Want to Give a G7 Director a Piece of Your Mind?

[Jeff Ream]

Yes the fans need to be entertained, and they need the bang for their buck, but here, IMHO, is where things are going pear shaped:

I believe in competition; and I believe in teaching youth the proper way to improve their skills and character through competition. However, DCI is a youth activity that has gone father than even the little league world series in pushing high quality competition as "the" reason why we should support the activity. A recent poster asked the question, is a 22 year old a youth (according to the Federal Government the age for parents to use their kids as a dependent is now 26, but I digress). At least the players in little league are still youth who cannot drive, vote, or drink alcohol. Anyway, what we have now within these G7 are professional quality young adults performing in what is supposed to be an educational outlet for youth. I enjoy watching BD, SCV, Cadets, Regiment, et al. But when over half of the performers in these corps are the same age, and has the same professional skill sets, as rookies in the NY Yankees or St. Louis Cardinals, and they are still performing in a youth activity, something is amiss. So what we might need is a system in drum corps like the system of youth symphonies and professional symphonies. Both exist in the non-profit world, but one is designed as an educational outlet for youth, and the other is designed as a career outlet for adults. So, maybe it is time for corps with an average age of 20 plus who have skill sets that match professional musicians to create the G7. Just a thinking…..

again...i am glad they are getting an educational activity. But, if that activity doesn't entertain me, why should I pay?

[Jeff Ream]

Heres a suggesstion for all who appose,ahhhh almost everything....DONT GO!! I ve said that before and all I get is well I bought my ticket, got a hotel..Oh PLEASEEEEEEEEE what a crack. So you lose some money. Isn't what you believe in worth a few bucks. You want to be there just to while and complain later.

I hate a lot of the G7 crap but all the keepers of the holy grail ( drum corps ) or the ones who think its their activity to own, just don't go. That will make a bigger statement. Seems to me you just don't want to miss the show.....lol..priceless

To those rational ADULTS....support who you want, buy from who you want, let the little league adults have their own show in the stands.

And this is not just for the G7 haters it goes for either side.

and...if you notice..many fans have been going a lot less or not at all.

Hence the DCI outreach

[Stu]

again...i am glad they are getting an educational activity. But, if that activity doesn't entertain me, why should I pay?

True; but entertainment comes in different forms and different packages. In DCI, one of the forms of entertainment is competition; and as of the past few years DCI has attempted to bill itself as Marching Music's Major League while still attempting to maintain its junior youth status, I will deal with just that aspect by utilizing another sport as an analogy.

I love the game of baseball; and I am just as entertained by watching a little league game as I am the MLB World Series (albeit for different reasons). In little league, it is entertaining to watch the kids going through the motions of learning the coordination needed to execute throwing, catching, and hitting; watching them learn how to win with grace and lose with dignity is rewarding. On the other hand; in the MLB World Series, watching a slug fest of home runs, or a pitcher on the verge of getting a perfect game is entertaining; and seeing the best of the best fight it out for the title of World Series Winners is extremely entertaining. So, I am entertained to various degrees by like skilled teams going up against each other; no matter if they are amateur or professional. And of course I would expect to pay less to see a little league game and more to see a MLB game.

Now, imagine a Junior (operative word here is Junior) Baseball League existing that allows 22 year old adults with professional developed skills to play alongside young teenage youths who have yet to develop those skills to a high level. The rules state that the teams can have players tryout whos ages range from 14 years old to 22 years old. Also imagine, and here is the kicker, that there was no professional baseball outlet for the older players to aspire to, so the Junior Championship game is the pinnacle of the activity. And because there is no real career outlet for the best of the best, some select teams develop a system to create an average team age of 20, with all their players having high levels of adult professional skills, for the sole reason that they can become the best of the best and win that junior championship; the bulk of the other teams decided to keep their average age of 17 so that some teenagers can participate with some 21 year olds.

Because this was supposed to be a junior youth competative activity, and not an outlet for professional skilled young adults to compete, I would not be very entertained by watching the inequity of all those teams competing against each other. The teams with the average age and professional skills of actual adults would always pummel the rest of the teams with younger youths. Where is the Junior Youth competative aspect in that?

So, to bring this back to the activity at hand, DCI cannot continue to bill itself as being Marching Music's Major League while still mainating the claim of having youth oriented status. That is where the inequity lies; and that is where the conflict needs resolution. I would be entertained by watching a bunch of professional level corps compete; I would also be entertained by watching a bunch of junior level corps compete; but I am not entertained by watching a select few professional level corps pummel the rest who are junior level. Is DCI a Major League, allowing professional young adults to compete on a professional level, or is it a Junior Corps activity? Answer that question, and we can begin to solve the current dilemma.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Stu

[GMichael1230]

Heres a suggesstion for all who appose,ahhhh almost everything....DONT GO!! I ve said that before and all I get is well I bought my ticket, got a hotel..Oh PLEASEEEEEEEEE what a crack. So you lose some money. Isn't what you believe in worth a few bucks. You want to be there just to while and complain later.

