Staff changes 2016

[Liahona]

1. Well it sure as hell is a good thing that the majority of DCP doesn't live in the Greater NY area and aren't stuck in the damnn 20th century.

2. Sorry you're not interested. I myself am not very interested in your overly PC attitude about literally everything.

Can we get back on topic rather than arguing over pedantic word choice, please?

I live in the Greater NY area...not bugging me one bit...haha

[jjeffeory]

But will Hopkins admit he is wrong about the black unis if the corps doesn't win or wrong about having his daughter as color guard head while Bruno does admin duties on tour because Hopkins is jet-setting the nation and beyond? Just asking?

Depends on what Bruno wants to do... You know, he's pretty much done it all.

[BlueStainGlass]

TOTALLY agree on these. Blue Stars, hard to follow last year, but overall this is a strong offering in an INCREDIBLY competitive year. Brass made a huge jump, and the percussion and guard are as great as ever. Love what Saucedo is doing, his arrangements this year and last are fantastic, was worried after a kinda ho hum all original show in 2013. LOTS of positive comments on here as well, so it can't be too bad right? :P I said I wasn't going to name names, but as a long time fan of them, wouldn't mind seeing a new face in the visual design department. Visual GE scores this year are..................not too strong in relativity to how they're doing in other captions. I can't help but think with a stronger visual package they woulda been fighting in the top 8, music captions, Music GE, Guard are all there. And their visual scores have made HUGE strides since that 15th scare in San Antonio. Just a personal thought. Regardless, keep this staff together! Consistency is key, and boy do they have some great names.

I'd put it more on visual caption head. Bad technique and bad forms will take away from the GE visual. We've said all season when it cleans up it will pass people and it just hasn't cleaned up to the level to make the move into the top 8. Could these 3 rehearsal days be the key to cleaning and rebounding?

[fatbrassboy]

What I'd like is for phantom to part ways with Don Hill. He has done a great job but it's not the Shaw-like horn line everyone fell in love with. There are others but I will hold my tongue.

I think it's the Jim Wren hornline that had everyone falling in love with the Regiment hornline. He was THE original guy. Shaw had a term there, but Wren is the original and is still around the corps.

[jjeffeory]

Guess I hold DCP to a higher standard in an activity that supposedly always strives for excellence in all things all the time rather than the minimalism of some that it's not as bad as RAMD.

I am surprised you settled for the low bar.

If this was RAMD the phrase you're upset by would have been even more colorful - the bar could go much lower, imho.

I find it interesting that you took offence to that terminology; there are certainly phrases like that that grind my gears.

All I can say is choose your battles wisely...

[BlueStainGlass]

And while we are at it. I'm far from a cavies Homer or fan but if they want to stay relevant they need a new direction in everything. This show makes no sense and most people say I like the music but don't get it. That is why they are being passed.

[jjeffeory]

I'm not familiar with Frank Sullivan (I'll be sure to check some of his stuff out) but if he's an improvement over Don Hill, I'm ready to embrace a change.

Also, didn't Don arrange the 2011 show? I thought Shaw and Rennick left after 2010?

Cappy,

I'm astounded that you're not familiar with Frank Sullivan! You lose 1 DCI-fan point!

"Mr. Sullivan was a member of the Carolina Crown brass staff from 2005 through 2007 and since then has been hard at work creating Inspire... Music and Entertainment Productions, an arranging and composition company based in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Sullivan was a member of the Star of Indiana organization from 1991 to 1993, and both a member and instructor with Star of Indiana's Brass Theater from 1994 to 1997. In 1998 he joined The Cadets' brass staff, taking over as Brass Caption Head in 1999.

Frank graduated from Indiana State University in 1996 with a degree in Music Education and was a band director in Indiana from 1997 to 2001. From 2001 to 2004, Sullivan toured with the Broadway Show BLAST! Frank has also arranged music for the Boston Crusaders (2004) and the Blue Stars (2006-2012)." He also works with Tarpon Springs and probably a lot more groups that I have no idea about.

Anyway, I'm not sure he'd be a good fit for Phantom, but I generally like his work.

