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partial list of DCI Casualties


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Interesting that you saw and heard "all" of the corps on the list (over 1000 of them) to be able to make such an authoritative evaluation concerning the quality of their horn lines and whittle it down to nine corps. You, sir, must be quite old and the greatest expert who has ever graced this earth. We all bow down to you as the wise sage on the pinnacle that you sit upon.

Well... not live... as many of these folded before I was even born, but I do have a collection of old Fleetwood recordings and there is loads on YouTube.

Also, playing in tune is pretty black and white.... and pretty obvious... doesn't really require an expert, but I did get a pretty decent music education

Some of those groups certainly would have been have been helped (both in terms of playing ability and financial sustainability) if the activity has switched to Bb horns in the 60's or 70's.... but that is a whole other discussion.

You mentioned the

. Not even close to playing in tune.

If the Troopers struggled to play in tune back then, and they were consistently at the top of the game, then all other corps below them were even worse off.

Here is a pretty solid reality check...

(2nd place)

(14th place)

You can't even reasonably compare how much better the Troopers are now to where they were back in the 60's and 70's when they were on top.

I'm not talking about subjective things, like design or even visual execution... I am talking about absolute fundamentals here... THE absolute fundamental... being able to play in tune.

The present day Troopers play infinitely better than the Troopers of the 70's. This is not subjective.

Show me a recording of a single pre-DCI corps that can actually play in tune... and I owe you a case of beer.

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well, not to burst your balloon, but some of the current Corps that have used singers couldn't carry a tune worth a lick, imo. Some of their singing was off key and as flat as a pancake.

or waffles.

I won't argue with you there. Some corps that have used voice talent seem to have not applied the same level of requirements as they do for other sections.

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Point taken, but I was undergoing a moment of charity when I wrote my prior response. I'll try not to let that happen again. :tongue:

I don't disrespect any groups... just seems that many people seem to have a very romanticized view of the past, while I tend to have a more realistic view and offer more direct opinions.

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I am offended by "the list" or the insinuation that this is DCI's fault. 99.9999% of those corps folded because of several reasons:

1) lack of interest by members - who moved on to other activities

2) lack of interest by members - who were more ambitious and moved to more competitive corps

3) lack of interest by parents - as their own kids lost interest

4) lack of interest by church or other sponsoring groups (AL, VFW, etc)

5) lack of funds - less parents being forced to raise more funds to dwindling membership

6) lack of vision by remaining management to seek other funding sources

7) corps went by the wayside when they refused to offer some touring opportunities - to keep pace with other local units

8) failure by all involved to realize the energy it takes to simply co-exist with other youth activities

Fill in the percentages to the above.....or add other reasons why corps have disappeared.

On the flip side, would there be any corps remaining, or would the junior corps activity have survived, if 13 leaders did not take the initiative to control its own destiny?

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No wonder Americans are getting fatter.

Hammer, meet nail. But that's as much a social discussion as it is about corps numbers.

Look at how many people are in the stands in those two Troopers videos. Causation? How much were finals tickets in 1971?

Has "Quality = Revenue" been developed only in the last few decades?

In another 25 years, when all drum corps music is sampled through electronics, all key-pushers will be perfectly in tune and all drumlines will be perfectly in time. But how many people will be in the stands to see the "competition" between 15 units?

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I am offended by "the list" or the insinuation that this is DCI's fault. 99.9999% of those corps folded because of several reasons:

1) lack of interest by members - who moved on to other activities

2) lack of interest by members - who were more ambitious and moved to more competitive corps

3) lack of interest by parents - as their own kids lost interest

4) lack of interest by church or other sponsoring groups (AL, VFW, etc)

5) lack of funds - less parents being forced to raise more funds to dwindling membership

6) lack of vision by remaining management to seek other funding sources

7) corps went by the wayside when they refused to offer some touring opportunities - to keep pace with other local units

8) failure by all involved to realize the energy it takes to simply co-exist with other youth activities

Fill in the percentages to the above.....or add other reasons why corps have disappeared.

On the flip side, would there be any corps remaining, or would the junior corps activity have survived, if 13 leaders did not take the initiative to control its own destiny?

Wow. Then the Illiana Lancers were really one in a million. It was none of these reasons we folded...

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