Things are looking up

Bus 1 replacement is now on the road and eta in Downington PA is 10 p.m. After extensive conversations with the officials here at United Sports Center, they have reluctantly agreed to allow us to tape some yard lines and hashes on one of the soccer fields. They are sympathetic to our needs, and willing to work within the confines of what is possible at the facility

This afternoon was spent in musical sectionals. This evening is music ensemble to lock in tempos and interpretations. We will do ensemble on the field tomorrow morning in an attempt to beat the predicted thunderstorms in the area.

We still have some folks under the weather. It may have been due to the rainstorms encountered at rehearsal and yesterday's show. As a precaution, all buses will again be cleaned and sanitized while the corps is rehearsing. Everyone's condition has stabilized, which is a plus for us, but we are still taking this precautionary measure.

Will keep an eye out on the weather and see what happens tomorrow.

More Challenges - Thursday, July 30

After leaving Centerville, Bus 1 (mainly guard bus minus those who are on bus 3) had some mechanical problems, so a replacement bus was dispatched. Buses 2 - 4 continued to our housing in Downington PA. Unfortunately, the replacement bus also developed a problem, so a third bus was sent and the folks on Bus 1 are now on their way. We have been using Star of America (Star of Indiana previously) ever since the corps started in the 1980's. It is extremely rare we encounter any difficulties. The last time was in 2005. The Star company has been extremely efficient and great to work with, and they immediately took care of these issues as soon as possible.

Of course, it is not that easy. Buses 2 - 4 have arrived at United Sports Center in Downington PA. It is a good facility with plenty of space. There are acres of grass area to be used which is great. Unfortunately, the management here refuses to let the corps paint any lines on the fields. Akin to "water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink", we have plenty of grass, but no practice fields.

We have been allowed use of the turf soccer field, unfortunately it has no yard lines and again we are prohibited from using masking tape to mark any yard lines or hashes.

Director Ray Mar has been in touch with DCI and is actively seeking some solutions, as the corps is preparing for tomorrow night's show in Allentown.

stalled somewhere between Ohio and Pennsylvania

stayed tuned for more info...

Wednesday July 29

The corps had a couple of productive days in Dayton OH. We stayed at Northridge School, great facilities, plenty of rehearsal space. Ken Hoffman, our host, was very hospitable and made sure everything was taken care of.

The show in Centervfille was delayed by 15 minutes due to a brief rainstorm. However, the show was held in a stadium with artificial turf so drainage was not an issue. The performance tonight was better than Sevierville, although the brass line did have a bit of a rough run. Plenty to work on in the next brass block.

Brass visuals were added in the ballad and will be refined tomorrow.

We did have 5 brass players out tonight, again, primarily as a precaution. Two of them were featured as part of a duet or a soloist. As a result, Louie Sosa did double duty tonight in playing through all these parts.

A long bus ride tonight (including bus 3, which has everyone who has had or presently has a fever -2 people), some floor time and rehearsal in preparation for Allentown and DCI East.

Monday July 27 - Sevierville Tenn

Arrived at our housing shortly after midnight. We are staying at the show site, which makes things a bit easier from a logistics standpoint. Unfortunately, we could not get on to the practice field until 1 p.m. due to football practice, in the a.m. we are using the band field which is a striped parking lot.

We still have a couple of members out with a fever. In addition, several members are not feeling well, although there are no flu like symptoms. As a precaution, all were held out of tonight's performance which resulted in us marching 6 brass holes and 1 guard hole.

The performance was not one of our best. Execution errors made for a rough show all the way around. The guard did have a good run however.

Off to Dayton OH for a couple of days and a show in Centerville.

scenes from the south

Georgia Dome - Saturday, July 25

Atlanta Regional today. we are almost fully recovered. We did hold out a couple of members as a precaution. The show was one of the best of the season. A great crowd, and tremendous venue. Staff and members were very pleased with both the effort and performance. The corps did a fine job of dealing with the acoustics which come with performing inside a dome.

