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How important is the competitive aspect of Drum Corps?


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2 hours ago, garfield said:

I think you'd find it very difficult to find a marching member who would agree with you.

In fact, I think you have a hard time finding agreement among staff, volunteers, and most fans.

Welcome to the maelstrom with this poster to whom you replied, Garfield.  :tongue:

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There has to be a sense of competition,  but without a balance it can become very damaging.  We see the freak outs on here over scores, spreads, drops, etc.

As a performer, if you get caught up in this, it can provide not just frustrations but a sense of emptiness in how you view your accomplishments as a team. There may be a level of resentment towards the "weak" links or units. It impacts how you view, watch, and interact with your direct competition.  It can be dangerous towards the psyche of the corps.  

But it can also be a huge motivator, especially in those rough days that every member has on tour.  

Culture of the organization and how scores are communicated from the top down are huge 

 

As far as design, it is the job of the design team to provide a product that appeals to each level of the audience.  I always felt that is most important.  I hate seeing designs that seem to be strictly built around the judging sheets.   

 

Edited by SS811
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3 hours ago, garfield said:

I think you'd find it very difficult to find a marching member who would agree with you.

In fact, I think you'd have a hard time finding agreement among staff, volunteers, and most fans.

The thing is that if he has ran across a few who agree with him, and there are likely a few, it appears he feels validated and empowered.  And if you have read all of his postings from the get-go over multiple threads, it indicates that he believes those within the system, whether staff, mm, volunteers, or fans who enjoy aspects of DCI today and disagree with him, well, they are apparently brainwashed at best and/or part of the conspiracy at worst.  Which also seems to make him feel validated and empowered.  But by golly this sure is entertaining; it reminds me of the entertainment I received sitting in many a university class listening to the 'educated' PHD students and professors spouting off contempt toward the inferior intellectual minions.

Edited by Stu
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Placements can be very important in the eyes of future marching members. When people talk about marching their "dream corps", they tend to be groups that have, our recently have had, competitive success. This can be a bit of a cycle that tends to feed itself, as the top groups continue to attract the top talent and continue to have success. That's one of the reasons it's so difficult to break into that top echelon, but also why you don't often see those groups drop out once there.

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2 hours ago, MikeD said:

Agree 1000%. I ,have seen it all too often...referring to scores or points by a staff member can lead to a lot of problems. The staff and members have zero control over those elements. All they control is their performance. I always tell my kids this at least once a season...

"There are three things that determine your score/placement:

1) How well you perform

2) How well the other groups perform

3) What the judges think

You only control number 1)."

 

 

"It's not how fast you mow... it's how well you mow fast!!!"  :tongue:

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4 hours ago, garfield said:

I think you'd find it very difficult to find a marching member who would agree with you.

In fact, I think you'd have a hard time finding agreement among staff, volunteers, and most fans.

I'll concede that those involved in the activity at the performance level have been indoctrinated into thinking "this is fine".  I mean, it's all some of them know. 

But this echo chamber doesn't get to revise history, nor to pretend like 100% of ticket holders are satisfied with what they're seeing or hearing.  I'd put it closer to 50%, but you wouldn't dream of letting that slide, would you? 

Even the diehard fanboys are becoming disenchanted with the arms race (and that's THEIR term for it, not mine....my term for it is "self-indulgent garbage").

At any rate, competition is certainly an important aspect of the activity, but not at the expense of what the activity claims to stand for.

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3 minutes ago, Bobby L. Collins said:

I'll concede that those involved in the activity at the performance level have been indoctrinated into thinking "this is fine".  I mean, it's all some of them know. 

But this echo chamber doesn't get to revise history, nor to pretend like 100% of ticket holders are satisfied with what they're seeing or hearing.  I'd put it closer to 50%, but you wouldn't dream of letting that slide, would you? 

Even the diehard fanboys are becoming disenchanted with the arms race (and that's THEIR term for it, not mine....my term for it is "self-indulgent garbage").

At any rate, competition is certainly an important aspect of the activity, but not at the expense of what the activity claims to stand for.

So only your level or type of education is sufficient.  Got it.

Your use of pejoratives ("fanboys") is disgusting.  I wonder if you'll only stop when all of DCP has blocked you or you blocked them.  In any case, I'm enjoying watching.

 

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4 minutes ago, garfield said:

So only your level or type of education is sufficient.  Got it.

Your use of pejoratives ("fanboys") is disgusting.  I wonder if you'll only stop when all of DCP has blocked you or you blocked them.  In any case, I'm enjoying watching.

 

You think I care if you're "disgusted" at any thing I say?  You and this echo chamber of sycophants are part of the problem, and your input isn't as valuable to me as I think you probably would like it be.  I don't care if you've been a supporter for 40 years....you bought in to the snake oil, and you sold out.  And now, drum corps doesn't exist anymore.  That's partly YOUR fault.  Don't talk to me about being disgusted.  You can't hold a candle to the disgust I feel towards those of you who actively allowed and praised the sweeping changes that have devolved this activity into the artistically bankrupt mess it is today.  And whether you like it or not, I will fight tooth and nail to express my thoughts right alongside the CJ you folks have cultivated.

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