Cadets

[WOOHOO]

The design team has been in need of new, fresh creativity for a very long time. This years show brok no new ground, set no new trend, and dropped no jaws. Its time for creativity to take forefront and leave the gimmics and anticvs behind. I agree with everythig Elliot said except about the guard.

They didnt revolutionize any of these concepts that bands werent already doing, and much better. Vocally ? Klunker city in regards to the ballad, setting the mood, and actual phrases chosen. nevermind the lack of consistency technically.

The characters werent revolutionary, the tables werent revolutionary. The field has gone 3-d before, back in 1985 when the marauders used ladders, back in 1990 when Scouts used stools, just to name a few.

Cadets need to reinvent themselves, have a "take no prisoner" attitude" and come up with something the audience can embrace, love and cheer for.

This will be an interesting off-season

~G~

Wrong.

[Michael Boo]

No - you're both right. They were still singing "amen" through most of the 1979 season, and getting penalized for it. Near season's end, they used the sign instead.

I should have specified "at the DCI World Championships." Thanks for the clarification.

[Chris Scott]

This is a new issue--just because someone switches thier icon every three minutes does not make the issue rehashed.)

Sure it does. Though "I" think that this issue will be resolved in as dramatic a manner as Charlton Heston saying "from my dead cold hands..." this is an issue that has been debated this summer, and last spring, and last fall, and last summer...

People love the Cadets and their show, or they love the Cadets and hate their show, or they hate the Cadets and love their show, or they hate the Cadets and hate their show.

They think the entertainment value is "enlightening, enriching, and innovative". They feel that the corps is pushing the envelope of design and moving DCI forward towards performance Valhalla: entwining the best of Theatre Pageantry with DCI level performance.

Some think that the Cadets are "Betraying their DNA", by taking irreversable baby steps towards a union with BOA, ultimately dooming "Old Schoolers" to a tortured existence in Hades of sqwauking reeds and Drum Corps performances of Saturn's (from The Planets) English Horn solo. Woe!

From what I have read the Cadets "sucked" because of the use of vocals and amps.

And read any post on this board from someone who hated the Cadets show, and you will read insults containing some, if not all, of the following attributes: "The Singer was horrible. The Tables were dumb. The Door was dumb. The Girl in the red dress was ____. The White Rabbit was dumb." Blah ditty Blah ditty Blah.

After consideration they were no different then what has been done in the past by any coorps.

And again, read any of the discourse between MikeD and kusankusho (on this topic) and you will have, in great detail and disagreement, how all of these things have been done before, and how, if they have been done before, why did we have to add amps.... (And MikeD and kusankusho, please take that as a reverant reference - I have enjoyed reading your discussions IMMENSELY :) )

In addition, the hanging of Mr. Hopknis in effigy based on "some" of his changes brought forth by the cadets is not warranted.

And again, you'll read how the changes brought on by Mr. Hopkins were voted on by the board, and how, even though he is the one who seems to be taking the brunt of the "collective" ire, the changes were approved by a majority vote and he (and by extension - his corps) is just acting legally within the parameters set forth by the BOARD.

What's my position? At the end of the day, they still sing O Holy Name, and they are still the Cadets - the same ones that had a soprano run in from the stands in 85, the same ones who had a ballet dancer in 87, the same ones who started before Brandt Crocker was done announing in 89, the same ones who had handbells and a gazillion ( :P ) box rotations in 93, the same ones who did Iwo Jima in 95, the same ones.....

...just defending my original point....

:)

[wesleyrp]

My concern is not for Hopkins, or his design team it is for the kids that march. More importantly because they're (Mr. H and Design team) wriiting stuff that is not being recieved well. With him also saying some things regarding judging , he has not made a lot of friends lately. I am mostly concerned for how this could affect recruiting. If students that are potential Cadets and their parents get wind of all the bad press that Mr. Hopkins is getting lately do you think it will cost the Cadets in the end? I totally disagree with the guy who said this is about jelousy. No one ever likes to see their corps get beat, but this has nothing to do with liking or disliking a show or our opinions about comments made by the Cadets corps director. I like many others loved the Cadets from the 80's, 90's, and mostly in the 00's. Problem that I see is that Hopkins is seemingly getting bored with every passing year and that can come back to hurt you. I hope to see Mr. H go back to a more traditional Cadets show that wows the audience and makes us all talk about their greatness. We'll see what happens.

