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On A Water Break with Drum Corps AF Hosts: Sage Lee & Brandon Worf
172 Plays18 days ago
Welcome to On A Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are discussing during your marching arts rehearsals, on a water break. This week, we’re joined by the hosts of Drum Corps AF, Sage Lee and Brandon Worf, for an unfiltered, honest, and often hilarious conversation about drum corps and the marching arts world.
In this episode, we dive into the origins of Drum Corps AF, explore some of the most shocking moments from the podcast, and discuss their no-holds-barred approach to commentary. Sage and Brandon share their thoughts on dream guests, the most surprising things they’ve learned, and the controversies that have stirred the community. Plus, we’ve got some listener-submitted questions to really put them on the spot!
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
- The creation and evolution of Drum Corps AF
- Behind-the-scenes stories and shocking moments
- Unfiltered opinions on drum corps and the marching arts
- Listener-submitted questions for Sage and Brandon
- The Water We Doing & Gush and Go segments
About Drum Corps AF:
Drum Corps AF is a podcast that cuts through the sweet talk and dives into the real issues of the marching arts world. Hosted by Sage Lee and Brandon Worf, it’s a podcast where snark and shade meet a deep love for the activity. Whether it’s discussing the latest news, diving into fan favorites, or calling out the elephant in the room, Drum Corps AF keeps things real.
Where to Find Us:
- Instagram: @OnAWaterBreak
- Facebook: On A Water Break Podcast
- YouTube: On A Water Break YouTube
- TikTok: @OnAWaterBreak
Find Drum Corps AF:
- Website: Drum Corps AF
- Instagram: @DrumCorpsAFPodcast
- Facebook: Drum Corps AF
- YouTube: Drum Corps AF
Subscribe, Share & Review:Don’t forget to subscribe to On A Water Break and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform! Share this episode with a fellow marching arts enthusiast to keep the conversation going.
#OnAWaterBreak #DrumCorpsAF #MarchingArts #DrumCorps #Podcast #MarchingBand #DrumCorpsCommunity #SageLee #BrandonWorf #PodcastInterview #WaterBreakChat
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Collaboration
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to On A Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on a water break. This week, we are going on a water break with the insane podcast, A Drum Corps AF.
00:00:19
Speaker
Eight off the Met and go. Welcome to On A Water
00:00:30
Speaker
Everyone, bring it in. It's time for a water break. Hi, everyone. I'm Nicole Younger, and we really have a special on a water break today. So before we get into our guests, joining me once again on the sidelines this week is Trish. Hey, Trish. Hi. How are you?
00:00:49
Speaker
I'm good. You look so studious. I know I'm in my classroom today because of time constraints. I'd have to do this at four. I didn't get to go home first, which is a little bit disappointing because I have my whole new setup. I have a new ring light. I have a can- new camera. I have a new desk. I have everything. But it's just as good here at my school desk, I guess, right?
00:01:10
Speaker
Hey, you know what? The next time you have it and you have everything set up, we'll just make it a big deal to be like, oh, where are you? okay Where are you doing this from? oh Are you an exotic big picture?
The Style of Drum Corps AF
00:01:21
Speaker
So Trisha and I just did an episode with Steve Vickers from Drum Corps World. um And now we're back doing the dark side of the activity. o So I'm sure you've listened to a few of these um episodes of Drum Corps AF. So what's your first impression on your first listen?
00:01:38
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Like I did listen and um man, I kind of feel like we're like the Bravo over here. And I feel like you guys are like the stern show of the activity. Yay. I mean, y'all got the F bombs dropping. Y'all got the, you know, you know yeah but I learned one lesson right off one of your first day of shows. Don't take you guys off because you got your called out.
00:02:06
Speaker
I liked the fact that it sounded just like Fred sitting around talking about Drum Corps. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I've always kind of equated us to to like a Bravo show. I've been waiting for like the real hosts reunion episode. I think, you know, but you know, I've always kind of equated us to that and I kind of see Jeremy as Andy Cohen. But, and then I heard you guys, I was like, whoa, these guys are the couple, like they're the st third show over here.
