Have we seen the last of high-speed "kaleidoscopic" drill in D

[Jeff Ream]

Well.... thats not what I commented on above, however. I specifically commented on their personal experience in marching Guard ( not on these things here you now mention. )

For example, there is more than one current DCI Guard Judge that never marched or danced a competitive Guard in their entire lives. Some have taught Guard,' never marched it, and some have marched Guard and taught Guard before becoming a DCI Guard Judge. But you would be wrong.. for example... if you stated that all the current DCI Guard judges marched Guard in their youth. Which is what I commented on above. Also, I never commented on their level of " familiarity with what is required " to judge the Guard caption today. We accept and assume that they have such familiarity with the sheets in order to effectively ascertain the demand levels and the execution levels in the Guard performances with all these Guards in their disparate Guard performance routines... all quite unlike one anothers in techniques, levels of demand, show maneuvers, etc. But have all the current DCI World Class Division Guard judges performed even the essential basics of Guard themselves in competition ? No. A couple of them, never have. And that was my point made above... no more, no less.

does having done it mean they are not qualified to judge it? I know someone who never marched in a competitive contest in their life, and is one of the best percussion judges I know, and could judge at any level if they wanted to. But just because they never marched does not mean they do not understand that which is involved and is required, they could give clinics on how to do it right.

[Jeff Ream]

1. Cadets lost in the wilderness? Did you see them last season? Winning the OTT at the same time moving like no other corps was hardly lost in the wilderness.

2. BD visual was no cleaner at finals. I was in the box. One of the worse marching BD corps I've ever seen. How they won VP is beyond me.

3. BD Visual GE was certainly effective in my opinion. Clean-no, demanding-not close to Cadets or Crown, Effective- Very IMO.

but demand only counts if it's clean, and IMO, the switch to black hurt Cadets from looking clean

[Jeff Ream]

Not arguing, just looking for an explanation - what kinds of demands equal "simultaneous demand?" Are we talking dancing and playing? Posing and playing? What makes that superior to marching and playing?

Mike

any type of movement and playing could be it. When you add in listening responsibilities that could be added and literally change in a second that's more. You could be doing one thing with the upper body and something else with the lower body at the same time....that counts.

[Jeff Ream]

I've always thought playing triplets with one hand and 16th notes with the other while simultaneously marching a 7/8 meter was demanding enough. But today you have to pick you nose, dance on one foot, twirl, emote, reach for the stars, show your softer side, and grit your teeth as if you're splitting hickory with a butter knife.

And if the competition does all of that and plays flams on their triplets in addition - even crappy flams! - well, what you've got there is some Box-5 stuff, eh?!

well no. crappy flams is mid 3

[2000Cadet]

but demand only counts if it's clean, and IMO, the switch to black hurt Cadets from looking clean

Agreed. If you look at earlier recordings when they wore their original uniforms, the drill was cleaner and getting cleaner each week I saw them. After they switched to black and I saw them at a couple shows, I noticed it was dirtier than usual. I surmise that it left the members with a lot to which they needed to get accustomed and reacclimatized in which case they did not have the necessary time to clean.

[Ghost]

Agreed. If you look at earlier recordings when they wore their original uniforms, the drill was cleaner and getting cleaner each week I saw them. After they switched to black and I saw them at a couple shows, I noticed it was dirtier than usual. I surmise that it left the members with a lot to which they needed to get accustomed and reacclimatized in which case they did not have the necessary time to clean.

For one who never marched similar to the mm today, please educate me how a change of uniform might affect a mm execution? By the time the Cadets switched uniforms a high percentage of the drill was in place, the steps, spots, etc. were the same, so why would the drill look dirty?

[2000Cadet]

For one who never marched similar to the mm today, please educate me how a change of uniform might affect a mm execution? By the time the Cadets switched uniforms a high percentage of the drill was in place, the steps, spots, etc. were the same, so why would the drill look dirty?

Things could possibly look different to the member in reference to the color of the uniform. They were accustomed to seeing each other in Maroon and gold all summer, but then had to get accustomed to all black. However I'm just speculating. I do not know this to be true. I'm just saying it is a possibility.

[GUARDLING]

Things could possibly look different to the member in reference to the color of the uniform. They were accustomed to seeing each other in Maroon and gold all summer, but then had to get accustomed to all black. However I'm just speculating. I do not know this to be true. I'm just saying it is a possibility.

yes it could make a big difference. Just like muscle memory, you eye is trained and to change what the eye see's in a dramatic way can influence.

[Kamarag]

For one who never marched similar to the mm today, please educate me how a change of uniform might affect a mm execution? By the time the Cadets switched uniforms a high percentage of the drill was in place, the steps, spots, etc. were the same, so why would the drill look dirty?

There's always been a myth that black, especially black pants/shoes, hid dirty marching technique and made forms look cleaner. The Cadets late-season uniform change busted that myth once and for all. I don't necessarily believe that The Cadets were dirtier with black, but rather the black didn't play to the corps technical strengths as well as the cream does/did.

Cadets have developed a style of moving over the years, that is as unique to them as BD's is to BD. I think the black made that technique very difficult to read, and they had little time to react and adjust (just as a BD corps in white pants would necessitate adjustment).

[Ghost]

yes it could make a big difference. Just like muscle memory, you eye is trained and to change what the eye see's in a dramatic way can influence.

By the time of quarterfinals, they were in the blacks for several shows, muscle memory of each mm drill is still in place, so I'm sorry but I'm not buying a uniform change for perceived issues that led to a drop in placement. I'd say the Cadets may have already maxed out their show more than the corps in their scoring group and the uniform (as mentioned by others) may have hurt visual scores, But I have not compared any of their scores leading up to finals week to see if they were stagnant and other corps were gaining. I may be wrong with the mm having visual issues with their fellow mm they have marched next too for weeks.