A "Tradition Corps"? What do you think?

[MikeD]

Some of you did not read carefully. He said NOT Competitive. Just a touring exhibition. All Age I would say so they could/would have the talent to do the Exact shows. Each year they would tour. Do premier events and Finals and some other shows, all as exhibition, and do exact moves, drill, arrangements, done to the minute detail.

Actually, he said that they would compete, just that they would not be competitive as to placements. He said this in the OP: "This corps, called TRADITION, tours with it, competes (knowing they're not competitive)...".

[Ghost]

BTW, I'm tired. See you guys in a few months.

What? Not a hit and run?

[MikeD]

Only thing Im saying is what I personally observed.....it was fun to many, others not so much...tribute shows for many dont mean anything and some involved were flattered some not so much...this I know for sure.

Over the years I have also heard verifiable sources of other corps say one thing and easily can see sometimes even that is very bias and people see and hear what they want....I heard that alot about Madison a few years ago and even their staff which I was very friendly with said " I dont remember that reaction at all " but all that aside ..as for Surf.as I said it got them alot of attention for sure so it was a success for them and that's what counts

I think any time a corps with the lower level of performance skills and placements can generate a buzz and excitement like Surf did in 2012...it is a good thing...esp for the kids performing.

It kind of goes into what the OP is looking for, but he took it much further, of course.

[alumniof]

So with all this griping you think that having drum corps return to a time where YOU liked it would fix everything. That's not selfish at all. Also, very disingenuous to suggest that only you and your opinions are part of those "that keep [the arts] alive". I teach quite a lot and I believe that i have a hand in keeping the arts alive and I disagree with everything you just wrote. So, there's that...

I didn't march drum corps in the 60's or 70's. Respond to the reality of what I said, not try to attach what you want me to say so you can attack me and gain a supportive consensus. You can mind play yourself all you want but I caught it.

[alumniof]

This seems to be a lot of "blah blah blah" mixed in between all the hashtags.

You do not find modern drum corps enjoyable. We get it.

Your significant other is lulled to sleep by them. We get it.

Your experience in Allentown is obviously indicative of everyone's reality. We get it.

You've seen the future of drum corps and it is non-existent. We get it.

You ache for days past where color guards literally just carried the colors and maybe did some drop spins while high-stepping....

... WE GET IT.

What I (and I'm guessing a few others on here) DON'T get, is your need to constantly share your misery on these forums. It is most certainly you're right and you're free to do so, but I honestly can't grasp what you're hoping to accomplish by creating topic after topic that all essentially boil down to your hatred of DCI.

But to answer your original post, no. I wouldn't go see your "tradition" corps. Stuff from the 70's and 80's kinda bores me. I respect and admire what they did. Musically, there is some good stuff happening. Visually, not so much. I prefer the whole package that today's corps offer.

You know what's funny - you all exemplify "if you don't agree with me, attack it". The difference between my attacking and you attacking is I explain myself and the opinions I have are based upon legitimate symptoms of what I see, hear and observe. If any of you losers who don't do anything more than attack me for (add your reason, but I know it's self hate looking for company) and not the content of where the opinion is formed - than your opinion is not worth the time to consider.

[chaddyt]

You know what's funny - you all exemplify "if you don't agree with me, attack it". The difference between my attacking and you attacking is I explain myself and the opinions I have are based upon legitimate symptoms of what I see, hear and observe. If any of you losers who don't do anything more than attack me for (add your reason, but I know it's self hate looking for company) and not the content of where the opinion is formed - than your opinion is not worth the time to consider.

Fine. I was at finals this past year. I saw people cheering, buying souvies, standing O's. I myself did those things.

I saw no one sleeping in the stands, though they were pretty packed, so I may have missed that one person who nodded off during Madison's entirely boring 75th anniversary show.

My conclusion? Drum corps will be just fine without you.

[Fred Windish]

Discussion Boards need spunk to survive. I see much of that created by alumniof. Let it rip, guys. We are ALL learning something. Fun to read, too!