I hate a lot of the G7 crap but all the keepers of the holy grail ( drum corps ) or the ones who think its their activity to own, just don't go. That will make a bigger statement. Seems to me you just don't want to miss the show.....lol..priceless

To those rational ADULTS....support who you want, buy from who you want, let the little league adults have their own show in the stands.

And this is not just for the G7 haters it goes for either side.

do you ever add anything of substance to the discussion ??

G

[Scoutnout]

do you ever add anything of substance to the discussion ??

G

Its pretty simple..................hard to grasp?

[GMichael1230]

Its pretty simple..................hard to grasp?

not really....but again, I ask, do you evr add anything of substance to the topic(s) at hand ???

G

[Scoutnout]

Its pretty simple..................hard to grasp?

now that was rude of me I do apologize .Rudeness seems to bring that out in me . I must learn to take a breath before I choose to jump in someone's mud.... BUT it really does seem so simple , all the ranting and raving. just plain and simple DONT GO. Now, some on DCP would rather attack kids, volunteers, make scenes. Yeah that really adds creditability to YOUR cause ( Not you speaking of you Just in general )

[GMichael1230]

now that was rude of me I do apologize .Rudeness seems to bring that out in me . I must learn to take a breath before I choose to jump in someone's mud.... BUT it really does seem so simple , all the ranting and raving. just plain and simple DONT GO. Now, some on DCP would rather attack kids, volunteers, make scenes. Yeah that really adds creditability to YOUR cause ( Not you speaking of you Just in general )

Yeah, I dont agree with them either but Im not gonna condemn, ridicule, or judge them....soemthing has forced their hand and they are not able to express their love or passion they way they once did, so they are frustrated and feel they need to make a stand...how they see fit. We dont know them, I dont know you, you dont know me. THese could be outstanding human beings (and dont say, then they wouldnt act this way)

Telling people simply "dont go" is just instigating the cause and very, very immature, and yes, more immature than telling the souvie folks, the volunteers how you feel...you would be suprised how high they are actually regarded by some corps, a true liason between folks like us and the folks in charge......

And who says they have an all or nothing attittude ? why should they "not go" if they are somewhat happy but disenfranchised by some aspects that they feel they want to let people know about.....this "dont go " nonsense and attitude is half the problem. Nobody should go...the problems should be addressed and the opinions/voices should be heard...if some of the "super-Gods" who think they are more important than the activity itself, would listen and come off that pedestal they put themselves on, we might actually get somewhere...

G

Edited June 15, 2010 by GMichael1230

[GUARDLING]

now that was rude of me I do apologize .Rudeness seems to bring that out in me . I must learn to take a breath before I choose to jump in someone's mud.... BUT it really does seem so simple , all the ranting and raving. just plain and simple DONT GO. Now, some on DCP would rather attack kids, volunteers, make scenes. Yeah that really adds creditability to YOUR cause ( Not you speaking of you Just in general )

Thank You !!!!

[Scoutnout]

Yeah, I dont agree with them either but Im not gonna condemn, ridicule, or judge them....soemthing has forced their hand and they are not able to express their love or passion they way they once did, so they are frustrated and feel they need to make a stand...how they see fit. We dont know them, I dont know you, you dont know me. THese could be outstanding human beings (and dont say, then they wouldnt act this way)

Telling people simply "dont go" is just instigating the cause and very, very immature, and yes, more immature than telling the souvie folks, the volunteers how you feel...you would be suprised how high they are actually regarded by some corps, a true liason between folks like us and the folks in charge......

And who says they have an all or nothing attittude, why should the "not go" if they are somewhat happy but disenfranchised by some aspects tha tthey feel they want to let people know about.....this "dont go " nonsense and attitude is half the problem. Nobody should go...the problems should be addressed and the opinions/voices shiould be heard...if someof the "super-Gods" who think they are more important than the activity itself, would listen and come off that pedestal they put themselves on, we might actually get somewhere...

G

Ok I'll buy what you are saying. I dont have to agree But I will buy how you feel. I myself dont like alot of the G7 proposal and as far as a certain director, contempt would put it mildly and I have delt with him personally also. On the other hand i guess I dont feel "WE" as past members , directors, volunteers have the right to squash progress. And yes I see SOME of it as progress. Some of the arguments are weak at best and easy to see SOME are just trying to preserve their past, which is fine but to me not at the expense of the future. I do believe that most people think thats what they are doing but it really comes off as, Im right and the NEW world is wrong and it also comes off just as arrogant as the G7............................ Just my opinion of course