Heard from a friend today who saw the Madison Scouts at a recent show:

I saw Madison Scouts last night for the first time this year. Their 9-1-1 tribute show is spectacular. The closing number is the song of the century! It's emotional, exciting, has a great beat and was an uplifting end to their production.

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Might be a "dark horse" at DCI this year ??

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Haven't seen any Madison shows posted on the internet but from DCI show results they seem to be much stronger than the last few years and might make it into to top eight.

I recollect seeing a video of the Cadets 2002 show that was a 911 tribute. They were still based in New Jersey (suburban New York) and with that background it was an emotional show. Would be hard to top that.

It looks like everyone is slowly being slotted into their "groups" for the year, with the usual three at the top (Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Cadets), then the usual next group (Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, Phantom, Santa Clara). After that, Madison does seem to be stronger, which is great, as does Spirit.

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

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

This weekend should be interesting as all the corps get together in Minnesota and there's an "elite eight" show in Rockford coming up as well.

On another thread, John Anderson commented:

Don't know what more I can say about the Blue Devils. Only wish I could listen to them sit down and play a concert like a jazz band for a couple of hours. The keyboard and use of a trap set in the pit make the sound more like Stan Kenton's bands. They've had the same arranger for 30 years or so.
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That made me wonder:

1. What IS "drum corps" trying to be? If the Blue Devils are that good as a jazz band .. maybe that is what they should be. Does drum corps have to be in a concert, with concert instruments? (Star of Indiana became "that good" and left drum corps to do concerts.)

2. If drum corps keep doing this stuff .... even with woodwinds, tubas, dance, funny costumes, props, etc ... are they really "drum corps"? Are they even "drum corps" now?

3. Look at the Cavaliers this year ... members on stilts. Members playing while being suspended upside down. What is that? Is THAT "drum corps"? Or ... is drum corps now just an "outdoor spectacle"?

Just asking....

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

I'd have enjoyed listening to Blessed Sacrament, St Kevins or the Royal Airs play a two hour concert. The Blue Devils arrangements are great listening, just as Sac from 1960-64, St Kevins 1960-1964 and the Royal Airs ( once Truman Crawford started writing their arrangements) were in that time. Same goes for early DCi versions of Madison and Spirit of Atlanta.

Don't know if themes are all that new. Garfield played West Side Story in 1962. Madison did kid's movie music (Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland with a little girls as Alice) and then a piece show in early 70s, Troopers were always "How the West was Won," Argonne did "Jesus Christ Superstar," and who can forget the Cavalers "Circus Show." Point is there have been themed shows for a long time. Now they can do more because the rules aren't as restrictive as they once were.

John is right .. partially at least

1. Listening to some great corps do their music (which was done well, as he noted) is one thing ... having them change the entire idiom to do it is another.

2. The "themes" he noted were only "partial" (except for the Cavaliers Circus in 1971). The other corps just did a few numbers in that "theme". And that is OK ... but today's approach has gotten out of hand.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Cavaliers circus theme was actually less than Madison's - it was only one number in their show. The rest of the show was basic drum corps (except for one running set in the color presentation).

Drum corps has just evolved. And John forgot one of the original "theme shows" - the Hawthorne Caballeros, who have certainly never been accused of being "radical" or anything like that!

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

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

Bob, I thought that a much larger portion of the Cavaliers 1971 show was "circus".

While the Caballeros certainly have a Spanish "theme" ... their uniforms certainly re-enforce that .... even they do not usually present ONLY Spanish music.

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Cavaliers 1971 show was:

Green Medley (several songs with Green/Irish origins)
American's We March (originally played by Sac)
Eleanor Rigby
Circus Medley
Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The circus is just what everyone remembers, but it was only one number in their show. Several other corps had much longer, developed themes.

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

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

Remember the T-shirts? There were only 2 corps on it. And it wasn't because of the "theme" show. The Cavies and Madison were on put on the shirts because of the non drum corp part of their show. Which has now become the mainstay of shows.

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

I do remember those shirts! The ones with the tombstone, right? Probably be worth something to someone these days.

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

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

Steve and Bob .. refresh our memory about these T-shirts? (Describe). I don't remember them at all.

But, as Bob pointed out earlier, some of these early (1971) "theme" shows really didn't have much "non-drum corps" stuff in them. (Although it may have SEEMED otherwise!).

Actually, having judged several of these corps then, I remember:

. Madison actually did a fine job with their "Alice in Wonderland" show ... it wasn't really radical (except for some costumes, I guess) and they were VERY good in brass and percussion.

. Argonne just did JC Superstar in a normal show .. and it was great! Nothing at all radical, except a super hornline.

. Cavaliers went over the top on props and costumes for their Circus stuff. Clashed with their history. Rest of their stuff was mediocre too .. didn't help.

Just my (failing) memory.
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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Dave
When everyone saw what Madison and the Cavies were doing, some people were in and uproar. So I think it was someone in Wis. that printed up t-shirts with a drawing of Alice and a clown dancing on a grave marked Drum Corp. And the caption read " Drum Corps rest in peace" , at least that is what I remember.

It noted the end of Drum corp as we knew it.

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

Steve remembers the shirts very well!

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

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

Sadly, those shirts were very prophetic!

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Funny how nobody said those things five years later when Bridgemen did things the Cavaliers and Madison wouldn't have dreamed of...maybe it was WHO did them more than what they did?

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

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

Bob....

1. The Bridgemen did not have a long traditional history as did Madison and Cavaliers. So, when they did "new" stuff, it wasn't a big change from their historical image.

2. The reality is that the Bridgemen didn't do all that much that was "different" or outrageous. Yes, they had unusual uniforms. They did some unusual drill stuff, including that famous "hip-hop" march style during a drum solo. All told, however, most of that wasn't really radical. Not at all like the props and goofy stuff you see now. (IMHO)

Would be interested in hearing more opinions on this from others ...

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

You need to re-watch those shows - your memory is failing! Bridgemen had people changing costumes, disrobing down to just leotards, sexually suggestive dancing, and the whole corps falling down at the end - and that was just 1976. It got worse in later years. And to be honest, their change had more to do with throwing a "Hail Mary" to get back into finals than anything else (they had fallen out in 74 and 75). If you look at their shows before that, they were as traditional as anyone else.

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

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

Bob, yes, failing memory applies here .. plus I didn't see that corps that much in those later years. The "old" Bridgemen (prior to the new staff .. Hoffman?) WAS very traditional.

I don't remember the wierd stuff you mentioned.

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

They were actually fun to listen to - loved them on the tapes every year! I was just enough of a traditionalist that I couldn't look at them.

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

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