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6 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

here here. it's only been 20 years since i stopped marching and I couldn't touch what they do today.

I have always stated that today's corps are much more talented than the corps from the 60's and 70's.  But, a lot of us were just a bunch of guys and girls from the local towns who joined a corps because we saw a corps performing in a parade or show.   We were local kids who maybe played a trumpet in the school band.  The corps was a group of friends getting together to have fun.  We learned about esprit de corps. We went to see larger corps like the Skyliners and Hawthorne at the Dream.  We tried to be our best.  Probably the best players in our corps may have been able to pass an audition for one of today's corps.  But for must of us, we wouldn't make the cut.  But, again we weren't majors or performing arts majors.  But, the sounds that came out the corps of the 60's and 70's was great. It had it's own distinct sound.   Give me the sound of the Blessed Sacrament hornline any day.  

I'm not trying to take anything away from the corps of today.  But, I don't like there sound or look.  

Just my opinion, 

Grenadier

 

 

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"Give me the sound of the Blessed Sacrament hornline any day."

There are a number of active Alumni Corps that approximate that today, including Sac's. The Alumni Spectacular at DCA Championships is always entertaining, and there are several indoor shows like the Hanover Lancers event in York that feature a solid lineup of corps who perform in that style.

"

Edited by ironlips
typo
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32 minutes ago, ironlips said:

"Give me the sound of the Blessed Sacrament hornline any day."

There are a number of active Alumni Corps that approximate that today, including Sac's. The Alumni Spectacular at DCA Championships is always entertaining, and there are several indoor shows like the Hanover Lancers event in York that feature a solid lineup of corps who perform in that style.

"

and few make any money as the audience for that style of corps is dying off.

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2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

and few make any money as the audience for that style of corps is dying off.

Jeff,  you sound like urgent not a fan of  the good old days. It was never about the money.  It was about the corps.

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3 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

and few make any money as the audience for that style of corps is dying off.

The only one doing very well on a consistent basis, of the shows that feature a full alumni-corps lineup (no competition corps in the mix), is the Lancers' show in York. Sold out, or within a few tickets of being sold out,  every year.

The rest... well...  LOL

 

Edited by Fran Haring
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34 minutes ago, Grenadier said:

Jeff,  you sound like urgent not a fan of  the good old days. It was never about the money.  It was about the corps.

I'm not speaking for Jeff... and with all due respect to you... I think his point was, the "good old days" alumni corps of today are not drawing anywhere near the number of fans they used to, dating back to the explosion of those alumni units on the scene from basically the late 1980s.

And again... with all due respect... those of us (including Jeff) who've responded here about the changing drum corps scene have a lot of respect for, and fond memories of, the corps of yesteryear. Heck, most if not all of us who've posted on this thread have roots dating back to those days, either as marching members, staff members, fans, or all three. 

But the hard fact remains... drum corps, as it was in days gone by, is not coming back... certainly not on any viable, nationwide, workable scale. It's different now.  Bands... high school and college... have replaced local corps for many young people looking for the marching-music experience. It's just the way it is.

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9 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

I'm not speaking for Jeff... and with all due respect to you... I think his point was, the "good old days" alumni corps of today are not drawing anywhere near the number of fans they used to, dating back to the explosion of those alumni units on the scene from basically the late 1980s.

And again... with all due respect... those of us (including Jeff) who've responded here about the changing drum corps scene have a lot of respect for, and fond memories of, the corps of yesteryear. Heck, most if not all of us who've posted on this thread have roots dating back to those days, either as marching members, staff members, fans, or all three. 

But the hard fact remains... drum corps, as it was in days gone by, is not coming back... certainly not on any viable, nationwide, workable scale. It's different now.  Bands... high school and college... have replaced local corps for many young people looking for the marching-music experience. It's just the way it is.

It'seems just this way is leaving a lot of kids behind.  

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7 hours ago, Grenadier said:

Jeff,  you sound like urgent not a fan of  the good old days. It was never about the money.  It was about the corps.

actually you would be very mistaken. In the years I attended DCA finals up until it moved back to Rachacha, going back to 1999, unless i was teaching a corps. I attended the alumni spectaular faithfully. When DCA still had a live feed, I watched it. I myself performed in an alumni corps from 2002-2014, and while we were more modern than many, I watched all of the other corps our schedule permitted.

 

But several people inside DCA have confirmed the alumni spectacular at best breaks even, and the folks that know that type of show and would want to see it IS aging. I remember many years being there for the first corps on and less than 500 people in the stands...there was more at prelims for the lower placing A class corps. As the day went on, the stands filled up every 20 minutes or so....when a corps who had just performed got done with their duties.as someone yje crowd from age 30 until age 43, i was YOUNG compared to those around me. Anyone younger was there to see family.

 

I have albums, tapes cd's as well as videos and dvds of drum corps from all eras, and will often pop in something from 40 years ago as I would last season. When my daughter asks me to drum, I'll play stuff my dad played, I played or stuff i learned from recent years. But the fact is, the old school show style appeals to those who saw it live...and that crowd is getting older. As Fran said, lancers show does bang up business......and until recently was held in a HS auditorium that at best held 1000 people.DCA for almost 20 years has been offering the alumni show to all willing too buy the ticket, graciously including it in their package deals, and every year, I'd not see faces I used to see.

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7 hours ago, Grenadier said:

It'seems just this way is leaving a lot of kids behind.  

maybe it is. But 50 years ago, there was no soccer like there is now. Any inner city youth programs are pushing sports or education, and they are all begging for funding. 50 years ago $200 moved your corps pretty well. These days $200 barely gets you out of the parking lot. High school bands have taken the place of the local corps.

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On 7/12/2017 at 0:42 AM, Jeff Ream said:

 As Fran said, lancers show does bang up business......and until recently was held in a HS auditorium that at best held 1000 people.

I think the Lancers also have done well with their show in part because they've added groups like the Old Guard, American Originals, the local youth drum line from earlier this year, and so forth. I'm guessing that might bring in some fans who might not know a lot about alumni drum corps.  

 

Edited by Fran Haring
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