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JimF-LowBari

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Posts posted by JimF-LowBari

  1. Wow, wish I had a way to march with you guys......age out of drum corps, get "real job" and never have time for any fun. I think next year is the corps 50th anniversary correct? You guys are awesome!!!

    Yep corps started 1957. Buccs and I are the same age but they show their age better. :P

    And Buccs were one of our big rivals "back in the day".

  2. If a musical unit doesn't WANT to be competitive, that's fine. They can be a parade corps and march along side the bandos and girl scouts and follow (heaven forbid) the horses.

    Have yet to see or hear of a judged corps that doesn't try to do their best every time on the field. They may not be competative based on the scores but they are busting their ### none the less. Don't mistake lack of good score for lack of heart or desire.

    Been there, done that, even when we set a record for low DCA score and were 30 points behind the next corps. Finished my playing career with a 6th place DCA placement. Desire was there both times, what was missing was experience and better instructors.

  3. I think there are different definitions of "competitive," though. Maybe not everyone goes out there thinking they can win it all, but maybe they want to beat a rival, or do better than they did last year, or better than they did yesterday. Competition against yourself is what it's all about -- pushing yourself to be the best you can be, even if that's not the best there is.

    :ph34r: We started a last place streak from week before 1974 DCA until week before 1975 DCA when we beat two corps (both folded that year). How did our Bus Mang Larry Hershman keep it real during that mess.

    #1 - "#### what the other corps are doing, just beat last weeks score".

    #2 - "Of course the (big DCA) corps beat our ###. They've been around a lot longer than we have (translation: we had a lot of rookies). We're not going to beat them..... YET!!!"

  4. If you enter an EXibition - so what who cares, but if you enter a COMPetion you'd better be there to win! If you don't think you're #1 you never will be. There is no substitute for victory.

    How about keeping a corps alive knowing #### well you'll get your brains kicked in on the sheets? Some of us put welfare of our corps (and drum corps in general) above our personal desires.

    There is nothing worse than an defunct corps.

  5. Question might actually be when did corps lose their individual identity or style? Da Bananas and VKs style was the humorous side of things while 70s/80s corps like Kilties, 27th, BD, SCV, Muchachos, etc, etc, ad nasium had styles that if not totally unique were identifiable. Today appears almost all of that has been pushed aside for various reasons.

    IOW - when did the phrase "Cookie Cutter" start to appear in the DC world.

  6. C'mon folks gotta have someone stupid.... errr brave enought to take my Bari spot since I had to drop out. Now I have 13 months to go over my 75 years music with my 65 year old, 1 valve Tenor Bari. ^0^

    Ain't gonne be pretty but at least I'll beat Dorritte for playing oldest horn. B)

    By then I'll be 50 and really won't give a #### about my score. :P

  7. Have to answer that question with another question. What has changed in the last three years that did not involved amplification in some way? This includes control of sound board rule questions, greatly increased used of vocals (singing and narration) and amps in pit itself. Of course the controversy over electronics has probably overshadowed any other changes.

    s/ Guy who started with marching guard, piston/rotor horns and poor bastichs carrying tymps and bells around. All done with only the mid-field stripe (50 yard marker) placed on the field, no yard lines.

  8. What's wrong with it being geared to non-drum corps people? ESP is watched by mostly NON drumc corps people.. So why would you not explain it on the way? ...

    Sorry for not being clear, I think having it geared to non DC people is a great way to expose our activity to the public. However doing a 180 degrees turn around in the target audience after 30 years of showing to the same group of people does involve a boat load (can't say #### load) of changes. Just bringing up some items that appear to have been missed on the first try.

    For the last 20+ years I do an experiment were I pretend to know nothing about corps except what I hear on the telecasts (no matter how stupid it sounds). Most years I get the impression that there are only 12 drum corps in existence and the most of the members just about kill themselves for a one time chance to perform.

    (IMO) To put it in a sound bite that are a few areas where DCI needs to be more precise HOW they explain drum corps to the (non drm corps) audience. Think the announcers still assume that the audience knows more about corps than is reasonible in the new target audience.

    Huh, huh I said "exposed" <$1 to Beavis and Butthead>

  9. What is the issue?

    Two things that I feel were overlooked when the target audience for the telecasts changed. Back when DCI started being shown on PBS (I first watched 1975) the target audience was people who already were Drum Corps fans. Now the target audience is young people who know nothing about Drum Corps but might be interested in joining or at least look into following DCI. Very cool idea but the ESPN telecast is not quite 100% geared to this "know nothing about DC" audience and DCI might lose some interested people because of this.

