alumniof

I think the sooner the full transformation to Bands of America will be a great thing for Drum AND BUGLE Corps. Why? So this way the renaissance can begin. In my perfect world vision - DCI turns into just a more excelled touring marching band (complete with woodwinds, majorettes and whatever acid trip they want to go on) - so that they can separate themselves as much as possible from Drum and Bugle Corps and be completely aligned with marching band. THIS WAY - a drum and bugle corps association could be formed and let the rennasaince begin. I'd love to see DCA be the organization since it's an organization already in place. I would (arm-chairing) structure and support and encourage the building of local corps, doing local shows, then regionals, then a championship down the road. Bring back bugles, focus on entertainment (and volume) and tradition. Instead of these esoteric shows which are nothing more than staff ego competitions against one another and using kids as the tool to compete with each other - they focus on the public. Take all the "rejects" who didn't make Crown, Cadets, etc; and give them a bugle. Let's say it's Florida. Get a corps in Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, Tallahassee. Practice all summer with shows on weekends at each city site. Do clinics for local high schools, performances in parks and malls and get to know your community and support them so they support you. Then, go to a "regional" in Atlanta and then ultimately a championship somewhere. Make it affordable, accessible and "different" (wow, what's that - it's so loud - oh, it's a bugle with two valves - that looks cool, I want to play it). Design public friendly shows (nobody laughs at the Boston Pops - they survive and thrive) and let the country club DCI geeks do their thing and let bugle corps SEPARATE THEMSELVES from anything marching band. Their is value in learning a different instrument and doing something different. Not everything needs to be an education (musically) anyway. There is such a thing as pleasure and enjoyment. Why fight this thing any longer - build new drum and BUGLE corps and let go of the DCI thing. Let them go wander into bandland and throw support around new corps, new traditions. The sooner DCI keeps on changing, the more able a drum and bugle corps circuit can come back and be supported and sustain - and entertain. If done right, I think it can ultimately fail DCI or let it remain it's expensive elitist professional marching band for music educators and band parents. Let a drum and bugle corps circuit be for the poor to average types who want something positive, fun, entertaining to do without spending their college tuitions to do it.

Kentucky Fried Chicken changed to KFC not because they added product, but because they wanted to get away from "Fried" due to obvious unhealthy preparation of their product.

Still funny and fresh every time.

It's not a brand. It's a band.

Fair? Since when is fair relevant. I'm not speaking on behalf of anyone, I'm stating fact. 77 flavors of non-entertainment is still non-entertainment.

Where do I begin. You're so easy. "I know this thread is titled My Thoughts" and then you ignore what you know. Then you're giving advice for me to be careful. "Is complaining about it going to solve anything" - first off, DCP is pretty much a complaint community and secondly I posted another thread specifically putting aside complaining. Then you tell me how entitled I am to express my opinion and how you respect it and then tell me not to do it and your entire post is disrespect (not that such things matter to me. Respect and disrespect is a subjective ego minduck for insecure people). Oppertunities? Really? Regarding using brass instruments for effect. Let's start with effect number 1 - how about entertaining people on the aluminum cans they already have. The only effect I've seen is the courtesy applause. There is no effect except side effects (nausea, vomiting, rooftop sniping, strangling cats, and 1000 others - read the label). Hate and negativity - thanks Jesus Christ for your positive post oozing with love vibes. There's a glow around your post and now I know why. Thanks for the tree hugging advice for me to consider this a good thing - you're the kind of person who will dish out that mantra at funerals. Yeah, okay - what key shall we sing Kumbaya in? Better not be G. Always love people giving their own post a thumbs up. Hey, you wouldn't happen to be a percussionist would you?

Like I have time to read every thread. And by the way, there is more than one thread on this topic. So, what's your point?

From the future: DCI is unique. Nothing was unique about Carolina Crown in 2013. They played band instruments. Look at the two clips below. First is the 2047 Los Angeles Wind Angels (I made that up - don't steal it. Smirk) and the 2013 Carolina Crown. You simply can't find something so similar. Pfft.

Having sex isn't unique. I still like it. It's not about being unique. It's about being entertaining. DCI is boring. And it's not loud. And as much as you want to deny it, people respond to volume. It's just the way life rolls. Take the music educators, parents, relatives and their friends out of any stadium, what percentage is the general public? General public doesn't care. Personally, I'm waiting for DCI to allow robots on the field and the caption heads have joysticks - or better yet, just program them into the software. I mean, really - why play instruments? That's a lot of effort and they can never be in tune - and all that practicing. What a waste of time.

I'll throw it out. If someone, or group, came through and chose to create and build a drum and bugle corps circuit - would you support it (you define support)? I'll go first. Hell yeah. I'd like to see it become an Ellis Island - bring us your rejects DCI and we'll give them a bugle. I would build it wisely. Local. Local. Local. I could write for three hours but I don't want to make this a pulpit. I'd support it. I have no interest in marching band. I don't care how great the musicians are, how creative the shows are, or what mind-uckery the shows are. Ballet and Opera is full of talent - I don't care to go.

