dcpincollector

I never said I marched with SCV. I said they were my favorite. Like I said.....please read. It is educational.

I will respond since certain people can't read! I never said they all were the same. Read the post. I said that the music selections were basically the same. Does that make you feel better? I do read my posts, but I do not want to get in an argument over semantics (which this is). I posted my opinions. In today's world people do not seem to be entitled to them. You should learn to respond intelligently instead of just attacking when someone's opinion is different than yours. Well.......enough said.

I watched the DCA semi-finals for the first time on the internet. I have been a DCI fan since 1968, but have only attended a couple of DCA shows when I was a kid (early 70's). I enjoyed watching the corps. It was a great day. I also would like to give my opinions on what I saw. The biggest thing I noticed is how much DCI and DCA are more alike than they are different. Music: For the most part (BD and Governaires are exceptions) they all play the same type music. DCA seems to emphasize volume and "screamers" over quality of sound and blend, but this doesn't change the choice of music. I was really kind of shocked at how much the music was the same after all of the talk on the forums as to how the DCA corps play different music. Now that DCA also includes recorded voice (I was shocked when I heard this in MB) it is clear that they also are moving toward the use of electronics. This is always the big issue when there are arguments between supporters of the two circuits. As they (DCI and DCA) move closer and closer together this will become less of an issue and electronics will also be allowed to be used in DCA. The designers and composers in DCA will see that they are being used to great effect in DCI. I would be the first to admit that their use has been an issue in DCI, but the corps are learning how to use them well and every year they are finding the best way to utilize them to maximum effect. Are they ever used badly? Yes!! But I have been encouraged that every year it gets better and they really do add to the musical effect IMO. Drums Batteries in the top DCA corps are comparable to the DCI lines. If they were to practice as much as the DCI they would be right there. The DCA corps are not as well advanced in the pit, but the top few DCA corps are in the ball park. Overall I was very impressed with the top DCA lines. Bugles DCI horns lines are much better, but I think that a lot of this has to do with practice time. Given 8 - 10 hours of practce every day, DCA lines would be comparable. The sound quality and blend probably would also improve with added practice. DCI horn charts are more difficult but I think that this also is because of the weekend nature of DCA. Guard Here is where one of the big differences is seen. There is no comparison. DCI guards are much better. Visual This to me is the biggest difference. It probably also is because of the practice time limitation, but DCI is much more advanced in visual design. There really is no comparison here. Overall I really liked the show and hope to attend more of them in person in the future. I hold to my original statement that DCI and DCA are more alike then they are different. With DCA and DCI having more synergy (webcasts, ticketing etc),I think that eventually they will merge for the good of all drum corps. With so few corps it would help in many areas to combine the efforts of both groups. This would help all of the corps. I will not follow this thread and will not respond to other posts. I normally do not post any more. I just wanted to state my opinions.

This is the same system that DCI used and I never had any issues with the DCI feed

Is anyone else have problems with the video and audio feed?

Does anyone know how to contact the DCI Patchman? http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=6aadd2c9-cf90-4b54-a2d2-a0d37d8496cc I was just wondering if he still attends DCI events.

Please take pictures of them so that I can put them on my website: www.drumcorpscollectibles I am going to expand the site to include t-shirts, corp jackets, uniforms etc. I will credit you with the submissions and then you could follow the suggestions of the others. If anyone had a drum corps collectible please take pictures and submit them to my site. I would greatly appreciate it! Please feel to contact me if you have any questions. My email is listed on the web-site or you can simply click the "contact" button. Thanks for your help.

This is the first time I have ever gotten on the DCA forum. It is my last. This comment shows a depth of stupidity far beyond what is often seen on the DCI side. It also shows that drum corps will be better off when the "old guard" is gone. I can't even believe that anyone would say that. You belong in the Hall of Shame!!! Good bye!!!

This forum is nuts! Attendance was up! Plain and simple! Please return to the "glory" days if you like. I prefer the present. Drum corps is better than ever despite the ravings of a few! Sorry to disappoint you!

Rite of Spring. This would be totally Vanguard.

There is a difference between discussions and "trolling". This post is a perfect example. If it were a discussion, then they would be qualitative responses on how we should protect the kids as this is the only logical way to respond to this issue. I understand where my power button is. This is a typical response from posters who have destroyed this forum. Instead of looking for something constructive, they just make little snide remarks. I will disappear again as you suggest, but this is the reason there is really no good "discussions" on this forum anymore. It is really too bad that these forums have evolved in this fashion. Bye!!

This is exactly why I do not post on this forum anymore!!! (Jim, I am not responding to your quote just posting) A guy brings up a valid point (do you watch the news?) and he gets hosed!! This forum is a joke. It used to be a place where valid discussions took place. Now it is just a place where people enjoy "trashing" any point that is made regardless of the topic. Should DCI make a suggestion to all of the marching members that they should take the issue of skin cancer seriously? Yes. Will everyone who marches get skin cancer? No. Will saving a single member by emphasizing the need to be proactive in term of sunscreen and proper protection be worth it? Yes. Thanks to the poster for bringing up a valid point! Sorry that this "group" of people spends their days trashing every idea. Hopefully these forum will once more become a place to discuss issues, but I doubt it. Happy trolling!!!

I did not have that problem with my monitor, but someone else has commented the same thing. I am no web design expert, but I will try to see what I did wrong in the formatting. Any ideas? I wish I had had the money to pay someone to do it!!

