DCA Weekend Thoughts/Ramblings

[trptrex]

Agree.

Guys, I never meant to say that there is only one way to program for a smaller corps. But IMO, the Govies are THE best at programming for a small corps, on average, year in and year out. They remind me a lot of DCI's Mandarins, during the period when the Mandarins were a Division 3 corps and were dominating that division and sometimes beating corps more than twice their size, all while fielding a corps with only 10 horns or so every year.

BTW, I enjoyed the Sun Devils at prelims....and I thought your score should have been higher. Again, I'm not a judge (thank God), but just a fan. Sunrisers were the first corps to stir the prelims crowd, but Sun Devils were the first to really wake them up.

Fran

I thought that the Govies did a great job staging their show for their corp. It was well executed and enjoyable to watch. I thought that all the scores at prelims were on the low side. IMO there is a need for corps to provide a challenge to their groups!! to keep the membership. The judges IMO need to look at the difficulty of what is being attempted before they throw a number down. But the way the system is now that isn't going to happen. Does the system need to be tuned up? If we are in this activity just to get into the finals them IMO we are in it for the wrong reason. Don't get me wrong it is a great feeling to be there and everyone should get that opportunity. There were many great moments this weekend!! Every corp that was there should be proud of what they accomplished!! Hope to see you all on the 50 next year.

[ContraRich77]

I stomped them.

[Jeff Ream]

I appreciate your opinion Jeff. I always have. In some respects I agree ... but for the most part I have to disagree with this one.

Case in Point. Star United. 18 horns? 19? Did they write for a 20 member hornline or a FULL hornline? It's not about how many players you have, it's about how well they play and what approach the instructional staff takes in interpreting the product given them.

I feel the true issue here is longevity - return membership - WILL/DESIRE. If you have the same core of members returning year after year and they know they have meat in their book ... they better bring it and do the woodshedding. The problems arise when you have heavy turnover, younger and younger membership and you're not driving the nail in on a daily basis. It's only weekends and sometimes only 2 weekends a month if you're lucky. It truly is a dedication issue in my mind. I say, give me meat ... make them play the meat and if they aren't getting it .. you hose the month of August.

The corps I was involved with this summer was only the last 2 weeks of the season. Myself and 4 others joined the last 2 weeks just so the corps could field the show with the minimum membership required. The show was already there. Ask yourself how many other corps went through the same things this year? Nearly every corps in both divisions had fewer members marching this year due to the economy.

All excuses aside ... if a corps wants a tough book then that's their choice. It's then in the memberships hands to bring it or to suck.

Personally (and I mean ME), I would rather play a tough book and march a tough book that challenged me. Having a niche that is cute and entertaining, yet easy and written strictly for a 15 member jazzband transcribed for brass with only 2 parts per section - isn't a rewarding experience.

What you're really saying is .. have ONE trumpet part with a split. Have ONE mello part. Have ONE bari part with a split and one contra part. As an arranger ... that's also NOT challenging. And maybe what you're really saying is - Don't try anything new or unfamiliar to DCA fans because they won't get it? Maybe?

Speaking, again, for myself ........ I enjoyed every class A corps on the field this year. Their design teams are growing and gaining experience. There were moments of greatness in every show. There was a fair share of ick as well. The same can be said for the Open Class corps. DCA is more than the competition or winning. It's about families sharing the drumcorps experience. It's about staff's getting experience. It's about old timers getting out there and feeling like a kid again. Winning isn't everyone's goal ..... not from the start. That's why I refuse to make judgements on a corps unless they ARE pushing for a title. The rest, I look for the good .... the story within the story on the members faces .... the 9 yr old kids on the field right next to the 65 yr old ..... the excitement of being at Nationals ... and having an appreciative crowd that respects what you're doing whether they think it's great or not.

Drum corps is growing again just like when it started. It's grass roots. It's neighborhoods. It's not all TITLE WORTHY, but it's great and getting better every year. I thoroughly enjoyed my short version of a season in 2009 .. and look forward to what comes next. I hope you all do the same as well.

i agree with a lot of what you say. however we see too many times where the membership cant handle it. by August you should have a clue what is and isnt going to happen.

[Scerpella]

This is getting into a discussion about the Sun Devils specifically, which I didn't want to do. I am not complaining about our placement. I am talking about judging trends in general.

It's so easy to say "there's no credit for the attempt" and act like that ends the debate. The question is HOW demand is weighted against execution. I think there is a distinct bias towards towards execution in Class A that is quite different than Open Class. The dial is so tilted towards execution as to preclude any serious demand unless you're so good that you can perform that demand cleaner than everybody else ala Vigilantes percussion. It's supposed to be a sliding scale where a more demanding show performed slightly dirtier will get equal credit with a slightly cleaner, but easier show. I didn't see any evidence of that balance in operation in the results from Class A this weekend. All I saw was a race to the bottom in demand being rewarded. Especially in percussion and visual.