Upon leaving the show, we found out that our housing in Sevierville would not be available until Monday. As a result, Mr. Mar called Pat Gallagher, the Band Director of Pickens High School in Jasper where we had stayed the night before. Through his generosity, we were able to stay overnight again at Pickins High School and rehearse during the day before leaving for Sevierville. It turned out to be a fortunate series of events, as it rained most of the day in Sevierville and we would not have gotten much outside work.

Many times in drum corps life, people will lend a hand without hesitation. In this case, the Mandarins wish to thank Pat Gallagher for all his assistance and support.

We are presently on our way to Sevierville, and should wind up there shortly after midnight.

Show day tomorrow!

On The Way Back

Family, friends, boosters and supporters,

Thank you for your best wishes and support. As previously mentioned, we have had a number of members exhibit flu-like symptoms. In addition to the care and support of local health officials, the corps is fortunate to be traveling with a registered nurse and a pharmacist. Steps have been taken to reinforce sanitary practices, and the affected individuals have been isolated.

At this time, we have 3 cases remaining with a slight fever. All others have recovered and are participating in corps activities. All members who return to rehearsal must be okayed by our traveling medical personnel, and are monitored upon their return.

The corps returned to the DCI tour at Murfreesboro on Friday, July 14 and eagerly looks forward to the rest of the season.

Mandarins members ‘under the weather’

A number of members of the Mandarins have taken ill and are currently receiving medical treatment. Corps and staff members are taking precautions to contain the illness and help the approximately 20 members of the corps it has affected recover as soon as poosible.

As a result, the Mandarins will be taking a break from tonight’s scheduled DCI Tour event in Monroe, La., moving onto their next destination for much needed rest.

stormy weather

Rehearsing despite the stormy weather... Lightning crashes in the distance.

absolute sunset

Alamodome

The San Antonia regional was today. The Mandarins had a great run; all of the show changes came through nicely. The members were happy with their performance and the enthusiasm was evident when we circled up after the show in the Alamodome.

After the show we returned to the housing site and ate dinner. The color guard and percussion had sectionals during the evening while the horn line took advantage of the time to do laundry. Clean socks equals clean feet. Guard and percussion will do laundry on Monday while the horn line is in sectional.

Tomorrow is a free day in San Antonio. Is it possible that many members will go see the new Harry Potter movie? A free day is a time for the members to relax and spend time with each other without the responsibilities of rehearsal. It is also a chance for members to see some of the sights of places they have never been.

After free day it's off to Monroe LS for a rehearsal day and show day.

Captains Log - 717.09.0440:

Just arrived in Dallas, Texas. It appears it has been raining for quite some time. Nice cloud cover, puddles of water, great temperature, and random flashes of lightning. We're staying @ the show site. Last season, Lake Highlands High School Wildcats had so many cockroaches, but I've only seen one so far! I believe we have 4 hours of floor time, which means yardlining gets 3. Time to set up the sleeping area. Dallas show tonight.

Postdate: Well, as it turns out, the fields are already striped, courtesy of the Troopers, who stayed here yesterday. Field crew gets extra floor time!

Another Day

The sun will come out tomorrow.

The show went well tonight. The members pushed through their show in the 100+ heat in full uniform and proved to us that they can do anything asked of them. Our score did not represent what we would have liked given the effort, however, that's the way things sometimes turn out. Tomorrow is another day and another show. We are going to dust ourselves off and keep moving forward.

Just a few notes about the pictures tonight. The star was in the middle of our asphalt rehearsal field in Houston today and in honor of the lone star state we give you a lone star. The stadium tonight is a shared school district football stadium and basketball arena. Football is kind of a big deal down here. The last is one of Brianna Johnson and her marching shoe. After the show she realized she had a shoe blow out!

