April 30, 2008
DCI Finals Move, Tickets Sales Start Today
DCI announced a few weeks ago that the new Lucas Stadium was not going to be completed in time for the DCI World Championships in August so they have moved the location to Indiana University in Bloomington. Ticket sales start today and are available through Ticketmaster. Prices for Semifinals start at $25 and $35 for Finals. For more information about the 2008 DCI World Championships, check out DCI.org's information page.
World Championship tickets through Ticketmaster
Posted by Ryan on 10:09 PM
April 24, 2008
DCI Spring Countdown Tonight
The DCI Spring Countdown is tonight, April 24th. To find out more information and a movie theater near you, check out http://www.dci.org/countdown/
Posted by Ryan on 08:51 AM
March 30, 2008
Spring Countdown Corps Selected
This Spring's DCI Countdown Show hits theaters April 24th and the corp selections are complete. The top six most highly voted corps shows from 2005-2007 we're done by web-based ballot. The six performances include:
2007 Blue Devils
2007 Bluecoats
2005 Cadets
2007 Carolina Crown
2006 Cavaliers
2006 Phantom Regiment
For more details, see the news release on the DCI website.
Posted by Ryan on 10:37 PM
January 15, 2008
Blue Devils Partner With Pro-Mark
The Blue Devils and Pro-Mark announced today that they have formed a partnership to use Pro-Mark products this coming Summer. Both companies recently celebrated their 50th anniversaries and saw the partnership as a good fit. Notice is says partnership, not endorsement?
Blue Devils executive director David Gibbs noted that, "...this relationship will be the first of its kind and Pro-Mark is uniquely equipped to partner with our organization. The Blue Devils and Pro-Mark plan on sharing our combined 100 years of experience and system of excellence in a new and exciting series of products."
"The Blue Devils and Pro-Mark share a long history of innovation. We're anxious to continue building on that tradition as we move forward together." Pro-Mark president Maury Brochstein said.
For more information and the full press release, follow the links below:
Posted by Ryan on 11:56 PM
January 09, 2008
Phantom Regiment Switches to Dynasty Drums
In a shocking move, Dynasty announced today that the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps has signed on as an endorser of Dynasty Drums.
"Phantom Regiment is pleased to announce a new partnership with DEG/Dynasty USA Music Products. Under this three-year agreement, Phantom Regiment will utilize DEG/Dynasty USA percussion equipment in all field and stage performances. In addition, Phantom Regiment will appear at clinics and special performances on behalf of DEG/Dynasty USA."
I'm a little surprised as Paul Rennick has been a long time Pearl guy and it seems that Pearl has been putting out some great-looking custom drums for them the past few years.
Phantom Regiment's Press Release
Posted by Ryan on 10:46 PM
November 21, 2007
LD Bell Wins 2007 BOA Grand Nationals
Congratulations to the LD Bell High School Marching Band who won the 2007 BOA Grand Nationals competition last Saturday night in Indianapolis. This is their first BOA Grand National Championship and the last year the contest was held in the RCA Dome. Starting next year, the BOA Grand Nationals will be held in the new Lucas Oil Stadium.
Results
1 96.10 L.D. Bell H.S., TX
2 95.50 Avon H.S., IN
3 94.55 Carmel H.S., IN
4 92.10 The Woodlands H.S., TX
5 91.90 Marian Catholic H.S., IL
6 91.85 Broken Arrow H.S., OK
7 91.60 Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park, MI
8 90.20 Stephen F. Austin H.S., TX
9 89.75 Richland H.S., TX
10 89.70 Lawrence Central H.S., IN
11 89.40 Center Grove H.S., IN
12 88.70 Harrison H.S., GA
Caption Results
Outstanding Music: L.D. Bell H.S., TX
Outstanding Visual: Avon H.S., IN
Outstanding General Effect: L.D. Bell H.S., TX
Posted by Ryan on 11:59 AM
November 17, 2007
BOA Grand Nationals Final Schedule
Congrats to the Top 12 2007 GN Finalists Bands! Here is the performance order for tonight...
All times are EST:
7:45 - Exhibition: Adair County H.S., KY
8:00 - Center Grove H.S., IN
8:15 - L.D. Bell H.S., TX
8:30 - Richland H.S., TX
8:45 - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
9:00 - Avon H.S., IN
9:15 - Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park, MI
9:30 - Lawrence Central H.S., IN
9:45 - The Woodlands H.S., TX
10:00 - Broken Arrow H.S., OK
10:15 - Stephen F. Austin H.S., TX
10:30 - Harrison H.S., GA
10:45 - Carmel H.S., IN
Class A:
Outstanding Music Performance - Adair County H.S., KY
Outstanding Visual Performance - Adair County H.S., KY
Outstanding General Effect - Adair County H.S., KY
1st - Adair County H.S., KY
2nd - Fred J. Page H.S., TN
3rd - Bourbon County H.S., KY
Class AA:
Outstanding Music Performance - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
Outstanding Visual Performance - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
Outstanding General Effect - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
1st - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
2nd - Bellbrook H.S., OH
3rd - Reeths-Puffer H.S., MI
Class AAA:
Outstanding Music Performance - L.D. Bell H.S., TX
Outstanding Visual Performance - Avon H.S., IN
Outstanding General Effect - L.D. Bell H.S., TX
1st - L.D. Bell H.S., TX
2nd - Avon H.S., IN
3rd - Carmel H.S., IN
That's tough for L.D. Bell, winning Class AAA in Semis, but having to go on second in Finals. It is very hard to hold a number through Finals with this many big names. It looks like it is Carmel's to win if they can pull out an amazing show. I wouldn't be surprised if they did - at two Regionals this year they came from 2nd in Prelims to come from behind and win both Regionals. Of course you also have the dark horse, Broken Arrow, playing close to the end as well.
Posted by Ryan on 05:24 PM
November 16, 2007
DCI Announces No More ESPN Coverage
Starting in 2008, the DCI World Championships will not be seen on ESPN or PBS citing costs as the primary factor. "Although the broadcast is a very significant component in our ability to share our performances with the world, our non-profit organization simply can't cover the expense of producing and airing the program" said Dan Acheson, Executive Director and CEO of Drum Corps International. DCI plans to continue their movie broadcasts as well as web-based and DVD/CD sales.
DCI Places ESPN2 Broadcast of Championships on Hiatus
Posted by Ryan on 11:22 PM
November 15, 2007
BOA Grand Nationals 2007
The 2007 BOA Grand National Championships in Indianapolis starts today with over 80 bands competing for 12 spots in Finals. This year you can watch the Grand Nationals Webcast LIVE for various prices depending on what you want to see. This is made possible thanks to the coordination with DCI. You can also check out the schedule online and see when your favorite band is performing. Notables include last year's Grand National Champion, Broken Arrow, along with previous Finalist bands including: L.D. Bell, Carmel, Marian Catholic, and Lawrence Central.
BOA Grand Nationals Championships LIVE Webcast
BOA Grand Nationals performance schedule
Technorati Tags: BOA
Posted by Ryan on 01:45 AM
October 19, 2007
BOA St. Louis Super Regional 2007
The BOA (Music for All) St. Louis Super Regional starts today. It is the first Super Regional of the year consisting of over 50+ bands judged over two days. Fourteen of those will be selected to compete in the Finals Saturday night. Notable bands include the 2006 Grand National Champion, Broken Arrow HS with their prelims performance Friday night.
The other Regional on Saturday is in Towson, Maryland. There is a band coming from Utah, Lone Peak HS, that is attending this Regional. Hopefully they are flying because that would be a long bus ride.
Technorati Tags: BOA, Regional
Posted by Ryan on 07:45 AM
October 16, 2007
Southwind goes Inactive for 2008
Mike Loeffelholz, Executive Director of the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps announced today that the drum corp is going inactive for the 2008 season for financial reasons. The organization will still be active in the community sponsoring the Drums Across the Bluegrass drum corp show as well as searching for partnerships and raising money. They plan to field a corp in the 2009 season after re-evaluating operations and setting up a more stable financial base.
Posted by Ryan on 11:04 PM
September 28, 2007
RUMOR MILL: Another Drum Corp Relocating
This time the rumor has it that a certain drum corp is planning to relocate to either Oklahoma or Texas. Sources pinpointed an affiliation with a college, but are waiting for DCI.org to make the announcement sometime in the next week.
