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Drum corps is so far beyond the norm as far as diversity that you can’t even compare the average population to drum corps. The best way to increase minority involvement in marching membership has nothing to do with the “woke score” of the corps leadership; its reducing the cost of entry for kids from minority households. Drum corps is expensive and getting moreso.

If you read the fine print of the medication, one of the side effects is uncontrollable goofy expressions.

Shouldn’t this go in the Band Gets No Respect thread? 😉

I'm sorry....what was this thread about again? Maybe this one should be closed and a new one started up.

I don’t even know what the drug is supposed to do but the way they show marching band is pathetic. The director is on the field “directing” and doesn’t direct in time. She has some goofy expression on her face that is so fake it makes me want to throw something at the tv. The band doesn’t even march in time. There is a scene where the football team almost collides with the band—as if the two would ever be on the field at the same time! It’s like the worst SNL fake tv spot ever made but it’s real. Get off my lawn!

PREACH Diversity in drum corps isn't for some old white dude logging on to DCP to vent about why Madison isn't wearing spats anymore. It's about the young people who are marching today and who are marching in future years. It's about enabling and encouraging a diverse group of future designers and caption managers. It's nice to look at your instructors and see some (especially in management) that look like you.

And using California as an example doesn't do you any good. Or haven't you seen the videos of the filth -- and I mean FILTH -- littering the streets and sidewalks? Yeah, CA sure knows how to legislate for the greater good. #hit_a_nerve

Yes, Yes, Yes! She was such the force of change in colorguard beginning in the late 80s and has had an influence ever since. She may not have been the first to put a guard in uniforms to portray a character, but she led the team that figured out how to do it better than everyone else. Can't wait to see what she does again - sometimes that perspective of being away can add so much more to the work.

And one last thing: Do you honestly believe that TJ Doucette and April Gilligan would have stayed at (respectively) BD and Cadets so long merely because they're women? In the 90s, there were no better people cleaning DCI guards. Period. They won ALL the guard trophies from 1989-1999 inclusive. Add the evil males of Scott Chandler and Jim Moore, btw, who were invaluable. Ok, I'm (probably) finished. And why hasn't April been inducted into the DCI HOF? Boo!

Just give it a rest. Walking around with a diversity clipboard to see who measures up to your scores is insulting to people who have devoted their lives to teaching these kids out to do drum Corps.

I agree. A Class in several ways saved DCA.

That was our '97 show - we called it the "Barfing Unit" 😉 In '96 we had a rotating steel drum set up complete with rifle exchange overhead - we were always a little crazy when it came to GE ! Mike

There are a minimum of 6 DCI shows within 2 hours of CV. There are 2 DCA shows and if I remember correctly, CV hosts them both in some capacity. I'll take 6 scores, thank you. I've been saying it for years as well as many of you here have been saying it.

If I’m heading a non-NE corps and can get enough competitions from DCI and going to DCA Weekend is a budget (or member) killer... no brainer here.... Would be watching DCA from the Internet and not at the host town... and lived my whole life in PA and saying this

Jardiance is the new waffles...

Dude, it is a diabetes medicine commercial. The band is not important.

“There are many great younger people working with them but it does not appear they are being groomed to be the next generation.” Says who? A bunch of Crown juniors were just hired to promotions at other world class corps. There are constant staff changes even during the season. There are dozens of positions filled by new blood every year. As far as the preferences of marching members, these kids and their parents care about getting world class instruction and being competitive on the field. Who cares what race or gender an instructor is? Any marcher who picks a corps because of anything other than the above two criteria is doing it wrong. Make sure you have diversity? How about make sure your instructors can find their butt with both hands?

So, what would be so terrible about a solid, 8 week long, DCA competitive season that concludes about August 1 ? An 8 week season of Saturday night events, plus 4-5 Sunday afternoon events. Seriously. If such a compact season would make attracting performers easier, leading to full size corps and a better stadium product to sell, why not? Corps are free to find performances beyond that point if they choose. Almost (if not all) shows on the DCA schedule are sponsored by one of its corps, or DCA itself, so creating a packed 8 week season is an in-house decision that is more than doable right now. To help matters, each member corps can commit to one Friday night bus departure to attend a competition outside their usual comfort zone. Like, perhaps in Ohio or Georgia. Maybe it's time for DCA to start adapting to the world around it. This ain't 1965.