00:02:33
Speaker
that nothing's off-limits, nothing's off, like, you know, so, you know, me being from the Bronx, I kind of like it, so. Well, I liked that, but I also like the fact that they are in the nicest way possible when I say this, guys. Like, idiot savants of drum corps. Like, they really know what they're talking about. And then bringing back those, old like, honestly, old shows and talking about old drum corps, like, Dutch Boy and, you know, Velvet Nights and things like that. And I'm just like, oh, this is like my,
00:03:03
Speaker
I it's unlocked ah core memories because this is where it's humble beginnings. You know what I mean? We all started and like how we talked about drum Corps, you know sitting on the bus going to a show or going to your next, you know um show site or something like that. But I do feel like I was like, these are my people. I need to talk to them a little bit more often. But ah just to let everyone know, Drum Corps AF is an irreverent podcast about Drum Corps and the marching arts. So stars ah Nick Powers and Sage ah for the love of the activity. They decided to cut through the sweet talk and get to the real commentary about Drum Corps. And as they said, call it stark, call it shade. It's what we do.
00:03:47
Speaker
But at the end of the day, we still love drum corps.
Meet the Guests: Sage Lee and Brandon Walsh
00:03:51
Speaker
Perfect. All right. So please welcome one of the originators, the OG, Sage Lee, and the guy keeping it all together right now, Brandon Walsh. Hello. Howdy, how? Hi, guys. How are you? I'm not dead, so we got that going for me. Yay. You see what I mean?
00:04:14
Speaker
He said, right in, right in. If I don't wake up and read my obituary, I'm batting a thousand. So, you know. and Absolutely. And, uh, yeah, Sage, you've got the kitty. So he's like, I'm cuddling an animal. Yeah. So, so yeah, I'm still trying to figure out, uh, what, what the rules here on your, on your all y'all's podcast, because, uh, if I say something, you can bleep it out or something, right? If I say naughty words. um That means again.
00:04:42
Speaker
yeah but yeah
00:04:46
Speaker
yes um Well, what we do with all of our new guests that come on is we do what's called the 32 count life story. You're going to get um eight and an off the mat and you just try to fit it all in. Okay. um ah It is anxiety inducing, but for me, it's fun to watch. I know that's awful. I'm not a sadist. However, who wants to go first? i'll hurt you Brandon. Okay. All right. So you'll get eight off the mat and you're in. All right. all right
00:05:16
Speaker
All right. My name is Brandon. I'm 41 years old. I live in the Kansas City metro area. I'm a software engineer by day. On the side, I teach percussion for a community college in Southwest Kansas. I'm married for three and a half years now, and I've got a 13-year-old son. And I have way too many hobbies, and this is one of them. So ah yeah, that's about the gist of it. You kept it very safe. Good for you.
00:05:44
Speaker
I could go into my hotel if you want. I mean, I get as gratuitous as you're wanting me to. So we're gonna save that for your podcast. I'm just kidding. Yeah. All right. Cool. Um, so here we go, Sage. This is your all right. This is the most tense thing I've ever done in my life.
00:06:04
Speaker
yeah So my name is Sage. I'm the podcaster formerly known as John Weldy. I came out of non-binary late in life by about a year and a half ago. And so I love but dealing with LGBTQ people. I run an LGBTQ band in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Started out on saxophone. I played in the blue coats for two years in the mid-90s and on the 2022 Alumni Corps. That was my age out officially because I didn't march my age out.
00:06:28
Speaker
Um, and, uh, started this podcast along with Nick flowers in 2016. And, uh, I just love the activity huge, huge fan. very cool That wasn't strenuous at all. Come on. That's just an ice breaker. As I listened, I found out that you guys started this back in 2017 and I wanted to know.
Origins and Purpose of Drum Corps AF
00:06:55
Speaker
Why it started like how did it start? Why did it start? What's that? humble beginning Yeah, it started out with with just me and Nick um So so I decided that I wanted to do a podcast I've been podcasting on a couple other things and I decided I'd want to do to a podcast for drum Corps I'd been in a Facebook group that was mostly bluecoats alumni that was called snarks core. And so we did snarky renditions about everything that there was, you know, and I was like, man, this should be a podcast, this would be really fun to do. um And I so I was figuring out who to do it with, because I didn't really know who I want to do with. I didn't know much about audio engineering. I'm a terrible audio engineer, you know, so I didn't know any of that stuff. I'm so I'm so glad the fossil chopped handles that stuff nowadays. um But ah so I was at a show, ah the the premiere in 2017, when the blue coats came out with jagged line, you know, and it was just after my blue coats won their first
00:07:47
Speaker
their first championship um and I was so excited and and I like sitting way down in front and I went eight poop crazy with with everything. And i was I was just all up in the end. And Nick was um not making an illegal recording of it at the time that he did not put up on YouTube. um And he kept mentioning me. you know And so so somebody somebody saw this video and showed me and said, isn't that you in the video? Yeah, it's me in the video. And so I met Nick that way. And he's like, oh, man, it's that old guy that kept jumping up and yelling.
00:08:24
Speaker
you know and so that's that's I realized that Nick was the perfect person to start the podcast with. And that's how I'm going to introduce you on the next episode. you yeah you keep camping up and yelling The old guy who marked Snark's core. ah A little birdie told me, speaking of Bluecoats winning, a little birdie told me that I should either get you started or not get you started on how the Bluecoats did not win the the Beatles here.
00:08:51
Speaker
Um, yeah. Well, how long is this podcast? Oh, okay. Would you please talk about that? Like every episode of you try to, Oh man. So, so in the 2019 season, um, I was recording so many episodes during the season. That's when I, that was when I was really, really big on it before COVID happened.
00:09:11
Speaker
Um, and, uh, so I had so much to say on that. I did solo episodes on it, uh, in the middle of the season. And, uh, yeah, I mean, I, I think, I think the blue coats got robbed that year and and it was robbed by, uh, uh, shit. What's his name? I'm sorry. Uh, Jeff Prosperi. Um, but you know, Prosperi is usually a good judge. It calls him as a season, but that's definitely where the only gap was on the
Controversial Topics and Scandals
00:09:33
Speaker
scores between the, between the blue coats and the devils. So obviously you're all not afraid to say what needs to be said.
00:09:39
Speaker
And um there has been something that you've said that really did get a little get you a little bit of trouble or that caused a real stir out in the real world? Oh, I don't know. I don't think most people know that we exist. Yeah, I was going to say, I haven't seen much coming back directly at us. But ah I've seen some comments occasionally on Reddit on the r slash drum core subreddit about ah gratuitous use of sound effects. And I'm just kind of like, oh, that's that's our stick. So you know.
00:10:07
Speaker
i um give um effects are great i actually The only comments I've gotten in person were at DCI Finals 2022 on semi-finals day. I was standing in line for food during one of the intermissions, and I had a couple of cults age outs in front of me that one of them turned around me and started talking to me about something. He says, hey, I recognize you. Are you from something? And he was like, oh, you're from drone core AF. You're fossil shops. I was like, man, I got picked out right away. and But ah they they seem to be appreciative of the content.
00:10:39
Speaker
So i don't know it to we have to put out a survey or something to that effect yeah i think i think the biggest thing was that i got invited one time onto a dc i sanctioned podcast and they wanted to announce me as the the host of drum corps af and dc i wouldn't let them do that and so they announced me as a blue coats alumni instead.
00:11:01
Speaker
It's a bad word. I would I would like to think that we are basically the antithesis of ah the Marching Arts Roundtable podcast. Oh, that puts it into perspective for people who've never listened to us before. So, no, I, I've been just to let you know, I want I listened to your most recent episode last night and I loved it. I could tell the the references to Dushboy and VK was like somebody just listened to our recent episode, right? right Yeah, that's not every episode. No. No, no, because I listened to the rest of the episodes. Well, not the rest of them, but a good number of them today. And I was just like, huh, well, we're going to add that one on there. So. It's good to know we gained a subscriber today, so. Awesome. So what was the most shocking thing that you learned from doing this?
00:11:53
Speaker
ah Right at the beginning, right at the beginning of the podcast, when Before Fossil Chops was with us, ah was when the George Hopkins thing broke. um And we called him He Who Should Not Be Named. um And we had a couple of the victims come on to the podcast and actually break news of that on the podcast. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. So I mean, we we came on really elaborate and spouting F bombs, as you say, I don't know what the that means, but um but ah you know they realize that that yeah we do have hearts for drum corps and we care about the activity and want the best for the activity.
00:12:27
Speaker
Wow. On a similar note, ah we there's a ah the the pending lawsuit against ah Spirit of Atlanta right now. And we just as part of our just most recent episode, ah Mackenzie came on for a short segment about that. But there are some things that we were not able to discuss during that interview that she and I have talked about offline that are pretty shocking beyond just what we've heard at face value on those. And I think a lot of that will come out in time. But ah until then, that's probably the worst I've heard from any of that. Just the stuff that went on through there and the things that have come out but because of all that. wow yeah I love that stuff when Kenzie talks about it. She she is really articulate and and well spoke. she she I think she's a good ambassador for what for what she's trying to do. I love when she says, they won't let me talk about this. I'm like, oh, good, because I don't want to get sued.
00:13:21
Speaker
like listen to them They'll tell you what you need to know. Yep. Um, and ah yeah, I listened to those episodes too. Um, well, because that one was on the last one, I think. Um, so this is for both of you. It doesn't matter who answers this, but if there's a dream guest that you could have on the podcast, um, to really hear their opinionated, to really just hear their opinions unfiltered, who would it be?
00:13:48
Speaker
Man I could probably say five or six different people for this. I mean Scott Johnson Paul Rennick Murray guess it mur you know Murray guess like all of your percussion caption greats, but um honestly ah Dan Acheson and or um Nate Boudreaux the current DCI CEO and And I say him specifically just because Jeffrey records from the ah meet the bus bus podcast Got him before anybody else and literally just I don't think they knew what he was getting into because it was just kind of like wait How did this motherfucker come out on left field and land the CEO of DCI before anybody's talked to him? Like even before DCI himself themselves got you anything yeah for me guys shop you flip before I just
00:14:29
Speaker
just What? How? And it's like, okay, he that's something to attain to. So he slipped in there and said, Hey, I got some things you can throw a goat noise over that that'll fit. Well, and also he had Potter sold his questions. All the questions that Jeffrey asked, I took them for the for his podcast instead. yeah Potter, it would not be Potter for me.
00:14:56
Speaker
but Yeah, for me, um it would it would actually be somebody that's no longer with us. And that's Michael Boo. um i I first met Michael Boo as a marching member in 1994. And he was such a funny guy. Of course, DCI always has to have the party line on everything. And Michael Boo was great at writing the party line. But oh my God, when you got him on his own, he had some serious opinions. And he was so funny. I mean, mike Michael Boo would be a perfect guest for our show.
00:15:22
Speaker
um he I remember sitting with him as a marching member in uniform um watching The Crossman and he he said he was talking about our show a little bit and he said he's saying that he really loved our show at the Bluecoats and ah we asked him about The Crossman because we were losing with The Crossman.
00:15:39
Speaker
and he And he says, yeah, they just played the same music they played last year. Didn't we play this song? Didn't we play this song last year year? And I thought it was just hilarious. and I met him also later in life. um He came to a, ah when there there was a show in Kalamazoo. I had a cookout and he came to the cookout and man, it was just so much fun. The stuff that he said off the record was so great. Nice. Nice. Wow.
00:16:07
Speaker
Um, I do want to go back to and say, cause I, I did listen to a bunch of the other, um, episodes, but the last one y'all did give us a shout out and I appreciate that. It was very nice. And honestly, I wasn't listening to the episode just to get that. I got it at the end and I was like, Oh, that was, kit you know, that wasn't even planned. That was just, it just slipped in there. Yeah. I thought that was really cool. I was just like, Oh, that's nice. Thanks guys. Yeah, we are having fun. Um,
00:16:32
Speaker
What do you think it's been the best thing that has come out of this podcast? What's have been the best things come out of drum choreo? For my perspective, I would say there's been a bigger push for better accountability in the activity, because we're one of the few podcasts that seems to be willing to talk about it and talk about it at at face value instead of trying to dance around it. And I think there have been a lot of places that a lot of people that hearing that have had have been emboldened to come forward when they otherwise would not have. Yeah. Yep. Yeah.
Empowering Listeners and Blue Devils Performances
00:17:07
Speaker
to me the
00:17:08
Speaker
To me, the best thing that came out of it is is it's not it's not about me and Nick anymore. I always have wanted to grow a team. um and not just have something where I'm doing it and and my my friend is doing it. you know I always wanted to have a team and it just kind of organically came up. I enjoy, we we love having call-ins on the show. we We enjoy having every voice. We tell people that their voice is just as important as that dumb ass that's walking around on the field. you know I mean, you have one voice, they have one voice, that's it. You're just as important as they are. you know And so that's really what I wanna do with it. I wanna have fun, I wanna make it interesting.
00:17:45
Speaker
But I want to empower people and make them realize, hey, my opinion matters too. Just because they get to put a number on a piece of paper doesn't mean their opinion is more important than mine. Yeah. That whole call in part where you have people calling in, I'm just like, well take me back to the 90s. This is awesome. I know, man. It's like a radio morning show.
00:18:03
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Oh, so good. Okay, so it's time for everyone to go and watch the Blue Devils from the last three years. which Which year are we talking about? Well, we'll see. We'll see. We're gonna watch it in just a second. um Or something like that since Sage and Brandon are so in love with BD. So um ah we will be right back with more drum core AF plus a what are we doing and some gushing ghosts.
00:18:40
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:19:26
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00:20:02
Speaker
Okay, Drum Corps AF, ah you are all very used to getting that sharp attack on your listeners. So we wanted to ask some of them to give us your questions and, or give you some questions and then we can put a little spotlight on you for a little bit. So our listeners submitted some questions. Sage, you're up first. Okay. So, oh god yeahp This podcast isn't the only thing that has brought you some level of fame.
Viral Tattoo Story and Audition Experiences
00:20:31
Speaker
Apparently, you had a tattoo go viral.
00:20:36
Speaker
Yeah, it's all over. I get friends sending me, hey, did you know your tattoos on the internet? i People sending it to me all the time. I get it. Can I, okay, we're we're on video. Can I show it? is that is that Is that kosher? Does man nipple bad for this podcast?
00:20:54
Speaker
i mean you're not you okay here this this is This is my viral my viral tattoo.
00:21:01
Speaker
must we've We've gone full circle now. Now I found out where he doesn't wear a shirt when you guys are doing it. That's why he's like, yeah let me let me let her get some time.
00:21:15
Speaker
they So if you've seen that that that that is indeed me I've had like Robert Martinez from the coffee shop from the drum corps coffee shop told me You know, I all the time tell people that that that dude Mars drum corps. They're like, no, there's no way I Went into a tent earlier back last last month to get a couple new tattoos.
00:21:35
Speaker
And i I said, they said, what other tattoos do you have? And I said, well, you may have seen this one. and I took off my shirt and showed him and they're like, you're that guy. So they say see it all over the place. Paige, I'm in Cincinnati, so I'm going to have to come and visit you and then we can go and get tattoos. That'd be great. Paige is going to end up with a full sleeve before finals this year. they're already going So Brandon.
00:22:04
Speaker
This next one is for you, and this ties in nicely with the previous episode we did about NFL marching units. More specifically, NFL drumlines. And word is, you auditioned for the Kansas City Chiefs Drumline.
00:22:17
Speaker
Yeah, so I sent in a video. I've actually done this the last two years. um Two years ago, I sent one in and I got a callback and it was on the callback audition was the same day that my wife and I left for Rome. So I didn't get to do anything with that, obviously. um But last year I sent one in and I got a callback and talking to the people there, they had about 130 people sending videos, and they only called back about 35 of us. So, you know, getting that far, I felt was pretty good. But yeah, daily audition, it i I felt pretty confident going into it. And then I got there, and it was just an abject train wreck. It was an absolute disaster. It was probably the worst audition experience I've ever had. like ah ah The ensemble stuff went fairly okay. But one of the one or two of the warm ups that we had were
00:23:03
Speaker
written in a certain time signature and encountered in a different one. And it threw me off for that. And then my ah solo audition, ah instead of doing them individually in a room with the panel, they made everybody do them you know one at a time in front of the whole group. So naturally I ended up at the tail end of the group and went in with cold chops and it was just, it was a total train wreck. Yeah. So yeah, I tried out, but that that was about the extent of it. Oh man, you could have been out there on the field last weekend with Tay Tay. I was just talking to my parents the other night. Like, I was like, man, I'd be going to New Orleans in a week and a half of if I'd made it. sell
00:23:41
Speaker
Maybe. OK, so you mentioned earlier about this, but I just want to know what the story was behind um why Dan Potter didn't want to mention drunk or AF when you were being interviewed. Well, it actually wasn't Potter. It was somebody else that did a DCI sanctioned podcast. I'm not going to say I'm going to say I'm going to say who it is, because obviously they didn't they didn't want my name attached to him anyways, you know, but ah Yeah, it was, I really, really liked doing ah doing the podcast with this team. um And ah they they told they told me that they loved our podcast and it was just like talking Drum Corps in the back of the bus, you know, with with the kids, you know, and and and and it was how people really talk about Drum Corps. Because really, that's why we do it is because there's so much saccharine garbage. You know, Drum Corps is like, everybody's great, everybody. Well, no, not everybody's great. Cavaliers this last year were pretty,
00:24:30
Speaker
pretty bad pretty freaking bad you know so there there's a reason why we have the be 89 soprano solo as a as a sound effect on our end so you know that sound bite we'll come back to that back to that who sage one more listener question a listener who shout who we will just refer to as the dark lord of all men get off my lawn drumming He asks,
Dominance of the Blue Devils in Drum Corps
00:24:57
Speaker
remi memo yeah how did it feel to admit BD should have won the other year? Okay, so here's here's the thing. we we We get a lot of, ah we we get pigeonholed for hating BD, and we just hate the crap that they do. I hate Scott Chandler. I don't necessarily hate BD.
00:25:20
Speaker
um The stuff that BD has done since Scott Chandler's been around, I am just not a fan of it. They do the same thing year in and year out. Which is a really long time. ah really like 2003 something like yeah this since he's been program director there but chi is dumb yeah I like me I like BD 2003 that was one of my favorite shows back in the day that's good yeah I mean I like 2003 I like 2006 the Godfather show that the year that they lost to Caroline crown when they when they did the Rite of Spring I thought that was awesome I love BD when they don't win
00:25:52
Speaker
um i And i really I really did like them in 2023, it surprised me. And I even kind of like, I like parts of it in 2019 even, and all but 2024 again.
00:26:05
Speaker
left up ah Yeah, as as we stay on our end of the podcast, um we're roasting the designer, the design and the concepts for BD, not necessarily ah the members or their execution level, because I mean, I've got a friend who actually was a field assistant for BD in 2018, started as the MetBoy in 2017 and got promoted. And then by the end of 2018,
00:26:31
Speaker
um was ah was slated to be a drum major and then went to go March in 2019 and was going to be a full-on drum major, one of the four, and tore his labrum and had to have surgery and basically missed out. ah He went through spring training and that was it. um And he's a good friend of mine. so I mean, he's much younger than I am. so ah But that being said, like I My beef with BD is that they continue to excel with what I consider to just be boxed off box stock off the shelf, repeated concepts that it's just rehashing the same crap year over year. There's no real creativity or ingenuity to it. You could probably make the same argument for a lot of drum core year over year. carolinaline grounds on that now like but Yeah, like crown is in the barrel right now. ah
00:27:20
Speaker
but It's not to say that they don't have the talent because Jesus Christ, they they build talent, and they refine talent, and did they develop talent better than anyone else in the activity, and they've got it down to a science. and it's There's no denying that.
00:27:34
Speaker
ah so i do a twenty twenty three and OK, so so the real the real reason why why we don't like we we don't like BD is that they are a crazy dynasty that is, if anything, in in sports you got the Yankees dynasty, the Dallas Cowboys dynasty. You look at Alabama in college football over the last 16 years. OK, so this is the last 16 competitive seasons.
