Matt_S Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 To stay on topic, yeah last year was pretty bad too, though I don't think it was quite so venomous. The criticism last year focused solely on a few moments of vocals and the door, so there was more actual show to latch on to. This year's production takes everything further, and I think part of the reaction is due to the Cadets winning last year, and being in the chase this year. It leads some to think that the wrong elements of show design are being rewarded. I disagree with that, though. Regardless of what you think of their design decisions, they've still have the abillity to perform at a level few corps can match. And while the singing and gimmicks are more than ever, there's also a good amount of solid marching, playing, and drumming that we can all appreciate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) i think the real beef with the cadets to major DCI fans are his ideas. if it werent for hopkins there would be no amplification, which means no vocals. recently he has tried to have the rules ammended to include woodwinds which is completely rediculous for a drum corps. honestly the idea of a saxaphone or a clarinet on the field at a drum corps show makes me sick. and recently their shows have had no substance. yea their drum solo was cool and their drill was difficult. but what has happened to drum corps. way back when all the shows were loud and in your face the whole time. and when it ended you knew, you didnt have to wait for the dm to turn around and you still have no clue whats going on. that silence is a killer and the cadets shouldnt have taken the title with that show. I may be wrong about this, but it seems to me that Dave Gibbs of the Blue Devils was the one to propose amplification, not Hopkins. IN any case, to say that we would not have amps and vocals if it were not for George is really a misconception. GH is simply outspoken about these things, but in reality there are other directors who favor this technology (many others). This would have happened in DCI at some point just the way it happened in BOA and other band circuits. And all of that happnened without George Hopkins. It took a vote of many to initiate the technology we have today. GH has definitely proposed his share of ideas, but others must vote on them. And don't use the argument that they did it only to stay in the game competitively, because if they disagreed so much they could have voted NO and there would be no competitive decision to make regarding this technology. In so many cases, we are unfairly accusing a man who is ONLY one man, and regardless of how powerful some of you think he is, there is more at work here than just GH. Those of you who bash him and the Cadets in an insulting and ignorant way should be ashamed that you have not looked at the bigger picture. Those of you that have attacked the ideas and the quality of show are fine. This is where the argument should stay, but to insult this person, to falsely acuse the Cadets of all the problems without knowing more details, and to bash the corps in a hateful way is not the answer. Finally, regarding the last sentence I have quoted, silence after a show or after scores are announced has nothing to do with who SHOULD HAVE or SHOULD NOT HAVE won. I realize the fans are important in this activity, but so are the judges and the kids and the staff. It all works. But each must understand his/her part. We don't hire the fans to judge the show. We hire judges because they have experience, musical or visual background, training, and knowledge of how to judge this art form. We cannot assume that every drum corps show will meet the needs of all in the audience, or that all in the audience are capable of understanding or respecting the show and its artistic elements and degrees of demand. Please don't sit there and assume the fans were right and that their silence should have been the final straw that DCI looked at when deciding who would win. The bulk of the fans will always go for the most entertaining show, and there is nothing wrong with that. I do that too in most cases. But I know that there is more to it, so I accept my role. I am not one of those fans that constantly says "I am right because I am the majority, the fan, the consumer, and that makes me always right, and therefore you had better give me what I want." This is ignorant thinking because it presupposes that all others think like you, and that you are right even when you don't have all the facts. Fans have responsibilities too. We DON'T have the right to dictate what all the corps will play or march to, and we can't demand that they all please us only because others may like what we dislike. So our demand for entertainment becomes another persons loss, all because we thought we were more important and that we WERE the majority. We have the right to purchase a ticket and be entertained by a lot of corps made up of kids working their tails off. These kids are NOT professional, regardless of what anyone says, because they are NOT being paid. But with our right to be entertained comes the right of others to be...well, entertained. Don't make that decision for me. Enjoy what you can and forget about the rest. If it gets to the point where you don't enjoy anything anymore, then stop wasting your money and either leave or get involved in a meaningful way to make a difference. But the complaining on this forum only does so much good. Jonathan Edited July 12, 2006 by jwillis35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Does anyone happen to know where the breakdown of who voted how w/r/t amplification is? I'm pretty sure Phantom and Madison were nay, and certain that the Cavies were also a nay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecoats88 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Does anyone happen to know where the breakdown of who voted how w/r/t amplification is? I'm pretty sure Phantom and Madison were nay, and certain that the Cavies were also a nay. I know Bluecoats voted against amps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Um, I hate to say this, but Bluecoats are very much in favor of amps and plan to continue to use them. This I do know. Our instructors really like them and do not plan to get rid of them anytime soon. Not as far as I know anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMichael1230 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Thank you for the kind words. I apologize for my tone with you these past few days, I was out of line. Sometimes I get to involved in this Drum Corps thing. I respect the fact that you don't care for the Cadets show this year, it is your right. I will try to respectfully agree to disagree with you on the 2006 Cadets. Same here ! I always try(operative word try) to remember that we are really just debating thoughtd and ideas and forget that real people are typing them !! Cadets ?? I love Cadets, I have many hundreds of dollars of merchandise I have been collecting for thirty years of the Cadets. Had many friends win three titles in a row with Cadets...etc..etc...etc..blah, blah, blah. Hating a show, and hating it vehemently, doesnt mean ahting an organization. My poin, and my feelings are just that strong. It works the other way. When I like it, its just as strong !! ~G~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willard455 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 thats funny.. if all those corps voted against amps... why do they use them now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecoats88 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 thats funny.. if all those corps voted against amps... why do they use them now? Because the rule passed. Just because you didn't want the rule change in the first place doesn't mean you should not take advantage of the change once it is in place. That is like if back in the early days of football when they started to allow the forward pass and the teams that were really against the forward pass just decided to not use them even if they were legal. It would put their team at a huge disadvantage because the defense would know all they are gonna do is run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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