Jump to content

Recommended Posts

16 hours ago, AoEnut said:

It is a little silly to start the season off like this.  All that time committed to learning the show in the winter, the drill in the spring and when you go out for the 1st show it's an exhibition.  

not silly at all and was like this for several seasons in the 90's. I forget the place in Jackson NJ that never cut the grass, or the place in Bayonne in 95. never a number, come, perform, get a read, party, go home. worked fine

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

West Pittston show is judged with scores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a staff member/performer, I liked having it as an exhibition.  Every sport has a Spring training where they play exhibition games (actually does basketball?  Not sure about them.)  Anyway, I think its great for newer performers to have a weekend where its a show situation where they get a feel for how DCA works, with a bit less pressure because it isn't scored, but the staff can still get some early feedback from the judging community.  I think it may have had something to do with everyone being done with the show, too.  In past years many groups haven't had the full show out at Wildwood, this year I can imagine they were more willing to just get it out there, knowing they still had another day or two to clean before they get a score.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fred-

 

From what I see in the age of Twitter, people appear to seek and desire the quick and glib comments. I take notes during the performance and then try and write something thoughtful- and it usually takes about 4 hours of typing to get it done. People seem to want "OMGS that corps was AWESOME I luffed it They was GREAT!" more than any real thought or balanced thought behind it. Nothing that says other than the performance was GREAT, AWESOME, WUNDERBAR, etc. Even if it wasn't necessarily that wonderful.

 

That's part of why I'm not feelin' it.

 

Some of it could be the way I perceive the way the audience is subtly changing. I think I'm starting to see the Jersey HS Band phenomena creep into the mix. Clap for your kids, sit on your hands for everyone else. I read that at times now with some DCA audiences.

 

Sometimes, I sense now that people stand for everyone because that's what one is supposed to do- not because the performance warranted it. Personally, there were times we wondered BITD why they stood.... there were times we knew it was earned and appreciated it. Overhearing the one corps staff member grouse after the Nazareth contest last year about the lack of crowd reaction after a designed impact point honked me off. To be blunt, the corps didn't make it happen. It fizzled. It went down like a Lead Zeppelin. HS bands train parents to react to certain show points regardless of whether they're sold or not nowadays. I personally manipulated a crowd at a championship once I read the audience and figured out they clapped at nearly anything no matter how good or bad it was when I last staffed a HS unit. Will we see bunk like that now in DCA? I'm seriously wondering.

 

I also wonder whether guys like me fit in anymore. I appreciate just about everyone in DCA and what they present. I'm an old school fan. Now, I see mostly parents, family, and alumni of the host corps, fewer people like myself. To illustrate this-- this happened at a contest last year. I wore my brand-new White Sabres shirt I got from them at a previous contest. I know for at least 2 seasons I'd been on them about trying to get something from them so I could support a good corps that I really like monetarily and show support in the stands. I know from experience we'd read the audience when we'd hit the opening form and go to parade rest and see how many folks were wearing our stuff. As we got better, that number grew. We'd thank people for wearing one of our shirts or caps when we could. It was appreciated.

 

At this show I was asked about 4 times, "Are you on staff with White Sabres?"..... :blink: I know Bob Zazzara would have flashed his trademark grin and laughed pretty hard if I told him about that. Donny... would likely groan, shake his head and beat his head on the wall, poor guy. :innocent: It seemed to me those people were speaking in code and telling me "Why are you wearing a shirt of a corps that's not our corps, the ones our kids are in, the host corps!?!?!?!?!" For God's sake, I didn't think I was going to an Eagles game. That leaves me rather cold.

 

I know at least once last season at the six shows I attended, some band mom... oops, a corps mom... yelled "THEY'RE ALWAYS READY!!!!!"  when the announcer asked the Drum Major if the corps was ready... that's part of the band deal, corps is better than that, at least I think and hope so. I believe a cute puppy, kitten, and baby harp seal dies when someone does that at a corps show. I know for certain that part of me dies when I hear that at a corps show.

