The World Series of Drum Corps

[DrumCorpsFan27]

um...anyone notice all the changes have actually driven people away?

I've said it before, and I will say it again, George, a few years ago you said, "let's see what the market will bear." The market has clearly shown that it will not bear your vision. Why do more of it? Albert Einstein said to do the same thing over and over, and expect different results, is the mark of insanity. What are we supposed to think George, et. al.?

[DrumCorpsFan27]

Yeah, and six other people want to entrust the future of their entire organizations on this one man and his hopes and dreams, and desires...LOL

G

I don't know that we can leave Gibbs out of this. From what I understand (which is limited), Dave is just as much in favor of "the vision" as George, he's just not as vocal about it. With Hopkins spewing the rhetoric, why would Gibbs need to say anything?

[garfield]

I don't know that we can leave Gibbs out of this. From what I understand (which is limited), Dave is just as much in favor of "the vision" as George, he's just not as vocal about it. With Hopkins spewing the rhetoric, why would Gibbs need to say anything?

I'm glad someone else said this so I wouldn't sound like I'm . I think it's natural for us to focus on Hop because he never shies away from the spotlight and doesn't mind having a target on his back. But it certainly is true, until we are informed otherwise, that six corps directors have publicly stated their support for the Hop/Gibbs plan. The wrath of disagreement shouldn't be spared from them until they renounce their plans with as much publicity as they announced their support.

DCP is widely followed by the drum corps directors - they admit it themselves in many cases. Wrath thrown at Hop is easily deflected, and the focus should be on demanding - especially from financial contributors - an explanation of how their plans have changed. These discussions should be conducted between each, individual corps and it's contributor, fan, and alum bases to clearly identify how their views have changed. It should be made public. Developing again a level of trust depends on it.

This current "relationship" feels like a bad, shotgun marriage, and I suspect there's no "honeymoon bliss" on any of the players' minds. Like all marriages it takes hard work and honesty to keep the partnership vital. I feel pretty confident that the leaders of DCI are going to work hard, very hard, to prove their mettle and save the activity, and non-G7 corps are going to work extra hard to meet, and exceed, their own expectations if not only to prove their worth. We should all lend a shoulder and push the bus now.

But what's missing is the honesty part. The non-G7 corps didn't cast aspersions on the "elite" corps, except maybe to grouse about how much money the G7 takes out of DCI. But the G7 made it perfectly clear what they think about drum corps, the organization, the non-"elite", the legacy fans. It's not likely that they have retracted their contempt except to say they'd stay on another year with the mother ship. That's not too "brotherly" a contrition to make me warm and fuzzy and not looking over my shoulder for what next they plan to gang up to do.

An explanation, and a description of their future plans would go a long way towards our ability to take a collective breath and get to work.

Until then, You can turn the stripes on a zebra horizontal, but it's still a zebra.

Edited August 18, 2010 by garfield

[supersop]

Wow, DCI pays for mechanical licensing and copyright permission? What a crock of crap that is for DCI and a sweet deal for the corps! As a band director that sweats the details with that stuff, my program foots the bill for every second of every show I put on the field. If I do a 20-second snippet of a song, I may pay $1,000 for permission if I really want to use it. If I can't afford the copyright fees, I don't do it and I need to come up with a cheaper alternative. You can't even enter a BOA show without having proof of having paid the copyright permission for every selection in your show. I can't even imagine how much money DCI is shelling out for that little privilege. The corps should pay that, period. They may think twice or three times about what they play. There, I just saved DCI a boat load of money. In terms of your last comment, I am certain there were meetings back in the day, but they weren't made so public and the members of the corps were certainly not put in the middle of the situation. I just got 3 of my staff members back from tour and they said all of this G7 nonsense was an enormous intrusion during the last week particularly. Sure the directors were competitive but what happened on the field was where it counted, now, this crap is spilling out into the field and the stands, that's wrong, no matter what you may think. Al Gore didn't invent the Internet, George Hopkins did, just ask him. He probably wants the revenue stream to start flowing from it now and would like more voting power over who gets faster connections.

I think you missed the point on this. The corps pay for the permission to perform and arrange the music selections. DCI pays for the synchronization rights (so they can sell APD's, CD's and DVD's of the performances). Big difference, and that's an agreed upon rate per sale. So, first the corps get the rights and there is another line for Sync rights ... that is sent over to DCI by the corps once they have permission to perform/arrange .. most use CopyCat services these days. This company does a great job of hunting down everything you need for a small fee (saves lots of headaches and hassles).

[Jeff Ream]

Yeah, and six other people want to entrust the future of their entire organizations on this one man and his hopes and dreams, and desires...LOL

G

it's my hope that now the other 16 will not just be sheep at the meetings and speak up

[Jeff Ream]

I've said it before, and I will say it again, George, a few years ago you said, "let's see what the market will bear." The market has clearly shown that it will not bear your vision. Why do more of it? Albert Einstein said to do the same thing over and over, and expect different results, is the mark of insanity. What are we supposed to think George, et. al.?

sigh. you keep using logic on a drum corps forum

[Tony Flores]

It is almost like the death of DCM in '03...maybe a new organization needs to be created...one with the best interests of the activity in mind. DCVI has lost it's way, now I am not supporting the greedy 7, I am saying a drastic overhaul may be necessary.

[supersop]

It is almost like the death of DCM in '03...maybe a new organization needs to be created...one with the best interests of the activity in mind. DCVI has lost it's way, now I am not supporting the greedy 7, I am saying a drastic overhaul may be necessary.

DCXL - Drum Corps Xtreme League (I'm sure someone can find marketing value in that)

DCU - Drum Corps United (with a true purpose and vision of growth and equity for all corps)

WSoDC - World Series of Drum Corps (why not ... overhaul the scoring system entirely and I might buy into a season points winner system)

It's easy to change a name ........ it's hard to live with what the name stands for .... and making sure the name constantly represents your organization. DCI hasn't truly been international in a long time ... thankfully we had a corps from the EU in Open Class this year. I miss all the Canadian corps soooooooooooooooo MUCH! Dutchboy, KK, Ventures, Bandettes, not to mention the stellar corps of the 70's from Canadia!!!!

Btw, there's nothing wrong with DCXL - M, DCXL - W, DCXL - E to go along with it .. and the same for all other acronyms.

[Tony Flores]

DCXL - Drum Corps Xtreme League (I'm sure someone can find marketing value in that)

DCU - Drum Corps United (with a true purpose and vision of growth and equity for all corps)

WSoDC - World Series of Drum Corps (why not ... overhaul the scoring system entirely and I might buy into a season points winner system)

It's easy to change a name ........ it's hard to live with what the name stands for .... and making sure the name constantly represents your organization. DCI hasn't truly been international in a long time ... thankfully we had a corps from the EU in Open Class this year. I miss all the Canadian corps soooooooooooooooo MUCH! Dutchboy, KK, Ventures, Bandettes, not to mention the stellar corps of the 70's from Canadia!!!!

Btw, there's nothing wrong with DCXL - M, DCXL - W, DCXL - E to go along with it .. and the same for all other acronyms.

My Bad on the typo

I am not just saying change the name...but alter the organization to do what is best for our beloved activity.

Again, not siding with the greedy 7, but maybe a new organization is necessary. New structure and what not

[audiodb]

"What people don't get about me is I love it the way it is, I really do," Hopkins said. "But it's not going to survive if we don't let other people in -- the next big wall is woodwind instruments."

The sky is falling!