jetman1287

Remember too that for the NYC/NJ/New England area, there are very very few shows compared to the midwest. Also, while Indy is a cool venue, there are no surprises at the DCI Finals and seeing the corps in finals-shape one week earlier is just as good.

My post said Madison had a decent show? That's not irritated. Anyway, back on topic -- the idea the same judge should see the same show 5, 6 times...AFTER having meetings with them to explain the show...is misguided.

Not bashing the Scouts themselves...bashing some fans who gush over this corps like it's one of the greatest in years

But we disagree on how to expand the fanbase...IMO needs to stay on this broad push with expanded instrumentation, shows designed for younger people, integration with band programs, etc...more people involved in DCI when young means more staying involved when they leave. The 70s crowd has a big input now but won't be around forever. The key is doing this while making shows all audiences will like...such as Phantom 08, Crown 07, and so on.

Was that sarcastic? Madison had entertaining music but not much going on. Some easy tricks to get the old-school crowd going. It was...decent.

There is often a big difference between the corps I like and the corps I think should win. For example, in a "fan favorite text poll" I'd pick Blue Stars over Carolina Crown this year. But obviously Crown is the better corps. I think we should start by cutting off these meetings between judges and corps. If it takes a few meetings to figure out what the show means, it's not accessible enough and should be judged in that respect. You get a lot of judges and staff members who understand what's going on while the crowd gets left out of things.

I agree, they are boring, but for slightly different reasons. The musical arrangements lack a lot of flow to them - lots of long tones and hardly any movement. The problem isn't amps, props, or show layout. I like how there's no predictable formula. The sole, big issue in all of this is how the music is written. There's nothing you can latch onto. Nothing you can remember. Look at Phantom's closer - how many moments are there like that this year? Very, very few.

It's kinda hard to keep rising when you're already at 96....

This thread is really interesting. The experience of this board is being put to use instead of the casual "corps were better back in my day"!

I haven't heard the source material - but you're talking about a full, well-liked and fleshed out piece of art that's been chopped around to fit into a 12 minute program. It's rare people like the new version more than the original. It really is a case of apples and oranges in this regard.

To me, "lacking consistency" makes you a better judge, not a fair one.

We're never going back to a corps in every community because there are competitive HS bands to replace them. The same kids who did DC in the 70s are doing MB today. So I don't necessarily agree the activity is "fading" because DC + MB are one in the same. However, we are having less and less make the jump from HS marching bands to DCI corps. I'll say it's a combination of money, travel, competitive college admissions process, and lack of woodwinds.

yawn What a homer, a lot of corps look at competition the same way.

If all of this bashing is really about college-style bands and not highly competitive high school groups, go for it! Those two are more different than BOA is from DCI.

2006!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last BD show I've truly enjoyed.

You're talking more about non-competitive groups, like college marching bands.

^^exactly^^

You guys act as if the crowd won't know who's going to win. I can tell you today, BD just has to walk on the field in 2 weeks and they've got a DCI championship.

If you were in a good HS marching band I definitely understand the OP's points. Thing is, a lot of corps people haven't been in legitimate high school programs and they get the wrong perceptions. You raise some good points because in a way, those relationships, the fact that not everyone can/is willing to pay $2500+ to be there...challenges you as an instructor to get the best out of people with vastly different goals. And if it works, it's extremely satisfying. I'd even go to say the lesser quality makes high-end marching band shows more exciting than drum corps. They take more risks in show design. And the imperfections allow for wildly variable results. It's like comparing college basketball to the NBA. I love seeing the heart and determination of a low-major upsetting a major team, using a longtime coach who spent his whole career building the program. The NCAA tournament has so many unknowns. Then you turn on an NBA game, and it's almost like they're TOO perfect. Every open look goes in. Guys getting paid. Predictable results. Same game, better performance, but not as enjoyable! I love watching the top 6 in DCI. Performance on a completely different level. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy just as much the highly competitive nature of high school kids that, despite the great stuff they're putting on the field, are mostly just doing it to enjoy something with their friends. BOA Finals > DCI Finals

+1 to that! I agree with the OP that it's stale due to lack of melodies, flow, and passion - and not so much HOW we are experiencing it. Amps, Voice, etc are not the problem, the boring show designs are.

Can't read DCP? What are they gonna do, track the judges' IPs?

I don't think so, because it really diminishes the chance for an upset. You'd have a lot of situations where you say "Corps A has to beat Corps B by 1.3 on Finals night to finish ahead of them...oh, Corps B flopped but the spread was only 1.1? Congratulations to Corps B!" We are essentially getting an average of scores as is with double panels. Throughout the season you only get one set of judges, for finals you get about one and a half. There is not enough excitement or movement on Finals night to begin with, and I think this would make the championship even less exciting.

Why do so many corps need to change their endings? You would imagine over time, more focus could be put in over design sessions, as changing 90 seconds of a closer and subsequent cleaning takes away from other parts of the show. I understand the need for changes and updates, but why to completely rewriting the ending for so many groups? If they are looking to "hide" a cool effect until midseason, i'm not sure that really helps anymore. After a week or so everyone will have seen the changes, and it may be dirtier than the original closer had they designed it well in the first place.