I think both Bloo and BD were really REALLY good at performing and competing. Hence the .087 spread. From my perspective, BD was able to hang closer in GE than Bloo was able to in Visual. That was really the difference. The notion that BD is better at competing typically comes from the fact that they know how to CLEAN the heck out of a field show -- which is something everyone should be trying to do. Some people will say BD knows how to program a winner. I don't look at it that way. I think BD is good at competitive balance in programming, but I think they are more concerned with artistic value and quality programming. If you look at their shows from 2007 to now, every one of them is a work of art. Sure, some of them did not connect, but most did to some extent. In recent years they have been one of the more fan friendly corps. So they are obviously programming entertaining shows that also have competitive balance. Bloo and BD are both just incredible at programming, performing, and entertaining...each in their own unique way.

Ok. Tilda Swindon indeed! Too funny! Maybe Regiment could do “Orlando” for 2020????? Your comments about diversity in instructional staff has to start with the realization that drum corps isn’t financially accessible to many potential marching members. There are tons of gifted people who don’t have the $2800+ to play drum corps for a season. Let’s start with “financial diversity”. Get DCI to acknowledge that not everyone has the bankroll of the top 12 corps. DCI created the disparity between corps based on what X or Y corps can afford to put on the field. DCI is now rewarding how a show is designed over the sweat equity the marching members put out to refine and perform what they are given. Some call this idea old fashioned/irrelevant but it is a founding principle of today’s drum corps. I’ll take the flaming, I don’t care. DCI should reward accomplishment over design.

Without hesitation, I disagree. In the student ranks, and definitely in the design and caption management ranks. I have not found drum corps to be as diverse as the US population. But I'm really only referring to design and caption managers. And without hesitation, I agree with you wholeheartedly here. Of course, I in no way talked about increasing minority involvement of marching membership, but you're free to tangent however you please. I'm referring to inspiring current marchers to be the next set of designers and caption managers by enabling them to see themselves in those positions. Diversity is for them to witness and experience and learn from, not for you or me to write about on a website. But ultimately, I really don't understand how you can disagree with my premise: drum corps should be more intentional about getting a diverse body of people in design and caption management. Your argument is "hire the right people, not losers," and I don't see how I'm suggesting to hire incompetence. Nobody (except maybe Getoffmydot) is suggesting quotas, though that's the typical anti-diversity argument. Designers should do their best to mentor a diverse group of designers. Corps should embrace and encourage it. Empathy isn't easy when one doesn't have the same common experience (and I'm guilty of this - I'm so white, I'm like the ghost of Tilda Swinton). A lot of folks on here don't understand what I'm saying, and that's okay - I really hope corps leaders do. And my apologies for doing my small part to keep this topic alive. There isn't much on the merry-go-round these days, but I don't see any need in closing this thread.

That's not the way it works. Charges of oppression and discrimination need to be proved, not someone's innocence.

So what? Encourage your group to bring more fans. Sell more tickets in your block. You still have all the other captions of normal judges. Be accessible and throw in a way to connect the younger generation. But do something to advance the circuit. Hell, rent the app to dci to make some money you can then put into a bigger stadium and some marketing for finals

Winner, winner chicken dinner.

juniors at Boston just took over Blue Stars brass.

I mean his father, Jack Meehan....that's why I spelled it J-AC-K. What do you think of "A New Beginning," BD's 83 closer?

Kids are FREE to choose whichever corps they want to audition for. If they want to make their choices based on staff diversity, then that’s fine. Encouraging a diverse group of future designers and caption managers is a decent idea. It’s when you start crossing the line into ENABLING and quotas, that I have a problem with. Show me some proof that women and minorities are currently being oppressed and held back in the ranks of corps leadership.

Alternatively, I could perhaps have run the polls not by placement but by corps, asking everyone to identify the best BD, Crown, Bloo, SCV, etc. show of the decade.

Same. Though if you want stupid, I would highly recommend the movie "Rubber" who's basic premise is that the soul of a serial killer transfers to a tire. The now sentient tire rolls around and kills people. Much of the film is from the tires point of view. Dumb like that is sometimes like lightning in a bottle 😆

Am I wrong if I'm getting excited for 7' poles and 42" guns?

not a good movie to me, either, but the thing i found funniest was he learned to "conduct" by directly mirroring his conducing motion with videos of real conductors.

