Now that we have nearly 300 players and over 500 competing groups, it is time to open up applications for FMA staff positions. The following positions are open:

- 1 Drum Corps Staff Writer
- 1 Marching Band Staff Writer
- 1 Color Guard Staff Writer
- 1 Drumline Staff Writer

Staff Writer information - a staff writer is someone who plays the game and writes about their circuit of interest. You will gain access to the "Circuit News and Articles" forum, and will be able to post there. Things that Staff Writers have done in the past include show recaps, results aggregation, results analysis, interviews with other fantasy directors, and general commentary.

If you would like to be considered for a Staff Writer position, please send an e-mail to alex@fantasymarchingarts.com with the following information:

1. Your FMA username
2. Your age
3. What is your marching arts experience?
4. Can you write in coherent sentences?
5. About how often would you be able to write an article?
6. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Thanks and good luck!

Just a question: Is it an African or European Swallow?

What? I don't know!

Are you going to include moderators and such down the line Alex?

Perhaps, if the need arises.

Contra09, send me an e-mail with your info.

ooo haha i was wondering why i didnt see much posts

Here's a sample of a review I wrote a few years back........

************************************************************************************************

It's 2:11 am here, just dropped the kids off at school, had a drink and a
sandwich, if you are the spelling police, kiss my A$$.

Left for the show at 3 pm, two driving rainstorms, one hell of a lightning show
on the way up. Got to the stadium about 5, Cadets still doing the dog and pony
show for the band kids.


5:30 or so, announcement that the show will start an hour late. ( great idea )
hobnob with some other "old timers" and talk shop with a few band directors,
constantly being asked " Mike, when are we going to put something togeather".


6:55 pm, my seat is on the 47 about 65 rows up. My principal and his family
in the row behind me, an old DC friend to the right, a loud 3 year old to my
left.


I'm a high school band director that marched, taught and judged corps years ago
as well as presently teaching and judging bands. My comments are mostly
directed towards design problems and design concept . EVERY kid I saw tonight
was busting their butts to do a great show.


Americanos
Fun to watch a small corps and what they can do with what they have. Marching
and percussion was stronger than brass, brass was stronger than guard. Low
brass was getting some nice sounds, but it seems like the staff has ignored the
sops. The sops are busting their butts, but someone need to give them some
help. The lack of attention to the sops really took away from the rest of the
show. The drill was interesting for 22 horns.


Troopers
Great to see this corps still competing. Drums seemed to be the strongest suite
in the deck. Drill design kept my interest, but was not clean at all. Brass
had it moments, but you can tell they are WORKING at a better sound. The guard
suffered from a lack of basics. I would have rather seen a simple routine that
the kids can grasp instead of something attempted THAT far over their heads.
The reversed sunburst had serious problems that may have been due to the field
conditions ?


Spirit
WOW, what a statement to rebuilding. I found this show to be lightyears ahead
of last years. I truly enjoyed this performance. A little TOO cuncussive for
me at times, but a good job musically. I'm not sure who is in charge of the
pit, but DAMN, the setup of the pit was IMHO, the best pit sound of the night.
The balance was VERY enjoyable and truly stereophonic at times. The drill
started off great, but seemed a little TOO disjointed after the ballad and
affected the clarity of the drill esp. considering that it hid much of the
guard work. Why does anyone use sabers ?


Madison
I was really expecting a lot worse considering what I have read here. I
thought the drum and brass really sold the show, the drill design was very
disjointed and the guard suffers. At the point where the sabers are split in
front of the snare line, the guard members with the blue flags to the rear have
SEVERE problems which is directly due to a lack of basics. I don't understand
why you would use WHITE sabers for this type of show. First, they blend into
the overall white pants of the corps proper and second, I would think that the
SILVER sabers whoud be more suited to the theme. Actually thought the M&M was
much cleaner than I expected. Why does anyone use sabers........ok, for a
Spanish theme. Found some nice moments in the pit.


Carolina Crown
Sorry, the togas don't work for me. While I understand the concept of the show,
I really don't think it carries the weight that a drum corps show needs. Seems
as if someone different wrote the last 1/3 of the guard work. The last 1/3 was
VERY interesting, but the first 2/3 of the guard work seemed like visual white
noise. Speaking of white noise, the kids in the pit are working their butts
off, but it seems like the parts are written to sound VERY cluttered


There were times that that I really started to enjoy some of the musical work,
but was so distracted by the marching, I really don't remember the music. I was
SOOOO confused by the intervals, or should I say lack of a STANDARD interval
that in many cases, the definition of the drill could not be seen at times.
Interval has a direct realtion to BASICS. Come on staff, the kids can't do it
if they are not taught the proper way. Did I miss the boat ? Is the interval
not center of spine to center of spine anymore ?


