markdewine

Brasso- That's the whole point!!! They think everybody but them IS stoopid!

Well, the Cadets might have. But....only if a certain person had been at the helm....and been allowed to say the whole thing was HIS idea.

Yeah, and they are gonna be real upset when they realize that that Kool-Aid they love so much....... well, somebody pee'd in it

Best wishes to Pioneer in 2010 !!!!! This is a corps that could find itself at the top of the heap in a few years. Don't ever doubt it!

.....just another quick thought. Another tasty morsel that would have fit VERY WELL into this show, is the main theme from "Babes in Toyland". (the name of the artist escapes me at the moment)

Yeah, but since '72, the "elite" have been the top 12....NOT the top 7. Any corps that EVER made DCI's top 12 was an elite corps, and so, from a historical perspective, will always be considered a great corps. Ya know.....every corps is proud of who they are; they all think they're great. And that's all fine....to a point. It's just when the EGO MONSTER grows, and grows, and rears it's twelve ugly heads, and begins to devour what drum corps is REALLY all about...... Sad.....

tekk- I think it's a matter of personal choice. Let's say, for example that SCV does a show that's all classical music......but no theme to speak of, other than that. Then PR does a show that is all classical also.....let's say Handel's Messiah, for example. Only one one-hundredth of a point seperates these two corps in finals. Which corps is better? Was it SCV with no theme.....or PR with a theme? It was the corps you liked the best...

While I can envision this show as being extremely entertaining, I have to say that, for me, I don't need a theme or a story line in order for a drum corps show to be superb. Good music. Good marching. Nothing more. Nothing less.

IMO, it may not be possible to level the playing field, as much as I'd like to see it happen. Many suggest younger members or a lower average age. Many suggest measures that would keep a member with his or her corps (less corps hopping) Some suggest a more regional approach to recruiting. This is how it used to be back in the old days. Younger average age; some with less talent; some less mature, etc. Members tended to come from the general region of their corps, and they tended to stay there until they aged out, at least for the most part. There's always exceptions. My point is, that even with these aspects in place, there were still a few dominant corps that were tough to beat. The Green Machine and Blessed Sacrament are two that come to mind. While I don't believe the older model would necessarily level the playing fiels, I do see a few benefits. A corps with younger, less mature members presents an opportunity for the older more mature vets to help mold and nurture and teach these younger members. This, in itself, can help to promote a deeper loyalty to one's corps. The more regional approach also promotes a deeper corps loyalty, sometimes to the point of "Being a member of my corps, is more important that being the best corps in the world." All of this, and a teaching of the philosophy that, " Winning isn't everything " would benefit our activity, and get it as close to parity as we are likely to ever see it.

wishbonecav- Go ahead. Set up the G7 show; advertise it; yadda yadda yadda. I wouldn't care if tickets were $2.50 like they were when I was a kid! I WOULDN"T GO!!! It's not about their talent level. Sure, they have talent. But so do corps like Madison, Troopers, Blue Stars, Spirit, etc. It's about money and power and egotistic grandstanding. Let the G7 go off and do their thing. YOU go watch them! Keep checking back to let us know when the "drum corps- to - band" metamorphisis is complete. Meanwhile, I'll be eagerly awaiting the first DCI Championship for the Troopers, that they can add to their long list of "other" championships. Or see the Scouts grab another championship, seeing as how there was probably at least 1 that they were robbed of, in the past. Oh....and if you try to kidnap me, bring me to a G7 show, and make me watch.... I'll close my eyes, plug my ears, and hum.

Donny is correct! It wasn't until Neal marched Blouseman, that he was able to carry his entire assembled drum kit....BY HIMSELF!!! You should see the harness system he came up with! I'm gonna see Neal and the boys at the great NY State Fair in early Sept. (Only a mile and a half from my house

Great news!!! Slow steady growth, over the course of a few more years, and these guys might be competeing with the best of the best. If we could get a dozen new corps in the next 3 or 4 yrs., nobody would even miss the G7...wherever they go!