Nice try. It's like mentioning single moms, children and Christmas. Here's the reality, just because you're a kid doesn't make you special or us adults who were once kids should idealize you because your biology hasn't peaked. Drum Corps is not about kids for me. But, for your argument, let's make it about kids. How about learning something new - like a bugle. How about respecting tradition. How about respecting alumni which laid the history for you to associate yourself with. How about realizing it's not about you, it's about the ### in the seat and/or something beyond yourself (it's all about me generation). There's nothing niche about marching band. A fan of kids? How about you become a fan of adults. What a crap society we live in. Everybody and everything is disposable. Wal-Mart attitude.

Since DCI is no longer a drum corps (as we know it) - I say see we refer to it as another name or, heck, suggest it over. Here's mine: Summer Band Camp

Well, got word on Facebook from my alumni page that DCI has allowed all brass instruments in the activity. Gee, what a shock. Can we just add woodwinds and get this crap over with? I don't know who started the race to get drum corps to look like a marching band. It's like the carb-watchers trying to get their carb count to zero per day. Just don't eat carbs. For God's sake, just do it DCI and turn it into a marching band completely instead of this decade plan to do it. All that being said - here's the positive - the sooner this happens, the more LIKELY drum and bugle corps will return because it's completely different and nothing related to the professional marching band circuit. I would love to see DCA do just that - become a drum and bugle corps circuit. At some point - let it go - Madison Scouts, Cadets, Phantom, Cavies - just say goodbye to the past and start new. It's really time to just start new. Let go of the past and create a drum and bugle corps circuit. New groups, new traditions to start. Focus? Entertainment. Loud entertainment. Enjoyable entertainment. Let the marching band geeks ballet themselves to Cirque du whatever - I don't care. Go do your thing. "Oh, it's so hard what they do". Who cares? It's not enjoyable (it really isn't). Not to the general public it's not. Great day for drum and bugle corps if you think about it.

If there was a gun to my head and I was asked to state what you wrote or the trigger is being pulled... I would be dead. You should have stopped while you were behind. I got tired and lost before the first period....was there a period? Definitely a loser. Thanks for the attention but I'm married.

Follow the loser exhibit 1....the nature of a forum is sharing opinions about threads.

A lot of history, experts, personalities on here. So...if you were going to start a drum corps and you can only staff it with Drum Corps Planet posters....who would be your staff and what position would they hold. Have fun with this!

Thanks Dr. Phil. You do realize by attacking someone else for their feelings makes you the one with psychosis, right? You do realize as much as my lists are unpopular I never set an offensive attack on someone for what they think? I use alot of manners to illustrate MY opinion. My opinion is never an attack at someone else's opinion. That would make me a loser. You can drum up consensus from the other losers who do the same thing...but...it still makes you a personal loser. You don't like my dream weekend? Than keep it to yourself.

I'm in Allentown. I sit for the first two shows and check the program yo see if WGI and BOA spawned. I decide to skip the next corps and hop over the fence behind the press box to take a walk realizing I'm out of another grand flying to see HS marching band members are dating the school dance team members and know who is wearing the pants in the relationship. As a I walk further away in despair hearing only the micd pit and voiceovers...out of nowhere a brilliant light flashes before me, strong wind and smoke. A car does a 180 three feet in front of me. Its a DeLirean. The door opens up and Doc comes out and says Marty.....something has gone terribly wrong. I say...I know Doc...this sucks....its sucked for years....there is no music...just noise...everyone does Pilate's in band uniforms, their playing band instruments, the synths are playing bass notes Doc when there are 16 tubas....the shows are so abstract even Einstein is WTF. Marty, Marty....he says...we don't have time for this....something went terribly wrong....we have to back to 1982 Finals in Montreal and stop George Hopkins from having that drink and thinking. Its up to you....but hurry...if we don't act soon it could be worse....we are talking woodwinds, trombones, strings. Let's go back Finals right this instant. Dream weekend.

personally, I'm wondering one card is going to move away from traditional flags and rifles and movement and begin imitating life. For example, the dancing that people are doing now. More pop culture modern dance. With shows like do you think you can dance.and dancing like Jason Derulo and the types dot dot dot. If you want to talk about educating kids, bring that type of movement into Marching Band drum corps you increase your consumer base so instead of the monoculture kids looking at band as nothing a place for them, they're actually is a place for them. That's a lot of talented kids out there who can dance you can also then incorporate teaching them to do some traditional work but I'm ready for the general direction to move into that.

the NFL has a retro week. Actually, it's called throwback week. I'd like to see your suggestion.

Put your alumni corps, sound sport, ensemble winners and showcase all that other stuff. Entertainment...variety.

Semis are unnecessary. Put Open Class finals on Friday night.

You aren't reading figures accurately. The Super Bowl sells out every year but that doesn't reflect the strength of the individual games. What's the attendance at locals and regionals? And don't forget the tombstones in the DCI graveyard. RIP Glassmen, Music City, Freelancers, Suncoast Sound, Velvet Knights, Bridgeman, Sky Ryders, North Star, Magic, Teal, 27th Lancers.....you got the idea.

If I could remove this post....I would.