Then and now

[MikeD]

Too many threads to quote so I’ll make a general apology for forgetting that this is not really Drum Corps Planet. You can’t tell me that having an alumni corps perform right after the last finalist and before retreat would add any more than ten or fifteen minutes to the length of the show. Can anyone deny that the fans on finals night would love to see Madison’s blast from the past! How about the Kingsmen return to the field after 30 years! Both efforts belong on the biggest night in DC. Its apples and oranges.

Do I believe DC was more entertaining “back in my day”, most certainly! I also believe it was more entertaining 5 years after marched, 10 years after, 15 years after may have been the peak. Today it seems the goal is to see who can play the most running 16th note passages while running around at 220 bpm. Yea it’s my choice to go or not and for the most part I stay home. I do try to show my support for my corps family by seeing them when there around. After all it’s not the members who write or judge the book. All they can do is perform what’s given to them to the best of their ability.

The sad thing is that I believe DC has the potential to be so much more that a niche activity.

The irony to me is that you were in a corps that was the most advanced and cutting edge corps of it's era...while you were in it.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Then it hit me. I am bitter!!! As I look at the activity that I have always loved it is no stronger now than it was 30 + years ago when I was first introduced to drum and bugle corps. In fact it is much weaker! Fewer corps, fewer participants, fewer fans, and less exposure, the only thing that has increased are the cost of doing business. I strongly believe this activity has all the elements it takes to be a major mass market entertainment venue. Conflict, emotion, beauty, precision, competition, amazing sound…so why is it not grabbing the main stream audience? I lay the fault directly at the feet of DCI and the huge egos that run this activity. In my business dealing I have had the opportunity to work with some very influential people. Politicians, sports stars and captains of industry and rarely have I meet people whose egos are as big as people that are involved in DC. Not to say all involved are egomaniacs, but enough to poison the brew. Judges who with their nose in the air deem that something that is purely entertaining is not sophisticated or intellectual enough to be worthy of a top score. Creative staffs who continue to try to out obscure each other. Have you actually read some of the show concepts? What garbage! I guess I’m bitter because from my point of view this activity has never come close to reaching its potential. How sad!

I am glad you think everything I have worked for in the past 4 years is worthless. Thanks. I also hope you realize that your attitude is one of the biggest reasons why fans and participants are shifting farther away from you. If your opinion is normal for "Legacy" fans, than perhaps we'll be better off without you after all. I just love how every few days it seems, there is a new thread about how boring and worthless today's drum corps is. They all claim that no shows are boring and that the poster "knows" no fans find them entertaining. And of course there are pages on pages of people refuting that claim, stating they do in fact like the shows of today.

What if started a thread where they whole point was just a tirade against drum corps of the past? What if I said all the shows were the same? What if I said the drums sound like shoes in a dryer? What if I said the horns couldn't play in tune? What if I said I could see more entertaining drill watching people ride an escalator in a mall? What if I said all the pre/post show events like playing off the field and color presentation were a waste of time?

What if I posted those thing? People would call me an ###hole. And they would be right. I in fact do believe some of those things. But I do not go out of my way to shove them in people's faces and try to belittle everything they worked for. That was drum corps then, and people worked their ###es off to do it. You will never see me make that thread, because I keep my frickin mouth shut out of respect for their work and the foundation they laid. It's a shame some of those very same people can't muster up some respect for the things kids are doing now.

And Saturday night is for the Finalists. That's it. And it should always be that way.

[scouttimp]

I'll chime in on the positive side.

The more I ponder our slot, the more I like it! I would much rather perform Friday after semis, under the lights, to a full house, than Saturday at 4:12. My hope is that every person in the house file down as close as they can get after the last semi corps (Madison??? wouldn't that be frikkin' kismet!) for an old school ear-kicking.

Let's leave the spot between the last finals performance and scores for the juniors. They deserve it!

And, if you plan on Saturday only, I hope you can come Friday as well. Besides the Alumni corps, Semis is usually my favorite show of the year!

Love and Kisses everybody!

[Byron]

I am glad you think everything I have worked for in the past 4 years is worthless. Thanks. I also hope you realize that your attitude is one of the biggest reasons why fans and participants are shifting farther away from you. If your opinion is normal for "Legacy" fans, than perhaps we'll be better off without you after all. I just love how every few days it seems, there is a new thread about how boring and worthless today's drum corps is. They all claim that no shows are boring and that the poster "knows" no fans find them entertaining. And of course there are pages on pages of people refuting that claim, stating they do in fact like the shows of today.

What if started a thread where they whole point was just a tirade against drum corps of the past? What if I said all the shows were the same? What if I said the drums sound like shoes in a dryer? What if I said the horns couldn't play in tune? What if I said I could see more entertaining drill watching people ride an escalator in a mall? What if I said all the pre/post show events like playing off the field and color presentation were a waste of time?

What if I posted those thing? People would call me an ###hole. And they would be right. I in fact do believe some of those things. But I do not go out of my way to shove them in people's faces and try to belittle everything they worked for. That was drum corps then, and people worked their ###es off to do it. You will never see me make that thread, because I keep my frickin mouth shut out of respect for their work and the foundation they laid. It's a shame some of those very same people can't muster up some respect for the things kids are doing now.

