danielray Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) It's a STADIUM, not a concert hall. There should be more noise, more fan and staff reaction... louder and more animated the better. If you can't even hear the show because people are so ###### excited about it... that's a fantastic problem to have. When Lincoln Center starts selling hot dogs down the aisles, drum corps fans and staff can start to behave like they're at the ballet. Until then... play ball. Edited July 7, 2011 by danielray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Good Lord, this isn't about cheering or clapping, this is about that one jerk that goes so far overboard that the attention is drawn away from the KIDS doing a great job to that one jackass that is an attention whore. There's one in every crowd and always will be. It never fails that when someone like that is annoying enough people, someone will finally say " shut the #### up" and the rest of the section appreciates that someone finally spoke up. I've seen it really bring a section together where others will speak up when someone else acts like a jerk. It's the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" mindset. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contreuph Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Good Lord, this isn't about cheering or clapping, this is about that one jerk that goes so far overboard that the attention is drawn away from the KIDS doing a great job to that one jackass that is an attention whore. There's one in every crowd and always will be. It never fails that when someone like that is annoying enough people, someone will finally say " shut the #### up" and the rest of the section appreciates that someone finally spoke up. I've seen it really bring a section together where others will speak up when someone else acts like a jerk. It's the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" mindset. Actually Mike, that was the other thread. This one is about staff reactions in general. Although I do know what you mean. My reaction is based on the people that think that the staff should only be excited in those "set" clapping moments. Nice movie reference by the way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Actually Mike, that was the other thread. This one is about staff reactions in general. Although I do know what you mean. My reaction is based on the people that think that the staff should only be excited in those "set" clapping moments. Nice movie reference by the way. I have no problem with staff being excited, however, if they are not in the staff section and are sitting in the aisle, they should be a little more reserved. Sure if it's a great hit or drill move, yell and scream. I don't think anyone would have a problem with that, but if said staff member yells and screams the whole show ? Have them removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contreuph Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Unfortunate fact: Staff zones are quite rare. Fortunate fact: Drum corps is awesome. Members performing their shows to the point where every drill move warrants excitement from their staff, also awesome. I love when the staff goes crazy over the great things we do. I definitely see your side, and I agree to a certain extent about the whole talking thing, but yelling is different for me. I guess it's a like a crying baby at a concert, I've learned to either ignore it or be amused by it. That said, I think if we all just chilled a little, this wouldn't be such a "hot button issue". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryfe Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Yeah, I definitely have to fall on the more lenient or moderate side of this issue. My philosophy is pretty much just holding the staff members to the same standard I hold everyone else to, though. I think A) Regulations should be up to the corps individually and tied to their reputation. B) Staff and experienced but unaffiliated drum corps curmudgeons alike should keep their negative/constructive opinions in their heads -- or at least to a whisper to the one person whom they want to share it with. (This is the standard I hold myself to. If I'm with a friend and I just have to share the experience of watching someone fall with someone else, I'll take it to whispers.) Positive opinions are alright, but excessive talking is also not desirable by /anybody/ C) Staff and alumni alike should keep grotesquely exaggerated applause and shouting to themselves. Yelling isn't a sin in itself unless it's not warranted or it's not something any person in the audience might yell at that moment [note that "go sabers" arguably breaks those rules, thus is bad]. Why is it more distracting coming from a staff member than a local bando? I've never been the yelling type but I know of a lot more normal audience members of that kind than staff members at the shows I've been to. Sure, staff aren't paying to watch the show, but if they didn't exist, neither would the drum corps. I say as long as they're not being distracting, it's fine. "Drum corps as a concert hall" as a concept has never seen much appreciation, for good reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Thank you for making my point for me. Everything adheres to the rule of supply and demand. Everything. You say every change in popular american music was not initially well-received. True...by roughly everyone over a certain age. But if there were not a demand within at least a sizable portion of the population, it would not have taken hold. Not