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So what are we going to do about it?


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2 hours ago, MikeN said:

This argument has been made online for 17 years now, since the switch in 2000 to Bb horns.  It still hasn't happened.  DCI has stayed at the forefront of the marching activity, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon. 

Mike

 

Actually, it has been going on FAR longer than that. There were comments about drum corps turning into marching band when contras were added around 1961/62. I read one on NanciD's website of old Drum Corps News articles.

 

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59 minutes ago, MikeD said:

All corps are permitted to do it, if they so choose. It is a completely fair contest, as each corps creates the show and sound they desire. How well it works is up to the eyes and ears of those watching/listening, and in some cases, evaluating/scoring.

My outmoded opinion is that the contest is becoming more about which corps has the most sophisticated sound system, best use of electronics, mics, etc.

Is this what drum corps is supposed to be? Some say yes. Some say no.

As a fairly new fan of the activity (2010) I must admit that even in this short span I have seen a huge change and I certainly understand the position of the old-schoolers. Perhaps I am becoming one of them.

Edited by luv4corps
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19 minutes ago, FTNK said:

Like everything else in drum corps (and life?), if you do it well, people will like it; if you don't do it well, people won't like it. Doesn't matter what "it" is. 

And even if 'it' is done well, people may still not like it.  For instance, Millie Brown is extremely well talented at her craft; but I for one hate, I mean really hate, what she does on stage during a Lady GaGa concert.  Look it up.

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32 minutes ago, luv4corps said:

My outmoded opinion is that the contest is becoming more about which corps has the most sophisticated sound system, best use of electronics, mics, etc.

Is this what drum corps is supposed to be? Some say yes. Some say no.

As a fairly new fan of the activity (2010) I must admit that even in this short span I have seen a huge change and I certainly understand the position of the old-schoolers. Perhaps I am becoming one of them.

 

Since the 'best' use of amps and electronics creates a better sound, of course it should be rewarded over a unit that does not do a good job of using them. It isn't the presence of something, but the usage made of that something that matters.  

Corps try and made the best use of every "something" that they have, be it an amp, synth, flag, trumpet, snare drum, etc...

I'm an old schooler, for sure. Saw my first show in 1963, and marched from 64-72. I am still constantly amazed at what the performers and designers do, as I was back then.

 

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17 minutes ago, MikeD said:

 

 

Corps try and made the best use of every "something" that they have, be it an amp, synth, flag, trumpet, snare drum, etc...

 

It is worth noting that the corps that make the best use of drill, drum, flag, horn & rifle ALSO seem to be the corps who generally do the best job with electronics.  No question about that.  

Ironically though, it is BD17's opening drill that makes me long for the old school shows that I never got to see (except briefly on the old fan network, which I mistakenly took for granted).

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3 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Read my post again.  It was responding only to your sentence, "This activity is designed to evolve".  But since you conflated it with everything else in this thread that irks you:

- It is not "my" petition.

- I understand DCI is a business, and likely could not even figure out what we think of it, much less care.

- Not sure about the accuracy of your attendance data.  If you think there were 30,000 fans at finals last year, you should check again.

- Yes, I understand that it might take a fatal loss of fan support before DCI would have any chance of recognizing at what point correlation really is indicative of causation.  The world of hurt DCI was in for years after the fan discontent of 1993 has been blamed entirely on the choice of venue for championship week that year.  Any attendance drop in the electronic era can be blamed on the economy instead of the electronics.  Amping the whole corps may not even rise to become one of the top five moments of electronic discontent; too early to say.

I'm gonna save you the trouble of keeping the argument going. I don't really care about any of this or what your opinion is on anything. You think you're right, I think I'm right. In the grand scheme of things, none of it matters. This website is just chalked full of folks that would rather be right about their opinion than just enjoy the show, which is a shame. I truly hope you (and since you had to say that it wasn't your petition, I thought I'd mention that I am using the royal you, as in everybody) can learn to just enjoy the show. Have a great day, friend! 

Oh and you were right about something, there were only around 25-26 thousand folks at finals last year. That's still a pretty great number of people losing it for these sorts of shows in the live setting. 

Edited by CCond
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Some changes are good and some changes are bad, I take it as it comes. All too frequently I see someone say we’ll you’re opposed to this so you were opposed to all change, we must evolve. But as any studied cow knows, most changes in evolution fail and those lines go extinct. When will DCI shed off it’s bad changes so that it can advance?

The real enemy to drum corps is marching band teachers.

Edited by cowtown
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BOA and high school marching band drive the activity now - so if show designers are doing cool things for HS marching bands they're going to want to do those same things in DCI -- ultimately, I guess all we can do as fans is decide at what point we're going to stop enjoying the activity and spend our money elsewhere -- for the MMs, it's a shame because musicians are going to lose out on the unique experience -- all because of show designers who wanted to push the activity to unsustainable levels ---

 

Best case outcome is show designers realize that mic'ing the horn ensemble is great for broadway pit orchestras, Blast and indoor WGI but not for drum corps.

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