An Open Letter to DCI

[JulesBry]

Overall, I think the changes are for the good and contrary to the poster I actually think that what BD is doing is the way many, many corps will move forward. I think once more corps throw out the traditional rule book so to speak the way BD did this year I think you'll see some absolutely incredible shows. Yeah BD's show doesn't have the kind of ending that gets people on their feet, and the first time or two I saw their show I didn't quite get it. But it has really grown on me and I see some real genius in what they've done this year. They don't look at all like a traditional drumcorps and believe it or not that's GOOD!!! It's what The Bridgemen did years back and they moved the activity forward in a big way. It's more variety, more creativity, more options for the various corps to explore. I actually think if every corps feels free to explore beyond their traditional bounds you'll have great shows, more kids participating in the activity, and more fans.

Is there room in DCI for people who disagree with you? At current, our voices are completely ignored, and we're told we're old fashioned and should just move on. What other activity treats long time die hard fans that way and sticks it out for the long haul?

I think you're correct that other corps will follow BDs lead. And if they want to win, they should. To me, that's sad. Right now, every judge in DCI agrees. To me, that's also sad.

I don't care what kinds of instruments are involved as long as they are some type of brass and percussion. If less variety allows more corps to compete using less money, then that's an additional advantage. All I know is that the current model is unsustainable.

I truly hope I'm wrong.

[JulesBry]

This is the exact reason why this letter is no more than a BD rant, trying to be clouded up with the usual complaint of electronics and the good ol' days.

Think what you want (I know you won't let my stated opinions get in your way because you know what I'm thinking more than I do), but I sincerely want to love DCI. Ending electronics would help. But if BD stages a show whenever I next watch that force pulls entire audiences out of their seats well before the final note, I'll give then their props and be glad I was there to see it. I want to love every corps.

I also enjoy diversity. But DCI judges are not diverse, because they rarely disagree in any meaningful way on things that other informed people regularly disagree about. That's a problem, and it's clearly represented in the poll above.

[JulesBry]

BUT-- the show is NOT disjointed, etc. etc. Within the text of Dadaism- which of all things I'm a HUGE fan of to begin with, that show makes absolutely perfect sense within itself. Yes, perfect sense.

For those of you who hated it- it was part of the goal. You were sucked in totally in the way you were supposed to be. For those of us on the lunatic fringe and open to some wild and out of control possibilities, it was brilliance, sheer brilliance. Relax, It only came this way once. If you didn't enjoy it for what it was, I'm cool with that. So are BD. But I figured they needed to know at least one old veteran guy out there that wasn't a DCI judge got it, and loved it for what it was meant to be.

Next year, I want a corps to field a show called chaos. And when anyone complains about how it looks or sounds, the corps should simply point them to the title and insult them for being too simple and stupid to see the Emperor's New Clothes. If that doesn't work, maybe they can also throw in a reference to Nazis.

[bigbandgeek]

I'm not shocked to see this thread or the activity it's getting.

I get where the OP is coming from. The last few BD shows are, to many people, disjointed, confusing, and just not that enjoyable to watch from someone expecting to be entertained. So, when fans go to the "World Championships" they feel that the most entertaining show should win, not the judges' favorite. You can harp about "pushing the envelope" and "moving forward", but if that means removing the enjoyment of the activity, are you improving the total product?

Now, while some are bashing BD's current direction, let's look at the rest of the evening. Crown delivers something bordering on a moving orchestra, Phantom was still Phantom, The Cadets pulled off a Christmas show to the delight of everybody, etc. So, in all, I considered it a great night. Like the OP, I just don't like what the judges are rewarding year after year. 10 years ago, Frameworks was breaking new ground, but, you know what? People loved that show. Now, on the other hand, what BD has put on the field 2 out of the last 3 years, well...let's put it this way. I've been to 7 finals and I've never seen the mass exodus before the encore like I have in 2010 and 2012.

