TomPeashey Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 (edited) you know folks... this is really all about PEOPLE... it's not about what key your horn is in it's not about amplification it's not about who has the most instructors it's not about playing a tune in parade formation it's not about playing a tune off the field while the winner celebrates it's not even about the jumbotron it's about PEOPLE... Once the adjudicated performance is over and all the the human beings that made the event possible are brought back onto the field this one time at the end of a long and difficult season - then it's all about them... the playing is over... the hype is over... we made this a bit more interesting for the performers with the jumbotron collage which brought their likeness to the screen... during the time that the corps line up to come back on the field, the corps get to mingle together and meet their old friends, new friends and even their rivals... the members get to realize the commonality in their participation on the field... they realize that they are all so much alike... The British corps was all over this... they were thrilled with our retreat method... So we bring that mass of humanity back on the field in a certain amount of pomp and circumstance that is befitting the occasion of a world championship... it's done fairly quickly and efficiently... then we succeeded in "getting to the point" and went right into the scores and awards in a clear and efficient manner (although being a new system caused just a slight hiccup that will be corrected) - no long speeches that are meaningless at this point - no politics - the champions were declared and everyone quickly and efficiently moved back field to get their equipment stowed and get to their after show parties at their hotels as quickly and efficiently as possible. In past years, these parties didn't start to 2AM. Now, they get going before midnight and allow each group to properly recap the season, give their expectations for next season and say goodbye to those guys and gals that became family during the previous nine months... after all, they learned that FAMILY means more than just blood relatives. As a matter of fact, other than having each contender's equipment ready to rock and roll should they be fortunate enough to be declared champions - most corps with no viable chance at winning would be wise to put away their equipment before retreat and make that trip to the after show hotel party even that much quicker... So whether we agree or not - perhaps the 10PM curfew - has helped us come up with a system that is BETTER for the masses - even if some in the stands may disagree... In the end - any change in retreat will be the prerogative of the corps directors themselves... they will decide what is best for the corps. but I think this humanization of the activity is - quite honestly - a very good thing... and everytime I think about this I remember the long and boring speeches at the American Legion Nationals Retreats... 2 hours in band formation wondering if we had succeeded... 45 minutes in Multnomah Stadium in Portland OR waiting for Maynard Bjerk of Bmidji MN to claim his new car... to this day he is the only man I've never met who I hate and will NEVER forget... because he caused me to wait and wait in reckless anticipation of the results of my efforts... his stupid new car in that raffle and their tired and boring speeches kept me from learning that indeed - I WAS A CHAMPION!!! for almost 2 full hours I had to wait... We can not please everyone, but trust me - what the championship retreat has evolved to is A GOOD THING for the performers... and at that hour of the night - THAT is what is important... PEOPLE!!! ALL WINNERS IN THEIR OWN WAY!!!! Edited September 13, 2010 by TomPeashey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzicman1 Posted September 13, 2010 Author Share Posted September 13, 2010 you know folks... this is really all about PEOPLE...We can not please everyone, but trust me - what the championship retreat has evolved to is A GOOD THING for the performers... and at that hour of the night - THAT is what is important... PEOPLE!!! ALL WINNERS IN THEIR OWN WAY!!!! Well said Tom, making changes is difficult and making everyone happy, even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 Tom wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJayTpt Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I'm all for being able to show off some more and have some fun playing my lips off completely, but in all honesty...after a 3-day weekend of rehearsal and performance at the end of a summer of the same and a nearly 6-hour drive....I'm tired and really don't mind getting out of there quickly to go celebrate more closely with those people I lived with every weekend for the summer and parts of spring and winter! Sure it sucks not getting to do our parking lot concerts but I think Tom got it right when he said it's about the performers at that point. All summer we please the audiences (hopefully lol) and I think we deserve that final night to ourselves! Especially since some people have to actually drive themselves (not having the luxury of a bus ride) another 6 hours or more the next morning to get back home and be ready for the work week. Right on, Tom!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyroo Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 you know folks... this is really all about PEOPLE...We can not please everyone, but trust me - what the championship retreat has evolved to is A GOOD THING for the performers... and at that hour of the night - THAT is what is important... PEOPLE!!! ALL WINNERS IN THEIR OWN WAY!!!! Beautifully put, Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 There's also a side to this we seldom think much about. That is, hotel bars and local establishments taking in big money after Finals. Besides corps members wanting to review the season with a beverage (sometimes in their rooms or inside private function rooms) spectators have a need for the same thing. DCA's value as a convention is measured in large part by its ability to bring in NEW money to the host community. A longer, big-push, period of spending after Finals at bars and restaurants goes a long way and leaves a great impression. No better way to keep hotels interested in blocking rooms for the corps at decent rates. That extra spending rush during the 10pm-12M hours could be significant to our host cities. More so than a prolonged stadium event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniSopGuy Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I found the instant replays a little annoying. I applaud attempting some thing new, but I think it could be used better as a tool. Let the show on the field finish and let it sink in rather than starting it right as the corps exits. For prelims day, I think it could have been better used to announce scores. Perhaps, rather than playing the clip right when the corps exits, a clip could be played as their prelim score is announced. Maybe the announcer says "We have a score for XYZ corps" Then a clip of XYZ is shown followed by a display of their score. After that, show the list of the current standings of prelim scores. Also, to generate more income, maybe the bottom 1/5 of the screen could be sold as advertising space something like the random banner ads on the top of the DCP pages. If this was the only way scores were announced, by displaying them, that advertising space could be a valuable resource to sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmlkmen Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 (edited) It was kinda cool marching off the field, and watching what we had just completed, being replayed on the jumbotron, brought tears to my eyes! Seconded. Although marching off the field at the time I did not know our score, I knew Class A was loaded this year and they could only take 4 of us for the Sunday show..... Like everyone who was in this Class A dogfight this year, my corps was hoping to be one of the 4 to see Sunday night. So, in retrospect, seeing my corps one last time on the big screen as we marched out was nice. It was like a last hurrah and rememberence for the blood/sweat/tears of an 8 month season. Edited September 15, 2010 by Dmlkmen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraRich77 Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Another thing I did not like about the jumbotron clips was when we were marching onto the field at Finals, they were playing excerpts from our Semis performance, instead of just letting our Finals performance unfold. Kind of like sitting in a poker match with my hand displayed on the monitors above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquallLHeart Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 yea.... that kinda made me upset too.... i mean... at that point.. the audience is going to react differently... and what about the judges?? what "wow" moments would've then be spoiled... since what they showed were pretty much highlights... right?? playing it right before the finals performance was definitely... ugh... not a great call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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