If DCI were to allow woodwinds, would you continue to support the acti

[mgarside83]

You are right, why not? If the most important artists of all time were concerned about pleasing, a majority of, let's be honest, uninformed, people (or fitting to their standard of art), the best art would not have been created.

DCI is just as much sport as it is art. Maybe more so. There are rules, goals, competition, structure. Without that, it isn't drum corps, it isn't anything. If you want to see unrestricted anythingness, turn on Americas got Talent and leave drum corps alone.

[WOOHOO]

DCI is just as much sport as it is art. Maybe more so. There are rules, goals, competition, structure. Without that, it isn't drum corps, it isn't anything. If you want to see unrestricted anythingness, turn on Americas got Talent and leave drum corps alone.

Who determines the right amount of structure? You? Me? I would hope not me, I'm not nearly smart enough to determine something like that.

[skywhopper]

Who determines the right amount of structure? You? Me? I would hope not me, I'm not nearly smart enough to determine something like that.

Well, how about sticking with the tried and true unless there's a really good reason to change the rules. That's generally a good strategy.

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

Well, how about sticking with the tried and true unless there's a really good reason to change the rules. That's generally a good strategy.

Right-a lot of DCI's changes have simply been to have new toys to play with...

[WOOHOO]

Well, how about sticking with the tried and true unless there's a really good reason to change the rules. That's generally a good strategy.

If you want the same old, same old forever and ever, sure. I don't. Obviously, the top corps don't, from the ways shows have changed pretty regularly since the inception of DCI.

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

I am a brass guy myself, but I really enjoy some of the best shows from the high school groups in BOA (westfield 2003, LD Bell 2006) and I imagine that those same high caliber high school woodwind musicians would be a great addition to Drum Corp.

That's great-Continue to go to BOA, enjoy that activity. But leave drum corps be a brass/percussion activity.

[mgarside83]

Who determines the right amount of structure? You? Me? I would hope not me, I'm not nearly smart enough to determine something like that.

The governing body of DCI. Or me, that would be ok too!

But seriously, look at any sport. Instead of constantly comparing it to art, let's compare it to sports. It has much more in common. All sports have structure. All sports occasionally need to tweak the rules a little for safety reasons most of the time, but sometimes for other reasons. In the 70's the NFL changed rules on defense to allow offenses to score more points during a game, making them more exciting to watch. They didn't change the sport. Within the structure of the rules, offenses and defenses are to this day desgining new plays and new approaches that stay within the confines of the rules of the game. Having rules and structure doesn't mean you can't be creative and push the envelope. In fact, to push the envelope within a structure like that, it often takes more creativity and the final product is usually better than anything anyone could have come up with without that structure. Having no structure makes everything too easy, and creativity is actually hampered IMO. Adding woodwinds, or anything else isn't going to make the shows more creative or artistic, it's only going to add woodwinds. It's only going to make it not drumcorps anymore, because we've removed the rules and structure that made it drum corps.

Changing the activity into somethine else doesn't make it more or less artistic, more or less creative. Changing the activity only does just that. Changes it into something else.

[mgarside83]

However, I would support the activity even if they did include woodwinds. I wouldn't like it as much, but as long as there are competitive drumlines playing sick beats and marching aggressive drill with precision and excellence, I'll be into that. I love teaching high school competitive marching band, after all. It would be a very sad day to see drum corps go away though, and I am not certain I would be as die hard about getting to shows and rehearsals if it was competitive marching band.

However, I don't see it happening. As another poster pointed out, adding woodwinds would add much more cost than $$$ it would bring in. With the financial state of things, I don't think it would help anything.

[WOOHOO]

The governing body of DCI. Or me, that would be ok too!

But seriously, look at any sport. Instead of constantly comparing it to art, let's compare it to sports. It has much more in common. All sports have structure. All sports occasionally need to tweak the rules a little for safety reasons most of the time, but sometimes for other reasons. In the 70's the NFL changed rules on defense to allow offenses to score more points during a game, making them more exciting to watch. They didn't change the sport. Within the structure of the rules, offenses and defenses are to this day desgining new plays and new approaches that stay within the confines of the rules of the game. Having rules and structure doesn't mean you can't be creative and push the envelope. In fact, to push the envelope within a structure like that, it often takes more creativity and the final product is usually better than anything anyone could have come up with without that structure. Having no structure makes everything too easy, and creativity is actually hampered IMO. Adding woodwinds, or anything else isn't going to make the shows more creative or artistic, it's only going to add woodwinds. It's only going to make it not drumcorps anymore, because we've removed the rules and structure that made it drum corps.

Changing the activity into somethine else doesn't make it more or less artistic, more or less creative. Changing the activity only does just that. Changes it into something else.

Well, my apple is better than your orange. I never said that drum corps was exclusively an art form, but you seem to only take into account the competitive, athletic side, which is fine, but it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. Athletic expectations are different than artistic expectations. Big shocker. This dialogue is fruitless with the divide that is here. I don't really want to talk about the athletic side, since this is a thread of artistic sensibilites.

[mgarside83]

Well, my apple is better than your orange. I never said that drum corps was exclusively an art form, but you seem to only take into account the competitive, athletic side, which is fine, but it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. Athletic expectations are different than artistic expectations. Big shocker. This dialogue is fruitless with the divide that is here. I don't really want to talk about the athletic side, since this is a thread of artistic sensibilites.

My question for you is, when do you draw the line? At some point on this path, drum corps will be completely unrecognizable as drum corps. Is that what you are hoping for?

Adding woodwinds is one thing, what's the next change? The change after that? At some point without structure and rules, it will become just a random talent show.