oldskl3rings

I think many of you are confusing performance excellence with entertainment excellence. Certainly a majority of today’s corps achieve performance excellence. The shows are complex and difficult and about as entertaining as watching paint dry. Of course for the most part, the people who populate this board are music majors or music aficionados and you have the background to appreciate the current programs. Unfortunately you represent a very small percentage of the general population. To me most of it sounds like their playing from an exercise book. Runs up and down, play a couple of chord progressions and then back to the races. Performers thrive on public reactions. I was fortunate to win three titles, yet the show that stands out in my mind was an early season performance where we got a standing ovation thirty seconds in to our opener. The crowd remained on its feet for virtually the whole performance. When the show was over the PA announcer kept shouting, “Wonderful show, wonderful show! When was the last time a corps received a standing “O” during its performance?

Charlie Anderson

I just watched the vid. Beautiful tribute! Many people don’t realize that Jim was a member of SCV in 1971. He played mellophone and had to leave mid-season to help the Commodores.Here are a couple bits of SCV trivia for you. Jim’s replacement in ’71 was Stanley Knaub who many credit as being the father of the modern color guard. Also in ’71 both Jim and Wayne Downey were members of the SCV horn line.

I didn’t quote the OP because it’s so long, but he hit the nail on the head! I haven’t read all the rest of this thread because I knew many would post their agreement, while the few diehard fans would disagree and say how much they love everything. Do you know why people talk during shows? BECAUSE THEIR BORED! This is nothing new. It has been going on for at least a decade. Sure, every season there are some special moments, even shows, but this more of an exception than the norm. I could go on and on, but the OP said it best! Those of you diehards who see nothing wrong with the activity better pull your heads out of the sand or there will be nothing left!

Jim Ott May 1,1950 - July 8, 1980

CLASSLESS EMBARESSING DISGRACEFUL CRAP I can’t believe anyone would excuse this presentation of the activity. I can only assume: 1.You never marched in a drum corps 2. You have no respect for the activity (Neither does Crown)

Incomplete shows are not a new phenomenon, so I guess it depends on how many fans stopped going because they felt cheated.

Following your logic, how about corps don’t compete until one week before finals. That way they can rehearse all the time and get really good! Why take the risk of getting slotted before they can perfect their program. In fact why have live shows at all? They could have their shows taped from their home practice facility and post it on the internet. It would certainly save a lot of touring costs. The fact is many of you, as well as DCI are too concerned about the competitive nature of the activity and not the entertainment component. At one time there were hundreds and hundreds of competitive junior drum corps. Now there are less that fifty. The fan base has also shrunk dramatically. Now I assume the majority of you marched with a corps at one time. Think back and remember all the people you marched with. Now try to recall how many still attend DC shows. DC is in dire need of more revenue. I’ll say it again. MORE FANS EQUAL MORE MONEY!!!

Simple! Make the penalties severe, say 3 points for every 30 seconds a corps is under the minimum. All scores (including penalties) would be used to determine a corps seeding for the first regional. It may not prevent a corps from winning it all in August, but it would make the process more difficult.

OK, for those of you who don’t get the point. West Coast fans have no other choice than to go to early season shows unless they have the time and monetary means to travel hundreds of miles. When they buy a ticket to the Stanford show (which replaced both SCV’s & BD’s home show) they should at least see a representation of what will be presented at finals. Maybe your attitude would change if all the mid-west and east corps only competed in their region in June and then spent the rest of the summer travelling up and down the west coast with finals in LA, Seattle or SF. Finally answer this question. What if there was a DC show and nobody showed up?

It's off topic, but the 9ers hit the skids when Eddie D. was forced out. On topic, DC has lost its identity. All the changes have not made it better and I would argue in many cases worse. They keep polluting the unique sound of the all brass choir with pit crap, synths and God knows what else. A friend posted on Facebook SCV’s brass warm-up prior to the Walnut show. It was beautiful and brought a tear to my eyes. Watched a vid of their show and…nothing! Very sad!!!

I think it’s too early to judge Jeff on SCV’s competitive accomplishments. Under his leadership the BOD has been reorganized as well as the Booster Club. It seems like there is more stability with the creative staff. Their financial situation is in as good or better shape as when he got there. JW is back on staff and that’s a good thing. I also feel a more positive vibe from the alumni. I think it’s a shame that Rick is no longer with us, but I applaud his success with PR. I’m not sure what happened with Jeff P., but he had a successful business before his SCV tenure and I believe he’s back running the store. I wasn’t happy when SCV came out this year with an incomplete show and I let Jeff know it. He replied promptly and explained his reasoning and under DCI’s current rules, I agree with his decision. Right at the moment I believe he deserves two thumbs up!

