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Drum Corps

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2006 Jun. ~ 2006 Dec.: Drum Corps users admin

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Archive through July 23, 2006Buffy25 07-23-06  10:41 am
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Buffy
Member

07-13-2005

Thursday, August 24, 2006 - 9:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Buffy a private message Print Post    
I'm back from Wisconsin and, boy, was it great. Sooooo many people. Finals night was packed to the brim. We had great seats up high and just off the 40.

My Pacific Crest didn't do so well. Their performance was great (and my son's solos were FANTASTIC...haha) but they scored them low, as usual. Some of it has to do with their not being a full-time corps. If they get into semis, they get money. If they get money for not being a full-time corps and doing the entire tour, then DCI is afraid other corps will say, "Hey, we don't have to be full-time either. We'll save money and make money." That has a lot to do with it. And it's not just because I'm biased. The message boards are full of comments about how PC is robbed every year.

Anywayyyyyyyy, everyone did a fantastic job. The corps are so entertaining. Cavaliers won, which I loved. Their show was so good. Robots doing robotic moves (the color guard), even the musicians doing robotic moves. And lots of athletic stuff that takes strength and agility. And of course, THE MUSIC. Great as always.

I told the people I was with that Phantom Regiment would move up the line and make second after the finals. AND THEY DID. They have always been my favorite upper corps due to their music. They are excellent musicians. This year, their show really came together. "Faust." Perfect for their low brass sound.

I enjoyed Blue Devils. As a matter of fact, on one of our plane flights, we happened to sit with a man who is with drumcorpsplanet.com. He is a BD alumni. Great guy. He gave us some insight and helped us figure out where our son would be staying during the week. We watched Vanguard's show from 2003 on his laptop during the flight.

Cadets' show was awesome. It was a continuation of their show from last year. They actually started out their show doing the last moves from the end of last year's show. Only they made no sound! Lots of drum sticks moving and no boom boom. haha. Very acrobatic show. Great in person!

The Bluecoats did very well this year. Unfortunately, Carolina Crown was R-O-B-B-E-D. They deserved to beat Blue Knights. It was pitiful. I felt badly for Blue Knights, though, with all the booing that was going on at the awards announcements. Nothing against BK, but Carolina Crown's show was way better.

We sat behind a man who was celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first year marching with the "Chicago Cavaliers"! He was wearing his jacket and he stood up and announced that not only was he celebrating 50 years, but he could still fit in the same jacket!!!!

He was fun to listen to. The people behind him had not been to anything like this before, so he was telling them what to watch for in each corps and reminiscing with them. It was great fun.

Of course, I cried at "age-out" time. My son and his gf are 21, so no more drum corps for them. I had to call my daughter who was back here with my sister and cry to her. She said, "awwwww mom." It helped.

The weather was great. No rain delays!!! Yay! And even though our hotel accomodations were messed up, we got good replacements. (Be verrry careful when you use Expedia!)

Well, until I think of more to say, I'll sign off. Hope you all got to go to the theater to watch quarters. I know Whoami was planning to!

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, September 05, 2006 - 5:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
What a great report on your trip! I'll have to stop by later and respond more in depth later, but I'm off to work.

Just wanted to stop by and let drum corps fans know that ESPN2 will be airing the 2006 Drum Corps International Championships tonight! Yes, the very same show Buffy just reported on! I've already got both DVR's set!

If you have a hard time finding it in your listings, our DVR guide has it listed as a "Band Competition."

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Wednesday, September 06, 2006 - 9:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Anyone watch the DCI Finals on ESPN? I think I saw myself on the broadcast.....when they were showing vintage pics of the corps, I'm pretty sure I was in the second vintage pic of Blue Knights. I was all of ten-years-old in that! LOL! I hope to get a copy of that pic and get a better look at it.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Wednesday, September 06, 2006 - 9:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Oh cool Who! I was watching, but wouldn't recognize your vintage pic since I wasn't looking for it! Post the pic if you do get a copy.

That all boy group (Cavaliers) from Illinois was awesome, and I am not surprised they've won 5 out of seven championships. The Phantoms snuck by the Blue Devils for second place.

Buffy
Member

07-13-2005

Wednesday, September 06, 2006 - 9:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Buffy a private message Print Post    
The Phantom Regiment did just that, Urgrace! It was awesome. I have a lot of respect for them. They've been coming up in the rankings year by year.

Whoami, how wonderful! I wish I had known! I didn't get a chance to watch the ESPN show. I was away AND we don't get cable. I haven't given in yet.

Can't wait to see your "in-depth" response!

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 1:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Heh, ok you asked for it! I e-mailed the BK office and they sent me a copy. First, the whole photo as shown on ESPN2....



And, yours truly zoomed in and cropped out.....



The photo is identified as 1971. But I seriously doubt it was that late. That would have made me 13 in that pic. I was 10 when I joined. And new recruits wore the "Class B" uniform (light blue pants, white shirt) until they became a full fledged member and got issued a "Class A" uniform. There's no way it would have taken them 3 years to get me into a "Class A" uniform. So I'm betting that pic is closer to 1968.

Now I have two claims to fame. First Mom and I showed up in a crowd shot of the 2004 DCI DVDs. And now I can say my picture has graced the airways of ESPN2!

Saxywildcat
Member

05-30-2005

Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 7:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Saxywildcat a private message Print Post    
I'm curious, does anyone have a copy of the DCI chaptionship from Tuesday night? I didn't make it into this thread in time to set the DVR before we left for a baseball game. I'd love to see it.

