GUARDLING Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 My guess is we know a different group of people. :) same here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Sure, why not ? I said I was for more openess, input, diversity, tolerance,etc and with calls for more fan input. So sure.. absolutely, fans could start such a support petition, or even as you suggested an apathy petition ( although,lets be real here, who'll try and organize THAT one.. haha ! ? ) i would think there just might be many out there that either way are ok with this....or simply just go to enjoy a show not be involved in it...kinda like the past when people went as a spectator......or they were on the opposite side as a member...............but hey..speak out maybe it will do something Edited February 10, 2014 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterA Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I've had a while to think about this now. I still am not in favor of it. I do not think it will add any real numbers of performers to any corps. Most of the top corps usually have between 600-1100 students trying for the 150 spots available. In theory, the number of potential members that get cut, should pretty much fill up most of corps, as even some of the lower tier corps have 200-300 kids showing up for World Class. So I don't see that more people auditioning is usually the issue. As for the theory it's for the kids, this is only partiallly true. Unfortunately for the corps, it is more about the fans, and their financial support. We have lost many corps over the years, and in the last decade have come a little too close to losing even a few more. So if the fans are not happy, and stop attending events, the events won't have the funds to cover the cost of the corps(something that has already killed many locations that shows were formerly held over the years), and the local shows will dry up. This can really change the finances of a corps that would normally have 12 paid shows on the way to finals, and now only have 7, can cause more financial problems as well. And if fans stop donating to corps because they are upset(which I believe some fans did not support the original corps that started using amps), that can hurt the finances for those corps as well. Most corps are very dependent on show fees, souvie sales, and donations from the fans over the course of the summer. I am not saying adding all horns is going to make anyone give up Drum Corps, or stop donations, but the assumption it's all for the kids is kind of misleading, as the corps are very much needing fan support to continue. I am really hoping most of the corps that choose to use the new instrumentation, I hope they only use them in the pit for solos. I don't really think trombones and french horns will add anything visually, and to me will distract from the visual a bit. And as far as sousaphones, as a band instructor, I feel like there is more intonation issues than with a marching tuba/contra. I know this is probably more of an issue during the fall months, but even during the summer months, it seems like with the temperature changes in the evenings cause more intonation problems with sousaphones than any other instruments(other than flutes maybe) I don't think this will end DCI, but I do think it could hurt it more than help it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 You make some good points but lets put this in the context of the last few years. We know that the attendance has been increasing for all of DCI's major events. Now, isn't that a sign that people are starting to turn back and enjoy drum corps more? Aren't you an example of this turn back to corps? Don't the shows, more than the instrumentation, speak for themselves? Don't the increasing numbers at shows, speak more than negative posts on DCP? DCI fans have a lot of passion and a lot of bark. But it's is a two way street, that passion also makes them have a somewhat elastic demand for corps... They'll rant on Facebook and then head on over to the Big East show for old times sake! It depends how many people are like Jeff, who, as he already noted, vastly cut back his drum corps support ten years ago due to the changes. If there are plenty more like him, imagine how much better the recent attendance would have been had DCI not made changes which nobody seems to believe improved the numbers. (When one argues on these forums that amplification and electronics didn't help attendance, one is told that they were never intended to do so!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 i would think there just might be many out there that either way are ok with this....or simply just go to enjoy a show not be involved in it...kinda like the past when people went as a spectator...... Some things do never change, Guardling, Whether it was 1933 or 2013, all those that went to the shows... for whatever reasons.... were all there as a " spectator ". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Some things do never change, Guardling, Whether it was 1933 or 2013, all those that went to the shows... for whatever reasons.... were all there as a " spectator ". hmmmm really? there's some spectators that now think they are designer, directors, fashionestas, etc etc...if someone changes a sock color there are some which predict the end of the world.....hilarious.....funny thing ( just my own experience ) I have a few friends from my marching days....that were the absolute worst at what they did but now critique crown or bd.....but not from a point of preference but a point of what they all do wrong...lol.......priceless................but....hey maybe youre right...were all spectators I guess...some pay some dont I guess Edited February 10, 2014 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Are you seriously telling me that I could convince Jeff Nelsen to