jjeffeory Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) I've yet to run across a single corps that doesn't try to max out any caption as best they can, striving to improve each and every performance. That's playing to win, not being satisfied with merely surviving or playing. Anyway, excited to see BD this year! Guess you never heard Ted Swaldo, former Bluecoats executive director and current board member's DCI segment several years ago ( 1988, 4:40 in the vignette), where he stated that their goals weren't about winning or placements. Their goal was that "They try to do better, they try to improve, they try to do the best with what they have".... So winning WAS not the goal.... Then there was current Bluecoats executive Director David Glasglow who had this to say after the 2010 season: 3. What is the competitive goal and mission in 2011 for the corps and staff? What is the corps’ philosophy regarding winning and what are the members taught about being their best? Our mission is to fulfill our potential for 2011, regardless of past seasons. Things are coming together very well so far, and we couldn't be more excited about our show, our corps, and the season. We strive to fulfill our potential and be the best Bluecoats we can be in any given year regardless of past seasons. So yes, we teach our members to strive for excellence and be the absolute best they can be. ( http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=c7810747-1736-4be3-911c-c290c0787bb6 ) Glassmen's goal was giving their members an experience of a lifetime. I could go on, however my point is that there is only ever going to be one winning score in any given year, so being excellent and improving each and every performance is not playing to win, and it's not being satisfied with merely surviving or playing... It's performing to get better and better every time which is great and not smug. So just so I'm clear.... It seemed like you're defining improvement with winning, while I was defining the corps with the highest score at the end of the season as "winning", which was what I assumed Kamarag and tesmusic meant when they were talking about sweeping all music captions and specifically when Kamarag said: Well, they are looking to sweep all captions this year, not just music. You know, just like they do every year. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. But if you're not trying to win them all, you're doing it wrong. http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/162107-blue-devils-2015-ink/?p=3438054 So, my main issue is that some corps aren't trying to win them all, they're trying to improve and be better than before. I guess one slant focuses more on bettering one's self and improving one's self. The other is more akin to pounding the competition into submission and show the world who's better.... Splitting hairs, but everyone does it. Oh, and I'm still looking forward to their show too. Edited May 27, 2015 by jjeffeory 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Guess you never heard Ted Swaldo, former Bluecoats executive director and current board member's DCI segment several years ago ( 1988, 4:40 in the vignette), where he stated that their goals weren't about winning or placements. Their goal was that "They try to do better, they try to improve, they try to do the best with what they have".... So winning WAS not the goal.... Then there was current Bluecoats executive Director David Glasglow who had this to say after the 2010 season: I think you misinterpreted what the person said..."I've yet to run across a single corps that doesn't try to max out any caption as best they can, striving to improve each and every performance" That is what the person said was 'playing to win'...not an absolute placement or score. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 This was a very interesting picture to me posted by BD Photographer Pedro Rodriguez. Looks like a stretching exercise with horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Nah, Mike. They are finally pointing their horns to the closed roof of LOS to maximize that famous echo effect that has endeared LOS to so many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 This was a very interesting picture to me posted by BD Photographer Pedro Rodriguez. Some practices can be really, really windy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Some practices can be really, really windy. Given that this photo was taken at Mars, you're comment is a real understatement. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Really doubt this is a true BD photo: no props! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 After looking through the literature for this Ink show I really feel I will, once again, love the Blue Devils this year. Of course I am always mesmerized with their excellence in all captions, but I love the source material and the projected theme. Should be fun. As for the "play to win" debate, I try not to read too much into such quotes and mission statements. Drum & Bugle Corps is a competitive activity, so let's compete. Nothing wrong with that. Now, at the end of the day each group also has to look at their infrastructure, staff, age and experience of their marching members, etc., and then fully assess if they've maxed out their efforts. In the end that's all that matters. But there is nothing wrong with being competitive when the time is right. I personally think every drum corps out there wants to win their fare share of the time. That doesn't necessarily mean coming in first place. Sometimes winning is beating that close rival of yours, or finally passing a corps that has beaten you most of the season, or breaking into the top 12, top 7, top 5, or top 3. I don't think these corps preach their competitive nature because that would likely be unproductive. No doubt the goal is to work hard and max-out your potential as individual marchers/musicians, and as a total ensemble. At the end of the day that's all that matters, but the competitive spirit can help a corps achieve those goals. It helps to push individuals during rehearsals, and it can be a positive. We shouldn't run away from competition. DCI without the competitive aspect would be in BIG trouble. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) Psychologists frequently say an overly competitive stance is often an unresolved "mine is bigger than yours" fetish, a problem of negative self-image under the exaggerated bravado trying to derive some self-worth. Edited May 27, 2015 by xandandl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c mor Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) Psychologists frequently say an overly competitive stance is often an unresolved "mine is bigger than yours" fetish, a problem of negative self-image under the exaggerated bravado trying to derive some self-worth. Yes. I admit my self-worth got a boost while in the corps. I know drum corps is a very small piece of our lives, but it was really nice to be the best in the world at something. BD has pretty much always been about winning - all the way back to drum and baton corps days. Jerry hated losing. He also preached having class, win or lose. Scojo let me know, "...the snareline should be pretty good this year." I'm looking forward to some major flamage. Edited May 27, 2015 by c mor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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