Jeff Ream Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 I still think my idea for DCI-sponsored auditions would address a lot of these issues. The answer obviously has to be bit "outside the box". The current system just propagates the same behavior at all levels of the activity. i agree. your idea is far too logical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 (edited) Why does it matter if Crossmen beat Cadets. Or if Madison Scouts beat Blue Devils. Why does that matter? Why ? I can't believe you are asking the question. I can't believe that I have to explain it to you,... but I 'll try. The reason " why " it is important is : a) these are judged competitions. They are not exhibitiions. b) they have judges. The judges give scores. c) if the show is entertaining but the Corps finishes lower in Finals competition than was anticipated, instructors are fired and replaced. D) Corps who do well in placement, have instructors get promotions and pay raises. E) Corps that do well in competition, get better recruits at camp the following year F) Corps that suffer placement slide have a high level of disappearance from the activity. G) Corps that do well in competition increase both their revenue and future fund raising abilities as a result H) Corps that do placement slide in competition suffer revenue loss, and suffer in fund raising i) It is the competition that drives the competitor to maximum attainment of potential. Without scores, competition, and placement, the activity would devolve quickly in both quality and creativity, with stagnation and boredom the result. J) anybody can make friends traveling on a bus all summer and doing exhibitions. But it is the selfless quest and the battle in competition with others in a collective venture that bonds people together as a memorable exercise. Drum Corps is not an individual sport or venture. It is a group putting their individual wishes aside to advance their Corps up the placement ranks. It is the losing.. and the winning together as a group... that is the enrichment of the journey for the individual participant. Not playing an instrument in tune together, or twirling a flag in unison together, or riding a bus together all summer and telling jokes. It is the group putting it all on the line in competition, not for the selfish enjoyment of oneself, but for improved betterment of The Corps.... the Corps.... and for.......... the Corps. Most with long histories in competition and tradition that a new member wants to uphold and advance among all the other Corps that are out there in competition each summer. So yes, it is important that a Corps rise up in competition and beat another. It's not THE most important reason to do Drum Corps. But it is what drives the pursuit toward excellence. Edited November 22, 2010 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 This post may/may not contribute at all. I'm not sure really.But either way, I really want to march DCI. One of the things that really got me really wanting to do this was the man I met at the Pioneer exhibit at the 2009 Grand Nationals. The man was very welcoming and humble, but that didn't really strike me the most. The only thing that inspired me was this man was deaf..... like me (kinda hard to believe, I know). Not only that, it was the first marching year, and before that, I had no idea what DCI was other than the Open Class semifinals I attended with my school before the actual school started. The problem is, I can't just pick up a trumpet, mellophone, or contra. I'm stuck to playing the saxophone. I really want to march badly, so because of the saxophone limitation I have (Not bragging, but I'm kind of considered the ...."good"... one at my school.), I had to fight really hardly to convince my mother to let me at least play a brass instrument. The thing is behind that, is the fight started almost a year ago. I recently got the okay from my mom to let me learn the Mello/French horn. I'm planning to audition for any drum corps for maybe my junior year.... in college. I just want to see the life behind all of it. To me, it's all the same. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to have fun, everyone wants the competition. Still, everyone gets experience of that exciting life. Some corps just get a bit luckier, that's all to it. Well, if you aren't the epitome of what drum corps is really all about then I don't what is! Best of luck on your Drum Corps journey and I hope everything works out for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 My fantasy has always been to take the best of the kids who got cut from WC corps, round them up, form a corps and kick some butt. Think about it man. It would be like recruiting a shipload of Indians and then sailing over to discover and conquer Italy or Spain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 My fantasy has always been to take the best of the kids who got cut from WC corps, round them up, form a corps and kick some butt. Think about it man. It would be like recruiting a shipload of Indians and then sailing over to discover and conquer Italy or Spain. Lol, I love how people are making this "getting cut" into a bad thing. Fact is there are only 150 spots available, and contrary to what most people want to believe, this IS a competitive activity. Not everyone is going to win, but I'm sure many corps are doing the best they can to be competitive and entertain the crowd. While I can't share in the sentiment of someone who has gotten cut, I think it would build character; encourage that person to work even harder so that if the next year they decided to audition, they'd make it, or go to another corps and make them great as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 (edited) J) anybody can make friends traveling on a bus all summer and doing exhibitions. But it is the selfless quest and the battle in competition with others in a collective venture that bonds people together as a memorable exercise. Drum Corps is not an individual sport or venture. It is a group putting their individual wishes aside to advance their Corps up the placement ranks. It is the losing.. and the winning together as a group... that is the enrichment of the journey for the individual participant. Not playing an instrument in tune together, or twirling a flag in unison together, or riding a bus together all summer and telling jokes. It is the group putting it all on the line in competition, not for the selfish enjoyment of oneself, but for improved betterment of The Corps.... the Corps.... and for.......... the Corps. Most with long histories in competition and tradition that a new member wants to uphold and advance among all the other Corps that are out there in competition each summer. So yes, it is important that a Corps rise up in competition and beat another. It's not THE most important reason to do Drum Corps. But it is what drives the pursuit toward excellence. As a very recent participant in drum corps I would have to strongly disagree with you. I find it agitating reading this post because you claim to understand why anyone wants to do drum corps and