I'll be honest, I thought I understood GE. I guess I don't because I could watch BD's show 10 times and I could not tell you how 13 pieces of music, clothes racks with horse heads, and a bunch of circles tie into an effect unless you're going for a big, hot mess.

I'm not to the point of bailing DCI because BD is the minority. So long as Crown, Phantom, SCV, Madison, et al continue to put quality product, I'll show up. When all the corps start trying to follow BD to please judges, that's when I'm gone.

My addendum to the OP is this.

Dear DCI,

You need fans. If you may have noticed tonight, fans are getting tired of the judges crowning shows that are confusing and, in the case of 2010, unpleasant to watch. If you want to keep fans, you might want to factor in what they like when your crowning your next World Champion.

[bobjective]

Yes, to me dci has become A BOA, WGI hybrid!

[cybersnyder]

I'm far from a hardcore fan. I've only been at one finals and I hit local shows when it's convenient. Unfortunately I'm finding far less enjoyment with drum corps. I miss brass hits that are brass hits and not the subs maxing out. But that's fine, the organization needs to evolve and mature and in the process they'll lose people like me. My only regret is going to get hot dogs during the 2000 SCV show at finals. How could I have missed that???? If I win the lottery big time I'm going to offer to pay all fees for SCV members, buy a full set of G bugles (not sure if they switched in 2000 or not but it would sound cool) if they redo "Age of Reverence". Oh, and nobody named Krystal will be allowed in the corps. I get sick every time I think about it. I don't even like hot dogs.

But I digress, I mostly agree with the OP. I'll still hit some local events but even Allentown at a three hour drive is seeming too far to be worth it. I'd rather go see Linkin Park / Incubus. They do a better job at the synth / amplification thing. Not grumpy, just losing touch with the direction drum corps is going.

[bluehull]

Dear DCI,

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve been a faithful fan. I’ve gone to at least one live event every year, save one. I've watched a theatrical presentation at least every other year. I’ve subscribed to the FanNetwork for the past two years. I’ve bought several DVDs and CDs from new releases to legacy collection DVDs. This year, I volunteered to serve as a DCI ambassador and hosted multiple DCI-watching parties at my house early in the season. However, I will be taking some time off from DCI, and I wanted to let you know why.

I fell in love with drum corps because I loved the power of brass and percussion matched with beautiful visual designs. However, performances in recent years no longer highlight the qualities that made me such a rabid DCI fan. I didn’t like vocal elements, especially voice-overs, but I tolerated them (though a very few notable exceptions were well-planned and well-executed, including this year’s performance by Spirit). Even so, I bristled when it seemed that judges failed to reward excellent usage and/or penalize poor usage. I also object to the idea of a non-youth soundboard operator having so much control over what is supposed to be performances of a youth activity. Worse yet, I absolutely hate the idea of using synthesized sounds (how is it fair that a single key-press can overpower and/or cover an entire tuba section, for example?), and in almost every case, I still find them offensive, especially when, again, judges ignore blatantly tasteless applications (for example, the hideous patch that echoed the beautiful solo in the Cadets’ “Do You Hear What I Hear” this year). However, because of my love for brass, percussion, and drill, I’ve tolerated them, too.

As this season wore on, I found myself caring less and less for drum corps. I watched fewer FanNetwork events. Instead of watching tonight’s semi-finals, I watched the Olympics, chatted on Facebook, and wrote this letter. A big part of my disappointment is the DCI judges’ continued approval of the Blue Devils’ show (following on the heels of several confusing, annoying, and critically acclaimed BD shows). Despite the many scatter drills, absurd theme, disjointed music, and general disregard for audience enjoyment, DCI’s judges have consistently rated them as the best show in the competition—this despite at least a few shows that seem equally difficult, clean, and stylistically unified, while presenting greater entertainment value and artistic quality.

