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The One Recapping DCI 2024
213 Plays4 months ago
Join us this week as our hosts and clinicians dive deep into DCI 2024. Al the fun and none of the belly aching!
Thank you
Susie Harloff - @1414sooze73
Scott Lizenberg
Nick Coppock - @canstopcop
Meet our Hosts
Jackie Brown - @spintronixguard
Stephen McCarrick - @stephenmccarick
Cindy Barry - @leandermomma
Nicole Younger - @o2bnpjs & @thecookoutcg
Trevor Bailey - @t_pain151
Trish O’Shea - @trishdish1002
Beth Beccone - @bether7189
Chris Rutt - @wildhornbrass1
Cynthia Bernard - @cynthiabern
Ashlee Amos - @famousamossss_
Theo Harrison - @harrisontheo07
Stephanie Click - @stephanieclick
Whitney Stone - @dancerwhit
Justin Surface - @J_dex07
Ashley Tran - @itsashleytran
Jack Goudreau - @goudreau_
Bill Woodward - @remoking100
Emily Nee - @tch.makes.art
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall - @ricardorrobinson
Austin Hall - @Austin_hall10
Jose Montes - @joeymontes57
Bobbey Biddle - @bobbeyboy107
Peyton Billhart - @peytonbrillhart
Music provided by leydamusic.com Follow him @josh.leyda
Avatars provided by @tch.makes.art
Featuring
Lexi Duda - Host for On A Water Break In Rhinestones - The Stories of the Twirlers @lexi_duda
Thank you also to @guardcloset
#marchingband #colorguard #dci #podcast #onawaterbreak #wgi #drumline
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Transcript
Introduction and Teasers
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone, we're back for another week of exciting rehearsals. This week we have the DCI recap. We'll also find out what made Austin say... Probably one of the most electric... That that was probably one of the most electric minutes of my life watching that closer at finals. And why Trish said... I was like, why aren't they blowing me away? Why aren't they blowing me away? Well, at the end of the season, they absolutely blew me away.
00:00:25
Speaker
All this and more so get out there on the field and we'll see you back on the sidelines for this week's episode of On a Water Break. Eight off the Met and go.
Focus on Marching Arts
00:00:37
Speaker
Welcome to On a Water Break. The podcast where we talk everything marching arts. Everyone bring it in. It's time for a water break.
Nicole Younger's DCI Stories
00:00:53
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another episode of season two on a water break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on a water break. I'm Nicole Younger. DCI is over and many of us are still reeling from an incredible drunk horse season. It was unbelievable.
00:01:11
Speaker
So ah we had to bring on a few friends old and new to dive deep into the 2024 season. ah So we're planning a recap with our hosts who were on tour to get some behind the scenes stories. But today we're going to celebrate all the truly amazing performances we had this season. So let's see who's on the sidelines this week. Austin and the throws of drill writing and just coming back from Hawaii and teaching band camp
Austin and Trish's Summer Adventures
00:01:38
Speaker
over there. Uh-huh.
00:01:39
Speaker
Yeah, it has been a crazy couple of weeks, but I am very glad to be back home from everything. Since, I think, July 21st or 20th or something like that, I've been home for like four days. Wow. And we finally got to meet each other in person at DCI. We did. So exciting. That was a fun time. It was so exciting. Yes. Gotta love the parking lot hugs.
00:02:08
Speaker
Oh, all the time, all the time. And let's see, Trish, have you started band camp yet? Um, I actually, life of a teacher, have my last day of my summer job tomorrow and I start band on Thursday.
00:02:28
Speaker
Ooh, is that the first day of the camp? Yes, yes it is. That's the first day of band camp? Wow. The first day of pre-camp and then real camp starts Monday. Okay. And where did you watch finals? Were you there? I was not there. I was actually in sunny Orange County, California for a wedding.
00:02:49
Speaker
Um, I, which is why I'm still a little tired, a little jet lagged here. Um, I snuck on flow. I had my iPad and I was stick, sneak it on flow as much as humanly possible. But of course, you know, you run California time. And while we were getting ready for the five o'clock their time wedding,
00:03:10
Speaker
You know, the as I was like doing my makeup, the Madison Scouts were taking the field for, as the announcer told us, after a seven year absence in finals, they were taking the field. And I was trying to catch all that and whatever. I did see a little bit of all age in the morning, but yeah, I was not in Indy. I was in Orange County and LA and all over the place. We crammed it all into three days and we had an amazing time.
00:03:36
Speaker
Oh, wow. Well, yeah, you had a big weekend. Big weekend. ah And Susie, back again. Every time you come on, I want to be here. um
00:03:49
Speaker
um i So I saw you gushing all over your Avon kids. um How many did you have in all marching this season?
Susie's Marching Kids
00:03:57
Speaker
We had 14 kids marching in course. I wish I would have counted the number of course. Yeah. That's the most we've ever had. and What a joy to watch them. It kind of changes the game a little bit when you personally know people in so many different cores. It was just fun to just be there and watch and enjoy. so Absolutely. ah Such a good season. um Okay, and we have Scott Lindsberg. I said that right, right, Scott?
00:04:25
Speaker
Litzenberg. Thank you. so I wanted to just say a stunning job with the Crossman alumni. so ah It was so great to watch and it was such a massive thing to watch. All right, Nick, next up you're going to give us your 32-count life story. Don't leave any good things out. okay ah You're going to get eight from the Met and then you're in. All right, first rep. Here we go.
00:04:50
Speaker
Hi folks, my name is Nick Copic. I hope you all are well. I just completed my fourth season with marching the Bushwackers German Bugle Corps, competing in DCI all age. um Some more information to know about me. I march in the front ensemble, so if you have any ballot needs, I am your go-to guru. In addition,
00:05:12
Speaker
I spent several years too exact to be with George Mason University's indoor drumline. And I also spent two seasons with Westchester University's incomparable Boulder Rams marching band. Very happy to be here on a water break. You got it all in. Love that. Good job. Good job. oh Awesome. All right. how to bit You all got a bunch of Rams up on here too. There's a bunch of you.
00:05:36
Speaker
but're everywhere ah They're They're everywhere. I know you think I'm an Indiana girl, but I went to Westchester as well.
00:05:46
Speaker
Love all that. Y'all, we're going to jump right into some news.
00:06:06
Speaker
Awesome. So ah Trish is going to give us the lowdown on what happened with SoundSport this weekend.
Trish's SoundSport Recap
00:06:12
Speaker
Well, what didn't happen was the bad weather. Apparently there was some concerns about that, but they really lucked out and they were able to have a really successful event.
00:06:22
Speaker
um There were a you know ton of groups there. For those of you who you know are new to the whole SoundSport thing, um it was developed in 2012. It provides an all-age, all-instrumental performance platform for organizations uh, through the world. So, you know, it was, it just, it's definitely something I want to check out. If I get to indie next year, you know, there was some drumline battles, there was a bunch of things going on. Uh, there were several groups that, uh, received a gold rating. Um, some familiar names to us like blue coats, rhythm and bloom, Minnesota brass, who used to be a DCA drum core, um, Northern lights, um, eclipse.
00:07:08
Speaker
Franklin Lapel Marching Band, Impact, Montgomery County United Band, the Golden Pride Marching Band, Sonos Brass Theater, Night's Legacy, and Conquest. All of those groups received gold ratings and there were a bunch of silver ratings in there as well. So just seems like it what you know turned out to be a really nice event um for you know for you to put on your calendar next year if you're planning to go to Indy to check that out.
00:07:35
Speaker
Yeah, wow. I can't believe they got all of that in there. And it's the same weekend like I know it's unbelievable. Yeah, I'm gonna have to put that on my calendar to go next year because I really want to see it. Yes, I totally went last I totally went for a couple hours on Saturday morning and it was so fun. They had like a bunch of food trucks out there. And there were drumline battles scattered all in the middle of it. It was super, super fun. And all the groups were just they were just out there having a great time and They had some talent, man. They really did. I was like thoroughly impressed with what they were doing. It was super, it was super fun to watch. And it was just such a chillax environment too, which was fantastic. Awesome.