 

Some of the threads recently in the DCA area have also left me down, out and frankly angry. I really loathe some of the recent comments in some threads that "Music Educators ruined this activity". I am one of "those guys". I decided to change majors and become one in good part from my corps experience. On the other side of the coin, in spite of my strong educational credentials and euphonium resume I've been treated off and on because I'm a corps guy as one of "those guys". Nothing but trouble, musically illiterate (I was asked by a fellow student in college if I could read music, I told them "Yeah, I can. I didn't see you at the last two PA All-State Bands, where were you?"), downright stupid, a "musical jock".... people regarding my corps experience as a serious negative for teaching jobs, what's it gonna be!? It's as if I don't really fit in anywhere right now, and that's a tough feeling to have after the serious work I put in on both sides of the fence.

 

It seems the only place for folks like me to fit in at a show is Finals Weekend, which is more than adequately covered by the heavy hitters and covered live. Just my belief right now.

 

I know a lot of the performers dig what I write. They know someone who isn't a Dad or Mom who claps for everything gets what they do and appreciates it and really thinks about their show. Maybe that's who I'm writing for, I don't know.

 

Maybe Williamsport this year. There's more in the mix as to how I feel, this is the tip of the iceberg and it took 45 minutes to think it out. :guinesssmilie:

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BigW -

I feel much the same on so many points!  You know, we probably have plenty in common, especially as professionally-trained educators. I've done quite a bit of writing over the years, some of it published. It takes work, for sure. This IS a different culture. Communication skills on many levels have degraded. I generally do not attend live events anymore. I have no more patience for all that entails, I suppose.

BUT . . . . now, drum corps happiness comes through the former Fan Network, DCI-Live and, hopefully, the new FloMarching.  Add-in Finals Blue-rays with a big time home audio/video system, well, I've found my place !

Please know, your work is appreciated. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dub can annoy me ( joking mostly)but he does write god stuff. the advent of DCP the facebook page has pulled traffic from here, corps do tell people to stay away and yes, for years some people couldnt handle objective feedback. its hurt the forums in DCA.

 

at shows yes the culture has been changing, like we've been seeing in DCI for years. Older die hards have died or walked away....it is what it is. and yes, staff can get in a snit if people don't respond to their "art" just so, and usually its due to the corps not delivering.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Kamarag said:

You're certainly entitled to your opinion of silliness, but i'd argue it's an uninformed one.

Here’s my uninformed opinion, again.  it used to be a judged show, it actually used to be inside at the convention center (definitely silly because the field wasn’t big enough).

My question, same as before, why?  

It was certainly okay to run inside on a field that wasn’t big enough as a competition field.  Up till last year it was still a judged show at Maxwell field. 

What’s the angle?  Everyone has high school kids. Most, if not all, were pretty full and prepared to perform.  Regarding commentary, it's just that, the number has nothing to do with that.  It's probably odd for them to not give a number.  

Yes, you can get a number 5 days later, but, the competitive season is now a week later, I’m sure in 5 years it will be a week later than that and champs will move from labor day weekend, the cost running a corps is just to much for it to go that late.  Kids have high school and college to get to, this will become the biggest challenge of DCA.  

Why change it? 

Are DCA corps not happy getting a number that early?  

Are there certain corps that don’t feel it’s fair?  

Are certain corps prepared and others not and this allows for another week to delay their competitive measure?

 

AoE

 
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, AoEnut said:

Here’s my uninformed opinion, again.  it used to be a judged show, it actually used to be inside at the convention center (definitely silly because the field wasn’t big enough).

My question, same as before, why?  

It was certainly okay to run inside on a field that wasn’t big enough as a competition field.  Up till last year it was still a judged show at Maxwell field. 

What’s the angle?  Everyone has high school kids. Most, if not all, were pretty full and prepared to perform.  Regarding commentary, it's just that, the number has nothing to do with that.  It's probably odd for them to not give a number.  

Yes, you can get a number 5 days later, but, the competitive season is now a week later, I’m sure in 5 years it will be a week later than that and champs will move from labor day weekend, the cost running a corps is just to much for it to go that late.  Kids have high school and college to get to, this will become the biggest challenge of DCA.  

Why change it? 

Are DCA corps not happy getting a number that early?  

Are there certain corps that don’t feel it’s fair?  

Are certain corps prepared and others not and this allows for another week to delay their competitive measure?

 

AoE

 

why? the corps wanted it this way. thats why

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...