Kevin Powell Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 I don't ever want to become a Velcrocraptor Dino. Thats real old and other dinos gotta clean up their mess. and have little lint balls stuck all over them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Got it. By mutual approbation, you're a Dino. Hey, let's take this into other competitive activities. Like when retired Joe Louis would take bows in the ring, or that day Babe Ruth showed up for the last time at Yankee Stadium, or Jesse Owens on the Ed Sullivan Show, or what about Lou Gehrig that day saying he was "the luckiest man on the face of the earth", with the echoes? All old-time pioneers in their games, right? Any "dinos" in that group? Think anybody ever called those guys "dinos"? 'Cause hey, it's just a word! "Da-Da, I need a brand new car, champagne, caviar ..." I would not presume to consider myself the Joe Louis of drum corps. And you, sir, are far too hung up on a word. You are allowing it to fuel false outrage. I respectfully suggest you consider putting it aside and engage instead in meaningful discussion on what you can do to make drum corps a little better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 The "dinos" are here... they just happen not to fit your description of "dino". You might be a Spinosaurus and I may be a Velociraptor. Who's to say? I'm more of a slothoraptor. Old enough to be a dino but lazy enough that I don't want to chase my dinner. Started in '68 aka "the golden years" - whatever that really means. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 I'm more of a slothoraptor. Old enough to be a dino but lazy enough that I don't want to chase my dinner. Started in '68 aka "the golden years" - whatever that really means. Grandpa, You might be a kiddo in Hup234s book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Grandpa, You might be a kiddo in Hup234s book. A complete rookie. Actually, I think I understand where Hup is coming from now. He stated the so-called golden years were pre-1975. I read his profile. Under "drum corps experience" he has listed: "Marching/instruction/managing: 1958-1974." Yep. It all went to hell in an handbasket right after he left..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 A complete rookie. Actually, I think I understand where Hup is coming from now. He stated the so-called golden years were pre-1975. I read his profile. Under "drum corps experience" he has listed: "Marching/instruction/managing: 1958-1974." Yep. It all went to hell in an handbasket right after he left..... Like I said - I love his passion, I'm just not a fan of his show. Those years are pre me - born in 70. Just digging through history and watching all the old shows. You are correct, it has gone to hell in a handbasket since those days. We have gained other types of marching arts. So it is kind of like the ant hill got kicked. I do miss the military marching precision. Watching SCV in the 70s and 80s is what got me hooked into this game - Marching and Sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) Like I said - I love his passion, I'm just not a fan of his show. I agree - he is passionate and looking at this experience statement, he certainly has given a lot of years to the activity. You have to respect that. Those years are pre me - born in 70. If I'm a dino - you're just a tadpole! Edited August 24, 2012 by Grandpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I'm more of a slothoraptor. Old enough to be a dino but lazy enough that I don't want to chase my dinner. Started in '68 aka "the golden years" - whatever that really means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) Looking past his obvious errors, Hup seemed to be reflecting an opinion that I will poorly attempt to summarize here: The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Catholic Youth Organization supported many hundreds of drum corps in the pre-DCI days (pre-1972) because they wanted to support youth education and traditional values. They also ran the big drum corps contests, and used the proceeds from those shows to help defray those costs. (Is this last part true? Or were the budgets of those local chapters entirely local? This is actually the key question.) But, as the proficiency and fame of the big drum corps increased, they increasingly felt that they should be getting the door money. They were, after all, paying a lot of money to travel to those shows. This (combined with other issues such as controlling the contest rules and innovation) led to the creation of DCI. DCI, while seeming positioned to represent the entire junior drum corps activity, is actually a small group of <100 elite corps, and in fact DCI rarely if ever provides any support for all the 'parade' and smaller circuit corps out there. Indeed, those circuits were always seen as competing with DCI or lesser than DCI, they were certainly not something that DCI felt an obligation to help with. PLEASE note that I don't know how much of the above is true, but I think this is part of why he is blaming the loss of all those drum corps on DCI; he's saying that DCI took the reins of all 9 reindeer, but only fed Rudolph. EDIT: A second key question is: Did the local funding from the local chapters of those organizations indeed dry up after DCI? If so, was that because of DCI? The answers to both of these questions needs to be yes for this argument to be valid. Edited August 24, 2012 by Pete Freedman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc oldtimer Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) The activity is what it is because that is what the people involved in the activity want it to be. We fans have -0- say so in it. I still remember the huge uproar when Bridgemen did their thing in the 70's. They were the first big corps to go outside the traditional military style, and got rewarded for it by the judges. In the 80s and 90s changes to the guard, drill and drumming evolved then the addition of B Flat brass. In the 2000s I honestly feel that drum corp has become a higher level of band without woodwinds. Period. I havent truly loved a show since the 80s but that is the traditionalist in me. I still attended because 1) I see people I havent seen in years 2) although its now band, the talent on the field is incredible. Now with what BD is doing, I truly feel we are in another transitional period and drum corps is now becoming WGI on a larger scale. Drills no longer are important. Staging and using body motions instead of marching are becoming the norm. Songs are dissected, sliced and diced to help better the overall concept a corps is trying to project. It is what it is and as long as the kids are getting something out of like I did back in the day then that is fine by me. I dont like what is being done on the field these days as far as show designs but, realistically, its not MY activity anymore. Its the kids activity. Period. Edited August 24, 2012 by dc oldtimer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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