Cadets the future of drum corps?

[bawker]

Did Hopkins give up the first time his proposal for amps was shot down?

or the second, third, or forth times?

Had his proposal been shot down the year it was voted in do you think he would have given up?

All the complaining on DCP in the world isn't going to change jack ####. Persistence just might.

How many of the directors on the year of the petition thought to themselves "This was to be expected, they'll come around in a year or two once they see this isn't going to kill drum corps" and MIGHT have changed their minds if people had been persistent?

That's a good point.

However, that persistance is part of Hopkins job...as director of YEA! has has time to lobby, to call...to persuade in order to bring his ideas to life as director of a non-profit.

The petition has/had no support from someone intricately involved with the activity, only a internet message board of fans with other jobs, distractions and the like. Is that an excuse? Maybe. But there is only so much you can do on the 'net, and with DCI effectively ending things for in-person signings of the petiton at shows a few years ago, it more or less killed things.

In order to get something...a compromise here...accomplished, people on the other side are going to need an "in" in the activity. To sponsor it for a vote, to lobby for it....and that's just not taking place. Even though there are at least 10 people who voted initially against it. :)

So here we are.

[bobchilds]

I'm not saying this to be inflammatory

I don't know if the Cadets are the future of drum corps, but they (along with other corps in the activity) appear to be becoming more like the marching bands of the past 10-20 years. Granted the talent and musicianship are higher than any marching band I've ever seen. But if the Cadets were to add woodwinds, trombones and sousaphones to the their most recent shows, what would the difference be? Then what would be next? Guitars? Synths? Pyrotechnics? It has all been done by bands.

My point is not to bash Cadets. The Cadets are certainly not the only corps moving in this direction. It seems that with every passing year of DCI rule changes, the activity edges just a little bit closer to marching band. MANY corps opt to explore the possibilities allowed by the new rules, so it's not fair to hang this all on the Cadets. I would say, however, that the Cadets are probably the BEST and most ambitious corps in this category, and their director seems to be the one of the most vocal about his visions for the future of the activity. I am simply pointing out that the DCI corps are probably not moving toward the future of anything, but toward the past of something else.

Here's an analogy: If I'm a master chef of Chinese cuisine, and am wanting to bring new innovations to the art of Chinese cooking, would it be innovative for me to gradually morph chow mein into spaghetti with meatballs? Of course not. I have just become an Italian food chef.

<prophesy>

The future of drum corps will essentially be full time, touring marching bands in the summertime. The complete transition will come into fruition within the next 10-15 years.

</prophesy>

[Kamarag]

Here's an analogy: If I'm a master chef of Chinese cuisine, and am wanting to bring new innovations to the art of Chinese cooking, would it be innovative for me to gradually morph chow mein into spaghetti with meatballs? Of course not. I have just become an Italian food chef.

That's probably the most accurate summation of the direction we're headed that i've seen yet.

<prophesy>

The future of drum corps will essentially be full time, touring marching bands in the summertime. The complete transition will come into fruition within the next 10-15 years.

</prophesy>

If this is the case, and I fear you are correct, the directors should just say so publically. That way, the corps that want to stay corps can go somewhere else (DCA maybe?) and leave Summer Bands International to those that support the marching band folks.

Personally, I like my marching band in the fall.

Edited July 27, 2006 by Kamarag