I'm not big on rumors and have held off when other items have passed across the desk and eventually came true. If this seems as big as what it is being made out to be, this could be another shocker like Crossmen moving to San Antonio from the East coast. Whether it is a Division I, II, or III corp remains to be seen (or the new specification "Open Class"). As soon as this is solidified with more details, we will do a follow-up.
Posted by Ryan on 12:19 AM
September 04, 2007
DCI Finals on ESPN2 Wednesday Night
The broadcast highlights of the DCI Finals in Pasadena will be aired Wednesday night on ESPN2 starting at 10 p.m. Eastern / 9 p.m. Central time. There will be highlights of every Top 12 corp, but "highlights" include things such as 11 seconds of Glassmen's 11th Place show - 11 seconds folks!!!
That's sad...thousands of hours of rehearsal time preparing that show and the DCI production crew gives those kids 11 seconds. I guess you've got to make room for all those heart-tugging stories, or the "what has this Summer meant to you?" speeches. No offense to those individuals, but there are a 1,000 stories a drum corp Summer that aren't told to the camera...so it better be a pretty important story if it takes longer than 11 seconds. This is a group activity, I would rather see the accomplishments of the group as opposed to an individual.
Not trying to bum people out, watch it, enjoy it, but realize it's primarily a promo piece for the general public. So if you get mad while watching it just remember, it's not geared towards the die-hard drum corp junkie - they want you to buy the $100 DVD to get your fix.
DCI Finals on ESPN2 September 5, 2007
[UPDATE] - It seems they went in performance order, so it was Colts instead of Glassmen that got the short end of the stick (along with Spirit who ended up in 12th both nights). That and the clips of performance order groups 11 and 12 each got exactly 30 second spots of their show - not just 11 seconds.
Posted by Ryan on 11:49 PM
August 12, 2007
Blue Devils Win the 2007 DCI World Championships
In a very tight race all week, the Blue Devils stretched out a convincing win over The Cadets for the title of 2007 DCI World Champion. Backed by a strong percussion section, the Blue Devil's "Winged Victory" became a favorite with the crowd.
Congrats to the Top 12 and to all the groups involved in this year's Championship Week in Pasadena, California. Here are the DCI World Championships 2007 Finals placements and scores:
- Blue Devils - 98.000
- Cadets - 97.025
- Cavaliers - 96.350
- Phantom Regiment - 94.850
- Santa Clara Vanguard - 94.175
- Carolina Crown - 94.150
- Bluecoats - 94.050
- Blue Knights - 90.275
- Boston Crusaders - 89.100
- Colts - 86.150
- Glassmen - 85.750
- Spirit from JSU - 84.500
* The Fred Sanford Drum Trophy went to the Blue Devils as well.
Posted by Ryan on 01:24 AM
August 09, 2007
DCI QuarterFinals TONIGHT!
The DCI QuarterFinals are already here! They start tonight at 7 PM ET out in Pasadena, CA. If you aren't in California already, your chances of seeing QuarterFinals would normally be slim to none. BUT, you might want to check out the DCI.org site as they have over 100+ movie theaters across the country that are showing the event LIVE via satellite. Cost is $15 for students and $18 for adults; that gets you a seat in an air conditioned theater and the Top 17 drum corps which equates to four hours of fun. Or to put it another way, about a $1 / a corp. Not bad.....see you there!
Posted by Ryan on 04:50 PM
DCI Broken Arrow Review
Broken Arrow was the site for a great lineup of corps on July 30th and DrumlineBlog.com was there to take it all in. While normally the end of July hits 100+ temperatures, up to this point Broken Arrow hasn't seen a day of triple digit temperatures all Summer and this day is no different. Low 90s and some storms that stayed just out of range, but cooled things off, provided a decent venue for the show hosted at the home of the 2006 BOA Grand National Champions - Broken Arrow High School. This is a great show for me, because it is quite literally in my backyard.
As I've said before, my drum corp experiences usually do not involve setting up a camera during "8 on a Hand" and sitting there for an hour. True, it might make for some good video, but it's not how it usually takes place for me. Drum corp shows for me are more like a "reunion" of sorts. So while we do have some video, hopefully the story of my night running around and who I talked to will be just as interesting. So without further ado...
So I arrive at the high school around 6 PM....just about the time the Colts are pulling into the parking lot so I take a seat on the curb by the Colts equipment truck and watch them unload. I sit there mainly because the only other corp there at that time was Phantom Regiment and they had been staying there - the rest of the parking lot was empty. As I was sitting there, an old friend named Mike Brandes strolled up to say hi. He marched on the Colts snareline in 98 and 99. That 1999 Colts drumline was probably one of the best they ever had there; go back and check out some scores from that year. They beat a lot of drumlines that Summer.
About that time, Southwind and Blue Stars had pulled in and were unloading their trucks. So we decided to go check out Southwind and see this much improved drumline. We were joined by another Colts snare player named Travis that marched 98 and 2000. We watched the snares warm up in a sub sectional for about 15 minutes and then saw the Colts take off for a remote spot. We decided to follow and found them set up on the other side of an adjoining elementary school.
Standing there in the elementary school parking lot, we watched Tyler Dempsey and crew run the drumline through their warm up routine which started off a little raw, but soon locked in. By that time we had ANOTHER Colts snare player from 2006 walk up to see how the group was playing. Why so many Colts alumni? Well, Oklahoma has had a strong tie with the Colts over the years starting back in 1995 with a tenor player from Ponca City, OK. Since then, there has been an Oklahoma kid on the drumline/front ensemble every year since that 95 season. This year is no exception as Bass 3 is from the Edmond/OKC area and attends OU.
I'm sure other states have the same thing going, but you have to remember that until Memphis Sound came onto the scene the closest drum corp to Oklahoma was a 12 hour drive. I think that says a lot about dedication.
After talking to the cymbal tech for a few minutes I realized that the Colts tenor tech was none other than Mike Apodaca who marched on the Santa Clara Vanguard Tenorline from 1991-1993. I caught up with him after the Colts warm-up and talked to him about the old days, seeing SCV in 91 (my first live drum corps experience), his involvement with the Colts, and what else he is up to.
While the other guys decided to go into the stadium, I decided to look around for other drumlines. At that point, Spirit of JSU was just getting started, Boston Crusaders were cranking drums, and Phantom wasn't going just yet...so I decided to walk up to the stadium gate and check out Colts from the corner.
Remember how I said it was like a reunion? Funny how you run into people at these shows and I just happened to run into some staff members of another corp that I knew (and that shall remain nameless). We talked for a few minutes and they asked if I was going in to see the Colts. I said, "Nah, I don't have a ticket so I'm just gonna listen out here for a few minutes". "Nonsense" said one of the staff members and they handed me an extra staff badge! Whoo, staff member! So I walked right in with them and went up by the press box to check out Colts. It was a solid show that is getting stronger and stronger, and still has some room to push further. I expect to see them in the 8-12 range come DCI Finals Saturday night.
After the Colts performance, I headed back to the lot to see if Phantom Regiment was going and by that point, they were just about ready to get to the drum book. I ran into two of the drum guys from Union High School (Tulsa, OK) and we talked for a few minutes before PR started playing the book.
I was anxious to see them in person after checking out other people's videos on YouTube. Let me just say, they are unreal! Everything, I mean everything has such a high level in the quality of sound department that it is just sick. No slurred phrases at the end of rolls, no fat shots even on level 15 stick heights, just an amazing sense of control. If you are in California this week and can get to the lot in Pasadena, go see them play. It is a treat to see that high of a level of not only ability, but musical maturity.
When Phantom had finished, I started towards Boston Crusaders, but as I got up there, THEY FINISHED TOO! Not five minutes after Phantom! What happened? 
Turns out Phantom went a little late and Boston was finishing about the time they needed to make it to the gate on time. So unfortunately no video, but their snare tuning sounded great. I got a close look during the tuning session earlier, and from about 20 yards out, they sounded fantastic. Take a look at Vic Firth's DCI 2007 coverage for some great video of Boston.
The last group to go on this night was Madison Scouts. Yes, for the third time this season, I got to see the much-talked-about Scouts program. After watching Phantom Regiment, there is a noticeable difference between the two groups. They are getting better, but after seeing 5 of the Top 6 corps this season (based on latest aggregate scores), they are not up to the level of those groups. Again, not the end of the world, but for all the people saying they can't understand why they aren't getting the points....well, it's because of the playing level of these other groups. I'm not worried about the Scouts, they will bounce back and almost every group has had a dip at some point in their history.
