Random Thoughts From DCI Buffalo

[oaklandcrusader]

I attended my first DCI Drum Corps show in 3 or 4 years on Monday August 5, 2013 in Buffalo...But before I begin with my thoughts and impressions of the show, let me first preface what I'm about to say by letting you know that I'm not someone who is stuck in the past or someone who doesn't believe in change or progress...Also, as a former member of the Oakland Crusaders Drum Line back in the mid to late 70's, I can certainly appreciate all the hard work, dedication and commitment that it takes from everyone involved to put on a show...

With that said, let me begin by saying I watched 7 of the top DCI Drum Corps perform which included the Cadets, Phantom Regiment, Santa Clara Vanguard, Carolina Crown, Bluecoats, Blue Devils and the Calvaliers...With that great lineup, I can't believe what I'm about to say -- I was bored stiff! ...I have performed in and watched hundreds and hundreds of shows over the years and I have never been so disappointed in the performances that I saw and heard as I was on Monday night... I wanted so badly for any corps to do something that would pull me out of my seat and make me stand up and cheer like I have so many times before -- whether it be an outstanding horn solo, an unbelievable drum break or a horn line playing a number so powerful that they almost blow the stands down...Sadly, for me that moment never came...Santa Clara came the closest but for more subtle reasons that are so classic of Vanguard -- their execution, precision and how amazingly clean they were...

So, without further delay here are some of my random thoughts, likes and dislikes :

*( did not get to see the Cadets show -- they just took the field and ushers would not let us thru the tunnel until they were finished )

Random Thoughts ( Overall Impressions )

-- Is it me or do most of the corps seem to lack their own personality and identity? ( Santa Clara one of the few exceptions -- have adapted to new age of drum corps but still true to their roots )

-- Maybe I should have bought a program which might have helped explain what each corps was trying to do but I didn't get or understand most of the shows -- that can't be good

-- Why are some corps allowed to play a street beat or cadence off the field and others not?

-- My absolute favorite part of going to a drum corps show is definitely watching the drum lines warm up in the lot before the show -- brings back memories of when everyone always crowded around us to watch us play

( wish YouTube was invented back then...lol )

-- $39 to see a drum corps show -- really? ... and why does the announcer introduce the corps 45 seconds into their show?

-- I don't know why but I've always liked corps that start their show from the end zone rather than the middle of the field -- different I guess?

-- Do we really need 20 people in the pit? -- I can't remember which corps it was but one corps pit was so loud I could barely the horns and the drums the whole show

-- I hate to say this but who ever came up with Phantom's show should be fired! -- not only was it boring and not entertaining but more importantly, the kids didn't look like they were having any fun out there

-- The talent level of today's drummers, horn players and color guard is exceptional -- too bad the shows aren't

-- Other than Madison and the Calvaliers, it still seems weird to me seeing guys in the color guard -- not that there's anything wrong with that

-- Not 100% sure but I think Santa Clara had the only cymbol line out there -- those guys are literally in a class by themselves not to mention the fact that they're amazing too!

-- It used to be that the General Effects were there to visually enhance and compliment the music -- now it seems like it's the other way around -- something is way out of whack here

-- The whole time I'm watching the shows I'm thinking in the back of my mind -- this looks like some sort of a drum corps video game or a track meet out there

-- Keeping their the long and great tradition of excellence in mind -- tell me the Blue Devils didn't just jump the shark this year? -- marching around 100 pylons out there -- really?

-- I'd like to meet all the idiots who put the together the concepts for some of these shows and ask them one question -- what were you thinking?

-- I have to give credit to all the performers out there -- how you can play and do all that running around out there is truly remarkable

-- Maybe it`s because I`m getting older but all the performers looked like they 14 or 15 yrs old

-- Is it really necessary to have a half hour break after the first 3 corps performed -- do you smell stadium and DCI money grab?

