2015 Predictions

[KVG_DC]

Madison, IN is right by the Clfty Falls State Park. It's actually a fairly nice area.

Good ole Camp Raglafart (Trafalgar backwards) however, is next to an Army proving ground and one can hear shells going off while practicing on the field. My high school had camp there every summer in the late 80s and unless they did some major upgrades at some point, I pity the Scouts for using that place.

[wakes up in a cold sweat on a humid stick night before realizing he's not sleeping in that Hex building again]

[Cappybara]

Crown posted that they have somewhere around 50-60 age outs (don't remember the exact number). I don't see them getting higher than 3rd next year as that's quite a bit.

My predictions

1. Blue Devils

2. Cadets

3. Bluecoats

4. Crown

5. Cavaliers

6. Phantom Regiment

7. Santa Clara Vanguard (scandalous, I know)

8. Blue Stars

9. Blue Knights

10. Boston Crusaders

11. Crossmen

12. Troopers

[Catan]

1. BD

2. Cadets

3. Crown

4. Cavaliers

5. SCV

6. Bluecoats

7. Phantom Regiment

8. Blue Stars

9. Blue Knights

10. Boston Crusaders

11. Madison Scouts

12. Crossmen

Predictions are really just a shot in the dark. DCI is too competitive now to make truly accurate predictions!

[boxingfred]

• Cadets- It's harder to tell a story than present a theme. Maybe next year Cadets do less story telling.
  
• Devils- Blue Devils have a formula that works.
  
• Crown- Crown has too good of an organization to roll over They will be back!
  
• Bluecoats- Bloo had my favorite show in 2014. Can they do something just as good AND fix the weak captions?
  
• Cavies- Cavies are creeping up there!
  
• SCV- CG , Brass and Vis. Fix that you medal.
  
• Phantom-I don't know
  
• BKnights- If they put on another beautiful show and tighten their captions...
  
• Boston- They Should be top 6!
  
• Madison- Don't over think your shows. If you do Stan Kenton pick a few songs play the #### out of them and march a nice show. No Hamster wheels!
  
• Blue Stars- Need an edgier show
  
• Colts- You're due!
  

Edited August 15, 2014 by boxingfred

[DrumManTx]

Some thoughts, will go in order of this years placements:

1) Blue Devils - Staff consistency is key, and they're the king here. They'd have to try something completely insane or not deliver, both of which hasn't happened since 2005 to drop out of the top 2 in my eyes. It'll happen eventually......but I don't see it happening any time soon. I see them 1st or 2nd without ANY prior knowledge. But with the same exact staff year in year out only having 1 big miss of a show design since well after the turn of the last decade, this is the safest bet.

2) Bluecoats - People keep bringing up trends of the past, but trends are broken. I think Bluecoats will be in this bracket again next year, and here's why. Brass is strong as ever, percussion is as well, they have one of the best arranging teams in the business. Yes, that's been true for a lot of recent years, but they fixed their Achilles heel from 2005 - 2013 in my eyes, visual design and performance issues. Was this years visual show the cleanest? No, it almost cost them a top 3 finish. But when you compare the guard and individual marching to recent years, they made some huge changes that paid off big time this year, that's the best they've looked visually ever? They made huge progress in what was in my eyes their big issue in 2011 - 2013. Also some fresh faces in the design department after 2012. I hope they keep the music first and building a show around it approach, because that absolutely paid off this year.

3) The Cadets - 4 words. A refreshing show design. The ONLY issue I and many others had this past year was the show design. They need something refreshing and new by being an innovator again. 2013's on some days my favorite to listen to from 2013, but I don't watch it. The music work, the theme didn't. This past year they performed the absolute hell out of their show, and probably would have been 2nd any other night, but Bluecoats cleaned up just enough visually and were on fire in finals to not offset their lower visual scores. Step away from the Copland, the Barber, ect. and do something no one else has done. "Stonehenge", "We Are the Future", "The Zone" all fall into that wheelhouse of being new music on the field at the time paired with a theme that they're not hitting you over the head with (well, maybe 2005 did but it worked tremendously). Or go they did in 2011 with a theme everyone can get without having to be covered in narration and a deep message. Angels Versus Demons? BAD ###! With how talented they are, I'd love for them to do a show I can fall in love with. They'll be in the running for the top 2 as always. I want to love a Cadets show again.

4) Santa Clara Vanguard - I've loved the past two years. Music everyone knows, a big broadway-ish type production with the backdrops. A killer staff. Pretty balanced. I just don't want them to do what Phantom has done and do the same kind of shows for 4 years straight. Someone brought up Phantom of the Opera, I think a redo is due at some time, but not now. There's so much music out there that hasn't been touched that's just waiting for JD Shaw and Paul Rennick to get their hands on and Pete Weber go to town on. I'm sure they're going to put on another killer show, but I just want them to be careful and not get in a rut.

