Blackstar

I know people will call this flame bait but I'm not starting this thread for that reason. It takes off from the the One Band One Sound Thread. Is it possible to describe drum corps without mentioning band or using band or the movie Drumline as an example?

Its funny that many Drum Corps people knock and look down on Drumline and show bands but how many drum corps get the national exposure that these bands do. These show bands draw thousands to each game. I'm sure you advertised a show with the top 5 corps and the top 5 show bands the show bands would draw more people. And the funny thing is Drum Corps is one high step away from becoming show bands.

I was really blown away the last couple of weeks. First I got a DVD of the show and now a patch. My family is wondering why a 26 year old patch means so much. Especially since I framed it and put it on the wall...along with my firefighter awards. I told them because its something very few people do each year and it means alot just like my firefighter of the year awards.

Crossmen 84 joined just before tour $250. Was told if I helped with the chuck wagon I wouldn't have to pay. At the end of the tour was told I owed $250 even though I helped every lunch and dinner. Never did get my finalist patch.

Man band director used to say the same thing...everyday....

The bad thing about this is that when you really explain what drum corps is it sounds really stupid.....You do what for how long for how much.....

I was just thinking the same thing as Noneofyourbusiness. What your looking for has nothing to do with winning. So Pioneer was first on my list, then Raiders, then Colts or Bluestars. Of course there are several others you can choose from. But sadly, its something you will only find out once your part of the group.

So basically when I'm trying to pick up a pretty girl DON'T mention I play drums....I thought girls found that hot...

I'm wondering if anyone has ever complied a list of the all time top 12 by placement? Who placed 1st the most then 2nd then 3rd etc etc. I know someone out there as some kind of chart made

People always seem to write about how bad and lame bands are and it makes me wonder why. When I was in band we didn't get picked on like a geek. We were well respected in the school on the circuit. As a matter of fact the only time something happened was when several members of my corps were picked on by locals. My band practiced 3 days a week for 5 hours a day. An hour class and 4 hour practice after school from August until the end of November. We did comps sometimes twice a weekend. Never finished lower then 3rd in TOB. While I understand TOB isn't close to DCI but since a vast majority of us come from bands why the general dislike. There are many bands out there that are on par with corps. Is it simply the fact that they have woodwinds? That they don't tour? What is it?

Wow...really..REALLY. Is it because YOU don't care. And of course it always comes down to money. But think about how many kids are seeing these "lame" marching bands and thinking "wow thats great, I want to be on TV" and go join a lame band. How many people are saying "Hey were's the drum corps" maybe 1 out of 167. And I was thinking this is how far drum corps has fallen. Right now corps are just starting camps. People are flying in to do camps. But back in the day corps could get the kids together and do a parade off season. Why, because they were local. Appearing on a nationally televised show is worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in advertsing and marketing. Why do you think compnaies pay millions to sponsor a 30th place car. But your attitude is what makes me so upset. These "lame" band member worked hard to make it to NYC. Fundraising, practicing and doing what they had to do. To call them lame is outrageous. The snotty attitude of many people shows were this activity is headed. HAVE A NICE THANKSGIVING.

We were thinking of starting a corps in Delaware called the Dover Thunder but decided on Buccalleros instead...we didn't want to confuse anyone.....

People are assuming alot of things. A 15th place corps is 15th for any number of reasons: Poor show design or concept. Poor instruction. Lack of "skilled" musicians THROUGHOUT the corps Insufficient practice time Wasteful pratices Moral And several other factors. A top level staff could and could being the important word imrpove at least 4 of the 6 listed items. But I look it like this. Pat Riley has won 10 Championships. The thing is he always had one the best teams. How many would he have won coaching the Clippers or Hawks? mmmmmm makes you think. Placement in drum corps doesn't always have to be about talent. Its just too many factors to make a real judgement.

Severals things. What makes a corps a good corps. If there is only one winner then there are 24 losers. When Blue Devils win are the Cadets losers, do kids say Cadets suck, they lost. No they don't. Bluecoats have never won a title which makes them losers, on and on. When I marched I only worried about the corps in front of us. If it was Freelancers, Bridgemen, Cavaliers, 27 our goal was to beat them not win the title. In todays world just getting on the field is being a winner, moving up one spot, making finals, improving a score by XX points, feeding the kids everyday are signs that a corps is a winner. Our focus is way to narrow. Marketing. DCI doesn't give a rats ### about anyone other then the top 12. While kids may know of Pioneer, Manderins et al, from a marketing stand point they don't know these corps. And since the core of DCI is made up of people in the top 12 it will never ever ever change.

I was thinking. While I loved my time with the Crosmen,promises were made and once the season was over they were reneged on. On reason I never got my finalist patch. Loyality is a two way street. Sadly you only find out how loyal the other party is after the fact.

If my kids had marched I would have pointed them to a "lower tier" corps such as Surf or Raiders. Having march in a finals level corps I didn't gain more out of then if my HS band toured. While the level of instructor was great the thought of getting into finals wasn't a big concern. I would want my kids to have fun. Since thier not going to be music majors its more about the experience. As a parent I try to teach them loyality which is a forgotten quality in the activity. I see on peoples sigs that they marched with Surf, then Crossmen, then a championship with the Cadets. Then write how much they love the Cadets. Was marching with Surf and Crossmen so bad? I would rather stick with the corps that gave me a chance and help them grow. But thats just the way I was raised. Edited to say that after seeing 2000cadet posted on the thread and marched with Surf, Crossmen and Cadets that the above statement was not pointed towards him. Just used those three corps as an exambple because of geographical reasons.

I was just listening to Procession and thought the same thing. Adore the orginal but love SCV's verison.

Many of the shows you give as examples make perfect sense. Porgy and Bess, The Vietnam Show, Triple Crown even Criminal. Fini is great because it takes a minute to understand that its closers from the past. But you get into Le Tour, don't get it. Its not that I don't like themed shows I don't like dumb (at least to me) themed shows. When they try to get to "deep" with it, to me it means they almost don't understand what their trying to do. Edit to say I don't think the Le Tour was dumb and I didn't enjoy it. Its just that being called Le Tour made no sense to me.

Just wondering what people think.

If you can't explain something in one sentence then you don't understand it. At least thats what I was taught. If the show needs an explaination then its not doing its job.

Depends on the revenue and profitbility of the business. If its under 1 million revenue and 100K in profit then most likely 55-75k with options. 5 Mill/1 Mill then 250-300k

You go girl

I should have stated that the Troopers have flucuated the most. They have up and down more then almost any other corps.

Anything since 1997. I'm not into themed shows because its usually a stretch to understand what RED really means. Who does Bolero, Day Danse, Symphonic Dance No3 equal Red, shouldn't it be called Dances? Theres others but that one bugs me the most. And yes there are some that I do like.

While alot of people on DCO firmly beleive that Drum Corps is the end all of marching, I think alot of the BOA kids are happy wi th were thier at. I marched in a top TOB band (yes it was back in the day) and only 4 people ever marched corps over the last 40 years. Considering the Crossmen were only 30 mins away that tells a big story. Of the say 150 kids in a band, half might know about corps. half of that might be "fans" meaning they might go to a show or check the web about the activity. Of that 50 I bet only 5 might want to march and 2-3 might be good enough AND have the money to do it. So out of 150 kids you MIGHT get 2-3 who could/would be able march. Just saying......