    Disclaimer: I've complained about #1 before but someone finally reminded me (slap, slap :P ) that I should do something more constructive than complain. :worthy:

    #1) The old hold over from the DCI/DCA "Cold Wars" that "once they hit 22 they can no longer do Drum Corps". OK, WE know that ain't quite right but the target audience whoe knows nothing about corps doesn't. And if a young person googles "drum corps" both DCI and DCA sites come up.

    Possibly lose: new people who will be age outs and figure it's not worth the effort to try out if they only have one year to do any corps.

    Possibly lose: Youngsters and parents who Google Drum Corps and find you can do corps after 22. Kids might think "WTF" and parents might be suspicious that Rondo might be less than 100% on some of the other things he said. A small credibility issue but a credibility issue none the less.

    #2) Where the #### are the Div II/III corps info during the telecast? Can't remember if Div II/III was mentioned last year but think the following line would help. "Don't feel like you're ready yet for a corps like Cadets or Cavaliers? Here's a way to be able to join a corps and get some experience."

    Just two things that I felt have fallen thru the cracks.

  10. Yes this is exactly how i feel. In maine everytime you turn around there is another band missing form the field. This year it was Westbrook and a attempt to kill my home band Lawrence. Corps back in the day flourushed here. (5th maine, 20th maine etc) but now there are only a handfull of corps kids that i know of in the entire state all traveling out of state to get the cometitive aspect. IF there were more competitive bands i think there would be more corps in the area still because the intrest would still be here.

    Also Maines Marching Ambassadors (aka Pine Tree Warriors) - small Sr corps from Lewiston(?) that went to DCA prelims a few times in the 1980s. Appeared to have a mix of ages in teh corps. Have no idea if theye are still around but doubt it.

  11. Would like to send an email to the folks that handle the DCI telecast this year. There is a small long living issue I that think they should be aware of. Checked dci.org and worried if I email to the basic email addie it will never get to the right place.

    Does anyone on DCP know of a good address to use? Don't worry this will be a respectful email from someone who does care about the activty.

    Edit: Can't type tooooo weeellll toodaye. :rock:

  12. Steel City Ambassadors had Wendys patchs on their unis in the 1980s or 1990s.

    early 80s (83-85?). Left sleeve near the wrist, and not big enough to cause any visual impact issues. No more than drum heads, keyboards or stick bags.

    Small enough it really wasn't noticed from the stands. Didn't even know about it until I read about it after SCA was no more. (Needed DCP back then so I wouldn't miss anything).

    Also thinking about "corporate Drum Corps" that have existed over the years and were they used as advertising???? Answer not really....

    Hershey Chocolatiers - played the Hersheys jingle one year

    Commonwealth Edison Knights of Light (Chicago Electric Company corps) - played "Light" themed songs (can't remember any right now) but unis looked like Canadian Mounties

    Ballentine Brewers - can't see any company logos (3 rings for us old pharts) and their 1964 show is just like other corps except for a great concert number (have he recording on CD)

    Commonwealth Edison (NYC corps) - no idea but their late 1940s show I have has no Electric company themes that I can tell.

    Hamms/Schmidts Indians (beer companies) - great Native American unis and that's all I know

    Grain Belt (beer) Diamonds - :P no friggin' idea but it later became Minnesota Brass Inc

  13. :) Oh yeah! You guys must have been pretty good though because we weren't issued ours until THIRD grade. My parents were heavily involved in Drum Corp at the time, so I already knew quite a bit about it for such a tender age. My father had a heck of a time getting me to go out there for our flutophone concert during the school play. I didn't know exactly what they were trying to make me do or why, but I knew it wasn't Drum Corps! :P

    I was unlucky enough to have to wait until I was almost 17 to see my first corps. :(

    Weird part was I saw my first corps 7 months after I first joined one. :wub:

    Our school district had to do the flutophones sometime before 4th grade as that when the company selling band instruments showed up :) :) :) :) . Still remember my first trombone cost $150 in 1966 dollars which worked out to $7 a month. Next year the slushpumps went up to $159 and $8 a month *gasp*.

    And jwillis, think I remember reading the fifes were phased out of drum, fife and bugle corps when bugles started getting enough valves to make recognizible (or melodic) music.

  14. And the fact that DCA hornlines crack some notes, which is TOTALLY new to the DCA fans?

    Piston/Rotor horns can make dogs in the next county howl????

    Nevermind.... having a flashback.....

    PS - Cavaliers copied Sheherazade from Archer Epler. ^0^ Archie just didn't frame or spin it. :P

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