When woodwinds are added....

[Daave]

Didn't GH propose something a few years back and either caught flack or the proposal went down in flames. Then GH said he was just testing the waters or just bringing up something outragious to keep people on their toes. IOW - he wouldn't admit how serious he was so he fobbed it off as kind of a joke.

Before anyone flames I'm being serious, just can't remember what the proposal was or if it even was voted on. Kinda impossible to search DCP on this as GH proposes a lot.

Yeah, manipulator's rarely seek help. They seek to manipulate the helpers.

[MikeD]

well Mike, you go to Best Buy and talk to the cashier, that's a representative of the people that pay them right?

and when you look at it, the judges enforce what the corps themselves vote on, and we're reminded all the time the corps ARE DCI

The judges as a whole group over the course of a season..yes. In speaking of what an individual judge might say at a particular show, no.

Also no...I would never assume a comment by a cashier at Best Buy is the official POV of the entire Best Buy organization.

[Jeff Ream]

The judges as a whole group over the course of a season..yes. In speaking of what an individual judge might say at a particular show, no.

Also no...I would never assume a comment by a cashier at Best Buy is the official POV of the entire Best Buy organization.

you wear the uniform, you represent.

it's called sales and marketing 101.

[BrownThunder]

man...we drum corps fans do LOVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!

[MikeD]

you wear the uniform, you represent.

it's called sales and marketing 101.

So, in your world every comment made by anyone is the official position of whatever group that person belongs to? That's not sales and marketing 101. That is Utopia. People as individuals make all sorts of statements that would not represent the corporate position on a topic all the time. Its called being human. As a judge you are saying that you have never made a comment that you'd like to 'do over'???? Every single comment you have ever made is perfectly worded and phrased?

[BozzlyB]

and therein lies the issue...will enough fans stick around?

My guess is you'll see a drop, not an increase in attendance. The people who would still attend a DCI with woodwinds are very likley already attending even without them. There is without question a demographic of current fans who will no longer have interest, count me among them.

[audiodb]

"A" brass judge saying something is not the official position of DCI. Don't confuse a bad decision by one or even a couple of judges with being the official viewpoint of DCI the organization.

1. It was more than one judge.

2. The judging community's stated preference IS the "official viewpoint of DCI", for all practical purposes.

[JimF-LowBari]

"A" brass judge saying something is not the official position of DCI. Don't confuse a bad decision by one or even a couple of judges with being the official viewpoint of DCI the organization.

If DCI doesn't correct or explain the comments if asked then I'd say DCI agreed with the decision(s).

As for the retail example, I've raised Hades too about the way the sales staff has done/not done it's job on high priced sales. At times management agreed and tried to correct the problem. If management tried to weasel out of taking any responsibility, then my business went somewhere else. And any good organization tells the "front line" people they DO represent the organization. Heavens knows I've taken that bullet and I'm not in sales.

Edited January 18, 2011 by JimF-LowBari

[audiodb]

The concept of an "arms race" is so apropos to a discussion of rules changes.

Every time there is a rules change, one of the arguments in favor: no one is forcing corps ABC to use X that is now legal. It doesn't matter if we're talking about amps, narration, Bb instruments, number of members, pre-show performances or props.

It seems that every rule change turns into an arms race. The top guys are going to do X because they now can and everyone else is going to do X because they feel they need to keep up.

Throw in the increasing staff sizes compared to BITD and the ever changing uniforms (2 more forms of the arms race) and you see the same phenomenon.

Just like the Cold War, in every arms race, one or more participants will eventually run out of the financial ability to continue.

Excellent post. One correction, though....it applies primarily to instrumentation. You don't see every single world-class corps using props or doing a pre-show. But you do see every WC unit using Bb/F brass, pit amplification and electronic instruments.

[kaseyW]

Here's another question to ask. Would every drum corps use the new change or would their be several "all brass" groups? Kind of like the Madison Scouts and the Cavaliers. The two organizations are "all male" groups. If there can be "all male" drum corps then I could definitely see an "all brass" drum corps, or what would be the utmost worst - an "all woodwind" drum corps. Honestly, I doubt that organizations want to even worry about woodwinds. The addition to adding woodwinds would create more controversy than screwing with tradition. It would cause organizations to spend more money on instruments, staff, transportation, food, etc. I see WAY more problems happening with the addition of woodwinds.

Screw conspiracy or what Hoppy thinks or wants to happen. This change would take A LONG time to get proposed, not just because it effects the tradition of DCI.