mobrien Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 (edited) It's a shame that the "top corps" are so afraid of other units finding said formula now, isn't it? Fail. If anything, the major corps are frustrated that so many of the other units have apparently given up even trying to compete for the top. For every Blue Stars who tries to break through, you've got 2 or three Spirits or Crossmen, corps that are still around but either can't or won't do the things necessary to start competing at the top levels. If there had been better competition over the last 20 years, maybe there'd be even more fan interest from a wider swath of the country; instead, we've all become used to the Usual Suspects competing to win, and everyone else being very nice drum corps. It's been boring, and boring isn't good for building fan interest. Edited August 13, 2010 by mobrien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOOHOO Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Fail. If anything, the major corps are frustrated that so many of the other units have apparently given up even trying to compete for the top. For every Blue Stars who tries to break through, you've got 2 or three Spirits or Crossmen, corps that are still around but either can't or won't do the things necessary to start competing at the top levels. If there had been better competition over the last 20 years, maybe there'd be even more fan interest from a wider swath of the country; instead, we've all become used to the Usual Suspects competing to win, and everyone else being very nice drum corps. It's been boring, and boring isn't good for building fan interest. I think the competition has gotten SO much better from when I first starting marching in 2005. I would say that the show I first made finals with probably wouldn't even make semis nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 odd story. whoever the editor is needs to be fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR_ducky Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 The stuff they played at WPAT would never be allowed in a DCI Brass Book!Even Phantom Regiment won't play " Phantom Regiment " by LeRoy anderson! although WPAT radio and WOR TV would! It was actually our on field warm up in 86... I didn't think much of it LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Fail. If anything, the major corps are frustrated that so many of the other units have apparently given up even trying to compete for the top. For every Blue Stars who tries to break through, you've got 2 or three Spirits or Crossmen, corps that are still around but either can't or won't do the things necessary to start competing at the top levels. If there had been better competition over the last 20 years, maybe there'd be even more fan interest from a wider swath of the country; instead, we've all become used to the Usual Suspects competing to win, and everyone else being very nice drum corps. It's been boring, and boring isn't good for building fan interest. What you say is brutally honest, but true none-the-less, unfortunately. I kind if think the Top6/7 design stuff their way and set the trends. The 12-8 groups do some of their own thing, while mimicking established trends that fit their style personally. The 17-12 corps seem to do cookie-cutter type shows, and hope that they're clean enough to squeak into finals. Once you get into finals, I think corps need to up their design game a bit, or they'll get bounced out of finals. See Spirit, Colts, Troopers and Crossmen lately; while their execution certainly doesn't help them, their blasé show designs aren't enough of a quality vehicle to push them into Finals. Colts have the best shot out of those others to reclaim a Finalist birth, but those show designs aren't memorable or strong enough to make an impression on the judges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottgordon Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 This is all great stuff. However, there is one HuGE compnenet missing.9. Get back to developing a melody, entertaining the audience and playing a show that not ondy gets the fans out of their seats, but wants them to come back for more. For me,t aht has been the rapid decline over the last 4-8 years. Bingo. Without a saleable product, you can't have a successful business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I think the competition has gotten SO much better from when I first starting marching in 2005. I would say that the show I first made finals with probably wouldn't even make semis nowadays. I'd buy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchingTN Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 He can't even keep his one drum corps in the black. Great point. and why the rest of the G7 can't see this is beyond me. And another question how long is he going to go along with this World Series concept when The Cadets don't win? I know he has claimed that its not about winning. But come on, if its not about winning then why are you in a competitive enviroment? This is his idea, he'll be the innovator, and the Cadets will win for a while, but after other G7 corps get on the same page it will go to the way it is now, and if he dosent win he won't be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDNation Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Probably the best, most objective, story I've ever seen on the activity. That it comes in a message of troubled times and a deep inner division threatening to disrupt DCI as we know it is unfortunate, but there is no such thing as bad publicity.In regard to Hopkins' point about making drum corps available to more kids (woodwind players), I think he's mistaken. I belong to a once-huge fraternal organization, that has seen membership drastically drop off in the last 40-50 years. Misguided attempts to make the fraternity more "mainstream" and attract more members by compromising core values did NOTHING to attract and retain members. Pandering to the masses will only weaken your core base, not strengthen it. I've been saying the same thing for years. You don't change the product to appeal to a larger market. You become the best you can possibly be, find the markets that already exists, and target them. Did no one learn anything from New Coke? Drum corps needs to be better at what it is...not try to be something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDNation Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Great point. and why the rest of the G7 can't see this is beyond me. And another question how long is he going to go along with this World Series concept when The Cadets don't win? I know he has claimed that its not about winning. But come on, if its not about winning then why are you in a competitive enviroment? This is his idea, he'll be the innovator, and the Cadets will win for a while, but after other G7 corps get on the same page it will go to the way it is now, and if he dosent win he won't be happy. If he were happy, he wouldn't be Hoppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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