New Column - Inside the Arc

[hughesmr]

It's not like he deson't have a shelf full of Grammy Awards or anything...

Oh yeah, I forgot that having a Grammy is proof positive of being a musical genius....

[hughesmr]

Speaking personally, my complaints about drum corps music are:

1. Arrangements that completely lose the character and musical development of the original work, in favor of "special effects" added by the arranger. This is prevalent at all levels of the activity. If you're going to play someone else's composition, then play their composition. I think it's insulting to cherry-pick a couple of bars of melody and stick them into your own chart. I also think these arrangements can be especially boring if the audience doesn't know the original work well enough to see how it's been chopped up.

...snip...

Some of the corps that I responded to musically this year were Capital Regiment, Colts, Blue Knights, Crown, SCV, Bluecoats, Phantom, Cavaliers.

I hear what you're saying, and I loved PR this year, but they are as guilty as anyone for the "cherry-picking" you mention. How do you possibly do the Mahler 2 in this medium without doing that?

That was the only real part of PR '06 that disappointed me --- Mahler REALLY got shortchanged.

[Matt_S]

Heh, how do you not shortchange Mahler?? I mean, the entire symphony is as long as six or seven field shows back-to-back.

[ScribeToo]

rather, they are simply pointing out that many people (I would venture to say the greater percentage of the mass listening audience) do not find this music to be particularly enjoyable or engaging. Consequently, they therefore applaud the article by Mr. Dorritie as giving voice to the "common man," if you will, whose unsophisticated musical ear may not allow him to appreciate the more complex, esoteric compositions that seem to be fashionable among today's directors, arrangers and programmers.

Hold my sceptre for a minute whilst I wax philosophical...

I think we all enjoy the supposition that our own opinions agree with those of the silent majority.. the truth is, we never really know for sure.. because by nature we surround ourselves with those of like mind.. giving us the impression of being "in the majority" -- strength in numbers and all that.

I don't think Frank wrote his article thinking he wouldn't see critique, disagreement and even some heated rebuttals..

I think he wrote it thinking it would generate discussion (which it has) and sometimes "discussion" includes disagreement and even angry rebuttals.. sometimes it even includes people who question validity of the author's opinion..

That's why we call it "discussion." If the only people permitted to post or talk were ones who agreed, then we could call it something else.

Stef

[Kamarag]

Heh, how do you not shortchange Mahler?? I mean, the entire symphony is as long as six or seven field shows back-to-back.

"The Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps is proud to announce the for the next eight years (2007-2014) it will be presenting Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in it's complete form. When complete, this "masterwork of drum corps" will total the 74 minutes the orchestral work takes to perform as intended by the composer.

"Each year will feature a ten-minute block of the symphony, and the final block, of approximately four minutes, will be followed by a six-minite standing ovation/audience participation segment."

[ducttapedgerbil]

Yes, if only it were more about what you and those who agree with you want. Then it would be for the kids.

If corps actually took Frank's advice and played everything he considers good, DCI would lose me and lots of others. It might very well gain enough new fans to make up for the loss, but nobody knows that for sure. In other words, this is entirely a matter of opinion, and Frank was wise enough to even say so before getting to the presentation of his opinion.

Well, I don't think there is much disagreement that the direction it has been going HAS been losing lots of fans.

[ScribeToo]

Well, I don't think there is much disagreement that the direction it has been going HAS been losing lots of fans.

Mark me in the disagreement column.

Maybe it's lost a lot of fans YOU know.. but it's gained a lot of fans as well.. kind of like a swap.. unless you'd like to qualify and explain how new fans somehow hold less value than old fans?

A fan is a fan. Money is green wherever it comes from. Kids still clamor to march.. seems to me if it WASN'T "about the kids," they'd be smart enough to steer clear after trying it once.

Stef

[ducttapedgerbil]

Mark me in the disagreement column.

Maybe it's lost a lot of fans YOU know.. but it's gained a lot of fans as well.. kind of like a swap.. unless you'd like to qualify and explain how new fans somehow hold less value than old fans?

A fan is a fan. Money is green wherever it comes from. Kids still clamor to march.. seems to me if it WASN'T "about the kids," they'd be smart enough to steer clear after trying it once.

Stef

Attendance is down at shows, there are fewer corps (ie fewer kids participating), many fans are simply not enjoying attending like they used to. They will continue to show up out of loyalty to the activity (ie White Sox fans) for a while but eventually they will stop.

I don't see as many kids participating in the activity like they did when I marched. There were many more kids in the past that would age out with the corps they started with. Nowadays, many kids don't stick with it for as many years and there is a lot more cherry picking by both the kids and the corps. There is not the loyalty and commitment between the corps and the members that there used to be. I know LOTS of kids that are currently or recently marched Jr. corps...this comes from them.

