An Open Letter to DCI

[flammaster]

Amps and singing and all that stuff used to bug me to no end. After having a son in a winter percussion program in the pit I am getting more interested in the whole design of it and I appreciate DC a lot more now. After Dance Derby of the Century I was so disgusted I stopped going to drum corps shows but stayed on BD forums to only post on off topic stuff.

If you feel the need to leave and not patronize the activity I can understand your feelings. As for the music goes. I for one have always embraced the more creative writing or what other people call cut and paste. I think it is brilliant and love a lot of the visual designs. Electronics i am warming up to.

[kaseyW]

And that would only prove that people read what they wanted to read, not what I actually wrote. Although their show this year and its critical success was a major contributing factor to my waning enthusiasm for the activity--I can't deny that--it was far from the only factor.

I read all of your letter, and I got your overall point. But the central purpose of your letter is very orientated around that group.

[ShouldveMarchedAgeOut]

Highlighting BD that much could overshadow your entire point. I wouldn't doubt if most people saw it as a "BD bash letter".

Agreed.

[JulesBry]

As for the music goes. I for one have always embraced the more creative writing or what other people call cut and paste. I think it is brilliant and love a lot of the visual designs. Electronics i am warming up to.

I also appreciate creative mash ups and arrangements when done well. The question is how do we acknowledge what is truly creative. I don't believe DCI is discerning enough. You can tell me that we all have differences of opinion, but that isn't reflected in the judging in any way. That tells me that DCI is of one, unified opinion: it's all good.

If the Blue Devils (for example) won a few shows and lost a few shows, I'd buy the difference of opinion argument, but that's not what has happened.

DCI, in my opinion, has become the Emperors New Clothes, and I can no longer support it.

[JulesBry]

I read all of your letter, and I got your overall point. But the central purpose of your letter is very orientated around that group.

Because they're the most flagrant offender both this year and in recent years. I could also have included the Blue Knights this year, and specific moments in other shows. Perhaps I should have done so. But the letter was already long, and what BD has done this season pretty well sums up what I see as the problem. They are the epitome, but not the only issue.

[JulesBry]

BTW, I wish my poll answers had been clearer from the start. If you answered "not really", and it will allow you to change your vote, please change it to one of the new answers I added if either reflects your opinion better.

[JulesBry]

BTW, I posted this letter to my FB page, and so far 5 current and former fans from all walks of life have taken time to express their agreement. One of them used to be the biggest Blue Devils fan I knew. A couple had already walked away from DCI for similar reasons.

[bawker]

Dunno OP . . .I actually dislike the Cavaliers use of synth/voice more than anyone else this year. BD doesn't bother me, really.

I understand how you feel; perhaps taking a year or two off may let you come back with a different perspective on things.

[danielray]

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

The only fault I can possibly find with the BD program this year is that they are doing it about 20 years too late. :-) Then again, I really wouldn't have been good enough to make the line the kids these days are in. Unreal.

Seriously, the program is absolute genius. I can only imagine how cool it is for the kids to be able to do something like that and the level of execution and simultaneous demand ALL corps have these days is unbelievable.

Watching SCV last night, one thing struck me... While SCV used to consistently place in the top 3 a generation ago, the corps hasn't declined, not by a long shot. This years corps would beat the pants off of championship SCV corps. It is just that ALL corps have gotten so much better.

Corps like Oregon Crusaders would have been a finalist corps back when I marched. No question. That says something about the progress in terms of quality of both performance and experience. Watching Oregon Crusaders this year really has caused me to rethink my view of Open Class.

Back to your point...

You can nitpick about use of a few bits of frosting here and there (and I don't disagree that some use of sampling is a bit "kid with a new toy"... but I think that will work itself out in a season or two), but there is no denying the level of performance and the level of quality from top to bottom is at a level never seen before. There are simply more excellent corps out there than there has ever been, even when there were several times more corps and kids these days are doing things that genuinely push the level of human ability.

But, if that ain't enough for you... Godspeed.

[JulesBry]

Dunno OP . . .I actually dislike the Cavaliers use of synth/voice more than anyone else this year. BD doesn't bother me, really.

This long time Cavies fan agrees that their use of such things is also abrasive. But I still don't think they're doing it to the extent that BD is. On the other hand, perhaps the judges have recognized that flaw in the Cavies, and that's why they're uncharacteristically low in the standings. I only wish that all the corps who were offending in the same way were in a similar position.

On the FB tally, a sixth former drum corps fan just posted an agreement with me there.