Northern Thunder Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 And drum corps did not start in 1972. The only reason I mention '72 is because for the vast majority of the people on this board the DCI era is the only era of drum corps they know about. I have data on more than a hundred Florida corps pre-1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taters Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Having Marched a Finals in Florida I can say I never wanted to go back. It's like a bad leg let's just cut it off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Whoever runs the organizations kills the drum corps. I've lived in Florida for the past eleven years of my life, and I agree with whoever said the state is fertile for recruitment. We have: - the second or third largest music education conference in the country - the most all state ensembles in the country - ten or eleven (with FGCU?) public universities that all offer degrees in music - FMBC which runs the local competitive marching band circuit - BOA St. Petersburg - a number of indoor guards and drumlines that compete in WGI ... so to say that the state is a drum corps killer is quite false. I know that when there was no DCI Orlando show, people were just like, "Go to the Atlanta Regional." That could work well for the people in North Florida, but you have to remember that the state is a peninsula. For my parents who live in Fort Myers (Southwest Florida), they had to drive 10-15 hours to either Jacksonville, AL or Atlanta, GA to see me in a show. I was lucky enough to start marching 2005 when there was still an Orlando show, so 2008 was wonderful for me when I marched in the Citrus Bowl again. I was that person who was wide awake on the bus the minute we pulled into Kissimee. I'd love another home show! I've been through high school band camps, sports camps, about a week's worth of drum corps rehearsal, and two weeks of drum corps move ins all in Florida. To those who complain about the weather, at least it's the most predictable weather you'll run into all season :P My high school band planned rehearsal around the afternoon rains, and it worked for us. Hurricanes are an entirely different issue. Philosophically, I would say competition is discouraged in this state. FMBC is not tied to FBA, the bandmasters component of FMEA. I don't think it ever will be as long as a school like FSU puts out research findings that discourage competition. I think this could effect the mindsets of high school band directors and music education majors who graduate in this state. It's an interesting phenomena because the competitive marching bands tend to be found in pockets. When I went to high school, there were virtually no competitive marching bands outside of Mariner High School from Cape Coral, FL in my area. Whenever I fly home from DCI Finals, there is almost no one else on a flight to the same area that I run into... until this year when I ran into one of the several Pioneer recruits from Lemon Bay High School. I find it crazy that the 2005 Jim Jones Leadership Award winner was my high school drum major my freshman and sophomore years. As a whole, I see Florida with a lot of potential. It just depends on who finds the right way to tap into it. I could see coordinating things with school districts still tainted from having finals in Orlando in 2003 being a problem. It's unfortunate that I wouldn't be marching drum corps had I not seen that show. A drum corps would have to build a strong relation with an area and be consistent with their approach in order to build a strong foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsLife Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I also think that FL has the most members marching at other corps. Every corps has a few members from FL in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contrajedi8 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I marched finals in Florida. Drum corps+Florida=suck And I lived in Florida for 10 years. Plant City, about an hour west of Orlando. 2003 in Orlando was miserable. And, no, Florida is not a corps killer. No more than anywhere else. Look at all the corps that used to be in New York. Or Illinois. Or even Wisconsin for christsake. Wisconsin! Regarded as a drum corps hot bed. Madison is one of the best finals locales around. Wisconsin used to have dozens of corps. Racine alone! DCI is a corps killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIroxx Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I can tell you florida almost killed me when we were there last year....Sand fields, 3465345% humidity, a giant swap behind our field that looked like an alligator was going to come out of any minute, RAIN, and 105 degree heat worst rehearsal of the year....at least we stayed at a hotel Give me a friggin' break.... It was 89-90 during the day at DCI Orlando. During tour this year in TX & KS the heat index was 98 - 110 every day. 3 yrs ago I remember DCI Kalamazoo being 110+ degrees on the field, and I also remember so many members of Cap Reg affected by the heat in Pittsburg, KS that same year that the authorities told everyone to get back in their air conditioned buses and wait for the sun to go down. I remember 2 years ago in Tempe, AZ having to hang out indoors all day because it was too hot to go out and rehearse. Florida's days are pleasant compared to many of the other places you have to tour during the summer. Yeah, it rained in the afternoon, but it was a beautiful evening for the DCI Orlando show. During the 1st two weeks of the tour this season in OH, MI, & WI it poured almost every afternoon, but also cleared up just in time for the show that evening. Made it nearly impossible to get good on-field rehearsals for nearly 2 weeks. You didn't rehearse in the swamp, and you didn't actually see any alligators (unless you went to Gatorland during your free day, which was not that far away from your hotel in the heart of Disney tourist-land). In Clifton, NJ this year BAC was warned to stay inside of the school at night because there was a mama black bear rummaging in the dumpster and staying with her cubs in the nearby woods. Or, did you forget about the few corps that had your housing site ripped off or were you one of those robbed on your way back from a fast food joint by the local "vultures", during last year's Championships in LA? My point is that your 2 days in Orlando were probably very pleasant, when compared to other days around the country during your tour this year. As other folks have said here, poor financial management significantly contributed to failed corps in FL. However, well-run corps like Boston and Teal locally, as well as many other corps like the Cadets (and Blue Stars), have benefitted greatly in membership and staff from Floridians. Like others have pointed out, music and marching is strong here. However, corps management and alumni loyalty and support are not strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazymello Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Sun Devils had a good first year... lets see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertbone Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Don't forget Kiwanis Kavaliers. They moved there and got their equipment stolen and have yet to come back from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApathyJones Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 The entire state of Florida is pretty much a @%#hole. Not really related to Drum Corps...I just wanted to point out this fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 ^ Tell me that in January when I'm still wearing shorts :P 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.