BRASSO Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) To your point, I've had this discussion many times with many people in DCI, directors and otherwise and I'm convinced that there is no will within DCI's member corps to emulate any marching band circuit. Who really knows for sure if DCI is emulating any Marching Band circuit. ( or cares ). This thread is asking us " why is this HS Band show better designed than half the 2015 Top 12 ". Clearly, this H.S Marching Band has its fans that like this particular Marching Band and are asking us now why we can't design Marching Band shows like this for the DCI top 12. Lets stay with that question for now. We could start another thread that you might like that asks us " Is DCI becoming more and more like this H.S. Marching Band, or more and more like Drum & Bugle Corps ? "That might make for a lively, spirited and interesting thread discussion. But THIS one is not asking us that question. So I propose we answer the question that IS posed for us here by the OP instead, and discuss our reasons for our position on THAT. Does that seem to be in order, and make sense as a suggestion ? Edited November 25, 2015 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Who really knows for sure if DCI is emulating any Marching Band circuit. ( or cares ). This thread is asking us " why is this HS Band show better designed than half the 2015 Top 12 ". Clearly, this H.S Marching Band has its fans that like this particular Marching Band and are asking us now why we can't design Marching Band shows like this for the DCI top 12. Lets stay with that question for now. We could start another thread that you might like that asks us " Is DCI becoming more and more like this H.S. Marching Band, or more and more like Drum & Bugle Corps ? "That might make for a lively, spirited and interesting thread discussion. But THIS one is not asking us that question. So I propose we answer the question that IS posed for us here by the OP instead, and discuss our reasons for our position on THAT. Does that seem to be in order, and make sense as a suggestion ? George's OP reflected his view that Broken Arrow's show is better designed that half of the Top-12 of DCI. And he contends that, therefor, it's clear that "Top Designers" are avoiding DCI in favor of the MB circuit. I think it's pretty clear that designers are not fleeing to design OMEA shows, in any case. And while I'm not sure of the comparable pay scales for writing shows in the two idioms, I am very certain that the reputational benefits of designing a DCI show far eclipse that of designing any marching band show, regardless of the circuit or association. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 (edited) I find it concerning that the "Design level" is either 1. so close or 2. HS or Indoor >> than DCI. That's what I mean by designers/instructors "avoiding" DCI. Is it the pay? The schedule? The heat? The wind? The egos? I don't think we can answer the reasons why top designers are avoiding DCI, if there seems little agreement on here that your premise is an accurate one to begin with. The prevailing sentiment here ( if I've read the replies accurately ) is that the majority here believe your premise is wrong. Thus, you probably can't have a successful agenda for yourself to determine why instructors/ show designers are avoiding DCI, if that premise seems wholly inaccurate to begin with among many of the DCP'ers here. Edited November 26, 2015 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 (edited) Ill say it again.....lol..do some designers top as well as mid and lower level designers avoid DCI? Yes, BUT that's just a choice. There are also designers who avoid any kind of HS attachment. There are some winter and fall designers who just don't like the summer thing as well as dci designers who feel that way about WGI or HS band programs. It's just a personal choice. Is money a part of it? YES,( for some ) are there other things that contribute to ones decision to do something or not? Of course, many, which all come down to personal choice. There are designers from the top level to the bottom who have feelings on both sides of this question. There is a group of new designers added this year to who in past years have stressed how much they dislike the summer activity yet have been added to a certain corps staff this year. Now that will be interesting to see how that plays out. Hard to tell why people do what they do I suppose Edited November 26, 2015 by GUARDLING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 I don't think we can answer the reasons why top designers are avoiding DCI, if there seems little agreement on here that your premise is an accurate one to begin with. The prevailing sentiment here ( if I've read the replies accurately ) is that the majority here believe your premise is wrong. Thus, you probably can't have a successful agenda for yourself to determine why instructors/ show designers are avoiding DCI, if that premise seems wholly inaccurate to begin with among many of the DCP'ers here. No agenda. Just an observation on my part I thought would make an interesting discussion :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 Ill say it again.....lol..do some designers top as well as mid and lower level designers avoid DCI? Yes, BUT that's just a choice. Yup. Quite a few actually. I know many of them. Especially the guard side of the equation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenoris4Jazz Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 And an art film director would say that summer blockbusters are horribly boring compositions as well. But since DCI has to fund their own circuit, they don't have the luxury of tax dollars to try whatever the designers dream up. (And while I get that the top tier BOA bands have massive DCI crossover, once you start going down the ranks you will find a lot of bands that will make one rethink letting designers have completely free reign...) Mike Along this same idea, the Oscar winner for Best Film rarely ever goes to the highest grossing film of the year, and the best films rarely ever gross much. Titanic, Return of the King, and Forrest Gump are the only such films in the last 20 years. I would equate that to the best show design does not always get the biggest crowd response, and the most crowd-friendly show doesn't always score well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Earlier in this discussion, it was suggested that high school bands have more artistic freedom than drum corps, because there is less need to appeal to a mass audience (to make money). I would posit that this is only partly or sometimes true. Last year in correspondence with a band director, I was told how he felt somewhat hamstrung by the need to write shows that would both score with the judges and not turn off the rural, football-crazy audience that dominated his school. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 (edited) Earlier in this discussion, it was suggested that high school bands have more artistic freedom than drum corps, because there is less need to appeal to a mass audience (to make money). I would posit that this is only partly or sometimes true. Last year in correspondence with a band director, I was told how he felt somewhat hamstrung by the need to write shows that would both score with the judges and not turn off the rural, football-crazy audience that dominated his school. I think you are right . I think no matter what the situations, DCI , schools, the community, the audience, the members, the staff, money, morality or taste factors, production budgets, experience of both staff and members, there is always something that makes us walk a line . Some just have a more extended line than others. Edited November 27, 2015 by GUARDLING 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Along this same idea, the Oscar winner for Best Film rarely ever goes to the highest grossing film of the year, and the best films rarely ever gross much. Titanic, Return of the King, and Forrest Gump are the only such films in the last 20 years. I would equate that to the best show design does not always get the biggest crowd response, and the most crowd-friendly show doesn't always score well. Also, along the same lines, this is probably why some of the finest actors in the most commercially successful, most popular films, oftentimes don't even bother going to the Grammy's where insiders give other insiders a nice pat on the back for their artsy fartsy unpopular work in their films that so few really care about in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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