Newspaper article about drum corps

[sburstall]

That's better. :P

[RLamb]

I think this was a great article, especially for a newspaper. I've not

seen many appear this well written or detailed. I sent the writer a

thank you email.

[Jam_man_tpt]

So the writer says that Vanguard changed the end of thier show before finals in 1979 and beat Regiment by .01. If corpsreps.com serves my correctly Regiment 2 pointed SCV that night. In fact SCV didn't beat them at all that year.

This is a poorly written article. It didn't give a in depth description of drum corps or even the event. He didn't get the facts right. He said that Scouts were show was called Madisonic and they were playing Malaga. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that last year's show. The article wasn't put together well at all. It sounds like this guy was told by someone higher up that he must advertise this event and he didn't know much about it and didn't want to do it.

[GSNewell]

Definitely not the case, Ben.

He gave quite a detailed description of the elements of a drum corps. Is everything you ever wanted to know about drum corps in there? No. That's not practical. He's given a finite amount of words to write.

Yes, there are a few factual errors, but nothing that matters to Joe Fan that's just thinking about going to see what this drum corps thing is Monday night.

David Williams, the writer, is a long-time drum corps fan -- back to the late 70s. He was at last year's Drums Across the Tri-State and has purchased tickets for this year's show.

He was very excited talking about the show (he interviewed me for the article).

G

[GSNewell]

Oh, BTW.

I've done a bunch of interviews with newspaper reporters the past few years. The Huntington and Charleston papers have done BY FAR two of the best jobs of previewing the show.

If anyone should be super-critical it should be me since it's me that's quoted and I work as an editor at a newspaper myself!

G

[RLamb]

This is a poorly written article.  It didn't give a in depth description of drum corps or even the event.  He didn't get the facts right.  He said that Scouts were show was called Madisonic and they were playing Malaga.  Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that last year's show.  The article wasn't put together well at all.  It sounds like this guy was told by someone higher up that he must advertise this event and he didn't know much about it and didn't want to do it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I for one think it was WELL WRITTEN...even with some of his statistics being incorrect.

(Maybe that wasn't his fault.) However, I do feel it was well written and we, as a

drum corps community, should be thankful that a daily newspaper devoted this much

space to encourage folks to attend the show. Remember, this is a newspaper, not an

issue of Drum Corps World. To expect an "in depth description" of drum corps is a

little unrealistic don't you think?

We've had drum corps contests here in central Ohio for over 30 years. I don't ever

recall the Columbus Dispatch doing that type of a story on show EVER. The writer and

paper should be commended.

[Jam_man_tpt]

All is fair. Agree to disagree. I did in fact email the journalist and thanked him for giving the time and space to drum corps. I do realize this doesn't happen very often. But still, I think it is poorly put together and the facts should be looked up before publishing them.

[Michael Boo]

There is only one way to guarantee that those outside the activity or on the perimeter or at times even within the activity write articles that are 100% factually accurate, and that is to have nothing written about us at all.

I'll trade a wrong fact here and there for good publicity that might help draw newcomers to the stadium who might even became repeat fans.

Sometimes we lose sight of the total picture. Good publicity is good for us. An errant fact won't stand in the way of that. Those who try getting the point across that drum corps is good and fun should be applauded. Only if they give wrong information on "Jeopardy" should they hear the buzzer.

Mike

[GSNewell]

Exactly, Mike.

These stories were written about a show I'm helping to organize/promote and they include quotes from me. I'm not the least bit bothered by a technicality, relatively insignificant fact or a minor misquoting. Now if they had the stadium wrong, the date of the show incorrect or bad ticket information, I'd be irritated.

G

[Fievel]

Maybe he just grabbed his repertoire info from the show's program. I know I've seen MANY errors in programs over the past 25 years (old shows, wrong corps in photo, etc.). And perhaps he meant 1978 with the SCV score over PR?

Regardless, great article.