DCI BOD Drama....more to come?

[BRASSO]

Oh please.

. I would feel comfortable saying that drum corps changed more in the first timeframe than the second. (and again more in the second timeframe than from the 90's to current day)

I would go so far as to say that no other youth competitive activity or sport has changed more the last half century than the Drum & Bugle Corps. If one can cite what activity has changed more than the Drum & Bugle Corps the last 50 years, and with examples of how it has changed MORE than Drum Corps, I'd certainly be interested in learning of it, and how one belives those changes in that enterprise exceeded that of the Drum Corps changes in these 50 years. Most recognize that the world changes and nothing remains totally unchanged. But this is not what most people are talking about. We're talking about the depth, breadth, and scope of the changes undergone. And the Drum & Bugle Corps competitive enterprise seems unriveled in its depth, breadth and scope of its changes the last 50 years than any other youth competitive endeavor one can think of it seems to me ( and others ).

Edited December 26, 2013 by BRASSO

[BRASSO]

I heard drum corps died the year before DCI even started, in 1971, when my corps (Garfield), the Scouts and Cavies did themed shows. In fact, it was on a t-shirt, and something similar was written in an editorial by Dick Blake from Drum Corps News (in the winter prior to the shows hitting the field). I do belive he retracted his statement later on, glad to say.

In 1971.. with the breakdown of barriers to discrimination taking place in rapid pace in the american culture by 1971, there also were also people that said that it would be impossible for ( 2 of the Corps you mentioned here ) the Cavaliers and the Madison Scouts to exclude females for participation in their Corps within the next 5 years from 1971. But they were wrong on this as well. But just because someone's idea of non exclusionary Drum Corps did not materialize as they might have wanted among all Drum Corps, does not mean that the Drum & Bugle Corps has still not undergone more changes on the whole than just about any other endeavor we can think of..... We also heard some baseball fans grumbling that the use of the aluminum bat in high school abnd college baseball games was " not real baseball ". But so what ? Such comments are not dispositive of much of anything at all, as baseball did not suffer the loss of fans once the aluminum bat replaced the wooden bat at the H.S. and College level ( but subsequently always being voted down by Major League Baseball. )

Edited December 26, 2013 by BRASSO

[corpsband]

I would go so far as to say that no other youth competitive activity or sport has changed more the last half century than the Drum & Bugle Corps. If one can cite what activity has changed more than the Drum & Bugle Corps the last 50 years, and with examples of how it has changed MORE than Drum Corps, I'd certainly be interested in learning of it, and how one belives those changes in that enterprise exceeded that of the Drum Corps changes in these 50 years. Most recognize that the world changes and nothing remains totally unchanged. But this is not what most people are talking about. We're talking about the depth, breadth, and scope of the changes undergone. And the Drum & Bugle Corps competitive enterprise seems unriveled in its depth, breadth and scope of its changes the last 50 years than any other youth competitive endeavor one can think of it seems to me ( and others ).

Ugghh. how many times have i and many others responded to this challenge, debunked it, and yet here it comes again?

and how many false sport analogies do we need to listen to?

and how many times do we have to state that DCI isn't a major sports league and doesn't believe it is one either (it's called MARKETING speak)

btw congrats to Jordanw for torpedoing another sports analogy.

Edited December 27, 2013 by corpsband

[Newseditor44]

Double post, my bad

Edited December 27, 2013 by Newseditor44

[Newseditor44]

Sorry, but I do not follow your logic. See, the reality of it is that even back when fuel was cheap and housing abundant, we had about 20 corps that were full while the rest, no matter how hard they worked at it, could not recruit quite that many people. Now, despite all the types of changes you point out having occurred in the interim, we still have about 20 full corps while the rest, no matter how hard they work at it, cannot quite recruit that same number of people. There is nothing to suggest that adding yet another wave of band instruments is going to change that reality.

The number of kids participating in DCI is not a function of what instruments DCI corps use.

