Interview with George Hopkins

[DKracing]

I'd also like to propose on-field commercial advertisement ($$$), jet-packs (drill on any axis), and individual member mics (makes dynamics easy!).

How about getting everyone Go-Go Gadget Legs??

[VKMello84]

Yes -- my earlier post was written in jest. Obviously, it could all be worked out and agreed to ahead of time. But what you posted here, I think, highlights the potential ultimate end-game here -- intended or not: Fewer corps, more members, longer shows.

Fewer miles by whatever means, I believe will extend the life of the activity.

[NakedEye]

I am not a creative person really by any means. I have however head enough people from the creative realm say the just the opposite is true, that they are most creative when they have the least to work with. The old and pretty much accepted adage "necessity is the mother of invention" is probably true, and related to artistic creation. So, I do not accept his philosophy here as fact, and believe the opposite might well be true.

This is not taking into account how many very restrictive elements are already in place, and will continue to be there. So many things limit the shows already: length, boundaries, allowed instruments, necessary content to be judged, etc. etc. It's the reason so many shows are similar. A few more tools in the chest will hardly open up a new world of fantastical and radically different shows, but it might provide designers a few options to spark some interesting ideas.

When you have little to work with it DOES encourage creativty, but when year after year after year you have the same little to work with, things can get stale.

[Tekneek]

Fewer miles by whatever means, I believe will extend the life of the activity.

Fewer corps will result in less variety.The less variety there is, the lower the ticket prices better go because I doubt I will suddenly enjoy every single corps hitting the field just because there are fewer of them. It hasn't been the case over the past decade and a half with me and it isn't likely to change in the future.

Edited August 17, 2007 by Tekneek

[silvertrombone]

This is like an arsonist that is worried about buildings burning to the ground...

Well, it was a cute attempt at a point. But I think your choice of analogy is a bit more negative than necessary.

we are not getting into this again,

maybe if I make enough faces I can distract everyone long enough to get the thread back on track

:(

B)

b**bs

:sshh:

Ha-ha! The system doesn't allow one poster the use of enough emoticons in one post to accomplish that!

Each day I like Mr. Hopkins even more.

Hop is a smart guy. I've spoken with him a couple times. Not chummy pals, mind you, but the man is intelligent and has a vision of what he wants. He's been running a world-class organization longer than many on here have been breathing. And although we don't all always agree with what he puts on the field or some of the proposals that he brings to the table for the future of the activity, he is one of those rare visionaries who needs to be fully employed attempting to accomplish something in his field of pursuit.

Now, the extent to which he needs to have influence over what is enacted is up for debate. Many have said something to the effect that the other DCI corps need to stand up to him.

One, I'm not sure they can. Two, I'm not sure they want to. Three, I'm not sure that would be in the best interest of the activity.

OK, you don't like narration. Cool! Your opinion is worthy of discussion--just don't write off its inclusion entirely. Someone said the other day that Cadets didn't use amplification the first year it was allowed. 2004? They stated that it was their understanding that Cadets were kind of feeling out others' use of this new gadget.

Wise move! Could it be that other corps are doing the same now with narration? "What did Cadets do? How was it received? What about Bluecoats and Carolina Crown?"

I'd be willing to bet that more than 5 corps use narration next year to some extent or another. Perhaps they tend towards Crown's end of season, end of the show approach. Perhaps they tend towards Cadets all the time approach. Perhaps a mixed approach like Bluecoats where it is just right, to quote the three bears.

Narration ain't going away, folks! That's not me jumping on the bandwagon, it's just a statement of fact. Do you think DCI will ever go back to piston and rotors? Get real.

Hop has my respect--always has. He earned that long before I entered the activity. But in speaking with him I got a real sense that he is forward-looking, and that is something the activity desperately (and historically!) needs.

I'm not condoning all his positions in saying this, but there are many in the activity who yearn for the past and the past just won't cut it any more. We aren't going back to 400 corps, we probably won't be going back to regional touring models, and we might as well get ready for electronics and other instruments. Not necessarily bad, but I reserve judgment on a case by case basis.

By the way, you've got to love the amount of attention one little bow at mid-field and pulling your corps off the field produces. You can't BUY this kind of advertising! Every other thread is either Hop or Cadets.

Maybe discussion about Star 93 and PR/SCV 89 will be put off into October this year???

[VKMello84]

This is not taking into account how many very restrictive elements are already in place, and will continue to be there. So many things limit the shows already: length, boundaries, allowed instruments, necessary content to be judged, etc. etc. It's the reason so many shows are similar. A few more tools in the chest will hardly open up a new world of fantastical and radically different shows, but it might provide designers a few options to spark some interesting ideas.

When you have little to work with it DOES encourage creativty, but when year after year after year you have the same little to work with, things can get stale.

Maybe it takes it into account and maybe it does not. People have been writing for centuries, and literature continues as an art form. There is no great movement to evolve it into something like comic books because it increases expresive ability. Painters have their paint and canvas. Some bring other materials into their work and it is not always accepted. It is not considered the same art form by some observers. Whether DCI is still drum corps and whether it will be drum corps in five years is a valid question. There are just different ways of looking at things. There is not always an absolute right and wrong, actually there seldom is.

[TicTickyTic]

Indeed. Virtually all of his proposals seem to raise the cost of drum corps, not make it lower. If you want to keep costs down, you don't bring in amplification, electronics, other instruments, increase membership, take a bunch of props on tour, etc. The man does nothing but raise the expenses, so to claim that he even cares about the impact on the activity is a head scratcher.

I'm not advocating the use of electronics, or 150 members, but this assesment is incorrect.

You can easily equip a corps with a nice PA system, and even a synth or two for the cost of a single contrabass. Props are cheap (at least until you load them on your extra truck), and 150 members effeciently fill 3 tour busses to capacity, so it is actually a more economical choice.

The problem with 150 members is the possible trickle down effect - pulling quality members from the less famous corps and concentrating them even more with the finalist. We should be focusing on ways to promote the numbers of corps, not the numbers in corps.

I don't have as much of a problem with the amp issue as some, although I have not seen a lot of clever uses yet. I have a few, but I'm saving them. I'm a little concerned that synth sounds could significantly change the texture of performances. It may diminish the comparative impact of horn lines.

[NakedEye]

Maybe it takes it into account and maybe it does not. People have been writing for centuries, and literature continues as an art form. There is no great movement to evolve it into something like comic books because it increases expresive ability. Painters have their paint and canvas. Some bring other materials into their work and it is not always accepted.

Actually, not valid comparisons. Writers don't have someone telling them that their book can only be of a certain length, must include certain content to be successful, etc. There is not a rule system in place. A book or other piece of literature can be as varied as the author's imagination. Same thing with art. An artist can do whatever he/she wants. No limits on the expression, since if a certain technique doesn't provide enough freedom, another can be used. There is no mandate of what can and can't be used.

Acceptance is another matter altogether, but everyone faces the court of public opinion.

[ducttapedgerbil]

Lol. I can think of at least one corps that wold more than like have been "asked to move on" WAY before the 11 minute mark :P

hmmmmm...who might that be???? Actually, I wish they had done an "instant encore" this year...so I could have spent a little more time checking out the souvie booths ;-)

[elphaba01]

:sshh:

Each day I like Mr. Hopkins even more.

"Like Even More":

Old "Hashmark" Hopkins will do ANYTHING to get himself in the spotlight. Now he's spreding his marching band shorter season philosophy to the Germans. :ramd:

Elphaba

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