ThePlanets Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSnareDrummer Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostrauser Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostrauser Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) 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 June 25, 2019 by cfirwin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFA1970 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn426 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skevinp Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Well, in 1973-76, the Blue Devils went from 24th to 9th to 3rd to 1st. But modern day, a rise like the Mandarins is quite uncommon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsfever Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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