DrillmanSop06 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 DCI isn't YOUR democracy, world. Support it or get out! "The kids" you support so much don't want you if you don't. Trust me, we'll all be OK. I agree with the OP. Great stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrlandoContraAlum Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 First off, Mad Scotty... that post alone should be stuck to the top of the forum, and no one should be allowed to post on the topic of the day without reading it first. Very well reasoned and respectful insight. Well played, sir. DCI isn't YOUR democracy, world. Support it or get out! "The kids" you support so much don't want you if you don't. Trust me, we'll all be OK. I agree with the OP. Great stance. And to this... again. As scotty said... no fans = no gas in the buses. End of game. Fail. Everyone loses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurdra Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Simple - don't give DCI your money. Don't buy souvies. Dont go to shows. Nothing talks like loss of revenue. If you're happy - go have a good time. Simple choice.... The proposal to stop being DCI customers is indeed the most appropriate choice at this point. It is time to face facts – DCI has made it loud and clear that they do not value the opinion of you, the paying customer. For years now, a majority of fans – many of whom are loyal, long-time customers – have expressed their dissatisfaction with amplified sound. Not only has DCI seen fit to ignore our complaints, in the run-up to this weekend, it has seen fit to mock us. One has only to look at the carefully selected image accompanying Michael Boo's lop-sided, innacurate article on the “no amps” proposal to understand their pointedly negative view of you and your views. To DCI, you are just a poorly dressed malcontent that they wish would just “die hard” and go away – but not before purchasing their new legacy downloads – now available through 6th place! It is time for us long-time fans to step back and truly understand our relationship to DCI, and there is really only one term that’s appropriate – co-dependence. This is turning out to be the classic co-dependent scenario – we continue to hang on and try to make this work, thinking that we can “change” them into seeing our way of thinking, and they continue to treat us with disrespect. As of this weekend, it’s obvious that DCI is not going to come to any sort of reasonable compromise on this issue – and they are no longer going to give us what we, as customers, have been asking for – and paying for – beautiful, passionate performances powered by the human breath, human motion, and human emotion, rather than the plugged in, worn out clap trap we can get at anytime on the radio, on TV, or on the internet. But as Bawker so rightly states, there is so much more to the drum and bugle corps art form than DCI – and here, fellow fans of real drum corps is where we can make a difference. Rather than simply stop being DCI customers, and walking away from the musical genre we all love, we should give the “educators” at DCI a lesson in Marketing 101 – the customer is ALWAYS right. I propose that we start our own foundation, similar to “symphony societies” dedicated to providing start-up capital for a new drum and bugle corps organization that: preserves the art form as musical presentations performed on acoustical instruments designed for the outdoors – namely brass and percussion promotes wider participation through more regional circuits, and smaller groups promotes BOTH the concepts of “innovation” AND “entertainment by splitting the adjudication of performances between career professionals (technical judging) and selected members of the audience (general effect) promotes democratic governance principles and PREVENTS back-room deals through strict “sunshine” regulations regarding the discussion and planning of organization rules, regulations, and operating procedures. For this to work, we need the following: A legal expert to help formally draw up the papers as a non-profit organization A governing body (of us, the fans) A web site to promote the organization, take donations, and generate letters to like minded individuals and drum and bugle corps to come join us. I can do the web work; any properly credentialed legal professional who’s interested should please contact me through this web site. In the mean time, it is vitally important to contact DCI directly (preferably by phone, but at the very least by regular mail) no later than Friday of this coming week and let them know that you are NO LONGER INTERESTED in their products, that you will no longer be supporting their organization, financially or otherwise. I suggest you do the same to any individual drum and bugle corps organization that you've supported over the years that insists on promoting amplification. Folks, we know from the numerous surveys on here, from the numbers of us in audiences at shows, and even from DCI’s own “talk back” segment that a MAJORITY of fans do not support amps, and that a good number of drum corps would like to continue to provide us with the unique brand of entertainment that we’ve loyally promoted – and paid for – for years. We have two choices – continue this co-dependent relationship with DCI – and get little or nothing that we want out of it, or use our money to revitalize the drum and bugle corps activity as something meaningful and rewarding to both performer and paying fan alike. It is high time we realize that the latter choice, though difficult, is now the best one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad_scotty Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 It's OK. DCI should be feeling the effects of sharply reduced attendance soon enough. That is possible, but I would not be surprised if you doomsdayers are very wrong on that front. I don't mean this year. I'm talking about five years down the road. i don't have hard numbers in front of me, but my understanding is that attendance figures peaked in the mid-90's, and have declined since. if someone has a good source to either validate or disprove that, please let me know. i'm not trying to stomp on anyone here, just repeating something i've heard but can't codify. i believe that though, because dci has cancelled this years espn broadcast for financial concerns. while member corps aren't shutting their doors in panic, and are actually willing to spend more money on travelling electronics suites, i think that the state of this activity has to be questioned, seriously, by any and all who are concerned with its future prospects for baseline survival in any form. this has certainly gotten peoples attention here tonight, at least, i just read through 13 pages of posts, and every time i clicked next page another page had opened, thought i'd never get caught up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomR Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 (edited) DISCLAIMER: I'm not Conner DCI is the smallest musical subgenre/culture, except for White Power metal, and of these small subgenres is without a doubt the most conservative artistically. It's more conservative (and obviously much smaller) shockingly than the Symphony Orchestra audience. Being the smallest AND the most most conservative is not healthy. Not healthy at all folks. Edited January 28, 2008 by PhantomR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny_4 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 DISCLAIMER: I'm not ConnerDCI is the smallest musical subgenre/culture, except for White Power metal, and of these small subgenres is without a doubt the most conservative artistically. It's more conservative (and obviously much smaller) shockingly than the Symphony Orchestra audience. Being the smallest AND the most most conservative is not healthy. Not healthy at all folks. There is a difference betweeen conservation and the need for the activity to remain truthful to its roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomR Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 DISCLAIMER: I'm not Conner There is a difference betweeen conservation and the need for the activity to remain truthful to its roots. Actually there isn't, to be quite frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Logic Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Excellent post, Hurdra. Much insight, presented in an intelligent manner, logical solutions to the issue at hand. I wholeheartedly agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny_4 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 DISCLAIMER: I'm not ConnerActually there isn't, to be quite frank Please share your reasoning. I don't really want to continue because now we're debating semantics and not drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 If you don't like DCI you should only post in the historical corps and DCA sections of this site. So if you care about the activity and members but don't like the shows, just STFU then? (too lazy to look for my full post on this on another thread). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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