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I feel a performance isn't excellent unless it entertains.

I'm entertained by Excellence.

Is YEA trying to rewrite the past? Small but tacky..

It is a product issue... Not a thing that can be tweaked either. There are only so many kids that get involved in the arts. Some want to be a Coy-boy when they grow up, some a fireman and yet others want to be police officer. There aren't very many kids growing up who say, I want to be a professional (You fill in brass instrument here) player. There are far more who have dreams of playing guitar these days than budding trumpet players. Band wasn't cool in the 50's. Trust me... neither was corps, except for the people who were in it or their parents. Here is an example... In 2009 I marched in the SF Renegades and the July part of our season was spent in LA. We were at a community college in a pretty bad neighborhood. It was the very first time that we would wear our new uniforms. I remember it well... We were swaggering around the parking lot. We were across the street from a bunch of street thug looking guys with low rider cars. We were all talking about how Bad ### we looked in our new uniforms until... I looked across the street and saw the thugs laughing at us. We didn't look bad ### or any other such thing. We looked like 50 year old's in Marching Band Uniforms. I assure you this is neither cool or tough, at least in most cultures! It WILL NEVER BE A MAINSTREAM THING... Danielrey could be right... It might have enough educational value to be sponsored in some meaningful way by a or many large corporate sponsors. But after the initial investment I think we will find that the inability we as an activity to generate wads of cash, will eventually cause the corporate interest to wain. All in all... I want to see as much drum corps as possible before it is gone. I don't complain about the shows... There are shows that I can not make myself sit through each and every year. I have gone on record as stating that I am not a fan of classical music. So that limits my ability to enjoy drum corps shows as it is. But I still wouldn't change a thing... I was a part of the innovation as it was starting and I like what the kids and most of the designers are doing now too... I would love for it to last forever, but I bet we see the end of it in most of our lifetimes...

Although you may npt see the big DCA corps in the western new york area like BITD, if you go to a parade around here you may see...The Hitmen, Prime Time Brass, The Ghost Riders, St Joes Alumni, The Hilton Generations, Kelly's Heroes, Dansville White Sabers, Savannah Cellar Savers et al... yeah, it might not be like the old days, but these smaller groups are packing some serious talent. All of the previous groups mentioned are filled with, taught by, music arranged by...drum corps people. Donny

I'm glad the story was deemed important enough for the (local) TV news to cover.

probably not. too many communites have a hard enough time paying their own bills, and there's far more options for people to choose to do things with their time. Plus the cost, even of running a parade corps is a lot more than back in the day. I know of folks here that tried several times to get a parade corps going. Older folks didn't want to do parades unless they were on a flatbed truck, and younger folks wanted to go for a score.

1988 In recent years Spartacus and Machine. Two great and entertaining shows that also happened to win. That doesn't happen often these days.

You know, thinking about this makes me wonder about a few things. My junior corps stint was with that evil drum corps in blue from the west coast that everyone seems to love to hate. Mind you, this was back before dirt. (mid '80's to be precise). I have had my disagreements with their creative choices lately but from a purely organizational standpoint there are a few things they bring to the table that I believe are relevant to this conversation. Sure, the Blue Devils have, through their success over the years, enjoyed the benefit of selecting from the very best potential membership from all over the world. They have also, however, done great things for their community in reaching out to address the musical needs of the Bay Area. Take, for example, the Diablo Winds. This is a community wind ensemble that supports and nurtures music education in the immediate Concord area. The continued support of the B and C corps is another example. Especially the C corps which is comprised of kids barely big enough to hold the horn. They are, in fact, starting these kids from scratch. How many of these kids go on to eventually march with the A corps? In reality, not many, but that isn't the point. When people from the community see "Blue Devils" they see an organization that is actively involved in supporting the youth of the area. Perhaps this is part of the reason for their success. I am sure that it is a big reason for their acceptance and appreciation among the civic leaders and local businesses of the Bay Area. Perhaps if more organizations took this type of approach they might enjoy more long term success. Everyone seems to want to reach for the immediate competitive success rather than building roots in the community that will ensure long term growth. Just a thought. Dan