DCI All-Age Championships Highlights
00:08:14
Speaker
Awesome. Well, Nick, you performed um during the all age ah group. So we're going to let you go ahead and give us the recap on all age.
00:08:24
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, if you weren't at the SoundSport Festival, if you decided to go into Lucas Boyle and watch the All-Age Championship, the first of its kind with DCI, um we had some very interesting events go on with the scores this year.
00:08:41
Speaker
so If you don't know, ah there are three divisions within DCI all age, A class, open class, and world class. All depends on the amount of members you have. um Smaller groups have, let's say up to 50. Usually it's about to like 80 for open and then for world, you know, it's the big boys. So in first place, you had the Reading Buccaneers in common.
00:09:05
Speaker
the first of world similar to their all-age streak coming back from DCA. um You had the Hawthorne Cavaleros in second and my home core the Bushwhackers coming to third. You had the Cincinnati tradition winning open class in their DCA all-age debut and you had the Governor's winning A class and they had such a great show.
00:09:28
Speaker
It was very flowery, kind of hippie-ish. I loved the vibe and they very well deserved that title. um And, you know, it was also very interesting too because you had some open groups that scored higher than world groups. um So very, very interesting stuff. Definitely would have not seen this on the old DCA sheets for sure.
00:09:52
Speaker
Now, Nick, here's a fun fact. I'm also a Bushwacker alum. um I marched in 96 and 97. I was on the guard staff in 98 and 99. So I too, I don't see a cat at all. There is no cat. That's an inside joke for all you Bushwars. It's an inside joke.
00:10:09
Speaker
Um, and I was, like I said earlier, I didn't get to catch all the action because I was actually in California for a family wedding, but I was catching bits and pieces and just s scrolling through social media. Uh, there were a lot of people as, um, all age,
00:10:24
Speaker
the old age competition was going on, posting on social media, you know, it's so unfair to put them on so early. And why do they only get to do one show and they're treated so unfairly and whatever. And many directors, I i definitely read Al Katz from the Caballeros as one of them commented back and said, you have it all wrong.
00:10:45
Speaker
Like they're treating us wonderfully like we got to do a sound check and we got to be included in everything and it's not like that at all. I don't know what you're seeing, but it's that's not happening. Did you feel that same way that you guys were were treated, you know, as part of the whole DCI experience, you know, just like the world class and the open class. Did you guys feel like you were really included in it? And, you know, was it a very positive experience for you guys?
00:11:12
Speaker
Oh my gosh, yeah. 110%. It was definitely my most favorite season marching with Bush. DCI was open arms for every single thing that we had going on this year. They didn't really make us change our schedule. They were very accommodating to the traditional DCA shows. like We started off in Connecticut like normal.
00:11:35
Speaker
Buccaneers still had their home shows in Landisville and had one in downtown, which was actually sold out too. I think that's the first time that's ever happened. and you know They were more than happy to give up valuable stadium time ah for all of us to do our sound check. um I haven't really seen anything like that from DCA in the slightest. Did the whole core gets the horco go to the sound check?
00:12:02
Speaker
Yes, yes, so good, great question. So the entire drum core was at the sound check. We treated it like a dry run of finals, essentially. So we went in there, ah we pushed in with the front ensemble. We did like a run of each movement very quickly to make sure that one, the sounds the sound system was balanced verbally front ensemble to the rest of the core.
00:12:28
Speaker
But two, to give us an idea of the listening environment, since a lot of these groups have never performed in the Dome Stadium before, um by myself included in Drum Corps. So that was very helpful, especially for you know folks who aren't as strong, no trying to get comfortable with it. And at the end of running each movement, we did like a quick full run of the show.
00:12:50
Speaker
and We it was tight. um We only had about 30 seconds left after we did our full run and it was just a quick quick run off. I saw our sound staff just running down from the stands like we got moved out. It was like craziness. If any of you have ever done like WGI like maybe you have not a lot of time. That's exactly what it felt like. But we did it. It was soundcheck went great and had even better day the next day. So We always love to hear those stories. Those are good. Those are great. Susie, hi. How are ya? Hello, I'm good. I'm good. I'm so delayed on the unmuting.
00:13:31
Speaker
That's all right. I know you got some open class tea for us. so I do. So the open class world championships were held in Marion, Indiana on Tuesday of DCI i week. And um they had a good lineup of cores from all over the country. um And I'll just kind of focus on the top ah five here because there are 10 cores and finals. But the Colombians came in fifth, followed by the battalion. um They were built in the 78-79 range. And then in third place,
00:14:02
Speaker
was a core called Gold. And I just want to see them because I love their name. That is just so great. Gold. um They had a 79.8. And then the top two cores, one from the West Coast, one from the East Coast, battled it out in the 80s range. Blue Devils B came in second with an 82.475. And then the Spartans from New Hampshire were in first place with an 82.963. And I believe that the Spartans were the only core all week that got to perform five times. All right, Austin, tell us about the world class and that recap.
00:14:37
Speaker
Yes,
World Class Finals Breakdown
00:14:38
Speaker
of course. um So I had the pleasure of getting a final a finals ticket. So I got to see all 12 of these fantastic fantabulous groups um go. So we're starting off in where I'm going to go reverse order, just like Susie did. So in 12th place, with a with the first time in seven years, they were back in finals. The Madison Scouts with an 87.050. In 11th place, the Cavaliers with an 87.5.
00:15:06
Speaker
moving up to 10th place with my home team, The Troopers, 88.95. And going up to 9th place, um a very slept on show, The Colts, 89.775. They've been making some strides recently, very very proud of what they've been doing. In 8th place, Blue Stars, 91.6. That brass, holy crap, they were on another level.
00:15:34
Speaker
um And then we're moving up mandarins in seventh place with a 92.15. And welcome back to Santa Clara Vanguard with a 93.925 in sixth place. Carolina Crown in fifth with a 95.025.
00:15:54
Speaker
moving up to fourth place, probably one of the most electric, that that was probably one of the most electric minutes of my life watching that closer at finals, Phantom Regiment, 95.225 in fourth place. Something we haven't seen in a while, the Blue Devils in third place with a 97.075, that's just a testament to how great they are year in and year out. I think that was the first time since 04, 05, 06, something like that,
00:16:24
Speaker
I don't remember. It hasn't been top two. Yes. It's been a long time since that happened. And then Boston Crusaders coming in second place with a 97.413.
00:16:37
Speaker
And then the Euro DC are world champions, the bluecoats. Goodness, they were incredible. 98.75. And that is their higher performance. Wow.
00:16:54
Speaker
And it was well deserved. And the Caption Awards, we've got a couple of those that we got to go through. i'm Best Color Guard, Boston Crusaders, they were stunning as always.
00:17:08
Speaker
with yeah And Bluecoats won Best Visual, they won Best Brass, and Best General Effect. So they got three of the five Caption Awards. And I think they got it right. And then Best Percussion,
00:17:25
Speaker
Who other than the Santa c Clara Vanguard? You know, it you you really don't, I mean, and congratulations to Santa Clara Vanguard. I think that was well deserved as well. ah But I mean, honestly, with the last two years, though, I feel like there is like a little bit of a shift that's happening because like a lot of the like last year, the percussion, ah Cavaliers won percussion hands down. Oh, all right.
00:17:51
Speaker
because that was ridiculous but like and also with this you know with this year it's just like okay you could win percussion but that doesn't necessarily mean you're in the top echelon or you know where you are everything is very much so um just derived out of what was great just like like i said ridiculously stunning whatever but boston i mean i was we no no I was just taken back by that. All right. I think we have one more thing for news here. That's Trisha. Yeah. So I don't know if any of you guys saw this, but I was scrolling through social media today.
Troopers Staff Changes
00:18:34
Speaker
um I'd say like around mid-afternoon and apparently Lindsey Schuler was let go from the troopers.
00:18:42
Speaker
um I believe several other people were as well. I think there's more um posts or announcements coming again. um You know, Scott mentioned this off camera and it's a good point. The courts aren't really allowed to publicly announce anything until Labor Day, who they've released and who they're bringing in. But people are, you know, letting stuff leak out on social media. So um it's just it's got to be so tough. It's just got to be so tough to come off that emotional high from the weekend and just have that happen just a few short days later.