I have just finished uploading a new drum corps web-site: http://drumcorpscollectibles.com/index.html My desire with this site is to catalogue drum corps collectibles. I collect pins/ patches (and would love for you to send me pictures of them), but I know other people collect various other items. I will put these items on the site so there will be a central point to view them. For example: Bill Ives is going to send me pictures of his uniform collection and I am going to add them to the site. I know that many of you have displays (what I call "shrines") of your drum corps memorabilia. I am very interested in posting pictures of these and will include a section devoted to them in the near future. For example: My wife has a display case full of drum corps miniatures that she has collected over the years. This is the type of thing I would like to add. Here is another perfect example that I found on the Squires (Watkins Glenn, NY) facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56829234036#!/photo.php?fbid=1524250439037&set=o.56829234036&type=1&theater I thought that this was a wonderful image!! Please let me know what you think of the site and if you might have something to contribute. I will acknowledge all the submissions. There is a page on the site (Submissions) that gives instructions on how you can contribute. I am new to web-site design, so if you have any suggestions or comments please send them to me at Email me or use the Contact button on the site to contact me. This is a work in progress (really a labor of love) and your input is very valuable to me!

Read the History of DCI: The First Ten Years. You might change your opinion on the similarities. It was so interesting to read this while this G7 thing was going on. You might change your mind if you read it.

I disagree with you! If anything, he was trying to find a viable way to survive. Personally I think they over-reacted to the economic situation, but these were proposals to try and save "some" drum corps. If there was going to be a huge fall-out of corps and a revenue due to the economic downturn (this is subject to debate), would it be better that all the corps collapsed or should they try to save what they could. I disagree with their methods and I think that they over-reacted, but I will never believe that they were purposefully trying to destroy the rest of the corps in order to further their corps. The corps director have dedicated their lives to this activity. This was not just GH's plan. It was the plan of a group. Could they have come up with a different idea? Yes. But if you look at the proposal, it is almost identical to the original DCI proposal from '72. This wasn't really a new idea. In fact it showed a real lack of imagination (creativity) to rehash the original DCI proposal. Hopefully they can be more creative with future proposals. I disagree with their methods, but I stand by my statement concerning GH. He would fight to the death for drum corps (whatever it may morph into).

You need to calm down! Hopkins is NOT the Antichrist! Do you really think that HE runs everything! IF there is any blame to be had concerning this "conspiracy" (and I am very doubtful there is any need to blame anyone), it falls on the group. Do you think that all the other corps would let George speak for them without screening the presentation? I think not. Logically one could deduce that the group used George because he is willing to voice his opinions (which he has every right to do). I think the George "haters" fail to realize one thing: If there is a single person on this earth that cares about drum corps it is George. I may not agree with all of his ideas (and I have disagreed many times!!), but if I was to choose someone to go to battle with for the life of drum corps, it would be him. He would fight to the death!!

You are insane!!! If you believe that these corps recieved their placements by slotting and not by performance, you haven't been around drum corps very much. These corps are consistantly in the top 8 because they are good and deserve to be in the top 8. To insinuate anything else is really just straight insanity!!!

I think that everyone is missing the point. There are definately response mechanisms that go beyond our personnal viseral responses. I do not have any answers, but I believe that you also are wrong with your last statement. If we could pinpoint the type of music or drill that really did excite people on a "chemical" level, we should definately program and design the show with this is mind. True, it might not work on "everyone", but designeres should be looking for the maximum effect on the maximum number of people(%). Maybe you or I would not "feel" it, but if the majority did, it would be a good thing. Can anyone make any comments concerning the difference in response from the 70's and 80's vs. now? There definately seemed to be something that "grabbed" the fans and caused them respond in a much greater way than is usually seen today. Maybe the "Madison Effect" from last year is not just patronizing to get an audience response? Maybe the music etc. itself (and the presentation) points us in the direction that we should go to increase fan response and grow the activity? Anybody have any thought regarding this?

Hell....I think that you are missing the point. He is not talking about seeing or understanding each "individual" audience members reaction. This is something much deeper than that. It is about the overall reaction of the crowd. I think that this post brings up an interesting point. So many people talk about the "good old days" of drum corps and maybe there is a point here. Why was the audience reaction so much greater in the past? If you disagree with this statement simply go back and listen to all of the DCI Championships since '72. There was much more reaction from the crowd during these older performances. The crowds response could be heard audibly throughout the performance, not just at the completion of the show. There must have been something going on that illicited the reactions of the crowd. Was it the type of music played? I think that this is a very plausible possibility. I do not have an answer for this, but I think that there was something going on back then that truly appealed to the masses. It obviously had nothing to do with the quality of the music etc. as any one with an ear for music knows that the qualiy of the performances has never been better than today. Maybe we should trailor this discussion to try and explain this. Was it just a different time? Were people different? Or were corps hitting on something that went deeper into our DNA? This should definately be a topic of interest to anyone who truly loves drum corps.

Can anyone elaborate on Mikes question? What was said? Is thera video or a transcipt of this talk? I agree with Mike. George may not be well liked, but he would would fight to the death for his corps. I do not think that this would involve lowering himself to degrade someone else to make himself look better. He is much smarter than that. Please give us more information.

Totally Agree!!

You didn't refer to them as inferior? I guess that you were not a part of everything that was posted? I believe that you started this thread. Hmmmm.