BariBrian

Having regions is bound to create growth of exsisting corps in those areas as well as new corps that have a limited start up budget. Eliminate the demand for long expensive tours (especially for cash strapped units) until the trek to the Championships. By then, the struggling corps will have a good idea, weather or not they can afford to compete in the championships, without having to sell Ma's cow, to stay afloat during the winter. You could even make the regions smaller. It was suggested earlier that this wasn't practical because in some areas there weren't enough corps of like calibur to compete against one another and it was expensive to start new corps. All To True, and yet, corps do start up every year it seems. Perhaps this would give them the "leg Up" that they need. The corps that I marched with (Avant Garde) struggled finacially, mainly because they were under obligation to tour, whenever and wherever DCI scheduled them to appear. I truely believe that was the death of them,,in fact, I know it was. It seems to me that this suggestion, if supported properly, would only make DCI and drum corp in general a much MUCH stronger Activity. Less exclusive perhaps, but much stronger. It was suggested that the past is gone and that drum corp needs to look towards a realistic future. If you shoot down ideas that are intended to expand drum corp there will be no future. Look at the decline in active drum corps just in the past ten years, now go back twenty, and then thirty. Exclusiveness will only breed extinction evetually. Would you tell the 27th Lancer to give it up that the past is gone, if they were trying to get back into it? I'm certainly happy that the Blue Stars didn't follow that advice

BITD when I marched there seemed to be regional circuts all over the country where corps could compete on a somewhat local level without the HUGE expense of touring. These corps could actually guage how well they could actually do on a national level (or get a very good idea) based on compition in the circut that were possibly national level contenders themselves. Corps thrived when these circuts were around. My question is; do you think that DCI could benifit or more importantly Drum corps, if circuts were once again established and corps with smaller budgets could compete on a weekly basis, until the the championships rolled around

I loved indoor shows. Still do if you can get lucky enough to find one. I had the great fortune to perform in "The Evening With the Corps" twice and the atmosphere was electric,,and the sound,,,WOW!

Keith, I always thought that the Squires and Avant Garde would have been Brilliant, but quite a distance for either to travel. That would have been one talented NY corp for sure

1974 Ithaca NY DCI Championships! I don't think I saw a corp that weekend that I didn't like. They were all on. (in my opinion) I realize this wasn't A moment,,but,,it was many moments and I didn't want to narrow it down

Witnessed : 1974, Ithaca NY DCI Prelims, the Bellville Black Knights. What an outstanding Performance in a great year of outstanding corps. There ovation lasted well after they were off the field. Experienced: 1977 US Open Finals. Avant Garde. It poured on us during our show, but even more so during “Don’t Rain On My Parade”. The crowed stood up from that song until the time that we were out of sight. The Very Best feeling

Hey Paul you forgot the Pittsfield Brassmen =) Welcome to DCP. Brian Haynes your old "Cold Duck" partner

Geeze Jeff, I see you more on the computer then I did when I marched for you,, and thats sayin somthin. Welcome to DCP. BTW tell BariPaul (I'm assuming Paul Christopher) that he should be marching, not on the computer

In the Northeast Circut in the early to mid 70's there were about 25 corps from NY, Mass, Conn, VT, and NH. All VERY competitive and most with quality among their ranks. ALL were field corps, however, very few of them went to DCI in those years. Most did World Open. (for Many eastern corps, this was truely the world championship of its time) and of course their own circut championship. DCI gained popularity as these once major shows dropped out of exsistance. The town I lived in had 7 drum & bugle corps all at one time in the late 60's and early 70's. All but one was a field corps

For those of you who are judging based on one reply, I'm kinda laughing about it, because NO ONE has more respect for todays kids and drum corp then I do. I was responding to what I considered to be a slap to all out here in DCP especially those of us that do not sit on a board or run a drum corp. If you are going to critisize me, at least be fair about it and read everything that had to do with my post and the posts that followed. Other wise, I feel that you are no better then the people you feel are unfair to todays activity Its easy to sit back and pick out a snippet of a quote that sounds like someone was being harsh, but even easier to only read that snippet and take it as the whole story. Too many times here this is the case. I was not putting kids of today down, I was being humorous about us old farts. Still, we chose to see the negative and not the humor. I suppose this is why so many corp leaders don't want their kids on here. People,,Good people, well meaning can have their words twisted, mis interpeted, taken out of context, mis- quoted, half quoted, for what ever reason by adults with an axe to grind, or, just because they just like to stir things up. Pitty I could care less what anyone on here actually thinks of me, but, lets be fair shall we

