Velvet Knights :(
Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist
Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
about your feelings. I want to know.
Jon
S. MONTOYA
Well Jon,
Being one my self, It was a shock to me to find out that they were not
going to "Max Out their GIG" this summer. They had a good show lind up as
well. I hope that they are able to get back on their feet so they can make
their way back into finals. I also hope that they are able to manage their
$ better so they can come back. I had a lot of fun their the 2 years I
marched. They are a class act, and they treated me well (not being from
So.Cal.) My best Wishes go out to them. The Drum Corps activity will not
be the same with out them too make us laugh.
Scott Montoya
VK Sop. 90-91
P.S.
What years did you March?
William Turner
In article <Pine.A41.3.95q.97062...@paris.NMSU.Edu>, "S.
MONTOYA" <scmo...@NMSU.Edu> wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jun 1997, Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist wrote:
>
> > Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
> > about your feelings. I want to know.
> >
> > Jon
> >
>
VK has numerously been subject to bad management. None before was nearly
as bad as this. "Forgeting" to pay the taxes just cost DCI another great
corps.
Bad Director! Bad Director!
Nancy
cgth...@pacbell.net
Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist wrote:
>
> Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
> about your feelings. I want to know.
>
> Jon
BUMP BUMP BUMP -- ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.
cgth...@pacbell.net
Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist wrote:
>
> Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
> about your feelings. I want to know.
>
> Jon
BUMP BUMP BUMP, ANOTHER BITES THE DUST.
CG
Purple408
I thought all corps canceled the season....sigh. Well VK, pull a
Freelancers 86/87.....get back out there!
MQP2city
Even better VK...pull a Crossmen 86/87...so you'll still be out there
after you return.
Becky Parker
Belski
Thanks for your sensitivity in this matter. I'm sure all of the Velvet
Knights alumni and staff feel much better knowing that you're trivializing
something which has meant so much to so many people.
Brian Belski
VK 92-94 / Staff 96
SCV Staff 97
JonGalt23
Before you get more upset, try and understand something. He couldn't
have been making fun of a VK that anyone would miss, because the corps
that folded was actually an example of what happens when you take a good
corps and remove the things that made it good(a competant director,
various key staff members) and then keep going as if you're the same
corps, when actually you're a new corps in the old uniforms. As soon as
the old staff left, VK was no longer the VK that anyone remembered, so the
corps that folded was just a new corps with mediocre management and
Converse shoes. The real VK was gone way before 96.
By the way, it's not that there was no good staff left near the end,
it's just that the few good members left were not able to save a corps
that was being mismanaged.
Randy Warren
King Biatch del Diablo
Besa mi Kulo, CA
VKGARRY73
Randy, you are so right! What's really sad is that the management has
taken such an elitist stand that they can't take any criticism at all
(kind of like some of the thread responses). When I tried to make contact
through the now-defunct "official web-site", their response was very
insulting. After two or three attempts to make some sense of this
attitude, especially to a former staff member ('80-'84), I've given up.
It's a shame that something that so many worked so hard to create,
especially the marching members, has been taken down so fast by a
power-hungry wanna-be director.
Thanks to everyone who has responded with such warm memories and
appreciation for what we created in the '80's.
Garry (VKGA...@aol.com)
T. Lynn Walden
Pulled out old vinyls from 1984 last night. VK had a powerful horn line
that year, and a very fun show. I really didn't like the Lionel Richie
tune, but the corps did well with the selection.
VK drove me crazy all year (I was marching with Troopers). We competed
at several shows together, and sometimes we were very close in scores.
I knew early on that year that we would have to beat VK to make Finals,
and my prediction turned out to be prophetic. Still, I enjoyed watching
you guys at Finals from the front stands.
VK had a definite style and personality. That is good for drum corps.
I hope they make it back and bear some resemblance to the VK of old.
T. Lynn Walden
John C. King
Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist wrote:
>
> Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
> about your feelings. I want to know.
>
> Jon
Being out here in the Bay Area I am spoiled. I get to see BD and SCV in
local
shows both in June and July. I used to always get to see VK also, which
made the
competitions twice as much fun.
John King
Director, Queen Mutha Fantasy Drum & Bugle Corp
FDCI Part Deux Champions! Whoohoo!
LipsNdev96
Homeboy wrote something like:
>Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell me
>about your feelings. I want to know.
> Jon
Well, also being a VK alumni, I think it is a great thing that they
folded. The corps definitely needs restructuring, (a new corps director).
Although I think it sucks, and I will miss them, I am not surprised.
The years I marched, the organization, (or lack of), hurt the kids
involved, and made drum corps no fun. And isnt that what its all about?
VK will be missed, but for us VK alumni, this shouldnt be a surprise...
Chris VK 94-95
S. MONTOYA
Thats to bad that you feel that way. I guess when I marched things were a
little differant. We had a good Director in Jack Bevens. Maybe you are
right that they needed to get thier act together. It is too bad that you
did not get "fun" out of VK. I sure had a blast when I was there. I do
remember Talking to Randy (lead Sop that year "95" whom I marched with in
91 (even though we did not make finals that year it was still fun)) at
Drums along the Rockies that year and him saying that things were
differant than when we marched together. Well I hope that things do turn
for the better for VK. They need to getback to there style. They seemed to
be headed in the right direction with last yrs show and what they planned
to do this yr. Well hope that you do find a corps to march if you are of
age so you can have fun.
Scott
VK Sop 90-91
Vannia M. De La Cuba
>
>Jon Shellenbarger, Bari Soloist wrote:
>>
>> Being a V.K. alumnist, I am very upset about their falling out. Tell
me
>> about your feelings. I want to know.
