Keep the Amps out of drum corps, part dos

[Galen]

:sshh:

Edited July 10, 2005 by Galen

[Galen]

Bluecoats Board of Directors member "Uncle Darren" first insulted Matt's petition as "the work of a high schooler" and presumed that Matt was telling the Bluecoats design team "how to run their program"... and then the thread was deleted from the Bluecoats website forum.

I guess I can add Bluecoats to the list of corps that only put up with free speech to a certain extent. Blue Devils (or rather, people on their forum) gave me the same treatment last year.

Now, for fairly obvious reasons, I did not include my email with the post that I made on corps threads. However, I did have to give my email to register for most of the forums I signed up for. I suppose "Uncle Darren" as you put it could have looked that up and contacted me that way instead of merely dismissing me in the manner that you describe. Since I never read his original words, it would be inappropriate for me to say any more on their forum on the issue.

That's what I get for not keeping up on other forums, I guess.

Edited July 10, 2005 by Galen

[bawker]

That's what I get for not keeping up on other forums, I guess.

Indeed.

Disheartening, to say the least...but thank you for representing the debate in a courteous manner throughout.

[Galen]

Thanks, and you're perfectly welcome.

I've made it a point to conduct the campaign with the utmost epitome of class and professionalism, because I understood just how important it was to keep this movement appearing different from the "crazy old phartes" that some people would make us out to be.

We'll see after I call DCI tomorrow to get an update on exactly what their policy is on petitioning at shows just how much further the debate will go.

[Lancerlady]

The more some things "change" :sshh: the more they stay the same.

I'm disappointed in this latest development of the way Matt was treated. <**>

Let us know Matt how it goes tomorrow.

Edited July 11, 2005 by Lancerlady

[blue9195]

A note about the Bluecoats Forum issue. Please note that I am only an active alumni and not affiliated with the corps in any other way.

I did see and read the posts in question.

I was displeased with "Uncle Darren's" reply to the thread. It was over the top. Apparently someone in the food chain also saw this and decided to have the thread removed. This was probably due to Uncle Darren's reply and several other fmm/alumni one-liners and sarcastic remarks about Matt's post on our forum.

Please realize a few things about the situation.

1. It is a forum run by the Bluecoats organization and as being such, they have full authority to moderate the forum as they see fit. The authority to remove posts exisits as an editorial tool by the organization to end discussions counter productive to the image of the corps. This has happened before in the past when members, fmm/alumni or outsiders have posted less than desirous statements.

2. Matt's post was, for the most part, generic. However, the placement of the post may have been in poor taste. I appreciate Matt's efforts and wish him the best of luck. HOWEVER, (you knew that had to be coming, right?) I considered the placement of his post to be a bit intrusive and rude. The post in question left the impression that what the corps is currently doing on the field is wrong. For better or worse, the corps has decided to embrace the new rules and use them as they see fit. What Matt did would be about on the same level as me walking into my local mosque and put up a poster about Jesus. I would feel about the same if I walked into church and there was a poster supporting the new Synagogue in the narthex. Or better yet, it would be like putting up a Red Sox poster in Manhatten. Some things are better left alone. What I'm trying to get across is, you don't go into the other guys camp to tell him he's wrong about something. With all that being said, it doesn't justify the statements made. However, it might give you insight to the mind of the various posters who had less than enthusiastic remarks for Matt's post.

3. Matt, I'm sorry you found out about this. The thread was removed in less than 2 days from start to finish. In my mind, the corps did the right thing to address the problem. They removed the thread. I'm sorry it was carried to this forum by a third party.

I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors to bring the anti-amp movement to DCI's attention.

-Travis

[bawker]

They removed the thread. I'm sorry it was carried to this forum by a third party.

Fair enough. As the "third party" in question, I brought the issue up here since my posted rebuttal to the statement(s) in question was summarily deleted, and considering the fact that Matt's inital post was summarily roasted on the forum. Perhaps in retrospect it may have been an over-reaction, or even a "tattle"...for this I will try to make amends.

Now then, I may be guilty of harboring some resentment on the fact that DCP is really made out to be a cesspool of a forum and pot-shoted by other corps forum boards...which has never made sense to me. I know we're all homers for one unit or the other, but it seems counter-productive to our own debating ends to say one thing, and then say another elsewhere.

I do realize that this is hardly the actions of an entire organization, but reading what I did from someone directly related to the corps board is both disheartening and a little bit of a surprise, as I've seen countless well-thought out and insightful posts by "Uncle Darren" on DCP as well this season.

My sincere apologies to all on the forum here and on other forums; however, I can't reconcile these issues and still support the Bluecoats organization financially...not that I am anyone in "particular", or any more than a "annoying poster on a message board" as PM's tell me so regularly.

And so it goes. :)

[MikeD]

When I yelled to corps, I yelled compliments, i.e. "Unplug them, you're great without them."  What's wrong with telling them that they are great even without amps?

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How about...take out the pit, you are great without them...or...tape down the third valve, you're great without it.

I'd hardly call that a compliment, IMO.

Mike

[MikeD]

I understood just how important it was to keep this movement appearing different from the "crazy old phartes" that some people would make us out to be.

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Well, IMO you ARE a "crazy old pharte"...though a respectful one... :P

...and half my age, or less. :(

Mike

[MikeBishop]

I have yet to hear a concrete argument FOR keeping the amps.

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Here you go, something concrete, from a kid who has been in BAC's pit a few years.

I think amplification was a huge help. Im not a fan of using amps for the voice BUT-they helped in so many other ways which ill list. First of all, we dont always have to play so loud and hard to be heard which leads to the use of indoor mallets. Instead of playing with outdoor rocks on sticks and playing with heights above our heads, we could actually use indoor mallets and play an inch off the keys and still be heard. So those are two things, indoor mallets with an indoor touch. Another thnig would be that new effects could be used in the pit. For example, BAC and BD used Udus in their shows which made a sweetg effect. BD also had a variety of other objects to simulate a train. Amps opened a door to so many new effects in the pit and i think its great. I originally was against amps, but i think theyre great-a way to look at it is something a friend told me. Resonaters are on keyboards to amplify the keys- using mics is just another way to amplify them-but it actually works outdoors.

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