-- I wonder if the food they feed them is better than it was back when I marched? -- dumb question... guess it doesn`t take too much to improve on prison like quality food...lol

Likes & Dislikes

Drum Lines

Likes :

-- Was very impressed with the amount of talent in all the lines

-- Lots of great chops

-- Bass drum licks that all the lines play -- technology (sticks, heads and teaching tools) have helped bring that section up way beyond the next level

-- How clean Santa Clara`s entire line was

-- Bluecoats drum line especially their quads -- their line reminds me a lot of our Oakland Crusaders line when we were just starting to come into our own -- watch out for them!

-- Some of the stuff the Cadets were playing -- crazy!

Dislikes :

-- Nobody seems to play all 26 rudiments anymore -- sounds like a lot of taps and diddles to me

-- Nobody seems to have their own distinct sound or style -- I`ll argue that you could switch Devils line with the Cadets or Cadets line with the Crown etc and you wouldn`t notice much of a difference

-- Maybe I caught them on a off day but Blue Devils were slurring way too much

-- Wish the Bass drums today had a deeper sound

-- Did I mention the fact that I don`t like the sound of today`s drums -- Santa Clara was the best followed by Bluecoats

Horns

Likes :

-- Carolina Crown`s up and down rundown while they`re in that soft curve formation

-- All the horn lines playing technically difficult music while running around like Usain Bolt

-- How clean Santa Clara was

Dislikes :

-- Other than Santa Clara ( Les Miserables ) I didn`t recognize 90% of the music played by everyone else -- not necessarily bad but definitely odd for me

-- No real solos like we`re used to hearing -- how could all those corps have not one great solo?

-- No power -- I think it`s because 1) the types of horns they use today and the way they`re constructed...2) they have no wind left after doing all that running around out there

Color Guard

Likes :

-- The Rifles -- they`re back! ...was impressed with a lot the work and tosses from 3 or 4 of the corps

-- It`s not a new concept but I like the idea that the Rifle lines were also used on flags to make things much more visually enhanced

-- The Calvaliers used one particular flag at one point in their show that was visually eye catching and stunning

-- Was really impressed with the quickness and athleticism of everyone on the field -- to be young again...lol

Dislikes :

-- there is so much movement going on that it becomes distracting and confusing and you can`t take it all in or appreciate everything that`s going on

-- Do we really need all these dumb props that some of the corps are using just to make some sort of statement that -- Hey, we`re ahead of the curve!

Finally, to all you Show Coordinators out there -- remember, that sometimes less is more and that when you`re putting your show together that your 2 main goal should be :

1) Make sure that the marching members have fun and enjoy performing the show -- otherwise, what`s the point?

2) To entertain the audience -- not to try and impress the coordinators of the other corps with how smart you are and what a great visionary you are...I shouldn`t have to ask myself after watching your show -- what the hell was that??

Anyways, that`s my story and I`m sticking to it ( discuss amongst yourselves...lol )

Duz Ga Duz

Edited August 9, 2013 by oaklandcrusader

[N.E. Brigand]

Too much to answer properly right now, so I'll just quickly note that an audience of 7,000+ at Massillon the very next night saw Cadets, Crown, and Bluecoats cheered loudly for all of them--and responded warmly (to say the least) to the other five corps as well (Cascades, Oregon, Crest, Academy, and Spirit). These people were definitely entertained. I took eight people to that show who'd never been to a drum corps show before and of the six who could decide which corps they liked best, it was two for Cadets, three for Crown, and one for Bluecoats.

[George Dixon]

To the OP

You start off by saying you're not stuck in the past

And then the rest of your post contradicts that

Not sure what to say other than embrace change, it is the only thing that's constant!

[jwillis35]

What I will say to the OP is this:

1. Thanks for the good questions and thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns.

2. Your comments are a lot like what I would expect from someone who hadn't seen a corps show in 20 years. Not a bad thing, but definitely how I think I would feel, too, if I hadn't seen corps in that long. 3 to 4 years is not all that long and not that much has changed -- although it's that little bit of change that happens each year that adds up over 4 or 5 years.

