euponitone Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Not to mention the fact that Star had a boatload of cash and could make any demands to DCI and hell, if the demands were not met (perhaps a bigger piece of the financial pie), they could (and did) just take their marbles and go home... Huh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) And I always thought that drum corps were about entertaining the audience....... Oh, so if you do not like it, then it must suck right? Making an entertaining drum corps performance is a tricky thing. There are many ways of doing it. Toe tapping tunes, Oh @#$% visuals, Lush breathtaking moments, Driving percussion, ect. ect. You know what they have in common? Nothing. Each viewer can and is entertained by different aspects of a performance. I think most would agree that the variety of approaches to entertainment is one of the unique aspects of drum corps. But not everyone is going to love or even appreciate some folks interpretation of 'entertainment'. Add to that the competitive demands placed on shows. We all talk high and mighty about not caring what the guys in the green shirts have to say, but lets face it, we all look at those numbers very seriously. And a corps spends most of it's waking hours trying to improve them. Each corps has it's own ideas and sense of self-worth, motivation. But the numbers are the one semi-common currency we have to compare and contrast. But lets add one other aspect to the 'entertainment' equation. The members experience. I am going to throw something out that not everybody will agree with, especially in here. The members do not sweat 14 hours a day primarily to entertain the audience. Sure, everybody hopes to entertain as many as possible, but in the end of the long sweaty days it is about enjoying what you do and the people you are doing it with. Some participate to better themselves as musicians, some just feel the need to perform, some to get that high number, some to hear a crowd cheer, but most do it to have fun with their friends. To have that intense brothers-in-arms experience. Sorry, but I marched (and still play) for how it makes me feel and the camaraderie that comes from the experience. So I would argue that drum corps is about the tricky balance of entertaining and appealing to the audience, as well as providing, as the Glassmen say "The Experience of a Lifetime" to the membership. Star never really had a set style. It goes back to the original Chameleon Corps concept as articulated by Mr.Cook. That concept certainly has it's ups and downs. You cannot develop as deep a repore with your followers when they are not always into what you are doing from year to year, and you cannot draw a given set of performers year to year, say the Jazz-orientated types. And little did I realize that you will be accused of being a 'rip-off' artist, because in your effort to re-invent the wheel every year you might do something similar to someone else. Oh the humanity! But anyhow, the Chameleon persona is not without it's challenges and drawbacks. But out of that lack of style, a style emerged. Impeccable ensemble quality and playing. And it's been my experience that good playing wins peoples respect if not outright admiration most of the time. They might not like everything you gave them, but if you play and sell it with great quality they will generally be 'entertained'. Edited April 19, 2008 by mchromik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starmello Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Not to mention the fact that Star had a boatload of cash and could make any demands to DCI and hell, if the demands were not met (perhaps a bigger piece of the financial pie), they could (and did) just take their marbles and go home... So, let me see if I have this right. Star had a boatload of cash and they demanded a bigger piece of the cut from DCI. DCI said no, and THATS why Star left..... My question since Star had a boatload of cash, why would they need more from DCI??? But hey, sounds good to me. You might be on to something..... Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Not to mention the fact that Star had a boatload of cash and could make any demands to DCI and hell, if the demands were not met (perhaps a bigger piece of the financial pie), they could (and did) just take their marbles and go home... Maybe you need another layer of tin foil for you hat. I think somebody (CIA?) is getting it's message through to your brain. That or you need to put down the crack pipe and step away from the keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOReason Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Maybe you need another layer of tin foil for you hat. I think somebody (CIA?) is getting it's message through to your brain. That or you need to put down the crack pipe and step away from the keyboard.Yeah, next thing 'ya know, I'll be seeing men in pink uniforms showing up a my doorstep to take me away! Do men wear pink uniforms?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starmello Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Yeah, next thing 'ya know, I'll be seeing men in pink uniforms showing up a my doorstep to take me away! Do men wear pink uniforms?? In short: YES! tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Do men wear pink uniforms?? Well, There once were a few with some big coconuts who did. And BTW, it was fuchsia. Kind of an 80's thing. Nowadays we are sporting black with Star United. We need the slimming effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SACMellos2010 Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I thought it was Magenta????? But heck I am color blind so you could tell me it was red... haha I think this horse is well beaten and those that wanted to hear more from the inside did and hopefully heard something they did not know and then there are some that would argue that the sky is not blue or the ocean is not made of water so to them keep on trolling.... We provide that the operating budget was not the highest during its time, we had trouble filling our hornline every year, we loved and missed 27 and Bayonne but yet ........we were still only successful because we were richer than everyone else, we had the most talent of any corps that has ever been assembled and we hated 27 and Bayonne so much we stole their staff to cause them to fold. I guess they forgot about Pride of Cincinnati as we would never of had a full corps in 1985 if it were not for the members we got from there after they announced they were not going to tour any longer. Maybe we bought them all out of their contracts and paid them the going rate of free agency for Drum Corps members at the time. I know that I put myself through college, bought my first house and had seed money to purchase a business with the signing bonus I received to come back in 1991. It took me 3 years of holding out and negotiations between my agent and the Star representatives to iron out the details for me to return in 1991. For those that don't get it I am JOKING and did not get a signing bonus!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I thought it was Magenta????? But heck I am color blind so you could tell me it was red... hahaI think this horse is well beaten and those that wanted to hear more from the inside did and hopefully heard something they did not know and then there are some that would argue that the sky is not blue or the ocean is not made of water so to them keep on trolling.... We provide that the operating budget was not the highest during its time, we had trouble filling our hornline every year, we loved and missed 27 and Bayonne but yet ........we were still only successful because we were richer than everyone else, we had the most talent of any corps that has ever been assembled and we hated 27 and Bayonne so much we stole their staff to cause them to fold. I guess they forgot about Pride of Cincinnati as we would never of had a full corps in 1985 if it were not for the members we got from there after they announced they were not going to tour any longer. Maybe we bought them all out of their contracts and paid them the going rate of free agency for Drum Corps members at the time. I know that I put myself through college, bought my first house and had seed money to purchase a business with the signing bonus I received to come back in 1991. It took me 3 years of holding out and negotiations between my agent and the Star representatives to iron out the details for me to return in 1991. For those that don't get it I am JOKING and did not get a signing bonus!!! Speaking of 91....how old was that really short mello that year? Reminds me of a really short kid in Crown last year...either was a young kid or a really short adult.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SACMellos2010 Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 (edited) At first thought the short mello in 1991 would have been Ed Cooning from my best recall. I believe he was either 16 or 17 that year. I will look back and if that is not correct will figure our who that would be. Edited April 20, 2008 by General Blunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.