MikeD Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Mike there was also a considerable drop off competitively from 70- to 71 with BS. The 71 corp just wasn't up to the previous versions and that led to their demise as well. Oh, I agree...which is why I had said it was a fast downhill ride in 71 and 72 after one last magnificent year in 1970. 1971 was their "King and I" show, which was just OK. 1970 was 2/3 of their 69 show, with an opener of "Meadowlands" in 70 and one of my all-time faves "El Cid" in 69 being a primary difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 If drum corps didn't change in 1972, lets say AL and VFW still ruled drum corps, would we be here talking about drum corps? Would we have as many or more corps as we did in 1971? I think if the activity didn't change we would be looking at NOTHING! Sigh. So much passionate arguing over an impossibility. Look at how much change transpired under the alleged tyrannical rule of the VFW/AL (which, by the way, were only two of dozens of governing organizations for competing drum and bugle corps). Under these organizations, corps moved from the street to the field, and added voices, valves and various percussion instruments with accelerating pace over time. There simply is no scenario for "no more change after 1971", even under Tony Schlecta or the Legion rules committee. This thread should be fun for those who like to swing their bats at either the VFW/AL pinata or the DCI pinata. But at either extreme, the same forces would probably have taken us to roughly the same place we are today. Maybe more corps, but not more than our historic baby-boomer peak. Maybe less corps, but not zero. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 I think, as life goes on, there is always change. We may not like it or we may welcome it. If we are not able to be flexible and change with the times we will be stuck in an archaic activity. Fortunately (and for many unfortunately) the drum corps activity has changed over time. Not since 1971 but way before that time. It was just a matter of time before we got to where we are today. If the activity survives into the future we will see more change, which sadly, will alienate some more people. But the good thing is that new fans will always be there for this activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) We ourselves are the agents of change and can never predict the unintended consequences. I can recall being among the "Young Turks", challenging rules and regulations from the late '60s forward. Many of us were "successful": Hoffman got the whole stadium as a canvas, Shellmer every percussion instrument on earth, Emmons got asymmetry, Unrath, Angelica & Co banished the tic...and we all thought we were doing positive things, improving the activity. Sometimes, we just outright broke the laws. Garfield was vilified, DQ-ed and penalized for singing the two notes of "Amen". We thought we had won some sort of victory when vocals were finally permitted. But I didn't realize that would lead to amplification (which I would have supported, for soloists) and eventually synthesizers (which is another matter altogether, especially when used poorly). It's a Darwinian dilemma: adapt or die. For me, I'll endure the unintended consequences just so long as I can still listen to the brass and percussion and observe the coordinated movement. I can see and hear through it all, way back to those WWI boys marching under the Arc de Triomphe. Edited October 6, 2015 by ironlips 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 And that should be the closing! Well done my friend!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumno5 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 So is it safe to say that what we have now is better than NOTHING at all? I think the answer to that question would depend on whom you are asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 I guess it's a NO! Well I tried to stir up conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old vanguard Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 So is it safe to say that what we have now is better than NOTHING at all? Only marginally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 But we still have it.....enjoy it while it is still here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Well if anyone doesn't like it enough that they pay no attention then it might as well be gone to them. Personally I'll still watch DCA via Internet but not big enough fan of DCI to watch their shows. But still hope DCI also continues for the sake of the current and future generations. Just can't bring myself to be like some the posts I see on FB wishing it would all die because "it ain't the same as my day". The irony is when they describe "real DC" I realize my era from 40 years ago doesn't match their definition of "real DC". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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