DCI Telecast

[Cathie Wiener]

The telecast showed a very talented group of performers. From what little I saw they seemed a notch or two better than everyone, so the use of narration seems to have been a bad choice on their part.

You, sir, are right on the money! I tend to avoid "what ifs" but I really feel the talent and caliber of that corps this year was out of this world. That small section of the show with no narration was fantastic and if they stayed with no more narration than what was shown on the telecast, I truly believe we'd have a different DCI Champion this year.

Again, just my personal opinion.

[KeithHall]

You mean.... really...you mean.....God, didn't create drum corps?

Look up the word EVOLVE Marty. I know you were referring to Darwin's Theory...oops...I am sorry ...I was just showing that my brains really didn't fall out.

[kosovobill]

I just realized something...I haven't heard of anyone on this forum trashing "old style" drum corps. Now I could think of plenty of reasons why old style is not as good as modern style. I'm in my 40s, and have seen plenty of both, from my childhood to DCI to performing in DCA. How come it seems only the "old pharts" get to complain, and how is it only their opinion counts? Many of you can't even perform anymore, and instead whine from your seats in the stands.

Just my own 2 cents

Bill

[KeithHall]

I just realized something...I haven't heard of anyone on this forum trashing "old style" drum corps. Now I could think of plenty of reasons why old style is not as good as modern style. I'm in my 40s, and have seen plenty of both, from my childhood to DCI to performing in DCA. How come it seems only the "old pharts" get to complain, and how is it only their opinion counts? Many of you can't even perform anymore, and instead whine from your seats in the stands.

Just my own 2 cents

Bill

LOL

Bill, "old pharts" complain because they can. Let it be known I am NOT complaining about the new style. I like it just like I like the old style. Why can't we accept what drum corps is today?

[donincardona]

I just realized something...I haven't heard of anyone on this forum trashing "old style" drum corps. Now I could think of plenty of reasons why old style is not as good as modern style. I'm in my 40s, and have seen plenty of both, from my childhood to DCI to performing in DCA. How come it seems only the "old pharts" get to complain, and how is it only their opinion counts? Many of you can't even perform anymore, and instead whine from your seats in the stands.

Just my own 2 cents

Bill

are you trying to pick a fight??? we all have our opinions. EVERYBOBODY'S opinion counts. if we want to whine from the stands who's to stop us........this is america. some day sir you will not be able to perform for health reasons or other reasons then you can join us on the 50 yard line. i can't believe you want to start an argument. why can't ypu leave well enough alone.

[kosovobill]

are you trying to pick a fight??? we all have our opinions. EVERYBOBODY'S opinion counts. if we want to whine from the stands who's to stop us........this is america. some day sir you will not be able to perform for health reasons or other reasons then you can join us on the 50 yard line. i can't believe you want to start an argument. why can't ypu leave well enough alone.

Don ,

You have failed to see my point; all I did was make a valid point about whats going on here; by continually trashing modern drum corps you invite criticism of "your" opinion. Others don't have to remain silent... this is indeed America, which I defended for 20 years...and I am entitled to MY opinion.

The kind of drum corps you marched in has its merits, and its drawbacks too. Todays drum corps is what these kids want to do- whats the point of trashing something your children or possibly grandchildren are doing?

Drum corps in one sense hasn't changed at all- a group of people get together, work hard, go through a series of challenges, and hopefully produce something the audience and the judges like. Its a true brotherhood, and I cherish every moment I've been involved.

I challenge you to tell me that has changed...If you don't understand this point, you obviously don't really understand what drum corps is all about.

Do I like everything the DCI corps today do? of course not, but I don't waste energy whining about stuff I cannot change, as life is way too short for that. I adapt and change, just like drum corps. Drum corps in all its forms is great; cant you just leave well enough alone?

Bill

[Vagabond Skyliner]

are you trying to pick a fight??? we all have our opinions. EVERYBOBODY'S opinion counts. if we want to whine from the stands who's to stop us........this is america. some day sir you will not be able to perform for health reasons or other reasons then you can join us on the 50 yard line. i can't believe you want to start an argument. why can't ypu leave well enough alone.

Right you are.

I had to sit in the stands for the first time in 8 or so years. My health just was not up to it. It was a Very tough thing to do. At the Alumni Classic there were 5 Young Adults from the Lakeshoremen that were very helpful to me. At times it was not easy. Tears were showing and these 5 people that had Never seen an Alumni show like the Classic took the time and effort to help me make it through the day.