After Scouts, I hung around the trucks looking for staff members from "that corp" that let me borrow the staff badge. I needed to give it back to them before they left, but no one was around the trucks so I headed to the stadium to check out Madison Scouts. I hung around inside the fence from the 5 yard line with Paul Rennick and Boston staff such as Jerry Carpenter talking about "reads" of their respective shows right next to me.
After the Scouts finished their show, I had a sinking feeling in my gut. For some reason I imagined "that corp"'s buses pulling out of the back lot early with me still holding on to that badge! So I headed back at a quick pace and as I turned the corner, sure enough, their buses were pulling out of the parking lot!!! At this point, my brisk pace turned into an all out run to try and catch the staff bus before hitting the main road out of the school. They were a good 500 yards away when I started to run and fortunately for me, they were slowed down by the numerous speed bumps (for once, a useful device in this circumstance). I was able to knock on the window and hand off the badge before being "blacklisted" from the staff for future favors. Whew! I was lucky this time.
After a long evening of a lot of walking and seeing familiar faces, I headed back for THE shortest drive home of the season....12 blocks.
Posted by Ryan on 02:28 AM
July 22, 2007
DCI Denton, TX Review
(Denton, TX) - You better be in shape if you decide to go to a show with me. Why? Well, I usually take in a hybrid show of sorts: half stands, half lots. While the shows are cool, sometimes you want to just see what the drumlines are up to. This just happened to be one of those shows...
So between two lots, my car in a parking lot between them and the stadium right next to that, it made for a lot of trips back and forth and a lot of walking/jogging - two trips to the bus parking lot, three trips to the car, two trips to the stadium, and one trip to the warmup lot. Like I said, lots of walking. So, this isn't going to really be a run down of the "shows" since I didn't see everyone. This was a big contest with nine groups performing, and I missed a large chunk of the shows because I was in the lot taping Bluecoats, Santa Clara Vanguard, and Cavaliers just for you.
So let's just talk drumline warmup. Due to the nature of the venue, there was not a lot of places for the drumlines to warmup, especially since the stadium was isolated off the highway and only one big building between them and the stadium. While I know the corps didn't like the situation, it made it a lot junkies paradise since each group was about 60 yards away from each other. You could see and hear where they were in their warmup and go check out different sections of each. So when you check out the vids and notice one scene has sunlight and another doesn't, you'll know why.
Bluecoats
Watched the bassline sectional warmup because I know one of the two bass techs and wanted to check out his guys. One word: SICK. They are doing some splits that defy anything I've heard in recent history. The drums are gun metal gray sparkle Yamahas with Innovative sticks and Evans drumheads. The bassline is using the MS1 heads which is a normal head without the Evans muffling system. While the typical MS1 is 10mil I know they are testing some new thicknesses (read: thinner) this Summer and look forward to the fruits of their testing for Evans.
The snareline was extremely tight and had a wet snare sound that seems to be very popular these days; no tape on the snare guts, just a small patch of muffling on the bottom snare head (cotton ball size).
Cavaliers
They were last to go, and got such a late start that most of the video was shot in the dark. They are running silver sparkle Yamaha drums with chrome hardware, Innovative sticks, and Remo heads. They are using the new PowerMax bass heads with the overtone ring that allows you to insert foam strips in for muffling. I know for a fact that they are running extra muffling on bass 4 and 5 so take that into consideration if you plan to buy these for your group in the Fall.
There is some really tight interplay between the snares and tenors throughout this video clip. The clarity level is just a tiny notch above Bluecoats and SCV. I love the writing, but I think I'm on the fence when compared to the Bluecoats writing this year. I've never been a listener of Billy Joel's music, but I can get into what they are doing with it here....nice work.
Santa Clara Vanguard
Fantastic! It was nice to see some of the old Vanguard coming through in this group. They played with a relaxed style that reminded me of 2003-2004. All the typical elements are there, solid bassline, nice slightly wet snare sound like the other two, some beefy notes in the tenors and a cymbal line with a definite snap to every move. This is a young group, especially in the snareline with five of the eight just graduating high school. Even so, I will make a prediction right now: if this group sticks together over the next two years they will be competing for a high drum trophy. There I said it! I'll let the vids speak for themselves.
Posted by Ryan on 02:24 AM
DCI Siloam Springs Review
Normally, the Siloam Springs DCI show is a great venue to check out drum corps - flat terrain, lots of shade trees, and a good little stadium. Well, this year they had some field maintenance going on and had to move the show to Fayetteville. How was the change of venue? Well, they have shade trees. No, the stadium is great, the only problem is the school is built on the side of a hill. This made tracking down drumlines an extremely rough process.
More commentary, pictures and videos after the jump...Being as this was the only show that I could see The Cadets perform, I decided to split my time between the stands and the lot. Unfortunately, the way they did the lineup made for some hard decisions. Instead of going by scores or something rational, the lineup went something like this:
Pioneer
Southwind
Colts
[break]
Cadets
Blue Knights
Madison Scouts
See the problem? I would miss the entire first block to tape Cadets in the lot, and then would miss most of Madison in the lot by watching Cadets - ugh. The other problem that only added to the situation was that the school was on one side of the hill and the stadium was at the bottom of the other side. Needless to say I got my exercise Wednesday night!
Just a quick run down of what I saw, whether in the lot or in the stands, here it is:
Pioneer - I was just getting there when Pioneer was on the field so I'm not going to comment on something I didn't see. I know some guy posted some video of the Pioneer drumline warming up so go check that out on YouTube.
Southwind - I watched them from the corner of the stands, and the one word I can use to describe the drumline at Southwind this year is "HOT". They are playing more notes than some of the Top 6 corps out there and their quality of sound is just night and day from last year. I'm not trying to take anything away from the group last year, but the Music City guys have outdone themselves in preparing for the season. Just about every note was crystal clear even from my bad angle.
I'm not sure why their scores aren't going up more, but I think some of it has to do with some judges not being able to just close their eyes and listen for a minute - they can't get past the name. It seems other judges don't have a problem with it and are scoring them on what they see and hear, but then some judges out there still like to put the name brands up front. I'm not naming any names, but go look at the drum scores and you'll see some dips back and forth between them and the Madison Scouts.
Colts - with new uniforms, bright red sparkle Yamaha drums, and a mostly new drum staff, they seem to have stepped it up their performance as a corp this year. The first half of the show takes some time to evolve, but the second half is fantastic. Open exposed rolls by the snares had a consistent sound from start to finish. The drum book is different from past years and I like the new phrasing I am hearing from the drumline. If they make the opener a little stronger, I think this is a Top 10 show.
Cadets - First, I love their musical program this year, but I can't stand the voice overs. It actually distracts me from enjoying the show. Silence has a role in music and The Cadets just don't seem to understand that this year. Almost every tacet spot in Blue Shades has some wonky voice over like "You can do it" or "That's it!" or "Yeahh!". Give me a break!
Ok, enough of that. The drumline has new Yamaha drums with a brown to gold fade stain that looks amazing up close. As for the drumline they are playing some great stuff. Other than some clarity issues during the drum break tonight, I think its a solid show with some great music and some surprising visual aspects. They are worth seeing if you can get out to a show in the next few weeks.
Blue Knights - a solid show with some great visual bits throughout. The drumline turned a great performance and they have some very nice Pearl drums with what looks like an aqua marine fade stain on the shells. Not my color choice with the cobalt blue, black, and white uniforms, but the drums still look cool by themselves. Great bass splits between one and two and some nice tenor licks filled out the rest of the section. I also noticed they have one of the largest front ensembles I have seen in a drum corp in quite a while.
Madison Scouts - this is the show everyone is talking about - good or bad. Frankly, I like the show, and the intro has a very cool and mysterious feel to it. That said, the rest of the show doesn't live up to the build up provided by the intro - that's just my opinion. It kind of makes you expect more than just a rock-n-roll Rush show. As for the scores this year, I've heard the Scouts weren't entirely happy with the visual/drill book and rewrote it, learned it, and put it in starting around the Atlanta show a few days ago. So, there are still some dirty spots in the drill and it doesn't seem to "pop" as much as other shows probably just because of the newness of the material. I will say there are a few runs in the horns that are not very clear at this point in the season and is uncharacteristic of the Madison Scouts. Looking at the scores, they are moving up quick, but I don't know if it is quick enough. They are racing against time and at this point I speculate that they will fall into the 13-15 range by Finals week.
