Another great question from Bill Schaefer:

Madison's show is again a big crowd favorite. Their consistent use of Latin music, included in their program each year, always pleases the audiences. Their new green tops matches the grass color perfectly, here at IU, and from up higher, where I sat (40 yard line), they were a bit hard to follow, visually, because of that.

Interesting discussion this morning with a long time drum corps fan who used to march with the Cadets... he claims that corps with white pants are much more conspicuous, in their marching maneuvers than corps who wear dark pants. He says that if you're going to wear white or cream pants, you had better be superior marchers. Do you agree with him?
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Seems to me that Bill answered his own question, see above.

The answer is .. YES. Anything which makes the corps members movements more VISIBLE will create more exposure. This can be white pants, white shoes, spats (which Madison used to use!), etc. If the judge can SEE more, more will be judged!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

Therefore, I vote that every corps MUST wear white shoes! Let's see what they've got... all of them! No more hiding allowed!

Interestingly, when the Bluecoats stopped wearing white bottoms, they have finished lower than the last time they wore white, which was 2006.

Be careful of what you ask for, you just might find that all of them have major problems with regard to those elements of marching that we were schooled in. The velocity and complexity that now seems required by the judges makes it literally impossible to not have some phasing or step problems, which would be accentuated even more with all corps required to use white shoes.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Jerry .. you are correct, but the "velocity and complexity" aren't REQUIRED by the judges. This is now the new style of DCI ... and the corps arrangers/ designers.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

Do they even make "white bucks"?That's what they were
called at one time.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

Dave,

If the judges continually reward it, then doesn't it become an expectation for corpse to do certain maneuvers of high velocity to be competitive? The writers may write it, but the judges don't have to tacitly endorse it with a higher number. I give the example that Bob used with regard to Cadets and their stumbling act at a finals show. The move was incredibly difficult but not executed, however they got a perfect number based on either difficulty, faulty judging or politics. And the judges are part of that political process.

I believe that the expectations are jointly attributable to the judges and writers. It may have not been that way as much in the past, but it certainly appears to be that way now. I may be wrong and if anybody shows me concrete proof, I will retract my statement and admit I am wrong, but I think they all converse and communicate so much during the year and season that the expectations are equally attributable to both parties.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Jerry, I agree. You said: "they all converse and communicate so much during the year and season that the expectations are equally attributable to both parties."

They certainly DO converse and communicate all year .. they call these sessions "critiques". What they really are is "selling jobs" by the writers and staff!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

Very interesting. I keep learning on this website. Thanks.

Dave,
I understand the concept of critiques and the selling that goes on there, been there, done that. However, over the last couple of decades or so, many of the people who are either judging or writing run into each other many times during the year, either at a clinic, BOA summer camp, meetings, or even at work. They seem to run in the same circle of friends/associates in many cases. That is what I was referring to. The entire DCI clique because of it's very nature is a very tight society that communicates regularly with each other, both socially and professionally. It's not unlike the 70s. With that in mind, it is just human nature to discuss how the captions and maneuvers are interpreted and scored.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Jerry, an excellent point. And correct again! Of course they communicate "professionally".

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

My point exactly! Strictly professionally ROFL

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager