HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jerger@d0msu7.fnal.gov
Subject: Re: Duct Tape (please let this time work...)
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 02:22:37 GMT
X-Posted-From: d0msu7.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu


In article <Bu0psM.49o@wpi.WPI.EDU>, ddm@wpi.WPI.EDU (David D Marshall) writes..
.
>Back in '88 there was a rumor (considered common knowledge fact then) that
>BD's snare line used duct tape to 'quiet' the dirty players in the line.
>The rumor was that about three or four (out of the 10) a year had the old
>tape job (even '86).  The pit people from '88 ran into a guy who played
>with Spirit until the end of winter rehearsals when BD called and he left.
>Anyways, they casually asked to see his bottom head, and he had the tape job.
>My question is:
>(1) did they do this, and

        I think I remember BD's snares being a little weak in '88, so I don't
know for sure, but I wouldn't doubt it - a friend/old instructor was on
Dev's snare line in 82 & 83, and that's where *I* learned it from. Although
I think the first resort is through playing with the snare tension to lessen
the response, while duct tape is pretty harsh on the volume and the ego. I'd
like to hear what Brad has to say - he seems to have the most experience
with top 12 snare lines.

>(2) if they did, wouldn't the judges know and therefore not give the same
>    amount of points he would if a line of 10, playing, where clean?

        Maybe, maybe not. The idea is, not. They're still playing, it's
just that their sound is reduced so that the ticks aren't as obvious.

>(3) Also, this just doesn't seem quite fair to the lines who marched seven,
>    eight, or even ten and who all played?  These lines would have to
>    water down their book more than BD.

        IMHO, it's just a technique - "function minimization," if you will.
It's not going to magically clean up a Sir Tickalot, and I don't think the
goal is to stay taped up all season (though maybe some do). I have heard
of guys being muffled to death, and I guess that does sound a little harsh.
But I think that on a lesser scale it's just one thing you can do to improve
or adapt - we (VK snares) didn't have anyone choked out with duct tape in 88,
but Dave (our snare tech) would always fiddle with our tuning before a show,
and I wouldn't doubt he tuned a weaker player or two down. Similarly,
he switched our order around mid-season to smooth out some visual differences
(and also because we cut a snare in Iowa - but that's another story). So
I don't think even the extreme case is a huge, ill-gotten advantage, and the
lesser case is just part of the game. It kind of sucks for the guy who gets
tuned out, but on the other hand they could cut him...


						Steve
						jerger@msupa.pa.msu.edu


Hey, sorry for the screwed up posts; can anyone guess as to why my previous
posts (through vnews on a different server) bombed (used anews this time...)?
This is all too confusing for me.

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry)
Subject: Tickets (was Re: Impressions--DCI Finals)
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 19:52:06 GMT

cputnam@vax1.umkc.edu writes:

>>  Discussion about seat position deleted...

>I'm just curios if anyone on the net has ever gotten good seats (in the past
>few years) when they ordered tickets after, say September?  I've never gotten
>good tickets to Finals by oredering September or later.  Are there that many
>Friends of DCI and other people that get the good tickets?

Well, we've had good seats in the past, but they've always come via a
booster organization.  From my understanding, the "best" tickets
available to the "general public" are around the 30.  The Friends of
DCI get the first choice of seats, normally high up and close to the
50, although these seats are not necessarily the best.  Each of the top
12 corps are guaranteed a block of seats adjacent to the 50.  (They can
also request additional blocks of seats, and these requests are given
priority over ticket orders from the general public.)  After all of
these orders are processed, I believe some block orders are taken from
other organizations (bands, judging associations, etc.)

So even if you order the day after DCI, you will get fair seats at best.
The best bet you can make for good seats are to join the booster
organization of your favorite (long-time) top-12 corps.  Most of these
corps offer these seats for sale at face value.  Of course parents and
friends of marching members get priority, but almost anybody will get a
ticket in the second block at worst.

Of course, I'm probably giving away some great secret here, and these
practices will stop, but oh well.  (I don't plan on ever attending a DCI
finals again, so no sweat off my brow.)

HTH, 
Bob

-- 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=- Bob Berry -=- Net-Guru's Inc.        ! rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu   -=-
-=- Teach them quick, before they think. ! 803-654-7623 || 803-656-1076 -=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From: df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu (David James Foremsky)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Original Corps Compositions (was: Drumcorps Sandwich)
Date: 26 Aug 92 13:34:36 GMT
	<1992Aug25.174042.25128@stortek.com>
Organization: Junior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

On 25-Aug-92 in Original Corps Compositions..
user Phil Earnhardt@blackcat. writes:
>This Sun Coast program, and their Florida Suite program, were both mostly
>original compositions. Question: what are the other pieces composed for drum
>corps? Which are people's favorites? Are original compositions A Good Thing
>for the activity, or do they tend to be too expensive/obscure/etc?

