JulesBry Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Electronics are a done deal. Here to stay. Set in stone. The Queen of England will fly out my bum for tea and cucumber sandwiches sooner than electronics will be repealed. No amount of grumbling, complaining, shouting, petitioning will change this fact. People need to simply accept it and move on. I had no idea that the Queen of England resided in your bum, but I would suggest she find a better residence. :-) Who knows if they will or won't be repealed. I'm still going to argue against them every chance I get, because I think it undermines the beauty and wonder of drum corps. My philosophy is fight for the win, and you may settle for a truce (tasteful and limited use of pre-recorded effects/synths). Fight for a truce, and you may settle for defeat (more of the #$(*& that has ruined so many great shows in the past few years). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesBry Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I think if you truly want to have a positive impact on the activity, you need to do something more than complaining on an internet forum, or even complaining to an alumni association/corps meeting. Volunteer your time to a local corps. Not just for a camp or two, or even for a full year: volunteer for several seasons, get to know the members & director enough for them to confide in you and you can give them advice they might consider following. Better yet, start your own drum corps and/or circuit. Follow whatever philosophy you feel is best for the activity to guide your corps or circuit down the road. The only way to truly be influential and change the activity in a meaningful way (not just talking a buddy on a drum corps staff to sponsor a rule that has zero shot at being approved) is to entrench yourself in drum corps: volunteer for years, get elected to a corps' board of directors, start a corps or circuit that fits your ideals, etc. Anything short of that is just wasting time on an internet forum... Good point. Now I just need to find a corps close enough to where I live to jump in. Unfortunately, the closest Open Class corps (Music City) is 4.5 hours away, and the closest World Class corps (Glassmen) is 5 hours away. Living on a student's income, the best I can do is make it to one or two shows a year. As much as I would love to help directly, that's all I can muster right now. Someday, though, I would love to be more involved. (I almost chose a different University that would have put me closer to The Academy, but my current school felt like a better fit for my education, and as much as I love drum corps, sacrificing my education was a bit too much to ask.) :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Let me restate it then. Jester was far from being a good corps, but the kids trying to make it happen were good kids with a great attitude. And I know a couple went on to good things after their time there. So, for the sake of one thing you disagree with, and I understand that point, you're going to completely dismiss everything else? I thought you were more open-mided than that. Garry in Vegas I actually am open minded, but have a short attention span sometimes. Just my nature...self centered, narcissistic and ADHD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Just my nature...self centered, narcissistic and ADHD. Add sarcastic with a touch of Rodney Dangerfield and Judge Judy and we could be related Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Jeff...did you get any transcripts of the off season meetings this year. I heard the one with Cesario was worth the listen. I think he said the same thing you say. It was not a fluke the 2008 Spartacus won. It was about solid show design. Both from a judging standpoint and from an audience standpoint. I would argue the corps used some smoke and mirrors to improve their guard score...but, hey...that's far from the first time that's ever happened. what I have or have not seen, only I'll tell if it needs to be told. I have said enough on here to give you a hint ( plus I heard him say it elsewhere). corps use smoke and mirrors in many ways. a lot of the body stuff done isn't that hard...you see harder in WGI. but people fall for it. Same with some musical trends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 My philosophy is fight for the win, and you may settle for a truce (tasteful and limited use of pre-recorded effects/synths). Fight for a truce, and you may settle for defeat (more of the #$(*& that has ruined so many great shows in the past few years). Guys trying to fight against electronics are like those Japanese soldiers found on islands decades later, still thinking the war is going on. War is over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 And if they're wrong, we all lose out. I'm merely trying to sound the warning before they go too far and regret not making changes. They still have to make the choices, but at least if they keep hearing from disgruntled fans, they may make better choices sooner. a few disgruntled fans makes zero difference to the overall direction of the activity...never has, nor should it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 a few disgruntled fans makes zero difference to the overall direction of the activity...never has, nor should it. a few. ah I wished I lived in your utopia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesBry Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 a few disgruntled fans makes zero difference to the overall direction of the activity...never has, nor should it. A few should not affect DCI. However, my sense is that I'm not a part of a small minority. From what I've seen, there are a substantial number of disgruntled fans, a larger number of fans who don't care one way or the other, and a very small group of folks who love the new changes. Given that dynamic, I think it is in DCI's best interest to get rid of electronics. On the other hand, if they produce a scientific poll that finds exactly the opposite, I'll gladly put down my arms and join the Brave New World of Big Brother. :-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I understand your point, but your comment has been bugging me since I read it this afternoon. The whole connotation that the artists start the corps part. I hope that's not the case. The people who start the next Star or Crown or BD will be the people who have the ability to separate themselves from the arts-fartsy crap and, instead, run the business of the corps. They will be the people who are smart enough to hire the program director to put on a show that puts BITS. He's not going to get bogged down in the details of the show program. Hence, his or her's prior experience with "contemporary" and WGI productions is nearly, NEARLY, useless and irrelevant. The only requirements are that he be a successful business-man or woman, and have a passion for the activity that motivates him enough to take action. If the activity is to remain vital it takes a full-time business person to manage just the finances and business, and another to handle technology (among many other business requirements). He shouldn't care what the artsy-fartsy guys argue about - he enjoys the shows anyway. And, sometimes, he drives a bus. But he doesn't need to know WGI from WD-40 to have the necessary passion. He has to know how to make money, period. ....and how to assemble an army of adults to serve as BOD members, design staff, support staff, and in a variety of volunteer roles. The corps that remain stable today are the ones that build these massive teams to tackle everything from feeding kids at the February camp, to running a fundraiser in May, to manning the side gates at the home show, to retrofitting the interior of the new equipment trailer, to writing 1000 grant applications....and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.