RichC123

I don't think DCI really has a plan to market to any audience. If they did, you could watch finals on TV somewhere (and I don't just mean high lights and fluff). Right now, the only people who they cater to are the people that are currently in the activity. Other than that, it is pretty closed off to the general public on a grand scale. Want more people to get into it? Make it more accessible. By "accessible", I don't mean to tell people find a dinky show in some town close to them to see corps' they may or may not want to see. It's like if the NFL didn't show any of their games on TV and when asked about how to see Football, they told you to go to a local high school game to check it out. Forget about seeing the Super bowl unless you wanted to fly to where ever it was and hopefully get a ticket. Guarantee that Football wouldn't be very popular if it was set up like DCI.

I don't like narration at all. The electronics aspect doesn't bother me as much if it was used for music. Singing might be pretty cool, but most corps don't bother to find a good singer (save Cadets) and just use narration as a cheap crutch. I go to a drum corps show to hear music and a visual show. I don't go to hear somebody talk through it. I really don't even want to notice that a corps is using electronic equipment. It seems today it is more about, "Hey, look at us, we have electronic equipment!" Rather than, "Hey, check out this cool part of the show." ... even though the cool part of the show happens to use electronic equipment. In short, Keep the music, lose the talking.

I understand your point. In my experience though, either the new person likes it or doesn't like it about 30 seconds into watching it. Regardless of seeing a full show or not. So why cater to the 1% of the people watching, who may or may not like it? It's like tuning into watch the Super Bowl and just getting an overview on Football instead of actually getting to see the game.

I'm seriously greatfull that DCI has made its way back on to Television, but it is nothing like what it used to be when it was on Public Television. FULL SHOWS!!!!! I know, I know. Their theory is that they want to give an over all experience to entice new drum corps fans. Well, I think there are two issues with this. 1. You could at least show 1 or 2 full shows through out the broad cast. How is a potential new fan suppose to really know what a full show is like until he/she sees one? 2. 99% of the people watching the broadcast aren't "new" anyway. They are all ready drum corps fans and tune in to watch the world championships only to feel cheated that they didn't get to actually watch any of the shows anyway. Discuss.

Best years so far: 70's - 1976 (42 votes) 80's - 1989 (64 votes) 90's - 1992 (28 votes) Got your vote in yet?

I haven't seen the show in awhile. I will this weekend at the home show. I like that they have successfully fielded a quality show and are back in Div 1. However, a couple of criticisms from the last time I saw them were that I thought the drill was little ho hum and I really don't like the new marching style at all. The previous style was WAY better. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The guard is much improved from the last few years and the drums and horns sound really good. I think I agree with the majority on this thread that what is holding them back at this point is probably from a visual standpoint. I will have a better opinion once I see them again this weekend. FCO. Rich

Well, 81 seems to be the "Worst" year of drum corps so far with 0 votes.

I would have included those years for the 00's, but like the one of the previous post's said, I could only have 3 questions. So I limited it to full decades.

My point about amplification is that I don't really want to know that you are using it. It seems today that it is like, "Hey, look at us, we have amplification" rather than, "Hey, check out this cool part of the show." I also think it should be used only for music. Narration seems to be the 'cheap' way of using amplification. It really annoys me. You might as well amplify the annoying guy next to you in the stands that talks during the show.

No love for 73, 81, 94???

3 decades of Drum Corps to vote on. Vote for the one you think was the best over all year in that decade for drum corps.

Carnival in Venice

I vote to get rid of amplification. Un-needed.

I just don't like the monotone narration aspect of amplification. I don't mind when music is amplified.

Glad to see someone noticed that the Blue Stars had good shows in the 90's.