Houston, Texas

Captains Log - 716.09.1515: Today is the Houston show and the Mandarins are ready to unveil many changes we have made over the last few days. The corps was up at 7 am after 8 hours of sleep in order to get the most rehearsal out of our day. The focus of today has been to review and refine all the changes made. With the new attitude the corps has taken on we are looking forward to the show tonight.

Fantastic last runthrough, the members are having fun performing! Rehearsal today was snificantly hotter, though we were fortunate enough to have roaming cloud cover. Some ensemble work on the opener and drum solo. Houston show tonight - step off at 7

We Aren't In Kansas Anymore

The corps made it through the long bus ride and arrived in Houston, TX at 11 a.m. There were two rehearsal blocks today, one in the late afternoon and one in the evening. During the evening block the full corps worked on the ballad portion of the show. There were substantial changes made in staging and use of the "pillows". These changes will address some of the major visual design comments we have been receiving and clarify the intent of the "Joy" production and enhance performance qualities.

Tonight's runthrough was fantastic. The members are starting to push themselves through the show from start to finish. This was an exciting run for the staff as well, as once the members push themselves to elevate the performance, it will grow past the point the staff alone can take them.

The walls came down

The show tonight was not our best. Maybe it was the heat or the wind. Any number of things could be blamed.  The prop walls blew over on one side. The other side stayed better but the wall closest to the middle managed to be pushed from running along the sideline to vertical like a yard line. Then, like a magic trick, resting with one corner on the ground and another corner on the next wall allowing it to rotate like a pinwheel for the second half of the show.

Tomorrow we march on. Members are already in the parking lot practicing those tosses and licks that did not go as planned in the show tonight. Up next is the 15 hour marathon drive into Houston.

Good bye Rose Hill

We had a nice rehearsal this morning. The horns and guard finished learning the revisions to the opener for the show tonight. This afternoons run of the show was stronger than last nights with many of the changes coming through.

A big thank you goes out to our kitchen staff and all of their hard work. The "un" air-conditioned snack shack they have been working in the last couple days reminds me that the hardest working  people in DCI rarely see the field or the shower.

captain's log - 713.09.1545

Captain's Log - 713.09.1545: Kansas was hot! Lol. We enjoyed the privilege of turf and were able to make some changes in the Opener drill. We're heading to the show site right now, about an hour and a half ride. Tonight, we have a 14 hour bus ride to Houston, Texas.

Bring On the Heat

Today was hot! After a long bus ride we arrived in Kansas. It reminded all of us that there is no place like home. The air temperature hovered around 102 with high humidity. We had access to an AstroTurf field today which means that 10 degrees of heat was reflected back to the members. We took water breaks every 15 minutes and every hour took a shade break.

Our evening ensemble block was fantastic. The stadium lights were turned on allowing us to practice until 10. A breeze picked up and the temperature dropped down to a comfortable 77 with thunder storms off in the horizon.

Too close for comfort

The show tonight was not set up for success. Our buses were stopped at a weigh station and the airport for longer than expected. The warm up was extremely short, which can lead to problems for the members. The members of the Mandarins rolled up their sleeves and dug deep to perform one of the best shows of the season.

We are leaving Denver now to travel into Kansas. 476 miles to go. Tomorrow's goal is to clean up the opener and change drill for a couple sections.

the bus

The drum corps bus is a unique place. Everything in drum corps changes daily but the bus is the only consistant thing we have. For the people who ride the bus it is our home. Once on the bus we can relax and forget about the trials of the day.

The Mandarins buses are rented from Star of America. In our buses this summer we have a DVD player, VHS player and a 6 disc CD changer. As if that wasn't enough for entertainment each bus has it's own Wi-Fi network. I am curious as to what the members will be more agitated about, no Wi-Fi or no ac?

There is no mistaking who in entering the parking lots with these buses either. Each bus says "Sacramento Mandarins" along the side. The banner also includes a flourish design that can be seen in the show on all of our flags.

