An Open Letter to DCI

[drumno5]

If you find the activity developing in a way that is not to your taste, so be it. You are by all means entitled to and/or to seek elsewhere for other avenues through which to satisfy your muse, to whatever extent may see fit. But your multi-paragraph diatribe of dedication, passion and betrayal is a bit much for me. Sorry, but the activity is under no specific obligation to adhere to your personal standards and artistic vision, regardless of how many DVDs you have purchased or how many of your friends agree that they don't like the Blue Devils' recent programs.

Peace (no personal disrespect intended),

Fred O.

[Jeff Ream]

I agree with several points, and disagree with a few as well.

however, as a paying customer, you have every right to voice your dissatisfaction, and while I at times am right there with you, I'm not ready to give up yet.

I hope DCI can win you back, and win more of me back....I'm just not sure they will. The people running it are to close to the product

[N.E. Brigand]

Nope. Just went to the FanNetwork. The Atlanta shows starts with a close-up on the Drum Major where you can clearly see a synth in the pit.

Aw, shucks. I had only watched the show in various high camera feeds, and even live at Finals I was high enough up that I couldn't tell there was a synth in that position, which is one location of which I was suspicious. In fact, if you look at the Atlanta video at say, the 2:00 mark, you'll see that member, standing in the same place, is using mallets! And she spends a good deal of the time off to the side on gong and bass drum. At any rate, I never hear the synth. But I appreciate you telling me. (Earlier in the season, I asked in at least two different threads if Boston did in fact have no synthesizer this year, as appeared to be the case, and got no response.)

[JulesBry]

If you find the activity developing in a way that is not to your taste, so be it. You are by all means entitled to and/or to seek elsewhere for other avenues through which to satisfy your muse, to whatever extent may see fit. But your multi-paragraph diatribe of dedication, passion and betrayal is a bit much for me. Sorry, but the activity is under no specific obligation to adhere to your personal standards and artistic vision, regardless of how many DVDs you have purchased or how many of your friends agree that they don't like the Blue Devils' recent programs.

Peace (no personal disrespect intended),

Fred O.

You're exactly right. They have no obligation at all. But if they want to remain financially viable, they can't afford to lose a certain number of paying customers. If DCI wants to ignore every objection, that is certainly their right. And they may end up being fine (proving that those of us who care enough to write multi-paragraph diatribes are a much tinier minority than I currently think we are). More power to them if that's the case.

But what's the harm in declaring the reasons behind a person's choice rather than simply disappearing with no explanation? Are honesty and free speech really so offensive?

[Big Bad Bari]

You're exactly right. They have no obligation at all. But if they want to remain financially viable, they can't afford to lose a certain number of paying customers. If DCI wants to ignore every objection, that is certainly their right. And they may end up being fine (proving that those of us who care enough to write multi-paragraph diatribes are a much tinier minority than I currently think we are). More power to them if that's the case.

But what's the harm in declaring the reasons behind a person's choice rather than simply disappearing with no explanation? Are honesty and free speech really so offensive?

It's like I used to tell my teenage daughter back when she was a teenager. Being dramatic only serves to prove just how much of a child you still are, grown ups act decisively and try to leave as few ripples in the pond as possible.

[Big Bad Bari]

You're exactly right. They have no obligation at all. But if they want to remain financially viable, they can't afford to lose a certain number of paying customers. If DCI wants to ignore every objection, that is certainly their right. And they may end up being fine (proving that those of us who care enough to write multi-paragraph diatribes are a much tinier minority than I currently think we are). More power to them if that's the case.

But what's the harm in declaring the reasons behind a person's choice rather than simply disappearing with no explanation? Are honesty and free speech really so offensive?

I also believe it takes a way way over inflated image of self to believe that my friends and I leaving an activity, any activity, would have any profound impact on said activities finances.

[JulesBry]

I also believe it takes a way way over inflated image of self to believe that my friends and I leaving an activity, any activity, would have any profound impact on said activities finances.

Because when I said, "I may be completely alone, and if so, I'll be glad to go" I was doing everything possible to inflate my self-image.

