biffwah Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I'm out. For years I traveled all over the country (Regionals, Allentown, all Texas Shows, finals all over the country including LOS) to watch shows and this year I reluctantly went to one of our local shows in Dallas. I left angry. It was the last straw. Every year the shows become more and more ridiculous. I agree with the OP. The ballet moves by the corps are just painful to watch. I cannot even imagine what the creative folks are thinking with some of the very strange voiceovers and electronic sound effects. At one time I coordinated a group of up to 15 people to attend our local show in Dallas. I introduced so many new fans to the activity but over the years those new fans have fallen by the way side. Especially in the last 4-5 years. I've totally pulled by support from the activity. I log on here and lurk from time to time but I am one of those that has had enough and I'm doing my part by no longer supporting the activity financially. I know there are those out there that enjoy the new direction of the activity. I happliy pass the torch. I will continue to lurk and hope that someday the activity will evolve into something I enjoy and if so I will be back. (but I'm not hopeful). signing off with a broken heart in Dallas. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seen-it-all Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 (edited) . Edited August 5, 2013 by seen-it-all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffwah Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I'm out. For years I traveled all over the country (Regionals, Allentown, all Texas Shows, finals all over the country including LOS) to watch shows and this year I reluctantly went to one of our local shows in Dallas. I left angry. It was the last straw. Every year the shows become more and more ridiculous. I agree with the OP. The ballet moves by the corps are just painful to watch. I cannot even imagine what the creative folks are thinking with some of the very strange voiceovers and electronic sound effects. At one time I coordinated a group of up to 15 people to attend our local show in Dallas. I introduced so many new fans to the activity but over the years those new fans have fallen by the way side. Especially in the last 4-5 years. I've totally pulled by support from the activity. I log on here and lurk from time to time but I am one of those that has had enough and I'm doing my part by no longer supporting the activity financially. I know there are those out there that enjoy the new direction of the activity. I happliy pass the torch. I will continue to lurk and hope that someday the activity will evolve into something I enjoy and if so I will be back. (but I'm not hopeful). signing off with a broken heart in Dallas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffwah Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 my apologies for the multiple posts.. I'm not sure how to delete the extra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cron Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I'd just like to offer my thoughts on this topic that seems to come up quite often. For starters, I became a DCI fan in the early 90's and era quite different than now, and quite different than those before it. As with any artistic endeavor, change is the ONLY constant. I've found plenty to love from all eras of drum corps for which video is accessible. I'm not here to slam anyone for their opinions, but why the reaction of anger? I know that you may not "get" something or find some of the shows so different from what brought you into drum corps fandom that you just don't like them. The fact remains that despite personal preferences that all of us carry, the members are out there getting the experience of a lifetime and an education in commitment and excellence that can't be found anywhere else. THAT is what we support, or should, despite any personal preferences with respect to entertainment. Though, I'm plenty entertained, for the record. Even if I like some shows over others, there is plenty of variation out there that I'm quite surprised when I hear of someone dismissing their support of the activity as a whole because they are so angry about new artistic directions. Just my thoughts, for what they are worth. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Here is my issue with what is being experimented with (and rewarded) today: I do not mind the music driving the visual and I also do not mind the visual driving the music as long as both languages (the music language and the visual language) make sense. However what is occurring today, and being greatly rewarded today, is that with many corps designs the visual is so driving the music what I am listening to makes absolutely no sense other than a bunch of disconnected phrases and sounds (sort of like a very cool and entertainingly complex visual performance of someone saying, " We in the spoon... boxed in with... out of the way... here is... make my purple go"). While it is fine to occasionally bend or break music theory rules, when there are no connecting musical phrases or melodic content which are placed together in a manner of informative communication to the audience that is where I personally loose interest; no matter how wonderful the visual. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NakedEye Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I'm out. For years I traveled all over the country (Regionals, Allentown, all Texas Shows, finals all over the country including LOS) to watch shows and this year I reluctantly went to one of our local shows in Dallas. I left angry. It was the last straw. Every year the shows become more and more ridiculous. I agree with the OP. The ballet moves by the corps are just painful to watch. I cannot even imagine what the creative folks are thinking with some of the very strange voiceovers and electronic sound effects. At one time I coordinated a group of up to 15 people to attend our local show in Dallas. I introduced so many new fans to the activity but over the years those new fans have fallen by the way side. Especially in the last 4-5 years. I've totally pulled by support from the activity. I log on here and lurk from time to time but I am one of those that has had enough and I'm doing my part by no longer supporting the activity financially. I know there are those out there that enjoy the new direction of the activity. I happliy pass the torch. I will continue to lurk and hope that someday the activity will evolve into something I enjoy and if so I will be back. (but I'm not hopeful). signing off with a broken heart in Dallas. The lineup for that show was: SCV Bluecoats Crossmen Blue Knights Academy Surf And those are the ones that are ridiculous and not entertaining? Wow, tough crowd... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKT90 Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 (edited) 1375719026[/url]' post='3302128']I'd just like to offer my thoughts on this topic that seems to come up quite often. For starters, I became a DCI fan in the early 90's and era quite different than now, and quite different than those before it. As with any artistic endeavor, change is the ONLY constant. I've found plenty to love from all eras of drum corps for which video is accessible. I'm not here to slam anyone for their opinions, but why the reaction of anger? I know that you may not "get" something or find some of the shows so different from what brought you into drum corps fandom that you just don't like them. The fact remains that despite personal preferences that all of us carry, the members are out there getting the experience of a lifetime and an education in commitment and excellence that can't be found anywhere else. THAT is what we support, or should, despite any personal preferences with respect to entertainment. Though, I'm plenty entertained, for the record. Even if I like some shows over others, there is plenty of variation out there that I'm quite surprised when I hear of someone dismissing their support of the activity as a whole because they are so angry about new artistic directions. Just my thoughts, for what they are worth. Well said. I do believe those that are turned off from this now is because corps are doing more shows designed around the judging sheets and the fans who support the activity, go to shows, purchase merchandise, etc felt they are left out...it used to be more for the fan and they corps got judged, not it is more for the judge and the fans get to watch. That's just my perception on how i think some feel...however, it never fails that every year there are around 3 corps I really like...in 2011 Rach Star, Angels and Demons, Phantom, Madison and BAC were great (2011 was a great year top to bottom). Last year, Spirit, BD, Cadets were great. This year, e=MC2, Speakeasy, Troopers, SCV, Cadets are enjoyable. For me, what all those have in common are shows that were accessible. Edited August 5, 2013 by JKT90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 (edited) . The fact remains that despite personal preferences that all of us carry, the members are out there getting the experience of a lifetime and an education in commitment and excellence that can't be found anywhere else. THAT is what we support, or should, despite any personal preferences with respect to entertainment. One can support the activity as volunteers, or thru help in fundraising efforts and be in support of the education aspect and the human development aspect. But it seems to me that when a person buys a ticket to a show and takes the time, effort and expense that all this entails, far be it for me to tell them what that ticket purchase should or not entitle them too. That ticket purchase is a personal choice on why they purchased it. If its for " wanting to be personally entertained ", thats as valid as " wanting to support the education aspect of the enterprise " or to " support the fundraising efforts of the show sponsor ", or any other reason for that ticket purchase. If people decide to walk away from the activity because they are not sufficiently entertained, it seems to me that it is incumbent for the activity to bring in replacement fans to replace those lost fans in sufficient numbers for the activity to be viewed as stable and growing. Or alternatively, to keep its current base of fans and build upon that base to have a bigger growth of a fan base, which is the best way to have a better overall health and stability of the activity, imo. DCI is flat lined at best in audience national numbers over the last few years. As costs increase, thats not good for any enterprise. DCI loses fans at their own future peril. How we change this, is of course, where the debate lies. Edited August 5, 2013 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 The average age of a DCI judge is approx 60. The average age of some of the top tier show designers is approx. the same age of 55-60. I believe that these same faces we've had designing shows for the same judges that have judged their friends that design these shows for in some cases the last 40 years will slowly but surely give way to another generation of show designers and judges that will judge their shows. Things change. And what is produced in show designs and judged as superior in show design may be quite different then than what is rewarded today.Keep in mind only about 4-5 show designers of the top tier Corps drive the activity, and to be to be rewarded by a very few judges... all of whom have known one another since before any of the current MM's were even born. So the key drivers of the activity are really getting long in the tooth now, and soon we'll see retirements and with this fresh replacements. Then we'l see a fresher perspective and fresher outlook on what shall be rewarded and what less so. Thats how I see this evolving over the next decade, anyway, ie retirements. this is very true in DCI as well as WGI and these few individuals in judging, designing as well as the ADMIN's in the DCI and wgi office guard their positions as well as keep each other revelent just to stay in the business. Sometimes a good thing sometimes not 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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