5) Carolina Crown - I don't see what the fuss is about. The drumline made some strides again, go back and listen to 2012 and 2013 again if you don't believe me, brass and guard were killer again, and for the most part the show worked, at least according to the crowd. It's not like they didn't try, they took some big risks and some didn't pay off. Trial and error. It happens. I bet they take a new direction next year, no matter what happened, 2013 wasn't going to be matched. They don't need to keep with that formula. Elements? Yes. But a ripple rifle toss along with a vocal intro into a power brass hit, insane brass feature in the middle right after or before the drum break, gorgeous ballad, and exciting upbeat closer again? I don't think that's doing them any favors. Parts of this design team in the high school world at Avon High School and in DCI at Crown have offered up some of the most breathtaking, fan friendly, and engaging shows in recent years. Is one little slide from taking some big risks reason to worry? No, not by a long shot. If it happens again in 2015, then maybe, but I think the'll be fine, reevaluate what didn't work, continue progress with the drums, and put out another killer show.

6) The Cavaliers - They're back, but how are they going to break into that AMAZING top 5? They keep improving at the rate they are, and they will. Drill was more Cavaliers, brass was hugely improved, and the show design just worked. Keep this team together, and Rosemont will be back in medal contention in a season or two.

7) Phantom Regiment - The only part of this corps that needs some refreshing is the show design department. This corps was amazingly talented and were ON FIRE at finals with a lacking show. Step away from strong independent woman shows, and do something new. There's a plethora of music out there calling Phantom, do something new and refreshing. You can still tell a story and use classical music, just a new one. Top 5 will be really hard to crack.

8) Blue Knights - Will keep it short, keep the staff, keep improving, and they'll be sitting here or move up until staff changes happen. Strong across the board and the design team hit the nail on the head.

9) Blue Stars - Keep the staff, and they'll take you far. Huge improvements in brass and show design since 2012. I think they're solidly in finals again.

10) Boston Crusaders - Just tone down the difficulty a little, not saying super easy, but manageable. They made a statement this year and probably didn't place where they planned, and that'll fire them up. Pair that with a 75th anniversary, and they'll be one to really watch out for next year.

11) Madison Scouts - If they bring in someone to continue off the progress that Mason made here from 2010 - 2014, they'll be a huge force to reckon with, because that was one fantastic corps in 2014.

12) Crossmen - Surprise of the season. Visual design was phenomenal and everything else was great. Again, staff consistency.

With BD running away with it like they did, I see some corps really pushing as hard as possible to reach that kind of excellence, I think it'll be closer next year. Will they be beat? We'll see. But I think them winning like that is motivation for the corps behind them to not let them run away like that again.

[jjeffeory]

I'm confused. I thought Madison was from Indiana now???

They'd be placing much higher if they were...

[BRASSO]

Some other 2015 predictions :

Crown will get new uniforms for 2015.

Cadets won't do another ' murica themed show production until at least 2020.

6 Corps will do a copycat pitch bends with their Sound Machine in 2015.

Blue Devils will draw their 2015 theme inspiration from something found on the Continent of Europe.

SCV will place 2-5 points in back of BD all season long.

Boston's show will include large props and will have narration for 2015.

Troopers will be a crowd favorite and finish 13th.

Phantom will be the Phantom Reg. we recognize, but Madison won't be the Madison we recognize.

[DCImonkey]

OK I'll give this a shot

1. Cadets - It's an odd numbered year so that bodes well for Cadets. After a gimmicky idea, Hop will design a helluva show and blow through the season.

2. Blue Devils - Because they NEVER finish outside of the Top 2. They will have white props.

3. Carolina Crown - Jim Ott #5. Percussion 4th place. Guard 2nd. This will be the greatest Crown show ever and will earn them their first bronze medal.

4. Cavaliers - Starting to look like Cavies of old.

5. Bluecoats - They will put together a monster of a show striving for that Gold, but like Crown in 2010..it will backfire of them. It'll still be an awesome show.

6. Santa Clara Vanguard - Well somebody has to finish 6th. SCV's drums won't win this year and that makes all the difference as the brass only improves slightly.

7 Blue Knights - Another fresh show from Denver

8. Blue Stars - 8th seems like a good place. Unless they bring back red plumes then I'll drop them to 10th.

9. Phantom Regiment - They seem to need to hit the reset button in terms of design. This will be the last year before they jump back to the Top 6.

10. Boston Crusaders - Retribution for pissing off DCI. This show should place Top 7 but they won't get the credit

11. Crossmen - I think we'll see another good show from Bones.

12. Troopers - They break into Finals one last time before Wyoming is consumed by a giant sinkhole.

13. Madison - Not sure about their direction with Mason leaving....might have some growing pains.

14. Colts - I want them to make Finals so bad......C'mon Colts!

[FlamMan]

Oh Christ on a mother ####### pogo stick, give it a rest.

If schools in Wisconsin wouldn't charge so much and it wasn't so expensive to fly into the Dane County Airport, among other reasons, maybe it would be more fiscally responsible for Madison and other corps, including the Blue Stars to do all their rehearsing in Wisconsin.

Give the Indiana Scouts rhetoric a rest please.

With Mason "retiring", is that the end of Madison basing their operation in Indiana?

[tesmusic]

With Mason "retiring", is that the end of Madison basing their operation in Indiana?

Gregg Auby is a great board contact and will be able to answer these questions better than most.

He posted his email on the facebook alumni page.

I would contact him, as any responses on here will be pure speculation.

Edited August 15, 2014 by tesmusic