Colorado swing

Our time in Colorado is coming to an end. We had our last rehearsal day here in Brush, CO which contained work on the opener and closer. Whew, the air is thin up here. Tonight - Mile High Stadium! Then headed to Kansas.

DCI's Field Pass: Absolute Mandarins

When it comes to the 2009 Mandarins, nothing but the "Absolute" best will do. In today's Field Pass, Dan Potter has a parking lot chat with five Mandarins drummers and listens to highlights of the corps' show.

http://bit.ly/IOvf2

Vista CA 7/5/09 - Last California Show

Arrived at John North High School in the early a.m. Had two short, but very productive rehearsal blocks today. The runthrough was very good, the staff was impressed! We did have a bit of a drive in front of us, as our housing was about 65 miles from the show site.

The performance that night was definitely the best of the weekend. One indication: "Partita" which is the Absolute Velocity portion of the program, held together from a music ensemble standpoint and the visual book looked more under control. The changes in the guard staging during the ballad also came across tonight. Overall, the corps members seemed very happy with their show when we circled up after the performance.

One last meal (of course) at the show site, then back home for a short week. Monday - off; Tuesday - rehearsal and load the trucks; Wednesday - off; Thursday - fly out to Colorado and start the Sacramento Mandarins 2009 DCI Tour!

4th of July in the Rose Bowl

The 4th of July was spent in Pasadena. Upon arrival at Pasadena High School in the early morning we encountered a bit of difficulty as the janitor (new to the job) had a key ring with dozens of keys, but none that would open the main gate to the campus. As a result, we loaded in the gym through the locker rooms until the day janitor arrived at about 9 a.m.

The pit spent the day with Tony Nunez who is with us the entire weekend. Tony has extensive drum corps, marching band, and house band experience with electronics and front ensembles. Since electronics are new to drum corps, having an expert work with the corps over the weekend will enable us to insure that we are making the most out of this new aspect of the drum corps idiom.

After the morning block, it was off to the Rose Bowl. This event is a drum corps exhibition show, capped by a fireworks display. The corps' performance was much improved over the previous evening. Tempos were more under control, guard enhancements added during the week came across well, and the entire performance was more solid.

As an encore, the brass and battery performed American Salute for the vast audience in the end zone. Why do they sit in the end zone? - for a better view of the fireworks! After the last corps performed, all of the brass lines combined for a rendition of America the Beautiful. Then, the fireworks display - it was impressive, dazzling, awe inspiring and more. The fact that the Rose Bowl sits in a valley and that the display was centered on the Rose Bowl made the fireworks quite spectacular.

After the show, it's off to John North High School in Riverside.

Santa Barbara Friday July 3

We spent the entire day in Santa Barbara. Rehearsal went well, with two blocks which allowed the staff to focus on the opening and closing productions. The school is in a fantastic setting with a view of the surrounding hills. The weather was very cool, in contrast to the heat of Stockton last weekend. The performance this evening was off and on. Some things better, some not. However, several of the show additions, such as the brass line/battery movement in drum solo came off well. Another couple of performance opportunities this weekend as the corps will be at the Rose Bowl on the 4th and further south in Vista on Sunday the 5th.

SoCal Trip #2

After a productive few days of rehearsal at home, the corps left for Southern California Thursday evening. The trip was uneventful and the corps arrived at scenic Santa Barbara High School around 4 a.m.

Two rehearsal blocks today and show tonight. Rehearsal today will be a challenge as our field consists of an area that includes two softball fields (including the infields). On the plus side, we are only about 20 minutes from the show site, Harder Stadium at UC Santa Barbara (and walking distance from State Street and Starbucks!).

During the last week, we have picked up a couple of horn players and guard to fill our remaining spots. However, we are down a couple of mellophone players this weekend due to health issues and are hopeful they can be resolved as the corps flys out on tour next week.

After the show this evening, the corps will be headed to Pasadena for the 4th of July Celebration at the Rose Bowl.