you don't. You just don't get it. You aren't going to explain to ME why I did something. And unless you actually marched drum corps then I would hope you would understand how meaningless competition really is. It fun, and exciting, but its meaningless.... It was never about beating another corps. It was all about the audience, the feeling of getting recognized not by some stupid judge with a peice of paper (the reason why you think people fight tooth and nail to be the best) but by the fans. I wanted nothing more than to get the fans up on their feet screaming their head off. What pushed all of us in the corps was to get people talking, to people turning their heads towards us and people absolutely going insane for us. I pushed to be perfect so people can see how perfect we are. I pushed to perform the best so people can see just how excited I am. As corps we wanted to WOW the audience. We didn't win that season, and never won. But it was NEVER about winning. It was just about me know that I did my best. That I put my heart and soul on the field along with 150 of my friends and we just threw it down... But with your limited view on the world, you wouldn't understand that. Edited November 23, 2010 by charlie1223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 As a very recent participant in drum corps I would have to strongly disagree with you. I find it agitating reading this post because you claim to understand why anyone wants to do drum corps and you don't. You just don't get it. You aren't going to explain to ME why I did something. And unless you actually marched drum corps then I would hope you would understand how meaningless competition really is. It fun, and exciting, but its meaningless.... It was never about beating another corps. It was all about the audience, the feeling of getting recognized not by some stupid judge with a peice of paper (the reason why you think people fight tooth and nail to be the best) but by the fans. I wanted nothing more than to get the fans up on their feet screaming their head off. What pushed all of us in the corps was to get people talking, to people turning their heads towards us and people absolutely going insane for us. I pushed to be perfect so people can see how perfect we are. I pushed to perform the best so people can see just how excited I am. As corps we wanted to WOW the audience. We didn't win that season, and never won. But it was NEVER about winning. It was just about me know that I did my best. That I put my heart and soul on the field along with 150 of my friends and we just threw it down... But with your limited view on the world, you wouldn't understand that. :shutup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 (edited) My fantasy has always been to take the best of the kids who got cut from WC corps, round them up, form a corps and kick some butt. Think about it man. It would be like recruiting a shipload of Indians and then sailing over to discover and conquer Italy or Spain. Why do you think people who are cut would be so bitter? Have you ever been cut by a top 5 drum corps? I have, and didn't feel bitter at all. What makes people think that the top corps are cynical? I know why I was cut, got better, then reauditioned and made it. I don't understand where this "bitter" idea comes from. Edited November 23, 2010 by charlie1223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 As a very recent participant in drum corps I would have to strongly disagree with you. I find it agitating reading this post because you claim to understand why anyone wants to do drum corps and you don't. You just don't get it. You aren't going to explain to ME why I did something. And unless you actually marched drum corps then I would hope you would understand how meaningless competition really is. It fun, and exciting, but its meaningless.... It was never about beating another corps. It was all about the audience, the feeling of getting recognized not by some stupid judge with a peice of paper (the reason why you think people fight tooth and nail to be the best) but by the fans. I wanted nothing more than to get the fans up on their feet screaming their head off. What pushed all of us in the corps was to get people talking, to people turning their heads towards us and people absolutely going insane for us. I pushed to be perfect so people can see how perfect we are. I pushed to perform the best so people can see just how excited I am. As corps we wanted to WOW the audience. We didn't win that season, and never won. But it was NEVER about winning. It was just about me know that I did my best. That I put my heart and soul on the field along with 150 of my friends and we just threw it down... But with your limited view on the world, you wouldn't understand that. And just to add: I joined a corps that WOWed me. And if I go around to new auditionees and ask why they want to march somewhere it would probably be because they had a moment or experienced an event in their life where that corps WOWed them. It could have been Crossmen, or Blue Devils, or Pio. It just so happens that the top-tier corps may have more "WOW" moments that people clinged to. But no one has a book of competition notes and then decides to go to Blue Devils because in all probability they are most likely to win. Its not a math equation... it's drum corps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 (edited) Lol, I love how people are making this "getting cut" into a bad thing. Fact is there are only 150 spots available, and contrary to what most people want to believe, this IS a competitive activity. Not everyone is going to win, but I'm sure many corps are doing the best they can to be competitive and entertain the crowd. While I can't share in the sentiment of someone who has gotten cut, I think it would build character; encourage that person to work even harder so that if the next year they decided to audition, they'd make it, or go to another corps and make them great as well. Michael Jordan was cut by his High School basketball Coach in his Junior year of High School Basketball tryouts. Doug Flutie in his senior year of high school was told by every single Div. 1 college football Coach that they thought he was too small to play Div. 1 college Football. Except for one Coach. And that College Coach only gave Flutie a scholarship because that College Coach felt it would give the Coach an inroad into another recruit at that high school that was a sophmore that the College Coach coveted. The irony of it all is that Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy 4 years later ( 1984 ) signifying Flutie as the best Div. 1 College Football player in the country. This irony was not lost on Doug Flutie, I 'd imagine. The world is filled with success stories of highly successful people at their craft who were once told told they did not measure up for one reason or another. More motivation that leads to ultimate success comes from rejection and failure than some people realize. Edited November 23, 2010 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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