If you love DCI (and I have no reason to doubt that you do), you and other professional insulters had better be completely correct, and I had better be completely wrong. Because if not, the house of cards that is DCI will crumble. Not because I and 130 friends left, but because a certain percentage of the DCI fan base (and I don't claim to know exactly what that number is) have stopped financing the summer music games.

Stick your head in the sand if you wish. Cover your eyes, ears, and mouth. Do whatever you like to ignore those of us who have expressed our thoughts and feelings about the activity we have loved for so long. I don't expect you to agree with me, only to consider if what I'm saying might be true. Investigate the matter. Do some market research. Let's find out the truth.

But if DCI does nothing (because people like you have told them not to worry about it), and we turn out to be a larger group than anyone thinks (and for the kids' sake, I hope we're not), you won't be able to say you weren't warned in plenty of time to turn the ship around.

[drumno5]

If I can speak for myself and all the other dinosaurs paying thousands of dollars to follow and support dci . . .

what "ain't enough for (us)"

is that if each of us sitting in the stands tonight had one vote to cast for the winner, Carolina Crown would be fighting it out with as many as 4 or 5 other corps including the Madison Scouts, but the BD or Cavies would not be among them.

And that is what's WRONG.

Yikes, ANOTHER SELF-APPOINTED SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MASSES. I've been involved in the activity since the late 60's; I suppose my claim to dinosaur status is pretty legit. But I'm certain you don't speak for me. With no disrespect for the corps on your preferred list, I thought Blue Devils were fantastic, both performance and programming-wise.

Fred O.

[khoutler]

The Devils show was nothing more than interpretive masturbation. I'm sure it was satisfying for everybody participating but for most of us watching it was just kind of creepy.

Speaking to the actual point of this thread...for all of you so enthralled with the direction of modern "drum corps", don't be surprised when in the very near future you're dressing a line (Do they still do that in "drum corps"?) and find yourself looking down the barrel of a bassoon.

Nah...that'll never happen.

[garfield]

Because when I said, "I may be completely alone, and if so, I'll be glad to go" I was doing everything possible to inflate my self-image.

If you love DCI (and I have no reason to doubt that you do), you and other professional insulters had better be completely correct, and I had better be completely wrong. Because if not, the house of cards that is DCI will crumble. Not because I and 130 friends left, but because a certain percentage of the DCI fan base (and I don't claim to know exactly what that number is) have stopped financing the summer music games.

Stick your head in the sand if you wish. Cover your eyes, ears, and mouth. Do whatever you like to ignore those of us who have expressed our thoughts and feelings about the activity we have loved for so long. I don't expect you to agree with me, only to consider if what I'm saying might be true. Investigate the matter. Do some market research. Let's find out the truth.

But if DCI does nothing (because people like you have told them not to worry about it), and we turn out to be a larger group than anyone thinks (and for the kids' sake, I hope we're not), you won't be able to say you weren't warned in plenty of time to turn the ship around.

Julian (and your followers), why does it make sense to write this letter and walk away at the END of the season? Wouldn't it have made more sense to wait until March or April to see that nothing has been done, and THEN state your resignation from the season?

What does it cost you now to wait for the next 6 months and see what transpires?

What I don't think you realize is that the people who guide and direct this activity are well-aware of the "house of cards" you describe, and that now, finally, they have begun to act to effect a change. I don't think (although I'm not convinced) that they are acting on what's bugging you. In fact, it's likely that you won't be totally happy with the direction they take.

Like I've said in the other thread, I get paid to spot the bottom of the market. The market is always about human nature, and drum corps and drum corps people are no different.

I'm calling it here and now. This is the bottom. Your emotions have taken over and you're panic selling into the low point of the activity. If you take your marbles and run now, my hunch is that you'll miss a substantial rally in the activity. You said before that, if you're wrong, you can always come back and you will have saved a ton of money. That's true, but is saving money the real reason you went to drum corps in the first place?

As is true in the market, by the time the bad reports hit the evening news and everyone panics, the event is already over and it's a time to buy. Now's the time to buy back into drum corps.

Will you win monetarily? No, you'll still have to pay to see shows.

But you will certainly win in the stands.