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An Open Letter to DCI


Am I alone?  

300 members have voted

  1. 1. Do I agree with the OP?

    • Completely. I'm taking time off, too.
      48
    • Yes, but I still love enough of DCI to stick around a bit and see if anything changes.
      109
    • Absolutely not. DCI is great and I support them wholeheartedly.
      53
    • Not really, things have changed for the worse, but I don't think they're as bad as he says.
      15
    • No, things have gotten better, but there are still a few things I'd like DCI to tweak.
      29


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P.S. I gave you a plus because no one should minus such a well-written letter.

Thanks. I'm glad someone enjoyed it. Perhaps it will end up winning more people to Drum Corps than it will chase away. I still stand by the idea that if this is the future of Drum Corps, I'll be happily stuck in the past.

The saddest part is that there are several shows that I enjoy from this season. I just can't get past DCI's judges panning those shows in favor of ones that I find awful. I'm the one missing out in the long run, but I can't think of any other way to make the point, and it's way too much of an annoyance for me just to keep sitting through the disappointments.

And for the record, I already miss drum corps. (Not so much the synths, amplification, and dance, but actual drum corps). :-)

Edited by JulesBry
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Are you seriously going to leave the activity for a single corps? Pitiful. Honestly, this seems selfish to me.

If you absolutely HATE the Blue Devils, why don't you go to the concessions during their performance? Why boycott DCI as a whole? Doesn't make sense to me.

To each their own, I guess.

He was referring to considerably more than merely BD.

I did find plenty to enjoy during this season and will return for next season, but find I agree with much of what was written. I love brass and percussion, tolerate synths and dance, and loathe the voice patches.

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Are you seriously going to leave the activity for a single corps? Pitiful. Honestly, this seems selfish to me.

If you absolutely HATE the Blue Devils, why don't you go to the concessions during their performance? Why boycott DCI as a whole? Doesn't make sense to me.

To each their own, I guess.

I don't hate BD. I just haven't liked several of their recent shows, and I really haven't liked that DCI has rewarded those same shows. I've loved many of their past shows, just none recently. Please don't put words into my mouth.

I don't like the general direction DCI has taken of late. It's not just one corps. There are some good shows this year, but not as many as I've enjoyed in past years. BD is just the number one example (in more than one way) of what I don't like about DCI and the direction it seems to be trending.

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I can't think of any other way to make the point...

Honestly, this is the problem... thinking that a letter is going to 'make a point' to anyone. You seem to be out to prove something by way of ultimatum, and as we all know, ultimatums are extremely rarely the optimal way to handle any issue.

In all honesty, from corps 1-16 or so this may be my favorite year ever. Sure, there is a corps or two that I will probably not play a lot when I get my Blu-Ray, but geez... how much awesome stuff and wonderful performances are those kids giving out there?

You can choose to handle the situation in your own way. I hope you will attend next year, but if you don't, I'd rather have you at home than being at an event complaining more about something that ***MORE THAN LIKELY*** isn't going to change for a variety of reasons.

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I think it is helpful to take a season or two off from time-to-time. I've done it a couple of times and always come back with a fresher appreciation for the overwhelming good that does take place on the field. And through Fan Network or belated purchases of finals discs (cheaper, too!), you can catch up.

I don't like the direction of change on the field, either, with all the non-brass-and-percussion stuff, but the talent displayed by the performers has never been higher in the face of high demand, IMO, so I enjoy it anyway. And I don't like every show, but I never did. Not a big deal. I truly find many things to enjoy in all but a handful this year.

I don't think they really care whether dinosaurs like us like the changes. Here's the thing: art can't stand still. It will wither and die as we do if they just keep doing what brought us to the activity in the first place. They have to find new ways to appeal to new audiences, and if that means they lose some folks along the way, they will do so. It's the way of the world.

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I don't hate BD. I just haven't liked several of their recent shows, and I really haven't liked that DCI has rewarded those same shows. I've loved many of their past shows, just none recently. Please don't put words into my mouth.

I don't like the general direction DCI has taken of late. It's not just one corps. There are some good shows this year, but not as many as I've enjoyed in past years. BD is just the number one example (in more than one way) of what I don't like about DCI and the direction it seems to be trending.

Highlighting BD that much could overshadow your entire point. I wouldn't doubt if most people saw it as a "BD bash letter".

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