Cadets 2017

[garfield]

I hated the bluecoats uniforms this year...I understand why they were wearing them, but to me that just proved it was a show built for a gym, not a football field..sorry if I just sound like a Bloo hater lol

Can I stand next to you and join your party?

Ditto

[CaviesFan17]

Can I stand next to you and join your party?

Ditto

The more, the merrier lol

[Fred Windish]

no, there is a history, meaning and a legacy which goes beyond just familiarity.

Just as not all fat people look slimmer in black and some people should never wear spandex, some people should never wear pajamas without a bathrobe. May Bloo's pajama style outfits now become their souvenir table offerings which Santa brings to all good girls and boys. But not a DCI trend.

Fred, who should be congratulated by all DCPers for his early work on the Allentown shows which this summer celebrated its 40th anniversary, failed to mention cowboy hats and Aussies. Yes Cadets wore such headgear for one and a half seasons, (1958) in black no less, but it was a time of mourning until the maroon, gold and cream could be purchased again.

Hey, thanks! We're all very proud of the "Allentown thing." You might not know, about 15 of the original group (now 65 total volunteers) are still active there for all 40 years!

Yes, TRADITION! Allentown has it's flaws, for sure, but some amount of drum corps needs to remain in that city. Many stories to tell!

[GUARDLING]

Hey, thanks! We're all very proud of the "Allentown thing." You might not know, about 15 of the original group (now 65 total volunteers) are still active there for all 40 years!

Yes, TRADITION! Allentown has it's flaws, for sure, but some amount of drum corps needs to remain in that city. Many stories to tell!

it is one of my fav. places to be for sure..and yummmm great food..lol

[xandandl]

no , all that is just because we are familiar with it and connect past memories to it. Sure there all that history, that goes with it

. One may not like the direction of some corps and that others might follow, not to follow but to enhance what THEY feel is necessary. I also remember a time that if the guards changed it was horror among purists.or if flags didnt have corps colors .

I dont mean its a bad thing the familiar, the history or even traditions of some sort.

You're still missing the point that the colors of the Cadets' traditional uniform represented specific religious aspects which were the basis of the core of their collective understanding of what it meant to be a Cadet, what and why they preach Cadet excellence, and who it was and why that specific type of uniform was chosen.

The pajama game of outfitting came into WGI because it was cheap, trampy, and supposedly tied into the more artistic aura of the ballet studio. It maintained because scholastic groups had limited budgets with limited fundraising opportunities; it maintained because it fit under bulky winter clothes as not all competitive venues had lockerooms, practice areas (other than parking lots, etc.)

Unfortunately no one has yet to write either a compendium of either DCI history or WGI history from the viewpoint of practical trends of how the activity got where it is today. Many of the decisions (like 128 MMs and now 150 MMs) have nothing with any of the clap trap spewed by the media myth mongers about artistic abilities, it was because Bob Holton of St. Andrew's Bridgemen had over 128 kids which is what 3 coach busses held. When the coach busses became longer and sat 50, the size of corps increased with recognition that there were now fewer competitive corps in which kids could join the activity. What corps wore followed similar trends; not every unit in DCI or WGI has a BD bank account to change every year for every show. If such costuming considerations would be assessed standard, does the vesture have to change if the corps changes the show as many times as the Cadets did this summer? (Note to the noobies, There have been summers in the Zingali years and after when the Cadets changed the show even more often than this. Ask a vet.)

Edited August 18, 2016 by xandandl

[MikeRapp]

no, there is a history, meaning and a legacy which goes beyond just familiarity.

Just as not all fat people look slimmer in black and some people should never wear spandex, some people should never wear pajamas without a bathrobe. May Bloo's pajama style outfits now become their souvenir table offerings which Santa brings to all good girls and boys. But not a DCI trend.

Fred, who should be congratulated by all DCPers for his early work on the Allentown shows which this summer celebrated its 40th anniversary, failed to mention cowboy hats and Aussies. Yes Cadets wore such headgear for one and a half seasons, (1958) in black no less, but it was a time of mourning until the maroon, gold and cream could be purchased again.

But here's the thing. We have seen guard uniforms go from "traditional", often a different and often feminine version of the marching corps' uniform, to totally dramatic. Male and female guard uniforms are often completely different from each other as well. They wear make up, they carry all sorts of props, they act, they yell, they are doing things we never would have imagined from a "drum corps" not very long ago.

In fact, the only thing that today's guard does that previous guards used to do is wave a flag and twirl a rifle...and even SCV decided that was not the best option this year, with their lightening bolts.

Look at the Cadets guard this year, what is traditional about literally anything they did this year? They marched a dude dressed in a toga and wearing full body makeup! Why aren't we crowing about the loss of tradition in the cadets or bac guard? One main reason: the changes have elevated guard to its own unique artistic entity in DCI.

I guess all I am saying is, you cannot stop change. You may relegate yourself to the history books clinging to history. We older folks may genuinely miss the traditions of drum corps, I know I do, but I am MORE excited about seeing 10,000 high schoolers at Vanderbilt stadium yelling Blooooo.

