MN DCI Fan Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 <snip>I will meet them in Clifton on Saturday, but I'm prepared to explain to them if they haven't seen a show in a long time that what they are about to see isn't as accessible as what they may remember. <snip> Whether or not drum corps is or isn't more accessible than it once was, I would let them form their own opinion on the matter. Telling them that shows aren't "as accessible" as they once were merely sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy, IMO. I might say that show design has changed (or evolved, depending upon your view of things), but I wouldn't suggest up front that they may not understand what they're about to see. Let them watch and decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Please read the 2003 Amp prop. written by Mr. Hopkins. You know, the one where he slams the Legacy Fans of 75 Uhhhhhhhh he IS a legacy fan from 1975. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntheMood Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Uhhhhhhhh he IS a legacy fan from 1975. YES, I know this. Mr Hopkins does say that he loves the Legacy fans from 75 BUT................................................. you will have to read the 03 Amp prop and take what you will from his writings. This is just my opion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 YES, I know this. Mr Hopkins does say that he loves the Legacy fans from 75 BUT................................................. you will have to read the 03 Amp prop and take what you will from his writings. This is just my opion. I do take what I will from it...and in many ways, I think he is right about them and I happen to agree with him. Not about everything, but some of it. (And I ain't no spring chicken either!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortAndFast Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 YES, I know this. Mr Hopkins does say that he loves the Legacy fans from 75 BUT................................................. you will have to read the 03 Amp prop and take what you will from his writings. This is just my opion. Is this document online in some fashion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntheMood Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Is this document online in some fashion? Yes it is. I think I found the 03 amp prop on DCI.org at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 (edited) Is this document online in some fashion? Found it here. The relevant text is as follows: The Audience –- What will they think!!!!!!!When looking at this question, we have to determine the audience of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday -- The Classic Audience of 1975 that continues to dominate some of today’s conversation will not like this. These people want drum corps the way they remember it and I am very appreciative of this thought process. I too like drum corps as it was and is, but I am also aware that something needs to change. This addition would change that product. The problem in catering to these people -- they are a diminishing group in terms of numbers. Personally, I love them, I want to make them leap from their seats, but for the sake of tomorrow, and we cannot use this class of people only as the opinion makers for our performing groups. RAMD will not care for this idea. Some Alumni will not care for this idea. Some fans will threaten their support and curse any action. We need to move on in the face of vocal disagreement. It is our responsibility to create a tomorrow for the kids who want to be a part of this activity. We need to do what we believe to be right, we need to hold to the values of creativity that made drum corps what it is today. Equal shares of tradition and innovation, this is the key. Today -- When we go to Texas we see the possibility. The 11,000 people in the stands are predominantly students. They watch MTV, they listen to Rock and Rap, they do not attend the opera, they read Seventeen, and they look at drum corps, when we are at out best, as " Rock Stars for Bands". We give credence to what THEY DO. We are indeed, a personification of what is possible. They love the excellence of drum corps. These kids love to see the THROW DOWN; they want us to go fast and play loud, and to let them have FUN. None of this will change. The introverted pondering production will be the same, and the jovial, fun; fast paced, crowd-pleasing extravaganza will be that again -- just more so. In my opinion, we need to recognize that kids are in the stands. They grow up plugged in. We can show them it is not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all. Tomorrow –- Our audience is declining. We have the facts. This in mind, a reasonable evaluation would be that the young people are not coming into the stands to replace those who depart for reasons of their doing, and simply because they are called from this world. There are 20,000 marching bands; there are 2 million young people in marching bands; DCI needs to go after these young people as our primary audience. There is no question. Marching music is not going to be a mainstream activity indeed we are moving more towards being a relic of a bygone age. As we reposition ourselves we need to be COOL. The more we can show that MUSIC IS COOL, the better are our chances of being around, the better is the opportunity to affect the ages, the greater is the possibility for a revitalization of what we all hold as good within the current activity --- excellence and excitement (sometimes). The "COOL" part (especially since he feels compelled to shout that in all caps) kind of makes me gag, as does his belief that DCI can somehow be saved by integrating with marching band; I haven't seen any success with that idea so far. But he's not entirely off-base, either. DCI has always been about staying one step ahead of the Joneses; I guess that's part of our tradition, too. Edited July 3, 2008 by byline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salad315 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Not that I agree with a lot of what he said, but that proposal is about 10 times better written than anything I have seen from him in recent years. Normally it seems like he just writes the way someone would talk, and then without editting at all, puts it out there. This, at least seems professional... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barigirl78 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Whether or not drum corps is or isn't more accessible than it once was, I would let them form their own opinion on the matter. Telling them that shows aren't "as accessible" as they once were merely sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy, IMO. I might say that show design has changed (or evolved, depending upon your view of things), but I wouldn't suggest up front that they may not understand what they're about to see. Let them watch and decide. The way I worded it made it sound like that is exactly how I was going to say it. It isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApathyJones Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 I've only seen them on video...but no, they are far from "goofy and uncool"...IMO. You are certainly free to think what you wish however.Curious....why would you be involved with MB if you do not like it? There are MB that run the spectrum from amazingly good to "goofy and uncool"....given the tens of thousands of HS bands in the country (not all competing) of course there will be shows that cover just about everyting you can think of. Well, if you are talking competitive HS bands...the average age of a HS band member is what? Somewhere between 15 and 16? Most World class corps have an average of around 20. That makes a huge maturity difference, not including the single focus and drive...and rehearsal time...inherent in drum corps vs HS band. All narration is not goofy, so the above makes no sense. If you go in thinking that as a "given", then you will never appreciate a corps using narration well, as has been shown quite a few times since 2004. As for current fans, if a few spoken words wil turn them off, that's their problem, not the corps. Well, uncool and goofy are opinions...so we can agree to disagree on if narration is cool or not. My main point remains the same regardless. Let's try to dissect this in a more logical way...We have 2 groups of people. People who are already fans of drum corps and people who are not. We already know that amped vocals are pissing off alot of current fans, some of who have become non fans. From group 2, the people who are not already fans, how many of them do you think amped vocals will convince to become fans? That is my point. I can't of anyone personally who would have NOT been a fan if amped vocals were not present, but would change their minds if amped vocals WERE present. This INCLUDES the marching band kids. So in the end, I don't see how introducing and allowing amped vocals helps DCI to gain fans in ANY way. It does however risk polarizing current fans. To me, it seems like from this standpoint alone amped vocals are a failure. Sure, some people may actually enjoy amped vocals, but didn't these same people enjoy drum corps before their introduction? I just fail to see any logical reason to continue the use of amped vocals (or ANY polarizing element) as far as the health of the activity is concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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