Can someone explain how we went from symmetrical drill to not?

[KeithHall]

Yankee rebels....Bill McGrath?

[Fran Haring]

Yankee rebels....Bill McGrath?

Yes...he and John Flowers worked with their percussion back in those days. Truman Crawford wrote the brass charts. I believe Rick Maas wrote the drill, and Don Brager was the main in-house visual instructor.

[xandandl]

Yes...he and John Flowers worked with their percussion back in those days. Truman Crawford wrote the brass charts. I believe Rick Maas wrote the drill, and Don Brager was the main in-house visual instructor.

For the newbies, Rich Maas was a Central States Judging Association member when DCI first started. He brought new and innovative technology to the early Rules Congress sessions and judges' clinics. I remember him back in the early 70's when the meetings were in Itasca, Ill. showing us in the visual caption meeting a computer video of random shapes and progressions which we were to evaluate, consider in transitions, and rank and rate for difficulty and enjoyment. A very large man in all dimensions with a booming voice to match, he was well ahead of the times in his marching design as you noted but also in his discussions of where drum corps might develop and how judges were to score it.

[IllianaLancerContra]

For the newbies, Rich Maas was a Central States Judging Association member when DCI first started. He brought new and innovative technology to the early Rules Congress sessions and judges' clinics. I remember him back in the early 70's when the meetings were in Itasca, Ill. showing us in the visual caption meeting a computer video of random shapes and progressions which we were to evaluate, consider in transitions, and rank and rate for difficulty and enjoyment. A very large man in all dimensions with a booming voice to match, he was well ahead of the times in his marching design as you noted but also in his discussions of where drum corps might develop and how judges were to score it.

Maas was DCI's chief judge for a while. He always called it as he saw/heard it, based on what was performed that day, not on reputation of the corps or what others had scored them.

[Fran Haring]

A very large man in all dimensions with a booming voice to match, he was well ahead of the times in his marching design as you noted but also in his discussions of where drum corps might develop and how judges were to score it.

He certainly was with that "Requiem" visual chart.

Don Brager has told me it was quite a challenge teaching that production, since it was literally something that had never been done before on a drum corps field.

[Terri Schehr]

Maas was DCI's chief judge for a while. He always called it as he saw/heard it, based on what was performed that day, not on reputation of the corps or what others had scored them.

A big bear of a man who was a gentle giant with a heart of gold. And a Norwood Park alumnus!

[jthomas666]

Evolution, Creativity, Innovation, Genius, Boredom. I think that's how we got there.

Don't forget the mushrooms. ;)

[MikeD]

He certainly was with that "Requiem" visual chart.

Don Brager has told me it was quite a challenge teaching that production, since it was literally something that had never been done before on a drum corps field.

I still recall Bobby Hoffman teaching our 71 Revolutionary War show, and in the Holst Chaconne from the Eb Suite, he wanted the entire corps to a free form move backfield to set up the next section in a specified number of counts. He said something like "In this section, take all of the counts to start here and end up in the next spot. Don't march near anybody else, and make sure you always face backfield".

After all of the regimented training the members had over the years, trying to get them to free-form flow was well neigh impossible.... "Well, where do I go?" "How do I get there" "What is somebody else is in the way" "What is my path" "What if I get there late/early"...etc.

he ended up having to choreograph each horn players "free form" move. Either that, or he would have pulled out his entire afro.

[GUARDLING]

I still recall Bobby Hoffman teaching our 71 Revolutionary War show, and in the Holst Chaconne from the Eb Suite, he wanted the entire corps to a free form move backfield to set up the next section in a specified number of counts. He said something like "In this section, take all of the counts to start here and end up in the next spot. Don't march near anybody else, and make sure you always face backfield".

After all of the regimented training the members had over the years, trying to get them to free-form flow was well neigh impossible.... "Well, where do I go?" "How do I get there" "What is somebody else is in the way" "What is my path" "What if I get there late/early"...etc.

he ended up having to choreograph each horn players "free form" move. Either that, or he would have pulled out his entire afro.

And this is what some still dont get how hard it is, how planned out it has to be in todays drum corps and how every step needs to be staged and how extremely hard it is to clean. Much easier to clean a block or files or an arc, thats for sure.

[xandandl]

And this is what some still dont get how hard it is, how planned out it has to be in todays drum corps and how every step needs to be staged and how extremely hard it is to clean. Much easier to clean a block or files or an arc, thats for sure.

So right you are and why some refer to 'free form' movement as "clutter drills."