You have to decide where your line is, but you better be committed to the results. Madison has a tough offseason to deal with. Do they want to fight to make finals from here forward? Because I promise you, there are other corps coming up the ranks that don't care about what the over 40 crowd thinks about tradition.

The Bluecoats body suits are simply one way of doing uniforms differently. They will almost certainly do something very different next year. I suspect we are headed down a path where the marching members will change uniforms at least once during the show.

It would kill me to not see the military style anymore. But I've learned the hard way about clinging to the past.

Edited August 18, 2016 by MikeRapp

[Fish]

You're still missing the point that the colors of the Cadets' traditional uniform represented specific religious aspects which were the basis of the core of their collective understanding of what it meant to be a Cadet, what and why they preach Cadet excellence, and who it was and why that specific type of uniform was chosen.

The pajama game of outfitting came into WGI because it was cheap, trampy, and supposedly tied into the more artistic aura of the ballet studio. It maintained because scholastic groups had limited budgets with limited fundraising opportunities; it maintained because it fit under bulky winter clothes as not all competitive venues had lockerooms, practice areas (other than parking lots, etc.)

Unfortunately no one has yet to write either a compendium of either DCI history or WGI history from the viewpoint of practical trends of how the activity got where it is today. Many of the decisions (like 128 MMs and now 150 MMs) have nothing with any of the clap trap spewed by the media myth mongers about artistic abilities, it was because Bob Holton of St. Andrew's Bridgemen had over 128 kids which is what 3 coach busses held. When the coach busses became longer and sat 50, the size of corps increased with recognition that there were now fewer competitive corps in which kids could join the activity. What corps wore followed similar trends; not every unit in DCI or WGI has a BD bank account.

Trampy? Really?

[GUARDLING]

You're still missing the point that the colors of the Cadets' traditional uniform represented specific religious aspects which were the basis of the core of their collective understanding of what it meant to be a Cadet, what and why they preach Cadet excellence, and who it was and why that specific type of uniform was chosen.

The pajama game of outfitting came into WGI because it was cheap, trampy, and supposedly tied into the more artistic aura of the ballet studio. It maintained because scholastic groups had limited budgets with limited fundraising opportunities; it maintained because it fit under bulky winter clothes as not all competitive venues had lockerooms, practice areas (other than parking lots, etc.)

Unfortunately no one has yet to write either a compendium of either DCI history or WGI history from the viewpoint of practical trends of how the activity got where it is today. Many of the decisions (like 128 MMs and now 150 MMs) have nothing with any of the clap trap spewed by the media myth mongers about artistic abilities, it was because Bob Holton of St. Andrew's Bridgemen had over 128 kids which is what 3 coach busses held. When the coach busses became longer and sat 50, the size of corps increased with recognition that there were now fewer competitive corps in which kids could join the activity. What corps wore followed similar trends; not every unit in DCI or WGI has a BD bank account.

What youre missing is that , I get what you are saying BUT a corps will do what THEY feel they need to do to move forward. Does it have to mean changing the familiar or tradition. NO it doesnt BUT thats the corps decision, if it works or not. I get both sides of the argument. I have family members who look at the new and say , well Im sure you get it and others who argue well theres no tradition if the corps is not around.

Noone is denying that the history is there and should always be there BUT a corps history goes way beyond a color

[MikeD]

I hated the bluecoats uniforms this year...I understand why they were wearing them, but to me that just proved it was a show built for a gym, not a football field..sorry if I just sound like a Bloo hater lol

Personally, I think costuming like that will be the wave of the future. Loved the look of the Coats.

[GUARDLING]

But here's the thing. We have seen guard uniforms go from "traditional", often a different and often feminine version of the marching corps' uniform, to totally dramatic. Male and female guard uniforms are often completely different from each other as well. They wear make up, they carry all sorts of props, they act, they yell, they are doing things we never would have imagined from a "drum corps" not very long ago.

In fact, the only thing that today's guard does that previous guards used to do is wave a flag and twirl a rifle...and even SCV decided that was not the best option this year, with their lightening bolts.

Look at the Cadets guard this year, what is traditional about literally anything they did this year? They marched a dude dressed in a toga and wearing full body makeup! Why aren't we crowing about the loss of tradition in the cadets or bac guard? One main reason: the changes have elevated guard to its own unique artistic entity in DCI.

I guess all I am saying is, you cannot stop change. You may relegate yourself to the history books clinging to history. We older folks may genuinely miss the traditions of drum corps, I know I do, but I am MORE excited about seeing 20,000 high schoolers at Vanderbilt stadium yelling Blooooo.

You have to decide where your line is, but you better be committed to the results. Madison has a tough offseason to deal with. Do they want to fight to make finals from here forward? Because I promise you, there are other corps coming up the ranks that don't care about what the over 40 crowd thinks about tradition.

The Bluecoats body suits are simply one way of doing uniforms differently. They will almost certainly do something very different next year. I suspect we are headed down a path where the marching members will change uniforms at least once during the show.

It would kill me to not see the military style anymore. But I've learned the hard way about clinging to the past.

One cant deny everything you are saying. One doesnt have to agree BUt can not deny