mgarside83

Agreed. Jop, get out here and join us!

If Drum Corps was so big in this area BITD, then why don't those alums advocate for, promote and teach competitive high school marching band, so we get more young people involved in that region? If you care about the activity and want it to thrive, wishing for a return to the day of local corps isn't very realistic at this point, but teaching the fundamentals through competitive high school bands gets more kids doing the activity and/or supporting and at least going to shows. Might not be the ideal answer for many of you, but it is an answer. Being in a region where many schools are leaving the competitive field, I feel as though it's for no other reason than band directors not wanting do it because its a lot of time. I think this is total BS. The only difference between competing bands and non-competing bands is that competing bands are accountable for the quality of what the directors do. At least in my area. The trend of bands going to non-competitive status will cut off drum corps at the heels. Imagine the uproar if all these schools were cutting football.......can't even imagine.

I think this is a great idea, and I also agree that DCI is missing out on a lot of money and exposure. I don't think it will keep people home, I think it will spark more interest and possibly lead more people to buy DVD's once they see how good the show is. I also think some people who have always thought about going to finals but haven't may see what its like and decide its worth it to go. I think this will happen a lot more than people not going so they can watch it at home. If there's enough interest, DCI might make money off advertising as well, and the cheaper it is to watch the show, the more people will watch it, the more you can charge for advertisers on the site. I also think about a million high school and college age kids who can't afford to go to finals will throw down $15 to watch finals online. I know about 30 or so myself.

I would be really interested in starting a fund to support kids who would have trouble participating because of cost. I teach and continue to teach a lot of kids who have the talent, and love the activity, but most of whom I know will never be able to afford it. I do what I can as far as giving money to those kids who audition, but I'm limited in what I can do alone. One student I had in high school a few years back marched Glassmen last summer, and one of their staff helped him considerably in paying his dues, as he was not financially supported very much at home. I gave him $100, but there were about 10 other former students of mine marching at places and there's no way I could afford to give them all that much. I have had many students over the years who I'm sure would have marched somewhere, and had the talent and work ethic to do so, but simply could not afford it. I don't know how much I can do, I'm a poor SOB, but if there is significant interest from others to look into and start a fund such as this, I'd be very interested in working with them. I guess the first thing I'd like to know is if there is already anything out there like this now? And secondly, if there isn't, is there significant interest from others out there to make something like this possible? If there is, let's get it done! I'm all in!!!

I've had many many many very similar experiences. I haven't encountered anyone yet who loved the synth or sound samples that corps were doing. I've only encountered varying levels of tolerance for them.

Careful, I think you just insulted Minnesota Brass Inc. with the MBI idea.

I saw Reading, MBI and Hurcs last night, and I was convinced even more so that Drum Corps doesn't need electronics. Reading didn't have any trouble filling the stadium with sound at Lewisburg, and I could hear their pit just fine(which played with good technique and no rock hard mallets seemed to be used that I could tell, it all sounded very nice and warm). I think the argument over keyboard projection isn't even relevent anymore because in newer model outdoor boards, the resonators and projectors have evolved and are far superior to instruments of the mid 90's. Even 10 years ago, listen to Cavies pit in their Niagara Falls show......tell me that doesn't sound great. But hey, I can live with amping the pit anyway. Sythn and electonic sound bites and recordings I can't see myself ever enjoying. I continue to support the activity, I love the competitive marching activity as a whole, high school band (only the competitive variety), DCI and DCA. But i don't enjoy, see the value in, or understand the reasoning behind electronics in any of these. If additions like this keep happening, I don't know where I will draw the line, but this is the 1st major change I've lived through that really bothered me like this. The only value I see in electronics is as a crutch for designers who aren't creative enough to be designing. Maybe instead of changing the rules, corps should change some designers, get some new creative blood in there. I think the "good ol boys club" of staff trading and the lack of a professional hiring process in DCI and DCA hurts the creativity more than anything. But that's just my 2 cents.

Is 27 old? I hate electronics. Maybe I'm just mature for my age!

I'm so sorry about that. I wish you could have experienced some of the shows I have, and I wasn't introduced to DCI until DCI East in 2000.

So......how has electronics made DCI better? The same groups are winning all the time? That's your argument? I have an idea. Put a salary cap on how much corps are allowed to spend on their entire production, staff salaries, all of it. Create an equal playing field, then the only variable is design and technical instruction. I think then it may become more diverse at the top.

