Official DCP G7 Proposal Discussion Thread

[Stu]

"Wall and Remembrance." Northmont HS. 1996. I was there in person and it's one of a handful of shows since WGI was formed in 1978 that left me crying. When the "dead" soldier walked out of the wall (he wasn't seen until the very end of the show) to try to touch his wife and infant girl—who had left flowers under his name—and was pulled back into the wall by a dozen or so arms, I lost it. Amazing program.

Edit: If you think that I am out to lunch with the following, please read p. 49 to the end of the G7 proposal where Gibbs describes what they want to do with the weekend productions. He even uses the word “Cirque” to describe the proposed events.

I agree that the Northmont 1996 Vietnam Wall show was extremely emotional and the production value was superb; and it also brought tears to my eyes. That said, here I go opening myself up for criticism. But what in the world does that have anything to do with the battery, the pit, the music, and the marching? I understand that visual is an integral part of the program; as well as it should be. However, WGI, DCI, and BOA have all become heavily skewed toward GE and Visual with less and less emphasis toward Music and Marching. I am not saying go back to the tick system with block slip drill and the battery marking time; but what I am saying is that when a show is "mainly" remembered for a visual illusion more so that the show’s musical and marching value, something is amiss in my opinion. The notes of yesteryear in the great HS snare lines contained cheese inverts and swiss kicks; the notes today with these lines are mainly right hand lead simplistic patterns so that the snare lines can dance, prance, dip, and spin around with one foot hiked up while appearing from behind a prop rolling a big rubber beach ball that is painted blue to represent the earth which is spinning around a larger yellow ball representing the sun while the tenors put on sun glasees to keep the sun from hurting their eyes! Anyway, like most people back in the eighties, I was impressed by the SCV floating girl; but I was more moved by the music, drill, and color guard moves that was being performed behind the visual illusion. So, if I want to see mainly story telling I will go see a Broadway production; if I want to mainly see illusions I will go see a magician; but with WGI drum lines, DCI, and BOA, I want to mainly see drill, hear music, and watch the color guard throw rifles and flags with some of the extra visual illusion stuff added in for texture. Just my take.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Stu

[dckid80]

Change makes enemies very easliy. And the way one begins a change effort determins what kind of fight is coming. The way you start a change effort says a lot about how you'll finish. I teach that there are three ways to make your opening move, the G7 chose the dramatic method. .

The dramatic method is as follows: One must hit hard...shatter the status quo....shock the organization. The impact should be powerful enough to overcome inertia. When you play this angle you want to get people's attention. Instead of trying to sneak past any resitance to change, you come on so strong you scare off the opposition. Or at least you gain the advantage becaue your opening moves give you a big head start on the resisters. Plus you send a very convincing message about your determination to make change. This is a valid method so why did it fail? To me the number one reason why this method failed is that the G7 did not involved the stakeholders.

Most of us accept change better if we don't think it's being crammed down our throats. If the stakeholder can have a voice in matters that directly affect them, they don't feel so vulnerable. Involving people comes in their having to struggle with the complicated aspects of the situation. They learn a lot. For example, they find that there are no perfect solutions. When they have to wrestle with the hairy problems themselves, they develop a greater respect for the difficulties involved. With more minds working on the problem, one might actually come up with a better strategy than you'd design by yourself. After all, if they were one of the architects, they're less entitled to complain about having to live in the building.

Dean

Agreed

Change falls along a continuum ranging from Evolutionary to Revolutionary. Clearly the G7 are pointing more to the Revolutionary end of the spectrum. What I have not seen from them or in their presentation is a definition of the problem as they perceive it followed by a quantitative analysis of that problem.

In other words... How did we get to wear we are today?

Without that their proposal rightfully appears to be self-serving.

By contrast the DCI Board proposal seems thoughtful and well organized.

Edited May 29, 2010 by dckid80

[IntheMood]

Very insightful, Dean.

The first DCI counter-punch...how would you dissect that?

This is in sharp contrast to the "nudge" methodology GH has been using for years. How do you analyze the use of both of them when he seems to have attained so much change already? Is the big kahoona the intro of woodwinds. Is this the "shock" method's ultimate goal in this situation? Could he have felt that the shock method was the only way to cross that final hurdle?

I assume you're a professional in this area ("teach", who? Your kids? ). If this is your profession then I appreciate your professional input.

[/quote

I do in fact teach change managment I am a Lean Six Sigma Mater Black Belt. I feel that DCI's counter punch was risky at best. They did not promise problems.

resistance always spikes up when the predictable problems take people by surprise. So one needs to set the stage. Make it very clear at the very onset that change won't be a trouble-free process. Sure you should make a sales pitch for the change. Just be sure to point out the warning label as well.

The big mistake is to paint only the rosey part of the picture, limiting your forecasting to some song and dance about how great the change is going to be. That kind of propaganda will come back to haunt one. The fact is, not everything will be fine and dandy. Problems always crop up when serious change gets under way. It one comes across as a Pollyanna, you'll kill your credibility, people will become resentful, and they'll be less likely to support DCI going forward. It's not pretty I have seen this happen.

