"They're ALWAYS ready..."

[wvu80]

I'll take one shot at educatation, eschewing my prefered method of communication, which is usually humor.

+++

I love drum corps. I drive hundreds of miles, it takes 5 or 6 hours to get there, I often have to take precious vacation time. I have spent money for gas, a hotel room, I have bought decent tickets because I can, all adding up to watching the world's greatest drum corps. These moments adds experiences in my life which in some cases, lasts a lifetime.

Here comes my favorite corps, block formation, I'm taking in the beauty of the night, the great crowd, the pagentry. The excitement begins to build. I'm loving life, my son is with me, we're ready to take in the greatest undiscovered activity on the planet.

And behind me, two or three college-age adolescents SCREAM so loud they completely ruin the mood for everyone within 20 rows. No one wants to deny them their good time, but it sure looks like they are so immature and self-centered, they don't mind ruining other peoples' moments.

Instead of having feelings of awe over the event I paid money for, all I can feel is anger because of a few selfish individuals, who add NOTHING to anybody's experience, they just take it away, and ruin the moment for others.

Adults don't do that. Is it too much to expect ordinary manners at a drum corps show?

I'll speak for myself. I would appreciate it very much if you don't shout out at a show.

If this post has any effect on anybody reading it who now understands how others feel, then I offer you a very sincere "thanks."

Edited June 27, 2009 by wvu80

[skajerk]

All shoutouts like that are stupid, IMO. Really dumb.

Nah. "Take us to the beach Suncoast" was a pretty cool moment in '85.

Edited June 27, 2009 by skajerk

[2000Cadet]

I'll take one shot at educatation, eschewing my prefered method of communication, which is usually humor.

+++

I love drum corps. I drive hundreds of miles, it takes 5 or 6 hours to get there, I often have to take precious vacation time. I have spent money for gas, a hotel room, I have bought decent tickets because I can, all adding up to watching the world's greatest drum corps. These moments adds experiences in my life which in some cases, lasts a lifetime.

Here comes my favorite corps, block formation, I'm taking in the beauty of the night, the great crowd, the pagentry. The excitement begins to build. I'm loving life, my son is with me, we're ready to take in the greatest undiscovered activity on the planet.

And behind me, two or three college-age adolescents SCREAM so loud they completely ruin the mood for everyone within 20 rows. No one wants to deny them their good time, but it sure looks like they are so immature and self-centered, they don't mind ruining other peoples' moments.

Instead of having feelings of awe over the event I paid money for, all I can feel is anger because of a few selfish individuals, who add NOTHING to anybody's experience, they just take it away, and ruin the moment for others.

Adults don't do that. Is it too much to expect ordinary manners at a drum corps show?

I'll speak for myself. I would appreciate it very much if you don't shout out at a show.

If this post has any effect on anybody reading it who now understands how others feel, then I offer you a very sincere "thanks."

I somewhat agree with what you have posted.

However, those same college-age adolescents are probably just as excited or even more excited than I am at the show, and maybe that's their way of expressing themselves. I think the experience would be much better without that useless show of excitement, but I realize humans will be humans, and it serves me no purpose getting angry at people for the way they express themselves at a public event. So I get angry for a few seconds, but move on. And yes I know, that's how I deal with it and no one else is going to deal with it that way.

[salad315]

Is it too much to expect ordinary manners at a drum corps show?

Yes - drum corps does not require ordinary manners. Never has. Enjoy your polite clapping though

I'll speak for myself. I would appreciate it very much if you don't shout out at a show.

I very much appreciate it when people do shout

If this post has any effect on anybody reading it who now understands how others feel, then I offer you a very sincere "thanks."

You're welcome - but seriously, I'm not condoning people yelling stupid crap during the ballad, or trying to get their names on the cd - but this is an emotional activity, and if something makes you want to scream, you should probably go for it. If I wanted to see a symphony, well....you get the rest

[84BDsop]

I do think it's funny that Blue Devils think they own this phrase. It predates them, too.

Well...to the (12 time) victor go the spoils!

I try not to yell anything aside from cheers and whatnot during a performance (unless it's something programmed like teh Vanguard yell...and I would've observed the request to not yell it had I made it to the earlier shows).

But before a show....that's fair game!

I remember hearing the "always ready" yell as we prepared to go, and it was always that last little bit of hype that got me into the show...I doubt anyone in BD is tired of it.