And Saturday night is for the Finalists. That's it. And it should always be that way.

i couldn't have said it better!

[Tone Quality Matters]

Too many threads to quote so I’ll make a general apology for forgetting that this is not really Drum Corps Planet. You can’t tell me that having an alumni corps perform right after the last finalist and before retreat would add any more than ten or fifteen minutes to the length of the show. Can anyone deny that the fans on finals night would love to see Madison’s blast from the past! How about the Kingsmen return to the field after 30 years! Both efforts belong on the biggest night in DC. Its apples and oranges.

Do I believe DC was more entertaining “back in my day”, most certainly! I also believe it was more entertaining 5 years after marched, 10 years after, 15 years after may have been the peak. Today it seems the goal is to see who can play the most running 16th note passages while running around at 220 bpm. Yea it’s my choice to go or not and for the most part I stay home. I do try to show my support for my corps family by seeing them when there around. After all it’s not the members who write or judge the book. All they can do is perform what’s given to them to the best of their ability.

The sad thing is that I believe DC has the potential to be so much more that a niche activity.

Paul,

So are you saying that SCV's shows currently lack melody and entertainment value? Strange you say that and I completely disagree with you, but you aren't surpised are you? Even though I marched for another top 12 corps, I still reflect on the past when I see SCV's buses roll up, because I have a respect for the past. It is time you have some respect for the present. You are an alumnus of a corps I deeply respect in this activity. I am an old fashioned guy at heart. I have deep admiration and respect for the corps of yester year. I can't think that your fellow alumns are proud of your behavior though. Your are also blowing off the hard work and determination of every kid that marched in your corps and who march now. DCI is giving something that really they aren't obligated to, a semi finals show.

Your argument is weak, and you are making a fool of yourself on this forum. Stop now, before all credibility is gone. You are not doing all of the alumns across America who march DCA any service by showing your lack of maturity and decorum. Good thing is, most all of us on this forum know that you are the millitant minority in DCA, and most DCA members share a love for the junior corps activity as well.

Bottom line... Those of us who marched are all a part of something very special. Stop whining. Like any other activity, ours has evolved. I feel great about where the activity is and where it is going. If you don't, then perhaps you should just stick to posting on the DCA forums. I suspect they will tire of your adnaseum attacks on the junior corps too.

[Byron]

oh and btw...though i think that the alumni corps have an incredible performance quality, i do agree that saturday is for the finalists.

plus - a performance on friday gives us something to look forward to in the middle of those long 3 days!!

[MikeD]

I am glad you think everything I have worked for in the past 4 years is worthless. Thanks. I also hope you realize that your attitude is one of the biggest reasons why fans and participants are shifting farther away from you. If your opinion is normal for "Legacy" fans, than perhaps we'll be better off without you after all. I just love how every few days it seems, there is a new thread about how boring and worthless today's drum corps is. They all claim that no shows are boring and that the poster "knows" no fans find them entertaining. And of course there are pages on pages of people refuting that claim, stating they do in fact like the shows of today.

I don't think he represents legacy fans...it's just his own POV. He certainly does not represent THIS legacy fan (see sig).

[Walter]

I have no problem with that !

Maybe some year, they can get ten or twelve ALUMNI corps together and have an exhibition that will fill a stadium, maybe on a Wednesday night or something, who knows some day. :(

[Jeff Ream]

come now....ive never seen anyone get so offended by someone's disgust in dci's decisions that he gets personally attacked

you havent been here long :P

[Jeff Ream]

Too many threads to quote so I’ll make a general apology for forgetting that this is not really Drum Corps Planet. You can’t tell me that having an alumni corps perform right after the last finalist and before retreat would add any more than ten or fifteen minutes to the length of the show. Can anyone deny that the fans on finals night would love to see Madison’s blast from the past! How about the Kingsmen return to the field after 30 years! Both efforts belong on the biggest night in DC. Its apples and oranges.

Do I believe DC was more entertaining “back in my day”, most certainly! I also believe it was more entertaining 5 years after marched, 10 years after, 15 years after may have been the peak. Today it seems the goal is to see who can play the most running 16th note passages while running around at 220 bpm. Yea it’s my choice to go or not and for the most part I stay home. I do try to show my support for my corps family by seeing them when there around. After all it’s not the members who write or judge the book. All they can do is perform what’s given to them to the best of their ability.

The sad thing is that I believe DC has the potential to be so much more that a niche activity.

dude, i have blasted dci on here probably more than anyone, and many have blasted DCI, so this isnt sucking up to DCI by any stretch of the imagination.

i love alumni corps. ####, i am in one, but let's be realistic here....

how many ##### is your corps going to put in the seats for finals? yes Kingsmen were the first champs, changed the game at that time, and deserve to be seen at the first ever CA finals.

but this is DCI finals. tell me AK will sell more tickets than BD or SCV or Cadets or Cavies?

no offense to AK alum members, but you wont. 27 didnt add that many ##### to the stands in 1994. what helped was the fact that finals were in Boston, a former hotbed of activity. i'd venture 18k tickets were sold long before 27 was advertised.