00:19:20
Speaker
I mean, I don't really know, you know, what's, you know, um i've obviously, ah you know, I'm not the trooper, so I don't really know what happened or what led to it or whatever. But I mean, I think that the one thing we can do without being on the inside is just certainly recognize all of the things that Lindsay contributed to that core, not only to the troopers, but as a female show div show designer as well. There aren't very many of us out there. And, you know, I think, you know, before, you know, before we go into, you know, what the future is for the troopers, as well as what the future is for Lindsay. She also designs for battalion and fusion core in all age. But, um, you know, I, I think that, you know, we just have to kind of give her a big, you know, big hot, you know, big raise the roof for all the things that she's contributed. so
00:20:14
Speaker
I mean, it was really shocking to see that again. Um, you know, there's more stuff coming down the pike, um, with other people, you know, staff changes and, you know, whatever, but I can't even imagine after that high of Saturday and then by Tuesday, it's all over. Like I, I can't even imagine. So big shout out to Lindsay. I hope she's doing okay. And thank you for all you've done. Absolutely.
00:20:41
Speaker
And I actually have some, you just mentioned Fusion Core there. I actually have some breaking news that actually just came across my desk as we were and i'm talking here. It looks like Fusion Core is going to be moving their operations down the Florida.
00:20:59
Speaker
Wow. Where am I held up right now? New Jersey. There is a northern New Jersey. I do know that their director, Holly, I've heard she has some connections down there. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I definitely think this has been thought through, but wow.
00:21:15
Speaker
did not expect a ah group to pop up in the South, I guess, for all age so quickly. Yeah. Wow. So honestly, like you saw where it needed, where it was needed. Uh-huh. Yeah, exactly. The South needs more all age. So that's, why I mean, ah that's hilarious. I e actually had a convert. So funny story. I ran in, I don't know how it happened, but I ran into Holly and Ralph at one point.
00:21:46
Speaker
Um, three or four, I want to say three years ago now, um, at Epcot. And they were like, oh, we want to try to set up like a fusion core south type thing. We love it down here. We love doing fusion core.
00:22:01
Speaker
And I'd lost contact with them. It was a random night, at ah and Epcot don't know how it happened, but we had a random conversation, and we were talking. And I was just like, oh, yeah, just kind of throwing around the idea. And I'm like, I think it could work here. And lo and behold, three years later, it actually happened. Holy cow. I was not anticipating that to happen. that That's actually kind of hilarious. but Very quickly, too. i mean if I mean, within three years. Yeah, that's pretty quick.
00:22:27
Speaker
Within three years and just a few days after the first, wow, DCI O-H finals, I guess that's a testament to show how much faith I guess the directors of, I mean, the O-H circuit have in this new model. I mean, that's, I mean, it's only been a year and it technically it's a two-year trial and to jump into that already is, I mean, that's huge. Wow. Yeah. I can't imagine a drumboard picking up and changing states. Who would do that?
00:22:55
Speaker
You have a lot to do with recruitment. right i mean you I mean, you're leaving a big group of folks behind. um I know a few years back when the Bushwhackers tried to move to Delaware, that was a whole fiasco. They were going to combine with an indoor drumline. It never quite ended up happening. But I mean, just moving from New Jersey to Delaware threw off a lot of people. so Can we imagine the how the alumni must feel right now seeing their you know their're home, you know their family, just decide to ah and move everything down further south? I mean, definitely this isn't unfounded. I mean, it it can't be you know mean it can't be without good reason. But wow, that's that's very, very interesting. And I guess there's a lot of faith in this new old age model, which is very exciting.
00:23:49
Speaker
I'm being a little facetious when I said what I said because we went through that 16 years ago and that core is still here. So long were we're pretty happy with that. Maybe your your core was the prototype. He's like, yes, it was. Yeah, the Crossman. Wow. but Seeing their show and the alumni core this year was fantastic. I i was just blown away.
00:24:14
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. Okay, well, it is time for us to ah work on the opener. Since again, we've learned those sets just a few days ago, and we'll be right back as we dive deeper into DCI 2024.
00:24:39
Speaker
Hey, this is Christine Reem.
Crossmen Alumni Performance Insights
00:24:41
Speaker
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00:25:12
Speaker
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00:25:24
Speaker
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00:25:52
Speaker
on we're back. Okay, let's start with another with some more amazing news from ah DCI 2024. And that was Crossman alumni performance. um So just to let everyone know, like that alumni performance that was done by the Crossman was amazing. Legendary even. And not even that, but like, it was just so massive. When it's that big, you know, yeah you just gotta, you gotta just be blown away with it. It's almost overwhelming. And we have Scott Litzenberg here to just tell us a little bit more about it and just tell us what, you know, you did with the show, Scott.
00:26:36
Speaker
Well, it's it's a very interesting situation with ah what we just talked about, somebody changing states. We had 34 years of this drum corps from Pennsylvania region, Philadelphia area, and the last 16 from Texas. So we couldn't put this together the way other alumni corps happen, just say,
00:26:54
Speaker
Like Bluecoats, come into Canton for four days, we're going to rehearse, come back a week before finals, we're going to rehearse again. ah We had to think a little differently. And thankfully with the UDB drill app, it really made it very doable for what we were trying to do. Every member basically had seven days of rehearsal to put that show on the field.
00:27:14
Speaker
A third of the group did Texas for three days with the San Antonio weekend. We had about 110 people there. ah Two weeks later, we did the weekend over Allentown for three days with a ah about two thirds of the group. About 15 people actually went to both camps. They just decided they needed to do that. So we learned parts one, two, and three with 260 holes on the field in San Antonio. What?
00:27:41
Speaker
58 brass, 37 in the guard. We go to Allentown and we had a hundred holes on the field. And the first time we put the quarter together was Tuesday morning of finals week. um stress We did not learn Russian.
00:27:56
Speaker
In North Penn, and in Pennsylvania, we learned Russian drills Sunday morning for the first time. The San Antonio people never got to that. So they learned Russian on Tuesday morning and we put it together and that was the first time. And a week ago, Russian wasn't even a thing. We had we hadn't done it yet. um So to see that group come together, we had just under 250 members, or excuse me, 350 members. I just forgot.
00:28:24
Speaker
two busloads of people. You know, you know, Scott, it's so funny because I'm friends. I'm friends. I'm longtime friends with Karen wire. Um, I marched with her back in the day and I actually met to need a last year when I was hanging out with Karen at cross your alumni 10. And I remember the two of them sitting in the, you know, at the cross from alumni 10, I actually just went over to say hello to them and they were talking about, you know, this upcoming year. And I remember Dean Janita saying,
00:28:55
Speaker
Karen, how are we going to serve all of those people a hot catered meal? And Karen goes, we'll do it. We'll do it. And then it was a picture of them on Facebook hugging, I believe with, with Mary as well hugging. I don't know if it was after the performance or at some point during the weekend, they were all dressed up. And I looked at that picture and went, you did it.
00:29:19
Speaker
yeah We had a great group of volunteers. We had about 20 volunteers in Indy.
Rehearsal and Performance Setup
00:29:24
Speaker
We rented tents for the rehearsal field we had. Two 20x60 tents, 100 chairs, 20 tables set up. Members brought tents and chairs. We just we looked like a youth soccer tournament rehearsal field. um It was pretty cool.
00:29:39
Speaker
and we had this great park in Indy that was a football park with no stadium, but it had ah had a press box that we could get on top of ah to rehearse the court. Grass field, and it could not have been more perfect for us. um But it was pretty intense trying to, you know, find a fit ah uniforms that The Texas people, I drove a box truck all the way to Texas with some horns and stuff in it. All of their uniforms, got them all fitted down in San Antonio, did 260 uniforms the weekend at North Penn. We had to trim every cape um with a hot knife that also seared the edge when we cut it to be eight inches off the grass for each performer. So we had a crew of four people that all they did
00:30:24
Speaker
was put those capes on a big table. And hotniel ah and that was it had to be caught in a circle because they were full circle capes. So was it was crazy. I mean, looking back on this, we we knew we could probably pull this off. I'm never going to do something like it was insane. yeah You brought, but the crossmen brought so much joy to people. like as soon as you came out Yeah. ah you know we and Nicole, we had a really specific goal when we started designing this two years ago. We didn't want to look like every other senior every other alumni court. We wanted to be different. We wanted to be us.