I don't think there is a clear answer to making shows more entertaining. Some years every show is entertaining and other years not so much. I know there are trends occurring that I`m not fond of. From a visual standpoint, I don't like the tendency to have individual members of the guard doing their own thing - this includes small groups of guard members as well. I think this comes directly from WGI. Give me a great ensemble moment and I'm happy. While were at it, get rid of sabres. Some years I`m convinced show designers put the guard in the most ridiculous outfits possible just to be different. Some of the comments here are about choices of music. Every time I think about something to not like, I`ll think of a show to prove me wrong. Unlike a few others, I love some of the wind ensemble stuff that has been done. Yesterday I watched a whole string of Cavies shows going back to their rise in the 80s and was completely entertained. Their Advent years are some of the most entertaining shows done. Advent music would not have been my first choice but what they did with it was amazing. The one thing I agree with is the lack of Spanish/Latin music. There is so much out there to draw from and no one seems to want to touch it anymore. One more thing, isn`t the 150 member limit just a bit too much?

Good Day, Everyone! If you haven't had a chance to see the changes going on in our little irish part of the world, please check things out! New show announcement, staff advancements and additions, a MIDI of the opener for the show, and much more! www.pioneer-corps.org One of those changes is my role with the corps; I have been asked to assume the role of Director of Operations. In this role, I'll be working with expanding our social media footprint, grant writing, general fundraising as well as assisting members with sponsorships, day-to-day logistics, creating and implementing a handbook, organizing and editing our curriculum, and changing how we use technology in our unique learning environment. I'll still be teaching on occasion, but the Caption Head position is now in the able hands of Jon Gifford, who returns to our staff for a second year. In an effort to increase our presence online, please check out our "Splash Page": http://about.me/pioneer_corps this link takes you to our social media sites, and will be expanded on in the future. Check out the website for more info, and please let me know if you have any questions, interested students, etc. Recruiting has been pretty good this year, but we could use a few more in brass and guard, especially. Thanks again, and stay better every day! Lansing R. Dimon

2007 cadets ...

Some pre-season fun that I'm sure has already been done before. But what the heck... It's not like there aren't a plethora of G7 threads about either. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb is the foundation. Some examples to start us off.... Rach Star or: How I Dreamt One Night Band Dorks Were Cool And Had Groupies Turandot or: How To Scrape The Barrel Of Shows That We Can Kill People In Through A Glass, Darkly or: How I Confronted My LSD Addiction In Lucas Oil Stadium 12.25 or: How Not To Follow Up A Championship Year Volume II, Through The Looking Glass or: How Not To Follow Up A Championship Year, Volume II ... and, go!

I Love Waffles!

There were no phones at all for rehearsals. You could use it when you were on the bus, and a bit in the gym. But never on the field. You were there to do a job, not have social time. I know Cavaliers used to have a no cell phone rule, but that has been gone for a while now.

And yet the major theme of the perc solo was "Close Encounters"! Solo was all right....rest of the show....major meh. NOT their best work.

Although you may not see the big DCA corps in the western new york area like BITD, if you go to a parade around here you may see...The Hitmen, Prime Time Brass, The Ghost Riders, St Joes Alumni, The Hilton Generations, Kelly's Heroes, Dansville White Sabers, Savannah Cellar Savers et al... yeah, it might not be like the old days, but these smaller groups are packing some serious talent. All of the previous groups mentioned are filled with, taught by, music arranged by...drum corps people. Donny

local outreach is the best way to do anything, long before tv should be on the list. youhave to build it locally...get shows tied into community events. Some standstills, maybe even a parade. tv is too financially a risk for DCI in it's current state.

people can hit whatever button, I don't give a ####. It's a different world than it was when community drum corps thrived. hell, I just asked a coworker to name his towns mayor...he couldn't.....people's involvement with their community is not what it was 40/50 years ago. Legions and VFW's are struggling to survive. Churches are struggling to keep up their finances. Community Groups are begging for $$ to fund what they have done for years. Many parades don't oay at all or if they do, not like they used to. And maintaining equipment, moving it from place to place and insurance isn't cheap. and...incentive. Just getting together and play may work for some alumni groups. Younger faces will want to do more.Sure, it would be great, especially in cities, to get some youth programs going to help keep kids off the street. But those groups have a hard time paying for what they do too. so people can red mark me. Big deal. It's not the facts I'd like to admit exist, but dems da facts

Has any seen the movie "Larry Crowne"? There's a scene in a college classroom where a student takes a call during class. A somewhat jaded, rather surly professor walks to his desk and tells him to repeat (into the phone) what she's saying: (I am) going to learn to care. Your bandmates need to learn to care. Everyone does today. This idea that multi-tasking was born with the smartphone and the millenial generation is stupid. It wasn't. What was born in the new millenium was a lower standard of caring. A generation ago, I could have read a comic book or talked to the cutie in the flute section during band and played my parts better than pretty much anyone there. But that would have showed I didn't care, which I did. I cared enough to concentrate. I cared enoungh not to distract those around me. This is not about what you CAN do. It's about what you SHOULD do. Care. HH

I gave you a plus 1 to start off with before you get a ####load of negatives (for speaking the truth).

