EMStar85 Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 "yeehaw all, i just bought me a drum corps!" :P Come on, Jeff; get it right! We say Y'ALL in Texas! Jayzer, lighten up. LOL You acknowleged it was made as a joke, so take it as such. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Bauglir Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 A very long time ago when DCI was first starting, our corps director, Dave Clark gathered us all around to discuss DCI. He remarked that DCI will change drum corps and eventually ruin the neighborhood corps. He mentioned that within a few years you'll have to drive hundreds of miles to compete in a show and spend tens of thousands of dollars to run a corps. (Not adjusted for inflation). That soon directors won't have any say in what shows they compete in and it will all be decided by someone we don't even know.Local drum corps were like a musical alternative to a little league team when I was in them. We never had to go more than 60 miles to compete in a show with at least 5 or 6 other local corps. Many of our members did not agree with Mr. Clark's view of DCI and they left and went to a corps called Tri Community Cadets in nearby Newtown Square to chase their DCI dreams and changed the name to Keystone Regiment. They did well. Our corps was left in ruins by so many leaving and eventually folded. Keystone and 507 Hornets merged to form the Crossmen. I had many friends in both corps. So in a sense 3 corps were left in the dust to make one. However, Crossmen were so good for the area I think it was a good thing if DCI had to be the future of drum corps. Everyone one that marched in the 1960s to '70s can probably name all the corps that were in SE, PA back then. Drum Corps existed for the kids, like little league, not for some grandiose overblown musical production, which is what DCI is now. DCI killed the neighborhood corps and now thousands of kids will never know the comaraderie and fun of "growing up" with their neighborhood friends and competing in local contests. The pity is we can't go back to a simpler time when it was just a bunch of local kids putting their whole hearts and souls into THEIR corps to beat the guys from the next town and win the local championship. (I know, I'm on an old guy rant). Our auditions consisted of; "Can ya walk? Do ya know your right from your left?(never mind, we'll work on that later)". Now, you have to be a music major and be able to play symphonic excerpts and be able to dance the lead in Swan Lake. (both of which, I can do, by the way).And that's all well and good given the types of shows DCI does. It makes me sad to know the kid down the street, that has a hard time staying in step, but has a big heart and tries his/her best has no place to go anymore. The Crossmen move is more symbolic of what we have let our activity become by letting outside parties run the show and make the important local decisions. They put the show before the kids and that is backwards and that is DCI. DCI has raised the bar to such a height that no one wants to be in a local corps if they don't have a shot at the top 12 and now any small local corps that tries to compete is laughed at. (I know you all have laughed, but followed it with a "No, they're really not bad for a small corps") I wish the kids that will march in the San Antonio Crossmen well. Really. If it had to happen - it had to happen. As for our area in Southeastern PA, we need a drum corps outlet for our kids here in our state. Anyone up for forming a new corps. It could be called, The Double-Crossmen. You are aware DCI IS the corps right? It's not an "outside body". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 (edited) You are aware DCI IS the corps right? It's not an "outside body". Heh, I've had someone rip me a new one for saying that. This person claims that DCI is the "member corps". "Member Corps" = top <forget exact number> of corps. Or to be more precise, DCI is the representatives of the top ??? corps. And I see Martys point, DCI pushes the top touring corps to the point that any local type of corps (Div II/III) can't even get a freakin' mention on the telecast. Edited September 25, 2006 by JimF-xWSMBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob984 Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 I've marched in a corps that was an hour from home, and one that was a day's flight away. Location never "ruined" it for me. Sure, one was more difficult than the other, but hey--"that's drum corps." (1$ to Pat Seidling) To your question, "What about the kids from SE, PA?" ... Do you mean to say that the corps should be exclusive to kids from those states? Do you prefer that no one else march there? I doubt it. No corps could survive with that mentality, and I'm betting there have always been a substantial number of marching members coming from other states (as far as Texas, for instance...) I'm guessing you'd prefer to have as many people from those states march as possible, and hope to heck that kids from elsewhere are willing and able to travel to PA to fill in the gaps. I completely understand how frustrating it might be for someone who lives nearby. Even more so if their particular circumstances won't allow them to travel to the new location. (Heck, I probably would have marched another year or two--93, for sure-- had I lived close to Rockford) But, the corps' administrators have to make decisions based on what they feel will benefit the corps overall, not just the folks who live in the immediate area. I think your final comment is a slap in the face to both the corps and the kids that have marched, and will continue to march, there--particularly to those who have made the perennial trek to PA for so long. You really don't fully get the point.....I am glad that you were able to fly to corps, but many Bones will not be able to return to the corps. Only around 20 flew to last year's corps, and most of the rest were within 0 - 6 hours drive. The Crossmen were a corps who had kids mostly from the NE; they may not have been good enough (some were) to march in a top 5 corps, and flying elsewhere was not an option. The Crossmen gave them a place to march division I in their region. That is totally gone now. The corps was never exclusive to just kids from the NE, but that was our huge nucleus to this day. Alumni supported the corps in it's effort to provide for these NE kids. It will now be just another "international" corps....it will provide for local TEXAS kids, and the rest will be those with means who can fly in. But the identity as a NE corps is now dead. No effort thusfar has been made to accomodate them with either northern auditions or rehearsals....it's all in Texas. I couldn't help but notice you went from Sky Ryders to Phantom close to the time of the move to Texas, which didn't work out for SkyRyders and you didn't stick it out with them for their remaining years.....I would be interested to know exactly what happened there, because they went to Texas with great aspirations and the corps was done in 3 years....many ex-bones fear the same fate.........and I think the whole "support" thing, right, wrong or different, is that support is to a different corps; they will be the Crossmen in name only....there are many who think perhaps something needs to replace the Crossmen for the void for the young people in our region that was just sold. GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Come on, Jeff; get it right! We say Y'ALL in Texas!Jayzer, lighten up. LOL You acknowleged it was made as a joke, so take it as such. B) sorry. I'll go back to practicing my PA dutch version :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Mike a simple fact is if you aren't top 6, which Crossmen perenially weren't, sales wont be that high. kids today look at winners, not cool tshirts.i'd guarantee Cadets outsold Crossmen on a nightly basis because of status. I am asking how the YEA! status hurt their sovie sales. I understand all of the rest. When was their first year under YEA!? 96? I forget....look at their average placements the decade before YEA! and the decade under YEA! I bet that average is higher with YEA! than earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 well i dont suppose to know what was in george's mind, but let's be honest...moving them to Texas means less competition for kids. the cadets own the NE now Let's be honest...the Cadets have hardly been hurting for members...and high level ones at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Nope.It'll be great when vocals are banned from the field, and amps repealed. Hey, I can dream can't I? :P Actually, that would be a nighmare! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 An aspect that has been left out of the discussion comes back to me as well-meaning folks have frequently pointed to how Crossmen simply drained YEA resources and gave nothing back. I don't remember seeing posts like that. People HAVE posted about how the Xmen have required more resources than they take in...that has been public info for a long time...but I haven't seen where anyone has intimated that the 'gave nothing back'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 question....what if the fence sitters are turned off by the corps being moved far away from home? Then I guess that will say something too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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