I feel that the original compositions are very important to drum corps
and will increase in importance in coming years when corps begin to
realize that revisiting shows like "Fiddler on the Roof" are just not
going to cut it in top twelve competition. (not really a knock on SCV,
but just an observation that the horn book associated with that show
just did not cut it this year).  It is probably only a matter of time
until corps like the Cadets and Star "run out" of music to innovate with.

As for Suncoast, the 1988 show of "Contemporary Dances" is still one of
my favorite.  The (mellophone, baritone?) solo is probably my favorite
of all time, and the incredible silence of the crowd while it was being
played shows just how attentive the crowd was to a show of this type. 
The Cavaliers' "Images Diabolique" during their 1990 and 1991 shows is
another example of excellent music composed just for drum corps, as do
any of the various drum solos composed every year.

So in short, music composed for drum corps can do nothing, in my mind,
but improve and further the activity.

deej.
Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Date: Wed,  2 Sep 1992 20:57:19 -0400 
From: David James Foremsky <df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Drum corps and the Media
	<1992Sep2.214029.27355@beaver.cs.washington.edu>

On 02-Sep-92 in Re: Drum corps and the Media 
user Donald Chinn@cs.washingt writes:
>+ They play um-pa-pa music; they don't play "serious" music
>+ It is not art
>+ The performance level is not that high (akin to the local high school
>    marching band)

Kind of along the same thread - how do you explain what drum corps is to
a person who has never seen a drum corps?

Let me give you the problem I have had -

At work on a construction site this past summer, a friend (call him
John) and I planned to take a few days off to attend some drum corps
shows in Ohio.  When one of our co-workers asked us what we were
planning on doing with our days off, I said that we were going to some
drum corps shows.  The co-worker then asked what drum corps was, I
answered "Like a marching band, but only bigger and better"  My friend
John (who knows drum corps) then proceded to chew me out because of my
description.  John stated that he would _never_ equate drum corps with
marching band because of reasons like the above (um-pa-pa, Sousa
marches, horns pointed at the ground).  My problem is - what else can
you equate drum corps to, and how can you explain it?

deej.
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: kxh26@cas.org (Kenneth D. Huffman)
Subject: Re: POPCORN
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:09:38 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.040440.2674@polari> cdoser@polari.online.com writes:
>Did you get an address with that flyer? Who or where are these
>people? I would be interested.

Here is the remainder of the flyer for those who are interested:

     Enter your opinion of the order of finish (1-12) for each finalist:

     A __ Star of Indiana                    J __ Velvet Knights
     B __ Cavaliers                          K __ Freelancers
     C __ Blue Devils                        L __ Glassmen
     D __ Medison Scouts                     M __ Spirit of Atlanta
     E __ Garfield Cadets                    N __ Sky Riders [sic]
     F __ Phantom Regiment                   O __ Boston Crusaders
     G __ Santa Clara Vanguard               P __ Troopers
     H __ Crossmen                           Q __ Dutch Boy
     I __ Blue Knights                       R __ Marauders

     Mark the letter of the unit which impressed you most, for their
     performance this evening in the following categories:

     __ Best Musical Selections         __ Most Audience Appeal
     __ Best Drum Major                 __ Most Exciting Performance
     __ Best Percussion Performance     __ Best Auxilliary Groups
     __ Best Visual Performance         __ Best Example of
     __ Best Brass Performance             Drum Corps Tradition

     Check here for a copy of the survey results [ ]

The other side of the ballot was addressed to:

    POPCORN
    P.O. Box 776
    Boston, MA 02102-0776

Dare we suggest an informal Usenet Popcorn Poll?
-- 
"hello/ computer support/ my shift key doesn't seem to work." - e.e.cummings
Kenneth D Huffman   Work: Chemical Abstracts Service    Play: 2740 Wynnerock Ct
<kxh26@cas.org>           Box 3012, Columbus OH 43210         Hilliard OH 43026
<kxh26@cas.bitnet>        614-447-3838 ext. 2290              614-771-6334
From: SFINE00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Fineman, Stephen Elliot)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Shafted by THE MAN: BD, Cadets, PR!
Date: 28 Aug 1992 15:17:26 GMT
Organization: Rice University

In article <1397@newsserver.cs.uwindsor.ca>
braithw@cs.uwindsor.ca (BRAITHWAITE GEORGE       ) writes:
 
>     I can't comment on the Crossmen.  I didn't see their show(The top 12 corps should be televised in full again). I believe that they probably did
>have a good show on Saturday night and this was an excellent way to demonstrate a big SHAKEUP in the
> top 8 if they get a high score.  In any other year, the Crossmen would have finighed 8th.  No doubt about it!
How on earth can you judge the Crossmen without seeing their show.  Phantom
Regiment and SCV both have great traditions of drum corps, but this does not
(read: should not) automatically entitle them to higher scores than the Cross-
men.  The newer corps on the scene (although Crossmen have been around since
'74, they've never been one of the "big boys") have to fight through the DCI
politics (with the notable exception of $tar) in order to earn the judges' res-
pect.  The last thing these corps need is an ignorant fan saying that Phantom
should have beaten Crossmen without seeing their show.
 