The drumline and colorguard are holding things together. The drums put in a respectable performance and played strong throughout the show, but there were balance issues in the front ensemble that were caused by the amplification mix being too hot. Normally I wouldn't mention that, but if corps are going to use it, then its part of the review if it hurts or helps the group. We could go into a whole other tangent about drum corp amplification, but this isn't the time. I understand that marimbas are hard to hear outside, but in the amplification game, to me less is more. Several other corps tonight pulled it off, but I didn't even mention their use because it didn't detract from the show.
That's it, look for a few more reviews in the coming week or two as we get closer to Finals in Pasadena. Until next time, keep drumming and go check out a show!
Posted by Ryan on 02:20 AM
DrumlineBlog in Denton, TX TODAY
Yes, I will be in Denton, Texas tomorrow for the DCI show. I'm looking forward to seeing the great lineup, but I will most likely be roaming the parking lot with my video camera. If you are a reader of the blog, and want to say "hey", I will *probably* be in a bright red FC Dallas jersey. I always love running into people at the shows and the crowd in the lot is my kind of people - dedicated, loyal, and they know where the real show is at.
Posted by Ryan on 12:16 AM
July 01, 2007
The Secrets of Drum Corp: Rehearsal Days
So those that have marched drum corps in the past already know this, but I thought I would let everyone else in on a little secret. You ready? Here it is: you can see drum corp shows for free. Click for more information (and to see some brand new videos)...
Yes, that's right I said it. How? It's called rehearsal days. Ever notice on the DCI.org Calendar that corps don't do a show every night? Ever wonder where they are and what they are doing? Well, start checking out the individual drum corp websites and look through their Summer schedules. There they list where they are every day, including rehearsal days.
If a corp is rehearsing in your area, go check them out! Most are very cool about people watching and you can get some good insight into the daily grind that a corp member goes through - it's not all stadium lights and screaming fans 24/7. You never know what you are walking into, but most likely it will be set-to-set drill cleaning or a chunk of music stuck on repeat. That's ok, because it's free.
Just to show you what you can find, check out what I saw a couple of days ago just one mile from my house. Enjoy people:
Blue Devils 2007 Rehearsal
Blue Devils Drumline 2007 OnField Warm-up!!!
Posted by Ryan on 11:23 PM | TrackBack
Drumline Blog Turns 3 Today!
Drumline Blog turns three years today, wow time flies. I'm having fun and I hope you enjoy reading it. The plan is to keep on heading forward and trying to cover the drumline news the best we can.
You know I think sometimes I should post more often, like make it an everyday thing, but I don't want to burn out and I don't see the point of making news out of nothing. If there's something worth posting about then I'm on it. Sure, I may miss some things from time to time, but I'm not CNN or some 24 hour news blog so I try my best. I hope that is enough to keep you coming back.
There's a lot of shows in July, so let's get to it! See you in the parking lot.
Posted by Ryan on 11:06 PM | TrackBack
What is up with the Madison Scouts?
What is going on with the Madison Scouts these days? I know they had some major staff changes this winter, but I didn't think it would be like this! I started seeing the scores come out at the beginning of the season and thought to myself, "must be a slow start, I'm sure they'll pick up speed". But I haven't seen them move up like I thought they would. The kicker that got this post started, was the scores for the June 29, 2007 show in Madison, WI - a home show nonetheless. Here is how it went down:
- Blue Stars - 71.00
- Madison Scouts - 65.75
- Southwind - 64.50
- etc...
OK, the Scouts got beat by a recently converted Div II corp by 5.25 points at a home show - that just boggles my mind! On top of that, Southwind's percussion section (which I think they are doing a fantastic job), beat Scouts in drums with a 13.7 over a 13.3 - the feeder beating the eater! And that drum score is just not one night, this has been going on all season.
UPDATE: the scores just came in for tonight and at the Mankato, MN show, it looks like Southwind passed up the Madison Scouts with a 66.950 over a 66.20. UNBELIEVABLE. If anyone would like to comment, has seen the show, or has an explanation, please use the contact form using the link above.
Posted by Ryan on 01:49 AM | TrackBack
June 05, 2007
Redesigned DCI.org
It looks like DCI.org has redesigned their website just in time for the Summer Tour. Overall I think it looks better and was due for a change. Go check it out...
Posted by Ryan on 11:29 PM
April 25, 2007
2007 DCI Classic Countdown Tomorrow
The 2007 DCI Classic Countdown is showing at your local theater Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 PM (your local time). Tickets are $12.50 and are available at most theater locations. If you want, you can buy the tickets online.
For more information, visit DCI.org
Posted by Ryan on 11:45 PM
April 22, 2007
RCC Wins 2nd WGI Title in 3 Years
Congratulations to the Riverside Community College Winter Drumline. After finishing second behind Music City Mystique in Prelims, they switched places in Finals edging out MCM's 96.30 score with a 96.95. This is RCC's second title in three years and the third championship for the group since 2002. Rounding out the top 6 included the Blue Knights (3rd), North Coast Academy (4th), Matrix (5th), and Rhythm X (6th).
Top groups in other classes include United Percussion (PIO), Mission Viejo HS (PSW), Pacifica HS (PSO), Pioneer Indoor (PIA), and Greenfield-Central HS (PSA).
Congratulations to all participating groups at the Championships in Dayton, OH - making it to Dayton is an accomplishment they should all feel proud about.
Posted by Ryan on 12:03 AM
April 19, 2007
WGI Championships Start Today
The WGI Percussion World Championships start today in Dayton, OH! It is a three day event with the World and Open classes finishing up with Finals on Saturday. WGI is updating their site on a frequent basis with the latest scores and you can view those scores through the link below. Good luck to all the participants in the various classes!
WGI Percussion World Championship Schedule
Posted by Ryan on 09:41 PM
April 08, 2007
Friends of DCI Scholarship
If you are a high school senior this year about to graduate, are enrolling in college and are marching in a drum corp this summer, then you qualify for the 1st annual Friends of DCI Scholarship. Two awards will be given in the amounts of $2,250 and $1,000 and applications are due by May 15th. For more info about the scholarship, check out the links below:
DCI.org news article with more info
Scholarship Application Form
Posted by Ryan on 09:01 PM
January 30, 2007
DCI Approves 150 Member Limit, Electronics Denied
On Sunday, the DCI Board of Directors reviewed the rule proposals and came to a decision about each one. Among those passed include the percussion judge in the stands until July 4th, extended pre-show warm-up (like BOA), and the biggest being the new 150 member rule going into effect in 2008.
Just a little about the last one - there are definite pros and cons to this 150 member rule...
The pros: more young people get to experience being in a Top 12 corp (a 10% increase), bigger and better both in sound and visual appeal, and it allows corps to better utilize their buses since the new ones now seat 55 per bus (x 3 thats 165 seats). The cons? Harder for the midrange corps (10-17) to fill brass spots because everyone wants to be in a Top 6 corp, midrange corps don't have the new buses so its a moot point for them, and it will possibly open an even wider gap between the elite and those in the midrange.
Now there are a few things that didn't pass, but the biggest news maker is the 10-10 tie for inclusion of electronic instruments that ended in defeat. The purists dodged a bullet this time, but I don't think they'll be as lucky in the future. Me personally? In a world of pop singers and Pro Tools making it where anyone can sound in tune, I would like ONE thing to stay true to the original and not just be another "me too" for technology. Yes, electronics and music are here to stay, but that doesn't mean that everything has to go there.
I think of cars....what happened when automatic transmissions came about? The beauty of shifting gears without all the work, why wouldn't you want it? Did every single car from then on come with an automatic? No. Maybe there's something to the process that connect people to the machine? I think this hold true for the Drum Corp fan too - we see bass guitars in the pit in college bands, synthesizers in the pit of BOA bands, maybe....just maybe people still want to see the muscle car come with a manual transmission. It just always seemed right.
Posted by Ryan on 12:16 AM
January 17, 2007
DCI 2007 Rules Proposals
So the annual DCI meeting is coming up on January 25th and there are 15 proposals on the table this year. Not being a fan of rules in the past few years (i.e. removal of the drum trophy during the DCI Championships), I was pleasantly surprised that *most* of the proposals were halfway decent. If you would like to read through the propsals yourself, go on over to the DCI Rules page and take a look. They are only a page each so you can run through them all in 15 minutes or less. If you find something you do or don't like, let DCI.org hear about it.
