Some friends from Georgia recently visited and gave me the mid-season DVD from the Atlanta DCI regional. Here goes:

1) Blue Devils - Deserved to win, in my opinion. Easily the best drum line, and their usual fine horn line. Lots of neat moments in the show.

2) Cadets - This I Believe-George Hopkins screwed his own corps out of a championship. I believe they had the best CORPS, but a dog show to work with. The narration is hideous, and completely distracts the audience from the fine performance going on around it. At one point they're basically doing a rehearsal for the crowd, with narration comments. Who thought of this awful thing?

3) Cavaliers - Too many rookies to get higher than this, and may have been lucky to place this high. The change in drum staff last year is not working out. They are just not the "machine" they have been the last 10 years. And check out the snare line. They're wearing the drums VERY low, and angled, so it looks like the early 60's. Unfortunately, it's not.

4) Phantom Regiment - If they could only march...But they win for the coolest looking drums!

5) Bluecoats - I have NO CLUE what they're trying to do. They started so strong, and slipped to 7th by finals, but their show is SO weird.

Haven't watched SCV, Boston, or Crown yet.

Dicuss...

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

I agree with your comments on the Cadets. If they dropped the narration and focused on the music they may have pulled it off.

The Blue Devils brass line may have been their best yet.

Santa Clara seems to be on the way back. I liked the Bluecoats music but they used some voice effects that detracted from the show.

I was at DCI and can say with confidence that it was the best DCI in years. All top twelve had beautiful shows. My favorite was the Phantom Regiment, but I really loved the Cavies visual program, the Blue Devils brass section, and the Cadets and Crown's GE. Very entertaining even though the Rose Bowl was a terrible stadium for the big show.

I expected that the Rose Bowl would be a poor venue. It's too big. The new Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford would have been a better venue. It seats between 55,000 and 60,000 and has two levels plus no track. The temperature would have been in the mid-70s during the day and mid-60s at night.

DCI probably set up the venue before Stanford was in the picture.

Dr. Snyder,

You fail to mention which DRUM LINE you liked. Why am I not surprised?

And how is YOUR corps doing this summer?

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

Old farts impressions are good.

Blue Devils were excellent .. great drum line, excellent marching and a fantastic brass line. Fine jazz interpretations.

Can't believe the Cadets came so close! Cadets show was hideous! Brass and drums "OK", marching was excellent. I LOVE the Cadets history and the corps.. but that show stunk.

Cavaliers .. what was THAT ? How did that show get to be THIRD PLACE?

Just more opinions from another VERY old fart!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

I didn't see the Cavaliers or Phantom Regiment live this year but expect they were as boring as the other corps behind them but executed better.

Sad fact is that the Cadets actually beat the Blue Devils the week before DCI.

Unfortunately, this just shows that DCI judges are "following the lead" (instructions) of their DCI
bosses.

To believe that the insane Cadet narrations and boring Cavalier show are "good GE" is only possible when you realize that they are "encouraged" to reward this stuff.

If you DON'T, you are no longer a DCI judge. Simple!

Of course, this is purely an opinion!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

They all had fantastic shows! It was one of the best DCIs I've ever seen. Right up there with 87 and 79.

Bartender, I'll have whatever Mr. Snyder is having! Good ****!

Ha! Mike hit it on the head!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963