jeff_demello

Here are the Jim Ott High Brass trophies for 2015-2026 ... hot out of the wood shop! Ready to add Jim's photo and, of course, the winner!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT from the Jim Ott Brass Ensemble: http://jimottbrass.org/2013/11/01/jim-ott-brass-ensemble-plans-for-dci-2015/

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT from the Jim Ott Brass Ensemble: http://jimottbrass.org/2013/11/01/jim-ott-brass-ensemble-plans-for-dci-2015/

I beg to differ. I have observed over the last 13 years that a very high majority of Board Members of the corps that compose DCI have little to no idea what's going on within DCI. The individual corps directors ARE the corps, at DCI meetings.

GMC 4104 ... aptly named "the 04"

This video brought tears to my eyes ... The Blue Devils Special Needs Winter Guard. They are fantastic! PLEASE READ about them, and WATCH the video on this page: http://bluedevils.org/programs/wg/2013/special-needs.php I am SO proud to be a part of the Blue Devils organization.

DCI is a Marketing organization, that (should be) primarily concerned with putting b*tts-in-seats. It also is a regulatory body which has changed it's adjudication rules over the years to allow for different types of "acts". The entities responsible for making the activity more attractive (or "entertaining", or "fun", or ...) are the individual corps (or "acts"). People flock to see a "good act/corps" (whatever that individuals interpretation of 'good' is) ... and there is a general agreement as to what a "good corps" is. Typically (and I don't want to be harsh, but IMHO it is generally accepted that) the "good corps" are on "after intermission". This has been proven to be pretty much true for any show. SO ... where does that leave us? We need "better" (i.e., more entertaining, more pizzaz, whatever your definition of "better") drum corps! How can DCI contribute to "better" drum corps ... that's the real issue (IMHO) of this thread. Does DCI continue with its current business model and force every corps to go on VERY expensive tours for weeks at a time? Or should someone come up with a new model that would allow more local tours for smaller corps, thus freeing up money that each corps would have spent on busses, fuel, food, housing, and allow that corps to hire more/better staff, or to allow for better nutrition for the members on tour, or .... There are a VERY FEW corps that can REALLY afford to go on tour ... probably around 7 (or even LESS!). Those corps should be doing touring nationally, and maybe judged way differently than the smaller, local-touring, corps. And probably even marketed differently! (Sound familiar?) And maybe they don't even compete with the smaller corps (i.e., the "Baseball model", where the Major League team does not play games against a high school team). I would hope that THESE are the types of STRATEGIC issues that I would HOPE the new DCI Board of Directors are talking about ... not TACTICAL details such as "how many judges do we need at early season shows", or "should we allow bigger pits". As always ... IMHO!

Well put ... what's done is done ... move on to a new season! And kudos to everyone in the Renegades who are keeping it alive!

1964 Plymouth Belvedere ... fastest car in BD (I almost got beat by John Y. once, though!) It was totaled RIGHT after I got back from Tour in '75 ... while I was turning into the parking lot at Lincoln HS in Stockton, CA. :-(

I was President of the Renegades Association of California last year, until the time I resigned in September. I was not at DCA 2012, so I have no first hand knowledge of what transpired (i.e., "who did what?"). I do have 2nd had "evidence" of what transpired, which I received within two weeks after the completion of DCA (which was the first time I hard about any issues). I was the person who handled all negotiations between the Renegades and DCA. The Renegades were given ample opportunity by DCA to present their view of the issues, and did so. The decision for the Renegades to not perform was agreed to by the Renegades CEO, myself, and DCA, after long, and professional, negotiations. Just to set the record straight: There WAS an apology from myself, on behalf of the Renegades, to DCA. The Renegades and DCA parted (for one year) on good terms. End of story. As far as "going to Europe", and returning to "Drum Corps is Evil", and the subsequent withdrawal from the 2013 season ... all that came "after my shift", and I have no comment.

This is where I have to disagree with you, Daniel. There are only a few "best in the world" corps, just like there are only a few "best in the world car drivers", or a few "best in the world skiers". If every corps were "best in the world", then the entire audience would show up when to the gates open to watch all the corps. As it is, in most every drum corps show, a great number of people don't show up until "the good corps" are on. This was true 30 years ago, and it's true today. There are "the best" corps, and there are "up and coming corps" ... always has been, and always will be. IMHO, the "brand" of DCI should be (and I expect a lot of flack from this): "Music in Motion". DCI's brand of "Marching Musics Major League" is trying to "ride" on someone else's brand. Probably the worst thing you want to do to differentiate yourself from other brands. I do appreciate the Baseball analogy: In baseball there is a Major League, and the Minor League. There is a farm system of A, AA, and AAA levels. And there are college leagues down to the Little League. It's strange that the DCI brand promotes in print "Major League", and in practice tries to promote equality among corps that are NOT equal. Each level DOES have it's fan base, and has it's own (adjusted) rules, and has it's own circuit. There are traveling leagues, and local leagues. The Drum Corps activity could learn from this. As far as education ... DCI flopped with "OnCue". There is NO educational component to DCI. Period. No Brass camps, Drum Major Camps, Percussion Clinics. Nada. There is nothing educational about DCI, and it should be either 1) removed from their mission, or 2) really implement it. I do believe that there is a major educational component to each and every Drum Corps, with each Drum Corps providing a different level of education depending on their abilities. (NOTE: I'm not saying that each drum corps isn't good at the "camaraderie" component, but differ in the "level of education" components) My 2 centavos, Daniel!