If people prefer amped voice in shows as you suggest, then why have almost, if not all groups, moved away from utilizing amped voices, esp. narration? I also notice you suggested earlier narration sepcifically but now have adopted "amped voices" as your language. Just an observation.

WOOHOO, could you please define what your vision of what you'd like to see DCI become. It seems all you do is argue for the sake of arguing anyone who doesn't like changes to the activity and you seem to blindly support whatever DCI does and any direction they take. Then you criticize people who care enough about the activity to try to voice their concerns over things that may ruin it. It just seems to me that you're a blind follower and will go in just about any direction DCI takes and support it. I care enough about the activity to speak about things I believe are bad for the activity, and I equally speak up about things I think are great that the activity is doing. I don't have any proof that you would accept (I don't think there is such a thing) that the electro movement in DCI is a step in a very wrong direction, but to me it just seems like common sense. Likewise, you can't prove it has had any positive effect. If nothing else, I have a very strong feeling against it. It appears many others do as well. If I didn't care very deeply about DCI, I wouldn't voice my concerns. But all your "you have no proof" arguments are getting old. I challenge you to prove to us that sythns and electronic sound bites have had any positive impact on DCI. Are there more fans now? Is DCI bringing in more money now? Are there more corps now? What did they "fix" that was broken? Is the activity cheaper or more expensive now? What is better about DCI now that we have electronics? I can't see any positive impact electronics have had on DCI. On top of this, all this talk of making DCI more accessible and "like" high school competitive marching bands, is ridiculous. I can say from experience, there are very few groups in the high school realm who can actually afford to mimmick what DCI groups are doing with the electronics, and even fewer who have the expertise to mimmick what DCI is doing. So to me, it seems all electronics have done is open the void between the 2 activities even further, which isn't something I would think you would support. Now it isn't just different instrumentation, bands can't afford to do what corps are doing. For that matter, many corps can't afford to do what corps are doing. Is that a good thing for the activity as a whole? Seperating the elite even further and making it even more inaccessible? I think the elite should earn thier status by being better than everyone else, not by being richer and having more toys. If they are the best, then be the best by executing and designing the best shows, within the same limitations that every other group has, or should have. Forcing everyone to buy expensive sound systems and hiring experts to run them and set them up is just a way for the wealthier groups to buffer themselves from competition. At least this is what it seems like to me. I used to admire DCI groups when I marched in my high school band because (other than us having woodwinds) they were the same as us, but they were so much better and more intense. They were inspiring, and gave me an image to mold myself into. Now, they are almost a different activity entirely, with the exception of rich BOA schools who are staffed by the same people designing and making decisions in DCI.

I don't think anyone is using narration anymore. Maybe people in the stands openly booing the Cadets at East in 2006 had something to do with it. It's a shame that it came to that for the performers in that corps. On the other hand, it seems the tactic got results. Perhaps if corps directors made more of an effort to get in touch with and open communication about what fans want to see, unfortunate events like that wouldn't happen. Why should fans let them tell us what we should like? It's their responsibility to create a product for the fans, not the fans responsibility to like what they do no matter what. That's def. the mentality of some people on this discussion, and I'm afraid it's the mentality of many of the show designers. They hide it behind, we're doing what the kids want us to, but that's a load of BS. A good ploy to shield themselves from any accountability for designing bad shows and bringing things like sythns into drum corps. If 1,000's of fans are getting on their feet throwing babies at the performers at the end of their show, they will most likely be getting a good experience. Seems to me, the key is the fans. Duh??? :blink:

This argument is completely ridiculous. The voting had nothing to do with electronics vs. non-electronics. Fans voted for the shows they liked. I like many shows that have electronics. I hate electronics in the shows, but it doesn't mean the show isn't likeable. I don't think fans were thinking so politically when they voted, rather, just picking shows they liked. When all the top quality shows from 2005 through 2007 are using A&E, I think no matter what, a few that use a lot of it are going to get in. In regards to your comment on narration.....if so many people like it, how many corps are using narration in their shows now?

Using that logic, I guess most of our equal rights laws came into being by acting like 4 year olds........ I mean, you're the one telling people if they don't come to shows then they shouldn't voice their opinion. Well, if they come to shows, I think they have a right to voice their opinion. I think it should be done in good taste and gestures toward the kids are uncalled for. However, I think it's totally acceptable to hold directors and staffs accountable for their actions. They are paid primadonnas, and it's not like there's many other ways they are reachable or open to hearing feedback from fans. If anything, they go to great lengths to avoid any fan feedback or accountability. So bring it to them! I think I might bring a sign to East the reads "No Electronics in DCI!"