rmurrey74

And I find it hard to believe that someone seeing a drum corps for the first time and falling in love with it like I did, would end up not marching, or changing their opinion on the activity once they found out that there was a synthesizer in the pit.

Who cares that it's electric? It's just another sound in the mix.

Contras, mellophones, grounded pits, kevlar drum heads, arranging styles all substantially changed the sound of drum corps throughout the years. Why is this change so much different? Just because you have to plug it in?

Again, what the members may think right now may not be the best decision for DCI. My corps did a survey back when the Bb change was brought up. The majority of the corps didn't want to switch (I believe it was over 90-95%). That same corps and many of those same members after a summer on Bb's couldn't imagine going back to G horns. I'm glad that the decision was made by people with a more long term vision.

Exactly! I was constantly told how moving to Bb flat horns was going to be the worst thing for the activity. I heard it so much, I believed it and was very opposed. Now I can't imagine going back to G horns.

In the late 90's, I became interested in it because it was loud, the drill was fast, and the quality was high. Touring all over the US, performing shows, and intense rehearsals also drew me in. I knew that woodwinds weren't allowed, but I had no idea that the horns were different or any other rules. Instrumentation wasn't a factor. The shows were amazing and I wanted to be a part of it.

Back when I was marching and teaching, there were very few if any members that wanted to switch to Bb horns. Two years later, I couldn't name one member that wanted to go back to G horns. Smart long term decisions need to made by DCI, not from member surveys. I can't wait until we can hear the new sounds and textures of electronics in 2009.

I can't remember which year, but a few years they announced that Bluecoats had 55 members from Texas. I would guess they're between 40-60 today.

For some, all mallets and sticks are free, but the costs would apply to others.

I'm so glad that artists (painters, sculpters, musicians, etc.) do not have to work within your definition of creativity and be forced to create new ideas within a set of guidelines, parameters, and rules.

To do what? For current DCI corps to leave for another circuit? For another circuit to start? What elements and people are in place?

And the other corps that support these same ideas should leave too? It's not just the Cadets. He just happens to put the ideas out there. At the corps I teach at, I would say over 90% of the staff wants electronics to pass.

It's mostly high schools and individuals buying these horns.

Electronics allows drum corps to be more creative. I can't wait to hear the new possibilities. Cuts do go to the smaller corps. Kids march where they want to march, or they do not march at all. Sending cut lists doesn't help.

PLEASE PASS ELECTRONICS! YES! This would be amazing!! So much cool stuff is going on in WGI with many of the same designers. I would love to see this.

I LOVED that complete flop!

I've been deeply involved in the activity for 12 years. When I explain it to people, I explain it as a professional marching band. It's basically the same thing. I would imagine 99% of the participants come from marching band. Most of the kids end up teaching marching band what they learned in drum corps. Most staff members also teach marching band. The same designers design for marching band. A few marching bands are cleaner, better designed, more innovative, have more tradition then some of the lower level drum corps. Most outsiders view it as marching band. It looks like marching band to them. A couple differences in instruments, difficulty, and cleanliness. Who really cares? It's a form of marching band.

Looks like that video was taken down.

I'd love to see full electronics pass. Synth's, triggers, sampling, etc. There are amazing things going on in WGI.

The composition box on the Ensemble Visual Sheet "Unity" "Integration/Cohesion" I've never been to a DCI critique for ensemble visual where the guard integration was not part of the conversation.

I did love that show, but it was not well integrated.

Of course they have to prove it. Why should they get a free pass because they did it well in prior years? That's like saying that if Cavaliers have bad drill this year, that it's okay, because it's been great the last couple years.

I agree. Or ANY of my performances for that matter. You only have a limited number of opportunities in this activity to have great performances. I was able to tune out all of the random yelling, but at some moments you just can't ignore it. I marched with people where yelling during shows sometimes did affect their performance, and that was yelling that wasn't even negative towards the corps.

If you were that convinced that you had to do it, and that it would have been very effective and in the best interest for the kids, why didn't you go through with it? Because you wouldn't have been some anonymous voice, like you are on here, because a staff member was nearby? You make it sound like ever member of the Cadets hated their show and were being forced to have a terrible experience because of the design staff. While some weren't crazy about, I know of others that loved it! You do not know what's best for the kids. I hope you never march in my drum corps.

In your opinion. You do not speak for all drum corps fans. I absolutely loved it and it was the favorite show of my non-drum corps friends that went to their first show this past summer (they also saw Bluecoats, Glassmen, and Cavaliers).