel like you cannot win and we stop coming, despite what may be being said by others. I have had that same respective concern from our members. It may not be the primary reason but when weighed in with the factors of cost for travel, cost for hotels, fees to perform, rights to play and record, synch rights, etc. but for us it does carry some weight...I wont deny it. Yes Star United has raised the bar, but the group I am involved with has not backed down from that challenge. Even with lesser talent and more obstacles to success added in, I expect to battle for the top spot in Annapolis next Friday. This will be 18 consecutive years for the Ghost Riders in mini corps competition. Truthfully, I find it exhilarating and get enjoyment from it. Even with only four corps in the show, it is worth the price of admission...(free). DA 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm the emcee for the mini-corps show next Friday. To fill time between performances, I'll be doing dramatic readings of names from the Annapolis phone book. :lol:/> Seriously... I understand some other stuff... the brass choir category, perhaps, I don't know for sure... will be added to the mini-corps event to flesh it out a bit. Once the schedule is out on the DCA website, closer to the event, we'll all know for sure. civilian book or Academy book? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Costs for licensing can be minimized by using mainly works in the public domain. Three of the four pieces that Star United played last year should have cost them nothing for rights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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