When ESPN decides to air a sport--many of which they pay for the rights to air--they do so because they know people want to watch that sport. It's for the ratings. The fact that drum corps can't get on TV unless drum corps pays is a reflection of how the programming directors perceive the activity. It's an insular activity with now enough "mass" to justify. When PBS did live telecasts in the 70's, the activity was more populist. It was still associated with organizations like the VFW and American Legion who had millions of members. More laypeople had actually heard of drum corps because it wasn't unusual to see the local corps march in the local Memorial Day parade. If you have to pay the networks--and not the other way around--to get on national TV, then the question we should be asking isn't "would TV help drum corps more popular", but "why isn't drum corps popular enough to have program directors WANTING to air it?"

I don't know about corps policies across the board but, IMO, you absolutely did the right thing in quitting the group. IMO, it will never excel if the director allows such distractions from focused rehearsal. But I'm an old guy.

Well, then, if you think DCI is bad, WGI must have their heads even deeper in the sand. When was the last time they were on TV? And competitive marching band is doomed. They have never had a TV presence. Must be totally irrelevant.

Minnesota Brass's show made me laugh harder than I have in a VERY long time, we need more of that kind of entertainment. That was pretty great...

What is your one favorite drum corps photo? (Not two, not three, not "Well, I couldn't decide, but it's definitely one of these...") If you had to frame one picture and put it on your wall to remind you of how great/cool/amazing/educational/inspiring drum corps is, which one would it be? For me, it is this photo, which was taken during the Cadets encore performance after finals in 1998. It's a visual staffer looking for ticks... during the performance after the finals performance where the corps scored a 10.0 in field visual. Why? Because it reminds me that everything can always be better.

The final time that Gail Royer conducted Send in the Clowns after Finals in 1992. An end of an era, and a phenomenal man.

Add Music City Legend to the list...I think one of the reasons there used to be corps all over the place, is because a kid with no musical background was welcome to join and would be taught how to play an instrument, how to march, how to read music. Today, a corps doesn't want to have anything to do with someone unless they already learned those skills (presumably, in their school's band). If the kid either didn't/couldn't join band, or their school doesn't have one, the kid's out of luck.

Love this picture. Shows everything that is still good and right about drum corps

“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on... ...or you will be taught how to fly.”

Please Mike for the love of god, stop making sense....

What will help DCI become more entertaining? Not sitting near people who think it's not entertaining. That's what!

Marvin Gaye - Lets get it on

Okay its officially killing me! I need to see this uniform before I go Sparticus on somebody! :wall:/>

Pink Floyd 'Dark Side of the Moon'

No offense meant, but to the person who suggested ESOM, please NO!! I want a full CD and DVD without any edits on it. So please don't take any chances with music you possibly might not get the rights to. I loved that piece by the Scouts, but so wish the DVD had the full show, video and audio together. And as much as I have loved Malaga, Malaguena, Jesus Christ Superstar and the Pirates show, I really don't want to see a rehash of any of them again. I would love to see them do a couple of new pieces, preferably Latin pieces. I would love to see them perform with the energy level from their 99 shows and before. It seems like after 2000, they just seemed to lose a little of the energy level. I have loved their shows every year, but miss some of the fire that used to be in their shows. And if there is a need to do something old school, do a 3-4 minute medley at the end of the show of the greatest hits over the years. I also wouldn't mind if their show ran a minute or two over the time penalty limit. Give us an extra couple of minutes, take the penalty, and have the crowd love the longest DCI show ever!! Who cares about placement(as long as you still make top 12 and let us see the show on finals night). And if possible maybe a uniform change, or have the colorguard enter the field wearing a corps proper uniform before switching to the current years guard uniform. And definitely use some classic corps drill moves mixed with some of the new music. I'd love to see the sword in the field, the fight on the rotating drum set, the rotating company front, and all the things we have loved over the years. I'd love to see the most entertaining show of the decade from the Scouts.