00:31:02
Speaker
And from the uniform to how we put the show together, to how we, we wanted to program it it as a real show, not just let's play a tune, go to another tune. We actually, we wanted to have moments. We wanted to have the music that makes sense to be together and create a lot of good effects. And, oh, by the way, our whole design team for the entire production, they were fired on Saturday morning.
Design Team Firing
00:31:25
Speaker
So we got rid of everybody. Well, we don't have, a I had to just, I was like, well, that, I got to read on media. Yeah, they're all, well, you can't fire volunteers. Everybody was a volunteer. The staff was volunteers, all of us. Right. um But it was just, and I don't mean that any disrespectful to anybody, but of course then even they even they're like, yeah, we're not doing this again.
00:31:49
Speaker
and But then we got to go in the stadium on Wednesday from noon to seven and started putting, we did basically an hour or to an hour and a half of each song. We viewed drill, put things together, had a chance to do some music balance. We walked out of that statement and Wednesday going, you know, we just have to get cleaner tomorrow. We we we know we we know this works. Practice the balance with the video, with the with the TV production team. Oh, that was the incredible. screen most more
00:32:19
Speaker
A few years ago, ah when DCI came back on that COVID year, here um I think the cadets did something along with their show with the video board. Well, Jeff Sachik was one of our drill writers. He's a CrossFit alumni before he marched in cadets. He was a 14-year-old handing out rifles.
00:32:38
Speaker
headline with this brother march whose story um So Jeff was our draw writer for for ah half the show.
Memorializing Alumni
00:32:44
Speaker
And he's like, you know, we wanted to do something to memorialize alumni.
00:32:50
Speaker
and show the core throughout the years. And we said, why not do it during the ballot? And we ended it with a picture of Robbie and Charlotte, the founding director and his wife, and figured his favorite, Robbie's favorite thing ever was Russian Christians. So we end with that and hold that until Russian Christians started, it would be a perfect segue into Russia. Beautiful. Beautiful.
00:33:12
Speaker
and we You know, it was, it was extremely emotional week for everybody. Um, even how we came on the field, just like holding the horn line out until it was time to that first bell hit, which was the theme of our show. And they came out and I think people realize like this is a little different.
00:33:29
Speaker
You know, chances musically and visually and we didn't do it. We did about 30 drill sets, but we didn't, we didn't want to do just block forms. We didn't want it. We wanted to do stuff that was a little more, uh, interesting. Like the ballad set, when we had to meet the big head in the ballot, it's a beautiful drill set. Um, and it's hard not to be affected with the 108 flags on swing flag doing.
00:33:51
Speaker
Something all together and just it was crazy um So it it it was it was a lot we have somebody front ensemble It was amazing that we have somebody that was working with him Bob Morrison He when he wrote the DCI and multiple championships. He didn't have to deal with electronics. So it was a real learning curve for him It's hard for people to understand that nowadays, but he had, we had to find a team to do that. And I also have to say this, this never would have happened. And it's all about Rams up.
Westchester University Support
00:34:20
Speaker
It's never would have happened without Westchester university wow tractor trailer. Um, we've got all, all of the tubas or entire front ensemble, uh, all the flag poles we needed, um, the battery.
00:34:35
Speaker
The ability to transport, everything else to be able to transport on that tractor trailer. i Hey, Adam Gumbel, I need a Megavox. Can I take one? Yeah, here we go. What else do you need? I need this. Here, take that. And it was unbelievable. I sent him a picture from the parking lot on us Friday with the Westchester University tractor trailer in Lucas General Stadium in the background. Nice. If we didn't have that support from him, I literally don't know how we could have done this. Wow.
Epic 5,600-Mile Journey
00:35:03
Speaker
i I had a truck that we rented a month ago. I just took it back yesterday. I put 5,600 miles on that truck and in four weeks. um San Antonio went back, parked it near my house for a week. Westchester to load things up, get all their audio equipment. Sat here for a few days. North Penn, Indy, back to Westchester to drop everything off and then dropped it off yesterday down in Salisbury, Maryland. So it's crazy the stuff that we did at that core on the field.
00:35:33
Speaker
Y'all are working, working. And we weren't pushing them. We didn't yell at rehearsal. We didn't say anything about level of performance. We just wanted to put a show on the field. They stepped up and said, we're going to do this. We're going to fix that. Sabre, as we get back to the hotel, we've got a rehearsal in the ballroom, things like that.
00:35:57
Speaker
yeah putting putting all drum heads on 25 snares and 15 bass drums and having to get them all changed. It sounds simple. It's insanity. You know, when you're doing with 350, and you know, Susie, you deal with the large marching band, you get what that means. But these people haven't marched in 30, 40 years, 50 for a couple of them, literally 50. We had 51 years worth of alumni out of 50 years, which doesn't make any sense.
00:36:25
Speaker
One of the bass drummers marched in the 507 Hornets. He never marched in Crossman, but they they were the feeder corps. His son marched in the early 2000s on bass drum. wow They got to perform in the field together on Friday night. So we had 51 years out of 50 represented. That's amazing. like I do remember being in the parking lot and um because I went with my roommate, they marched and they knew people who had marched in the alumni corps and I didn't know it until actually I got into the parking lot. I'm like, oh, I know this person, this person, this person. and
00:37:00
Speaker
like They are we're we're around the same age. and
Emotional Final Performance
00:37:04
Speaker
They're like, you know, I don't know if I can do this again, but I'm glad I did it now because, you know, it's not it's, you know, we we're all not fresh off tour anymore, you know, um but the way that everyone's face looked as they came off.
00:37:21
Speaker
was like they were, you know what I mean? It was that finals performance. And it's just like, I'm so happy that you had that experience. And I was just loving to watch everyone like hug and talk about how good they were and how good they did. One of the things we also wanted to do was have the have the world class court perform our encore with us when we did Birdland together. yeah but It was important to have their drum major conduct that, kind of like your passion of a time.
00:37:51
Speaker
And you know they had ah they had a tough end of the season. And so many of those kids got getting to play with us, made them realize it's more than about what place to come in. That it really is about the family and the legacy. And okay, you can go somewhere else. We get it. That's what people do. You know, you chase that ring, whatever you want to do. You also realize that the grass isn't always greener, but you can make your grass greener, which is something that I hiked back in the eighties when I was the Corps Director, when the Corps was in 21st place. I know what it's like to deal with a drum corps that's trying to build
00:38:24
Speaker
when nobody wants to be that low. I get it. yeah And it was pretty overwhelming to see those kids come in to watch us warm up in the convention center. And by the time we were done warmups, the difference in their demeanor and their faces and like, red they helped us with everything getting on and off the field. It was just unbelievable. It was very emotional for everybody.
00:38:46
Speaker
I mean, our alumni were giving them their Aussie's to wear when we were playing Birdland. And I think about 40 crossmen went home with Aussie's and a couple of them got capes from the alumni. When they got off the field, they gave them their Aussie and their capes. I love that. That's pretty powerful. You know, pretty powerful. I have to say, probably my favorite moment was when we came out off the field, we went up in the parking lot. We had both cores together.
00:39:12
Speaker
So I got up on a ladder and said, Crossman pulling in, and had had to go over, you know, typical, where's the bus? What are we doing? How are we loading? The mayhem in the parking lot. Because our our people, we are we have one show, that's it. but We don't know how to pack a truck after a performance. um So I said, Crossman pulling in. And somebody said, which one? I said, both of them. We're all the Crossman right now. So I had i had the honor to stand there.
00:39:37
Speaker
I'd be honored to stand there and talk to over 500 crossmen in the parking lot we were done. And just, it was, I mean, I cried every day, multiple times every day this whole week. I'm i'm having a tough time talking right now. It was emotionally overwhelming. And the reaction of the drunk core community has been and more more than we ever thought it would be.