Just ruined my appetite... year that came out I did a lot of flying. Saw it in flight so many times I didn’t need to hear it. Only movie played more was The Phantom yuck or as MAD magazine called it “Mr Holland’s Old Puss”

I guarantee it will surface again when the trial is at hand. It's just more evidence of why someone "needs to go to jail".

Boy, you're gracious to even call that Traditional grip! I'd have been more impressed had they just admitted defeat and played matched. "Those that can, do, and those that can't play matched."

That was the worst. The part that made me laugh the hardest was how the producers were trying to create drama. And the dramatic music they would play when trying to create the drama.

Great pick up for Madison Scouts, I loved Blue Stars brass when he was on with them. Excited to hear what Jason Robb/Daniel Montoya Jr. come up with, they do some great stuff in the HS world and Montoya's stuff at Guardians was a blast, I could see him being a great fit for a more modern music program while still maintaining the energetic and entertaining approach that is true to the corps.

Partner with DCI for DCA Finals at Allentown maybe? DCI show starts at 5 each evening, have Prelims earlier on Friday and Finals on Saturday? That would also give both night's audiences the opportunity to see a pretty large chunk of senior corps. Mike

And they're both better than "Clash of the Corps" was lol.

Anyone see that KFC commercial the Guardsmen did in 1975? They had to do some stupid stuff. I’m sure it wasn’t their idea. https://www.dci.org/news/flashback-friday-1975-guardsmen

I thought it was a new perfume.

Very well said, and we should just stop this thread at your post. Nothing more really needs to be added.

Jardiance is a anti-diabetic medicine which supposedly also protects the kidney while moving the sugars out of the body through the displacement of urine. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am both a diabetic and a kidney cancer patient. My doctor has just removed me from Jardiance due to the most painful side effects men can feel. Ouch! One of the signs of diabetics having a diabetic attack (low blood sugar or even over maximized high levels of sugar) is the disturbance in "simple things" like balance, speech, sight, and perception. I am presuming that the intent of the ad makers is to show that disconnect in timing due to uncontrolled blood sugars or sugar levels which are not appropriate. Any competent field instructor/tech in drum corps or marching band will be aware of what mms seem "out of it" for which the good instructor/tech would inquire "Are you feeling alright?" before the barbaric command of "give me 10 push-ups." I have even been at contests where aware judges have ransomed mms from collapsing on the field due to poor sugar levels and heat stroke. Left unaddressed diabetic attacks can cause strokes and can be fatal. I believe Lori Van Doren and her health, safety, and medical committee is addressing the protocols for diabetics among the many great things the committee is doing. I am surprised that a poster who proports himself as a student of a type of medical study would relegate diabetic attacks as "about the dumbest things." Nice bedside manner.

The band never seems to be important.

My non-answer answer... I think if you leave any finalist Corps out of the mix you are losing something. Every organization possesses some style qualities that are unique to them. While the Blue Devils and Carolina Crown may be a step above the the Cavaliers and the Crusaders this decade, excluding them from the list causes it to lack some depth of character.

Serenity Now!!

a little off subject, yet hyping class A. Former class A multiple champs were 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 10th. In Open class. The top 3 in class A this year would have been 8th or 9th in open class. The top 3 class A corps also represent 9 Class A championships. thank you DCA for class A (hype over)

Two words...shows that are less cerebral 😊

I don’t think people are calling for quotas, and the quota argument is often the weakest. Aldo, I don’t think that there is an “old boys network” at play but it does appear that way. If you want to look at it another way, many of the top instructors and designers have been at it a while. They are still going strong and doing great things. There are many great younger people working with them but it does not appear they are being groomed to be the next generation. This could create a shortage down the road. Groom the next generation and make sure you do have diversity. There is another consideration too. The marching members. Young people today not only value but expect ethnic diversity and gender equality. If you haven’t noticed, all marching members today are not all WASPs or future members of the Sons of Italy or the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The ethnic diversity is always increasing. The leadership, instructional staff, and judging staff should reflect the diversity of marching members.

Fine. Push DCI into quotas. Once women are 51% represented as caption heads, you'd better make sure blacks are 13% represented. What about Jews? 2% down the board. Muslims! Atheists! Trans men/women! Look, how many straight white color guard designers are out there? It's so tiring.

Yeah 05 sucked, would be a shame to win again......