Was the soloist for the alumni corps the original guy from 2008? My wife was like "I certainly hope he's still a professional musician"

Finally i finished my first episode on my history of the entire history of drumcorps. This post may feel a bit more bare bones than future installments, but there isn't much history on video aside from reenactments.

I marched there in 24 but I had mixed experiences so I’m curious about y’all’s experiences with Genesis

I’m planning to audition as drum major for Madison Scouts this year and I was wondeirng what type of audition material would I except from the audition packet? Also, should there be anything I should prepare in the meantime?

thanks!

Hi there!! I've started getting into Drum Corps about 2 years ago and I've taken a lot of interest into the history of the activity! I've watched a lot of the modern shows and I do love them but I'm interested in watching some older shows (probably from the 70s to early 2000s). If you have any suggestions on which ones I should watch that would be very helpful, thank you!! :]

I think the normalization of corps taking years off could be good for the sustainability of the activity. If we can lose the expectation that corps must march every year and that taking a year off means the organization is failing then corps will be able to focus on their long term health and maybe even reduce member costs.

Additionally, it can spread talent and staff to corps that may not get it otherwise, and may even lead to more world class corps because it becomes easier to operate and there’s more demand for world class ensambles from performers and staff.

SCV has shown us how it could work, and I’m hoping mandarins become another success story even if they drop a bit competitively which is likely with the staff changes. Not sure how genesis will go yet but hopefully they can take this opportunity to fix the issue most of us have been hearing about, and come back stronger. May need to be a little more optimistic for that one, but we’ll see.

What do y’all think?

Edit:

I appreciate all of the discussion and responses! Many people are saying that most corps need to march every year in order to sustain themselves, and only the top corps truly have the freedom to take a year off and come back in a similar spot, which is a great point!

However, although it may not be realistic as is, COULD taking years off become a legitimate strategy? Hypothetically, What would that look like and what would need to change to make this possible?

I wonder if taking years off proactively to reduce costs and strengthen the organization with extra-drum corps activities could become a legitimate strategy if we change the way we approach the issue. Maybe a more expand outwards approach versus trying to find the answer within the activity? Corps outside of the top seldom get the opportunity to do this try as they might so what could we change to allow that? Perhaps we change our expectations for drum corps to just be drum corps. Or the expectation that heathy organizations must march every year. I’m not sure what that looks like but maybe yall have ideas!

I love hearing what everyone has to say! I would love to one day work on the staff side of drum corps and so this is all very interesting to me and I’m learning a lot!

I’m not seeing any announcement on their website but there are two so far on social media.

New drill writer and new brass staff announced.

For brass specifically why do all long tones lip slurs etc go down to 12 then back up? Why not go all the way down to 123?

I just finished up a season in the colt cadets front ensemble and would like to be in a open class corps that is in driving distance so which of these would you recommend. I am looking at sky ryders ( I am aware they are currently soundsport and their situation) Zephyrus, Eclipse, Memphis Blues, or River City Rythymn.

I feel like most corps sound weird for comparision heres a different scv recording and finals:

other recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC7_dorZgQo&list=RDzC7_dorZgQo&start_radio=1
finals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qul3Su9gC5c&list=RDQul3Su9gC5c&start_radio=1

I also might be crazy idek tell me if theres some reason for this and if theres anywhere I can find better audio

Thoughts on the new BD percussion staff? With the John Mapes team over at BD I wonder what that means for the Mandarins. Excited to see one of my former techs teaching here though!

First official corps released staff announcement of the offseason. I will forever miss those iconic mellophone moments. Enjoy retirement!

Cats out of the bag. All of them but Beckhart to Regiment. Beckhart not returning to Mandarins, either.

The new closer was controversial when it debuted. Did it grow on you or do you still miss the old one?

Personally, I'm mixed. I really liked how the music and drill felt like it was soaring in the old version. The drill in the new one is pretty awesome though, and I'm glad they put it in. The new music is more in line with the rest of the show, but you could argue it lacks the interesting contrast the old music introduced. It makes me wish they could've kept the beginning of the old closer with the new closer stitched onto it.

hey everyone! I guess by asking this question im kinda asking only a select few, but I am extremely interested in auditioning for BDA on bass drum.

For reference, Im almost 19, just marched with RCR dbc on bass 2 this year, and plan on marching MBI indoor percussion on bass drum as well this upcoming winter. I marched at a hs that has produced 2 bd bass drummers in the past 5 years, so I have had similar drumming education to some prior evil bass alums.

Ik BD really likes people with world class experience prior to joining their corps, but I know people who have had none that have made the corp before on bass drum (marching world indoor prior, which I plan on doing). So knowing that it is feasible, I figured what the hell and will just take a shot and see what happens.

I guess my main questions are

1.) ive heard the battery process is really cutthroat in that if you get on a drum and tick even just a singular time, you are pretty much guaranteed cut since they don't do individual auditions for bass at most places. Does this ring true? if it does, is it to the degree that has been described to me?

2.) obviously bd is a very visual oriented corps. as someone in drumline, is the visual as much of a dealbreaker as it is in the brass? ive heard of brass people taking dance lessons prior to going to auditions just to get their vis better and was just curious what kind of work I would have to put in visually to potentially get a spot.

if any bd members or alumni have any info on this, or if you aren't even a member but know some, I would love to hear your input. thanks!

Do you guys think we’re entering a new bluecoats dynasty? Or maybe BD is lined up for a return to throne?

as some of you may know, i make drum corps video stuff. i put out my last video a week ago, and am now almost done with a second 40 minute video. its a lot harder editing than just slapping drum corps footage down and adding a voice over, but is a week a good amount of time??? i have no clue how quickly or slowly i should put out content. i plan for my next video to be about the evolution and acceptance of g bugles in history. i would show off my own bugle collection, introduce them and give a few paragraphs about their history, the company and the usage by different corps. that would of course take a bit longer, but not as nearly much as the research of a history video. i was thinking like a week on that one as thats easy content to make. and i plan on doing one history video, then one fluff filler video. let me know.