prodigital Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 As a former Madison Scout alumnus, Lead Baritone/Euphonium 1986-90, I was left seriously disappointed by the new ending to the Scouts 2006 field show. Apparently it is no longer the goal of the corps to have people standing on their feet going wild from the Madison experience. The new goal must be to leave the fans sitting on their butts, scratching their heads, and thinking “What the #### was that?” The last minute of the show is a combination of open-ended musical phrases and meaningless drill motion. The sound is hollow, emotionless, and makes little sense with what is happening visually. Believe me; I am being kind when I say the ending stinks. Watching the rehearsal in Greenfield WI, it is obvious that the corps has immense talent and a great group of kids, but what the design team has pulled with this year’s production is not fair to the members. Over and over I listened to the staff tell the members to use their Madison Scout “Mo-Jo.” I personally find it disheartening to hear that the staff remind the members of who they are since it seems to me that the staff has no idea what it is to be a Madison Scout. The Madison Scouts were at one time the ultimate “IN YOUR FACE CORPS, THE PEOPLES CHAMPIONS.” The Madison Scouts were taught by Scouts and had a true sense of identity. Now there is a staff in place that is more worried about being artistic then being Madison. The kids that join the Scouts are there because of what they learned from the Scouts history, they wanted to be what they saw from the Scouts. To have the design team abandon the Scouts style for their own artistic interpretation is creating something for the members they did not sign-up for and it is not fair to the members or the fans. I believe it is important to push the envelop artistically, but people expect to see a Scouts show that will make scream for more. Maybe I am old-fashioned and too simplistic for today’s drum corps, but I do know what I like and what I saw from the Scouts at Thursday night’s rehearsal stunk! The design team should be fired for killing the Madison Scouts. Brian Gregg, Madison Scouts Alumnus, 1986-90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmpiano Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I will agree with you that every show since 2002 has been weak. Move to Bb has something to do with it. It forced a change in arranging style, in addition to a staff that is focused on writing for the sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_S Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The Madison Scouts were taught by Scouts and had a true sense of identity. Last I check, Sal Salas marched Scouts. Did his alumni status get revoked, or something? Are you trying to say he's the one Scout that walks alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHiFiStereo Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The majority of the Scouts design team are Scout alums. And the change to Bb did not come until 2004. I realize many people do not like this year's show but you have to take the good with the bad. The Scouts are still the SCOUTS. The only change is in your head. The members do realize who they are and the rich history they are adding to. This type of discussion wouldonly work to discourage the current members. I hope you give that some thought prodigital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigital Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 I know Sal Salas marched with the Scouts and maybe his alumni status should get revoked. Well.... no thats not fair of me, he seems like he is a good man. When I marched it was unthinkable to have someone on staff that was not an alumni and considering the corps has two World Championships under that school of thought, it is not a terrible way of doing things. Most of the boys that join the Scouts leave as very talented men and are more then capable to be on both the design teams and technical staffs. They pass on the "first hand experiences" to the current members and that is what I believed made the Scouts special. I know there are alums on the staff, but the design team has non-alums that is changing what feel of the Madison Scouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardguy89 Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I think we also need to remember that the last few years under the old Scout regime wasn't producing caliber shows - which in return affected membership - which ultimately lead to Madison being knocked out of finals. I for one, enjoy the new Scouts (with the exception of 2004). Later, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marching Arts Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I love the Scouts. Even today. They have changed, but haven't we all. I appreciate that they are not stagnate in their approach. Last year's show was excellent, and if they had a better ending, that would have been one wail of a show. So they were that close. I haven't seen them this year, so I can't comment, but shows just take longer to develop today than they did years ago when the demand was somewhat less visually (not so much musically). If there is any negative here (and I am not sure it's a negative), it's that the super-fast visual moments and demands of today's shows simply take longer to clean, and that means the music will suffer early season more so than it did way back when. We see corps coming out with unfinished products more so than in the past, and even if the show is finished, the demand in visual has certainly taken something away from the spit and polish that early season goers could at one time experience. But this is an issue that affects all of corpsdom, not just Madison. From what I saw on the live feed from Columbia (which is my only viewing of the Scouts show) I think their problem will be visual. They have one heck of a tough visual book. Until that gets cleaned, they cannot play with the command that we all expect of them, and the power will not be there due to dirty feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigital Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 Take a moment to review the 1990 Madison Scouts show. I marched that year and it was because of the staffs attitude I did not march my age-out year. After the third week of the 1990 season the staff was already planning for the 1991 show of City of Angels. We were getting slammed in Drum Corps World, nobody liked the show, and as a member I felt betrayed because the staff was doing little to improve the show because they were all in love with the City of Angels for 1991. I don't want any marching member to feel what I felt in 1990 and that is why I point out that it is the staffs fault for this poorly designed show. Maybe you don't like my comments, but as a Scout I placed as low as 9th at finals and I also have a Championship Ring! I know what good show design can do, and what poor design can do. And sad fact is that most people see the members as putting on a bad show when in truth it is the designs team waste of super talent by their design. I will always be a Madison Scout and as such I will hold the corps to a higher standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Are you trying to say he's the one Scout that walks alone? Heh. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmann Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 As a former Madison Scout alumnus, Lead Baritone/Euphonium 1986-90, I was left seriously disappointed by the new ending to the Scouts 2006 field show. Apparently it is no longer the goal of the corps to have people standing on their feet going wild from the Madison experience. The new goal must be to leave the fans sitting on their butts, scratching their heads, and thinking “What the #### was that?”The last minute of the show is a combination of open-ended musical phrases and meaningless drill motion. The sound is hollow, emotionless, and makes little sense with what is happening visually. Believe me; I am being kind when I say the ending stinks. Watching the rehearsal in Greenfield WI, it is obvious that the corps has immense talent and a great group of kids, but what the design team has pulled with this year’s production is not fair to the members. Over and over I listened to the staff tell the members to use their Madison Scout “Mo-Jo.” I personally find it disheartening to hear that the staff remind the members of who they are since it seems to me that the staff has no idea what it is to be a Madison Scout. The Madison Scouts were at one time the ultimate “IN YOUR FACE CORPS, THE PEOPLES CHAMPIONS.” The Madison Scouts were taught by Scouts and had a true sense of identity. Now there is a staff in place that is more worried about being artistic then being Madison. The kids that join the Scouts are there because of what they learned from the Scouts history, they wanted to be what they saw from the Scouts. To have the design team abandon the Scouts style for their own artistic interpretation is creating something for the members they did not sign-up for and it is not fair to the members or the fans. I believe it is important to push the envelop artistically, but people expect to see a Scouts show that will make scream for more. Maybe I am old-fashioned and too simplistic for today’s drum corps, but I do know what I like and what I saw from the Scouts at Thursday night’s rehearsal stunk! The design team should be fired for killing the Madison Scouts. Brian Gregg, Madison Scouts Alumnus, 1986-90 In 1982, they talked to us about the Madison Darth Vader look during rehearsals and before shows. Should that have been disheartening? What is the Scouts' style? Is it the Scouts from the '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s or your five years that you'd like to see? The current members "signed up" for modern drum corps performed by the Madison Scouts. I think what is inside the uniform is far more important than what is performed in any show during any era. I respect your opinion, Brian. I just think it stinks. Keep in mind that this is not an official opinion of anyone but me. MYNWA (From a 1982 Madison Scout who did drum corps different than they did in 1986 - 1990.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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