The best move DCI can do is give everyone an accurate sense of what's coming. This amounts to a balancing act, where you mix the good news with the bad. If DCI levels with all the stakeholders, then at the very least they can steel themselves for the struggle ahead.

I feel that Hop has indeed tried the other two methods and it seems they were not working fast enough for him and so he moved to the third method. Here are the other two methods that I teach.

Subtle approach: The strategy here is to slip in under the emeny radar, to change things quietly and gradually without arousing opposition. If people aren't paying close attention, they probaably won't catch on. It is clear that people have been paying attention that is why this method has not worked for Hop.

middle-of the road-approach: This is the most common, but least effective. Basically it amounts to muddling along- being neither subtle, nor bold and dramatic. It offers none of the benefits of the other two strategies. the enemie of change find it eaiet to resist. They see what's coming, and the sight of that serves to mobilize their counter-attack.

Dean

[IntheMood]

Agreed

Change falls along a continuum ranging from Evolutionary to Revolutionary. Clearly the G7 are pointing more to the Revolutionary end of the spectrum. What I have not seen from them or in their presentation is a definition of the problem as they perceive it followed by a quantitative analysis of that problem.

In other words... How did we get to wear we are today?

Without that their proposal rightfully appears to be self-serving.

By contrast the DCI Board proposal seems thoughtful and well organized.

Nail hit head. I have seen no root cause in their proposal. Without a root cause all else is just a band aid.

Dean

Edited May 29, 2010 by IntheMood

[Opti-Burr]

I haven't had the time to go through ALL of the topics and posts concerning the recent "G7" proposal, so I'm not sure if anyone has commented on something in this proposal that really bothers me. It would appear as if this propsal is wanting Drum Corps to be strickly an American activity, as they want to lock out all non-American Corps. I realize that Dutch Boy are taking this season off to re-group, but I am personally hoping that next year they will be in a position to compete again, but the G7 don't want them involved any more. If this G7 proposal is actually adopted as written, then the name Drum Corp International will have to be changed to reflect the true intention of the organization. No longer will we be seeing Coprs from oversees participate in a season of Drum Corps. As a Canadian, this aspect of the proposal would steer me and I'm sure many other loyal Canadian fans away from the activity. Just my $0.02.

[Stu]

Agreed

Change falls along a continuum ranging from Evolutionary to Revolutionary. Clearly the G7 are pointing more to the Revolutionary end of the spectrum. What I have not seen from them or in their presentation is a definition of the problem as they perceive it followed by a quantitative analysis of that problem.

In other words... How did we get to wear we are today?

Without that their proposal rightfully appears to be self-serving.

By contrast the DCI Board proposal seems thoughtful and well organized.

Agreed. Evolutionatry change comes in the form of making better instruments, playing more difficult notes, marching a more difficult drill, expanding the musical vocabulary; it enhances the fundimental foundation of the system. (the enhancements being better or worse are debatible but not destructive) However, Revolutionary change means that something is drastically wrong with the foundation; not only with the concepts being promoted, but with the fundimental foundation of the system itself. It appears that the directors of the G7 not only feel that evolution (Bb horns, electronics, etc) are needed, but they see the actual fundimental foundation of DCI being a "charitable" youth organization as flawed.

[dckid80]

Nail hit head. I have seen no root cause in their proposal. Without a root cause all else is just a band aid.

Dean

I'm LSS Green Belt certified myself Dean. Just enough knowledge to make me dangerous...lol

Would love to see the G7 abd DCI proposals in full with all of the supporting research/ documentation.

Let's make sound decisions based on real data.

[garfield]

I feel that Hop has indeed tried the other two methods and it seems they were not working fast enough for him and so he moved to the third method. Here are the other two methods that I teach.

Your "subtle" method is what I think of as "nudge" (in politics, anyway, and NO I'm not a politician!). Hasn't GH been introducing subtle changes for years?

Again, does it make sense that "Shock and Awe" is the only way he's sees to get over the woodwinds hurdle?

Seems nothing in his plan works if he can't "look like them", so THE critical aspect, despite his other presentation points, is achieving open instrumentation to "look like them".

This issue is the most sensitive to me (yes, MY line in the sand) so I'm paying close attention to the chess moves that try to capture that king...

We're presuming that GH is smart enough to understand all your "black belt" stuff; this may have just been so much spaghetti to throw against the wall. But on the chance that he's studied all the Sigma stuff we ought to be able to predict his next move, yes?

But then again, ZAG...

[Stu]

For years DCI lead the way in driving the activity. BOA (formerly MBA) used to look at DCI for guidance and the band programs aspired to reach the performing heights of the DCI corps. Now it appears that the HS band programs are driving the activity and the G7 want to jump on their bus so that they can get back into the drivers seat. Thoughts?

[audiodb]

There is no bus. DCI has a sizable fan base beyond just immediate family of marching members. Marching band does not.