There are a lot of topics intermingled with this thread ... and all topics are valuable. Maybe this should be broken into a number of threads: 1) The Business of DCI: (IMHO) The "business of DCI" is to 1) Put Butts in Seats. Period. DCI is not "about the kids". It is (or should be) about marketing its product: Drum & Bugle Corps: 1) Advertising the product; 2) Contracting venues to present the product; 3) Sell the product; 4) Make sure the product sold is worth the price of admission. There is a "secondary business" of DCI, and that's the rules side, so that competing corps can compete fairly. There are a number of people who think DCI is a 'non-profit' business, and should have that "mindset". But, unfortunately most non-profits are run poorly. There are some (like me) who think it should be professionally run like the multi-million dollar organization it is (or should be ... check out 'Hughes Aircraft' ... the largest non-profit corporation that ever existed. They made airplanes, space capsules, rockets, etc., but were still non-profit). Governance is the main issue (IMHO) of DCI, as the BOD should be composed of individuals who are 1) Not connected directly with any single corps; 2) Passionate about the activity; and 3) experts in their business area (i.e., marketing, finance, legal, technology, business, etc.), and not individual Directors who are "interested parties" (which I think is the legal term). 2) The Business of Individual Drum Corps: The "business of each corps" is what each corps Board of Directors wants it to be! It could be the "business of excellence". It could be the "business of training youth". It could be both! It is NOT up to DCI to figure out what each corps wants / should be. However, if that business/corps wants to compete with other DCI corps, then it would probably go along with the standards that (should be) / are set by DCI. This is a big issue, since there are drum corps which are successfully running their business (which directly benefits the "kids"), and most corps which can barely brake even, or are loosing money (which, in the long run "hurts the kids"). This, is what most people think is the basic division of the G7, and they are correct! There are extremely successful businesses/corps, which can afford to put out a superior product ... just as with any other activity (car racing, etc.). Some businesses/corps are not as developed, and should be marketed / judged differently, and probably more than just the 2 "levels" we have now (world class, open class). 3) The Business of Show Sponsors: There are many show sponsors out there: a) individual drum corps; b) independent organizations; 3) DCI. Running a show is way different than running a drum corps, or running a marketing organization. This is not usually a "hot topic", but if DCI / G7 starts to market differently, you can bet there will be show sponsors who want to make some money, and will want to pay the top corps to be at their shows. It seems to me like a lot of people in this thread (and previous threads) are p*ssed off because many are threatened by the G7 wanting to do business differently than the "bottom 7", or the "middle 7" (Given that there are, unfortunately, about 21 World Class corps, these are, IMHO, fair divisions). And these differences deal really with issues such as marketing, sustainability, and a viable touring model, that is both good for DCI, good for all the corps. I think that the "B(ottom)7" and the "M(iddle)7 should be screaming as much, if not louder, as the "G7", because they are forced into a nationwide touring model that is too costly for them, forcing them out of business. IMHO! :tongue:/>

This TED-talk video should be watched by every Board Member and every Director of every Drum Corps, as well as every show sponsor. It presents a way of thinking that is a real game-changer to how we think about non-profits. (It might help if some of you replace the words "non-profit" with "drum corps" and "for-profit" with "professional entertainers") Please watch: this entire video.

The ONE change that will put the Drum Corps activity back onto (or at least a chance at) a path of success is: Change the governance structure of Drum Corps International: Remove all of the individual corps directors from the Board of Directors (as they are really considered "interested parties"), and replace them with a brand new board that are: 1) Not affiliated with any one drum corps; 2) have a passion for the activity; and 3) are extremely successfully business people in their respective fields (i.e., Marketing, Business Development, Law, Technology, Logistics, etc.). THAT is pretty much the one and only change that will get Drum Corps out of the current "death spiral" ... IMHO!

Please join us tonight at 5pm Pacific / 6pm Mountain / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern for a live streaming webcast of a concert featuring Tuba virtuoso Oystein Baadsvik ... free! A protégé of distinguished Indiana University music professor Harvey Phillips and Arnold Jacobs (40-year tuba player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Baadsvik’s international career began in 1991 when he won two prizes at the prestigious Concours International d’Exécution Musical in Geneva. He has since carved out a unique career as a soloist, chamber player, lecturer, and recording artist who has performed around the world and is regarded the exemplar of his chosen instrument. Among his acclaimed repertoire are works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Williams, Trygve Madsen, and Jan Sandström. He’s played with such esteemed music groups as the Oslo, Bergen, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, the Taipei National Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Philharmonic, and the Orchestra Victoria of Melbourne. Now, acclaimed tuba virtuoso Oystein Baadsvik performs with Minne-Brass small-corps ensemble on Sunday, March 10, at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Woodbury, MN. If you are on a computer, you can join us at the Minnesota Brass page: http://minnesotabrass.org/index.php/events/baadsvick-tuba-recital OR, if you are on a mobile device, please join us directly at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/minnesota-brass. Oh ... did I mention it's free! ;-)