From: rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry)
Subject: Re: drill (was Re: Creativity vs. Execution)
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 03:31:47 GMT

Well, I got my hi-cam videos today and I'm still trying to figure out
how the Cavies can march *everything* in strait paths.

Splooie (do you know what that means? ;-)!) spoke of transition sets
with straight paths to each set.  Well the Cavies must have had
*thousands* of transition sets because there are parts of their show
where the paths seem curved to me.  (I have to admit, that I've only
watched it about 3 times, but still....)

I've taught marching for almost a decade now and I can't get over
getting a spot-marched drill *that* clean.  (And year after year.)  It
must have something to do with the caliber of marchers in the Cavaliers,
*none* of my bands could ever spot-march that clean.

>  Beside the personal interest I took in this post (yeah Bones) it demonstrates
>the point I tried to make in an earlier post.  Yes, it is extremely difficult
>to clean drill with curved paths and members guiding off of each other.  But
>without that, members would have crashed into one another.  At the end of
>"Appalachian Morning" is a section of drill called the "juggernaut".  It's not
>shown on the video (a shot of the drum line during really cool drill - oh well)
>, but it involves high-speed pass-throughs.  Everyone had to take a fixed path
>and know exactly where to go.  But if a person said, "I'm going to my dot over
>there," people would be on the ground.  I know - I took a fall when we first
>learned the new drill in July."

YES!!  I really thought the Crossmen's weakest caption this year was their
visual caption (I haven't any recaps in front of me to verify this, it's
just a feeling I get when watching them.)  

While I think they have a fairly generic (IMHO) drill most of the time
(although it's getting better year by year), the ends of their openers
tend to kick ass.  A lot of ass.  If they had drill like that
throughout their show I think they could pull even further up in the pack.

....

I've always taught (and always marched) in a situation where there are a
few defined "dress points" in any picture and you set to those people.

When I write drill, I try to set as many people as I can on easy spots
(i.e. on the hash, front side line, yard line, etc.) and get everybody
else to guide to these people.

This system works and has been used quite successfully by many of the
great marching corps and bands.

We try to inhibit spot-marching because the marcher tends to see only
the spot and forget about the transition.  This leads to interval errors
as well as dress errors.  (I still have kids tell me they are hitting
their spot, when I know darn well *I* never gave them a spot other than
"two steps away from the person in front of you and a step inside them.")

Later,
Bob

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