00:40:02
Speaker
Some people heard people in the audience when we were coming out going, oh, this is a crossman. Oh, man, I wish they'd just announced the last few sports. yeah i wanted inspiration We all, I mean, honestly, as soon as I heard that this is what Crossman was doing was bringing a ah big alumni core out. First of all, I got excited because I mean, I think we all fangirl out over some drum cores. And before I knew who Crossman was, I knew who Bones was. And I was just like, why is that scary guy there? And, you know, somebody told me a little bit more about them. And then I kept seeing like,
00:40:38
Speaker
Crossman, you perform. And then just seeing, because one of my mentors actually was on um the Crossman gun line. And ah she just talked about it so much, and she was so good, and it was just like, Oh, you're gonna be good if you come out of the Crossman in the 80s, spinning gun. And Just from that, you know what I mean? It builds up on that. And so, and not to mention, like the people who came back, yes, they went to other drum corps, but it was that legacy that was actually put in there, you know, by everyone who taught by you by other instructors. um They remember where they came from. Quite a few of our people that marched aged out somewhere else.
00:41:23
Speaker
So part of my competition with the Corps on Wednesday night, we did a they got there the the Crossman C that the world class kids get. We also gave them a medallion for the 50th anniversary. And I asked all the people who have never got to age out to step forward.
00:41:38
Speaker
It's beautiful, Scott. It's beautiful. so I wanted to jump in, Scott, as someone who got to participate. I did the Star of Indiana Alumni Corps in 2010. Oh my God. it just I was a member and I got to show up and we had choreography and we had you know all these ideas and you just take for granted what the admin went through. So like to get us there, to get the props there, to get all of these things to happen. So just I'm sure the Crossman alumni appreciate you and ah and the admin team who drove trucks and did all that stuff to make it happen. So thank you for helping make that happen. Thank you, Susie. Thank you. And Danita Stemmit, Rick Reedy and I were the co-coordinators because when they first talked to me about it a couple of years ago, I'm like, this is this can't be one person. We need to all divide and conquer. I did the drum corps side of it as far as a logistics and programming with the staff. and
00:42:32
Speaker
you know, started with the uniform stuff. Denita did all of the administrative tasks like registration payments, ah getting the sound sport certificates. That's, so that but if we hear that, just like the chorus, it became like kind of like a an adjective and and and a verb and ah everything. but I think the driver's license sound support, all the payments done, all the bills paid. all it's It's a lot. It's a lot. And then Rick helped with a lot of the social media um and a lot of the things we had to do as far as keeping track of some of the stuff that we had to do from a membership standpoint.
00:43:05
Speaker
and was a huge person with the logistics as well. So, you know, I know that in some ways for some people, I was the face of this. It was by no means a one person job. Karen Wire as our medical lead, having to deal with this up to age 71, trying to out there people with knees, but you know, swelling up and ankles and this, she was amazing with them. And she didn't, she didn't baby anybody.
00:43:29
Speaker
But we took care of everybody the way we had to, you know, um Mary Litzenberg was in charge of all the volunteers, did most of the meal timing planning and so forth. And, you know, we it just all fell into place. It was a great team. And we also had a heck of a lot of fun. I mean, once in a while we forget that part of it.
00:43:49
Speaker
Our number one goal was about the experience and not about, you know, we're not competing. We weren't going to come in second place on Friday night. You know, that an issue so if we were the associate champions for the alumni court this year, like they were in 1979 from not making finals, uh, that would have been a little embarrassing. but ah Well, you guys had me at Appalachian morning. I loved that 1992 show. It's one of my favorites. So you had me at that. So I loved it.
00:44:19
Speaker
Yeah, it was a, it was a guess. Oh, well, Scott, we loved having you here and loved having you talk about the Crossman. Again, it was a special, special thing and you gave us so much to go off of. We really, really, really enjoyed it. We're going to be doing a recap with some Crossman alumni members and that's coming out soon. So hopefully maybe we can get you back for that.
00:44:44
Speaker
That's awesome. Yeah, let me know. ah I love listening to them talk. That's awesome. ah All right. Well, we're going to go ahead and ah go to a commercial and then we'll be right back.
00:45:09
Speaker
Hey everyone, it's Jeremy and here are your announcements coming from the box. Don't miss all of our bonus content, including On a Water Break in Rhinestones with your host, Lexi Duda, exploring the world of the Twirlers. Don't miss parades and drum majors at Step Off with your host, Jack Goudreau, and Get Lost in Translation with your host, Cynthia Bernard, exploring all the words that confuse all of us in the marching arts all across the world.
00:45:38
Speaker
and go behind the lens with marching arts photographers all across the country with your host, Chris Marr. Plenty more bonus content from On A Water Break, so listen anywhere you get your podcasts. If you want to be on On A Water Break as a guest or you know somebody that would make a great guest for On A Water Break, email us at onawaterbreakpodcastatgmail.com or find us on social media.
00:46:07
Speaker
Okay field staff, take it away. Let's reset.
00:46:24
Speaker
All right, so now we're getting into what I would like to call the meat and potatoes. We're going to start talking about the season and championships as a whole. Maybe ah each of you give us something that stood out to you. We'll go around and talk about it. um I'll go ahead and kick things off. um And maybe we'll just talk about groups as as they come in or as people bring them up.
00:46:46
Speaker
But I do want to talk about, um not a group, but um actually the voice of DCI. um The announcer, Brant Crocker, was presented with, I think it's a like a Lifetime Achievement Award. I i mean, somebody please, ah Legacy Award. um and You know, and I've called Brandt Tony the Tiger for years, years, you know, um just because you know, when he gets excited, that's like, our gets in there. And I just love it. And even when I was performing, when I heard that voice, I'm just like, I'm cool. Like, is this finals? This is great. Let's party. You know, because I just heard my name, so I'm good.
00:47:31
Speaker
um But it was great to see him there, um how he's been there for so many years, and um he's just got a voice that stands out. And ah honestly, it it it was a well-deserved legacy um a award that was given to him. um ah Just to go into other things too, um I guess you could, I mean,
00:47:57
Speaker
Let's go with someone else. Sorry, I have too many. I have notes. um So Susie, let's go with you first. All right, well, as I mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, we had quite a few Avon students marching this year, and I have been going to DCI for decades. And most recently, you know with my husband being with Carolina Crown, of course, the competitive side of things tend to make me a little more bitter, where I want Crown to do well, and I want him to win his gym arts, and I sometimes get lost in that.
00:48:28
Speaker
And this year, um because Crown had just, I mean, I don't want to say Meteor, it was, they were freaking amazing, but it wasn't like they were gunning for the championship. You know what I mean? So I was able to kind of chill out and relax a little bit. And I watched top to bottom at prelims on the top 12.
00:48:46
Speaker
And I never do that. I always just show up to support my husband, watch the top cores and be like, yay, look at me. I'm a DCI fan. Well, I feel like I truly became a DCI fan this year because I was watching kids that I know in so many different groups in the blue devils, in the Colts, in the, in the Phantom regiment. And like I was teary the whole time. I'm not an emotional person. I'm not a crier. I couldn't stop like just looking at what these kids are achieving and what they're doing.
00:49:16
Speaker
And then the excellence in every core, like I could never be a judge. The Madison Scouts, oh my God, they were so good. Like just all of the Colts, what? They were so good. The Troopers, I was like the band body they did and the theming and how these kids perform top to bottom, every core. It was so good this year. Like it's so good every year, but this year was like, what? So good. And I sat in row three. I love being close. I love feeling the performance and the kids energy. Oh, me too. I'm ah i'm a multi-cam girl. Yes. I'm not a high cam girl.
00:49:52
Speaker
So I just, I feel like after all these years and, and you know, of course I will always root for crown. I want them to win everything all the time. It's just in my blood. They're my personal favorite, just an FYI. I will set any of the podcasts. They're my personal favorite every year. I just love their crispy, clean, like aesthetic. It was so beautiful this year, but just, I just thought it was really amazing this year too. I agree.