Wes Perkins

BK '97 '98

[dbc03]

My concern is not for Hopkins, or his design team it is for the kids that march. More importantly because they're (Mr. H and Design team) wriiting stuff that is not being recieved well. With him also saying some things regarding judging , he has not made a lot of friends lately. I am mostly concerned for how this could affect recruiting. If students that are potential Cadets and their parents get wind of all the bad press that Mr. Hopkins is getting lately do you think it will cost the Cadets in the end? I totally disagree with the guy who said this is about jelousy. No one ever likes to see their corps get beat, but this has nothing to do with liking or disliking a show or our opinions about comments made by the Cadets corps director. I like many others loved the Cadets from the 80's, 90's, and mostly in the 00's. Problem that I see is that Hopkins is seemingly getting bored with every passing year and that can come back to hurt you. I hope to see Mr. H go back to a more traditional Cadets show that wows the audience and makes us all talk about their greatness. We'll see what happens.

Wes Perkins

BK '97 '98

Actually, from what I recall, George was quite content with sticking to the types of shows they did from 00-04, but at the end of the 04 season we were given a survey asking what WE wanted to do the next year, and the overwhelming response was to get back to really pushing the envelope. So he gave in and the 05 and 06 shows were the result.

George Hopkins has been getting bad press for years and the Cadets are still going strong.

[3rd_Star_Brigade]

Didn't the Bluecoats use a keyboard one year?

[SCdrumcorpsfan]

I just want everyone to realize that most of the people who don't like or even hate The Cadets 2006 production, especially on this forum, have already been following drum corps for quite a while; some for over 20 years.

I am telling anyone who will listen loud and clear that most people who didn't know anything about drum corp until this season absolutely loved The Cadets show. At least all of the newbies that I have talked to.

For God Sakes......Don't you anti-amp, anti-prop, anti-amped vocals, anti-characters, anti-bench jumping, and anti-hop people understand that Newbies to Drum Corps could give a Rat's ### about all of that stuff!!!

Newbies don't care as long as it is entertaining to them. ( and many newbies thought it was bench jumping was breath-taking )

What do I think about The Cadets show? It doesn't matter. I am just trying to get SOME people to understand that If you tell a drum corps newbie that you didn't like The Cadets show because of the props, or the amps, or the characters, of the bench jumping, or the singing, Guess what? They will look at YOU as the DUMB one. WHY do they look at you dumb? Because they don't mind that stuff. Those aspects of drum corps don't bother them at all. They don't know what "drum corp used to be like".

The newbie will look at you funny and say why don't you like it? What will the other person say? "Because...uh.....because it is just not drum corp!" Then the newbie will ask...." Did the Cadets break the Rules or something?" and then the other person will say "NO". Then the newbie will say " Then....uh..... it actually IS drum corps then".

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? The newbie would be ****ing right.

Traditionalists......please stop living in the past (no pun intended) and thinking every one should like the same things you like. The new fans of DCI don't know your traditions and will not even attempt to try and uphold them. The Drum Corp of old is dead. Stop crying and deal with it.

Edited September 4, 2006 by SCdrumcorpsfan

[Chris Scott]

edited for the sake of editing.

Edited September 4, 2006 by Chris Scott

[Piper]

I just want everyone to realize that most of the people who don't like or even hate The Cadets 2006 production, especially on this forum, have already been following drum corps for quite a while; some for over 20 years.

I am telling anyone who will listen loud and clear that most people who didn't know anything about drum corp until this season absolutely loved The Cadets show. At least all of the newbies that I have talked to.

For God Sakes......Don't you anti-amp, anti-prop, anti-amped vocals, anti-characters, anti-bench jumping, and anti-hop people understand that Newbies to Drum Corps could give a Rat's ### about all of that stuff!!!

Newbies don't care as long as it is entertaining to them. ( and many newbies thought it was bench jumping was breath-taking )

What do I think about The Cadets show? It doesn't matter. I am just trying to get SOME people to understand that If you tell a drum corps newbie that you didn't like The Cadets show because of the props, or the amps, or the characters, of the bench jumping, or the singing, Guess what? They will look at YOU as the DUMB one. WHY do they look at you dumb? Because they don't mind that stuff. Those aspects of drum corps don't bother them at all. They don't know what "drum corp used to be like".

The newbie will look at you funny and say why don't you like it? What will the other person say? "Because...uh.....because it is just not drum corp!" Then the newbie will ask...." Did the Cadets break the Rules or something?" and then the other person will say "NO". Then the newbie will say " Then....uh..... it actually IS drum corps then".

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? The newbie would be ****ing right.

Traditionalists......please stop living in the past (no pun intended) and thinking every one should like the same things you like. The new fans of DCI don't know your traditions and will not even attempt to try and uphold them. The Drum Corp of old is dead. Stop crying and deal with it.

Sounds to me like you're the one who's doing the crying - or should I say whining.

[Michael Boo]

Didn't the Bluecoats use a keyboard one year?

I believe you're thinking of Boston Crusaders and their synthesizer eons (20-25 years) ago. Someone will know the exact year.