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The Return of Southwind (among others)


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To be fair, some of these corps really have taken some very good steps to ensure stability, too. Because some friends of mine are involved, I've been following the development of The Battalion out of Provo. They've been in existence for a while now, holding fundraisers and advertising/recruiting like mad. This winter they started hosting camps, with pretty good turnouts. All of this, and they aren't planning to apply for membership until next year, and then with a very limited tour.

Planning things out years in advance, taking baby steps, and not moving on until the foundations are secure (aka good business!) If more startups did this, I think we would see a much higher survival rate in Open Class, and maybe even a higher rate of corps advancing to World Class status.

Being in Utah, I've been able to see a bit of what the Battalion has been doing. They had a booth at every single marching band competition in Utah. They're definitely for real. Their first "experience" camp had great turnout and as I understand was quite successful for a startup corps.

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Being in Utah, I've been able to see a bit of what the Battalion has been doing. They had a booth at every single marching band competition in Utah. They're definitely for real. Their first "experience" camp had great turnout and as I understand was quite successful for a startup corps.

In all seriousness, if they continue to work as hard and grow at the rate they are, I could see them becoming a World Class candidate within several years of entering OC. Maybe even sooner rather than later.

Edited by TroopAlum12
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In all seriousness, if they continue to work as hard and grow at the rate they are, I could see them becoming a World Class candidate within several years of entering OC. Maybe even sooner rather than later.

Oh for sure. There's plenty of interest for the activity in Utah too.

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Oh for sure. There's plenty of interest for the activity in Utah too.

It's ironic that a WC corps doesn't actually need that much local interest (although I think they do benefit greatly from it).

The OC corps need local support to move up, and eventually to get to the point where they could actually relocate if they wanted to.

So the lesson is: If you love your drum corps, set it free. If it comes back to you .. (wait, what am I drinking?)

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Gotta love the old drum corps stories...

:tounge2:

What did you learn in Drum Corps.... not to take #### from anyone..... :cool:

Shades of our corps bringing in a hired gun to work on our drill. Guy worked with name corps was older than my dad and NEVER used an indoor voice if you get my drift. Sure enough <cutting long story short> we had a major drill screw up at the end of one song at practice (only time all year it was off) and member next to me just puts her horn down and walks to her correct spot. I'm next in line and didn't move. Hired gun chews her out for moving and steams (out of his ears) over to me. All I can think is "Don't BS him" so it was:

Him: "WHAT HAPPENED!!!"

Me: "Beats the #### out of me".

Him: (blinks twice and does a head twitch) "Me either, I'll watch this next time to see".

Me" "Sounds good thanks"

At the time I was 19 but looked 16 or so. Haven't been intimidated by anyone since.....

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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So if they aren't applying for membership until next year, what are those kids at the camps going to do this year?

They're part of Soundsport I believe? So the kids that make it will march Soundsport this summer.

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What did you learn in Drum Corps.... not to take #### from anyone..... :cool:

Shades of our corps bringing in a hired gun to work on our drill. Guy worked with name corps was older than my dad and NEVER used an indoor voice if you get my drift. Sure enough <cutting long story short> we had a major drill screw up at the end of one song at practice (only time all year it was off) and member next to me just puts her horn down and walks to her correct spot. I'm next in line and didn't move. Hired gun chews her out for moving and steams (out of his ears) over to me. All I can think is "Don't BS him" so it was:

Him: "WHAT HAPPENED!!!"

Me: "Beats the #### out of me".

Him: (blinks twice and does a head twitch) "Me either, I'll watch this next time to see".

Me" "Sounds good thanks"

At the time I was 19 but looked 16 or so. Haven't been intimidated by anyone since.....

I did get chewed out by a brass instructor who was trying to get me to play a certain part of a piece, which he was referring to by the name of the part. But I didn't realize which part he meant. I thought he wanted me to play it better, so I just kept playing the same part over again. He got more and more agitated (screaming like a teapot) until he finally just played it on his trumpet. Then I realized and played the right part. He said, "OK" and moved on to the next thing. I don't remember being chewed out so much over something that didn't amount to anything. I still think he just wanted to scream at somebody.

I'm not sure it made me any tougher though... :smile:

Here's something that did, in a way: In my first corps we did winter standstill contests in gyms. One show I was first in line in the horn line to march out, and the instructor told me exactly where to go and how to get there (he wanted us closer to the audience than the previous corps had been). I went right to that spot as instructed. When I faced front I realized that the rest of the horn line hadn't followed me. The next guy apparently hadn't been paying attention and thought we were supposed to go where the previous corps had gone (further back). So there I was all by myself - and not playing a solo. I just skulked back like a wet rat to the rest of the line. The lesson: Doing things the right way might make you stand out from the crowd, but not always the way you want to.

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Since you used to work in this area..... :devil:

Last time I was in Huntington was for a relatives wedding. About the same time thinking of getting a cell phone so decided to buy one before we left. Go to a kiosk in the Cap City Mall and asked what was their coverage in WV. Was told all the major cities but nothing in between. Told the guy that wasn't what we needed and started to leave. In a REAL snarky voice he asked why we would care about non-major areas as "there is nothing to call anyway".

My response: "Well if a coal truck runs me off the side of the ####### mountain in the middle of nowhere. Being able to call 911 is a REAL good idea.".

Seriously that was one of the reasons why we bought the phone but man did this clown #### me off. Just too many trips before the Interstate went thru.

oh yeah. and cell coverage down there can be a roll of the dice, even on interstates.

But hell, I can suffer that issue here

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Does anyone remember the saga of the 3 years worth of press releases DCI and fans suffered in the early '80s from a character out in Anaheim, Cal area who had (almost) everyone convinced he was bringing back a drum corps there to build on where the Anaheim Kingsmen and (original) Anaheim Velvet Knights left off? He even had photos of unis, equipt., volunteers, etc. but never of any membership. Needless to say, the corps never did take the field anywhere.

Similar thing happened in late '80s with a Lion of Judah corps from Northern Florida. Lot of noise and press releases, no kids, no corps.

Unfortunately today with a computer and some clever words, anyone can create a corps....in their own minds. (Not poking fun at the DCP Fantasy League.)

But of course, you know the difference between neurotics and psychotics: neurotics build castles (corps) in the air. Psychotics live in them.

IMHO, no new "corps" should ever be presented as news outside their area until an actual performance by same has occurred. Too many bogus situations abound.

if DCI is actually releasing the info, I'll trust that far more than stuff in DCW back in the day and Facebook

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