00:50:17
Speaker
but I just felt like I could enjoy what the kids on the field were doing and appreciate how freaking hard it is and how they just look so professional and so polished and so oh I just loved every moment of it and I could only go to prelims this year because I was in a musical and our closing weekend was the same weekend as DCI I don't know why I did that but it was fun But just, I don't know, I just fell in love with it all over again. And I love the direction that it's going. I love the theatricality. I love, I just love it all. So it was an awesome weekend for me. Awesome. ah So talking about Crown, Crown did Promethean. um And um I like to, because I look at it and it gives me inferno vibes. The logo, I was like, I feel like we saw this a couple of years ago.
00:51:07
Speaker
I'm like, okay, but you know, if it ain't broke, don't fix. And I really like, they literally were on fire. um Such a good final show. um I found out also too, that there is a young lady in the guard, her name's Ava. I actually taught her when she was in eighth grade, I gave her her first gun to take home.
00:51:30
Speaker
Look at you. And it's amazing too. I was like, um, I think I'm going to see, let me just go up to her and see if she remembers me. And she was like, oh, I'm having a full circle moment. And I was just like, yeah, okay. But it was great to see her do that and do her thing and like see everyone like hungry. That's all you can think of that. That's all I can think to say is like every performer, no matter what, where they were hungry.
00:51:57
Speaker
They were left no crumbs. They ate. They left no crumbs. ah um Let's see, Trish. Did you have any standouts from the weekend or any big moments? Well, aside from you know my personal favorite, Carolina Crown, I unfortunately did not get to see them in Allentown. I couldn't go to Indy, but i I did not get to see them in Allentown because Saturday night was rained out, unfortunately. So I was really bummed about that.
00:52:26
Speaker
Um, but, um, I'll kind of speak from my area of expertise, which is guard. I'm not even going to go there with any brass or percussion. It's totally not my wheelhouse, but, um, I have to say early on in the season, watching on flow Boston's color guard didn't grab me in the beginning like they usually do. I was like, why, why, why aren't they blowing me away? Why aren't they blowing me away? Well, at the end of the season, they absolutely blew me away. That ensemble saber toss in the big hit in true colors right there, give them all the points. Just give them all, give them all the points. It was ridiculous. It was ridiculous. um So I,
00:53:08
Speaker
completely saw what was going on there. I mean, it was amazing. I thought their garden was incredible. Um, blue coats, you definitely saw the, you know, the tie in between of the the fusion staff and a bunch of the fusion kids out there. Um, you kind of had that vibe in that field to it. They were really impressive as well. Um, you can never count the blue Devils guard out ever.
00:53:30
Speaker
Um, I see a really big difference in their guard the last couple of years with the addition of Jose Pena on their staff. I think he's really taking them up another notch. Um, and, um, I, I'm sure we're all going to talk about this, but Phantom regiments ending. Come on. Come on. off Amazing. Amazing.
00:53:55
Speaker
I sat there and listened i mean and just watched that. First of all, big shout out to Courtney, who's the Phantom Regiment um ah drum major. ah she does it She does such a good job. but And just to see and you know someone To see a drum major do their thing, to be for real honest, is just ah great. And have the composure that she had. um Because if I were hearing all of that come at me, I would just be bawling. Bawling. Right, right. But she's like, I don't have time for that. My makeup's great.
00:54:32
Speaker
But yes, I had a great time watching Phantom. I did want to just piggyback off of you when we were talking about Boston. Just want to do a quick shout out to my girl Heather Graham. She is on staff there. and Also, um it's really funny, Logan Klete, who I think he has one more year of drum corps. But basically, ah he was the period at the end of all of those like moments you know and it was there each time.
00:55:01
Speaker
um again, I'm aging myself, I taught Logan's ah older sister, he would always come to rehearsal. He had one of those like mini flags, you know, and spin those around. That's where they start, you know, and he's grown up to do this thing here. And also with the Phantom Show, do y'all see those parents?
00:55:22
Speaker
that were glitching out in the stands. Oh my god, the Boston parents, they were so funny. Yeah, yeah. It was like, you know Missy Elliott when she did that, is it worth it? Let me work it. You know that song? She had that big trash bag. Yeah, so nope, they had those big trash bags on, but glitching out, I'm like, oh, this is, I don't know if this is good. One was green, one was pink, one was in match the colors of the show.
00:55:49
Speaker
yeah like they kind of look like the fruit of the loom guys yes yes yes it was so funny yeah i was actually there at sami finals because after we'd performed bush had a free block and a lot of us went into the stadium to just chill and all of a sudden i just looked off to my right because you know they have all the performers off to the corner they have their own designatories i just start my head i'm like why are there three big Teletubbies going on there? Somebody said that too! I heard someone say that too. I'm like I don't think that they are and I just looked really hard for a moment. I just saw it was a fluke and then I was there the next day finals night and this time I turned my head and then they were in the next section over I'm like okay I guess they just do this. It was awesome. It was so funny.
00:56:40
Speaker
They were they were a hoot they were so funny my entire I just remember my entire section where we just looked we were like already blown away after seeing Phantom or like oh my god what just happened and then um we look over and there's these three guys in these big inflatable suits and we're like. What is happening right now and then they were you could just tell they were just like the biggest cheerleaders ever and it was.
00:57:05
Speaker
They just look like they were having the time in their lives. It was just so fun to watch. And honestly, I think Drum Pour needs a little bit more of
Fun with Food Trucks
00:57:12
Speaker
that. Just kind of that relaxed chillax, like fanboy kind of vibe. I think that those, I mean, if i'm wrong i mean I know they're parents, but I think that they were on the food truck.
00:57:22
Speaker
Oh, were they? Yeah. And this is what they did. And I'm just saying, y'all are fun parents. I like that.
Troopers and Madison Scouts
00:57:29
Speaker
Austin, since we're talking here, what's what's one of the things that you want to bring up? Like, what was the highlight for you?
00:57:36
Speaker
um Honestly, ah well I am biased here my biased answer is the troopers because you know I am a trooper, but they were they were phenomenal. Oh my goodness That was probably the best that was probably the best drum poorer one of the best drum pours that they that the troopers have ever put out if not the best drum for the troopers have ever put out and I am a very very happy alumni watching all that go down um that was super super awesome to see but Honestly, my one of my favorite shows of the season was Madison Scouts. okay they were They were awesome.
00:58:14
Speaker
They were awesome. like come From where they were in in seasons past to where they were this year. It was just a totally it was just totally different ballgame. And they were just awesome. I loved everything that they did. it wasn't necessarily the most It wasn't necessarily the most complex show you could ever put together, but they executed it so well.
00:58:42
Speaker
um And on top of that the kids were out there just having a ton of fun and you could tell that they trusted their staff They trusted their show. Mm-hmm. It was super super It was like really not I guess relieving this relieving is a word um Refreshing is the word I'm looking for. Yes, it was super refreshing to see they were just and like I went to their finals lot and they were just all happy. the and They were just all like super happy the entire time. And they were just like, whenever their whenever their horns weren't on their face, they were just like, the kids were just smiling. They were just happy to be there. And honestly, yeah, they deserved it. Yeah, they deserved every bit of that. And I was such a fan of what they were doing. And honest unholy by Sam Smith on a drug poorfield. That's exactly what I was gonna talk about. It was like that
00:59:34
Speaker
Mm-hmm at eight eight dollars This is great I was like, I don't want to hear another person say anything bad about this anymore because this is fantastic No, that was fun. I've seen a little bit of hate about it. I'm like for what reason there's no reason for this They played it so well. Mm-hmm Yeah, I will say this. I might be biased because I just came off of, you know, playing this and indoor. But House of the Rising Sun, I was just blown away by that arrangement, too. I was... I mean, I was... I mean, wow.
01:00:10
Speaker
but It was fantastic and honestly from coming from myself getting an arrangement from you know um Some East Coast people playing at it at indoor then hearing a sandy Rennick arrangement. This is very funny to hear East Coast and the West Coast versions that That was pretty cool That was fun. I really enjoyed that a little fun tidbit about that trooper show when that's when that kind of like lightsaber light stick thing Switches to blue when when he when they kill the devil. i There's a fun little conclusion that we came to.