A university education would help in using correct grammar and spelling!

This is just simply untrue. When I was in the advanced part of my undergrad at the University of South Florida in 2002, I worked in the back room of a Target store from 4-11 four or five nights each week. I started at $7.40 per hour. The same job today starts at $8.00. In the meantime, the cost of gas has nearly doubled, and the cost of tuition has more than doubled. And this is in a metro area with one of the lowest costs of living in the US, and one of the least expensive state university systems. There is no such thing as an "inexpensive" school today. It just doesn't exist. And that math degree from East St. Elsewhere State University isn't even getting you an interview with Google. And anyone who thinks that entry into a graduate program depends solely on grades has clearly never tried to enter a graduate program. You don't get to lay this at the feet of the current generation. Heaven forbid they want the same thing that their parents had. If you're looking to blame someone, take a hard look at anyone who voted for Reagan. [MODS I PROMISE NOT TO POST ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT POLITICS; PLEASE DON'T DELETE ME. HERE ARE SOME SMILEY FACES: :thumbup:

Dancer in the Dark

Lol! Your " Parents " were here, and want you to go to your room ( haha )

" Into the Light ", Phantom Regiment.

Nice try, kid. You could just post as yourself -- you'd get a lot better ideas and feedback. :)

Absolutely not. Despite the fact that they "qualified" for it based on placement in the 2012 finals, they were not invited. Didn't we discuss all this all last winter? I have moved past this, and I don't want to re-litigate this issue all over again. I just wanted to say that I would not be attending this show due to the artificial nature of the "Top 8" lineup. That is all.

Think about the word 'seriously' for a second as it applies to this thread; I mean really think about that word. However, logically, I certainly am correct within the sense of seeking equality for all, between all, and for everything; and that is what everyone who is politically correct seeks today, equality in everything, yes siree bob cat tails. So, equality in the showers is a new mantra; shout it out loud; and get Lady Gaga as a spokesperson!

They are a drum corps, but they teach so much more than drum corps in that program. They always have!

So, in drum corps, for either senior or junior corps, are there policies regarding the usage of cellphones/ipads/ipods/etc. during rehearsals and performances? I'm old school, and I believe that a music rehearsal is a MUSIC rehearsal, not an opportunity for members and musicians to keep their little iphones/whatever next to them or on the music stand, or in their hands. Do directors or corps have any policies regarding this? Or is it just known among the corps that phones and other devices are prohibited during rehearsals or performances? The reason I ask is because, I am in a little community college band, I'm in my late 40's. Most of the younger college age musicians have their iphones out, facebooking or texting during rehearsals! Outrageous. And most of the time, they sound not good. The director does not say a word about their usage. I've already said words to the other percussionists about this and I can't believe their lackadasial (sp) attitude about it. Last night was topper...we had a concert last night in front of about 100 people in a college auditorium. One of the percussionists starts texting during the final run through before the actual concert. I asked him to stop and he looked at me like I was some kind of nut and he did not stop. I asked him to put it away and his attitude, as expected was basically, just shut up don't tell me what to do. Then, one of the directors came to me and said basically "I don't think it's a good idea if you are police-ing the other musicians during rehearsals about their cell phones." What??! I told him, no one else is telling them to put them away, it's a major distraction, and we should be here to play and rehearse music, NOT play on our phones. Anyways last night was my final time with this "band". I can't believe how immature and their unmusical approach and attitude. Appalling. Does this happen in drum corps, with cell phones? Thank you, Roger

Have these two corps been ran financially responsible and honored the historical names of their respective corps? If so, then they are fine; if not, then yep they would need to pack it in.

Yep; this not very high placing, oops, extremely high placing VK line sure is silly!

Elsewhere amongst current threads is an item that the Bluecoats manufacture their own helmets and make them fit. Presumably this would not be a cross for those from Lacrosse. But looking at my rankings, it seems that Furlano's little starlets are quite defensive with the negative button. Sling if you wish, but the feet problems, not the hats, brought down the visual score the last few years, plus the immature mellophone section last season after the vets bailed to the Cavaliers. Myron was merely a scapegoat just as the traditional helmets are being blamed now..

I think Blue Devils (& Cadets?) encouraged cell phones for social media & live chat/tweet/video purposes last season.