DCI Rules Page - http://www.dci.org/rules/
The one that applies most to the readers of the DrumlineBlog is the Percussion adjudication modification.
Basically they are proposing the percussion judge be in the stands/box for the first half of the season to get better reads of the overall show, increase understanding of the shows to reduce "run-ins" during the season, and to reduce missing keypoints of the show when being in the wrong place on the field. After July 5th, they are on the field and getting down to the details.
I think this is a GREAT idea! Nothing sucks more than not getting rewarded for difficult passages when the drum judge is on the other side of the field. I'm still reading through these, but the one that sticks out is the "Inclusion of electronic instruments" proposal by guess who: George Hopkins. Ugh, is my first response. It's the one area where I like how drum corp has remained "pure" in that regard...well not so much anymore, but not as bad as BOA. Now I work with a BOA Grand National Finalist band, and I like electronic effects when they COMPLIMENT the show concept, but when they are used to REPLACE CREATIVITY is when it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Some great bands do A, the lesser ones seem to be stuck on B. So when I see this proposal, I see it as a slippery slope that has good intentions in the beginning, but ends up being a substitute for being creative. My prime example is the Cavaliers from this past Summer - robotic movements from the corp and unique sounds from the front ensemble like the typewriter made for an extremely enjoyable show. Is that the foreshadowing of the future of DCI? A show about machines that used no *real* electronic sampling...the last of a dying breed.
Posted by Ryan on 10:32 PM
January 06, 2007
Welcome to the New Year
Ahh, the new year - welcome to 2007. Time for WGI contests, Drum Corp show announcements, and NAMM. We've got some exciting events planned in the new year to get you through until the WGI season heats up. First off, we'll have someone at NAMM this year checking out the latest from the drum manufacturers. After that, we've got two reviews in the works that will be revealed at a later date.
But first to start off the new year, we've got an announcement about something cool going on with Zildjian. John Ratzenburg's Made in America which airs on the Travel Channel will be doing a show on the Zildjian company. Here are the show times for the coverage on the Travel Channel:
- January 9th @ 9PM EST
- January 10th @ 12AM EST
- January 13th @ 3PM EST
Here's the Z-News Announcement from Zildjian
Posted by Ryan on 11:41 PM
November 12, 2006
Broken Arrow HS Wins Grand Nationals
Congrats to the Pride of Broken Arrow Marching Band for winning the 2006 Grand National Championship. In what some have determined to be one of the best Finals lineups ever, Broken Arrow snuck past LD Bell HS, Kennesaw Mountain HS, and The Woodlands HS to claim the coveted Eagle trophy. Being an alumni of Broken Arrow, I am proud of the group for their accomplishment - hats off to the kids who obviously worked very hard.
Results
1. 96.75 Broken Arrow Sr. H.S., OK
2. 96.35 L.D. Bell H.S., TX
3. 95.00 Kennesaw Mountain H.S., GA
4. 94.15 The Woodlands H.S., TX
5. 93.30 Tarpon Springs H.S., FL
6. 93.20 Lawrence Central H.S., IN
7. 92.60 Avon H.S., IN
8. 91.90 Carmel H.S., IN
9. 90.90 Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park, MI
10 90.80 Winston Churchill H.S., TX
11 90.60 Marian Catholic H.S., IL
12 89.35 James Bowie H.S., TX
Caption Results
Outstanding Music Performance -- L.D. Bell, TX
Outstanding Visual Performance -- Lawrence Central, IN
Outstanding General Effect -- Broken Arrow Sr., OK
Posted by Ryan on 12:30 AM
November 11, 2006
BOA Grand Nationals Final Schedule
Congrats to the Top 12 Finalists Bands! Here is the performance order for tonight...
7:45 - Beechwood High School, KY - Class A Winner Exhibition
8:00 - The Woodlands High School, TX
8:15 - Tarpon Springs High School, FL
8:30 - L.D. Bell High School, TX
8:45 - Avon High School, IN
9:00 - Carmel High School, IN
9:15 - Plymouth-Canton Education Park High School, MI
9:30 - Broken Arrow Senior High School, OK
9:45 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
10:00 - James Bowie High School, TX
10:15 - Winston Churchill High School, TX
10:30 - Lawrence Central High School, IN
10:45 - Kennesaw Mountain High School, GA
Kennesaw seems to in the best spot to take the Eagle even though The Woodlands won Class AAA from Semis
Posted by Ryan on 07:07 PM
November 09, 2006
BOA Grand Nationals Starts Today
The 2006 BOA Grand Nationals started today in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prelims are today and tomorrow, then Semis and Finals on Saturday. The first day of prelims are still going until 11:30 tonight and then start right back up tomorrow at 7:30AM.
If you can't make it up to Indy, you can always scour the forums for updates as people tend to call in with updates as to who is moving on to the next round. Or you can purchase a BOA Premium Membership for $39.00 and watch live streaming video of Grand National Finals.
Posted by Ryan on 10:34 PM
DCI 2007 Major Summer Events Released
DCI released their 2007 schedule of DCI Major Events the other day. They have expanded the number of events throughout the summer and have included locations that are convenient during the trek to Pasadena. Click the link for a complete list of locations and dates.
Posted by Ryan on 10:21 PM
October 20, 2006
First BOA Super Regional Starts Today
The first BOA Super Regional of 2006 starts today in St. Louis, Missouri at the Edward Jones Dome. Over 50 bands will be competing for Finalists spots during a two day preliminary competition. Notables attending the event include Lassiter HS (previous Grand National Champion), Carmel HS (last year's GN Champion), and Owasso HS (2005 GN Finalist).
Bands representing Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, and many more will be there. To check out the schedule for the two-day event, click on the link below:
http://www.bands.org/public/events/regionals/06.info/mo-sr.asp
Posted by Ryan on 01:45 AM
September 22, 2006
Crossmen Move to San Antonio!
Yesterday the Crossmen announced they are moving to San Antonio, Texas. They will still be a part of YEA and the Cadets, but are relying on the strong education programs in Texas to support them with quality players. The new Corp Director is going to be Mark Chambers, head band director at BOA Grand National Finalist Ronald Reagan High School.
In my personal opinion, this is a smart move for the Crossmen. Drum corps are realizing the strength of the music programs in Texas and have started holding mini camps before sending players up North. Crossmen just took it one step further and actually moved there. Why spend $350 on a plane ticket every month to Illinois, Ohio, or New Jersey when someone can drive 4 hours from Dallas to ALL the Div I Crossmen camps? So...I'm placing a prediction right now: the Crossmen will be back in the Top 12 next year.
So hats off to the Crossmen and Mark Chambers! It's a smart move and I look forward to the next corp that decides to follow suit. Who's next?
Posted by Ryan on 02:18 PM
September 15, 2006
Lee Beddis Appointed at Carolina Crown
Lee Beddis has been appointed the Percussion Caption Head at Carolina Crown. Beddis is leaving Magic (of Orlando) to take this position - does this mean Kevin Murphy will move into the caption head position at Magic? While I am not surprised to see Tinkle let go, I am surprised to see Carolina Crown pick up such a high caliber instructor as Beddis. I hope the line at Crown are ready to track all summer as every Beddis line I've seen wears the tread off the bottom of their shoes. Here's to better drumming.
Click here to read Carolina Crown's Announcement
Posted by Ryan on 11:56 PM
September 05, 2006
DCI 2006 Finals on ESPN2 TONIGHT
Yes, the DCI Finals air tonight on ESPN2 at 8 PM EST. It is a two hour broadcast showing behind-the-scenes segments and portions of the Top 12 shows. While I wish it was the full Top 6 (and portions of the 7-12 shows), I understand the format and am glad it is on ESPN - the long format for us drum corp nuts is shown in the movie theaters. So show some support for the activity and turn your TVs to ESPN2 at 8 PM tonight.
Check out the DCI.org coverage here
Posted by Ryan on 12:19 AM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2006
DCI World Championship Finals Tonight
This is it, the day of Finals. The time to reminisce on the season and relish in your last hours of the summer tour. It all boils down to this: Cavaliers are holding on strong to the GE caption, Blue Devils are close to grabbing the Visual being only a .10 behind Cavaliers in Semis, and Phantom's amazing drumline has kept them in the hunt by tying the Cavaliers in the Music caption.