I wasn't speaking with scorn. Please read all posts that applie including the post that I was responding to, before you judge. It is very difficult to determine in what humor I was speaking, but apparently, it is very easy to make assumptions

Again, I must say Bravo!! well said.

I thought it was just me that he was jumping all over due to mis-Interpretation.

You are of course entitled to your opinion. I was in drum corp what seemed like a thousand years ago I capitalized Bugle, because thats what we used way back then. Again I was addressing a specific person to a specific comment And I think perhaps you might be over sensitive to so many putting the activity down that you think all of us are. I am NOT.

Actually,,If you had taken the time to read what I was responding too. You'll see that I was not doing that at all. Far from it. I have said hundreds of times that this is your time not ours. I have NO problems with Kids today at all. Just the ONE person that I was resonding to. For that matter, I don't have a problem there either. Just what they were saying about all of people out here that think we have a right to an opinion Drum corp people of today are exactly that. I respect them and what they are trying to accomplish, and I go to shows. I don't try to run things and my opinion is just that, my opinion. Please read everything, if your going to make an assumption about where I'm going and what I'm about. Thank You and have a good day. Just for the record, I need no respect from anyone out there, but for the most part, I have tremendous respect for those out there that share their opinions without the need to acttack anyone, which is a majority

Yes you should, its going to be a great show this year Bluecoats - Canton, OH Boston Crusaders - Boston, MA Crossmen - San Antonio, TX Jersey Surf - Camden County, NJ Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL Raiders - Wayne, NJ Spirit - Atlanta, GA I can't wait. Let me know if theres anything I can do for you while your in town. Best resturaunts, and such

So, you think that a forum should be used only for praise of the activity, and never any negative opinions from anyone with say, 20 or 30 years of experience with the activity, unless they have sat on a board? If you can't take critics, you are in the wrong activity. Does this mean that only DCI judges have the right to judge music and visual? When I was in drum and BUGLE corps thousands of years ago. We actually respected the folks that came before us. Revered them in fact. Because they were able to put quality out year after year, without outrageous budgets, without gimicks, without BIG MONEY instructors. My point here is, it seems to me, that those are the very people that DO know how to run a drum corps and the activity in general. In Keeping with the topic, DCP becomes less important, when opinions of any group are not respected and valued by others. You do not need to agree or even be friends, but repect for others opinions is a must in a forum. The topics are brought up mostly in question form. To expect that only the elete and all knowing will answer the topic, is kinda like throwing a fishing line out expecting ONLY the BIG FISH will bite

Really? that so cool. Which one ? do you remember?

Absolutly the coolest looking corp to ever take the field,, and what a BIG sound

Excellent. Nicely said and demonstrated

I was in the Baritone line. I was with Paul Sylvester and Peanut (Contra Line)

I marched in that circut in 73,74,75. You must have come into after then. I do not remember your corp. sorry. We won the Championship in 75, and I have the top twelve breakdown sheet. Were the Royalairs undera different name at that time? It was a fun circut to be sure. Very competitive. Golden Buc's, St. George Olymians, The Firettes. Some very good corps.

I agree, this is not the Gauchos, or at least I don't remember them wearing that uniform in 75 when we were competing against them. Theirs was pretty much a spanish style uni

I know what the circumstances were, and I am aware of what the rules are. I am not disputing that the rules were voted on or passed. No, not at all. I was just thinking with my heart after all these years and not my rule book. It was so much more then a punishment for that 1 show, or even that 1 year. If you marched a year after your corps was disqualified , as you say, then you must have witnessed this. Might I ask who it was that you marched with?

Just checking to see if there is anyone out there from the old Northeast Circut (NY. CONN. MA. NH. VT.) Who were you with? Where did you go?