I'm not a warm fuzzy leftist liberal who believes everything has to be PC. Those out there who know me, know I like traditional drum corps...hard and fast. To those who can see that this is simply a grab for money and power, good for you. Hope you, like me will boycott the Greedy 7 completely!!! They want money??? GIVE THEM NONE!!! To those who think this will all blow over and everything will be just fine..... Well, you're the type that if I smashed you in the forehead with a clawhammer, you'd probably turn to your friend, and say, "Look!!! He's building something!!!" Ya know what? Let 'em go!!! Good riddance!!! I hope they fail...utterly. And if they came back in a couple years with their hats in their hands, begging to be re-admitted... I'd say, "Too bad; so sad" This is a prime opportunity for those remaining in the activity to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to heal and grow the drum corps activity. Too many people out there with the attitude that if the "7" leave, it will be the death knoll for drum corps. SCREW THAT!!! Put your heads together. Think. Have meetings. Volunteer. Help teach new corps....for no pay. They wanna be BANDOS??? Fine. Let 'em! As for me, I only regret that I have but one life to give to drum corps.

I'm hoping that some of the clues about the shirt, etc., aren't misleading....that would be a "red herring."

Guardling- Please, do tell, which of these great drum corps leaders that I listed, would jump for joy at the prospect of woodwinds in a drum corps. I too, knew these people, and their passion for drum corps. If they were all fired up about woodwinds, wouldn't they have devoted their energies to marching bands? No, I didn't think so.

Fastone- I never thought I'd see flutes in drum corps either! And like you, I wouldn't boo either. But you'd have to admit, Jim Costello, Hy Dreitzer, Truman Crawford, and Jim Jones, oh, and Gail Royer....all all turning in their graves, with tears in their eyes.

#1.) DCI is not interested in what we, the paying public, has to say. After all, we just pay their salaries. #2.) There's politics EVERYWHERE in life. Even in drum corps.

When DCI allows WW in competition....it will smell like poop!

Yes, kamarag, I'm aware the Blue Stars used a clarinet in their pre-show last year. Guess I should have stated the obvious, that being "the use of woodwinds in competition."

And why, pray tell, would there need to be security at DCA Finals? Sure, it's all-age...but most of us are adults. We don't need no steenking supervision, man. Especially Friday nite!

Couple things..... First, the recorder idea. The easy part would be to get every fan to smuggle their "Flute-a-phone" into the show. Then, we'd all have to agree on what to play. I'd go with "Malaguena" Just put the arrangement on-line. Of course, there would have to be auditions for the soloists. Then we would have to co-ordinate getting together in the parking lot, for a run-thru, before "the performance." Heck, that'd be a great time to warm up with some space chords. Just think of the splendor. The magnificence! 20,000 recorders, playing in unison, at fortissimo!!! It would sound like three mice farting, all at once. Second, no one has discussed the unfortunate "first person to perform on a woodwind in DCI." I'll tell ya this.....I sure wouldn't want to be that person! Oh, the shame! My family would disown me. My friends would never talk to me again.....EVER!!! My name would forever be a pariah to those who would remember what drum corps once was. And that's the good news! I wouldn't want to be standing on the front sideline at the 50 with a clarinet in my hands, and just as the first horrible note emenated from that woodwind, the Lord God Almighty struck me down with a bolt of lightning.....and I was left just a crispy, smoldering blob of burned flesh. THAT would be the sucky part.

Ya know....so many people on DCP have insisted that "change is necessary" & "change is inevitable". But, for my money...if drum corps would have stayed just like the '73 Kingsmen, or '74 SCV, or '70 Troopers, '75 Madison, etc., I would NEVER have tired of it. EVER!

On the topic of ten yr. olds making decisions......I was, in fact, ten yrs. old when I made a decision to get involved in drum corps. I promised myself I would do whatever it took to participate in the activity. I'm proud to say, 46 yrs. later, that I kept that promise to myself.

Look, YOU are the one coming across like you know everything there is to know about the activity! How many years have you marched in drum corps? 11? 15? 21? 30? Or is it maybe more like 2 or 3? Maybe 4? And yet you come across all arrogant to people who have devoted 20....30....40 or more years to drum corps, as if we don't have a clue what we're talking about. Did you learn that in the corps you were with?

Guardling- MOST people in the activity call it drum corps, and HAVE called it drum corps for the last 50-60 yrs. Almost no one calls it drum & bugle corps.