Band or WGI?

[Tim K]

8 hours ago, BRASSO said:

 True... so there is no misunderstanding,  1)the CYO circuit your MB competed in had 3 Divisions... one for" Marching Bands", one for" Drum & Bugle Corps", the third for " Drill Teams"... ( females marching, no musical instruments ) The 3 divisions  had the same judges, judging all 3 divisions, usually competing on the same day, same show. Announced placements and scores were announced for each of the 3 divisions................. 2)  The principal thing that kept the 2 musical divisions separate was the musical instrumentation. There was no interest by anyone at the time in blurring the 2 divisions, or melding the 2 divisions together. As such, there was never any confusion, nor conversation even as to what was a " Marching Band " and which was a " Drum Corps ". 

I can't speak from the drum corps view regarding their view of bands, but for bands that competed in CYO and Eastern Mass circuits, "marching" was not put in front of bands. Marching bands were what high schools and colleges did at half time. It was a snobby attitude, no question. I know of at least two cases of parishes in Boston that sponsored bands that had schools, children in grades 4-8 could not participate in the band if they did not attend the school, the only exception being children who left after 6th grade to attend Boston Latin, so it could have been a Catholic school/public school rivalry.

A few months ago I ran into a former priest who started a band in one parish and was a director of a drum corps in another parish and I believe wrote the drill for a corps after he left the priesthood. He has always maintained that the bands in most cases had the stronger musical education program, but in many ways there was an inferiority complex since the bands could be as talented and clean as the some of the drum corps but could never win the "how loud can you get" aspect or the public love and there were fewer competitive opportunities outside of the circuits.

As someone who loved being in a band but almost moved to drum corps and most likely would have if I could have arranged transportation, there is at least for me one intangible factor that separates the two. Drum corps has a certain aura about them that is unique. If I am watching a "binge-a-thin" of drum corps DVD's, 1979-1989 will always be my favorite years. I love what drum corps used to be, but even with new instrumentation, color guards that are drastically different, and all the props and electronics, I still feel that same aura and excitement anytime I go to a show as I did years ago. 

[Ghost]

10 hours ago, Tim K said:

  Many of those who instructed the drum corps also instructed the bands. A common critique: drum corps were becoming bands. So two old school darlings and a corps whose struggle is often cited as what it means to be drum corps were critiqued as bands because their musicians could read music and their instructors insisted on it. 

Ed Denon was one of those type instructors.  The Crusaders used the old fire house on River Road in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester for music practice.  They had large dutch doors opening into the main room where the horse drawn fire wagons were kept in the old days. (If the wind was blowing the right way, you could smell the chocolate being made at the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory.)  My Dad would stand outside, with others, behind the bottom section of the doors.  When he was driving us home, he'd want to know what the helll was Denon teaching the horn line?  If it was something that didn't sound right for us, he'd go home, tweak it and use it for one of his bands.  

Edited March 3, 2017 by Ghost

[Jeff Ream]

20 hours ago, shmeg212 said:

I've been noticing many people say that drum corps are turning into "glorified marching bands" but in my opinion they're turning more into an outdoor version of WGI what with the changes in uniform style, more choreography, etc.. Any thoughts or opinions on this? 

the WGI influence has indeed moved outdoors....or under bigger roofs