Pioneer

[PhantomR]

I am tired of Irish shows. Yawn. I think the troopers shows work simply because we LIVE IN AMERICA. It's more of a patriotic thing. I equate pioneers shows to the same idea if there was a corps from Iceland or something and only played Icelandic music that was poorly designed and executed. It would get old and stale REALLY quickly. It's cool to have tradition, but man... Sometimes traditions need to change. And I know those hats are a tribute to Roman (am I right?), but really now... Just my opinions.

So, your saying if Pioneer was based in Ireland, they'd be entertaining?

dude, get real.

Pioneer has found the same niche as SCV in the world of drum corps... there own niche.

they are your opinions, but I still think you should hold them back before you post them on a public board.

~>conner

[jbenburton]

Pioneer, be proud that people are getting on here and bashing you, that means you are doing something right. If you were not doing something right, no-one would ever notice you and would not ever get on here and bash you.

Now, I think this could have ended earlier if the original poster had just said that he didn't like Irish music and wished Pioneer would move away from it. Where the poster messed up was saying that it is killing the organization. A theme does not kill a corps, if that was the case I can think of one corps that would never have anyone show up cause their show is boring EVERY YEAR and I cannot think of a single person that I know that would disagree, even ones who marched that corps. But they marched there because of what that staff had to offer them and what the corps had to offer them. No I am not going to mention the name of that corps, cause even though their show bores me, I will still support them in anyway I can, just like I will support any other corps out there and I will not bash them.

Maybe it is arguable that Pioneer has had some rough years lately, that doesn't mean that next year they will be rough. I personally thought their performance level this past year was really good and up a higher level then years past, but that is only my personal opinion.

Well, I typed all of this out to just say my piece and really it means nothing, just like the original post on here.

[liebot]

Pioneer, be proud that people are getting on here and bashing you, that means you are doing something right. If you were not doing something right, no-one would ever notice you and would not ever get on here and bash you.

Now, I think this could have ended earlier if the original poster had just said that he didn't like Irish music and wished Pioneer would move away from it. Where the poster messed up was saying that it is killing the organization. A theme does not kill a corps, if that was the case I can think of one corps that would never have anyone show up cause their show is boring EVERY YEAR and I cannot think of a single person that I know that would disagree, even ones who marched that corps. But they marched there because of what that staff had to offer them and what the corps had to offer them. No I am not going to mention the name of that corps, cause even though their show bores me, I will still support them in anyway I can, just like I will support any other corps out there and I will not bash them.

Maybe it is arguable that Pioneer has had some rough years lately, that doesn't mean that next year they will be rough. I personally thought their performance level this past year was really good and up a higher level then years past, but that is only my personal opinion.

Well, I typed all of this out to just say my piece and really it means nothing, just like the original post on here.

I'm pretty sure some people like Glassmen's shows. In fact, one of my good friends is a huge Glassmen fan.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I know quite a few people who would rank shows like G-99 and 01 as some of their favorite shows of any corps. I am one of those people.

[PhantomR]

I'm a huge Glassmen fan.

~>conner

[gottalovit]

I agree as well, except for the part about drum corps being more valuable than four years of high school music education - this should not be the case if you have a half-decent high school music teacher.

One of the reasons I feel that it may be more valuable than 4 years of high school education is that with most of the schools(at least here in Iowa), students maybe have 3-5 hours of music(band/choir/orchestra) a week. Occasional before or after school sessions occur in some schools, but even then that still adds up to less than 12 hours a week for most music students. Even a top notch band instructor isn't going to have the ability to focus on any one person/section for any length of time, especially if there is one director and a couple of assistants for a band program that may have up to 300 students. Even during marching band season when they have many part time staff/volunteers helping, there still isn't the kind of focus you are able to have in the drum corps world. 50 plus hours a week of rehearsal time, with staff members for every section of the corps, and tons of individual/small group attention.