We talked much about Old and New. We agreed on much and dis-agreed on some. But, these 5 Lakesoremen will never be forgotten!

Tommy

NY Sky Alumni

Edited September 8, 2007 by LucysSkylinerAlumni

[camel lips]

You, sir, are right on the money! I tend to avoid "what ifs" but I really feel the talent and caliber of that corps this year was out of this world. That small section of the show with no narration was fantastic and if they stayed with no more narration than what was shown on the telecast, I truly believe we'd have a different DCI Champion this year.

Again, just my personal opinion.

Im with you on that.

B)

[G-horns]

G-horns said this was the only part of DCI they watched this year and I'm unsure Martybucs if you've only seen Cadets show from this DCI telecast, but I have to tell you what they showed was the only decent part of the show as far as the narration goes. For the whole show did they play/perform their butts off?... you bet. Did they march their butts off?... you bet. However, the narration became increasingly distracting. The narration you heard in the broadcast was VERY minimal compared to the whole show. There was a good minute or minute and a half without narration and that was amazing. But in the end, there was constant narration without breaks. And, unfortunately, the young man doing that incredibly large chunk of narration made Napoleon Dynamite seem like a scholar. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing the individual personally, I'm making the assumption that he was "directed" in that narration for the final effect, but it was incredibly distracting and poorly done IMO.

Basically, my point is the section of the show shown on the DCI telecast was not a true representation of their use of narration throughout the show and therefore I don't think a decision of whether or not they were good or bad or if you did or did not like their show can really be made off of those few minutes shown on ESPN2.

Cathie, your point about the excerpt of the Cadets show not being indicative of the entire performance is well taken. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, Cavies and the others, the Cadets were apparently made to look better than they actually were. Keep in mind that the audience target for the tv show is NOT the people who already are parting with their hard-earned money to attend DCI shows. The target, of course, is the thousands of young musicians and their parents who are the potential membership and audience for future corps seasons. Why would there be a large amount of air time spent on the two Blue Devils brothers and their parents and grand parents? Nothing like a "home town pride" and generation-to-generation link to help sell DCI to the masses. From where I sit, the broadcast did the one thing is was supposed to do - sell DCI.

[Cathie Wiener]

Cathie, your point about the excerpt of the Cadets show not being indicative of the entire performance is well taken. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, Cavies and the others, the Cadets were apparently made to look better than they actually were. Keep in mind that the audience target for the tv show is NOT the people who already are parting with their hard-earned money to attend DCI shows. The target, of course, is the thousands of young musicians and their parents who are the potential membership and audience for future corps seasons. Why would there be a large amount of air time spent on the two Blue Devils brothers and their parents and grand parents? Nothing like a "home town pride" and generation-to-generation link to help sell DCI to the masses. From where I sit, the broadcast did the one thing is was supposed to do - sell DCI.

I have no problems regarding DCI's goal for the telecast. I think it was done well.

I was just letting you know that this year's telecast was a little odd and not completely indicative of the full show experience from those few minutes shown on the telecast. Typically, those few minutes of the corps shown are pretty much what the show is: Phantom, SCV, BK, Cavies, BD; what you see is what you get.

But this year I think Crown got the "short end of the stick" in that many people considered the show a bit cheesy. In actuality, it wasn't like that. What was shown on the telecast was the ending of the show, which pretty much everyone loved, but from the time the corps stepped onto the field you were slowly introduced to the "horse" theme from the guard AND corps. It wasn't as in your face as you see on the clip and the "horse race" guard had just put on those numbers right before the clip started. They weren't wearing those the whole show. I don't think it was that big of a deal, but it was a little misrepresented. That being said, many people who saw the whole show said it was cheesy (I disagree) but I think the telecast made it seem worse than it was. Either way, no harm, no foul.

And of course Cadets' show which I already explained.

I totally agree that DCI did a great presentation for those that don't really know DCI, but for those "in the know" that hadn't seen the whole shows, I wanted to clarify. And I'm assuming if you're posting on DCP, you're pretty much "in the know."

Not dogging DCI or even Cadets here (No I didn't like their show, but many did) just wanted to clarify this was one of the few times that what you saw on TV was not what you got. You said that it made it look like Cadets were better than they actually were. Not really true. They WERE that good as far as performance and talent. Their show concept let them down. Doesn't decrease from the talent, DCI was right to choose that portion of the show.

That is all. Carry on.

:)