00:27:56
Speaker
Alabama in college football has won six championships. That's 0.375. BD in the past 16 competitive years has won 10 championships. That's 0.625. That's almost twice as many. Alabama is hated because they're always at the frickin' top. That's why BD is also for crying out loud.
00:28:17
Speaker
i mean you
00:28:20
Speaker
yeah I get where you're coming from and as soon as you said Yankees though, literally, I think I got whiplash because I looked at Trish really quick. Trish is a huge Yankees fan now. you say is i'm i'm a chief I'm a lifelong Chiefs fan. Keep the bulletin board for her. You probably can't really see it, but it is there. yeah And she had like a, what? Yeah. Yankees Christmas tree. I did. Yep.
00:28:45
Speaker
But to Brandon, what Brandon was just saying, I mean, I listen to New York sports radio like all the time, and they're starting to say the same thing about the Chiefs. I mean, it's turning into, you know, everybody's saying this is the Super Bowl nobody wanted to see, you know, because here's the Chiefs. Listen, I'm here for Taylor and Travis. I'm completely here for them, but a lot of people aren't. so um You know, I don't know. I just, you know, it's the same thing, you know, and I don't know. chief I can see it. Sportsball. Yay.
00:29:20
Speaker
um yeah But we all know that you have a lot of what you both have a lot of opinions and we know that you will have something amazing for this next segment.
Critique on Percussion Music Trends
00:29:30
Speaker
So it's time for our snarky part of the show called What are we doing? What are we doing?
00:29:45
Speaker
what are we doing I know that you will not have a problem with this, okay? And the reason why I say this is because um you seem like men who are, you seem like people who are after my own heart. ah Like you may have watched a Family Guy episode, you know, once or twice. So ah with what are we doing, this is just like what grinds my gears about, you know, drum corps and or percussion, anything marching arts. So um what are we doing? And maybe I can go with Brandon first.
00:30:16
Speaker
oh god uh so on the percussion side of things um my beef these days is with the arrangers um what the hell are we doing with writing all this music with just endless numbers of metric changes and hand speed changes and just where's the musicality where is the finesse where is the where's the fun and the the intensity that we actually want to feel because to me it just sounds like a an assload of notes that are just being thrown at us. and yeah yeah We can't make so heads or tails of it. like Give me something musical. Nice. Yep. So why what are we doing? I don't really I really like that the general direction the activity is going right now, um except for a couple in particular, one very much in particular near the top of the activity that is stuck in like 1050 where they were 1015 years ago, and that's Carolina Crown.
00:31:15
Speaker
What are you doing in Carolina right now? Because you're giving us the same stuff every year. And meanwhile, Boston Crusaders just did a show that you could say is a Carolina Crown show from 10 or 15 years ago. And it was brilliant. It was amazing. Crown has gone backwards. They are stuck in their ways. They need to break out of it. And since they finally are dropping down the ranks a little bit and not winning not winning horns, hopefully they're going to break out of it. but i don't have a lot of hope right now i i would really like love to see the carolina crown of like 2009 2012 those years so i know they won't drop as far as the cavies have so you know we perfect so now that we we will kind of switch it um because it's the next segment that we're doing um is called gush and go so
00:32:09
Speaker
Great job, everyone. Set your equipment down. Gush and go. This is where you can just be braggadocious about anything.
Praising Drum Corps Developments
00:32:18
Speaker
You know what I mean? Something good going on in your life, let us know. Something good going on with drum core, AF, let us know. But tell us what you're gushing and going about.
00:32:27
Speaker
Say, do you go first, another court, a gush and go about. So this would normally be where I talk about the blue coats, but I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to talk about what Boston Crusaders did this past year. I have never been a Boston Crusaders fan, except for like 2000. That show was f freaking amazing. Um, but this past year, they completely won me over the, the, the entertainment value and what they did this year finally matched up. They finally have the show design. It was interesting. Literally one of my favorite drum core shows ever, ever.
00:32:57
Speaker
And I've never really been a Boston Crusaders fan. they They are definitely on the right track. I really hope that they can keep that performance level high like it's been for the past few years and get another show design that knocks them out of the park like they did this year. It was awesome.
00:33:12
Speaker
and I really, really liked them this year too. And they're, uh, Teletubby parents that were in the stands, I guess. I don't know. Sorry, Brandon.
