You know drum corps is dying when.............

[N.E. Brigand]

Kenton's "La Suerte De Los Tontos"? Really?

Really. Earlier this season, when I saw everyone was complaining that BD this year only offers the merest quote from the piece, I did go and listen to some of the 1979 or 1980 DVD; but for that, the bit on the field would have gone right by me. Stan Kenton, Chuck Mangione, and Pat Metheny are three performers whose work I wouldn't know if not for drum corps. "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor" -- what's that?

[garfield]

sure.

I am not a paid employee of YEA!. I was for a short time at one point when I was a kid (this would have been about 15 years ago), until George canned my ###. :-)

The stuff you were referring to is stuff I wrote back in 2002/2003. I wrote loads and loads of other stuff not ever posted on this board or generally distributed, but shared with a few people here and there. It is possible that some of that could have been read by some of these guys and maybe inspired someone to consider exploring some different concepts. It could also be that they arrived at the same, pretty much obvious, conclusion on their own. Who knows?

Either way, ideas are cheap, so, I give mine freely (as that's pretty much what they're worth). Actions are the only thing of any real value.

Oh! I've got you figured out! You're actually Mr. Martin I. Zing, aren't you? Do you now work for Cirque?

You both "worked with" YEA!, substitute Cirque with the NFL, honk for the G7 solution...

It's all a little too coincidental for you two to be separate people.

I think I'm kidding... I think...

Edited August 27, 2010 by garfield

[davidp]

Well, DCI is dead to me. I voted with my feet and my wallet after 2007 finals. If I go to corps shows now, it's DCA. Of course, nothing is stopping anyone from forming a new drum corps circuit, with rules taken from AL and VFW rule books (but I guess with Bb/F instead of G horns). I wonder if anybody would go for it?

[WOOHOO]

Well, DCI is dead to me. I voted with my feet and my wallet after 2007 finals. If I go to corps shows now, it's DCA. Of course, nothing is stopping anyone from forming a new drum corps circuit, with rules taken from AL and VFW rule books (but I guess with Bb/F instead of G horns). I wonder if anybody would go for it?

This sounds like a wonderful discussion with many great possibilities for the DCA board

[Piper]

Really. Earlier this season, when I saw everyone was complaining that BD this year only offers the merest quote from the piece, I did go and listen to some of the 1979 or 1980 DVD; but for that, the bit on the field would have gone right by me. Stan Kenton, Chuck Mangione, and Pat Metheny are three performers whose work I wouldn't know if not for drum corps. "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor" -- what's that?

I'll agree with some of that. I never heard of Chuck until BD came out with some of his music. Drum Corps helped make that guy - no doubt about it.

[danielray]

Oh! I've got you figured out! You're actually Mr. Martin I. Zing, aren't you? Do you now work for Cirque?

You both "worked with" YEA!, substitute Cirque with the NFL, honk for the G7 solution...

It's all a little to coincidental for you two to be separate people.

I think I'm kidding... I think...

Um, my username is my actual name. I'm not much of a mystery.

[danielray]

I voted with my feet and my wallet after 2007 finals.

... the void of which was filled in less than 15 seconds by a new, currently teen-age, fan that will be a solid drum corps supporter for the next 30 years when they will transmit some virtual memo on the public telepath stating they voted with their feet and wallet after the 2037 finals due to legalization of nanoelectronics that allowed performers to emit frequencies that trigger CORPS (Cochlear and Optical Performance Stimulator) implants on each individual audience member's DEAD (Digital Experience Archiving Device), causing the GE caption to no longer be relevant.

Of course, nothing is stopping anyone from forming a new drum corps circuit, with rules taken from AL and VFW rule books (but I guess with Bb/F instead of G horns). I wonder if anybody would go for it?

Please do this. Seriously. Who knows, maybe there is a hidden demand for kids wanting to experience what their grandparent's life was like... sort of like when my grandma would make us dinner from old depression era recipes and ingredients so we could see how rough she had it in comparison.

Edited August 27, 2010 by danielray

[soccerguy315]

Adding synth to drum corps is far from revolutionary. Blue Devils were using them in exhibition performances more than 20 years ago, and prior to that they were a solid staple of marching band back in the 1980's.

Again, I'm puzzled why they are sort of defacto for every single corps out there now, every season... but it isn't at all puzzling that they are there.

I don't like the synths. But to say that "kids today are looking for an easy button because of how they were raised" is not a good argument, because the kids are not the ones putting the synth into the show.

[Abbevillekid26]

I like this whole "the new generation is lazy" argument even though shows this era are incredibly more physically demanding. But hey everything was way harder back in the day and if you didn't see drum corps live before 2000 you have no idea what you're talking about.

(no insult to people who marched back then I enjoy many shows from the 80s and 90s but this whole argument is ########)

[skevinp]

Drum Corps is dying when people don't care enough to post 209 comments arguing about it.

Looks like there's still some life in the old girl.