2019 Madison Scouts!

[Fran Haring]

35 minutes ago, dans said:

Is it really necessary to make a statement like that? Wow!

Especially since I'm 10 years older than him!!! 

[Fran Haring]

1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

 every change in the activity brings a teeth gnashing end of the world reaction.

Amen to that.

My first year marching was 1971... and according to a t-shirt that was being sold then, it was the year "drum corps died." 

I think the only thing that eventually died was sales of that t-shirt.

[tesmusic]

32 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Not really.  If you scour the vast resources of the Internet, you can find someone gnashing teeth over anything.  But there simply was no wave of people comparable to the A&E changes telling us that trombones were their line in the sand to leave the activity over.

"They" decided to forsake tradition back in 1971 - that is why DCI was formed.  And the commitment to "next generation" above all else was made in the late 1990s.  Since then, there have been upswings and downswings.

Just because it's not all over the interwebs, or isn't easily found doesn't mean that it was being said/done.

As for the commitment to the next generation could be argued the entire history of the activity. When pits were grounded, 3 valves were allowed, tick system gone, props, vocals, electronics, dancing cologuard, non-symmetrical drill, it's been a constant evolution, and not simply since the late 90's, IMO.

[dark-helmet]

Go Scouts, just sayin'.

[Terri Schehr]

1 hour ago, Fran Haring said:

Amen to that.

My first year marching was 1971... and according to a t-shirt that was being sold then, it was the year "drum corps died." 

I think the only thing that eventually died was sales of that t-shirt.

Some people wore those shirts where I marched. 

[Terri Schehr]

Look, we don’t know what the Scouts are going to put out there. All they said is that they’re not using props or set pieces.  The music is pretty eclectic but I wouldn’t read too much into that. 

Why don’t we just wait and see?  I’ll see them at their first show.  I’ll let you know what this old 🦖 thinks and you all can tell me how wrong I am.  😂 . 

[MikeRapp]

2 hours ago, tesmusic said:

Just because it's not all over the interwebs, or isn't easily found doesn't mean that it was being said/done.

As for the commitment to the next generation could be argued the entire history of the activity. When pits were grounded, 3 valves were allowed, tick system gone, props, vocals, electronics, dancing cologuard, non-symmetrical drill, it's been a constant evolution, and not simply since the late 90's, IMO.

I would say that while some of the changes have been controversial for good reasons, all of them have made the activity bigger and better. I think we are probably too far to the “dance” side for my taste, but it has provided a lot of great opportunities for kids who don’t play an instrument to have great and important roles and experiences. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by MikeRapp

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, tesmusic said:

Just because it's not all over the interwebs, or isn't easily found doesn't mean that it was being said/done.

If a tree falls fan renounces in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, did they make a sound?

Quote

As for the commitment to the next generation could be argued the entire history of the activity. When pits were grounded, 3 valves were allowed, tick system gone, props, vocals, electronics, dancing cologuard, non-symmetrical drill, it's been a constant evolution, and not simply since the late 90's, IMO.

Maybe.  Bear in mind that:

1.  All the changes you list came under DCI... an organization created to enable precisely that type of change.

2.  The tenor of things changed again in 1996 with a new executive (Acheson).  His first public message declared that the youth generation would be the focus behind DCI office initiatives going forward.  Much of what has transpired ever since has been done or spun as "for the kids", including the acceleration of rule changes that made drum corps more closely resemble the bands from which these kids were increasingly being recruited.

[queenanne_1536]

On 5/22/2019 at 10:43 AM, Nine White Russians said:

This is why I have come to hate DCI with a passion....or not so much DCI, but the incestuous relationship between the WGI dominated design staffs and judges, who have collectively decided that DCI must become WGI Summer Edition (and they are all friends and associates by the way). They write the sheets. They decide what art is. And it's a very narrow definition. All this is done with a huge middle finger held out to the paying public. They do this to satisfy and impress themselves and their HUGE egos! Which is completely unjustified, because few of them are actual working artists. The majority of them are simply brainwashed students of postmodern drivel. (BTW, the authors of that philosophy state that all things traditional must be torn down piece by piece so that cultural marxiam can rule) But they have the power and influence over the activity. So the choice is, play the game and alienate loyal fans, (and still dropping in placement) or say eff you back to the intelligencia and at least win back some of the fans by doing what you love to do.  

I feel you. I am sorry, but no one will ever convince me that what these members do today is harder that what Star did in 1990, 1991, or 1993, or Cadets have done numerous times. I'm sorry, but playing less and moving less is not harder, it's easier. Standing and doing poses is easier. Not that it has to be harder, but that's the argument we get. That being said, SCV's show last year was my favorite show it probably 2 decades. I do think it's foretelling though - a compact show that won. Welcome to drum corps on a basketball court - that is the future.

[queenanne_1536]

14 minutes ago, MikeRapp said:

I would say that while some of the changes have been controversial for good reasons, all of them have made the activity bigger and better. I think we are probably too far to the “dance” side for my taste, but it has provided a lot of great opportunities for kids who don’t play an instrument to have great and important roles and experiences. 

I'm not so sure I completely agree. This has been my viewing over the past several years, since I was a subscriber to streaming.

2012: Watched Regiment, Crown, Vanguard and Madison

2013: Watched Crown and Vanguard

2014: Didn't bother watching championship week. Found everyone boring 1st through 12th.

2015: Watched Crown, Vanguard, BK, Madison and Regiment

2016: Watched Bluecoats and Vanguard

2017: Watched Vanguard, Blue Devils, and Bluecoats

2018: Watched Vanguard, Devils, Bluecoats, Boston, Cavies, Blue Stars and Mandarins.

Most of the time, I only like a few corps because I am BORED SENSELESS with most of the top 12. So bored. I'm sorry, I'm not going to read a novel much less a paragraph to understand what your show is about. Not going to happen. It's so fracking pretentious (Blue Stars 2016 I'm looking at you).

I will agree three valves was good, electronics was good, more members was good, I like the elevated use of props. But, by and large some of it is so ridiculous. Crown 2013 - had one of the greatest show ever until that stupid narration. I'm sorry - narration barely ever works - it's cheesy and embarrassing.

Now after all my b*tching, I'm going to show you all what a big hypocrite I am. Madison has to do this. They have to to thrive competitively.