Bluecoats
I LOVED the opening. The crispness of BRIGHT uniforms and a clearly defined
drill, then add the layering of solid color flags and I'm buying the show. Nice
use of rifles, nice use of the solid color flags, great soloist, nice use of
the guard overall. Some really wonderful musical moments with a BIG sound. The
show is a little too dirty and the maturity of the overall sound is not a top
4, but an overall visual and aural DELIGHT. This is SOLID drum corps IMHO.


Glassmen
For someone who really didn't care for last years show, I was VERY impressed
with this performance. Some of the best musical mommets of the night up to
this point. I think the drill was written very well. The exposure to error in
the guard is something nice to see. The guard work is well written and pleasing
to even the most critical eye. The biggest downfall of the night was the
soporanos. I'm sure it must have just been an off night. Way too many cracks
and bad attacks as well as intonation problems consistant within the ensemble.
While I appreciated the great performance, it left me a little cold. At the end
of the show I was thinking,," Ok, and ?


Cavaliers
There is not enough time to express my amazement regarding all aspects of this
show. I'm not one to often enjoy original works when it comes to drum corps,
but this left me, well, can you imagine being 5 years old and waking
up in the middle of the night on Christmas eve to find Santa filling your
livingroom with stacks of every toy you ever wanted ? . What did I ever do to
deserve seeing a show this great?


Cadets
A great entertaining show. I thought the dance costumes were the most
professional I have seen in drum corps as was the dance work itself. Never have
I seen better in those two area than I saw tonight. I found it hard to believe
that the same group of people could excell in both dance and equipment work as
well as they did tonight. While the musical area of the show was equal to the
dance and guard work, I felt the staging and drill itself was not up to the
standards set by the level of the performers. I also found that the clutter on
the front sideline was distracting to the overall picture. I have heard many
people talk about the Pledge being used, ok a little hokey, but I feel it has
more to do with the Catholic roots of this group than the symbolism in
relationship to the 40's show concept. I had also been waiting for the BIG
sound that has been written about on this newsgroup, and I waited, and I
waited, ok, theres a kinda big sound, but wait, the horn line is crushed up
against the front sideline with many members off the front sideline in the box.
It was more like a "track" big sound, not a "field" big sound. It was nice,
but left me wanting more depth to the sound.


Overall, it was a great show to watch in a great stadium filled with many
appreciative people. While I did not agree with all the placings and some of
the point spreads ( or lack there of ) I truly enjoyed EVERY performance. This
ticket was worth every cent

****************************************************************************************************

If a swallow flies at 26 MPH and dives into the ground at a 37 degree angle into the wind, how fast must the wind blow to cause the swallows butt to vibrate in ANY overtone of G ?

How soon will we know who made the cut?

Well we know the drumline writers along with the drum corp and marching band writers because they have posted. The only mystery seems to be the guard writer.

TaDa!

Is there anyway you'll be accepting more for next season? If so I'd love to apply! I'd have to apply early though since I'll be at band camp during pre-season week....

We'll see how things go. I may take more applicants.

If we sent one for staff writer, and you do open up for moderator positions, will we need to send another application to you?

Yes I will most likely have different instructions for moderators.

A suggestion for the future, when we aquire more members. A commentator for every division of every circuit. But that's for the future, and you probably already had that in mind.

@ Alex, I could dream couldn't I? Oh well. Although, I probably need to learn to moderate myself and not post like crazy. I think I have the highest post count in the forums. I guess I just talk too much. This post becoming a prime example.

Er... anyway, I like what you posted Rtloveless. But I don't see that being practical until more people are on the forums. Although, I think that would get the writer's board filled up pretty quickly. Maybe each circuit gets its own board then? But again, I don't see that happening until more people check the forums.

Question: If a staff writer were to apply for a moderator job, would this mean they would step down from the staff writer position if accepted as a moderator? If they were rejected the job of moderator would they still be able to hold their job as staff writer?

Moderator and Commentator positions will be handled separately. You can apply for and hold them both.

Lets wait till Alex decides there will be Moderator positions. I'm sure that's a ways down the road :/

I'm sure he'll have all the questions answered when that time comes.