TOP 10 things IN 2009 we think but dare not say!

[cowtown]

I’ve got several I’ll just start with a few

The people that complain Blue Devils should not have been so well rewarded for their show should not be saying SCV deserved a higher placement

Corps parents seem way more involved on this board (and I’m guessing in the activity) recently and they are driving this thing into the ground faster than anyone. They feel everything DCI does is wonderful when its not. They are overly aggressive in their defense of ‘the kids’’ corps while being overly critical of their ‘kids’’ corps competition. They are drive by fans meaning I don’t expect them to be in this for the long haul, just a year or 2 while their precious marches. They are vested in their kids, not the activity (which is cool, but come on, I mean really, should we panderer to the 2 years you and your kids are around?)

World class marches are not really kids and if they are, then they shouldn’t be marching

The show designs were worse this year than normal and were executed at a lower level, maybe 150 was a bad idea, never seen so much slop at finals even from the big corps.

Stop saying you need amps to hear intricate pit parts and then go on to defend the sound of Lucas Oil Dome

I really can’t respect anyone opinion on music performance that defends or likes the sound at Lucas Oil Dome

Color guards seem to be judges on how tight and revealing the guys’ pants are, it’s the only thing that makes sense

The music ensemble scores from Lucas Oil Dome are slotting, there was really no other way to judge them, more so when you push the amps through house sound – we hear all this about pulse center and being ahead or behind the beat depending upon where you are during a spread formation so that sound reaches the audience at the same point – yet you have the amps coming from several different geographic points several football fields away from the source and pushed through the echo dome and you expect me to believe that it sounds good or is judged correctly? Looks like one less thing to work on next year

Props are cheats, period. More visual references points on the field. You should have to do more to achieve the same score and the props need to have a point. I’ve never liked props and I’m sick of seeing furniture on the field whether it’s a living room set for a radio show, chairs or tables.

Synths were not used very well at all and often they too were cheats. If you need a synth to fill out an 80 person hornline, you’re not teaching the horn line very well. Many of the sound effects could have been produced without the synths where they should show up in music, effect scores. But pushing a button to trigger a sound that was worked on all winter by a 50 year music prof should not be rewarded- its just there

Visual should be judged on marching well and not rolling around on the ground, striking a pose or pretending your horn is a pick axe.

Body movement is so overused, 95% of it looks tacked on or as filler to cover horn lines not playing or marching, it has become a mandatory cheat. Everyone has to have it or the judges don’t tick that box.

There is very little creativity in shows, the creativity is all within a very narrow acceptable range. For corps to get credit they must do compulsories which are often based upon what the top corps dig years prior. Drum lines have to dance, horns have to emote, tempos have to hit over 200. These effects are no longer effects and hardly creative, its just a matter of where they put them in the shows

Debating if I should continue with specific corps

Edited August 11, 2009 by cowtown

[j.morgus]

IMO, biggest hurdle to non-Top12/OC corps success is how they are preceived and marketed. Few years ago I asked why people didn't try out for the non-Top corps after they missed the cut. Overwhelming response was "being in a non top corps wasn't worth the money". And the responses were from recent cutees.

Agreed. Wholeheartedly.

I often wonder about this very phenomenon. I know that it exists in drum corps, and from where I sit it does look like a lot has to do with the years of holding up the top six or so corps to be the "best of the best" and not even mentioning the majority of units that don't fit this category. I know that where I live, unless someone bussed a kid to a show somewhere, that kid has most likely never heard of any but the recent contenders.

What I wonder about, is does this also exist in other pursuits? How much of this is a societal shift in general where those attempting to get involved at an entry level are finding it hard that they are not already among "the best"?

[highpitch_83]

They can be if done right.

Not over the course of a 10+ minute show, gotta mix it up...

[Jeff Ream]

My reply to all of you that are going to boycott DCI from now on.....thanks for the good seats!

you're welcome for the higher prices

[lowbrasschick]

I'm fairly new to the drum corps world, but this is my opinion:

1. Why doesn't anyone realize that if they stop griping about the bad things, and stop and think about it, things aren't really that bad. Attendence at the two shows I was at was standing-room only (and I got there an hour early), and though I didn't go to finals, I heard it was still packed.

2. Any year, you're not going to like every show. Some years are worse than others, but that doesn't mean drum corps is dying.

3. Electronics was a new thing this year; they're going to experiment with it. As with anything new, not every show is going to turn out well. Give it a few years, then complain.