3. I will completely agree with you that music has become unrecognizable, and in a nutshell this is where I think drum corps have gotten themselves into trouble. To me the question is not one of can they or can't they play all this highly artistic, concert-level literature (orchestral, band, avante guard jazz), but can they arrange it to meet the needs of a field show and present it to the audience in a manner that it will be accepted. I don't think we, the audience, need to know all the music, but it still has to be sold to us in some way. The choppiness, sporadic developmental techniques being used by many arrangers (let's just call this over-arranging) has made these unrecognizable works even more difficult to listen to, and that has caused many of the problems.

4. A number of your concerns are the result of the flat-out speed of the marching, music, guard work, and drill design. The audience is often left trying to catch-up to things. People from another country might watch some of our drum corps and think "why is it you can't stay on point, and why must you rush everything so quickly?" They might think our idea of programming is to make the kids look like they are hyperactive children on acid who have short memories and a desire to finish as fast as they can. Here in America I think most of us realize that what the designers were doing was to increase demand while trying to provide more content. Sadly everyone is trying to outdo the "Jones'" and the whole concept of demand has taken us into the "field show on steroids" model. Not always good when not managed well.

5. You mention style and ask why most corps lack a true identity? I do think their are some identities left, but even with those corps there is a lot of copying. Ultimately drum corps, with it's highly competitive nature, has become like the NFL or NBA: a copycat league. Some of this is good, and some not so much. All of the world class corps realized years ago that they couldn't compete well enough if they were true to some unique style or tradition. You go where the judges are awarding points, and unless the system starts to award points to better design, better and more realistic GE, as well as performance, then we will continue to see the same old thing year in and out.

[skywhopper]

Starting on the field? The 20-person pit? These have been de rigeur for over 25 years. Complaining about Bb brass would be more up-to-date.

I wanted so badly for any corps to do something that would pull me out of my seat and make me stand up and cheer like I have so many times before -- whether it be an outstanding horn solo, an unbelievable drum break or a horn line playing a number so powerful that they almost blow the stands down

I'm a little confused. There are tons of these moments in the seven performances you saw... I can understand being turned off by a lot of the changes and the style of shows these days, but these smaller moments are still there. If you saw Cadets and weren't impressed by their battery and you watched Crown and weren't blown away by their brass, then ... perhaps there's nothing they could do to impress you.

Edited August 8, 2013 by skywhopper

[NR_Ohiobando]

To the OP

You start off by saying you're not stuck in the past

And then the rest of your post contradicts that

Not sure what to say other than embrace change, it is the only thing that's constant!

Being stuck in the past and disliking the current changes are two different things. I'm in my 20s and have the same opinions as the OP. Just throwing that out there.

[skywhopper]

-- Other than Madison and the Calvaliers, it still seems weird to me seeing guys in the color guard -- not that there's anything wrong with that

Phantom's woman-only guard should suit you fine, then, but otherwise:

[charlie1223]

I don't think you could be more wrong about the drum lines. If you close your eyes and had no idea of who was playing the style and approach to playing is unbelievably distinct. SCV, Cadets, BD are top 3 right now and each sound very different and very stylistic of their corps style. And they are playing more rudiment and hybrid rudiment combinations than you can imagine.

[hrnguy500]

Wow...I don't think you have seen a show for over a decade with your comments. Drum corps started getting this way in the early 2000's.

You also much be losing your hearing because those corps are pushing a lot of sound out. Is it the same as the G Bugle lines you could feel through your chest? No, but it's the best we got.

Check again, but there are some fantastic soloists in the corps. They may not be screaming out high notes but it is what it is.

[George Dixon]

Being stuck in the past and disliking the current changes are two different things. I'm in my 20s and have the same opinions as the OP. Just throwing that out there.

ehh it is one thing nott to like musical direction etc / but the OP doesbt like any element of the modern corps design / at least that's how it came off to me. which is FINE as long as we are being honest and just say "I used to like it better the old way"