MikeD

On the other hand, in a thread (maybe this one?) someone said drum corps was for the poor city youth back "in the day", which supports the original posters ideas. I happen to agree with you and disagree with both of the other posters. Mike

Don, Yes, IMO there was some of that going on back "in the day", though it's only an opinion. Not so much the adding of a rotor...but in the 70's esp when a corps like Bayonne came out in their banana uni..when drills no longer were the start on the left and exit out the right...when percussion added the full pit in the 80's..etc... I'm also not convinced the idea of hordes of 'core' fans leaving is as prevalent as some here try to make it out to be, just because THEY have left. I see all sorts of old timers at DCI shows, from a variety of corps in the 60's and 70's. Mike

Actually, from talking to alums from St Lucy's and St Rita's at shows the past two years, I'm not sure that even many oldtimers have not changed (hmmm..double negative)...they attend shows every year, and nary a complaint about amps or Bb was heard from them. And in general, general audience reaction at shows I've attended has been great, for ALL the corps performing. And of course, newer fans like what they see...it's what they know. Mike

First off, drum corps was not ever JUST for the poor street kids, as your post appears to imply. Plenty of suburban kids marched back in the 60's. There were little corps in many non-urban towns, and a lot of those members worked theri way into the big class 'A' corps, even those from the cities such as BS and St Lucy's in my area, to name a couple. The problem with the model you mention is that it disappeared...starting before DCI even existed. It's not the fault of those corps that exist today..they managed to hang on and change with the times...or in soe cases started long after the decline in the local-based corps. It's not elitist...it's survival. Mike

2005 DCI drum corps does entertain the crowd....and not just the few corps that you liked. Cadets, Crown, Xmen, Spirit, Troopers, Cascades, etc....all of these corps provided great etertainment when I saw them. I am guessing that you might really hate the Cadets show...but the band kids we took to watch DCI East ate them up, and our guard captains who watched them in early July loved them...as did the crowd at both shows. As has always been the case, there are shows for everyone. Mike

No, the best thing is to accept the various proposals, be they electronics or WW and let those charged with making the rules start to look at these as additional options. IMO we'll see electronics long before marching WW. Mike

Well, IMHO they do not, and I started in 64. Mike

Drum corps are bands without WW. If they add WW, what's the big deal? Mike

DCI drum corps is whatever the BOD says it is. You may or may not like what they say it is, but that's your problem, not theirs. FYI...Competitive field drum corps has not changed any of the legal instruments since multi-key in 2000. Mike

Yes, I've been around sice the 60's...and saw the sponsors such as the churches, VFW, AL, and PAL pull away from drum corps...starting in the late 60's, accelerating through the 70's and into the 80's, until the community based corps were pretty much defunct. NOT due to DCI, but due to changes in society and the huge inflation of the 70's that forced a LOT of organizations to take a look at their spending...and drum corps...local drum corps....lost. VFW and AL memberships were aging and shrinking as the WWII and Korean vets no longer had corps aged kids, and the Viet Nam vets were not joining. I saw lots of class 'B' corps fold after being forced to go it alone when their primary sponsors cut off the funds and even made them find new places to rehearse and store equipment. IMO it is ridiculous to blame DCI for the failures of the hundreds of little corps in that era. While I arrange for and work with a band, I am not a band director, and I did march. Uh....what is my 'vested interest'...I attend 2 or 3 shows a year as an audience member. I just happen to love drum corps...be it DCI, DCA, or alumni. So..I don't know if this personal attack can get you censured on DCP. I have not decided whether to report this post or not. Mike

Look at attendance numbers at shows...they are rising all over the country in general, as posted by DCI and from anecdotal reports on these forums. Symphony orchestras use all sorts of 'different' instruments when they are called for, esp in contemporary pieces. Mike

Well, in my archaic Garfield days, we did a medley of two Beatle's tunes as our concert number..."Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer"...it was lame... so it got changed to an even lamer medley from "Paint Your Wagon". Mike

George is the Cadets director...Larry is the Crossmen director. I would guess that Larry and the Xmen staff would not take it too well if all of a sudden George started to pace the sideline while their corps was competing. Mike

Tell that to the Cascades....and note that placements 2 and 3 had no vocals. Mike

To be fair to the person posting... He said that there were people from out of the area who were wondering if the Cabs alumni were the best in DCA and that's why they were there...he wasn't the one doing the "wondering". I can sort of understand the germ of what he is trying to say (I think), but his stated bias (which is a good thing, IMO) muddies up the point he is trying to make...that folks not in the know are viewing the alumni show and thinking that it is a representation of the DCA competitive scene in 2005. Personally, them along with Bush and the Bucs were my favorites at the Grand Prix, but I do understand what he is trying to say (I think). Mike

I did not see everyone, but of those I saw... Cadets Regiment Crown Cascades BAC...or Scouts...tough to choose Mike

You are entitled to hold any opinion you like. When it's posted here, expect that there will be replies either in agreement or disagreement. In any case, it's still your opinion. Mike

Why should they rescind something? Things that do not work will just fade away through not being used. Who cares if X is legal if no one is doing X? And if someone wants to...let them. Those people have that as part of their job. It's not selfish...it's what they do. Mike

Oh, so you ARE a modernist...when I started marching corsp didn't use either of them. If you started on one end zone and finished on the other, how is the drill symmetrical? Actually, viewing video from 1971 even parts of the rest of our drill was VERY asymmetrical. They were not bugles even then. They CALLED them that, but they were not military signalling devices...I don't remember reading of any cavalry charge with the bugler carrying a contra on his shoulder. I doubt the horse would have cared for that! :) Mike

IMO in it's heart drum corps is still drum corps...and I started in 64. Mike

watched them do a basics blockl at A'town and thought the same thing. Yes, loved Wicked...did not care for "They're Playing our Song opener, as I've ALWAYS thought the tune itself rather lame. I understand they showed her a LOT on screen....I thought that live she fit in quite well. Goodness do I love this show and the performance level...if the Cadets have to lose...I hope it's to Regiment. Go Cadets.... Mike

Just out of curiosity, where did you see BD? Mike

I saw the Cascades...IMO their narrator did a great job..a nice resonant voice that carried very well. The text is from the original piece, FWIW. Mike

What shows do you think fit that mold these days? PR doing Gershwin, BAC doing Bernstein (etc), JSU doing Broadway, Xmen doing rock, SCV doing Russian music, Cavies doing a "Chicago" theme, complete with baseball game, Glassmen doing a jazzed up Dvorak.... I just don't see corps doing shows that fit that mold these days, but I did not see all of them this year. Mike

Yes, live in A'town the crowd loved it...if the line had not just finished a kick-butt feature I might have a problem, but they did just finish some great drumming. Mike