BRASSO Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 (edited) I can just imagine an inspection judge with today's corps. "OK, thats three ticks for texting while at attention, two ticks for Instagramming, and one point for taking a selfie with the inspection judge. And Bluecoats, where are your hats??? Ooh, I'm afraid that is ten points!" After I aged out, I later got my judging credentials, and for my 1st ( and only ) season , I was put out there as one of the Inspection judges for the Eastern Mass D & B Circuit. Some of the things the DM would try to tell me in hopes of avoiding a tenth of a point infraction deduction, in retrospect, were both inventive, creative and in some cases funny as all heck. Since I had been in their shoes not that many years before, I was more than than sympathetic to their quest to attempt to save their Corps, by their attempt to talk the inspection judge out of taking off a tenth of a point off for any infraction. The worst I felt, was the time a DM marched by the Flag section, but failed to salute the Colors ( mandatory for the DM's in those days), and that got their Corps a whopping multi tenths point penalty alone for that. I did not make the rules. I only enforced them as written. I had mixed feelings on Corps Inspections back then. Some good, some bad... but on the whole, glad they have been scrapped since. it was just a different time back then. What worked then, won't today. Edited July 9, 2016 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 (edited) Brasso: I once wrote about (for my Drum Corps World column) a drum major who claimed someone in his corps had a "malocclusion", and avoided a penalty. Could that have been you??? Maybe... but I sort of doubt it, Northern Thunder. I'm ok with some fancy words, but at 17- 21, that doesn't sound like a fancy word that would've been in my vocabulary at the time. ( but man, I like it!.. haha !) Edited July 9, 2016 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theColorNine Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Sup dcp. I've been away for a while. Back with a new profile. Some of you will know who I am. Anyways... It seems like DMs are really taking their time with the whole smile-and-wave thing after the salute. I've noticed it gradually getting worse, but this year it seems like every DM has their own shtick. BD DM with his hair thing and then shako fake out is the worst one. Is it just me or is it bothering anyone else too? Just salute, turn around, and go. I say let the DM have their few seconds of the limelight. After the corps plays their first note, who pays much attention to them anyway......unless they are "killed." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Maybe... but I sort of doubt it, Northern Thunder. I'm ok with some fancy words, but at 17- 21, that doesn't sound like a fancy word that would've been in my vocabulary at the time. ( but man, I like it!.. haha !) I don't have the exact story at my fingertips, but as I recall the drum major had no idea what a "malocclusion" was, and simply tossed it out there for the judge to think about. I guess you weren't the only DM to come up with "medical" explanations to fight those pesky inspection penalties. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietcity Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I don't have the exact story at my fingertips, but as I recall the drum major had no idea what a "malocclusion" was, and simply tossed it out there for the judge to think about. I guess you weren't the only DM to come up with "medical" explanations to fight those pesky inspection penalties. Weird, because I could swear that "Malocclusion" is the name of BD's show next year. Brasso, you should have claimed your MM had dysdiadochokinesia. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 (edited) DM's in the Senior Drum & Bugle Corps competitions would oftentimes try and " annoy " the field judges by attempting to get between the field judge and the sections the judge was attempting to find " tics " ( tenths ) to take off the sheets in performance evaluation. ( this was before the build up system of judging we have today ). This was before the DM's utilized podiums too. So the DM's would conduct the Corps musically in front, but when the Corps turned and went backfield, the DM would then quickly march out to where a field judge was, to see if they could legally obstruct their view . It was a veritable cat and mouse game. Assistant DM's sometimes played an even bigger role in this too. Most of it was just pure schtick, as audiences would get a chuckle out of seeing the DM's try and " annoy " the judges like this, and were always on the Corps DM's side ( haha!). The judges generally played along with this schtick too. They were able to see and hear what they wanted too in most cases, and so they were prepared for the DM's " annoyance " like this on the field. But man, if you were a DM, you never wanted to accidentally bump a judge in this cat and mouse game, as that was generally seen as a no no. But it did happen a few times. The crowd loved it, but I 'm not so sure this DM " bump and run " football field maneuver scored any points for such a Corps that might've done this no no. You could only " annoy " the judges so much ( haha!) Edited July 9, 2016 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Slow turn, salute, remove head wear, slight nod...EVIL GRIN. BUT, keep your feet together!!! Separate them only for hard accented parts or when the corps has them apart. And don't be a dancing monkey up there. Disagree to a point...Academy's DM is a hoot... There's a time to be a human met, and there's a time to let your hair down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Remember BITD when DM's tried to be the last one to arrive 'front & center'? When we were at retreat & they would call for the DMs, ours would then decide it was time to come back & see if we all were doing ok before heading out. Troopers, however, were considered the best at this. Or the infamous "DM slow race" between BD and SCV. When I was DM for SoCal Dream, I did the sloooow walk bit (2003). I remember leaving the block at the Sunnyvale show and hearing contra Wayne Ball say "I EXPECT you to be last." I was...and the best part when I did it that season was all the old guys knew EXACTLY what I was doing! That changed in 04 when our shows went DM-only. 'Course, THEN I got to lead the DM parade, since we tended to go on first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 are those dastardly dm's better or worse than the wink guy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedj2002 Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Allowing the DM his/her 10 seconds of glory isn't too much to ask imo. IThe remainder of the show has everything to do with them yet they are essentially invisible to the audience. With the Exception of Spartacus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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