[jjeffeory]

I think it's the Jim Wren hornline that had everyone falling in love with the Regiment hornline. He was THE original guy. Shaw had a term there, but Wren is the original and is still around the corps.

I was going to say Jim Wren, but I don't know why he stopped writing for Regiment other than he's probably retired.. He's currently VP of the board. JD certainly carried the torch well, imho. I wish he could help with their arrangements from time to time.

JimWren

Brass Arranger/Caption Head, 1968-1999

Inducted in 1994

There is no one in the history of the Phantom Regiment more important than Jim Wren. On that, most can agree.

Jim was a charter member with the original Phantom Regiment and then, after the corps was forced to disband because of a fire, he was instrumental in reorganizing the corps in 1967, as a member of the corps' original Board of Directors.

At the same time, because the corps needed someone to head the brass program, he decided to teach himself as much about brass arranging and instruction as possible. Armed with a few arranging books from the Rockford Public Library and an inquisitive nature, he asked a lot of questions, got help and advice from some of the best, and within a few years, had created a brass program worthy of respect.

But it was perhaps Jim's musical choices that had the biggest impact on the Regiment and the drum corps activity as a whole. Playing classical music was a fairly experimental idea for drum corps in the days when Jim first started arranging music. Most corps were playing "the standards", or jazz, or rock, or "showtunes" of one sort or another. But Jim wanted to lead this corps in a different direction. Drawing on the scores of von Suppe, Mussorgsky, Shostakovich, Wagner and eventually many more, Jim began to change the sound of drum corps. And the Phantom Regiment got better and gained more respect each year.

By the late 1970's the Phantom Regiment was a favorite across the country and was threatening for the DCI title. The corps became known for "that sound" and together with fellow designers Marty Hurley, John Brazale, Dan Richardson and Norm Wheeler, Jim had created a monster.

The Regiment continued on through the 80's and 90's - through a few upturns and downturns, but always retained its DCI finalist status. And through it all, the one constant was Jim Wren. He continued pumping out great arrangements, training countless young students and instructors (and judges), and giving band directors a favorite place to send their kids.

In 1994 Jim was inducted into the DCI Hall of Fame and in 1996 the Regiment finally won its first DCI Championship, tying with the Blue Devils. At the end of the 1999 season, after 33 years as the brass arranger for the Phantom Regiment, Jim decided he had written enough.

Today, Jim continues his involvement as a member of the Phantom Regiment Board of Directors and a quiet counselor to the Regiment's current designers.

Read more:http://edu.regiment.org/about/hof.cfm#Wren#ixzz3hnjSSDxr

[Cappybara]

Cappy,

I'm astounded that you're not familiar with Frank Sullivan! You lose 1 DCI-fan point!

"Mr. Sullivan was a member of the Carolina Crown brass staff from 2005 through 2007 and since then has been hard at work creating Inspire... Music and Entertainment Productions, an arranging and composition company based in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Sullivan was a member of the Star of Indiana organization from 1991 to 1993, and both a member and instructor with Star of Indiana's Brass Theater from 1994 to 1997. In 1998 he joined The Cadets' brass staff, taking over as Brass Caption Head in 1999.

Frank graduated from Indiana State University in 1996 with a degree in Music Education and was a band director in Indiana from 1997 to 2001. From 2001 to 2004, Sullivan toured with the Broadway Show BLAST! Frank has also arranged music for the Boston Crusaders (2004) and the Blue Stars (2006-2012)." He also works with Tarpon Springs and probably a lot more groups that I have no idea about.

Anyway, I'm not sure he'd be a good fit for Phantom, but I generally like his work.

Wow, I'd certainly heard of him but I never realized how decorated he was! I'll be sure to listen to listen to Blue Stars' shows (the only one I've heard from that time period was Houdini) if DCI can get archives back up soon.

[jjeffeory]

Wow, I'd certainly heard of him but I never realized how decorated he was! I'll be sure to listen to listen to Blue Stars' shows (the only one I've heard from that time period was Houdini) if DCI can get archives back up soon.

Yea, I was going to lament about the archives. I'm sure you'd check it out if you could! I've got my fingers crossed that DCI can get them back up this year...