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2019 Madison Scouts!


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I think the main thing is that the corps is just obviously young and green, they don't have the player-to-player experience of the top corps.  I was actually very pleasantly surprised when I saw Scouts live.  We watched in the lot and they were all business, kids were focused.  Then they came out and put on a solid show.  Yah, it was dirty for sure (early season).  And yah, it was old school.  But people dug the heck out of it.  The people I took to the show had absolutely no preconceived notions and liked Scouts second to Bluecoats.  Scouts had the best crowd reaction overall after Bluecoats.  Scouts had the only drill moments that anyone applauded for.  There are some seriously cool parts in their show.  DCI wants drum corps to be different, though.  For better or worse the cool stuff that the Scouts do that resonates with crowds isn't being scored well.  I hope Scouts can find a way to integrate some complusory new elements (huge props, etc) whilst still keeping the vibe they are establishing this year.  If they can do that, they may really have something that will compete for judges scores.  Regardless, I really love their show this year and I feel it resonates with a lot of fans.  I hope the kids feel the love from the crowd- scores be dam**d- because it is definitely there.  

Edited by Guitar1974
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9 hours ago, Guitar1974 said:

I think the main thing is that the corps is just obviously young and green, they don't have the player-to-player experience of the top corps.

Agreed with this opening statement.  For example, the battery book is weak.  I cannot determine if it is purposeful writing due to talent level or just the arranger's choice.  They played way harder and cooler beats with the Sparling led staff in recent years.

Edited by ndkbass
added an apostrophe
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On 7/11/2019 at 10:52 PM, mfrontz said:

They don't. I'm not implying 'issues' at all. A show like 78th and Madison wasn't about 'gender issues,' but the theme of Gene Kelly/Cyd Charisse would have been great with a mixed guard. So would 'Majestic,' with some creativity and imagination.

In 2009, we tried to establish a love-theme for Relampago via "winking" face guard flags (😉) in the second movement (maybe it was the third).  WTF is that, and how could that ever be clear to the judges or audience?  Why not actually have a (heteronormative/heterosexual) love interest performed by other (female) members of the guard.  I mean, ####, a homosexual relationship and love match would have been clearer (and I would have had no problem with that).

Relampago also had issues establishing the superhero character throughout the show, though.  Sometimes it was supposed to be the entire corps, sometimes the guard, sometimes just the one guard member.  Talk about terrible design and Relampago is up there in my book.

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10 hours ago, FlamMan said:

The coed move is just a ploy to cast this regime as social justice champions who are woke. Frankly it is sickening.

Unless you have some evidence you can share and use to qualify this claim, you need to stop making it all across the boards.  It is unsubstantiated and quite salacious.  Just because we can agree that they are generally incompetent does not mean they did this move (with the BOD's approval) solely to save their jobs.

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9 hours ago, Guitar1974 said:

I think the main thing is that the corps is just obviously young and green, they don't have the player-to-player experience of the top corps.  I was actually very pleasantly surprised when I saw Scouts live.  We watched in the lot and they were all business, kids were focused.  Then they came out and put on a solid show.  Yah, it was dirty for sure (early season).  And yah, it was old school.  But people dug the heck out of it.  The people I took to the show had absolutely no preconceived notions and liked Scouts second to Bluecoats.  Scouts had the best crowd reaction overall after Bluecoats.  Scouts had the only drill moments that anyone applauded for.  There are some seriously cool parts in their show.  DCI wants drum corps to be different, though.  For better or worse the cool stuff that the Scouts do that resonates with crowds isn't being scored well.  I hope Scouts can find a way to integrate some complusory new elements (huge props, etc) whilst still keeping the vibe they are establishing this year.  If they can do that, they may really have something that will compete for judges scores.  Regardless, I really love their show this year and I feel it resonates with a lot of fans.  I hope the kids feel the love from the crowd- scores be dam**d- because it is definitely there.  

The Judas show had HUGE props. They were just staged #### poorly, as far from the audience as was physically possible. Also, they were so poorly conceived that audience members were constantly worried if someone was going to fall off the ###### thing. 

Again it comes down to show design, and understanding the basics of live event production. It seems like small things but in reality they are big things when it comes to GE. You can’t do much about your average age and experience, but you can do something about design. And that starts with hiring someone who understands how to design and stage a 12 minute show.

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8 minutes ago, ndkbass said:

Unless you have some evidence you can share and use to qualify this claim, you need to stop making it all across the boards.  It is unsubstantiated and quite salacious.  Just because we can agree that they are generally incompetent does not mean they did this move (with the BOD's approval) solely to save their jobs.

It’s not binary. The move can be a good one, and also not solve other issues.

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10 hours ago, Guitar1974 said:

I think the main thing is that the corps is just obviously young and green, they don't have the player-to-player experience of the top corps.   

How many of those guys will stay after gaining experience? I can't see staying and taking a chance that things may be better rather than auditioning for a corps that you know is a sure finalist. That said, I loved the corps I marched in and they were perennial top 5 contender. But if I had the ability to go from a bottom tier corps to a top tier corps I would have jumped at the chance. Now that corps are no longer local, it matters not where the plane takes you.

It's possible that the Madison slide has relegated them to being a feeder corps to contenders. 

Edited by Gantang
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1 hour ago, MikeRapp said:

It’s not binary. The move can be a good one, and also not solve other issues.

Exactly.

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1 hour ago, Gantang said:

How many of those guys will stay after gaining experience? I can't see staying and taking a chance that things may be better rather than auditioning for a corps that you know is a sure finalist. That said, I loved the corps I marched in and they were perennial top 5 contender. But if I had the ability to go from a bottom tier corps to a top tier corps I would have jumped at the chance. Now that corps are no longer local, it matters not where the plane takes you.

It's possible that the Madison slide has relegated them to being a feeder corps to contenders. 

This is a really interesting point that I think about a lot.  I would have gladly stayed in 2010 if the environment/administration/staff had been better.  The administration is what drove me away more so than gained experience making me want to march elsewhere.  It was the toxic environment (in my opinion) that made me leave, not wanting to win a ring.  Winning with Devs was just an added bonus, not the impetus.  Not making finals two of the three years I marched does not tarnish my memory of marching with Madison or in anyway sour my experiences.  Even though Rhythm X was quite successful during my two years there, it was the staff and environment that made it so much fun (outside of the other members).

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21 minutes ago, ndkbass said:

This is a really interesting point that I think about a lot.  I would have gladly stayed in 2010 if the environment/administration/staff had been better.  The administration is what drove me away more so than gained experience making me want to march elsewhere.  It was the toxic environment (in my opinion) that made me leave, not wanting to win a ring.  Winning with Devs was just an added bonus, not the impetus.  Not making finals two of the three years I marched does not tarnish my memory of marching with Madison or in anyway sour my experiences.  Even though Rhythm X was quite successful during my two years there, it was the staff and environment that made it so much fun (outside of the other members).

This is so important.  My experience with Sonus Brass Theater/Shenandoah Sound since 2007 (when there were 7 of us at one point) was wonderful because of the people, and though I am taking a couple years off right now because of family stuff, I fully intend to go back as long as they are who they are.  🙂  It's the relationships that keep a group going year after year, but long term, it's a great management/administrative team that makes a group truly successful! 🙂

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