many 50 and 60 year olds are fans of today's pop music. Yet, those same 50 and 60 year old people couldn't get enough of Elvis and The Beatles, both considerable forces. There's a fantastic blues bar in Nashville with an incredible house band. If it weren't for those guys, I would have no reason to go there. Uncountable places in Nashville sell alcohol and I can get better Cajun food elsewhere in the city. They are the draw. And as far as the talent level of the guy on the street vs the guy headlining the club, that's one more aspect of having a product people want. There's a reason the guy on the street isn't putting out albums. He doesn't have a sound people would pay to hear. If the guy in the club suddenly decides to go in a new direction because he wants to try something new, his fans might not like the new sound and may not follow. It's happened to numerous people over the years. Bottom line, if you want to make a living off your talent and ability, there better be someone willing to buy it. Otherwise, you perpetuate the "starving artist" moniker. The same holds true for drum corps. Make no mistake, the fans are the ONLY reason this activity exists, in the same same way that the fans of a certain band or musician are the only reason they have any success. I'm not arguing that it isn't necessary to have an audience to have art. My point is that artists don't have to follow the typical rules that your average industry follows because, in general, there will be an audience if you're any good. And as such, there is much less of a need to "listen to your customer". Your choice to go to your blues bar in Nashville has very little to do with choices that the band makes, and much more to do with the bar deciding to have good music. I can guarantee you, that band already sounded like that before the restaurant hired them, and they didn't get there by "listening to their audience". I'm not advocating for Miles Davis' "to hell with all of the people who come to my shows" attitude, but what you seem to be suggesting is that there should be some obligation from the artist to do what his audience wants, and that's exactly how art stagnates and dies. As for drum corps, the fact is, there is an audience for this evolved activity. Is the older audience thinning out? Sure, but the activity is evolving, and losing some of the older fans is an unfortunate side effect of a necessary process. And there is a difference between choosing to play a certain way, and not being able to play your instrument. The starving street musician isn't suffering from "not having a sound people want to hear". He's suffering from not being able to play his instrument. There's a big difference. I understand what you are saying, but you are coming from a very "I've never played music for a living" perspective. The fact is, there is no such thing as "customer service" in music. You play great music, and find yourself a venue in which to play it, and people will be there to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyUechi Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I think the over yelling should go for the audience members as well. At the 2007 championships I heard quite the number of audience members yelling inappropriate comments at the Cadets. I remember being quite taken back by this. These people were yelling at hard working, amazing kids and what turned out to be a really good drum corps! I think we in the drum corps are very, very passionate. I believe that it is out greatest strength and our biggest weakness. Staff members are in the heat, on the bus and living the drum corps life with these kids 24/7. They have the right to get over excited because a great performance is also the payoff at the end of the day for them. Should they be screaming too much? No, but nobody is perfect. Crowds have been foolish at times and so have drum corps staffs. Just a few ideas to throw into the pot. - Most staff members who are with a corps day to day are of an average age of 25. How many of you never made a mistake at the age of 25? - Most staff members who are with a corps day to day are still in college themselves. How many of you never made a dumb decision in College? - Most staff members who are with a corps day to day make an average of $2,000 for 3 months of work. They are there for their passion not the $$$ We all think about the super stars who teach drum corps. Scott Johnson, Tom August, Scoot Chandler etc... Under each one of these superstars is a kid, under the age of 30, who is in front of that section everyday. Let's be a little less hard on these kids who are teaching these drum corps. Most are the kids you were cheering on just a couple of years earlier. So Ashy!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Why discuss if you have no intention of acting? Seems hard to take it seriously if it is simply a discussion, especially the discussion of never going to another show because of said issues. If we can't talk about the stuff that bugs us, why are we here? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) If we can't talk about the stuff that bugs us, why are we here? Wonder if someone might have seen all this discussion. The only "out of place" sounds from the Mad guard staff last night was a bit of "guard staff clapping" during some solo dance. Funny how those claps are the same tempo (~320bpm) and the same volume from virtually every guard staff in the universe. Edited July 7, 2011 by corpsband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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