4. It seems like everybody here is some sort of alumni complaining that drum corps has changed since the 70s or 80s or whenever. Well...it's been 30 years, what do you expect?

Stop trying to make drum corps what it used to be, and focus on getting the most out of what it IS.

[cowtown]

I'm fairly new to the drum corps world, but this is my opinion:

1. Why doesn't anyone realize that if they stop griping about the bad things, and stop and think about it, things aren't really that bad. Attendence at the two shows I was at was standing-room only (and I got there an hour early), and though I didn't go to finals, I heard it was still packed.

2. Any year, you're not going to like every show. Some years are worse than others, but that doesn't mean drum corps is dying.

3. Electronics was a new thing this year; they're going to experiment with it. As with anything new, not every show is going to turn out well. Give it a few years, then complain.

4. It seems like everybody here is some sort of alumni complaining that drum corps has changed since the 70s or 80s or whenever. Well...it's been 30 years, what do you expect?

Stop trying to make drum corps what it used to be, and focus on getting the most out of what it IS.

1. subjective, I disagree

2. you are right, the reason you gave don't mean d/c is dying but it is dying

3. they are not new, they have been used in the bands world for years and these staff are a part of that band world, so they have years of experience with them (that's partly how they sold it to us, die by their own sword)

4 I don't anyone is complaining that its changed, its the how and really, its much different this year for the people that marched last year (see your #2)

Welcome to the activity, I’m glad you like and an freely express your opinion

[DrinkinOuttaCups]

I agree as well. Spirit had spirit but that was about it. The show concept sucked. If I were one of the tuba players I would have been ###### off having a Bass guitar horning in on the bass line.

This used to be one of my favorite corps. I hope they come up with a better more Brass intensive less or no electronics show next year.

This comment is also directed at the two other people who decided to comment on my show a few posts above you. And yes, I marched Spirit. Deal with it.

First, thank you all for the kind words. Really appreciated. Second, I just wanted to clarify one thing - the bass part didn't double the contra parts. I know. I looked at the music. It's not the same part. I mean, ####, the pit doubles the horn parts at one point - should we get rid of them, too? Man, all you folks saying you're not coming out to DCI anymore - good. Stay home. I'd rather perform for all the crowds that gave us standing O's this summer. Based on all those reactions we got, I think it's safe to say that we had a pretty successful season.

Okay, I'm done now. There's a reason I don't ever post in the WC forums, because it always seems to start #### (just like every other post ever does). If you have a beef with me, PM me. I didn't want to out what corps I'm in, but I figured most people already knew by now.

[Steven69]

1. I'm tired of hearing from Crown fans how they get screwed every year. You got beat. You did however, finish second. Nice job. But knock off the whining.

It is not that we are whining, we are just stating the facts as supported by many other posters on the forums. BD had a TERRIBLY BORING show that hardly anyone understood, whereas CROWN was the FAVORITE!!!!!! Did you miss the part where we were awarded the FAN FAVORITE award from the FAN NETWORK?!?!?! Given the kind of preference that is ALWAYS shown to BD by the judges, it is a little hard for us not to feel that BD was simply "handed" this championship to make up for BD's whining last year. If it weren't for that bias, everyone knows Crown would have been the champion this year!!

But, instead, the infamy of the #13 will live on...i.e. everyone will always remember that BD's 13th victory was for a show that DID NOT DESERVE the championship win, it was simply a "we're sorry" gift from the judges!!! Personally, the fact that Crown's 2009 show will be talked about for years to come as being completely innovative, the crowd favorite to win, plus the fact that it was such a beautiful blend of the best of WGI elements (i.e. body movement, creative guard uniforms and color enchancement of green plumes and drum covers), with our incomparable brass sound will only intensify the feeling that we got robbed the championship is a much better legacy than the way people are going to laugh about BD's 2009 gimme 13th victory for a show where they SAT instead of MARCHED, so I'll take that.

[Piper]

I think that there's a reason why threads like this survive. If you attend a MLB game there not many people in the crowd who actually played professional baseball. Ditto the NFL. But if you attend a Drum Corps show then there's probably a lot of people in the crowd who have actually done it before, so they tend to be far more opinionated. That's only a theory on my own behalf, but it just seems that way.

[Steven69]

1. 2009 was DCI's "We're sorry for crossing you last year BD, here is a free championship, you don't even have to have a decent show or get out of your chair to get it" year.

3. Crown's show was the most entertaining show in years.

9. Clean EASY and sterile shouldn't be rewarded.

Regarding #1 and #9.......SO TRUE!!!

Regarding #3...Thank you!