Judging Bias Concerns
01:00:47
Speaker
um It turns into a long blue line. The Troopers alumni call themselves the long blue line. no i The long blue line ends up killing the devil. That had to be It was a fun little tidbit to catch.
01:01:07
Speaker
ah Nick, did you have any more highlights that stuck out for you? Yeah. um I mean, I'm a percussionist, so I feel like talking about the Sanford race was inevitable. So here we are. Wow.
01:01:21
Speaker
um And I can kind of relate to this too, but to be leading in a caption all season, then all of a sudden you just get down to the line and then it just slips from you. I mean, my heart goes out to the folks at Boston. Congratulations to the folks in Santa c Clara Vergara. You guys blew me away. You blew everyone else away. um I mean, obviously I'm a front ensemble guy. I mean, I love what ah they do every year, but man,
01:01:50
Speaker
What an absolute heartbreak for, I mean, a lot of them, I mean, a lot of the folks in that front ensemble and percussion ensemble are personal friends of mine. And man, it's it's heartbreaking, you know.
01:02:01
Speaker
um There was some controversy that some folks like to claim that had had some bias towards it. I don't know who the semifinals night percussion judge was. However, I do know that was the night where a CV had won the most. And
Boston Percussion Heartbreak
01:02:21
Speaker
some folks had claimed that the judge who had studied under Paul Rennick at University of North Texas had some bias towards it. Now,
01:02:31
Speaker
DCI, of course, as you know, has these like strong training procedures to try to eliminate bias, but some folks said, well, there's still was some of that there. And wow. I mean, it's it's a hard job to do. I mean, to be a judge in this activity. I mean, Oh, absolutely. I mean, wow. It's so difficult. I mean, it's hard to judge content. I mean, I see V personally blew me away as well. I was at the DCI i show in Delaware this year and I, I mean,
01:03:02
Speaker
They were the cleanest and they had the best role ensemble by far at that show. So I mean, very heartbreaking. I mean, obviously classic case of judging, you know, maybe you didn't yeah quite get the panel you had wanted, but I will say this, they played their hearts out. And, you know, I was in both of the Boston's front lot and ACV's front lot. and Man, God bless me. I wasn't assigned between those two. Right? Overall, I mean, a great year for the percussion caption.
Weekend Reflections
01:03:35
Speaker
Bluecoats were playing some great content. you know They were playing very clean. They they really cleaned up. And man, just again, I wouldn't want to be that judge. we ah Well, I will tell you that um I watch prelims on Flow Marching.
01:03:52
Speaker
And they had a this moment where they were watching. I didn't know who the drum line was, but then you could see the star on the side. That group can do a lot. Like in in the lot, they do a very, very good job. ah it's Very good. Yeah, probably a CV. Just insanity.
01:04:13
Speaker
Yeah. So Scott, I just want to know, I mean, I know you were completely busy this weekend, but were you able to catch some shows? I did not. Obviously, Thursday, Friday, we were doing our thing. Saturday, we had our banquet at 11 a.m. and then finished loading up and getting stuff on the right trucks and things being picked up by other people that we borrowed stuff in. And I got that about four o'clock and i we we sent anybody that wanted to go, we had buses take everybody downtown. I literally just wanted to sit down, have a quiet dinner.
01:04:49
Speaker
Have a drink or two, because I have to drive the truck home the next day. And I just wanted to make sure that I just catch my breath. And a few other people did the same thing. But I have to say, the we what stuck out to me the most that whole the whole week, um Friday night after we performed, we're leaving the field. And alumni and current members are doing the unity with the hand holding, going off the field, all doing it together, going past the age outs.
01:05:19
Speaker
as we were leaving the field was just unbelievable energy from them. You know, I'm sure they're sitting there when we first started with their arms crossed and like, Oh, we just want to get our age out bins to have that reaction for our, for both the course.
01:05:36
Speaker
the alumni and the world class core was pretty magical. And it wasn't just contrived. I think they really enjoyed it. And to get that kind of response from people who performed the level that they perform at, which is insane levels of of amazing ah performers, um really meant a lot to everybody. And that's that's when you know,
01:06:00
Speaker
You did the right thing. you know and that's And our members really felt that. And that was ah that was a great exclamation point to walking off that field this week. Oh, that's awesome. ah Again, crafting was magical, absolutely magical. um What we're going to do is ah we're going to go into our next segment. ah ah It's called what What Are We Doing?
Critical Reflections Segment
01:06:24
Speaker
we doing
01:06:31
Speaker
thank what are we doing So for this next segment, what are we doing is something like, like what grinds my gears? What are we doing? So we're going to kick it off with the queen gone, Trish. Well.
01:06:48
Speaker
I remember I was hoping that since I was away over the weekend and came back last night, um, I was kind of hoping that flow marching would have a nice little replay of world championship finals for us. But alas, no, I know, I know I usually come home from Dayton and watch Dayton for like two or three nights straight because it's replaying every night.
01:07:15
Speaker
Um, this was not the case with DCI. So DCI, what are we doing? Not giving us a couple of nights of replays. What are we doing? Yeah. Either them or flow marching. Who do we go? Who do we, who do we go after? Okay, Susie. What are we doing?
DCI Show Length Debate
01:07:37
Speaker
Okay, I know I just got done saying how much I love DCI, but I feel like the shows are just too long. Maybe by like two minutes. Even the cores that are awesome. By like the eight minute mark, I'm like, okay. I don't know. I posted that on Facebook amidst a list of other wonderful things I love about DCI. I snuck that in there and I got a lot of people commenting that they agree.
01:08:04
Speaker
including Rosie Queen. So I feel like I'm onto something. So I don't know what that means. I just, I just feel like they're a little too long. I feel like that about marching band shows as well. So just leave that out there. Okay. All right. I like that. You don't have to comment on it. That's just what I've, that's my, what are we doing? Why are we making shows 10 minutes long? That's all. Nick.
01:08:31
Speaker
Well, I think the biggest thing for me is you have a great finals run.
High-Level Corps to High School Transition
01:08:36
Speaker
You know, you absolutely enjoy the excellence that you and, you know, your compadres have, you know, done throughout the entire season. And all of a sudden, a few days later, you're back, maybe in a field in New Jersey, and you're back in high school band and you're like, man, I wish this was drum corps again.
01:08:59
Speaker
by no fault of your own. you know But it's like, man, it's like, I wish you had that level of excellence. you know It's something that your ears miss, something that you know you wish you had. And you know it's no jab at you know the students. i mean Different activity, you know they're trying to build up, trying to develop themselves. yeah Man, you just really miss not only just the excellence, but you know all the friends you've had, all the memories you made over the course of the summer. you know So is it what are we doing missing drum corps? Yeah, i mean already. it's j mea It's like, what are you doing? It's like, how on earth do you just miss everything already? It's like, is that compounded by the fact that it's over so much earlier this year?
01:09:46
Speaker
I feel like for me personally, yeah, it definitely feels weird to just jump straight back into it. Now I will say with the DCA season being longer, you know historically the old age has gone on until later today. I mean, it has been kind of like you go back and forth and it's like, oh, I'm relieved to be back at drum corps. But now the season's over and you're like, oh wow, I'm in high school band. And then you're like, right wow, I'm in high school band.
01:10:16
Speaker
OK, Scott, do you have a what are we doing?
Encore Audience Retention
01:10:19
Speaker
I do. I was obviously waiting in the tunnel where the front ensembles come in for our turn and let our people know to start heading to the to the tunnels. And the Spartans were there and they were waiting to go out for their exhibition, their championship exhibition. And as soon as they got ready to go out there, the last quarter just finished, I believe, I guess it was the blue coats right before them.
01:10:45
Speaker
um All I heard their kids saying was don't leave, don't leave, don't leave, don't leave. They didn't want anybody to leave the audience because they wanted to perform for them.
01:10:56
Speaker
And I don't know how else, GCI has done a phenomenal job of let's hold those last couple scores, buts but people don't wait for scores. they Even at regular shows, they'll get it on the you know off the app off the website. And it just it it wasn't heartbreaking, but it was like all these kids have done all summer and what they've accomplished. And the last thing they're thinking is, please stay and watch us. We want you to see us.
