shostahoosier

You make a really good point. Personally I'm a stickler for supporting local corps, but from personal experience I can also say that my best experience wasnt even with the corps that was closest to me...I had better fits with other corps that were much harder to get to. If you're going to pay the blood, sweat, and fees....I guess it's best to get in where you fit in

it was discussed that there are things that corps could do to significantly decrease spending, but that it probably wont happen because of the DCI "arms-race" (i.e. wide-cast touring schedule, too much staff, etc)

I wish you would have read more of this thread

I dont assume anything. It's what YOU said. No need to attempt the double-talk. You so dramatically dont get the "problem" that it is sad.

I dont really need to know anything about your background but if you were one of those kids in the lot, then you were also one of this kids on the field....and you realize how different it feels to perform in front of an audience rather than do a run through of your show for 10-15 staff members. But either way thats not even the biggest thing that bothers me. The fact that someone would rather mosey around, looking at cds and t-shirts rather than support a kid who has spent a lot of money and effort to be part of this activity and keep it going....thats what "perplexes me". You admit that you could care less about the majority of DCI and you only want to see the best corps. That attitude is part of the reason what keeps parity (both competitively and financially) out of DCI.

I agree with almost everything you say. Too bad it will fall on deaf ears. I know corps is a bargain and that there are probably a lot of parents out there who can afford to pay $2200+airfare for their kids. My parents never paid a dime for my drum corps experience, and I saved ALL of the money I made from my near minimum wage jobs JUST to be able to march...and tour fees were 30%-50% of what they are now (and minimum wage has not increased much from when I aged out). I dont know what my life would be without drum corps as it has helped define me. A lot of kids out there who could really use something like drum corps will probably never be able to experience it these days because of unnecessarily high corps fees.

:thumbup: Your thinking is what INFURIATES me! It's the very reason why there is elitism in corps and why kids decide that it's "a top corps or bust". Cant you buy souvies before the show or during intermission...or even after the show? And to this day I just dont understand what people find so entertaining about watching a hornline stretch and do pitch bending for 30 minutes. Are people really that enamored by the "best corps". Is 30 minutes of scales and tuning really that exciting?! I'm surprised the DCI elite havent considered selling used hornline bathwater or partially eaten food to the fans who just cant get enough of their favorite corps during showtime....

Cheerleading being deemed not a sport still does not make it exempt from Title IX. My university's marching band went coed in the 70s because of Title IX and decided to add a colorguard and kickline to help increase the number of women in the organization. Title IX isnt about sports, though thats what it's most known for. If your organization receives money from the government, then it has to allow women (or men) the chance to be a member. That's all it does.

I wish it was possible to do something too. So many people these days comment that they prefer to watch their favorite corps warm up in the lot, or that for the 5th year in a row, they missed the early (i.e. smaller) corps because they didnt know there would be a traffic jam getting to the stadium. Now people are admitting that if smaller corps went on later, people would just leave since thats not who they want to see. If this is all true, then I guess I dont understand the outcry over a certain group of "elite" corps (I wont encourage the use their well known title because I think it only validates the separation) trying to pull off their current scheme. It sounds to me like a lot of people say one thing on here ("all the corps are equal!"), but ultimately do another on show day (i.e. someone in another thread complained about a Sr. Corps performing in the middle of their own homeshow because they wanted to see the big boys!)

I think corps fees are a deal...I just always wonder if there is a way to decrease corps spending and give the kids more of a break. If fees have to cost $2000 (which is "cheap" to some....I had to scrape to save $700 when I marched DCI and I didnt even age out 10 years ago) then so be it. But if some sort of arms race epidemic (not mentioning anything specifically) causes corps to increase fees to cover costs that arent really practical, then I have a major problem with that. I always admired how Scott Stewart kept corps fees to an absolute minimum when he was in charge of the Madison Scouts. I remember a friend from college who freaked out after he (Stewart) left because the new regime told him his corps fees where essentially going to triple! Maybe I'm not in the know but from what I understood at the end of the 2002 season, the Scouts were very stable from a financial standpoint...so what makes a corps dramatically increase its fees like that? My friend's opinion was that it was all the new designers and uniforms and instruments. (Yes, I know that corps get great deals from suppliers and manufacturers). Who knows... Also, everyone is complaining that the price of gas has increased corps fees. Then why do corps travel so much in the early season? I really think DCI should go back to a regional/national tour model. This may not be an option for some corps (Blue Knights, Troopers, The Academy) though.

...or maybe other corps should follow their lead and attend more local, regional competitions. I would rather have more corps in my region that tour nationally occasionally, than the reverse. If it costs corps so much to zig-zag across the country, than why not minimizing touring so that newer corps can have an easier time with start-up costs? There are advantages and disadvantages to having fewers shows. Please stop pretending that The Academy is getting is getting a pass.

Unfortunately, Glassmen are a little behind The Academy...

When I was marching I knew of a drum major who made a habit of this. Now he's on staff with a finalist corps in a pretty high position and it makes my skin crawl to imagine that he's possibly working with high school students still.

Im a huge fan of the Blue Devils, but the arrogance of the some of the Blue Devils alums/fans in this particular thread is a little unnerving. I personally agree that the Blue Devils have pretty much owned DCI for the past 35 or so years, but some of the people who agree with me make it sound like the other corps in the poll had it easy so their accomplishments dont count. My vote is for the Blue Devils, but I think they only manage to slip by both the Cavaliers and the Cadets for different reasons. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm trying to start a flame war, I'm not. I guess I'm just surprised that this has turned into a %$%#$ match.

how about a certain corps doing a show about the Big Apple...and then having an actual taxi cab prop?!

Regiment wont win high drums because the corps proper probably wont finish in the top 3 or 4. The corrupt numbers management game will do them in.

If DCI is an activity that sells products, then yes, voting with your pocketbook will definitely work. The reason why it hasnt worked yet is because not enough people have "voted". We have fewer shows now, but DCI also has Fan Network which puts money into the corps pocket without them having to travel to a new destination. They also broadcast Quarterfinals which was a genius idea! I personally dont see it as voting with my wallet as that gives it a more aggressive feeling. I just see it as buying something vs. not buying something because I like it or not which is what we do everyday right? I wonder how the evolution of DCI would stand up to the Kano Model.

I think the colorguard achievement/integration might have something to do with the visual score discrepancies...

I agree that the Bluecoats are new to the upper-echelon but since their ultra-successful 2006 season...the corps has been hovering in the 6th-7th place come finals. For a while I was worried that they were going to become another Glassmen (as in, they would fall back to the lower half of finalist corps). So for them to beat a corps that placed 2nd last year (that is, the first "new" corps to medal since 1990) and has the potential to medal again is quite a feat.

While I agree with you about DCP and the "Crown is just hype" bandwagon (as in...I dont think Crown is just hype), EVERY corps is adding content and making changes daily. Also, I hear that every corps "has little room for development" from one person, and "has lots of room to max out their show" from the next person, so I'm no longer take that comment seriously from anyone.

Ooops I misread...I thought you said "should" be worried about instead of "could". My apologies to ElSaurez! Motivating the kids when they feel like they've been slotted is a hard thing to do...but there is much more season left and this "defeat" might be good for both corps in the long run!

Hmm....so why not retitle this thread "Madison beats Blue Stars, Boston, and Phantom in Guard this week...what are they feeding those boys?!"

Sorry but I dont understand what the Blue Knights have to do with the SCV hornline night NOT having a good performance. I thought corps could only have control over their own shows....

this thread is going to go nowhere fast....

I dont know....I'm saving my honks for the Blue Knights...I loved their show last season!