let his student come play mellophone in the name of ... versatility? If a horn instructor was already advising her students not to participate in drum corps because they'd have to switch to mellophone, how likely is she to advise her students to participate in a drum corps where they'll either (a) stand around doing nothing for most of the summer as the French horn soloist in the pit or (b) mostly marching mellophone with the occasional French horn solo up front? Because it seems highly unlikely that any corps is going to march their French horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 . And as far as sousaphones, as a band instructor, I feel like there is more intonation issues than with a marching tuba/contra. during the summer months, it seems like with the temperature changes in the evenings cause more intonation problems with sousaphones than any other instruments(other than flutes maybe) I don't think this will end DCI, but I do think it could hurt it more than help it. As a band instructor, thank you for sharing the info on intonation issue considerations with this. I was not aware of this. DCP does offer opportuniities to learn new things, not previoiusly considered, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 You make some good points but lets put this in the context of the last few years. We know that the attendance has been increasing for all of DCI's major events. Now, isn't that a sign that people are starting to turn back and enjoy drum corps more? Aren't you an example of this turn back to corps? Don't the shows, more than the instrumentation, speak for themselves? Don't the increasing numbers at shows, speak more than negative posts on DCP? DCI fans have a lot of passion and a lot of bark. But it's is a two way street, that passion also makes them have a somewhat elastic demand for corps... They'll rant on Facebook and then head on over to the Big East show for old times sake! I mean if we want to continue to have corps we need to have designers that are excited enough to want to put together a production. We need kids that are willing to spend thousands of dollars and months of time practicing, and we need fans to enjoy it. The people who enjoy old school corps aren't the same people that are designing the shows. If the designers don't enjoy designing shows they will stop doing it. If fans don't enjoy the shows they will stop watching. I mean, if we're thinking about this in terms of supply and demand. You can't ignore the needs of the suppliers. Drum corps isn't just about the fans buying the product. It's also about the designers/directors putting the product together and the kids performing it and they do have different needs than some of the fan base. It's a give and take. If the people complaining don't agree with DCI the best thing to do is fund/create their own corps that follows "old school rules". It would help create more corps too! yes the audience has ben going up somewhat. it's not at levels from the past, and again, my point is if traditionalists start walking, it's going to be felt. granted more than a few need to walk to make a dent. Now to add to that, here's what i think will really happen.....this year, a lot of wait and see. year 2 is the kicker...do people walk, or just cut back? my hunch is cut back. Still, that's a dent in the coffers at DCI HQ and the corps wallets. honestly, the shows being designed, IMO, is the major turnoff anymore, and a huge reason why I'm not so crazy to drive all over hell's creation to see shows or reschedule family vacations. I have no problem asking for grandma and grandpa to babysit for a night, hell, they try to bribe me to go out more so they can spend time with the little one. problem is, outside of allentown, my desire to actually go is down because the shows seem to just irritate me more and more lately. what I won't do, but I see more and more people doing is going to shows, tailgating, doing the lot, and never buying a ticket. I saw A LOT of that last year at Allentown. I was actually stunned. quite honestly, if people are ###### off enough, the only thing that will get anyones attention is to not go period. hell my dropoff in spending got the attention of people in DCI HQ. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Are you seriously telling me that I could convince Jeff Nelsen to let his student come play mellophone in the name of ... versatility? I'm totally telling you that learning a sub-instrument that is very much related to your major instrument isn't as detrimental as you make it sound, and is something that many music majors must do. It's something that many music professionals must do. Versatility and flexibility are important skills to have. Musically, playing a different instrument was one of the great lessons that corps provided in the summer. Playing the same 10 minutes of music over and over isn't really music education. That's probably what's going to tee off college professors... You picked exactly the on instrument that I thought you would pick to respond with... French horn and mellophone ( and alto horns for that matter) require different embouchures that I'm sure Jeff Nelson wouldn't be too keen on. I believe that trumpet players would be more suited to play mellophone ( and flugel and alto horns) than french horn players playing mellophone, even if they use a french horn mouth piece. It's probably better if they would just play a marching french horn, like the did way back in the day, but Cadets, then Star made mellophones popular in DCI in the 80s. Jeff Nelsen is probably not too keen on any french horn player playing mellophone. So, I'd imagine that he's not into marching band... So I'd kinda bet that he wouldn't care about versatility. That's not the same scenario for the other instruments, I mentioned though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.