Cadets 2007 and the bigger "micro" picture

[RContra]

And that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about it. "Oh man that goo was way too thunderous" and then letting it go so you can appreciate everything else. Would it be awesome if things we don't like didn't intrude into our drum corps spectating experience? ABSOLUTELY. Plenty of posters here post a litany of things they don't want to see from their favorite corps every season. Heck some probably email the design staff their list. My point was and continues to be: Don't let (X,Y and/or Z) ruin your chance enjoy to everything else!

You would make a fantastic motivational speaker. :)

On the other hand, you'd make a horrendous logician and/or behavioral psychologist. Can we end this discussion already?

[perc2100]

And that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about it. "Oh man that goo was way too thunderous" and then letting it go so you can appreciate everything else. Would it be awesome if things we don't like didn't intrude into our drum corps spectating experience? ABSOLUTELY. Plenty of posters here post a litany of things they don't want to see from their favorite corps every season. Heck some probably email the design staff their list. My point was and continues to be: Don't let (X,Y and/or Z) ruin your chance enjoy to everything else!

I 100% agree. When I aged-out in 1998, I got married in December, finished my WGI career spring of 1999, and moved across the country in July. I saw one really early-season mid-west show before I moved, and by the time I got out to Southern CA I had missed the DCI swing. I got caught-up in life after that, turned into a jaded DCI alum who wasn't happy with any-key brass, wasn't happy my corps was on a down-swing competitively, etc. I still had a lot of friends marching and teaching, so I kept in touch and followed scores & news but mostly didn't go to shows. I was teaching middle school at the time, and focused on that more than drum corps stuff.

Then in 2004 I took a HS marching band job, and decided to peak back into DCI to see what the trends were. I went to the Tour of Champions show and found a LOT of stuff to really like. I absolutely loved all of the Top 3, and found stuff to really enjoy in the rest. Stepping away from the activity and coming back without a ton of bias, or any expectations other than "trill me" really brought to light for me the things I love about the activity. The performers were all obviously having a blast performing, post-finals without any competitive pressures, to adoring fans. The shows were innovative, technically awesome, and performed well. Of course there was stuff I didn't like, but I honestly can't remember that now. I made the choice to focus more on the positives, and downplay the negatives.

And that's how I've approached DCI ever since. There are TONS of things for me to enjoy watching performances: enough so that I can essentially ignore that stuff. And really, that's kind of how you have to go through life in general. I've been married nearly 15 years (15th Anniversary this December), and of course there are things that my wife does that annoys me, there are times we argue, there are times we clash regarding decisions for our son. But the good FAR outweighs the bad, and honestly there is no avoiding the bad sometimes. In any relationship you have to figure out if the positives makeup for the negatives, and if so then you have to figure out how to deal with the bad. Drum corps, for me, has far more positives than negatives and it's worth dealing with some bad narration, or loud synths, or cheesy show designs, or poor execution if the payoff is exciting shows, designs that are so cool I literally can only laugh while watching, witness the passion in a performance where it's obvious the members are giving EVERYTHING for us audience, etc. One CAN focus on the good more than the bad, the only question for that individual is "is there enough 'good' to overcompensate?" If the answer is no, then maybe it's time to find a new hobby. But if the answer is yes, then Heck Yeah one can change their mindset to focus on the awesome aspects while not putting much thought on the negative.

[perc2100]

You would make a fantastic motivational speaker. :)

On the other hand, you'd make a horrendous logician and/or behavioral psychologist. Can we end this discussion already?

I think you can end the discussion whenever you want by not replying, not reading, not partaking in any given topic. It's dubious when one asks to end a discussion - i.e. extending the discussion to ask to cease discussion (especially when one uses snark and pseudo-condescension to do so). If you are unable to figure how how to not focus on what upsets you while at the same time focusing more on what pleases you, then that's your problem, not others

[Jeff Ream]

And that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about it. "Oh man that goo was way too thunderous" and then letting it go so you can appreciate everything else. Would it be awesome if things we don't like didn't intrude into our drum corps spectating experience? ABSOLUTELY. Plenty of posters here post a litany of things they don't want to see from their favorite corps every season. Heck some probably email the design staff their list. My point was and continues to be: Don't let (X,Y and/or Z) ruin your chance enjoy to everything else!

here, let me say it a little slower

it's

hard

to

hear

anything

over

the

goo

at

times.

so yes, I can see why people can get ######. I forgot the year now, but hen I have to strain to hear Crown's brass at Allentown over the speakers, yeah I'm ######. Especially when I see they get 19's

[RContra]

I think you can end the discussion whenever you want by not replying, not reading, not partaking in any given topic. It's dubious when one asks to end a discussion - i.e. extending the discussion to ask to cease discussion (especially when one uses snark and pseudo-condescension to do so). If you are unable to figure how how to not focus on what upsets you while at the same time focusing more on what pleases you, then that's your problem, not others

Figure out how not to focus? Please see my post regarding a pine cone earlier. Think you could figure out how not to focus on something you dislike that much? Hence, why I'll likely never see 07-08 Cadets again. They have soooo many awesome shows that missing a couple won't mean much. Generally dig the organization and programming. Just a rough two-year patch that I'll likely pretend never happened.

And I love snark! Why do you think I post things on the internet? Isn't that what it's for? Pseudo-condescention, on the other hand, is lame. I like the real thing.