retreat?

[Jared_mello]

I would die to see this one! lol We had a great time standing next to Glassmen this year. Very cool people. Figuring out retreat for the first time was definitely rocket science. Having the Glassmen's guard nearby beforehand didn't exactly help us contras in the front. B)

....or the mellos, (at least two of them), who weren't even specifically close to their guard.

:D ^OO^

[JayM]

We did an AoC once with Madison, and it was their first time doing it. I don't think their horn sargeant knew how long we were going to be standing on the field waiting to play, so he had his corps stand at attention with their horns at a carry. Fifteen minutes later, and the euphs on either side of me are shaking and wincing because for whatever reason they aren't going to put their horns down. When it came time to play, the euphs didn't even play because all they could do is shake and hope that there arms didn't give out. I thought it was funny...

That said, I miss retreat.

I think the only redeemable thing about doing AoC with another corps is that a few times during the summer, I was able to stand next to some of my other friends in other corps and play a song with them.

[matye]

As both a show promoter and a fan ... I miss the retreats. Fans we overheard talking after shows were VERY disappointed that there was no retreat and they missed it very much. There is something to be said about seeing the corps blocked between the goal posts under the lights ... pure pageantry and excitement.

Please bring back retreats at ALL shows, not just regionals.

[chadwick]

I think they should at least consider doing retreat at all regional and other major shows and save the arcs for the other shows. However, I noticed last year at Finals in Foxboro they had the corps march in from both sides for the retreat and that seemed to really expedite the whole process. I wonder if they did this at all shows if they could bring back the retreats and still save some time, which seems to be the goal.

[Iplaytimpani]

I can only speak as a pit member of the corps I march with, but It didnt seem to save us any time. Even if we came back and decided to only leave a marimba down because someone had to work on something or whatever the case was, it really didnt save any time. In the end, we seemed to always be traveling through the night, waking up early in the morning, and doing our best to make the show better. And really, that's drum corps. If DCI or the directors really thinks that 20 cumalitive minutes helps, they're wrong. I personally don't even really care about retreat as a member of the pit, and some years I even hated it because I would have to do honor guard, but I think its wrong to not do it.

Edited January 11, 2006 by Iplaytimpani

[TexasPRfan]

While there were some noticeable gains, the losses that were apparent to me were:

-It was no longer possible to see other corps perform after you. Being able to see and appreciate the competition - in the flesh - for all their strengths and weaknesses is a huge part of what makes you grow as a performer, IMO. Especially when there is an inherent focus on scores in the drum corps activity.

-Watching live drum corps is fun. I think seeing other corps performing their own unique and exciting shows, helped me get excited about performing. I wonder what it feels like to go through an entire summer busting your tail on your own show without getting a taste of what the excitement in the stands is like, from time to time?

-This new system, IMO could easily result in each corps becoming more detached, self-serving and isolated from each other. The feeling of being "one big drum corps community" always helped (from my memory) make the whole summer ... kinda make sense. You understood that we were all there serving the long-standing tradition of the drum corps activity, as well as our own interests.

Now speaking purely as a fan:

It was tragically anti-climactic to go to any show and not have the entire drum corps experience - including retreat. I missed getting to hear all the corps songs and the whole retreat experience. For me as a fan, it cheapens or short-changes the experience.

Amen to all of this. Especially speaking as a fan. I hate, hate, hate, the end of this cherished tradition.

Harvey

[drivinthedrumbus]

I didn't see any major amount of time saved. As I recall the concept was supposed to allow the Corps to get on the road sooner after performing......I never saw it.

The only thing it really did was change the after performance activities. Instead of hanging around the stadium and seeing the following corps or visiting, the members stowed uni's and equipment and maybe got some food. I think the possibility of more visiting time with friends and family was there (if the friends & family didn't care to see any other corps after) but that's about it.

As for the no practice after the least corps leaves warmup.... it ruined the one thing I enjoy more than all the performances, or being front sideline, or being part of the after the last performance emotion......

The Crossmen & Spirit DCI East parking lot concert!!!!

The combined corps playing each other's songs......I have goose bumps just sitting here writing about it!

I'm sure there are ways to expidite retreats and maybe save a little time, and that could be a good thing, but I really missed hearing Russian and Georgia. :(

Edited January 11, 2006 by drivinthedrumbus

[show_mellow]

It's more sleep time. I'd rather have a good time and sleep in my bed August. And what good is an extra half hour-45 minutes?

umm...I'm going to take a wild guess and say

you've never been a field-liner

B)

[HornlineDiva]

umm...I'm going to take a wild guess and say

you've never been a field-liner

B)

lol, touche. I haven't ever lined a field. So I'll give you that one. But still.... I'd personally trade a little bus sleep for seeing some drum corps. Bus sleep is hardly real sleep, anyway. There were less mornings where we went straight from bus to field, sans floor time, but I think that was less because of retreat and more because of less 10-hour drives. We didn't seem to travel very far between shows.

[Michelle]

I've always been a DCP lurker, but I feel a need to respond to this thread.

I've never gotten to participate in retreat; 2005 was my rookie very in DCI. That said, I don't have anything to compare my experience this past summer against. Personally, not having retreat had some serious pros and cons, and I feel it had more cons.

Pros:

- Being able to watch other corps shows while not in uniform

My corps wasn't one of those that performed later it shows, so not doing retreat actually played to our benefit in that sense. While I was a corps member, I was a fan at heart to even dive into this activity. I loved getting to see the Bluecoats and Cadets nearly eight times throughout tour from the stands or on the side. I saw how the shows progressed and evolved into their final products.

- Meeting people from the corps we played AoC with

I enjoyed talking to members of Colts and Crossmen. I also made friends with two Memphis Sound lead mellos one night because they were going to play AoC with Cadets that night. They didn't know the music (which was a recurring theme in all corps), so I just happened to have my music in my purse I was carrying. I let them see the music before they went out to play it. I still talk to one of those mello players :) The other two corps we played AoC with were Cadets and BAC...I didn't expect any "gobbling" from them.

Cons:

- Leaving shows early!

I detested it. I didn't like it at all because I have friends in other drum corps. I recall spending maybe a minute with a friend in another drum corps before being herded back onto the buses. Those friends are the ones that helped me make it through the summer. There's more personal feeling to put behind this con too, but it's a bit more selfish if anything. I did not like leaving San Antonio and Indianapolis before the night show. I would've appreciated getting to see the top 12 of the regionals because you could see what other corps are doing.

- Staying late if you did play AoC and/or do encore

If I played AoC, sure I'd get to stay at the show until later, but my friends in the other corps had already left by then. Basically it was either I leave the show before them, or they leave the show before me. It would've been much nicer if all corps left at once.

In conclusion, I'd appreciate not having retreat a whole lot more if I didn't have to leave a lot of shows early. It was that fact alone that killed me inside because my friends in other corps mean a lot to me. Hopefully this summer will be more bearable because of the corps I'm marching with. I'm sure I will grow to appreciate DCI's decision then :)