The Bottom Line Is...

If we are able to pull off the written material, the way Wayne intended it, then we are the single greatest group of contra players ever assembled in the history of drum corps. PERIOD.

That is my greatest concern, to sacrifice the best material I have ever seen on paper, not because we can't play it, but because we are not in a position to play it with the ensemble.

The demand and the exposure is there, I'll give you that, however I am not conviced the fans in the stands or the judging community will ever notice unless we make a mistake.

I have never had to work so hard musically on the book before. When you play contra you learn two different shows. The one standing still, and the one 1/2 a beat ahead so it sounds good up front. The material is already difficult enough, then you take into efect the volume levels we are playing at when we are out there on the extremeties of the field. Not one other line in DCA is going to be 1/2 as exposed as we are for almost the entire show. The thought of this while it challenges me also scares me because unlike in previous years we have some new folks, that while they are talented, haven't ever had to do anything quite like this before. And some of the returning folks may have been exposed to some of these places on the field, but never during these big ensemble moments.

From my perspective the line needs to grow leaps and bounds between now and the competition season. A few individuals have the ability and are getting better, but as a collective, as a group, as a whole, right now I am not convinced. There is nothing really holding us together. Just a bunch of talented players out there working extremely hard to try and understand how to make things work. Some of us are close, but in my eyes close is only as good as 2nd place. A lot of people have come close. Until all of us are there together, we are simply just close. We have the talent. I don't feel that we have the tools right now.

I know there is a long way to go. I'll let you in a secret. We will be judged based on the Brigs from 1999-2004. Those are difficult standards for anyone to be measured against. I know a lot of people get upset when we go out and talk about winning. This is a competitive activity. There has to be at least one winner.

In case you can't tell, I am a fierce competitor.

But I digress...the bottom line and I'll say it again is...If we, the contra line, are somehow able to perform this materail, the way it was intended, then we are the single greatest group of individuals ever assembled in the history of the activity.