What does this mean? It means General Effect wins Championships. In a world of strong performances, it's the show design that will ultimately decide a corp's fate. True, you have to perform and be at the top of you game, but at this level, those differences are minute. 40-30-30 is the balance of the sheet and Cavaliers are winning the 40 point caption, if they stay close in the other two, it's a done deal.
Don't get me wrong...I think all three corps are great and have their own unique identity. But I have to say, I like Phantom's music. Notice I said music and not show. Sure the show is nice, but it could be better. With a story such as Faust, you think they would play up the devil theme a little more. More red material, stronger flags, and a uniform change. I'm not sure what it is, but I find it hard to buy into the theme when the corp is wearing white uniforms - too angelic, it's off balance. I say bring back the 1996 PR uniforms with a red sash - too late now.
Speaking of 1996, I see a lot of correlation to 96 - Blue Devils were doing a gangster show just like this year, Phantom was doing a show with strong music just like this year. And here they are again, but sitting in 2nd and 3rd. Why? The Cavaliers have outdone their design teams.
Enough ranting, about design. There is nothing the performers can do except go out there and give it their all. If you want to check it out as it goes down LIVE, click here.
Posted by Ryan on 02:16 AM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2006
Nick Angelis Released from the Colts
Though the details are sketchy and still coming in, it has been confirmed that Nick Angelis has been released from duty as the Percussion Caption Head at the Colts. The main reason cited was "differences in opinion" between him and the other Colts staff. At this point, Brett Garrett and Freddie Smith have taken over the caption head responsibilities. As soon as more information comes in, I will make it available to the public.
Posted by Ryan on 04:31 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2006
Vic Firth DCI Coverage
Vic Firth has once again started up coverage of the summer DCI tour with some video clips of the Blue Devils, The Cadets, Santa Clara Vanguard and Pacific Crest drumlines. All videos are in Quicktime format with high, medium, and low quality versions. In addition, Mark and the rest of the team at Vic Firth seem to add more videos as the summer progresses so check back occasionally.
Posted by Ryan on 10:31 AM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2006
More 2006 Drum Corp Videos
Innovative Percussion has setup a video section containing of some of their sponsored corps. The site includes multiple clips of each corp showcasing the drumline and front ensemble. Drumlines featured in the clips include Bluecoats, The Cavaliers, Glassmen, and Phantom Regiment.
Innovative Percussion Video Vault
Posted by Ryan on 10:28 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2006
RealFeel with Removable Snare Cartridge
Announced just today, it looks like Evan's HQ RealFeel pads have gotten into the act of drum pads with a snare sound. Following the trail of Xymox and Yamaha, RealFeel has added a twist to their new practice pad. The snare cartridge that provides the buzz is removable so players can change the sound if needed. Retail price is $74.99 and begins shipping in August.
Read the Press Release after the jump
HQ Introduces RealFeel Removable Snare Cartridge Pad
Posted by Ryan on 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
June 21, 2006
Phantom Regiment Faust Video
Phantom Regiment performed a standstill concert on June 6th showcasing their 2006 production of Faust. Fortunately, Pearl was there to make a video recording. The drumline looks to be playing some great licks and the hornline sounds amazing as usual. It is worth checking out as you get to see the drumline warm up a little and then see an ensemble run of some of the show music.
Thanks Pearl!
Click here for the Pearl "What's New" page, or click below to go directly to the videos:
High Quality (MPG)
Lower Quality (WMV)
Posted by Ryan on 04:08 PM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2006
Cavaliers Snareline VIDEO
We saw the picture of the Cavaliers snareline marching with tilted snares. Now see the video that shows even further proof of what you will see this Summer...
Folks, this is not a technique you use only in parades (as someone mentioned on a bulletin board yesterday after seeing the picture). This looks to be the Cavalier technique, and don't expect a change back to the old way. Personal discussions with Cavalier staff have revealed that they are extremely happy with the contributions Jim Casella has brought to the program - especially his writing. I doubt the angle of the snare is something they care much about.
Posted by Ryan on 03:43 PM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2006
Cavaliers Snareline Marching "Tilted" Snares
What was originally speculation has turned true as the Cavaliers snareline was seen marching with their snares at an angle during the Memorial Day Parade. Santa Clara and Blue Knights have been the latest to use tilted snares in recent years and it looks like the SCV influence at Cavaliers has trickled down to the angle of the drum. Rumor of the decision was originally communicated to the staff at drumlineblog.com, but the information was held until a photo proved the change was real. Here is the proof:
Cavaliers snareline
Posted by Ryan on 05:13 PM | Comments (0)
June 02, 2006
Drumline Parking Lot through YouTube.com
Remember the good 'ol days of drumlineparkinglot.net? I do...in fact, it was about the only place I could find that had video of my corp's drum sectionals during the summer. Granted, it was not too long ago, but it was before everyone and their dog (including DCI) were recording warmups in the parking lot.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the guys behind drumlineparkinglot.net were posting their content to YouTube.com. To make it even easier to find, you can see all their content at the following URL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/drumlineparkinglot
I expect to see more added soon as they use to have a ton of content. Long live DrumlineParkingLot.net!
Posted by Ryan on 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 24, 2006
DCI Reveals 2007 World Championship Logo
Drum Corps International revealed the logo for the 2007 World Championships which are being held in California for the first time in 35 years at the fabled Rose Bowl. More information about the logo, its creators, and the process from which they conceived the logo is contained in the link below.
2007 World Championships logo Revealed
Posted by Ryan on 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2006
Trial by Fire
One fried memory chip, one dead web server, one new web host unable to support our needs, and one new server built from the ground up. Yes, this has been our experience in the last two months. It's been hard, but we are back! Fortunately, the end result is a killer new Dell Dual Core web server with RAID mirrored hard drives and a ton of bells and whistles. What this means is a better experience for you (and us), and expanded support in the future. We have had to rebuild part of the database by hand so there might be a wrinkle or two. If you happen to find one, send us a note through the contact form and we'll check it out.
Thanks for your patience!
The Drumlineblog.com team
Posted by Ryan on 01:49 PM
January 31, 2006
Remo Introduces New Bass Drum Head
Remo introduced the new PowerMax Pre-Muffled Marching Bass Drumhead yesterday. It is a pre-muffled drumhead with a free-floating muffling ring designed to allow an individual to take it out of the box, crank it, and then go out and play.
Obviously designed to compete with the Evans MX1 White bass drumhead, it will be interesting to hear the side-by-side difference between the two heads.
Read Remo's Press Release here
Posted by Ryan on 12:38 AM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2006
2006 DCI Classic Countdown Voting Begins Today
The polls are now open to cast your vote for the DCI Classic Countdown. Select your favorite corp shows from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s between now and February 13th. The shows with the most votes will make it into the Countdown shown in theaters on April 27th.
Posted by Ryan on 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2006
NAMM Show in California Starts Today
The National Associates of Music Merchants Winter Convention starts today in Anaheim, California. All of the major drum manufacturers will be there showing off their new products for 2006. If everything goes as planned, we will have coverage from Anaheim including pictures of the new products by the drum manufacturers.
Posted by Ryan on 04:10 PM
January 13, 2006
Vic Firth's I&E Videos
Vic Firth recently put up a page that showcases some of the talent displayed at the 2005 DCI I&E Championship during Finals week. While there is some great stuff on there; notables include the Colts Cymbal Ensemble, the SCV Tenor Ensemble, and Tim Jackson's Tenor Solo.
Posted by Ryan on 02:33 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
New Randall May Carriers for 2006
Adding to their tube carriers, Randall May has announced their new line of Compound Hinge Carriers; Pearl is calling them the Contour Carriers. These snare and tenor carriers allow independent upper and lower torso adjustments to better fit the player by implementing a hinge in the middle of the center tubes. In addition, these new carriers include the Comfort Air system for complete adjustable backbar support.
Also just released is the Monoposto bass drum carrier. This new carrier allows for extreme drum height adjustments with a single wing nut. It too includes the Comfort Air system for the backbar support.
Check out the details over at Pearldrum.com
Posted by Ryan on 12:20 AM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2005
WE MADE IT!!!
Mass hysteria ensued as Owasso HS was announced as the last Finalist band. Seeing as some stiff competition remained for that last spot, we expected the worst, but were stunned when they called out our name in the last spot. 2005 Grand National Finalist, unbelievable!!!