And who, i love the pic! :-) That's cool!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 9:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Way to go Who! I remember you telling us about the crowd shot, too. Keep it up and you'll have your fifteen minutes!

Can't remember which group I was watching when that guy threw his rifle into the air and the announcer said it twirled the required nine times perfectly.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 9:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
From the DCI Championships on ESPN2 site:

The two-hour program is scheduled to air on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time. Dates and times are subject to change. Additionally, the program will be rebroadcast later in the year as two one-hour specials. The first will be on Monday, Sept. 11, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and on Monday, Sept. 18, from 2 o 3 p.m. Eastern time.

For more information, visit DCI.org


Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Geeze! I totally dropped the ball in doing the “in depth” response to your trip report Buffy! Sorry about that. At the time I was a working woman, so I was really lacking for time. Temp job ran out, and I’m unemployed again. Sigh

Anyway, I agree Cavaliers had such an awesome show. I really hope I can figure out how to get the DVD’s this year, since there is so much going on in that show one viewing doesn’t cut it. I’d love to see a breakdown of their show using the various DVD features/camera angles.

Phantom was awesome as usual. Thankfully they’ve cleaned up their guard a bit since 2004. When DCI was here, we went and watched their rehearsal, and I remember being surprised/disappointed at how dirty the guard was for it being DCI week. I’d expect them to be dirty earlier in the season, but not DCI week.

I’ve never been a huge Blue Devil fan, but they were pretty entertaining this year.

Even though I’m an alum, I can’t say I’ve ever been hugely enthusiastic with Blue Knights style either. But they were quite good too. That dark sounding hornline was great.

Sorry, but I just can’t get into Cadets. That whole bando style, the bando antics, and what Hoppy is trying to do to the activity by making 6 huge super corps with band instruments….well, I’m a purist at heart. And I fear the death of an activity that is unique and special if left in the hands of Hoppy and his followers. If bands were meant to flourish in the summer, they’d have succeeded with the summer band programs they tried years ago. That’s not to say I have a lack of respect for marching bands. But I say let bands be bands, and let drum corps be drum corps. If Hoppy wants a giant band, let him turn the Cadets into one. But don’t destroy a unique activity like drum corps in order to fulfill a personal fantasy. JMHO.

Loved Bluecoats, and their breaking through the super elite ranks. I found their success this season to be one of the most exciting things to happen to the activity in a while. It goes to show you can rise in the ranks with a lot of hard work. They’re also the corps my mom looks forward to seeing cause she gets a huge kick out of Bloooooing!

I’d love to know who the gentleman was who was celebrating his 50th anniversary of his first year marching with the Cavaliers. I don’t suppose you got his name did you? A good friend of mine is a Cavalier alum, and I believe his age would be right around that time. He is also the founder of Bugles Across America. Tom Day is his name.

I bet that was an emotional time to watch your son do the age out ceremony. I hope to see my niece on that age-out field when she marches her last year.

And speaking of my niece….well, I’ll do that in another post. This one is getting pretty long.

Buffy
Member

07-13-2005

Thursday, October 19, 2006 - 11:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Buffy a private message Print Post    
Thank you for your response, Who! I did not get the name of the man from Cavaliers. Wish I had, now!

I agree about letting marching band be marching band and drum corps be drum corps. My son is a brass brat, and he always told his high school band instructor, when filling out the end of year survey on how do we make band better, "Take out the woodwinds and let's be a drum corps!"

(Sorry, woodwind players/lovers)

His biggest regret is that his baby sister is playing the flute now in elementary school. But she made a comment that if she joins regiment in high school, she wants to play mellophone like he and her older sister. haha. He may be hypnotizing her or something!

And speaking of your niece......................

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, October 19, 2006 - 1:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Ah yes....speaking of my niece.....

She'll be marching her second season with the Troopers when the corps returns to the field in 2007. The corps took the 2006 season off to regroup, so their 2007 return is highly anticipated.

Stasi (known as Guinluvsc on the board here) is currently in need of sponsors to help defray the costs of tuition. As Buffy can surely testify, it costs a lot to put a kid through a summer of drum corps these days. But the rewards and experiences the kid gets in return are ten fold. KTBB on the board is Stasi's Mom (and my sis!).

If anyone is interested in helping sponsor Stasi this summer, it would help out her family more than you can imagine. Our whole family has always been pretty poor. I know if it weren't for sponsors and a scholarship Stasi received in 2005, she would have never been able to march.

I'll add a few links below to check out. One page shows the actual fees/costs it will take for the 2007 season. There's an on-line donation site, a pdf file you can download to do a mail-in donation. Or another site called Drum Corps Planet that sets up a sponsorship board for members seeking help.

For those who might remember, I posted Stasi's summer tour schedule in 2005, and a couple of TVCH members were able to meet her on the road. Whether you donate or not, it would be fun to be able to do something like that again!
For anyone considering helping sponsor, there's no expected amount to donate. Any little bit helps!

Troopers 2007 Tuition Fees

Troopers On Line Sponsor Payments

Troopers Mail In Sponsor Form

Troopers Home Page

Drum Corps Planet Sponsor Board
She's listed under "Apple, Anastasia aka Stasi, Troopers, Pit"

Buffy
Member

07-13-2005

Thursday, October 19, 2006 - 5:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Buffy a private message Print Post    
Done!

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Friday, October 20, 2006 - 11:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Buffy

Make sure to send some sort of contact info to Stasi (I think her contact info is on her sponsorship listing on DCP) so she can thank you properly herself.

Do you want to share your experiences as a parent of a drum corps kid? How did your DS benefit from his experiences. How hard was the struggle financially to get/keep him in? Anything you wish to share to the good folks here.