This is what happens every year Alan when someone makes a point about judging criteria, it is personalized and you and your corps are called a whiner. You cant win. Apparently DCA judging is 100% perfect all the time. Notice however they will only consider corps that finish out of the money whiners. Finalists complaining about this or that is perfectly ok.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Scerpella

[hardcoremello]

REALLY having fun out on the field, you have one terrific drum corps.

Fran

Well, it depends on what your idea of fun is, doesn't it? You have to admit, drum corps people are WEIRD!!!! I know for a fact Fusion's idea of fun is doing our best to perform a show that KICKS OUR BUTT!!!! Doing drill sets that make you feel SERIOUSLY like your going to take flight.........playing a book that makes you want to go home and practice EVERY DAY because it challenges you, feeling PAIN after a good solid run, laughing because your drumline is working so hard and looks so mean that you think they're hit men in "real life", amazed at the fact that your body REALLY PRODUCES SALT, working SO HARD that it puts your endorphines in overdrive and your completely addicted to drum corps!!!!

Hey, not to take away from any corps that does it any other way........I honestly respect them all, but the word "FUN" is defined by your own individual group and Fusion's idea of fun is and always will be challenging, hard core drum core!!!!! When you walk away from a Championship KNOWING you did the best job you did all season then you've accomplished what you started out to do.

Thanks for letting me add my two cents!!!!!

[hairbear]

Well, it depends on what your idea of fun is, doesn't it? You have to admit, drum corps people are WEIRD!!!! I know for a fact Fusion's idea of fun is doing our best to perform a show that KICKS OUR BUTT!!!! Doing drill sets that make you feel SERIOUSLY like your going to take flight.........playing a book that makes you want to go home and practice EVERY DAY because it challenges you, feeling PAIN after a good solid run, laughing because your drumline is working so hard and looks so mean that you think they're hit men in "real life", amazed at the fact that your body REALLY PRODUCES SALT, working SO HARD that it puts your endorphines in overdrive and your completely addicted to drum corps!!!!

Hey, not to take away from any corps that does it any other way........I honestly respect them all, but the word "FUN" is defined by your own individual group and Fusion's idea of fun is and always will be challenging, hard core drum core!!!!! When you walk away from a Championship KNOWING you did the best job you did all season then you've accomplished what you started out to do.

Thanks for letting me add my two cents!!!!!

Holly, Having Debbie Knisley on your staff, it is no surprise to ME that your corps work ethic is so high

She is a task-master and gets the job done! And she has the loudest voice of any female I have ever known!!! LOL!! (And a good friend)

[Jeff Ream]

This is what happens every year Alan when someone makes a point about judging criteria, it is personalized and you and your corps are called a whiner. You cant win. Apparently DCA judging is 100% perfect all the time. Notice however they will only consider corps that finish out of the money whiners. Finalists complaining about this or that is perfectly ok.

too funny. see my review...i actually mentioned i wondered abut a few things. I'll never say it's perfect.

and honestly...not you or Alan specifically...but too often people can't look at their own programs objectively and then come on here and blast judging. Doesn't even have to be a current member...it can be alumni. I love some of the quarterbacking on here this past weekend from people that weren't even there.

[Donny Drum Corps]

Govies won....all of the rest tried their hardest. Grennies werent far off, believe me. The show may have been harder than the Govies, I suppose. But there were still areas in the show that didnt quite get there when looking at achievement as the way we get scored. Govies achieved their show from the beginning to the end. This is not that hard to understand.

Congrats again to the Govies, you did it more right than the rest of us did!

DA

[Bond624]

One of the things you see at DCA shows that you don't see at DCI shows: Corps entering the field to their street beat. And no one does that better than the Hawthorne Caballeros, IMO. The honor guard out front, the three drum majors swinging their arms in unison as they lead the corps onto the field to that time-honored beat.... man, that is just great to watch!!!!

Here's to a great 2010 for all of you!

Fran

Ok if I could interrupt for a moment.

Fran,

Thanks for taking note of what we do. It is one of the Traditions we Love to do. Nothing better than getting the Corps and Crowd pumped up. I am Honored to be able to do it. Would not change it for anything. (although I hurt my arm Finals night at the start of it. Don't ask me how age I guess)

Also Fran Thanks for always getting my last name Correct.

Chris Fontanelle (for the other annoucers out their the e is silent)

Edited September 10, 2009 by Bond624

[BOSMarcher]

Alan...i think there is a difference between what you call safe and what it is the Govies do.

if to you safe means programming for a full sized corps when you only have 65 or less, then call the Govies safe. I call that not smart.

and the Govies program smart. They require every person to carry their fair share, but they don't write for every member to be 2 players instead of one. This is an issue too many small corps have ( cant say about you guys, didnt get to see you from the front) and that is what I think Fran is saying, and i fully agree

Yeah, but I think the Sun Devils do not have that problem with 23 horns. They had to have been the largest hornline in Class A. I can't of another group that I saw on the webcast that had more.

The Govies do a good job with the 16 or so horns they have. I remember thinking that Alliance's show last year sounded like a mini version of a Open Class group. I think they had around 25 brass last year. They did well in brass and we all know how the championships turned out.