Posted by Ryan on 01:35 AM | Comments (3)
November 01, 2005
Colts Welcome Nick Angelis as New Percussion Caption Head
As previously reported on drumlineblog.com, the Colts organization recently named Nick Angelis as the new Percussion Caption Head. He has an extensive resume of marching percussion ensemble esxperience as well as personal achievements at the highest levels. He has asked a good share of the percussion staff back to the Colts and is excited to get started.
The first camp for the Colts is slated for December 16th through the 18th in Dubuque, Iowa. Please see colts.org for more information.
Posted by Ryan on 04:42 PM | Comments (3)
October 19, 2005
EXCLUSIVE: Colts Percussion Caption Head Resigns
Confirmed by multiple sources, Ryan Thomas, the Percussion Caption Head for the Colts Drum & Bugle Corp has officially resigned. A new caption head will be announced within the week, but as of this point, the Colts organization has not officially announced the news.
Along with the former caption head, the bass tech for the Colts, Chris Sakowski, has joined the staff at the Bluecoats as the new co-bass tech splitting duties with Adam Clay.
At this point there are no other tech changes within the Colts percussion staff. Once announced, the new caption head will most likely make the determination of future staffing changes. Look for the announcement sometime this week.
Posted by Ryan on 03:15 PM | Comments (2)
Bluecoats Announce Percussion Staff for 2006
Bret Kuhn joins the Bluecoats! Looks like an All Star staff...the Top 3 is calling their name.
The Bluecoats are pleased to announce several exciting additions to their 2005 percussion staff. Bret Kuhn will join the Bluecoats percussion team as a consultant and teacher. "The addition of Bret to an already formidable Bluecoats percussion staff is HUGE! I am so excited about working with him again as he is not only a great teacher, but a great friend as well" states Bluecoats Percussion Arranger Michael McIntosh. As percussion design consultant, Bret will be another set of eyes and ears for the percussion design team, and will also have some teaching time with the members this summer.Also joining the Bluecoats team as percussion instructors will be Chad Shaedler, Chris Sakowski, and Eric Ridenour.
Chad marched snare with both Nite Express and the Blue Knights, and is currently Battery Caption Head and percussion arranger for WGI World Class finalist Gateway Indoor Percussion. Chad has also worked with the Pride of MSU percussion ensemble and the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps. He will join veteran Bluecoats staffer Tim Maynard in front of the Bluecoats snare line this year.
Chris Sakowski comes to the Bluecoats after several years spent marching and teaching with the Colts. He also works with Gateway Percussion, and is in his second year as caption head/arranger for the University of Memphis marching band and PASIC drum lines. In 2006, Chris will be joining returning Bluecoats percussion instructor Adam Clay as an instructor of the bass line.
Eric is a former marching member of both the Blue Knights and the Santa Clara Vanguard. Currently, he is actively involved in teaching Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado and many other high school groups around the Denver area. This season, Eric will assist returning caption head Ray Ulibarri with the tenor line.
Rounding out the Bluecoats percussion instructional staff for the 2006 season are returning front ensemble instructors Brad Palmer and Allen Justus.
Posted by Ryan on 03:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
BREAKING NEWS: Cavaliers Technique Modified with New Staff
An email was sent out confirming changes to the snare and tenor techniques for The Cavaliers. Bass and front ensemble technique will remain the same. Click the link below to read the email.
---------------------------
From: ////////////
Date: 2005/10/17 Mon PM 04:28:30 EDT
To: info@cavaliers.org
Subject: The 2006 Cavaliers Snare Addendum
Greetings Percussionists!
As many of you are aware, there have been some changes to the percussion staff for the 2006 Cavaliers. With the changes in personnel come changes in the technique program. This will have a direct effect on the snare drums and tenor drums in particular. The bass drum and front ensemble technique programs will remain the same. The changes in technique will be sent to all percussionists who have purchased the Cavalier Warm Up and Technique Books for snare and tenors.
Learning technique by simply reading text is quite difficult on any instrument. For this reason we encourage each student to come to the audition and play the way they are comfortable playing. Don't try to change your entire approach because you think it will be the style we're looking for. During the November Audition camp, each instructor will break down and demonstrate the technique as well as answer all of your questions.
For the battery auditions we will use many of the existing exercises:
* 8's
* New Bucks
* Stick Control
* Double OO
* What a Drag
* 7/8 Grid
* Flowus-Foo-Kee-Deehe
For the front ensemble auditions we will use the following exercises:
* 7/8 Octaves (all major keys and natural minors)
* 7/8 V (all major keys)
* Green (all major keys)
* Spatial Awareness (as written only)
* 1234
* 8-16
* Any other exercise (2 or 4 mallets) that you practice on a regular basis
Some new exercises and musical excerpts may be introduced during the audition process. This new material will test your ability to adapt to change, learn new music, and receive information. There is not much you can do to prepare for this, perhaps some sightreading to keep your skills sharp. Other than that, RELAX! It will be new for everyone.
The 2006 Cavalier percussion staff has experienced educators who are top-notched performers. You will learn an incredible amount about playing your instrument, creating music and you will learn a lot about yourself in the process.
We'll see you in November.
Good Luck to All!
The NEW Cavaliers 2006 Percussion Staff
_www.cavaliers.org/media/pdf/2006_Cavaliers_Snare_Technique.pdf_
(http://www.cavaliers.org/media/pdf/2006_Cavaliers_Snare_Technique.pdf)
------------------------
Tenor Technique PDF
http://www.cavaliers.org/media/pdf/2006_Cavaliers_Tenor_Technique.pdf
Posted by Ryan on 02:41 PM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2005
Congrats to Last Week's Regional Champs
Congrats go out to last weekend's Regional Champions - BOA Houston went to Winston Churchill and BOA La Joya went to Harligen HS.
This weekend we've got two more Regionals, this time on opposite coasts. The two Regionals will be held in Long Beach, California and Towson, Maryland.
No offense to the attending bands, but Towson seems a little light this year. Other than King Philip, I don't recognize a lot of the bands. As for Long Beach, there are some well known BOA groups in attendance - Etiwanda, Upland, Ayala, and Thousand Oaks. Plus there are a couple Texas bands making the trip to California which should add a nice twist to the competition.
Posted by Ryan on 09:58 AM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2005
Erik Johnson Retires from The Cavaliers
Erik Johnson, front ensemble arranger for the Cavaliers, announced his retirement today. He has eleven years with the corps and is the founder/president of Innovative Percussion.
Editor's Note: Wow, can anything else happen today?
Read The Cavaliers Press Release
Posted by Ryan on 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
Gusseck Rumor Confirmed, SCV Hires New Caption Head(s)
The Santa Clara Vanguard has announced the appointment of Mike Jackson as the battery caption head, and Brian Mason as the front ensemble caption head. Mike is the current percussion instructor for Mission Viejo HS in California and is heavily involved in the WGI circuit. Brian Mason has taught at both The Cavaliers and Phantom Regiment and is part of the percussion faculty at Morehead State University in Kentucky.
In addition, the two have announced that Vanguard will go back to traditional grip.
Posted by Ryan on 12:38 PM | Comments (0)
September 09, 2005
Jim Casella Announced as New Caption Head at Cavaliers
I knew it was either going to be Mike McIntosh or Jim Casella. Though I imagined Mike would be the one before Jim just for the fact of localization and that Jim has a healthy side business (with Murray Gusseck) - Tapspace Publications, creators of Virtual Drumline.
Read the Cavaliers Press Release
Posted by Ryan on 04:07 PM | Comments (1)
September 07, 2005
CBS Drum Corp Story Video Now Online
CBS Evening News did a report on the DCI Finals in Foxboro during Quarterfinals/Semis. They have now posted the video from that report in case you missed it. You need to have Windows Media Player or Real Player to check it out.
Watch the CBS Drum Corp Coverage
Posted by Ryan on 03:02 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2005
DCI on ESPN2 TONIGHT!
The time has come, Drum Corp Championships is making its first appearance on a major network during primetime tonight. ESPN2 is hosting the two hour special of the DCI World Championships tonight at 10PM Eastern / 9PM Central. The format of the show will consist of highlights of the top 8 corps, and show mini clips of the other corps. They have done it this way for the past couple of years and while I think this format stinks (I equate it to watching 3/4 of a good movie), it might work well for the normal ESPN junky. Tell everyone you know to check it out.
Posted by Ryan on 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
Bret Kuhn Retires from Cavaliers After 24 Years
24 years...wow. We wish him the best, and we will miss the "Cavalier sound" he has written over the years. I can always tell when he has written a drum book for a high school line - it has the same "feel" to it that The Cavaliers' drum books present. Now I wonder what the next step for the The Cavaliers will be? Bring someone up through the ranks, or get a big name? Enough speculation - that's for another time, click below to read the Cavaliers press release...