[ScribeToo]

Attendance is down at shows, there are fewer corps (ie fewer kids participating), many fans are simply not enjoying attending like they used to. They will continue to show up out of loyalty to the activity (ie White Sox fans) for a while but eventually they will stop.

I don't see as many kids participating in the activity like they did when I marched. There were many more kids in the past that would age out with the corps they started with. Nowadays, many kids don't stick with it for as many years and there is a lot more cherry picking by both the kids and the corps. There is not the loyalty and commitment between the corps and the members that there used to be. I know LOTS of kids that are currently or recently marched Jr. corps...this comes from them.

Well I'll remember that next time I'm jammed in my seat at an early season show.. or next time I have to count out 600+ plates to feed one audition camp meal.. and the next time I'm at a banquet aging out 4, 5 and 6 year vets...

I'll be the one quietly chanting: attendance is down..... fewer kids are participating.... there is no corps loyalty... attendance is down... fewer kids are participating.... there is no corps loyalty.

It's all in your perspective. I'm in the midwest. The shows I go to are basically full.. even the little middle of nowhere shows (like Cedarburg and even two years ago the Oneida show was pretty darn full, too).. I see LOTS of kids auditioning.. and returning even when they were cut last year.. AND I see a loyalty to corps like I never knew when I lived on the west coast. Just because it isn't the way it was when you marched doesn't make it bad.. or worse.. or declining. Maybe it's just different?

Maybe your complaint isn't so much that it isn't "about the kids" but that it isn't so much "about you" anymore, instead?

Perspective, my friend. All about perspective. My personal experience is vastly different from what you report is yours.

How can we both be having such different experiences with the exact same activity? I think it's because I'm not dissatisfied whereas you might be.

Stef

[ducttapedgerbil]

Well I'll remember that next time I'm jammed in my seat at an early season show.. or next time I have to count out 600+ plates to feed one audition camp meal.. and the next time I'm at a banquet aging out 4, 5 and 6 year vets...

I'll be the one quietly chanting: attendance is down..... fewer kids are participating.... there is no corps loyalty... attendance is down... fewer kids are participating.... there is no corps loyalty.

It's all in your perspective. I'm in the midwest. The shows I go to are basically full.. even the little middle of nowhere shows (like Cedarburg and even two years ago the Oneida show was pretty darn full, too).. I see LOTS of kids auditioning.. and returning even when they were cut last year.. AND I see a loyalty to corps like I never knew when I lived on the west coast. Just because it isn't the way it was when you marched doesn't make it bad.. or worse.. or declining. Maybe it's just different?

Maybe your complaint isn't so much that it isn't "about the kids" but that it isn't so much "about you" anymore, instead?

Perspective, my friend. All about perspective. My personal experience is vastly different from what you report is yours.

How can we both be having such different experiences with the exact same activity? I think it's because I'm not dissatisfied whereas you might be.

Stef

When I marched the loyalty definitely ran deeper than it does now. Whatever corps you started with...well that was your corps barring family moving or some sort of personality conflicts or, the exception, getting cut. You simply did not change corps...that was that. Also, the corps was loyal to it members...if you made it through that first season and weren't a complete screwup and, even if you sucked, worked hard you would alwasy have a spot.

On the west coast I get to meet members and alumni of 4-5 Div I corps, several Div II, and several Div III...that kind of loyalty just does not exist anymore. A lot of people I speak to marched corps on the east coast too and the situation is the same. The same degree of loyalty is just not the same anymore. Stories of vets getting cut are numerous...that just should not happen. When things like that happen it's NOT about the kids anymore.

It may also be that on the west coast there are so many activites competing for the attention of the spectators. I have attended shows over the past few years both as a spector(1-2 a year) and as a performer(7-10 a year) and I can absolutely say that attendance is down. If it is not entertaining people will find other things to do. Having done the DCI tour thing I know that the midwest and east coast have lots of shows in little towns where that is the big event for the week or even month...and that's not a bad thing...it means a guarantee of a successful show. It's just that you have not been able to see the declining "entertainment value" of DCI with regard to other offerings. This is not a dig on little towns, just an illustration of why I see something different than you.

I would love to think that DCI at the Rose Bowl will wake up the west coast market but since it is only going to be here for 1 year I highly doubt that will happen. Besides, given how obtuse many of the shows have been the last several years I am not sure it would be a good thing to get too much exposure until the direction changes just a bit and refocuses on the entertainment value.....I digress....let's stay focused on Frank's original statements.