A drum corps love letter

[Scerpella]

You mean to tell me if they had saved their 1999 show for 2006 and performed it at the exact same skill level, they wouldn't make finals? Please. What has "changed" so much about drum corps that a show with amazing music and drill can't make finals? That's just a cop-out for the fact that the Madison Scouts this year do not have a well-written musical program.

Absolutely. 1999s show would not place well now. I cant explain it any better to you but youll notice no other corps is replaying their 1999 show either. Otherwise why dont they just redo it? As for cop out, I dont understand your level of emotion to begin with about Madison but I spent some time last week at a rehearsal and there is plenty thats good about their musical program. What? You want to hear Malaguena again? I dont see you calling for any other corps to recreate repertoires from 10 years ago. Any criticism you make about the nature of Madisons musical program is equally applicable to half the corps who performed last night and I include Cavies and Cadets in that.

[mchromik]

Having just watched Madison for the first time last night in Indy, a few things come to mind. First off I have to applaud Madison's attempts to become more competitive in recent years. Their design and approach have improved dramatically and it shows in their finishes. It is tough to walk a fine line and try to please your member's needs, the competition needs, and your longtime fan's expectations. Tough balancing act. Not a design job I would want to undertake. But I think they have the mix right. Great experience and education for the members, good competive standard for the organization, and a little candy for the crowd.

I liked the show this year, but I have to say, execution is not what it was at this point last year. They have some work to do, but the design is solid and they will compete well if they clean it up and perform. This year might be one of those years where you improve from where you were last year, but so does everyone around you. Time will tell. Stick to your guns, perform and have fun.

And I have to say to those wishing for return to the loud and proudly flying in the face of what the rest of drum corps thinks Scouts, buy some videos and quite going to shows and whining about what you see. There are plenty of folks who will take your good seats. Were those shows of the late 90's and early 00s loud and fun? Yes. Were they good by the musical standards that todays (and yesterdays) musicians and the competitive standards of other drum corps? Absolutely not. There is nothing wrong with letting fly occasionally and squeeling sops and the like. I call it 'Icing', but if the cake is rotten then you have a problem. All that brash loudness could not hide terrible attacks, releases, ensemble phasing, ect. Bad is bad. Playing for the crowd is fine, but if that is all you do, then don't complain when you finish toward the bottom. Todays audiance is coming out of modern corps and great BOA programs and the like. They expect better design and execution. It takes alot more then a wall of screaming sops to truly impress them.

[Spirit Age-Out]

I dunno. I'm a child of the "modern corps" and a wall of screaming Sops would blow my mind. And in 2003 I was absolutely hyped to see the Scouts, as I had never seen them live before. I was thinking about 95,96,97,99. I was the biggest Scouts fan who had never seen the Scouts before.

Huge let down.

I will say the Madison sound is DEFINATLY coming back. They were intimidatingly loud last year. A serious distraction in the parking lot during warm-up. I loved it.

As far as the fire in the performance that you can feel in the old recordings....it just isn't there. I don't care what they're playing, just play it with that electricity that they used to.

Edited July 10, 2006 by Spirit Age-Out

[Malambo13]

Take your close-minded view of the Scouts and go play in traffic.

Someone else posted this in another thread, but I think it applies here:

Welcome to DCP. Opinions not welcome.

Doesn't it seem a bit closedminded to call another person's opinion closeminded? Especially when he (she?) backs up his opinion with a couple of paragraphs of evidence?

Just a thought.

P.S. I also hear Scouts used to be well-liked because of their respect for the activity and others. Would you say that you are a good example of being raised in the Madison Scout tradition?

[Newseditor44]

And I have to say to those wishing for return to the loud and proudly flying in the face of what the rest of drum corps thinks Scouts, buy some videos and quite going to shows and whining about what you see. There are plenty of folks who will take your good seats. Were those shows of the late 90's and early 00s loud and fun? Yes. Were they good by the musical standards that todays (and yesterdays) musicians and the competitive standards of other drum corps? Absolutely not. There is nothing wrong with letting fly occasionally and squeeling sops and the like. I call it 'Icing', but if the cake is rotten then you have a problem. All that brash loudness could not hide terrible attacks, releases, ensemble phasing, ect. Bad is bad. Playing for the crowd is fine, but if that is all you do, then don't complain when you finish toward the bottom. Todays audiance is coming out of modern corps and great BOA programs and the like. They expect better design and execution. It takes alot more then a wall of screaming sops to truly impress them.

Michael, while I don't disagree with you on this point (loud and brash is bad) there were corps that could entertain and still be VERY competitive. Case in point, the 1988 Madison Scouts. The show was entertaining, extremely difficult to execute, artistic, beautifully designed, and they were still able to blow our faces off with their sheer power! it was everything drum corps fans expected. We didn't have to sit and think about what the show was trying to "say". There were no eccentric body poses. We didn't need a program to tell us that Alice was climbing out of the door to find the rabbit hole. I didn't need a three hour discusion group to decipher what the preformers were feeling. it was music and drill, plain and simple and it was entertaining.

Somewhere we crossed the line and added a bit too much, dont ya think?

So that begs the questions, why do we need drum corps shows with no melody? Why do we need drum corps shows that challenge the audience to make a connection with the performers? And lastly, does it not say something that we have to have this converation? If there are people out there that aren't "getting it", then are we being too arrogant by saying "if you don't get it, then we don't need you becuase there is someone else that will"?

