bbass74

1. 88' Madison 2. 93' Star 3. 91' Phantom 4. 91' Cavies 5. 87' Garfield 6. 89' Phantom 7. 89' SCV 8. 95' Madison 9. 92' SCV 10. 91' Cadets (not the best musically but still fun to listen to)

I didn't march in Cadets or Star but marched in that era of Sylvester and Zingali and I can say that the drill reflected the music. Today, it seems the other way around and I think that's why allot of people from 80's and 90's are losing interest and just not understanding the direction DC is moving in. I've said many times in these forums and feel like I'm a broken record but I think drill designers today need to go back to basics and learn how to connect with the audience more efficiently. These principles should apply to today but I don' think they are being adhered to.

Yeah, don't like Enya either. I go to a drum corps show to be entertained, not put to sleep! :) I still think it could have worked without the singing, maybe have a mellophone do a soft solo. The problem was that she was moving while she was singing so the mic was moving towards and away from her mouth so the sound and volume wasn't consistant. That takes away from the music. A musical instrument at least can keep the same volume and is not relied on amplification... in turn, a much better addition to the piece!

Goes to show you can have a good show without singing and narration. What killed Cadets show for me was the vocalist. I didn't understand why she was singing nor did it add anything. If anything, it took away from the music.

Well, to be honest, I don't like it. I liked being able to buy the cds and know which corps was which... and enjoy the music selection. I don't like today's arrangements, there's hardley any melody. Sounds more like licks and solos, no musical theme. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this and I've said this before. On the other hand, I can name Channel One Suite, Russian Christmas Overture, Candide, etc. because that was when corps played most of the melody's from those pieces. I don't hear that anymore in corps today. I will admit that the visual aspect has grown leaps and bounds. Corps are doing things that weren't even thought of when I marched but I think what's losing is that because corps are spending so much time on visual effects and props, the music is getting lost and less time is being spent on music. I see allot of down time and holes where there's little or not music going on, or one section isn't playing for as long as a few minutes. Man, I would have loved to have that much down time when I was performing! For me, I want to be entertained, it was all about the music being played on the field with the drill. The music drove the drill, not the other way around. It seems like DC today is putting the buggy before the horse. But again, this is just my opinion on the activity. I'm sure allot of people like it the way it is now. But most of people my age and older are the ones going to shows and buying merchandise. If corps do not start appealing to the people who pay for it, numbers will start (and already have) going down, along with the dollars. I can say for certain, this last finals will be the last I go to. And honestly, the only reason I went this year was because the tickets were a gift. But unless they are local shows, I'm not driving great distances to see a show nor will I buy videos and cds because why spend hundreds of dollars on something I don't enjoy to watch or listen to....

It all depends what era of corps you're from. Since the beginning of the mellinium, allot of the corps sound the same to me. I'm sure allot are different but after going to shows every year, I can't easily tell the difference. Give me the 80's and most of the 90's and I can probably name every show from the first piece by listening to them. Can't do that from 00' +

1. Phantom 2. Cavies 3. Bluecoats 4. SCV 5. BD 6. Cadets 7. Madison 8. Blue Knights 9. Boston 10. Spirit 11. Crown 12. Glassmen

Thanks, I used a 18-55mm wide angle lens for most full corps shots and the retreat shots and a 75-300mm zoom telefoto lens for close ups, all Canon lenses and the Canon Rebel body. I took the same shot of retreat 14 years ago when I marched my last year in drum corps. I'm gonna try and find it and scan it in and post that as well, I'll send a link.

87 - Cadets 88 - Madison 89 - Phantom 90 - Cadets 91 - Phantom 92 - SCV 93 - Star 94 - Phantom 95 - Cadets 96 - Phantom 97 -Madison 98 - Cadets 99 - SCV 00 - 06 - who knows, they all sound the same. Although I liked 03' Cadets.

Obviously you haven't been in the activity very long or you wouldn't have even thought of your reply!

As much as I love Cadets for their innovation, I feel, as like I do with most of the drum corps activity, they have gotten away from the true essense of what a drum corps program is (IMO). I feel like I'm trying to watch a broadway show on the field. There's too much going on the field without any emphasis on any of it. I'm all for having themes and concepts, it's been that way for years. But I remember being able to put in a CD and knowing what corps it is and being able to hum or sing to the melody. Now, where is the melody? I can't find one thing that seperates most corps on the dvds let alone the cds other than the uniforms. Back to the original question... I don't think the two comparisons are very similar. With 93 Star, it was the music that puzzled people. Sure the drill was strange but so was the music. The music that was played is what drove that show, the intensity, the drama. With the 06' Cadets, the drill and guard moved that show, not the music. I felt like i was listening to a film score and not a show written for drum and bugle. Maybe I'm an old cat, stuck in my ways of the corps from the late 80's through the mid 90's, who knows, this is just my opinion. To me, you're asking, "will people except this new way of putting a drum corps on the field?" My answer is: I don't know, but I'm slowly losing interest.

http://flickr.com/photos/bbass74/sets/72157594236830465/ Enjoy!

I've got some footage of the beginning of the 91 season when my parents "rented" a vhs camera and shot a few of our opening shows and the other corps that were there. I haven't watched them in forever but I remember the Cadets doing Short Ride... that it sounded like a train wreck the first few shows!! :) But it ended up becoming one of my favorites that year.

when you're in your car and there's a pause in an upbeat song and you start doing dot-dot-dot-dot... when you drive by a high school and pay extra attention to their football stadium, wondering if it would make a good site for a dc show... when you have to buy some dress shoes and try a pair on and start doing obliques to see how comfortable they are.... when you get one of the dvds for your b-day and before everyone is done eating cake, you're already through most of the "extras" on the dvd! btw, all these are true for me, the last one happening last week! :)

That's like calling a Texan a southerner!!!!