We’re talking average. Yea, once in a great while it may get as cold as you say. Temps in the 40s are not impossible to learn drill. Oh and if you’re learning the drill for the opener, the only music you need to know is the opener.

This person has obviously never lived in the Santa Clara Valley. The average high in January is 57 and the lows in the mid 40s. Good weather to wear your corps jacket during rehearsal. Also, you don’t need to know all the music to start learning the drill.

No one in their right mind is going to expect a “finals” type program at the opening performance. Yes, it is true that shows evolve and change (sometimes minor, sometimes major) and they certainly get better. However, adjustments and changes are not the same as leaving whole sections out completely. I notice most of the defenders of impartial shows live in the mid-west or east where it is relatively easy to attend latter season shows. West coast fans however are stuck, unless they are willing to travel half way across the country, to attending early season shows. This is not an occasional happening, but has been the norm since DCI was founded 38 years ago (except one year). Tickets prices on the west coast are no less than anywhere else and those fans and supporters have a right to see a least a representation of each corps complete production!

Announcer: “Are the judges ready?! Is the corps ready?!” DM: “Well…we’re two thirds ready.” DC is in serious trouble! Current revenue sources can not keep up with expenses. The G7 proposal is just an attempt to rectify this shortfall. The best way to increase revenue is to increase the fan base. More fans equal more money! DCI should be doing everything in its power to increase the number of fans. Opening a season with incomplete performances is certainly not going to accomplish that. I wasn’t going to post again, but in following this thread there are many suggestions to stop this practice. Others take the attitude that whatever a corps does is OK. Than there are those of you that take the position if you don’t like it don’t go. That’s a great way to increase the fan base! In reality this thread should not be necessary. Those who run this activity should see the writing on the wall and rectify the problem.

Well Buglebando it may be true that incomplete shows may have existed in the past, but corps were penalized for being unprepared. If a corps risked getting an opening score that was 10 to 15 points below their rival’s complete (even skeletal) show you can bet your boots everybody would be ready on opening day. Maybe it’s because I currently direct musical theatre that I share the same philosophy. I could never imagine going on stage before the show and announcing, “The final scene is a little weak, so we are going to not perform it tonight. Please purchase a ticket for tomorrow nights performance and it should be ready.” Hopefully one day DCI will realize (before its too late) that drum corps is not about scores, staffs egos, intellectual shows, insane drills or even the members. DC is about the fans that buy the tickets, the DVDs, subscribe to online content, make donations and volunteer countless hours.

Every corps knows their first performance date well in advance, in most cases almost a year in advance. The fact that DCI allows and even rewards corps for performing incomplete programs, shows a complete lack of respect, even contempt for its fans. I know many of my friends traveled from as far as Florida to see the Stanford show. For most it was the only show they were going to see this season. Now all of them have been around the activity long enough to realize that weren’t going to see the corps at the top of their game. They did however, deserve to see a complete show, start to finish. DCI can not afford to continue to alienate what few fans it has. Shame on them!

G7 or no G7 something needs to be done or DC will be gone in less than a decade. Costs continue to rise, yet those in charge continue make changes that add to the costs. Revenue streams are flat or declining. DCI in its collective arrogance continues to ignore its greatest asset…its fans! Even the most loyal of fans are now complaining that everyone sounds the same – BORING! How many former marching members and their families no longer attend any shows. I could continue, but I want to present a complete proposal, alternative to G7. Stay tuned.

Does anybody know the answer to this question?

Thanks for the info. I had a feeling that only the top 12 had a vote, but wasn't sure. Does DCI still operate under the same premise? If not, what is the new rules?

Stu or anyone else, do you know the answer to this question?

I guess my statement should have been clearer. Since the G7 proposal is about control of junior corps, I’m also referring to junior corps. Also, what is SDCA?

I’m trying to write an alternative proposal to the G7s. I need some background information. I know in the past the top 25 corps qualified to become voting members of DCI. Is that still true? Also in looking at the DCI website I only see 23 world class corps and 24 open class corps. Does this mean there are less than 50 drum corps left in the US? Thanks in advance