GUARDLING

Needs people like yourself to step up and do what's needed to move forward. Through all this I don't trust people to do the right thing or maybe instead of saying the right thing I'll say do the thing to halt as much as we can so we can go forward. With that said I just left a small store ( myself and customers were masked ) the owner wasn't and said he just had the virus in the past 3 weeks and in the hospital. No mask, I left ASAP. Also in an area where numbers are way up and the variant running wild. : sigh I would suspect corps and DCI may up the rules towards all this even more to get through INDY. after that and the future who knows. ,Band season and indoor God only knows. Let's hope It is amazing the quality of ALL corps given all the circumstances. Truly AMAZING!

And , from what I understand at the moment , many pledges made to PBS did not materialize .

Maybe send a direct message to corps attending Indy. Although DCP can be a good place to ask I would think you may get a better response or hopefully a taker by those corps . Maybe they may even help out by spreading the word faster through their own organizations . Good Luck

More people like this and things WILL change

Same can be said of fast paced drill, How many were hurt with that..many, yet people love it, want it , want more. Props and change will go back and forth for sure, change will evolve, even the revisited, theme, music and design my come back in an updated form Youre right about the formation of DCI, To make decisions for themselves at a time when the world was changing and leaving behind the constraints of the past, One can look at that as the good or bad of it, as many did. BITD and obviously still today, for some.

I agree that is also a problem BUT I have done these tours a long time. All one has to do is ask an OC corps who they perform to OR the smaller corps early on in a show. The culture of the viewer has to change before anything else does. This is nothing new, what did people call corps who weren't the top Hot dog corps? Now the lot gets more attention than some corps, Sad

You are misunderstanding what I said...Corps should make these decisions for themselves, ( which we agree ) what is wanted, needed or their own budgets. With that said, as I said , supporters can change that...and support means get out of the lot and into shows. No butts in seats doesn't exactly show interest. Saying things on line or support without action doesn't exactly carry a lot of weight. I also believe Jeff may have mentioned. OC corps were and are well aware and many supported decisions. Oh and not much to predict as you said, unless you wanted to make statements and not want a rebuttal, which is ok by me. Often I won't debate several things or don't require debate. So we may be more on the same page than you think.🙂

I have said it literally dozens of times so here we go again. "IF " we want OC or the younger smaller corps to get the attention they deserve..I will repeat deserve, then people need to support OC and smaller corps. Stay out of the lots when smaller corps are on, support OC only shows, etc etc. I have done these tours for decades now and it's sad sometimes watching these corps perform to not a soul. Do a few shows attract some people , sure for the most part no. Ask an OC performer. WGI went through this with HS and Independent A class UNTIL WGI realized between entry fees, dues, etc etc and the amount of participants in A class that is where their bread is buttered. People who complain how OC and smaller corps don't get the respect they deserve, and they should, well stop talking about it and get butts in those seats, IT WORKS, until then ,nothing changes. As far as Props , no props etc etc, how about let corps decide what they want, can afford, need to do. Props should not be a reason for success nor lack of them. Same goes for most all aspects . If you choose to do something , do it well, if you choose not to do something, do it well, if you choose to explore something new, do it well, if you choose to revive something just do it well period. There's been plenty done well and plenty that has not, THAT, is the only thing that should be considered for success. Success is also another thing corps should decide and only them and that doesn't always mean scores.

Corps like all of the activity form their own groups. DCI, WGI, DCA is not responsible for forming organizations, never were, unless I missed something in the past several decades. " Bad Management, good management, reluctant management " means Corps management and their individual management to move forward or not. AS it was then

DCI's job was never to actually form corps. You did point out the many reasons( and there's more), why things changed so much. Lets not just look at this being a drum corps issue of the time. MANY things took huge hits at the same time. Look at the numbers of Boy Scouts compared to now. Those groups who helped form corps also took hits of their own. Hits took out many church organizations , legions barley exist. etc etc

For many they couldn't or wouldn't change with the world changing, members changing or the vision to move forward. It's not that the 50s or 60s had better management, times and people were much different, It's also not that these people were bad people, to the contrary , They had big and great hearts, worked hard etc etc but few knew how to or didn't desire to admit everything was changing. They didn't get bad all of a sudden in the 70s they just didn't change to move forward, The old ways in many areas of life were changing.

This I can agree with 🙂

was all about the build up, the frenzy created...oppurtunity...formula? naw maybe not, a plan to grab attention especially if talent backs it, sure been done and often through the years, maybe every year.

Theres only so many slots at the top, to progress it has little to do with talent ( all corps have talent up there )at that point but knocking someone else off. Thats no easy task, the attention grabber, the talked about, the one who pounces on opportunity, gets the chance to possibly change their course. I can agree with do things better to beat anyone ahead of you but often it can be about other things added to that. 2008 comes to mind IMO

real world . I think a corps should have the choice and bad themes as well as bad props should be judged as such. Now if the total production works and enhances a program great BUT to say what is necessary or not is not the choice of anyone but the corps. I remember when all the junk hit the pit many said the same Usually bad props are produced by bad designers or new designers trying to be something they aren;t ...yet. That can also be said of bad or over written guard books, musical selections, drum parts, uniform, show design. It's happened for many decades. A good designer new or experienced should know how to make their members look good, show the great qualities, hide the flaws and most of all produce something that allows a corps to excel, challenge but realistically achieve. Even a smaller corps, less budget, prop less, etc etc can shine " IF " the design team looks at who they are writing for and gives them the vehicle to achieve and succeed.

it will " IF" used smartly and directly for specific reason. For the most part just to do for the sake of doing is one thing, to strategically use it for specific reason and focused outcome can be quite different . Something tells me there's a reason. I could agree with you almost completely except I do know many striving for success plan, attack, calculate etc etc If a huge amount is being spent by any this summer, you can bet its with a strategic plan in mind however small, or big

Oh no bubble busted here, I hear ya for sure . It could present a possibility for BAC, Where it goes after could be another story

BUT, is it their time to shine, a production extravaganza that doesn't have to compete with others. Could make for a great recruiting tool with not alot of competition....hmmmm Could it also stir alot of attention and chatter toward them and things to come , again without competition for that attention, Could be a very smart and tactical move.

True, gone are the days of free fields for practice, small church halls, donated things. Even to run a darn winter guard costs can be up around 20 grand just for a minimal ( not a gym ) rehearsal site and thats only a day or 2 a week and not year round.

All true, The world was and did change, not just the activity.

They do more than most think. The bean counters job is also to find ways to make the process move forward. That is also their job as well as keeping a lid on it. Especially if a corps can't afford to do it.

Yet one has to look at why the failures of corps in the 70s were. None of it had to do with advances but many with bad management, lack of vision or reluctance for the future or change, community and church support which changed etc etc. One also has to look at what the young member of the 60s and 70s were verses what young people today have at their fingertips, quite different. We didn't have a lot to spread our wings , today VERY different. The good and bad of that I suppose.

very true, I know the local ballet company has added all of it too.

HMMMM now where have we heard that before...oh yeah 1972...lol

Actually, I went to a concert ( classical) about 2 years ago and they had props, huge video screens lasers dancers, etc etc. They also spoke about how they felt they needed to bring the genre into this century and offer not just a musical but visual experience...interesting