Sounds like an epic case of shooting ourselves in the foot, if you ask me.

Submitted respectfully :)

Edited July 10, 2006 by Newseditor44

[MaxwellNotes]

Despite what you, or me, may think about the Scouts show this year, I think the original poster wrote a very classy, touching letter addressed to the current Scouts. Why other people have to come on and post negative comments completely ruined a very nice moment. Cant you let someone do something nice for a bunch of kids working hard to do their best?

[Matt_S]

I dunno. I'm a child of the "modern corps" and a wall of screaming Sops would blow my mind. And in 2003 I was absolutely hyped to see the Scouts, as I had never seen them live before. I was thinking about 95,96,97,99. I was the biggest Scouts fan who had never seen the Scouts before.

Huge let down.

You were let down by 2003? I loved that show.

Try being in my shoes. I was just like you, except my first show live Scouts show was in 2000. :P

[Green Fleurdelis]

Their shows lack the audience apeal that I believe has been the corps trademark through the years. There is a way that you can contend and perform at a Championship calibur. But I would much rather watch a Madison corps that places 12th that gets me on my feet 12 times in a show, than watch a Madison corps that has me longing for the hotdog line halfway through the opener. Loud, entertaining, fun, and flat out good is what I expect from not only Madison, but every corps.

...the 1988 Madison Scouts. The show was entertaining, extremely difficult to execute, artistic, beautifully designed, and they were still able to blow our faces off with their sheer power! it was everything drum corps fans expected. We didn't have to sit and think about what the show was trying to "say". There were no eccentric body poses. We didn't need a program to tell us that Alice was climbing out of the door to find the rabbit hole. I didn't need a three hour discusion group to decipher what the preformers were feeling. it was music and drill, plain and simple and it was entertaining. ... So that begs the questions, why do we need drum corps shows with no melody? Why do we need drum corps shows that challenge the audience to make a connection with the performers?

As a disclaimer, just check my sig line. I'm obviously biased.

Having said that, I too have been disappointed in the Scouts shows recently. I haven't seen them yet this year, but from what I read and hear I'm not going to be particularly thrilled. I love the Scouts for their traditional entertainment value. As a former member it's an honor to have people come up to me when I have my corps jacket on and have them tell me how the Scouts are their favorite corps.

I wonder for how much longer that will continue.

Newseditor44, I like your statement that "loud, entertaining, fun, and flat out good" is what you expect from every corps. Well for me, it is no longer what I expect, but it's certainly what I want. I fear that the Scouts, in their noble pursuit of a Championship (or at least a top 3 finish), are being forced to adapt to the current style. A style I don't particularly like.

Regarding style: I was at Rockford last night. While "flat out good" was in abundance, "loud" and "entertaining" were in short supply. I long for the days when the opening fanfare blew my face off. I yearn for a corps to spontaneously jolt me out of my seat during the show. I won't complain about not recognizing the music. I don't think that's the real issue. (Heck, I had never heard Channel One Suite before I heard the Blue Devils play it either.) If there is a problem, I think it is a lack of general musicality with many corps today.) I also won't type a diatribe about the insidious evils of amplification, other than to say that for me the vocalization detracts from what I love about Drum Corps.

Back to the OP. I, like most veterans of any corps, will cheer loudly for the corps I marched with. And unlike many of today's kids, back in my day we all spent our entire career with one corps. So to you the Madison Scouts, you are like one of my children. I love you even when you are not at your best and even when you disappoint me. If I criticize your efforts, it is only out of a desire you to be both successful and entertaining.

Lastly...

First off I have to applaud Madison's attempts to become more competitive in recent years. Their design and approach have improved dramatically and it shows in their finishes. It is tough to walk a fine line and try to please your member's needs, the competition needs, and your longtime fan's expectations. Tough balancing act. Not a design job I would want to undertake. But I think they have the mix right. Great experience and education for the members, good competive standard for the organization, and a little candy for the crowd.

"Tough balancing act" indeed. mchromik, I wish your views were universal. If they were I'd feel more confident about this year.

[vferrera]

Were those shows of the late 90's and early 00s loud and fun? Yes. Were they good by the musical standards that todays (and yesterdays) musicians and the competitive standards of other drum corps? Absolutely not. There is nothing wrong with letting fly occasionally and squeeling sops and the like. I call it 'Icing', but if the cake is rotten then you have a problem. All that brash loudness could not hide terrible attacks, releases, ensemble phasing, ect. Bad is bad.

Let's not re-write history. Throughout the 90s (including 99) Madison was consistently in the top 5 in brass performance, ensemble music and music GE. Even in 2001, they were 7th in brass performance. There was no rotten cake. I think you are letting memories of 2000 and 2002 color your perception of the entire era.

[Bill L.]

Being an alum. I am very proud of my (much) younger brothers and the entire staff ! These guy's are workin' their tails off just as every Scout in the past and all the Scouts in the future. The shows have changed over the years, do I like the direction corps in general have gone ? Nope , but that is the way it is now-a-days. Do the kids now -a- days really like what we did in our day , as a rule no.

Respect is where it's at . I respect what they are do'in today, I could not have run and played the way they do today ! From the guy's that are marching now I got nothing but respect. You'll never walk alone is what being a Scout is all about !!!!!