'Course, I also got hyped in 03 when SoCal Dream's drill writer yelled "Go get 'em, old guys!" before we started our first competitive show!

[skewerz]

yelling before they start playing? fine and dandy...

yelling during the show? rude

(unless the yell is just a spontaneous shout of exuberance and music appreciation...if it's a contrived yell, it's rude)

[wvu80]

I somewhat agree with what you have posted.

However, those same college-age adolescents are probably just as excited or even more excited than I am at the show, and maybe that's their way of expressing themselves.

That's the point. It's not OK. It's rude to the others around them. Get excited, OK. Be rude to others, not OK.

I think the experience would be much better without that useless show of excitement, but I realize humans will be humans, and it serves me no purpose getting angry at people for the way they express themselves at a public event. So I get angry for a few seconds, but move on. And yes I know, that's how I deal with it and no one else is going to deal with it that way.

What I did for YEARS at shows was take my small children. Just before the show started, I would instruct them "no talking or eating while the corps is playing. Do you see these people sitting here?" (I would have them turn and look at the usually smiling faces of people sitting directly behind us) "These people love drum corps and they can't hear them if you are talking, OK?" My kids learned manners, and to respect other people. If children can learn that, why can't 20ish adults?

My kids were always quiet (or responded to a quick and quiet 'shush'). The effect was that the kids around us were usally also quiet, because I am aware, sound travels.

It was more than one time when the show was over, I was complimented on how well behaved my children were. People do notice good behavior.

If we want others in the crowd to respect us, I think we have to ask for what we want; please be quiet.

Sometimes it works.

Edited June 27, 2009 by wvu80

[bobchilds]

More annoying are those who yell, "Go Mary!" when Cavies or Madison is on the field.

[2000Cadet]

That's the point. It's not OK. It's rude to the others around them. Get excited, OK. Be rude to others, not OK.

What I did for YEARS at shows was take my small children. Just before the show started, I would instruct them "no talking or eating while the corps is playing. Do you see these people sitting here?" (I would have them turn and look at the usually smiling faces of people sitting directly behind us) "These people love drum corps and they can't hear them if you are talking, OK?" My kids learned manners, and to respect other people. If children can learn that, why can't 20ish adults?

My kids were always quiet (or responded to a quick and quiet 'shush'). The effect was that the kids around us were usally also quiet, because I am aware, sound travels.

It was more than one time when the show was over, I was complimented on how well behaved my children were. People do notice good behavior.

If we want others in the crowd to respect us, I think we have to ask for what we want; please be quiet.

Sometimes it works.

Point taken. Maybe those same kids are not as well behaved as your kids may be. It could say something about their parents, or maybe it just shows they lack the type of restraint you have taught to your children. Who knows.

My point is, while it may not be okay, we can't really control them. So it's really no point in getting worked up over it. We're all human, and we're going to do what we do.

[BozzlyB]

I'll take one shot at educatation, eschewing my prefered method of communication, which is usually humor.

+++

I love drum corps. I drive hundreds of miles, it takes 5 or 6 hours to get there, I often have to take precious vacation time. I have spent money for gas, a hotel room, I have bought decent tickets because I can, all adding up to watching the world's greatest drum corps. These moments adds experiences in my life which in some cases, lasts a lifetime.

Here comes my favorite corps, block formation, I'm taking in the beauty of the night, the great crowd, the pagentry. The excitement begins to build. I'm loving life, my son is with me, we're ready to take in the greatest undiscovered activity on the planet.

And behind me, two or three college-age adolescents SCREAM so loud they completely ruin the mood for everyone within 20 rows. No one wants to deny them their good time, but it sure looks like they are so immature and self-centered, they don't mind ruining other peoples' moments.

Instead of having feelings of awe over the event I paid money for, all I can feel is anger because of a few selfish individuals, who add NOTHING to anybody's experience, they just take it away, and ruin the moment for others.

Adults don't do that. Is it too much to expect ordinary manners at a drum corps show?

I'll speak for myself. I would appreciate it very much if you don't shout out at a show.

If this post has any effect on anybody reading it who now understands how others feel, then I offer you a very sincere "thanks."

Disagree. They add to the marching members experience. Nothing sucks worse than performing to a crowd who can't muster anything but a golf clap. Taking the field and hearing the crowd go nuts and scream whatever they're screaming lets the members know the crowd is hyped to see them, into the show, and likely to react viscerally to the performance.