>>
>> Jon
Jon,
My heart has been broken into a thousands pieces. I marched with
them several years ago. I know that the move they made to fold this
year had to have been a hard and difficult one, but I hope that it was
a good move. Perhaps some time off to restructure and regroup will help
the corp in the long run. People don't know but the U.S. retreated some
350+ times during WWII, and then regrouped with new knowledge and
strength and came back and won saying-as VK would say-"We're here to
kick your ass!" Let's all hope and pray that when VK comes back it will
have as much might as the A-bomb and blow the other corps of the field.
Alumnis,
Kong
VK - Soprano
MrOrange57
ive got a lot of friends that were in veek drumlines in 94 and 95 and they
were pissed. to them it was more than just drumming, and to see that kind
of fun disappear just flat out sucks.
HeMiola302
Sorry to hear...
I have a lot of respect for that corps, their philosophy, and what they do
on the field.
zach
Blue Stars 94-95
CarbonDrum
All's I can say is its too bad that VK folded, but they way that they have
run that program, how can anyone be suprised. Just look at the vast
number of management mistakes that were made over and over again.
I'm just glad that when i marched VK, I was lucky enough to be there for
years that, Luckily, were good years. And that i was in a corps with its
own identity.... plus we really could drag and slurr some rolls!!! :)
pete
jedi...@aol.com
vk 87 88 (staff 92)
bd 89 90
cadets 91
Chihiro Kurokawa
I am ignorant regarding the following:
Did VK fold permanently, or are they coming back next season?
What did Star of Indiana do that lost so much respect from drum corps
members and fans? They don't compete anymore, right?
Please E mail me if your know what's up...
Ltn Mundy
>I am ignorant regarding the following:
>
>Did VK fold permanently, or are they coming back next season?
I think we'd all like to know that for sure, but at this point I think
they are planning on fielding a corps next year. Whether they will do a
full tour is anyone's guess.
>What did Star of Indiana do that lost so much respect from drum corps
>members and fans? They don't compete anymore, right?
That, my friend, is a very, very ugly can of worms that I doubt you really
want to get into. But yes, they're currently performing brass theatre in
Branson, MO
Alan
J. Henry Cartwright
Ltn Mundy wrote:
I premise this reply on the condition that the truth hurts, and no one
should shoot off a reply until they read the enitre post and think about
it for day or two.Star's sin: they won before the Cavies or PR did.
What Star did was run their outfit like a business, they invested
enough to reap returns, they hired Jim Prime and George Zingale, two of
best names in the field and they worked hard just like everyone else,
then after dominating the early 90's brass captions and rivaling the
cadets for difficulty of drill, they did something the shot and beer
traditionalists couldn't handle, they played some Bartok ,not exactly
tonal, oh yeah and extremely difficult, oh and the biggest sin they
almost won with it, nonmainstream music was ok when the cadets finished
7 th in 91, but when someone won high brass and high percussion with it,
well that was too much. Basically, what they did was harder than most
and equal with the cadets and they did it better, success bred jealousy,
especially around chicago. At 91 finals they won and got booed, at 93
finals they came in second and got booed. So Star made the decision
that they would go a new direction rather than allow their kids to pour
their hearts out on the field, put on a unbelievable performance and
then get booed if they happen to beat somebody's favorite. Anyone who
saw the end of 93 Star had to see the pure ,raw, unbridled, emotion,
dripping from the french horn player at the end. She was emotionally
exhausted. I'm not saying anyone else didn't put that kind of effort
in, but no one should get booed when they work that hard and do
something that well.
So Star went into Brass Theatre, and committed another sin, they have
been successful there too. They proved they can survive.
Those who feel they have to may fire when ready but I'm sick of petty
non-musically educated people placing value judgments on what is or is
not appropiate repertoire.
It's time somebody admitted that even if we didn't their style, we have
to admit, they did it extremely well.
P.S. the 91 Pines of Rome show is still one of the hardest drill and
music book combinations.
Hajjej
i totaly agree with you.
p.s. personally, i liked the circus show better than appalachain spring!
<gasp!>
John
Crown Bari 98
bacwater
On Thu, 24 Jul 1997 22:56:56 -0400, "J. Henry Cartwright"
<JHCart...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> wrote:
<snip>
> What Star did was run their outfit like a business, they invested
>enough to reap returns, they hired Jim Prime and George Zingale, two of
>best names in the field
<snip>
Star of Indiana, the best corps money could buy.
James Copeland, Jr.
Drew McPheeters
Oh, please. Aren't there enough idiots in the world
without you saying something like that?
This has been rehashed ad nauseum. Funny how people
never make statements like that about other well
funded corps like Blue Devils, Santa Clara, YEA, et al.
I suppose all you smart people out there don't realize
that money can't buy hard work, talent, or attitude on
the parts of the people on the field, the members who
are actually DOING IT!
Michael Furey
WmACook wrote:
>
> Drew -- Very well said and thank you! After we left the activity we
> learned that the average membership Star was longer than any other top 12
> corps. Something to be said about "the members who arre actually doing
> it!"
Bill, I'm curious: did the length of the average members' stay suddenly
increase after Star left the competitive field or was it always longer
than average? I don't mean this next comment as a slam on Star (just
the opposite, actually) but one reason Star members might stick with the
corps longer is because one can better afford to. Also, does Star
enforce the "age-out" rule now that there's no compelling reason to?
For me, the choice between joining a post-competitive Star versus a DCI
corps would be apples and oranges. There are different advantages to
each, similar to an individual's choice to march a classical versus a
jazz corps, etc. Economics is one advantage (obviously, there are a
number of others, depending on an individual's preference) that Star
would seem to have over most other corps out there.
--Mike