But it matters to those corporate partners that give money to the activity to help keep it afloat. The recruiting aspect was just one way of looking at it. The real issue is money. Money moves busses, feeds kids, pays for instruments. When DCI moved to Bb instruments it wasn't just just so arrangers could write better music, it was also because our corporate partners knew they could sell more instruments... and as a result they probably have. When DCI added electronics it wasn't just to do it because it sounded cool, rather, it was because the marketplace put us in a position where we needed to in order to keep up with the bands that were already doing it.

The point is, there are always outside influences that spark change, and the people that have supported said change are getting nailed to a crucifix for trying to keep this activity alive before it's forced to go extinct. If you think you have the answers, go run a drum corps and find out how difficult it is. Hop has 30 years experience on every single one of us. But if you think you can do it better, then stop ranting on an F-ing message board, grow a pair, and go do it already!

Edited December 27, 2013 by Newseditor44

[Newseditor44]

I agree that Hopkins is one director of many; but some director’s persona fall into followers and others fall into leaders. And a very select few have the charisma to become, albeit unofficial, charismatic leaders of paradigm changing ideas and movements. Hopkins charisma falls, or fell, into that last charismatic category during most of the paradigm changing years for DCI which included elimination of regions, increased national touring all summer, G to Bb, and amps-electronics.. And there is no denying his charismatic leadership on those items unless one is being obtuse.

I like peanut butter and jelly sandwhices. Grape is my preferred jelly of course, but I can be just as happy with Strawberry jelly. The peanut butter has to be chunky. Having some PB&J and an ice cold glass of milk... MAN! Nothing quite hits the spot like that.

Sorry, where were we again? I keep daydreaming about my favorite tour food when Stu talks.

[corpsband]

But it matters to those corporate partners that give money to the activity to help keep it afloat. The recruiting aspect was just one way of looking at it. The real issue is money. Money moves busses, feeds kids, pays for instruments. We moved to Bb instruments not just because we could write better music, but because our corporate partners knew they could sell more instruments if we did. We added electronics because the marketplace put us in a position where we needed to just keep up with the bands that were already doing it. The point is, there are outside influences that spark change, and the people that have supported said change are getting nailed to a crucifix for trying to keep this activity alive before its forced to go extinct. If you think you have the answers, go run a drum corps and find out how difficult it is. Hop has 30 years experience on every single one of us. But if you think you can do it better, then stop ranting on an F-ing message board, grow a pair, and go do it already!

Amen.

Speaking of sponsors, which sponsors are lining up behind these 'amazing' new initiatives (ie SS and DLB) ?

Edited December 27, 2013 by corpsband

[N.E. Brigand]

If you think you have the answers, go run a drum corps and find out how difficult it is. Hop has 30 years' experience on every single one of us.

And other experienced drum corps directors apparently voted his proposal down this time.

When DCI added electronics, it wasn't just to do it because it sounded cool, it was because the marketplace put us in a position where we needed to in order to keep up with the bands that were already doing it.

Could you please clarify what this means? What money would corps have lost because they didn't add synthesizers? Is every corps really getting new sponsorship money sufficient to pay for the added instruments?

But if you think you can do it better, then stop ranting on an F-ing message board...

Says the person ranting on a message board.

Edited December 27, 2013 by N.E. Brigand

[Stu]

... When DCI moved to Bb instruments it wasn't just just so arrangers could write better music, it was also because our corporate partners knew they could sell more instruments... and as a result they probably have. When DCI added electronics it wasn't just to do it because it sounded cool, rather, it was because the marketplace put us in a position where we needed to in order to keep up with the bands that were already doing it....

Instead of ‘probably’, would you please cite quantitative figures on how much DCI changing to Bb horns and adding electronics has actually helped the bottom line sales of the manufactures to scholastic band programs?

[Jeff Ream]

Amen.

Speaking of sponsors, which sponsors are lining up behind these 'amazing' new initiatives (ie SS and DLB) ?

I don't know. outside of the usual musical manufacturers, which sponsors have been lining up at DCI's door?