March or Die thoughts 2021....

[GUARDLING]

13 hours ago, Sutasaurus said:

So I guess we, as supporting fans, don’t matter anymore with current design trends?It’s the “new way” or the highway? This activity has always had a foot based in it’s history. Is it a bad thing to celebrate that history from time to time? Oh hell no. There’s plenty of room on that football field to award diverse approaches to entertainment. I won’t put the onus on the judges to do this, but on the design community to showcase musicality and movement once again. The sheets need to reflect this.

I'll say it again wherever the activity goes it will be the corps decision.....as it's always been....So funny I heard this argument in almost every decade...lol,,,starting as far back as 72 when drum corps was dead forever...hmmmmmm By the way who said there wasn't room for throw back shows IF done correctly and done well.. How many times have we heard WSS out of Cadets and as much as some never want to hear it again it seems always fresh to me at least.

I can agree whatever sheets should reflect BUT once again who decides this...thats my point...I never took a side on this nor would I here probably, just stating some facts or the obvious ..

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by GUARDLING

[Sutasaurus]

23 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

I'll say it again wherever the activity goes it will be the corps decision.....as it's always been....So funny I heard this argument in almost every decade...lol,,,starting as far back as 72 when drum corps was dead forever...hmmmmmm By the way who said there wasn't room for throw back shows IF done correctly and done well.. How many times have we heard WSS out of Cadets and as much as some never want to hear it again it seems always fresh to me at least.

 

 

Oh by the way I do

I understand where you’re coming from and I agree with you for the most part. Your comment about throwback shows was an interesting one. Who gets to decide what “done correctly/done well” means? 
 

 All I’m asking is that design staffs be a bit less esoteric in their approach. Take the opportunity of the exhibition season to see what was popular, what the audience reacted to and build from there. You can present fresh ideas, and still create a fan friendly show.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Sutasaurus

[Weaklefthand4ever]

10 minutes ago, Sutasaurus said:

I understand where you’re coming from and I agree with you for the most part. Your comment about throwback shows was an interesting one. Who gets to decide what “done correctly/done well” means? 
 

 All I’m asking is that design staffs be a bit less esoteric in their approach. Take the opportunity of the exhibition season to see what was popular, what the audience reacted to and build from there. You can present fresh ideas, and still create a fan friendly show.

I can see that point. We aren't anyone to go to slings on drums and return to high mark time. I can absolutely appreciate and admire the newer design elements that we are seeing. And admittedly, the trend towards vertical staging makes for some added visual interest (as well as MM difficulty,) that we still have to learn how to judge. My question is still, how to accurately and fairly judge it against the more traditional drill of other corps. It's like Santa Clara in the mid/late 80's and the magic tricks and tunnel props. They were "neat." And they added some flair to the shows (some would argue to a point of distraction.) But did they become the standard in order to compete? Not really. 

So the question is how do we judge these two styles of show side by side?

[greg_orangecounty]

1 hour ago, Sutasaurus said:

All I’m asking is that design staffs be a bit less esoteric in their approach. 

For me watching Drum Corps today, not all, but many shows, is like going to a Modern Art Museum.  I have to read the little plaque to understand what I'm looking at and takes me awhile to figure out if I liked it or not.  

[cixelsyd]

4 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

 There will be the annual DCI Winter Meetings, but those meetings will likely have no major changes in the judging sheets as the judges have made no new proposals, nor have  the Corps themselves. 

There is still plenty of time for such proposals to be made.  Deadline for submittal is not until October 15th.

[Continental]

Interesting we are having this discussion and glad it's not getting out of control.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Continental

[Fred Windish]

Good discussion! 

After more than 50 years attending drum corps events, I observe less AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT in today’s programming. By engagement, I refer to earlier shows that had cheering and standing ovations several times throughout each corps performance. From everyone, not just parents and family members. Much of it, spontaneous and predictable.

To me, certain elements of a ‘show’ seemed to reliably cause joy and standing O’s. One, still does, the long company front driving toward the front sideline. Another, is straight line, horizontal movement done perfectly. Everyone KNOWS what ‘straight’ means, and they look for it, naturally. In their mind, they are playing along, evaluating and looking for success. I’d like to see a little more of these mixed in. Of course, loud brass chords never miss getting a rise out of people. But, NOT from electronics! Too fake.

MOST OF ALL . . . melody that lasts more than just 15 seconds. Give the crowd time to be pleased with the flow, not annoyed by chopped salad noises. How many in the audience can relate to that?

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Fred Windish

[OldSnareDrummer]

48 minutes ago, greg_orangecounty said:

For me watching Drum Corps today, not all, but many shows, is like going to a Modern Art Museum.  I have to read the little plaque to understand what I'm looking at and takes me awhile to figure out if I liked it or not.  

Hence many fans' perceptions, real or not, that there is less of audiences now with standing O's, going bananas in the stands etc. I could be way off, but I see DCI's (and DCP's for that matter} audience demographic to be largely seasoned old timers. There's always exceptions, but mostly, I find it difficult to go bananas when I have to figure out the meaning of a show I just watched. 

[Continental]

2 hours ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Hence many fans' perceptions, real or not, that there is less of audiences now with standing O's, going bananas in the stands etc. I could be way off, but I see DCI's (and DCP's for that matter} audience demographic to be largely seasoned old timers. There's always exceptions, but mostly, I find it difficult to go bananas when I have to figure out the meaning of a show I just watched. 

We've seen examples of shows where it was up to the audience to interpret what the show was about.   Case in point, Phantom 2010.

The music was wonderful, the show was modern.  

They never really explained every aspect of that show.   Many audience members watched it and gave it their own meaning.   Yet, somehow,  so many were moved by it. 

 

[Sutasaurus]

19 minutes ago, Continental said:

We've seen examples of shows where it was up to the audience to interpret what the show was about.   Case in point, Phantom 2010.

The music was wonderful, the show was modern.  

They never really explained every aspect of that show.   Many audience members watched it and gave it their own meaning.   Yet, somehow,  so many were moved by it. 

 

Thank you. This really sums up the point I’m trying to make. Can we put a capital M on the music?

Edited August 29, 2021 by Sutasaurus