scheherazadesghost

Alternatively, one could make the argument that doing so helped save it during the pandemic.

Artists do this all day every day all of the world and throughout history. They achieve excellence outside of competitive paradigms all the time. Despite them, some might say. Plenty of artists don't have end goals or metrics. If drum corps is a sport it's a sport. Cool. But the GE caption indicates that it's not wholly a sport, because that's where the bias slips in the most. Can't have it both ways and not expect weathered artists to call it out.... Sorry if competing drum corps is the same as Finland's hobby horse competitions to me. It's just silly. Also, if you haven't been a corps where adults cared more about winning than you did and pushed you so far beyond your limits it broke you, you may not understand where I'm coming from. And that's okay. But it doesn't make me wrong. Beating Phantom or Cavies or Cadets or BD was never on my mind and we "won" 3rd place overall and 1st in drums at the height of our season. We just wanted to be the best iteration of our corps that we could muster. Exactly. And the world needs both Kirk and Picard, right? Working together right? Not to try and decide (with finality) who was right and wrong, and then pit them against each other for stakes. We can debate and dialogue about it because that's fun and relatable, but to attempt to make a final judgement would be silly. And undoubtedly biased.

...and are indicators of our failing arts education in this country. But, as usual, I digress. Ranking kills artistic achievement and limits potential. It's the hill I'll die on. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Had the same reaction. Thanks for gif'ing it!

I wasn't arguing for removal of bias, because I agree it's impossible to do. I'd also agree that the human reaction to corps, whether by judges, laymen, alum, professionals, or members is part of the experience. I was not so low key arguing for removal of competition, as I always do. Because the bias is impossible to remove and competition has plenty of downsides that go unacknowledged. Those downsides are made worse by fallible biased opinions, which are impossible to un-bias.

Indeed, some of us point to bias in the whole system. And have since we marched. Even if there was a way for AI to call all the shots, the programmers' bias would feed into the programming and still render bias in the results. And so some of us do our best to ignore the competition aspect altogether and just enjoy the members' and organizations' hard work. The bias and ranking kills the art... for some. Because it's impossible to eliminate. If bias is impossible to eliminate, then winners shouldn't be any more sore about it than anyone else when it's pointed out.

The ability to recover and adapt extends beyond the field and beyond the members. 😎👍🏽

Just caught last night's recipe straight from the oven. The same could be said of their guard book, with the opening ensemble feature being the biggest culprit I could see. The spread is huge so cleaning it in a block only helps so much. Smaller sections on all equipment are stronger than large ensemble features though, which further hints at their capacity for improvement. They're nowhere near their ceiling... so the staff is pacing them appropriately. Also saw some guard performers near props dropping performance quality in the up close shots. Big no-no, I can see you all the way in the desert. 😘 One's ability to touch the heart of fans is not limited to the stadium so don't limit yourselves. Your reach can be bigger. Lalalove the new detail on the closer flags. Love this corps' ferocity and I'm enjoying watching them break this show in. It'll fit just right by next month.

Mandies over there doin' my SCV/SCVC vets a solid. I'm so stinking proud and can't wait to see the recipe.

Totes. Feel lucky to have been in a group that could really make Michael James' choreo sing. Complex, intriguing, a joy to embody. Guards today deserve that... but they need more staffs with James' level of training for that. Edit to add: I'll bow out now. Y'all enjoy the show!

This is also my expectation. I was surprised to see floppy feet from them even early season.

I think you're spot on about how the two distinctions fall in scoring. Risk of injury aside. Based on my experience and observations though, I don't think most movement staffs have the training to catch and thoroughly address what I'm seeing. Most never trained beyond the college level in dance, if that, where you really get into pedagogy. (Unlike the rich training musicians get.) The exceptions being BD, historically, and Bloo cause well, they have 2 of my fellow alum in the movement staff. 😘

👍🏽 And for me, the big unison GE moments don't matter if even only a few members are performing their movement in a way, over and over again all season, that could lead to acute or chronic injury. That's what I'm seeing.