This is not saying that there aren't thousands of amazing music instructors out there in high schools today, but that drum corps have many music instructors that are amazing, with better student-instructor ratios, plus being able to have controlled rehearsal times for 2 1/2 months with little to interfere with the learning process, just gives them a better education than most high schools.

[geluf]

My point is that if you always hate the themes and you always hate the design and you hate the tradition we have set... what do you like about the corps??? I mean, the corps was founded in St. Patrick's church, we have a little bit of precedence here. I am not implying anything at all, why don't you post all the shows and everything else that you have liked/like about the corps, then I may be a little more welcoming of your criticism.

I ALWAYS like watching Pioneer. Nowhere did I say otherwise. I only commented that I'd like to see them try something a little different. Wouldn't have to be permanent; I was just wishing aloud. I quite enjoyed Pioneer's 2005 show (saw it 3 or 4 times over the season).

[geluf]

I would just like to point out some irony:

Pioneer, be proud that people are getting on here and bashing you, that means you are doing something right. If you were not doing something right, no-one would ever notice you and would not ever get on here and bash you.

Later that same post...

...I can think of one corps that would never have anyone show up cause their show is boring EVERY YEAR and I cannot think of a single person that I know that would disagree, even ones who marched that corps.

WAIT! Wha? *looks back at first part*

If you were not doing something right, no-one would ever notice you and would not ever get on here and bash you.

bwhaa?

[nemesiscorps]

What I have seen in all the arguments against Pioneer's design and talent levels and all that other bullcrap are completely trivial. The main issue the corps has been having is a lack in stability in staff over the past few seasons. From the position that most are taking, one would have to assume that the staff is constant and that the design team is the same. That is simply not true. Why assume that everything is going to be the same every season when the staff is obviously pretty much all-new in 2006? And those of you b******* about our lack of talent level, how about you go and do some recruiting for us? I wouldn't mind your criticisms if you were offering actual solutions other than the obvious "get kids who play good" crap. I also take it very personally when all of you so casually speak of our talent level. In the past three seasons I have marched with those who are now Scouts, members of Phantom, Cavies, SCV, etc. So OBVIOUSLY Pioneer is not devoid of talent. I think you all need to get a secondary hobby outside of, again, b******* about things that corps do that you can't do anything about. Do any of you HONESTLY think that Roman will consider ANYTHING posted on this board in the least? If you know Roman, you will know that he probably has never even seen the homepage of drumcorpsplanet.com himself. Why don't you write nice emails or letters to him since you are all so greatly concerned about a corps many of you seem to just dislike. Sure you can say that you don't dislike the corps.... but if you say that you hate the irish theme and the show designs (in that discredit the work that all of us young, immature, untalented musicians put into it), you are saying that you dislike the corps. I think this thread should be ended because I know that many of you would not come up to even my face and tell me that everything I have done over the past few years has been crap. Although I must admit I would probably like the opportunity that would present.

Please be at peace my friend. Again, you have shown me a side of you that defies comprehension, yet I understand you all too well. Like myself, you are a Pioneer... it is at the very core of who we are and where your hearts live. It is not possible for others to understand this, and no manner of speech nor written word will change that. Please know that I (and others like you and I) am with you in spirit this season and beyond. Your incredible loyalty and commitment to the corps transcends this message board, those that yawn at the shamrock, and frankly, the activity itself. This loyalty and commitment are things that are foreign to this 21st century activity disguised as drum corps, but they are also things that I pray that every member of Pioneer would gain in their experience with our organization. A sense of loyalty and commitment to core values and something that they truly believe in. March on my friend, and be thankful...

"For the togetherness and friendship we share, for the hardworking members of the corps, and for the corps itself"

Bobby

Pioneer for life

[leadsoplove]

Thanks Bobby. And thank you as well geluf, all I wanted to hear was something positive. If you were a corps member and all you heard in rehearsal was solely what you did wrong, how good would you honestly think you were, and how high would your morale be?

Edited December 8, 2005 by leadsoplove