If Blue Devils 2012 is DCI’s picture of perfection, then DCI is no longer a place where I can feel at home. It is no longer an organization dedicated to brass, percussion, and drill. It is more concerned with synthesizers, amplification, and dance. When I want to see and hear such things (which is rare), I can find all of them in other places for a whole lot less money. When I want to see and hear brass, percussion, and drill, I no longer have a place to go—there are no DCA competitions in my area. Instead, I’ll go back and enjoy the great shows of the past via the FanNetwork (until my subscription runs out) and the DVDs in my collection.

I will not be going to any DCI shows next season, I will not subscribe to the FanNetwork, and I will not buy any DVDs or CDs. After a year, if I find I’ve missed the activity, perhaps I’ll come back. If rules change, perhaps I’ll come back sooner. In summary, the great moments of Drum Corps have become fewer and farther between, while the tolerated annoyances have become more and more common, and I see no evidence that DCI is willing to do anything to shift the balance in the opposite direction.

As a side note, I have made a point of asking other audience members their opinions, including new and old fans, of a variety of ages, in several different locations. I have found only one who found the Blue Devils’ show interesting (none used the word “entertaining”, and several described it with an expletive), and none who specifically complimented the synths. On the contrary, the most common description of them was something to be “tolerated”. On the other hand, everyone commented on big brass moments, blazing percussion features, and fast drill patterns. My survey is completely non-scientific, and I’m sure it will sound to you like I cherry-picked my respondants. Even I have been surprised by the uniformity of reactions, but I swear that what I’ve reported is exactly what I’ve heard.

I know that this is a letter from a disgruntled former fan—something likely to be ignored—but I sincerely hope that the DCI membership will take it to heart. I am not the only one who shares this opinion, and I don’t think I’m even in a minority. Perhaps others will stick around for a few more years, but in this era of limited financial support for arts organizations, I can’t imagine that losing even a few long-time, dedicated fans is an ideal organizational model. Furthermore, I miss the DCI that lit so many fans on fire for so many years. I long for the day when I will be able to feel that energy and excitement again.

Sincerely,

Julian Bryson

I do have a problem with middle aged philosophical men doing narration in and at a youth activity expounding on their frivolous theory's

[JulesBry]

The corps that are having more success of late, take note- have generally stayed within their established brands and stayed within what their identity is.

Have you seen BD pre-2005? Back when I still enjoyed their shows and recognized their brand? Dadaism could not be further removed from "When a Man Loves a Woman", "Gangster Chronicle", "Rhythms at the Edge of Time", and "The Phenomenon of Cool".

[Kevin Powell]

I agree with you. Maybe a People's Choice award could work separately? Wasn't there a Fan Network favorite award for awhile? I remember them giving it out in 2009 to Crown. Does that still happen?

While it works well in car shows, I'm not sure if the kids would be quite as satisfied if they got the People's Choice award if they're also contending for the gold, but that's just me. Just seems like a consolation award instead of the actual title. BTW, the GTO is a sweet car. I'm not a big muscle car fan, I like my cars sporty and European, but the GTO was a classy car, and pretty sweet looking, and could sure haul.

I would like to create a peoples choice award given by the people - seperate from DCI. I would also like for that award to have a pay off - a cash award. This would be as donations to a fund. Also a pay to vote system much like "American Idol"

While maybe not as much an award for the kids, but more of a true incentive for the staffs to make the crowds happy and make DCI as a whole more entertaining.

Corps have their option not to worry about the award.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Kevin Powell

[JulesBry]

It took balls to write your letter and hang it out there for everyone to see. I agree with your assessment completely, though for me it's not about one corps, rather the activity as a whole.

Unfortunately, it's about more than one corps for me, too. BD 2012 (note that I specify a SPECIFIC year, not the corps' entire history) is the epitome of what's wrong, not the only example of what's wrong.

I want to comment to one thing and that is your describing drum and bugle corps as DCI. What you call DCI was once known simply as drum and bugle corps. DCI has blurred that line ever since Don Pesceone retired and it ruined drum and bugle corps.

Which is exactly why I write several times that I have a problem with DCI. I love drum corps and want to keep DCI from destroying it. We completely agree here.