Yes. I am vaguely curious to see how much movement technique plays into the score as well, and agree that it's what sets BD apart. I lament it's not weighted more heavily because, as usual, I worry about the poor technique I see on the field even among these top 4. And this on both the book and execution side. BD's movement book is tougher for sure, but in the execution side, I'm seeing floppy feet and unsafe alignment across the board. I don't mean they're missing the big stuff... they're missing things that are equivalent to the horns not being in tune. The basics. And I can see it via recordings on the other side of the country. The movement deficit, as you said. But as you said also, all guards more than make up for it when you put equipment in their hands, regarding scoring. Guess I'm just not concerned about that. I'm concerned about chronic injury prevention.

Even they aren't achieving their movement books upon my most recent viewing. Not the full ensembles anyway.

BD moves with considerably more maturity than the others, by a landslide. That ensemble arial is untouchable, for example. As far as equipment is concerned, I'd absolutely agree that they're on an even playing field. Stupendous all around. So, respectfully, unless Crown and BC bump up their choreo and training, they can't touch BD with a ten foot pole in the movement category. I would've put Bloo within striking range in this category last year but I just haven't seen that be the case this season yet. Would definitely love to be proven wrong and see improvements here all around bc that would mean safer and more intriguing movement for members.

Rewrites at this point can be real tough on the members, all because the designers weren't thinking ahead enough. ...through the record setting heat of the Texas leg of tour no less. Please continue to ensure plenty of adequate rest and member wellness. Hoping the payoff is worth the added effort. 🙏🏽

Updates to the judging diversity initiative are much needed.

There were no supporters in this thread that did anything beyond react. No bridges were built. That is all too often the case. Here and elsewhere. I said my peace. Please stop drawing this out.

Never called it foul play. Y'all projected that onto my and others' argument. Reckless and irresponsible, which is what I called it, is different. And reflects most of the decision making about safeguarding in this activity that leads to negative outcomes for young people... and it's more easily dismissed as, well, it wasn't on purpose. Which is why nothing seems to improve fast enough to prevent negative outcomes. I'll see myself out.

I'm too busy supporting victim- survivors of much more serious violations at my own house. I've contacted the US Center for SafeSport, DCI, VMAPA, The Army of Survivors, and the Courage First Athletes Helpline about those concerns already. All too no avail. I have no reason to believe any of them have the capacity or jurisdiction to actually support victim-survivors adequately in these situations or others. So no thanks. I can only do so much and a show about absinthe doesn't meet my benchmark for taking action. Rape, medical neglect, HIPAA violations do though, and I've acted accordingly already regarding those scenarios. Sorry you have to suffer through my musings on the intersection of substance use and drum corps on a public forum based on my lived experiences though. You could just block me instead of antagonizing.

Providing the opportunity for informed consent could've mitigated this, which I've argued for in this forum before. I was the singular guard member that was "strangled" in a show, after having survived multiple latent vulnerabilities in real life. While you may be able to keep an arm's distance from these scenarios, I've lived them. That lived experience and subsequent trials caused by them feed my argument. I'm not going to play further whataboutism here. It's a bad faith argument that wears down the target. I'll remind you I'm juggling serious news about a predator being allowed back into Vanguardland recently. I won't continue with this here too.

If you haven't spoken to people whose lives were demolished at the intersection of a youth activity and substances, I may not expect you to understand. I care profoundly about those people. And their drum corps abandoned them at their most vulnerable. They are still affected today. What @Vidal28Rdg is alluding to are called latent vulnerabilities. And more members are marching with them than we'll ever know. That's why special care much be taken with all aspects of the program to protect such members first. There's a lot more to make shows about in life than substances. Like, a whole lot more. Or stop calling yourself a youth activity. Simple.

I'm on your side and have not commented on this because I've both enjoyed absinthe myself on several occasions and I very much appreciate creative freedom. However, I've also been trusted with numerous testimonials from numerous fellow alum regarding the intersection of substance misuse and drum corps. Underage drinking, provided by adults, that ended horrifically. Staff drugging minors. Rx substance misuse by members to manage pain that extended beyond the season. Staffers (plural) drinking excessively while on tour and punching the side of a corps bus because they didn't like a score. Glorify these substances in a youth activity at your own risk. I strongly believe it's reckless. Was in the past. Is now.

😘 To some of us weathered artists, "artistic competition" is an oxymoron.