 
>core.  Phantom was better than SCV and (probably) better than The Crossmen, they knew it, the judges knew it, the fans knew it and the administration
There you go again.  BTW, the videotape doesn't see everything the judges and
audience do.  So eat some humble pie -- you weren't there.
 
                            -Steve
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 09:22:53 -0400 
From: David James Foremsky <df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Explanation please

>My idea of the version of the hierarchy is:
> 
>	College (King)
>	High School (Queen)
>	Jr. High  (Prince)

>Where does DCI fit into the hierarchy?  Also, what are the

How about grand supreme emperor over all?

Not to knock marching bands (hell, I've marched in them for going on
seven years now) but college marching bands just don't do much for me. 
In the above ranking, I would rank many, many marching bands over most
college bands (yes, even Ohio State, WVU, and IUP)

deej
From: df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu (David James Foremsky)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: VK's next frontier
Date: 2 Sep 92 00:42:54 GMT
	<1992Sep1.161158.15193@ncsu.edu>
Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

On 01-Sep-92 in Re: VK's next frontier       
user Jeffrey V. Butera@grad09 writes:
>And it was a great show by the Cavaliers (Now that I think, it may
>have been 87)

Almost.  The Cavaliers played an entire show of the Planets in 1985, and
played Mars as a closer (with the Jupiter ending) in 1986.

I think in 1985 the Cavaliers had just made it back into the top five
after some absence.  The guard work, which must have been mind-blowing
then, seems kind of silly now.  The guard did a lot of work with rubber
balls, and still had the uniforms with the gigantic collars.

deej

P.S.  I am considering of discontinuing Off The Line.  It seems like
almost everybody has moved here.  To argue for or against this, please
send me email.  Do not post here
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: halk@solbourne.com (Hal Koshak)
Subject: Re: Drum corps and the Media
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 16:22:39 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.190649.15259@husc3.harvard.edu> fath1@husc8.harvard.edu (Michael Fath) writes:
>One of my long standing gripes about DCI is their failure to generate publicity
>for the drum corps activity outside of our tiny clique of corps/band 
>enthusiasts.  I sometimes wonder how many of the current drum corps fans are
>fans mainly because they marched in corps themselves or had family that marched.
>I suspect that the number is very high and I take this to mean that drum corps
>has almost ZERO exposure in the "real world".
>
>This year, there will be the PBS broadcast of DCI top 6.  Is there any other
>exposure of drum corps than this?  In this age of 100 channel cable TV and
>the information explosion, why can't DCI manage to promote the drum corps
>activity any better?
>
This is a tough one, in that I would like to have more people
appreciate drum corps, while on the other hand, I don't want to see even
*more* contention for tickets to big shows.  One could also make the
argument that a smaller cross section 'in the know' makes for a more
special and unique activity.
>
>I get tired of trying to explain to my friends and acquintances what the heck
>drum corps is.  I believe that drum corps could be greatly recognized and
>appreciated if the folks at DCI got off their duffs and showed the rest of the
>world how exciting drum corps really is.
>
I'm sure that several large donations would help facilitate this!


Hal Koshak
From: afo@apollo.HP.COM (Aaron Oppenheimer)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Percussion Techniques (was: Re: Original Corps Compositions)
Date: 2 Sep 92 13:59:00 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Chelmsford, MA

In article <urcat.715395984@mcl>, urcat@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eilidh) writes:
|> In <1992Aug29.043813.596@vela.acs.oakland.edu> bfhalls@vela.acs.oakland.edu (HALLS BRADLEY F) writes:
|> 
|> BTW, any other mallet players' opinions on four-mallet techniques
|> in and out of corps?  VK '86, we used independently held mallets,
|> i.e. pinky and 4th fingers around the outside mallets, and middle
|> and index fingers working with the thumb for the inside ones.  At
|> UCSB, it was insisted that we cross the mallets in our palms, the
|> outside mallet between our index and middle fingers.

The 'VK' grip you describe is generally known as the "Musser" or "Stevens" grip
(the difference between the two being that in the Musser grip your hand is more
or less held parallel to the ground, and in the Stevens, your hand is more
vertical). The UCSB grip is commonly called the "Burton" grip. Some prefer one
style, some prefer the other. I use both, for different things. I generally use
Stevens on a marimba, since it can provide a wider interval and can be easier to
play 'one-handed roll' type things. I use the Burton grip on vibes, because I
feel like I can get more 'power' when playing with a combo.