01:11:22
Speaker
Because a lot of people don't even show up to the show until all the world class quarters are you know up up close to the top 12 or 15 and above. And you know they've never saw the Spartans. And I just i was like i just wish people would understand how important that is to those kids. you know It was important to us and we were going on half an hour after that.
01:11:43
Speaker
um But we figured whoever stayed for Spartans wasn't going to leave after that. They were going to hopefully stay. But I just felt bad for the kids. And they go out there and do it. Like you said earlier, it's a beautiful presentation. Just a great, great production. So. like Yeah.
Importance of Full Performance Viewing
01:11:59
Speaker
stayed for i't that much as I didn't see much of that last week other than practice field and, you know, walking in the stadium Friday night. But that right yeah that really struck a chord with me. Yeah.
01:12:09
Speaker
Oh, I know. i I get it, Scott. And I actually have one more thing to relate to that. Um, at the Downingtown show the Sunday before finals, we're writing Buccaneers. We're doing their encore and I saw a lot of the same thing. You know, the bucks were ready to go out. They were getting all set up and a lot of folks were like, well, I actually want to avoid all the traffic and I want to start going home. And you know, these all age groups, I mean, obviously similar case, the open.
01:12:38
Speaker
Sure. Sometimes don't perform for all the big crowds at the end of the night. So I can even hear on the poor announcer's voice for the night, he was saying, Hey, wait, the bucks are doing the wrong chord. There's a part of me, even as a competitor, that I felt kind of bad for him and say, Oh my gosh, everyone's just leaving. Like, you know, like so've I've seen that firsthand. Yeah, Nick, I could see it on a Sunday night with people have to go to work the next day and so forth. It's Friday night. You're already there and you're not going anywhere.
01:13:08
Speaker
So what's an extra minutes for those kids? you know
01:13:15
Speaker
So that's it. It may even change your life. And ah yeah I guess it comes to me now with what are we
Upcoming Content Teaser
01:13:21
Speaker
doing? um And honestly, I have and don't have anything really bad to say. like And I'm so serious when I say this. So um I guess mine would be, what are we doing?
01:13:34
Speaker
Mark in your calendars for the next ah on a water break when we talk about all the people that were on tour. I'll plug i plug for my gush and go.
01:13:49
Speaker
All right, so now we do our gush
Creative Props in Shows
01:13:51
Speaker
and go. So this is something that, you know, you want to just tell people about doesn't really have to be about drum corps or marching arts, but it helps so that we can engage our course. um So, oh, Jeremy, you can let me just go to Susie. I'm ready. What would you like to gush and go about? Mine is about gushing is about drum corps. My gush is getting late.
01:14:14
Speaker
My gush and go is about drum core. um I just wanted to make a comment about the props. And this also bleeds into like the BOA band world too, that the props are just off the chains ridiculous. And kind of going to what Jeremy was saying about technology, like we have all these incredible props, how much money they cost, you know, like these high school bands and have these bit poor band dads that have to try to build these props that resemble drum core level things. but I did love the props this year at DCI and how well they were used and incorporated and moved around the field, and they were just effortlessly a piece of the production, and I absolutely loved it. So kudos to the prop people out there. We don't all have a Jeff Herr. If Jeff like clones himself, maybe that would be good, but we don't all have a Jeff Herr out there.
01:15:06
Speaker
Awesome. Okay. ah didn't we just have an interview Didn't we just have an episode with Jeff? With Winnie Stone hosting? We did. We did. So people got to check that out. Yeah. Check that out. ah Nick, what do you like to gush and go
Performance Sound Systems
01:15:23
Speaker
about? Tell me something good. So my gush and go for today. I know Jeremy was just talking with us about sound systems. When you make your sound system, and you're miking up your ensemble,
01:15:35
Speaker
Please make sure that your solar spikes work. Please. The amount of times that I encountered an issue this summer, just seeing stuff pop in and out till you got it right, or even other issues, like, for example, um not being able to hear some groups like Tyre Marimba lines. I mean, they'd have like four or five. Please make sure if you do have a sound system, you have it working. I'm out. Thank you.
01:16:06
Speaker
Awesome. Scott, what would you like to gush and go about?
Gratitude for Project Participation
01:16:10
Speaker
I know you have lots to gush about. I just like to gush about 375 people that trusted us trying to say two and a half years ago, we're going to do this thing. And they trusted us to take care of them. And I think we all had a hell of a week last week. And a seven day tour is doable. ah It's hard, but it's doable. It's doable.
01:16:36
Speaker
All right, Trish, what do you got?
Support for All-Age Groups
01:16:38
Speaker
Um, I just want to gush and go and give more props than I already have to the whole DCI all age situation. I remember this time last year, us kind of sitting here going, how's this going to work? Is this, is this going to work? Is this going to happen? It happened. It was an incredible year. And Nick, I will also be a proud Bushwhacker alum.
01:17:00
Speaker
and say, you guys really brought it this year. And um we us alumni are very proud of the 2024 Bushwhackers, for sure. But thank you to DCI i for jumping in, saving all age, turning DCA into all age. And I can't wait to see where it goes from here. Yes, thank you. Skaboosh.
01:17:23
Speaker
yeah um And so My Gush and Go is going to be short, but it's about um
Rediscovering Love for Teaching
01:17:31
Speaker
the Academy. I was on um staff with the Academy this summer. um And this, that was a very, let me take it home and think about it kind of type deal before I said yes, um because I had stopped teaching in 2019. The Academy reminded me about how much I love teaching.
01:17:51
Speaker
And I died hadn't had that in years. And so I really enjoyed my time there. And um I just loved what they did and you know how they started and how they ended. you know It wasn't the same kid. So I like seeing that evolution of performer. So I'm gushing and going about those performers at Academy. Thank you. Thank you.
01:18:16
Speaker
All right, so I just want to thank you all for a great rehearsal. We had a late rehearsal. I got you. um But I want to thank you to our host, Austin, who has been told to go home because his technology is not working, and but also Trish. and We want to thank our guest clinicians. So we have Susie, Scott, and Nick. Thank you all so much. Susie, where can we find you on your socials? Oh. I am the worst at unmuting myself.
01:18:47
Speaker
I'm so sorry. I'm so technologically savvy. The best place is um our YouTube channel, which is at the Harloff Hub. Or you can follow the Avon TikTok channel, which is at the mighty Avon, which I run. And then we have lots of fun marching arts content on that TikTok. So join us.
01:19:06
Speaker
Awesome. And where can we find you? Can we find you? Me personally? Yeah. i I have a weird Instagram. It's 1414 soos73weird. I'm sure if you search Susie Harlock, there aren't many of me in the world, so you could probably find me. Fantastic. Yep. Nick, tell us about your socials. All right. So you can find me on the gram.
01:19:30
Speaker
If you ah search C can't stop cop, so C-A-N-T S-T-O-P, C-O-P, you will find my Instagram. If you do happen to be in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region ah this fall, check out Nishamini High School's marching band. I will be there. I'll probably be the crazy man yelling at the front ensemble. Awesome. And Scott, where can we find you on social media?
01:19:59
Speaker
Well, I'm an old guy, so I'm pretty much on Facebook and I'm on Twitter here and there, but I don't really do much on there. I don't know what the heck to even do with it sometimes. so Perfect. I'm going to friend you tonight. And smoke signals. I do smoke signals. Perfect. I'm so good at smoke signals. Okay, great.
01:20:22
Speaker
Oh, just thank you all so much. It was ah so much fun talking with you. um So one more thing, don't forget that we do have a YouTube channel now and that has many of our interviews coming out as full link videos. um Go and subscribe so you don't miss out on those. Oh, also before you close out of the podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review, um share with a friend, let us know who your favorite host is.
01:20:47
Speaker
Uh, follow us on social media at on a water break and we'll see you at rehearsal on a water break Go practice The on a water break podcast was produced by jeremy williams and intro and outro music was produced by josh lighta to learn more visit righta music.com And until next time thanks for tuning in