Liam Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have to really disagree with drum corps being more competitive. I actually think it is way less that way today than it was back in the 70's and 80's. Even the drum majors lining up for awards was competitive back then. I agree with this. I mean, what do you think was behind all the overage member scandals back then? You think the corps were trying to sneak in 22-23 year olds to give the crowd a better show? Of course not -- they were doing it to be more competitive. The other thing is the the competition was fierce all the way up and down the standings. Moving up from 40th to 30th and from 30th to 25th was a HUGE deal and the regional rivalries that took place at those "lower" levels fueled more than one ... shall we say ... "confrontation" No, I think there is considerably LESS "competition" in that sense today. What I do think has changed is the judging criteria. Corps used to put on crowd friendlier shows because that's what was rewarded -- you didn't have to choose between being "competitive" and being "crowd-pleasing". For better or worse, though, now the "art" of drum corps has taken over the design and judging community (I'll leave it others to decide which has driven which), making it seem like corps are consciously choosing placement over entertainment (subjective as that is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnavis Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Have all the "good" songs/programs been done already? Just wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Is it just me or has the quality of DCI declined significantly in the past two years? To me it doesn't seem to be the level of talent among the members of the corps that is lacking, but in the the designs of the shows themselves. It is especially apparent this year in the top 6 or 7 corps (Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Cadets, etc...). The narration in the Cadets' show is an unmitigated disaster, the level of sophistication in the BD and Cavalier shows is that of a high school marching band. The only two shows I saw with any sort of potential were SCV and Bluecoats, but even their shows have significant design flaws. Here are a few specific things that I think need to be done in order to reverse this trend of vapidity and save DCI from destroying itself: - NO MORE AMPS. period. Yes, there have been corps that have used them tastefully, but this narration crap has to end NOW. - NO MORE MEDLEYS. This is something that only the music arrangers can fix. For once I would like to hear a complete song. Nothing sucks the life out of me more than listening to medleys. A perfect example is the Bluecoats' show this year. There was absolutely no reason in the world to mix in clips of "On The Waterfront" between the Rocky music. Very difficult to listen to and it makes no sense thematically. - MORE MEMORABLE MUSIC. No more of this arcane and abstract crap that seems to go on forever. Maybe it will impress a bunch of highs choolers, but it's growing old on me. Also, no more shot notes every 5 bars, and no more drum breaks that last forever while the horn line is off in the back corner doing choreography just for the sake of doing choreography. If you pick music that people are familiar with, the will be able to relate to it more. You can still do a lot of crowd pleasing stuff without sacrificing difficulty. - NO MORE PROPS. They're distracting to look at and they take up too much space on the field that could be used for drill. I have never seen a show where I thought the props enhanced the show in ANY way. If you need props (and narration for that matter) to help the audience understand the theme of your show, it's probably going to be a bad show anyway. I hope there is someone out there who understands what I'm talking about here. With the exception of one or two shows, I felt 2007 was a bad year for DCI and I didn't think it could get any worse until I saw this year's shows. I know this whole post sounds very negative and pessimistic, and I know there's a whole brigade of pollyannas out there who will disagree with me, but I feel DCI is slowly metastasizing in to some sort of nightmare out of a BOA contest. What does everyone else think? I'm with you. If corps do what you suggest, there would be a lot more flow to the shows. That would make the shows a lot more enjoyable to a lot more people, IMO. That would put more butts in the seats, which would mean more money for DCI and the corps, which would mean more souvie sales for DCI and the corps, which would mean less money they would have to charge the members for marching which is good for DCI and the corps, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 If you felt 2007 was a bad year for dci you need to get out from under the rock you're living under. Corps are far more talented than they were 5 years ago. The talent level continues to climb. The OP is not complaining about talent but about design. That's something the talent cannot control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOOHOO Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 The main way to get random people in the stands is to play pop music of today. How many people on this forum would want drum corps perform Coldplay or Rihanna? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 If it's any solace, I'm old enough to recall similar discussions on RAMD c. 1993 when Star put on what was considered to be a monstrosity of a performance. Of course, that's regularly considered among the fan favorites today... I still don't like the design of Star's 1993 show. I know I am in the minority on that, but I have never liked it, and I usually skip it on the CD and DVD. That's not to take away from the talent of the members, I just think the design wasted the talent they had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 The main way to get random people in the stands is to play pop music of today. How many people on this forum would want drum corps perform Coldplay or Rihanna? I disagree completely. I think if group of random people heard a drum corps play Coldplay, the harnessed energy of the ensuing eye rolls could power the entire Eastern Seaboard. Corps (or HS bands for that matter) have rarely been successful pulling off contemporary pop music. It usually comes off cheesy and hackneyed. (There are some exceptions of course). But no random person is going to flock to a drum corps show to hear a rendition of Coldplay any more than they would flock to their local high to listen to the freshman concert band do it. No, what will get random people in the stands is what has always gotten random people into the stands -- showcasing the top quality of this unique activity with crowd pleasing (not necessarily contemporary) music and eye-catching drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I'm not against totally new music TO THE FIELD. I would prefer music that people have actually heard of instead of being completely abstract. That's exactly the point, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Ford Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I understand where the OP is coming from, but I think a lot of it is personal opinion, IF we are coming from a show design standpoint. Furthermore, when it comes to props, I think if they can be done tastefully and in a manner that does enhance the show, then I do not have a problem with them. For example, I think the Phantom Regiment did a great job with props in 2007. Just my thoughts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Thank you to everyone who made thoughtful replies. To everyone else: I can think of smart-### comments on my own. I'm looking for real input here. To respond to some good points that were brought up: -I believe that to a certain degree show designers have forgotten that the main purpose of drum corps is to entertain, not to necessarily to win. Drum corps has become more of a competitive sport in recent years (and there's nothing wrong with that) but I think at the end of the day, most people just want to go to a show and be able to hear some great music. They don't necessarily care who has the most sophisticated show or the most difficult music. -To those who think I'm a grumpy old man stuck in the "good ol' days" of drum corps: I'm not that old. No. I think, for the most part, that designers have designed to win first for decades. I remeber hearing John Georgeson (brass writter for Scouts in the mid '80s) give an interview to a newspaper in Minnesota in 1986. They knew it then. He said that the Scouts show is written to entertain, it will entertain. The Blue Devils show is written to win, it will win. For the record, I believe that the '86 Devils show is one of the best and most entertaining shows I have ever seen. By 1992, I over heard someone in the stands at Preview of Champions that designers design shows to impress other designers, not necessarily the audience. I believe that was, and is true, for the most part. Judges are instructed to score what the designers want, not what the audience wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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