00:33:25
Speaker
Uh, I think I'm going to gush and go about what I i feel like is, uh, I perceive it as a kind of a resurgence in growing the activity again. Um, even though we're, we actually are losing more cores in the last three or four years than we have in the previous 10. Uh, but you know, we've got three all-edge course, uh, coming up from sound sport, uh, not next year, but the year after that, we've got a couple open-class course coming up from sound sport next year or the year after that. Um, the sky writers are back. like guy rid or Yeah.
00:33:53
Speaker
Like, sky rids you know, and I know it kept people to work for them. And if, if, if everything goes well in the next year or two, I may be launching a WGI independent a-class, uh, percussion ensemble.
00:34:10
Speaker
if If everything works out well, we'll see, we'll get there. But ah the goal is to get that going and then maybe get a guard ensemble going as well. So, Southwest Kansas might actually enter into the fray of things. We'll see. You're just trying to like catapult yourself way into the gray hairs, yeah? I told you I have way too many hobbies and they're all expensive and time consuming and that's why my wife hates all of them.
00:34:31
Speaker
yeah No way that's I mean, that's great. I'm happy for you. i I am a judge I will not be on that side of the floor every time I have to record a podcast My wife gives me the the annoyed a teenage girl response The the eye roll and Love it. I love it. Trish, did you have a gushing go? I just wanted to say that I think I should be a guest on your amazing Drum Corps AF podcast because I think my hand was raised, but I didn't get called on for what are we doing because my what are we doing would have been, Sage, what are you doing ripping apart my Carolina crown?
00:35:21
Speaker
That will totally rip them apart. I can't say it public that i thought over up yeah ah man come on over and we'll give you as much of a platform as you want. And maybe you'll get a sound bite out of it. So yeah. I already have one here. I'm the voice of what are we doing? So I mean, I could brand, yeah but I mean, um, yeah, I mean, they're all gonna should go about your podcast. Cause I definitely think that you guys have a place in this market. I think that you say a lot of things that need to be said, and it's really, really great. And it's really important. Um,
00:35:53
Speaker
I'm also gushing go back here on the crown. I think they had it down here last year. I do agree with that. But the show the year before you could, you could say it's a recharge. You could say whatever you want, but the Camelot show was one of my favorites and there's that. So, and also, and also my wind guards are off to a really good start. So I'll gush you go about that as well. Yeah. It's called gush and go, not gush and stay. Let's go. Rude.
00:36:23
Speaker
I love that sound bite that you have. I say it to my kids now. I wanted to say it, but I was like, ah, I won't make it better now. I say it to my kids. I'm like, it's gush and go. That gush and stay. Let's go. Well, I want to just say thanks for a great rehearsal this week. Thank you, Trish, for hosting with me today. Always fun. Thank you for bringing us into your classroom. That's fun. Yeah, I love it.
00:36:46
Speaker
Hey, she and this is where the magic happens. And also thank you to Brandon and Sage for joining us. Where can we find you on social media, by the way, or and you know any of the Drum Corps AF? So the best place to go connect with any of us is is on the Drum Corps AF podcast group. um Just go Drum Corps AF. A lot of people that join the Drum Corps AF group don't even know it's a podcast. um But we're all up on there and and talking about you know fun stuff.
00:37:15
Speaker
That's over on Facebook. Okay, all right. And then where can we find you all personally? um Are you on social social media yourselves? I am over on Blue Sky and I actually run ah the Drum Corps AF podcast accounts on Instagram and and Blue Sky. So in addition to Facebook, we're also also over on IG and ah Blue Sky. We have a Twitter account, but I need one of his checks that at this point and it it's we don't we don't use it because we don't like Nazis.
00:37:41
Speaker
There you go. And there's that. but One more thing, please don't forget to, uh, we have a YouTube channel now so that you can see a lot of our interviews coming out as full length video additions. Go and subscribe. Don't miss any of those. And before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review and share this with a friend. Follow us on social media at on a water break. And we'll see you at the next rehearsal on a water break.
00:38:12
Speaker
The On A Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit ridamusic.com. And until next time, thanks for tuning in.