Jump to content

Lets talk about the Mandarins


Recommended Posts

I watched a little bit of a bootleg on YouTube and WOW am I impressed. 

This show is projected to finish as high as 7th. Holy Moly! 

They were 17th in 2016 and hanging out in the 17-21 block since they left DIII. 

How common is it to rise this fast? Especially in this day and age?

Their performances the past 3 years have been stellar and I really think the credit goes to the organization for doing so well (rather than they are successful because other corps aren't doing well). They have done this on their own merit.

 

I feel like I read too much negative about Phantom, Cadets, and Madison and not enough good about surging corps. Their thread is only 6 pages!

Boston was the talk of the Town in 2017 (and still is really) but no Mandarins?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I mentioned, I found Mandarins to be very dark - right from their field set up. As a couple of buddies were walking into the house Saturday night to join the watching party, I commented "You're not going to believe this".  Then as the show progressed, I liked it and then liked it more and by the end I was clapping like a seal. I'm not 100% sure 7th place is their ceiling. 

A completely different look from so many others. If the Blue Devils were going for anything similar with Ghostlight, the Mandarins out creepy-ied them. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Vanguard brought in J.D. Shaw a few years ago Key Poulan moved on to Sacramento, and then they got Ike Jackson and his RCC percussion crew and it was off to the races. A lot of BD and SCV alums (both performers and instructors) now on Mandarins staff.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, ThePlanets said:

How common is it to rise this fast? Especially in this day and age?

Not *common* per se, but it happens once or twice a decade. It was only three years ago in 2016 that Boston barely squeaked into Finals... then almost the entire Cadets staff told George Hopkins to get lost and move East to the Crusaders and look at them now:

Boston Crusaders - DCI Finals scores (place)
2015: 86.800 (10th)
2016: 84.800 (12th)
2017: 92.963 (6th)
2018: 94.313 (5th)

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, ThePlanets said:

I watched a little bit of a bootleg on YouTube and WOW am I impressed. 

This show is projected to finish as high as 7th. Holy Moly! 

They were 17th in 2016 and hanging out in the 17-21 block since they left DIII. 

How common is it to rise this fast? Especially in this day and age?

Their performances the past 3 years have been stellar and I really think the credit goes to the organization for doing so well (rather than they are successful because other corps aren't doing well). They have done this on their own merit.

 

I feel like I read too much negative about Phantom, Cadets, and Madison and not enough good about surging corps. Their thread is only 6 pages!

Boston was the talk of the Town in 2017 (and still is really) but no Mandarins?

If they write a show to compete... and recruit a roster to play the show.  There is nothing that can prevent a corps from surging very, very quickly (in spite of what some feel about the presence of adjudicative bias).

I think the hard part is to create a membership and a staff that are resilient to the effects of trying hard, and then not quite making the goal.  That's where the damage is done and fallout happens.  But becoming great is a simple equation if you have the assets to do it.

Edit: If their recruiting strategy extends the continent... that makes a big difference too.  It matters when you can make it easier for people many hours away from your base to audition and be considered (holding camps at multiple locations, using video auditions, recruiting from other corps cut rosters and DCA age appropriate contacts, etc.)

Edited by cfirwin3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to tell you last year when they made that huge surge early on a lot of people on here were not that "happy". The little corp from Calif. under the huge shadows like BD and SCV and have been around for decades are now a powerhouse...in World Class. Who knew... I didn't. How they managed to do this is beyond amazing....especially in California. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah Ike Jackson. From Ayala HS PSW fame. A look at his past work with Ayala and Stryke percussion and you can find where the interesting new show designs come from.. I read that they also have a Diamante PIW Guard connection and you have big indicators for the bump in competitive achievement. I liked them last year and I like them again this year.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How can they surge? Money helps.  Last 990’s has Mandarins with over $5 million in gross receipts. That is on par with the Bluecoats and  2 1/2 times of the Crossmen. 

If you want to be a top-tier corps, you have to spend your way to get there too. Talent helps, but money in DCI rules. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ThePlanets said:

I watched a little bit of a bootleg on YouTube and WOW am I impressed. 

This show is projected to finish as high as 7th. Holy Moly! 

They were 17th in 2016 and hanging out in the 17-21 block since they left DIII. 

How common is it to rise this fast? Especially in this day and age?

Their performances the past 3 years have been stellar and I really think the credit goes to the organization for doing so well (rather than they are successful because other corps aren't doing well). They have done this on their own merit.

 

I feel like I read too much negative about Phantom, Cadets, and Madison and not enough good about surging corps. Their thread is only 6 pages!

Boston was the talk of the Town in 2017 (and still is really) but no Mandarins?

Isn’t there a Mandarins 2019 thread?

i think they’ve been talked about a lot 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...