A lot of inactive groups have returned this season, so divisions are evened out based on experience.

Agh, I didn't accept people fast enough for my competitions and now and don't have a lot of competitors

Hmmm, all my groups moved from division II except my drumline, which is especially weird since I medalled in Div. I with my marching band and my guard, and my drumline has historically been the least successful of the four.

Oh well, hopefully this means that I have a really successful season.

For the people who use the only GE and Ensemble rehearsing for a while technique, when do you switch over to rehearsing individual captions only? Trying it out this year bc I usually don't use it and my scores start to flat out in the end of the season.

I usually level it out around the middle of week 3 or beginning of week 4 and then do everything equally until the end of the season.

late week 3 or so is what I tend to go with



or whenever I come back after not being online for over a year. oops

I tried it last season and I saw no significant difference.

I can't help but think though, this is kind of counter to real life. If you were running a real marching band/drum corps, you would want to increase the basic skills that would be developed with the Performance captions before you focused on Ensemble and GE.

idk--I think a lot is put into GE initially considering design largely happens long before the first note is even played. Even once season starts, you still are putting finishing touches in for GE etc and then toward end of season its all about tune tune tune. That being said I think real life has way more balance in it period lol youd never have amazing GE with the worst brass, percussion and guard anyone has seen lol

Happy Canada day to you StampedeStetson

Thank-you! We had a great parade and standstill. It's always a great performance, the crowds are huge and right up against you and very energetic, and the towns are in the mountains so it's a beautiful backdrop.

It's a real shame though, we used to do a parade in a town called Canmore, then did a field show or a standstill in a park there, and then went to another town called Banff and did parade there and had pizza there beside a train station. A couple years ago they changed the Banff parade to be at the same time as Canmore, so now we alternate which parade we do each year and just do the standstill in Canmore

HAPPY 4th Of July Guys,Hope you have a good day!!

Im really sorry guys. I havent at all been as active as I should have been and I dont even remotely know why. Im gonna start being better about that in these next four weeks.

Ive been in an odd mid-year cleanout; not of items or clutter (well some of that too) but things that clutter my mind. I started listening to that little magnificent guiding voice in my heart and ended toxic friendships and stopped acting like something im not.

You guys, all of you, this is important to me and it is a priority and its one that as of late I have been neglecting. Im very sorry everyone.

So, I dont know how many of you thought you knew me but Season 80 look out (And I know ive said that every season since season 68 but this time im keeping my promise both to you, and myself). PLEASE if you ever are bored and want to talk about anything at all please please please feel free to message me! Also, if anyone wants to message me and have me respond fast, my snapchat is marchmaster .


Pls if you have any questions let me know please.

Don't worry Joel Your a nice and good man. Always been active, its the summer anyways, so its fine to take a break or two, I'm not going to be really active next season anyways because of marching band, and band camp. So don't get too stressed, everyone knows that everybody can't always do everything all at once. So take your time.

I hope you feel better soon, and see you next season!

No worries Joel!!

I don’t know if we have ever really talked before. I’m pretty new to FMA, but I can see that you have participated a lot along the way. Life gets in the way for all of us sometimes. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about!!

Look forward to great competition with you as well as getting to know you through FMA! Have a pretty good ear if needed.

Anthony

I think I have left and came back more times than anyone lol... So I'm sure this community will forgive you for having a life outside the game :P

Even though I am technically back, I'm still not super active due to it being competition season for DCA. That and gigs during the week and teaching marching band, My hands are rather tied up atm

OMG Stradivarius!!

Amazed you have any time for FMA!! Thanks for staying involved with us!!

I always knew us trombone players were special...………...lol

Joel I think we've all been there and to see how bad it is this season just look at the number of competing groups. I don't even know how it will work, auto finals? Anyway you come first. I've been pretty dedicated here but even I've had off seasons and times I'm not so focused on this!

Good luck on clearing the mind and mud!

Okay sorry to say this again guys... but i need an opinion. After much historical research and work... i have invented my own fictitious high school and band program for FMA... the question is this... which is a better marching band name? The Band of the Fighting Irish or The Fighting Irish Marching 100? If anyone can come up with better similar names then please have at it!! Thank you all!!!!

It’s not known exactly where the stereotype of ‘the fighting Irish’ – now the moniker of the Notre Dame University varsity sports teams in the US – originated, but it’s one that still does the rounds. Most likely tied to the idea that they’re perpetually drunk, some people believe that the Irish are always up for a fight. In fact, a travel risk map ranking countries of the world in relation to violent crime puts Ireland in the ‘low risk’ category.

Source: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/ireland/articles/10-stereotypes-all-irish-people-hate/

Its actually started from a newspaper article refering to them as strong irishmen... due mostly to the large irish heritage of our area... myself included.

I wouldnt be object to an animal masxot but my fictional high school is a private school named either St. Patrick or St. Joseph's