BlueStainGlass Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I fully respect Spirit for taking the right steps in keeping the corps alive. One of the most disappointing things was watching my corps fall apart and nobody try to stop the bleeding. Once you fold chances are you won't come back with rare groups like Troopers coming back. Now every season I sit to see if some adults can get the financials in place and a good model to see the Glassmen return. So Spirit needs to be commended for their quick work in stabilizing the organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Spirit on the road and in SC for their first competition tonight. Now to see what the judges think. I wish them all the best tonight!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoastblue Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I'm a little confused by your post. This show is not what exactly? Have you seen it? Are you saying that it is a throwback show? I assure you it is not. Just because the title is "Georgia" doesn't mean it's 1980 all over again. Far from it. While there is a tiny bit of Georgia in the show I had to really dig to find it. Whether this show is deemed competitive by the judging community and the fans will not be because it is some sort of blast from the past. That much I assure you. Dan Dan, Without going into too much detail about the show design, I will just mention a few things. The show lacks variety. This is what makes it old school to me. Lots of similarity in the drill movement, staging, pictures, orchestrations, and how members get from one place to another. As they should, the sheets reward effective use of variety, which can include the tried and true visual and musical devises, the state of the art, and the innovative. All corps, including those in SOA's competitive tier can make use of these types of devises to up the interest, layers, effect of the production. The show also comes across as if it were constructed the old school way: someone writes the brass book, then someone writes the drum and pit book, then someone writes the drill, then someone remembers the guard is a part of the show too. Lastly, if asked what show theme is the most overdone and predictable and should be avoided, especially by young, building, re-inventing yourself groups? boy meets girl/girl meets boy, etc. If done, it has to be extremely special, unique, re-worked, super clever, refreshing, for it to not come across as cliche, tired, been there/done that. It is also a popular theme with many high school bands. And regardless of the amount of or arrangement approach to playing "Georgia", "Georgia on My Mind", etc. I don't care to hear it done less than it has been many many many times in the past when the corps was much healthier. It is as if no one on the design team knows these things or really thought them through. Since I would rather not believe that in 2016, I assume all these choices were made on purpose for a reason I do not fully get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I just went back and watched the run through video again, and nothing about it really reminds me of 1980's Spirit so I don't know what all the talk is other than the show is titled "Georgia". 79-89 is when I followed them fanatically. I hope nothing but the best for them this year and am looking forward to see how they do. I would have loved less runs and more melody.....but I'm an old fart now. GET OFF MY LAWN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Detweiler Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well, I assume you have actually seen the show in person? Some of what you say may be true...may not. We'll see what the judging community thinks tonight. My wife and I will be there wearing our corps jackets and baby blue chearing on the efforts of our kids, their staff, their volunteers, their admin team, their board of directors, their alumni and the Spirit family those kids have inspired and whom they represent. Yeah, and when it's over they will get a number. In many ways, a completely irrelevant number that does little to reward the real accomplishments this organization has already achieved. I totally understand that the average, hot dog eating spectator with no affiliation with Spirit past or present, will place all the relevance and credence of how the organization is managing on that number tonight. I'm ok with that. Just please don't try to tell those of us that are truly vetted in what this corps is trying to do what or how we should view what is going on. Remember folks, by all rights, this corps should have folded. It's a credit that they are even out there let alone in buses that are paid in full, trucks properly inspected and in top running order, eating healthy with members and staff excited about the possibilities. Remember folks, these kids read this stuff. Let's at least give them the benefit of the doubt. They deserve at least that much. Dan 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well, I assume you have actually seen the show in person? Living and working in London now I find it hard to attend. BTW MAD props to you in you marched Blue Devils for the TO and One More Time Chuck Corea show in 82. Blue Devils and Spirit were my life back in the 80's and those two charts were simply AMAZING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenoris4Jazz Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well, I assume you have actually seen the show in person? Some of what you say may be true...may not. We'll see what the judging community thinks tonight. My wife and I will be there wearing our corps jackets and baby blue chearing on the efforts of our kids, their staff, their volunteers, their admin team, their board of directors, their alumni and the Spirit family those kids have inspired and whom they represent. Yeah, and when it's over they will get a number. In many ways, a completely irrelevant number that does little to reward the real accomplishments this organization has already achieved. I totally understand that the average, hot dog eating spectator with no affiliation with Spirit past or present, will place all the relevance and credence of how the organization is managing on that number tonight. I'm ok with that. Just please don't try to tell those of us that are truly vetted in what this corps is trying to do what or how we should view what is going on. Remember folks, by all rights, this corps should have folded. It's a credit that they are even out there let alone in buses that are paid in full, trucks properly inspected and in top running order, eating healthy with members and staff excited about the possibilities. Remember folks, these kids read this stuff. Let's at least give them the benefit of the doubt. They deserve at least that much. Dan Let's not forget that while Cadets were competing for championships in the early 80's, they were also barely able to pay the bills. Because Hoppy and some other folks focused on the financial side of things, they were able to assure that future Cadets corps would be around to compete for years to come. That is what happened with Spirit over the last 10 months. They put the financial side in order to guarantee that there would be a Spirit of Atlanta marching for years to come. I personally don't give a hoot what scores they get this year or what placement they make, because the fact that they're even on tour is amazing. I'm not interested in how this show is judged, I'm interested in seeing this organization, and the kids who chose to be a part of it, put all the dark clouds behind them and just PERFORM! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbones7480 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Good luck tonight! #loveBones 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcikon2 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Dan - Great post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 From Spirit's FB page: Today is an important date in Spirit of Atlanta history. On July 8, 1980, drum corps, and Spirit, lost one of its greats. Jim Ott passed away in an unfortunate accident while on tour with Spirit. Tonight, as they did in 1980, Spirit of Atlanta will wear black armbands to honor the memory of Jim Ott. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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