Posted by Ryan on 12:15 PM | Comments (1)
September 01, 2005
First College Games Tonight
So...one of the many things I do (besides this blog) is teach a college drumline, and it so happens that the first game of the year for us is on ESPN2 tonight around 10E/9C. The University of Tulsa Marching Band has been working hard to get everything ready and it should be a decent halftime performance. Game on.
ESPN: Minnesota intrigued by Tulsa defense
Posted by Ryan on 01:31 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2005
Pearl DCI Tour Videos
OK...so tour is over, doesn't mean you can't enjoy some more tasty beats, right? I'm sure you already know about the Vic Firth DCI site? OK, how about Pearl's vids from their groups? Ah-ha! Oh...OK, well either way, here's what the Pearl-sponsored lines served up this Summer. They all sound good, but Phantom was drumming hard! Just listening to the drum book, I would have NEVER imagined those were Gershwin tunes. Yes, I saw them this Summer, but their hornline sounded great and could actually overpower the drumline in spots so you didn't always hear all the parts (which I think is a good thing). It's no fun to hear a drumline over play a horn section the entire show, but you've heard all this in my Broken Arrow show review...oh wait, nevermind.
Pearl's DCI Summer Tour Videos
Posted by Ryan on 12:31 AM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2005
Cadets Win! Tie for Highest Finals Score
In a commanding performance, The Cadets have won the DCI World Championships with a score of 99.15 - tying for the highest score posted in a Finals performance. The next closest corp, The Cavaliers, were 1.525 points behind The Cadets which is a wide gap at Finals. They lead all three nights of the World Championships and never looked back, posting perfect 10s in three subcaptions - the only corp to receive a 10 in any box on the sheet tonight. Also, The Cadets drumline won the drum caption all three nights by posting scores of 19.60, 19.55, and 19.70.
George Hopkins, director of The Cadets, was said to have felt "relief" after hearing the scores. He mentioned that it had been an up-and-down year for them. At the beginning of the season, they were still putting the pieces of the show together, were missing guard equipment, and were pushing the envelope when it came to electronics (amplification). He also mentioned that The Cadets will continue their theme of "storytelling" as show concepts for next year.
Rounding out the Top 12 included (in order 2-12): The Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, Blue Devils, Bluecoats, Madison Scouts, Carolina Crown, Santa Clara Vanguard, Boston Crusaders, Blue Knights, Glassmen, and Spirit from JSU.
Posted by Ryan on 12:41 AM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2005
DCI Quarterfinal Results
1 The Cadets 98.050
2 The Cavaliers 96.500
3 Phantom Regiment 95.275
4 Blue Devils 94.225
5 Madison Scouts 92.525
6 Bluecoats 92.400
7 Boston Crusaders 89.425
8 Carolina Crown 89.350
9 Santa Clara Vanguard 87.675
10 Blue Knights 87.400
11 Glassmen 87.125
12 Spirit from JSU 85.625
13 Crossmen 83.125
14 Colts 82.975
15 Capital Regiment 79.925
16 Southwind 79.525
17 Mandarins 78.550
17 Seattle Cascades 78.550
----------------------
A tie at 17th makes it an 18 corp Semifinals for tomorrow afternoon.
Posted by Ryan on 12:18 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2005
Good Morning, it's QuarterFinals today
Yeah, yeah...I know, I still haven't posted my review from the Broken Arrow show, and look, here is Quarterfinals! Well, I still plan on posting it later today, but the main focus right now is DCI World Championship QuarterFinals.
So today, we are going to cover the events at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA the best we can. The gates open at 12:30PM EST and show begins at 2:30PM with Kiwanis Kavaliers stepping off first. We've got a couple different places covering the events and we are going to point you there so you can stay informed and involved.
So first off, if you want to know the schedule for the day, check out DCI.org's Quarterfinals schedule [PDF]
Want to see some of the I&E Competition from the other day? Santa Clara Vanguard has posted a video of SCV members performing their pieces. It's 11MB, so check it out if you've got the bandwidth: SCV I&E Performances
If you've got the patience (their site is slow), Blue Devils have a mini site focused on the events at Foxboro: Blue Devils Foxboro 2005
And finally, if you happen to be around a Regal Cinema, you can watch the last block of Quarterfinals tonight LIVE, that starts at 5PM EST. The first corp to step off during the broadcast would be the Mandarins at 5:12PM.
We'll keep you posted as we find out more during the day...
Posted by Ryan on 09:06 AM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2005
Two Cadets buses collide; four sent to hospital
Wichita, KS -- Leaving the parking lot of the Wichita show, the Guard bus collided into the back of the staff bus at a red light. The driver of the guard bus and three members were taken to a local hospital to be checked out.
Minor work is being done on the buses and The Cadets have canceled their appearance at the Wichita Falls show tonight. They spent the night at their rehearsal site in the Wichita area and are planned to attend the Midland show tomorrow evening. At this point, all members have been released from the hospital.
Click here for the Cadets press release
Posted by Ryan on 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2005
New Feature: DCI Drumline Tracker
If you'll notice in the navigation bar above, there is a new item in the list called "Scores". Clicking this link will send you to the DCI Drumline Tracker page. This page takes every Division I drum corp's drum scores since June 17th and spits them out in a Flash-based chart. From this you can see judging patterns, downtime, and improvements after rehearsal days, then compare your favorite groups against the competition.
Posted by Ryan on 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2005
Blue Devils return to the States
The Blue Devils flew into Chicago Wednesday and had a full day of rehearsal on Thursday in preparation for the Kalamazoo show Friday night. It will be interesting to see where their show currently stands since they have not competed against the usual competition since June 18th. Fortunately for them, the only close competition tonight are the Bluecoats and Spirit from JSU. The real test will come next Tuesday when they meet up with The Cavaliers in Pittsburg, KS.
Click here for David Gibbs' weblog, Executive Director of the Blue Devils
Posted by Ryan on 05:32 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2005
The scores are in...
Well the first scores of the Summer are rolling in. It looks like the Cavaliers are off to a good start with a 75.35 while The Cadets (70.30) and the Madison Scouts (67.50) both finished tops at their shows tonight as well.Posted by Ryan on 11:35 PM | Comments (2)
June 09, 2005
It's Official: DCI on ESPN2
"The two-hour program is tentatively scheduled to air on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005, from 9 p.m. to 11 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. Airdates and times will be announced when available."
DCI.org Press ReleasePosted by Ryan on 10:01 AM | Comments (2)
June 03, 2005
DCI.org Season Pass
Every drum corp lover's dream has come true. You can now individually download your favorite drum corp shows for the measly price of $2.99 per show ($1.99 for subscribers) thanks to DCI's new Season Pass website which opened June 1st. As a subscriber, you can stream any Top 12 show dating back to the beginning of DCI as many times as you want. You want to hear the 76 Blue Devils? You got it. Or how about the 87 Cadets when they received a perfect drum score? Absolutely. Star's 91 Pines of Rome show? Yep, that too. On top of that, you also get access to all the Live events throughout the Summer which includes video streaming at major events.
The subscription costs are $69 for a year, or $39 for a three month pass. Here's the great thing, 100% of the proceeds of downloaded files is evenly shared across the Div I, II, and III corps. So you get a great show and you get to help the corps at the same time.
Posted by Ryan on 04:02 PM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2005
DCI and ESPN?
There are rumors floating around in the drum corp community that a deal is in the works for ESPN to broadcast the World Championships. Granted it will not be live, but delivered sometime in the Fall. The major advantages being that Finals would be shown to a wider audience and broadcast once as opposed to varied times based on PBS affiliates' schedules.
This has been discussed in the community for years as we have watched other obscure "sports" being broadcast on ESPN and its affiliates - the latest being World Championship Poker. Is that a sport? Is drum corp a sport? If you have participated in the activity then you will most definitely argue the physical demands put on the body. Compared to what ESPN is running these days - poker, spelling bees, pool, cheerleading - drum corps is ABSOLUTELY a sport.
Supposedly a deal will be announced soon and we can look forward to an ESPN broadcast of the DCI World Championships. Just pray is doesn't get shuffled to the new (and not as widespread) ESPN U.
Posted by Ryan on 12:33 AM | Comments (0)