Now that DCI is over, I’ve seen the inevitable posts about how the scores should have been different, and I’ve seen the inevitable responses about how people should let the scores go and focus on the drive, passion, and dedication these young adults put in all summer to put on a great show.

This is ridiculous.

When I marched, I did it because I loved music and wanted to learn how to play drums. And once I understood what drum corps was, I fell in love with the medium and the performance of music and marching.

But I also loved the competitive aspect of it. And I’m not the only one.

I think it’s stupid that people keep trying to make different sides of any subject mutually exclusive. Just because fans argue about the scores OF A COMPETITIVE SPORT like drum corps doesn’t mean they don’t acknowledge what the performers have to go through to get their shows to high quality level. In fact, drum corps alumni are familiar with both aspects of the medium. We know when effort is being put in. We know how much practice it takes. We know what things certain corps need to work on to step up their game. And we also have opinions on how corps and captions are scored.

Have you ever talked to a drumline member?

Just because I think Carolina Crown should’ve won, and just because I don’t think The Blue Devils had a first place design, doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the extraordinary effort each and every single member of every single corps, from last place to first place, made for their show all season. I am allowed to have a point of view on both subjects.

The minute you forget about the passion and dedication of the members is when you deny the difficulty and demand of the drum corps activity. But the moment you forget that it’s also competitive and that scores are given is the when the activity might as well do away with scores, remove the competitive aspect, and simply make it a performance-based show. Like Blast! Or Stomp. Or Lollapalooza. But I think this would remove half the fun, for both members and fans. And I think it would remove an aspect that helps drive members to improve. Friendly competition can drive us to be better than someone else, and that, in turn, can make us better than we were yesterday.

Competition is a part of drum corps. So if you hear someone argue about the scores as if they were talking about football, let them. Because in their own way they’re showing their passion for the medium, too.