[alumniof]

BTW, I posted this on another site and pretty much getting near 100% support of the idea. So, YOUR REALITY is perhaps not reality at all, but your closed little group reality - but like DCI - this closed lil group reality is NOT reflective of the public (defined as general audience). And the site the idea is on (Facebook) is where all the love is. I mean, let's look at Facebook. Why is it a hit with the adults and not so much the kids? Memories you bone heads. The kids have no memories of value because they are growing into their memories. They're all about the here and now (twitter, instagram) and the short and to the point (pintrest). YOU DO REALIZE as much as you attack me YOU ARE NOT THE ONES GETTING IT!? Intellectualize your way to reality. BTW, you know the definition of an intellectual? Someone educated beyond their ability to understand common sense. That's YOU! THE REALITY is half the butts in the stands are ALUMNI/MUSIC EDUCATORS OLDER THAN THE KIDS BY MORE THAN 10 YEARS. NOBODY, is acknowledging them. So, they do what all older people do - whine, ##### and complain and then pay money to see it so they can whine, ##### and complain some more. THE REALITY is 1/2 the butts in the seat thinks the product sucks, the intention sucks, the programming sucks, the mics suck, the transformation and change sucks, the direction sucks and the reasons are what everybody complains about - electronics, voice overs, yoga and ballet in shakos, Bb (they call it flat for a reason and I'm positive it mean it sucks - that's a joke), visual over music emphasis, broken visuals, no uniformity and you need to attend MIT's version of music education to understand or care or appreciate why eveything wants to be a circle (which is untrue). Don't you blind DCP types see that this is nothing more than kids being used so that A drill designer can solve his groin itch for doing something that's never been done before. People will watch Miley Cyrus not because she's musically talented. They watch her because she goes to where people are at in their life, and drags them willingly (this is planned) to her message and they connect to it. Is drum corps doing that? Hell to the no. Look at Super Bowl commercials. Millions are spent on connecting emotions so strong to the wing eating fat ### on the couch that they'll buy said product long after the Super Bowl is over. Drum Corps educators are NOT salesman or marketing people. CLEARLY!!! Some of you have such intellectual envy that you live that out and rewired your brain to some how believe that the crap on the field is of any value. Do you remember the Steve Martin bit where he uses all 10 fingers, toes and nose to play one note, then he shows the alternative fingering which is one finger. You all (filter yourself, you know who I'm talking about), would play the note the hard way and legitimize it. You're the type that uses 6th position instead of the rotor and give me a lecture why, you're the type that keeps the right hand down on an a on clarinet, you're the type that will always long title everything in a program to try and give more importance to something. You realize the general public thinks you're band geeks for a reason. And it's earned and deserved. I need some coffee. (Let me clear something up - my "hate" is really good ole NY arguing in the garage or over the Italian dining room. My offensiveness is with love - but you can't see it in my posts - and you're not suppsed to). One last point - the Hitler videos. Now, those are funny. They're creative. I get it. Why can't drum corps DO WHAT MUSIC IS SUPPOSED TO DO - connect. They're FAILING music, and education, and this is why MUSIC IS BEING LOST IN THE SCHOOLS. It's suicide. It is NOT the legislature. Do you know why band kids parents drop their kids off at a concert and don't come back - because they are so unentertained they don't want to even watch it or care to. Do you know why music evaluation festivals have empty auditoriums? Nobody cares. Keep doing what you're doing and attacking the public for common sense and then look at each other and say "gee, what happened". LISTEN? Isn't that part of music and education - you have 2 ears! LISTEN and pay attention to my content. It's valid. I represent what I hear and see and because I agree with it, I attach to it - but I'm simply saying the same thing others are saying. Bone heads. (see, a music insult).

Edited February 27, 2014 by alumniof

[alumniof]

Fine. I was at finals this past year. I saw people cheering, buying souvies, standing O's. I myself did those things.

I saw no one sleeping in the stands, though they were pretty packed, so I may have missed that one person who nodded off during Madison's entirely boring 75th anniversary show.

My conclusion? Drum corps will be just fine without you.

You didn't look for it and I really don't think you analyzed it. You weren't there paying attention to a future post on DCP. Be real. I showed up at Allentown with a blank slate.

[chaddyt]

You didn't look for it and I really don't think you analyzed it. You weren't there paying attention to a future post on DCP. Be real. I showed up at Allentown with a blank slate.

"Blank slate"... I'm sure.

And how insightful of you to know that I wasn't paying attention.... Thankfully, I can look at it and analyze it all I want on the Blu-ray. Yep, still cheering and standing! No sleeping...

You're seeing what you want to see and pawning it off as "reality". News flash. DCP isn't reality. Facebook isn't reality. The internet isn't reality. It's all made up of people who sign-up, log-in, post and "like" stuff for their own reasons. Reality is people at the shows. And those people, for the majority, enjoy what they're seeing. What bothers you is that you're not in that group anymore. And that's fine. I may not be in the group ten or twenty years down the road either. But other people will be.

That's how niche activities like drum corps survive. They change. The adapt. You obviously don't like it, as evidenced by your 200+ posts devoted to sharing your disdain. But please... continue to enthrall us with your acumen.