Jeff Ream Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 No, they didn't. Just because they agreed with the changes in the proposals, doesn't mean they 'bent' to his will. That makes them sound like spineless toadies, which is hardly the case for the leaders of the top corps in the country. Don't forget, for Amps and electronics the instructors had wanted them for a long time. far from just amps. and looking at some former board directors, well, you nailed it right on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 HMMMM is this why all the 7 directors continued to support it even after the presentation its also easy after the fact to say you didnt or did feel a certain way. If it had gone in the favor of the promotors of the proposal, I think ( I know ) you would have had even more in support outwardly.It didnt, so now it's easy to say the opposite. Also, noone succeeds alone. If Hop has the persuasive powers that many say he has then it doesnt say much for the others. One of those 7 was always on the fense BUT thats what they always have done ALWAYS, they wait to see whos winning and jump on that side .... JMO WEll,lets not go back to that whole fiasco welllllll...... they did and they didn't. really they didnt really speak out for it....or against it. they stayed deathly quiet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 welllllll...... they did and they didn't. really they didnt really speak out for it....or against it. they stayed deathly quiet well 1 in particular and thats what they do..if it went forward they would have been all supportive..they just want to be the good guys at least to the public but sneaky as hell behind the scenes and have been since the inception of DCI..this I know 1st hand..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DITD Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Drum corps decline is due to a greater variety of activities for young people not to mention most people consider pageantry arts as nerdy for lack of a better term. Marching band programs have become the stepping stone to world class drum corps and sometimes a viable alternative. Though we all know differently, a lot of folks don't give community or open class corps the same deserved consideration as the G7/8. The cost of tour is prohibitive. Thankfully, Michael Cesario has heard the common folk and is moving the repertoires to accessibility. Otherwise, some shows have been shall we say esoteric at times and honestly, styled to the tastes of the judge rather than the paying public. Some of the electronic and voice work has been a bit hackneyed. Some has been brilliant--SCV 2004 comes to mind. Thank God Crown proved you can play at Jim Ott power on Bb because while the key change greatly helped tuning, volume suffered, and please admit that volume is one of the things that makes drum corps cool. To a newbie, that first GE hit is what hooks them not electronic samples or clarinet trios. And regrettably, the high level of musicianship and athleticism necessary to compete can be an impediment towards recruitment. Is the average musician or guard artist able to perform at this level? Cadets2 is proof that Hop thinks YEA needs an incubator to recruit candidates that have performance skills that are on the bubble. Do I think WW would be the end of drum corps? As we know it now, yes. It would continue, but it would be decidedly different for better or worse. Do I think WW could be used effectively? Sure, as an amplified instrument playing the first solo in Rhapsody in Blue or perhaps a sax quintet in a Cadets swing number, but I can't see sacrificing brass for flutes on the field. Very insightful. As a present day instructor in the high school marching band trenches, I can tell you that kids are different than even when I was in school in the 90's. Asking them to commit to 2 rehearsal days a week, plus a Friday football game, and a Saturday competition- what my peers and I used to call "life"- is a stretch. Many would rather "have a life," or get a job (which equates to a car and pocket change), or "enjoy their senior year" than commit to one activity that offers fun via life metaphors. Granted, show design is trending differently than the "golden years." But I believe the above post contributes profoundly and heavily to the drop from 45,000 at finals in the early 80's to the 17ish thousand that were at Indy last year. I also appreciate how Wallace, and others here, admit that WW would change the activity forever, but that is only intended to be 'a possible' solution to this conundrum that we face. When listening to the OP's link on MRT, it's not that a flute or clarinet would replace the stenciled 72 member brass hornline, but would function to supplement (by adding another bus +55). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 well 1 in particular and thats what they do..if it went forward they would have been all supportive..they just want to be the good guys at least to the public but sneaky as hell behind the scenes and have been since the inception of DCI..this I know 1st hand..lol true. but I do gather some were really surprised by Hops portion as Garfield mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wort Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 I can't speak to the expensiveness of woodwinds vs brass. But yes, electronics/mikes/PAs/mixers and fancy quiet marimbas are very expensive, though if you read Hop's endless proposals to get electronics allowed (he submitted them yearly until he got his way, speaking of browbeating), you'll see he underplayed the costs ("just a few mikes and a mixer are very inexpensive") and, once he got amps in, he used their existence as an excuse (along the lines of "well, we're spending all this money on expensive amps and mixers and all they do is amp the pit, so it'd actually be *more efficient* to just add some synths" -- he also used that line to argue against the proposals to drop electronics of any sort. He did not mention that getting rid of them would allow the corps to make some cash by selling the used equipment, not have to replace them, not stand as another $20k you have to spend to be competitive, etc, etc). Sheesh. Never met the guy and already I don't like him..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Thank God Crown proved you can play at Jim Ott power on Bb because while the key change greatly helped tuning, volume suffered, and please admit that volume is one of the things that makes drum corps cool. To a newbie, that first GE hit is what hooks them not electronic samples or clarinet trios. YES and YES and YES. This was true for me (a brass player), my wife (a flute player), and my daughter (a violin player). That brass power is such an incredible high in a way that no amount of amplified sound ever will be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesBry Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 So what is your response if a corps doesn't "pull you off your feet"? I give them pity applause. Sometimes, I give them silence. Just because I do it, I don't kid myself into thinking that's what the performers really want to hear. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OleMissRebel Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I really don't know much when it comes to..well anything much to be honest but my guess would be DCI is suffering because music education in general is suffering and moving in a different direction. Band/Orchestra/Choral programs all over the country are being cut and its just a different time. I don't think WW would help the activity. In fact i think WW could destroy DCI just by the fracturing of an already shrinking fan base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) I give them pity applause. Sometimes, I give them silence. Just because I do it, I don't kid myself into thinking that's what the performers really want to hear. :-) Has anyone said that they think they know what the corps members want?... Edited June 24, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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