HornTeacher

If he fell in the forest, and there was nobody there to help him back up...would the world have one less sound engineer? I would venture that would be the case, since the proverbial tree (which nobody is there to hear, either) fell on him 5 minutes later.

If the ladies can't handle it, then ask THEM to perform something as easy as a flamadiddle. They'll most probably look you in the eye, do a reasonable interpretation of someone in a seizure, then finally shuffle back to their divine boards.

Gotcha, Sir.

With all due respect, Sir (and I feel that I have always dealt with other posters with respect...well...excepting one from yesterday. specifically toward "alumniof," of which I will gladly accept blame and sanction if necessary)... To state it plainly...you missed the point of my entire posting. I used the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers simply as an example for the sake of only that...an example. My point was that all things human are subject to change. Does that mean that I agree with them or support the result? OF COURSE NOT!!! (And you can report me for the shouting, if you must). But in the end, change will happen. It will happen when I'm gone and 6 feet under. It will change when you reach the same destination (though I sincerely hope and pray that yours may take place long after mine.) In any case, it will change. Am I personally happy with the current changes confronting DCI corps? Most emphatically, NO. I will gladly pronounce my allegiance as a "Dino" But my basis is merely personal...including the feeling that it simply "doesn't LOOK right." Yep....admission as ignorant. Guilty as charged. Does it make me right?..Hell, no. However, I DON"t want slides (and certainly not as a Cadet next-explored playtoy...even as something of which they can slide down from their towers). As for French Horns...nice instruments. Extremely nice. But...on the field...No. As for sousaphones...well...Sousa's on the phone, and he wants them all home. Bells front is what I feel it is about. And I am willing and knowingly happy being a party of one...BUT... I will most respectfully defer to others as well as to their feelings on the matter. Yes, I am perfectly aware that I have gone extremely off-topic with this diatribe. However, I felt that I must better clarify the feeling of which I expressed earlier. I may be an idiot...again, willingly guilty as charged. But if it is of any matter, I'm a passionate idiot. Please debate with me at your need -- I welcome it. While I may not agree with what you say, I will fight like hell for your right to say it.

So this is the key to DCI judging, huh? :>)

I'll side with you on that one!!!

While you have my whole-hearted endorsement on this, Jeff, I would say that it is more a matter of the "human condition" in that it is not applicable only to drum corps fans. From what I've read in many texts (not drum corps texts, but rather In many subjects), it is common to everything from "the Dodgers haven't been the same since they left Brooklyn" to "this country hasn't had a good leader since Lincoln (heck, throw in Washington, Teddy, FDR, or Kennedy). Somehow, it's in our genes. Some, however, have had the good fortune to resist the temptation, knowing that all matters common to mankind are subject to growth and change -- not always for the better, but change nevertheless. Heck...if we were to believe the scientists (and I must, since they are far more informed than I in that subject), even the universe is expanding. If nothing else, MOST are now convinced that the earth isn't flat. And we'll take whatever small solace we can in that.

Wow! I guess ol' George Carlin WAS right when he said "Just because you got the monkey off your back, it doesn't mean that the circus has left town."

I admire both your admission and your efforts.

In my limited mind...is this not what the activity is all about?? If I am the only, I don't care to say this...very well stated, BigW..

For what little it may be worth coming from a relative rookie to DCP (although not to drum corps or the professional music world in general)... Thank you for your service to this fine activity. My hat is off to you...and I mean that most sincerely.

In terms of your delineation of "different definitions of best" I am in full agreement with you. Fair enough.

Hmmm...do you think that all adult leaders (across the board of the Drum Corps membership) develop their decisions on what is best -- first and foremost -- for the MM's?

Again, my lack of clarity and/or foresight comes back to bite me in the butt. You are most right, Garfield. I meant to imply "solely" for the audience, which it seems is the direction many posters appear to be heading. As a public school band director, of course my first and foremost responsibility is to the children I am responsible to teach. NOT the school board of education...NOT the parents of the students...NOT the audiences which attend our performances/concerts...but the students. Sorry...didn't mean to bristle here. Please excuse my insouciance.

Point well taken, Sir.

Just to be a jerk... We've all read how drum corps exist "for the kids" (read: students, performers, young men and women who sweat all summer for a product which is pleasing for them and for the general audience). Is it just me, or is this discussion (and others like it) suddenly gravitating toward a point of drum corps existing for the audience?

And to be undeniably persnickety, a corps doesn't necessarily have to be entertaining to be the most proficient corps. However, I also agree with your points about style points, Tru. Please take my first sentence as SUPPORT of your idea.

Thank you for the list, Brasso. However, a good deal of those you mentioned -- especially those of athletic "all star" votings -- are little more than popularity contests based upon by votes from the general populace. Election votes are hardly based on the proficiency of a politician, but rather based on "who says what I like" or "who says what I want to hear." Olympic site selections are based as much, I suspect, on monetary considerations (not to mention which applicant happens to have the greatest influence or "ear" of the highest ranking IOC member). I suppose I live in "La-La land", but am I totally wrong to desire true objectivity? I guess I need to grow up...

In what other competitive arena are fans allowed to vote on the proficiency of competition entrants? (And I'm not speaking of elections, slam-dunk competitions, etc.) I can't think of any. I know my view is extremely simplistic, but for the life of me I would not wish for DCI to become American Idol for instruments.

Or put another way...if you have to explain the punchline, then the joke isn't funny. Thank you for the analysis, Brasso. You said it a lot better than I did.

Sorry, N.E. But thank you for the guidance...I'll be sure not to cross-pollenate the separate music/athletic existinces again. Thank you again for the help.

"Popularity" has no relationship to a degree of performance accomplishment. Or put another way...the New York Yankees have won several World Series since the mid-70s...yet in how many of those did they go into the Series as being the most "popular?" The same could be said about any athletic team which has built a history of winning (Lakers, Cowboys, etc.). I think it's an extremely slippery slope to negotiate when we begin to assess any individual corps's performance by taking into account how "popular" it was to the audience. I'm not saying that the audience at large isn't capable of knowing good from less-than-good...but at the end of the day, we all have our favorites. And to introduce any amount of this bias into assessment is both dangerous and irresponsible to the performers. Not saying I'm right...just my observation.

It's never the smoke that gets people excited...it's the flamers...OOOOPS, sorry...flames.

Awwwww...come on, Fred...you KNOW nothing can't be established until it first passes or fails with the Brandt Crocker test.

I'm totally undecided as to how I should vote...as a 33-year band director...or as a 40-year LOVER of drum corps.......