Attention Anti-Ampers

[jake_the_hydra]

I personally liked the finger snaps at the beginning of 007.

Yay amps.

[Hrothgar15]

I personally liked the finger snaps at the beginning of 007.

Yay amps.

Me too. But I'm talking about amplified vocals. :)

[drumcat]

I think the most practical way of doing it would be to find someone who knows a director, and ask if that director would put forward a rule change that prohibits vocal amplification.

If you take this seriously, I would suggest you make a "bullhorn" exception. Allow someone to use a bullhorn just in case you have a Magic 97 situation. Bullhorns aren't conducive to 525,600 songs.

Have that rule presented at the Winter meetings, and cross your fingers.

[Iplaytimpani]

True, it's impractical if only a few people do it. :( But corps need to hear the message, and that usually comes from the money side. No money, no way to pay the staff/food/gas and the corps goes nowhere. But hey, you have to start somewhere.

While I understand your general principle and fight, really in doing that, you're only hurting the marching members. No way to pay means no show, which means no summer. So in that reasoning, you'd be prepared to kill the activity because you don't like amplification? Sounds kinda silly to me.

[Lance]

It sounds like people choosing not to spend money on something they no longer like to me. And it is the best way to get their point across, IMO.

[jonnyboy]

The number one way to let corps and DCI know what you think? Write a letter.

Don't be lazy and email, don't be lazy and call on the phone, don't be lazy and chat online about how you hate amps. Write a good old fashioned letter. Write to the BofD of your fav corps, write DCI, write your corps director. Let them know that you don't like amped voice, give them a reasoned opinion. Let them know that you don't intend to support your corps financially if they amp voice. Tell them what you love about their corps, let them know you care.

I know I might get flamed for saying this, but letter still mean something. It means you care enough to sit down and right. It shows you put some real effort into it and you mean business.

Oh yea, when you do support a corps financially let them know it. Write a letter and say "I bought $144 worth of stuff from you......in part because you don't amp voice so keep up the good work".

Businesses, drumcorps, DCI will respond to reasoned requests suggestions. They will tend to ignore shouts from the stands, mean emails and online petitions filled with fake names.

[Liam]

While I understand your general principle and fight, really in doing that, you're only hurting the marching members. No way to pay means no show, which means no summer. So in that reasoning, you'd be prepared to kill the activity because you don't like amplification? Sounds kinda silly to me.

So, by this theory, because I once liked drum corps, I am forever bound to monetarily support it no matter what??

Look, I'm not in that camp and I realize this was a rather sarcastic comment. I have issues with some shows, but overall I dig the activity and continue to support it. There may be a day where that switches and the activity as a whole swings to something I care not to support anymore. If that happens and someday they swing back -- I might come back on board. All hypothetical of coure, but all I'm saying is that when (or rather if) enough people dislike what is being presented, then money will be withheld. If enough money is withheld, then the corps or DCI must adjust to the marketplace or wither. Yes marchers may be out of business at that point, but who will be at fault -- the ticket/souvie buying public, or the organizations that didn't adjust to the marketplace??

To answer the original poster -- I think the answers have been given. There's not much you as an individual can do. Cozy up to a director, start a petition and try to get a director on board, etc. But mostly it's a longer-term marketplace issue. If enough folks agree with you, then the money side will speak volumes. If not, then you have to accept the fact that the market has spoken and either learn to live with it or move on.

Or, if you've been sitting on a pile of millions and wondering what to do with it -- start your own circuit !!!!!

[Iplaytimpani]

And you're more than welcome to not spend your money on something you no longer like. But don't also say that you're fan of DCI at that point. If you don't like it anymore, than hey, at least to me, that's fine. I don't like shrimp, but I'm yet to go on a shrimp lover's forum and talk about how I don't like shrimp.

[cmathis]

While I understand your general principle and fight, really in doing that, you're only hurting the marching members. No way to pay means no show, which means no summer. So in that reasoning, you'd be prepared to kill the activity because you don't like amplification? Sounds kinda silly to me.

I agree with you COMPLETELY. Boycotting is very silly, and all it will end up doing is kill the corp.

[WWonka]

I usually just get up and go to the bathroom or get a hotdog during those shows. I don't really want to boycott all shows since there is a ton still out there I do enjoy just a few I don't care for.

One thing I do not agree with though is being a ####### jerk. Like I saw a few do at finals. Even if you didn't really like a certain corp's show with the lounge act don't be mean. I heard some guys from the upper deck at Madison scream something very mean during the moaning part of her singing. Not cool. I heard a group of kids from corps that didn't make finals setting to my right chanting "Not Drum Corps!" over and over as they left the field out that tunnel in the SE endzone due to props, etc. I also saw a few rows down low stand up and turn their back as they marched by. There is a line. Try not to cross it... <**>

That being said just get up and walk away. And empty seat during that show kinda puts the point across. And if your spending money like I was at the concessions or where ever your helping out the show... :P