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Time to Say Goodbye, after 15 years


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On 10/16/2019 at 2:02 PM, garfield said:

And, if all shows looked like an OC show on any "Y" day (no BITS), the misery would be spread evenly across the activity.

But we'd have parity in bankruptcies and folding corps!

Ok, it's a silly point to get stuck on, I know, but it got me to thinking that there really *hasn't* been much turnover in Open Class lately.  So, based on DCXMuseum and a Google search, here's the corps from the last 10 years that went inactive after competing at DCI:

  • Open Class: Racine Scouts (last competed in 2015), Coastal Surge (2014), Revolution (2012), Forte (2011), Platinum (2011), VK (2010)
  • World Class: Pioneer (2018), Oregon Crusaders (2018), Glassmen (2012), Teal Sound (2011)

OC isn't so much a fly by night operation anymore, especially in the last 5 years, and having butts in seats didn't really help some of the WC corps either.  (I suppose a larger point could be made that there were just as many non-monetary reasons as there were financial ones.)

Mike

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On 10/15/2019 at 4:34 PM, Ray Kimber said:

For several years my delight with Drum Corps has been waning.

 My first experience with Drum Corps was in 2004 at the invitation of Dr. Thomas Root.  It was electrifying for me.  The sound had majesty, grace, and purity.  I went to the souvenir trailers and purchased every CD I could lay my hands on.  The quality of the recordings were much more variable than quality of the Corps on the field.  None of the CDs were electrifying to me.

 Then for many years I endeavored to record all those elements, with various success.  Along the way I provided yearly support for the Ogden Corps Encore Show.  I recall clearly when I was faced with the first instance of canned show program, I was incredulous.  In subsequent years the shows got even more canned and more amplified - rather than a race to have great musicians it was a race for expensive mixer boards, equalizers and speaker systems.

 As a side note there was also a race to incorporate props and scenery. 

 During the last show in Ogden, I listened carefully - I was not electrified.  I was electrified during some of the rehearsals that didn’t have the amplification running.

 It could be that there is a cumulative million+ hours of devotion within the members of a corps, and then all that majesty, grace, and purity is stuffed through a PA system.

 Now I have lost any interest in attending or supporting.  I don’t like listening to amazing musicians through a vitiating PA system.  Moreover I feel guilty about any of my efforts, donations, or support that subsidizes PA systems. It might be valid to compare the use of PA systems to steroid use, for my taste it sounds bad and feels like cheating.  I sorrow for those million hours of musician devotion that I don’t hear with majesty, grace and purity.

Ray Kimber, Ogden Utah

I am sorry you are leaving the activity but I hold out hope that you may return someday. If that day should come, we will welcome you back with open arms.

Godspeed. 

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On 10/16/2019 at 12:41 PM, ThePlanets said:

For those of you who have been around a long time...

Do the electronics/props add more to the "dirt" of an early season show/performance? 

I know early season shows have a long way to go before finals but the extra props/amps/visuals seem to add a lot more factors to clean.

These "new style" shows are mind blowing come finals week but I would imagine they have a lot of bugs and kinks out west.

Is this more of a case where the "best" shows since 09 have been from Allentown to Indy and he just hasn't seen the final product?

Not that I am a particular fan of over the top staging and amplification...just something to think about.

Interesting and thought-provoking post. The 1st thing  I do after leaving Indy is look up the winners early shows on youtube and try to pick out the changes. Agree totally with you about the shows being "mindblowing" come finals week. That makes it all the more to look forward to for me.

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i used to get my mind blown maybe 3-4 times per year since i started being a fan about 30 years ago. 

starting around 2015, that's down to 0-1 times per year. 

i'm not hanging up my fandom yet, but i'm predicting it will be pretty soon because i really don't like WGI.  i promise not to make a thread about it.  i feel ostentatious and self-important enough just talking about it in somebody else's goodbye thread. 

 

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21 hours ago, karuna said:

Surprised (and a little disappointed) this isn't already posted:

 

i knew it would get posted eventually

was not looking forward to it, lol

i HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE that song.  i had to play it for years at the Virginia Military Tattoo, and mass rehearsals were hours long just playing that stupid song over and over again with some screeching soprano singing

i get sick when i hear it now

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Before you go-try this. Early next season-go to a show and be sure to sit in the middle of a top brass line that is warming up. If that doesn't get the juices flowing then it may be too late.

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Many people on here, understandably, don't know who Kimber is.  He is a big name in the audio business.  Kimber Cable is top of the line audiophile stuff.  I had no idea he was a drum corps fan.  His opinion does carry a lot of weight, to me anyway, since I am a blue collar music industry guy.  His ears are well trained, his critique on the evolution of drum corps sound and implementation of A/E would be similar to someone who crafts AV sound stage for top Broadway and Hollywood productions critiquing corps' use of props.  Kimber is an expert in the audiophile world with an extensive background in live sound recording.

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18 minutes ago, Guitar1974 said:

Many people on here, understandably, don't know who Kimber is.  He is a big name in the audio business.  Kimber Cable is top of the line audiophile stuff.  I had no idea he was a drum corps fan.  His opinion does carry a lot of weight, to me anyway, since I am a blue collar music industry guy.  His ears are well trained, his critique on the evolution of drum corps sound and implementation of A/E would be similar to someone who crafts AV sound stage for top Broadway and Hollywood productions critiquing corps' use of props.  Kimber is an expert in the audiophile world with an extensive background in live sound recording.

Part of the reason why I am wondering if him attending/supporting a local show that is now ALWAYS early season. I haven't been to a live early season show but the tour opener in the theater usually has a lot of cringeworthy AV issues to work out.

I would imagine the added AV effects are a very hot mess at this time with a lot of bugs to work out. It adds a lot more timing, equipment, and skill factors that weren't in shows 10 years ago.

Generally(not in the case of CC 2017 with the micd soloist) by finals week all the bugs have been ironed out and everything sounds/looks great in LOS. 

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