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Tarpon Springs - Digital Screens


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As Jeff pointed out (probably unintentionally), there are far, far more significant expenses for drum corps to pay for, for a much longer time each year, than to spend money on props and trinkets that are not WHOLLY worth-while to the member experience, as found and described in most corps' mission statements.  Even putting aside the requirement that the performers themselves moves their sets around (ahem, "simultaneous", right?), how is the very use of the screens an enhancement of the members' experience?

Happy Days, Fonzi, and the shark come to mind.

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2 hours ago, garfield said:

No, sorry, you and I agree.  I was poking fun at someone else seen-it-all who accused me of being completely out of touch with the reality of today's kids. (Sure.)  My comment wasn't directed at you; it apparently made more sense when I typed it than it did to you.

 

you're welcome.

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2 hours ago, garfield said:

(I apologize if someone else has already said it...)

...because the props on today's HS (i.e. publicly/donor-funded) will eventually show up in drum corps.  Makes perfect sense to me to discuss it here.

That said, again I ask, why is drum corps, the "Major League", constantly FOLLOWING?

There was a time in history when drum corps set the bar for bands to follow.  I bet a smart and accurate historian could connect drum corps becoming a butt-sniffing follower to the specific design decisions adopted, allowed, promoted, and judged by the wizards of smart who dominated DCI for decades.  I'm hopeful that most of that is a significant consideration by the new Board leaders of the activity as they consider how long they want to be butt-sniffers of publicly-funded high school kids.

 

i said it before, i'll say it again....risk/reward. you can take the risk in marching band. it doesnt work, ok you tried. it fails in drum corps, see ya!

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2 hours ago, garfield said:

As Jeff pointed out (probably unintentionally), there are far, far more significant expenses for drum corps to pay for, for a much longer time each year, than to spend money on props and trinkets that are not WHOLLY worth-while to the member experience, as found and described in most corps' mission statements.  Even putting aside the requirement that the performers themselves moves their sets around (ahem, "simultaneous", right?), how is the very use of the screens an enhancement of the members' experience?

Happy Days, Fonzi, and the shark come to mind.

very intentionally thanks. and much of the equipment, props and uniforms get re-sold to help cover the costs. I know, my wife helps manage a consignment company that resells flags and uniforms, and corps stuff rolls in and out the door annually. 

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On 10/15/2018 at 10:56 PM, danielray said:

Fascinating how two people can look at the same thing and have radically different thoughts.

I wondered:

1) Did they rent or buy those?

2) I hoped they bought so that they could use to rent out to public in off season as a solid revenue generating opportunity.

Addressing your third thought... it is not the job of high school band boosters to solve housing or food challenges. That is not their purpose and there are plenty of government and community programs to address these issues. This is like lamenting over the fact that Beyonce and Jay-Z bought a 13th new house for themselves when that money could be better used by NASA to buy weather balloons.

First thought on Beyonce and Jay-Z...  No.

Second thought on Beyonce and Jay-Z...  Yuck.

Third thought on Beyonce and Jay-Z...  How many NASA weather balloons could be bought with the money they spent on their 13th home?

 

Values.   

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I am going to be upfront about my bias....I love this band. Yes the digital signage is expensive, but using them as a prop on the field is no worse than what we are already seeing in Drum Corps now. They are moving them around just as easy (and tasteful) as non digital props. It is just another visual layer to a show as far as I am concerned. 

I cannot wait to see their whole show. 

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7 hours ago, garfield said:

how is the very use of the screens an enhancement of the members' experience?

A loaded question if ever there was one. :innocent:

 

If it works.... it enhances their success and placement, arguably enhancing the experience. Maybe not as much as enjoying Taco Night after a hard day's rehearsal for some members, but it would have some value.

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8 hours ago, garfield said:

That said, again I ask, why is drum corps, the "Major League", constantly FOLLOWING?

Upon reflection, there are several explanations.

1.  Once upon a time (when drum corps was a budget-conscious activity run by adults who were mindful of the extremely limited financial sponsorship their activity had compared to scholastic music), drum corps also had a vision and identity for itself that took its unique situation into account.  Starting sometime around the creation of DCI, that vision/identity eroded gradually.

2.  Once upon a time, drum corps and other pageantry activities were guided by different people.  There were a significant number of directors, designers, instructors, judges and rulemakers in any one of these activities who did not serve in that same capacity in the other activities.  That distinction also eroded gradually over time such that today, drum corps people routinely work with competitive marching band, winter guard and their derivatives (WGI Winds, SoundSport, and so on), and vice versa.

3.  The competitive marching band activity has grown to where there are over 100 times as many such ensembles as DCI drum corps.  From a purely mathematical view, the odds of a trendworthy idea originating in drum corps should therefore be 100:1.

4.  Follow the money.  Scholastic marching band got where it is because they have help, from school budgets.

5.  And IMO, drum corps is not always following.  At the very least, I still see differences in design content that only touring drum corps can achieve.

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