DCI story on CNN.com

[ejsymonds]

G7 is a horrid concept. We need smaller corps. The purpose of DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS (notice in nowhere does the title say woodwinds, for a reason!) is to promote education and growth to all experience levels. Today's trumpet player of Crossmen might be next years trumpet player of Carolina crown. Today's bass Drummer of the Troopers might be the next one of Santa Clara Vanguard. Having a wide variety of corps levels allows for all to live the dream of marching in drum corps and pursuing the goal of being the best you can be, not just "the best". It is obvious that George Hopkins knows very little about education and has decided to further flaunt his ignorance by saying G7 or woodwinds. The truth is, neither work. Woodwinds are not meant for DCI because that is not what Drum and Bugle Corps is about. That is what High school marching band or college marching band is for. And I urge alumni and supporters of ALL the G7 member corps to make it clear that if they follow through with either, we will not support them. We are what makes them who they are. Without are support, they cannot survive. Therefore they need to understand that it is not all about being the best 7, but rather about teaching people to be the best they can be and be better people. I have friends who have/are marching with Forte, Bluecoats, Glassmen, Blue Devils, Colts, Velvet Knights, and Capital Regiment. And all of them are stellar performers from a wide level of scoring corps and not one of them deserves to not have a chance to compete. Besides, Phantom scored 9th place last year and this year Vanguard has dropped down to 7th, showing not everyone is perfect. Stop G7 and stop the Idea of woodwinds.

Mr. Hopkins, Tear Down G7!!

[ajwdad]

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

Really George? You think the way to SAVE Drum & Bugle Corps is by allowing the use of woodwinds?

I think the rest of the world would consider that KILLING drum corps once and for all.

Hell, I stopped going to shows after you ruined the activity with electronics.

For anyone who is really interested, here is how to get Drum Corps back on track:

1) Stop with the woodwind talk. Even the most progressive DCI fans realize that would be a HUGE mistake

2) Do away with the electronics. enough is enough already. OK, we tried them, all they do is allow corps to cheat horn parts and boost weak low brass sections. How about we just teach the kids to play.

3) Reinstitute the regional organizations DCE, DCM... so corps can stay closer to home for half the summer and save on travel costs.

4) Hold regional championships in Mid-July so new Corps just getting started can run a half season and still have something to shoot for.

5) Simplify the activity, not complicate it. The simpler the activity, the less it will cost to run. Brass, Drums, Guard. Thats all you need. If you really need electronics and gizmos then what you REALLY need is a better arranger/designer.

(prime example is 1991 SCV. They did Miss Saigon and recreated the sounds of helicopters. marching troops, and others using just a creative pit. No electronics. I am sure if that show was done today it would all be done on synth by pushing a button. Explain to me how that futhers the activity)

6) Get corporate sponsorship. Every drum and brass company on the planet benefits from DCI well beyond the amount they put into it.

7) Cap the amount of money that corps can raise from membership dues. There are other ways to raise money without bleeding the members dry.

8) Get back to what the KIDS expect and want from Drum Corps, not what the adults and designers want.

Doesn't sound that difficult to me. By adding more and more junk to the activity (electronics, synth, woodwinds) all that is happening is it gets more expensive to field a corps and the gap between the haves and have nots gets wider and wider. Simplify and get back to the corps of what the activity is about and it can flourish once again.

You make a ton of sense. I especially like the regional idea for both newer corps, but also to let everyone see the corps after they mature in late July and Aug.,

[Newseditor44]

None of this is going to matter in 10 years anyway. Drum corps as we know it will be dead in the water.

[camel lips]

Excellent article. You can see where George and the rest of the G-7 are going with this. Make the G-7 the only show wants fans to go too and then the little corps fall off the map and then you have a more profitable circuit with extra busses and more woodwinds because you are letting in new folks.

[N.E. Brigand]

The purpose of Drum & Bugle Corps (notice in nowhere does the title say woodwinds, for a reason!) is to promote education and growth to all experience level ... Woodwinds are not meant for DCI because that is not what Drum and Bugle Corps is about. That is what High school marching band or college marching band is for.

A historical question: why were woodwinds never a part of drum & bugle corps, but a part of marching bands?

[camel lips]

I missed it buy why did it get called the G-7?

[JimF-LowBari]

A historical question: why were woodwinds never a part of drum & bugle corps, but a part of marching bands?

Big Time modern Drum Corps got their start after WWI with the start of the American Legion (1919). Lot of local Posts wanted something to show their patriotism, give their members something to do and basically show off to the locals and other Posts. Availible equiment was Military surplus drums and valveless bugles (very cheap and easy to learn).

Kinda took off from there.......

There were some fife, drum and bugle corps from 1920s to early 1960s but haven't found out how that started.

Edited August 13, 2010 by JimF-LowBari

[Ed Boxer]

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

Really George? You think the way to SAVE Drum & Bugle Corps is by allowing the use of woodwinds?

I think the rest of the world would consider that KILLING drum corps once and for all.

Hell, I stopped going to shows after you ruined the activity with electronics.

For anyone who is really interested, here is how to get Drum Corps back on track:

1) Stop with the woodwind talk. Even the most progressive DCI fans realize that would be a HUGE mistake

2) Do away with the electronics. enough is enough already. OK, we tried them, all they do is allow corps to cheat horn parts and boost weak low brass sections. How about we just teach the kids to play.

3) Reinstitute the regional organizations DCE, DCM... so corps can stay closer to home for half the summer and save on travel costs.

4) Hold regional championships in Mid-July so new Corps just getting started can run a half season and still have something to shoot for.

5) Simplify the activity, not complicate it. The simpler the activity, the less it will cost to run. Brass, Drums, Guard. Thats all you need. If you really need electronics and gizmos then what you REALLY need is a better arranger/designer.

(prime example is 1991 SCV. They did Miss Saigon and recreated the sounds of helicopters. marching troops, and others using just a creative pit. No electronics. I am sure if that show was done today it would all be done on synth by pushing a button. Explain to me how that futhers the activity)

6) Get corporate sponsorship. Every drum and brass company on the planet benefits from DCI well beyond the amount they put into it.

7) Cap the amount of money that corps can raise from membership dues. There are other ways to raise money without bleeding the members dry.

8) Get back to what the KIDS expect and want from Drum Corps, not what the adults and designers want.

Doesn't sound that difficult to me. By adding more and more junk to the activity (electronics, synth, woodwinds) all that is happening is it gets more expensive to field a corps and the gap between the haves and have nots gets wider and wider. Simplify and get back to the corps of what the activity is about and it can flourish once again.

This is all great stuff. However, there is one HUGE component missing.

9. Get back to developing a melody, entertaining the audience and playing a show that not only gets the fans out of their seats, but wants them to come back for more. For me, that has been the rapid decline over the last 4-8 years.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Ed Boxer

[WOOHOO]

I think we should totally ostracize the fans. Obviously, drum corps hates performing to people

[crfrey71]

Mason's take is really interesting to me because he, IMO, is the original G7......he took Star away.

Mason should work on getting Star back on the competitive field of DCI, now is the perfect chance, the alumni corps performs tonight, what better way to recruit and make the announcement.

I would say Bill Cook had more to say on that than Jim Mason did. I will have to find a good write-up, that with the G-7 concept, sort of fits in. But, Bill Cook had plenty of gripes about how DCI was ran back in the day. I think it would be very interesting to hear what Bill Cook thinks of this, or if he really cares one way or the other.