Of course, your mileage may vary.  4 mallet grips are like 'traditional' vs.
'match' grips - it's religeon. It's worth it to know both, for no other reason
that you know what other people are talking about when you discuss your
instrument.

When I marched in Garfield, we were allowed to use whatever we wanted and were
encouraged to use both grips.

|> Cat (a.k.a. in VK '86 - Chris) McGlothlin

-Aaron

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aaron Oppenheimer                             Multimedia Technology Lab
Email: afo@apollo.hp.com                                Hewlett Packard
Phone: (508) 436-5693                                  300 Apollo Drive
"Please Be Fabulous"                               Chelmsford, MA 01824
From: cdoser@polari.online.com
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Impressions--DCI Finals
Date: 1 Sep 92 07:34:59 GMT
Organization: Seattle Online Public Access Unix.  (206) 328-4944 (all lines telebit-equipped)

Company fronts and the like impress for both reasons. Music and visual.
People do like long lines (as you alluded yourself with the BD line).

                                                        _ _ _         /|
                                                        | | |        / |
____________________________________________ (|----------------- ___/  |
| Cathy Doser        *     Black Watch       (|---____________  \ __   |
| P.O. Box 69271     *      1972-1978             / /   | | |  \ |  \  |
| Seattle, WA 98168  * 1978 Class A Champions    | |   =|o| |= | |   \ |
|                    *  'You are what you are,    \ \_________/ /     \|
|                    *  or what you want to be!'   \___________/
|_____________________________________________________________________|
|      cdoser@atc.boeing.com    |   cathyj@f104.n343.z1.fidonet.org   |
|_____________________________________________________________________|
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: ddm@wpi.WPI.EDU (David D Marshall)
Subject: Re: Tickets (was Re: Impressions--DCI Finals)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 15:21:17 GMT

In article <1992Aug30.195206.19922@hubcap.clemson.edu> rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry) writes:
>cputnam@vax1.umkc.edu writes:
>
>Well, we've had good seats in the past, but they've always come via a
>booster organization.  From my understanding, the "best" tickets
>available to the "general public" are around the 30.  The Friends of
>DCI get the first choice of seats, normally high up and close to the
>50, although these seats are not necessarily the best.  Each of the top
>12 corps are guaranteed a block of seats adjacent to the 50.  (They can
>also request additional blocks of seats, and these requests are given
>priority over ticket orders from the general public.)  After all of
>these orders are processed, I believe some block orders are taken from
>other organizations (bands, judging associations, etc.)
>
>So even if you order the day after DCI, you will get fair seats at best.
>The best bet you can make for good seats are to join the booster
>organization of your favorite (long-time) top-12 corps.  Most of these
>corps offer these seats for sale at face value.  Of course parents and
>friends of marching members get priority, but almost anybody will get a
>ticket in the second block at worst.
>
>Of course, I'm probably giving away some great secret here, and these
>practices will stop, but oh well.  (I don't plan on ever attending a DCI
>finals again, so no sweat off my brow.)
>
>HTH, 
>Bob
>
This is how it was for my parents at Kansas City in '88.  They ordered their
tickets through Spirit when I marched (and they where top 12 :]).  If I 
remember correctly each top 12 corps (?) has a block of seats that they can
sell to who they want.  My parents seats weren't bad; in between the 40's
somewhere, but upper level (I guess lower level was for top 5 :]).

-David

-- 
 Spirit '88      |"So get off your butt and ride."      |     _,-~o     |
 ?????? '93      |"It's the motor that wins the races." |    _-\_<,     |
                 |               E-mail ddm@wpi.wpi.edu |   (*)/'(*)    |

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: halk@solbourne.com (Hal Koshak)
Subject: Re: Entertainment and Effectiveness III
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 16:03:27 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.005018.1@vax1.umkc.edu> eputnam@vax1.umkc.edu writes:
>
>Okay, I give up...  What is so darn special about a stupid company front?!?

You answered your own question... ;-)

>front which was a wall of music being shoved at the audience.  I am sure that
                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: cc0001@medtronic.COM (Christopher Carriero)
Subject: alt.drumcorps Telnet Site
Organization: Medtronic, Inc.
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 22:21:02 GMT


Anyone:

I would like to read all the postings since April that
are available at telnet site oglala.stanford.edu but
cannot seem to connect to the site.

Could someone please e-mail me the postings under 
pub/alt.drumcorps

Thank you.

-- Chris

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Carriero			cc0001@medtronic.com
Medtronic, Inc.			(612)574-6062
7000 Central Ave NE