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George Hopkins


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Let me start by saying that adding WW to DC is a BAD idea. That said...

In reading this thread I have seen some who claim that cost would be the thing that would prevent WW from being inserted into this activity that we all love so much. I respectfully disagree. If cost was the main driver we would not have the expensive instruments in the pit, or the electronics, or the amplifiers. Although I am very far removed from any corps right now, so far I can have no proof of my suspicisions, I do suspect that these items are/were much more expensive than your garden variety tuba/contra bass.

I do see another concern. Although the drills are mostly wide open now, the elbows of a clarinet player and flute player are not exactly on the same plane as a trumpet/soprano player. Just sayin'

A lot of corps resell electronics and pit equipment after a season or two. The way many deals are structured, many corps are not exactly losing money on the reduction in value from new to used on this gear.

With woodwinds, however, the equipment the drop in value after one single season would be so significant that the current financial arrangements critical to many corps' survival does not work.

To put it in perspective... Yamaha makes a decent bassoon (and I do mean only decent) priced around $25,000. If you used this instrument in a drum corps setting for even one season, the value of it would be next to nothing.

Back when I was marching, I took a bassoon on tour because I had a number concerts with my quintet starting 2 days after tour. I took an old student horn I used in high school and even that was freaking out from the changes in temperature and humidity and vibrations from being on the truck. I also had to spend a crazy amount of time adjusting the horn and tweaking reeds on the bus... going from drying out and cracking to getting soft and growing some weird petri dish stuff.

It really isn't just the costs, everything else about woodwinds would be a logistical disaster, but the financial side of it makes it a non-starter in the first place.

But, why not let corps try it if they want? It would be a very short lived experiment and would put an end to this endless discussion of impending doom.

That said... woodwinds could be great for corps that are more regional, don't have lengthy tours (other than maybe a trip to finals).

What could be an interesting option is to restructure WC and OC, splitting part of OC off and covering some of those corps into summer youth bands. That seems to have a lot more potential on that end of the spectrum and would make a hell of a lot more sense in terms of engaging more youth. Could look something like this.

WC - Less corps than current WC

OC - Bottom tier of WC moves to OC

YB - Some OC corps convert to YB and new regional ones can pop up (and at a much higher quality... imagine several schools in a district or city pooling resources/talent)

Touring groups remain as they are, the overall experience becomes accessible to a wider range of kids... a stronger bridge is built between the band world and drum corps. What's not to like about this?

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But, why not let corps try it if they want? It would be a very short lived experiment and would put an end to this endless discussion of impending doom.

That said... woodwinds could be great for corps that are more regional, don't have lengthy tours (other than maybe a trip to finals).

What could be an interesting option is to restructure WC and OC, splitting part of OC off and covering some of those corps into summer youth bands. That seems to have a lot more potential on that end of the spectrum and would make a hell of a lot more sense in terms of engaging more youth. Could look something like this.

WC - Less corps than current WC

OC - Bottom tier of WC moves to OC

YB - Some OC corps convert to YB and new regional ones can pop up (and at a much higher quality... imagine several schools in a district or city pooling resources/talent)

Touring groups remain as they are, the overall experience becomes accessible to a wider range of kids... a stronger bridge is built between the band world and drum corps. What's not to like about this?

Impending doom is one of my favorite discussion about drum corps, and has been for over 30 years. :tongue:

That said, Dan, you learned well from Hop. If, at first, your argument doesn't sell, change the discussion and try a different approach.

This sounds an awful lot like the discussion to reduce WC to 7 or 8 corps we had months ago. Except this time it's not about money, it's about reeds.

What happens when clarinet-player Suzie youth band member wants to graduate up to the big leagues? Won't she have to learn a horn, flag, or drum anyway?

Isn't that the basic premise of allowing reeds in the first place?

The irony is dripping in here...

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But, why not let corps try it if they want? It would be a very short lived experiment and would put an end to this endless discussion of impending doom.

show me something once added, not used full time...and dont say narration because they just changed the rule so you could press a button

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I've said this before: If we didn't have George, we'd have to invent him.

Seriously; what would we do without him? He fills a need within so many souls.

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I've said this before: If we didn't have George, we'd have to invent him.

Seriously; what would we do without him? He fills a need within so many souls.

Michael, between your insight on this and NakedEye's Orlando show review, these might be the two most profound things I've ever read on Dcp. :tongue:

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Michael, between your insight on this and NakedEye's Orlando show review, these might be the two most profound things I've ever read on Dcp. :tongue:

Shows you how profound DCP is. :devil::ph34r::tongue:

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You know, I feel that string quartets could really use a boost in popularity. I was thinking about adding electric guitars and amps...it would help connect to a different audience and help increase attendance. But I wonder if adding electronic guitars and amps would adversely affect attendance from people who like string quartets just the way they are?

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Here is a Marching Roundtable Podcast with GH talking about why he wants woodwinds.

"For the future possibility of music education."

"Drum corps, as it stands now, I dont think is really a viable, doesn't have a viable platform enough to go forward."

"There is just not enough people who care about it anymore."

All this and more here, My link

Make the sound come out of electronics.

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