barigirl78 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 I have a google alert that tells me when the phrase "drum corps" appears in the news. I had let some of these alerts go unread until I was catching up on old ones today. This was a strange one that appeared in "Baptist News Global". The drum corps reference starts positive and turns negative: "Our younger son spent his summer traveling the country with a drum and bugle corp. These marching-bands-on-steroids are incredible. The precision is mind-boggling, the athletic musicianship, truly inspiring — but gone are the days of John Philips Sousa marches, soaring ballads, even soul-searing Latin fire. The theatrics of many of today’s corps shows lean to the dark side, and the meanness of the cultural ethos is on display with music and visual gimmicks built on our infatuation with death, survival of the fittest, sexual intrigue, the occult. The name of the drum corps game is darker themes, louder volumes, harder musical “hits,” grunting and groaning in practice and performance. And this is marching band. Who are we becoming?" https://baptistnews.com/article/u-s-society-getting-meaner-becoming/#.Wj0V_VWnHcs 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liahona Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 40 minutes ago, barigirl78 said: I have a google alert that tells me when the phrase "drum corps" appears in the news. I had let some of these alerts go unread until I was catching up on old ones today. This was a strange one that appeared in "Baptist News Global". The drum corps reference starts positive and turns negative: "Our younger son spent his summer traveling the country with a drum and bugle corp. These marching-bands-on-steroids are incredible. The precision is mind-boggling, the athletic musicianship, truly inspiring — but gone are the days of John Philips Sousa marches, soaring ballads, even soul-searing Latin fire. The theatrics of many of today’s corps shows lean to the dark side, and the meanness of the cultural ethos is on display with music and visual gimmicks built on our infatuation with death, survival of the fittest, sexual intrigue, the occult. The name of the drum corps game is darker themes, louder volumes, harder musical “hits,” grunting and groaning in practice and performance. And this is marching band. Who are we becoming?" https://baptistnews.com/article/u-s-society-getting-meaner-becoming/#.Wj0V_VWnHcs Dude doesn't even know that drum corps is ALWAYS plural...haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 this guy has an agenda, and honestly, his column is laughable when if he actually understood the activity, you'd find it's participants, fans and more are at best centrist and lean far more left on social issues, sexuality and more. Show themes also go in waves...dark for a year or so, back to happy for a year or so. He'd probably complain 92 Crossmen didnt do enough for the environment 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingusmonk Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 I thought maybe the author was a poster here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 While "meaner" might not be the right term, the author is surely correct in observing the prominence of darkness and even ugliness in drum corps content last summer. BD was a pleasure. But after No. 1, there wasn't much joy to be found at all. Certainly not SCV with its snakes. Or Crown with one of the most strident finishes ever. The joy the Bluecoats might have brought was literally cut by a giant black slash. The Cavies put primordial and arachnid on the field (along with a general mess). Boston burned witches. Cadets had some of the rare beauty on the field (after a fall). It was mostly more of the same all the way to Scouts for whom "mean" is probably the best we can say. A common mood seemed to be shared among the design teams last fall. Someone near me in the stands in Indy suggested that mood reflected the drum corps community's reaction to the storm surrounding the presidential election. He might be right. In any event, I hope we've moved on. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Seems about right. And this bothers us why? I think it's actually a pretty accurate depiction, although I never thought about it that way. It's a shoulder shrug for me, no big deal. It IS quite different from the way it used to be. Anyone denying that..well...is in denial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingusmonk Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, glory said: ...The joy the Bluecoats might have brought was literally cut by a giant black slash.... HH 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 8 minutes ago, glory said: While "meaner" might not be the right term, the author is surely correct in observing the prominence of darkness and even ugliness in drum corps content last summer. BD was a pleasure. But after No. 1, there wasn't much joy to be found at all. Certainly not SCV with its snakes. Or Crown with one of the most strident finishes ever. The joy the Bluecoats might have brought was literally cut by a giant black slash. The Cavies put primordial and arachnid on the field (along with a general mess). Boston burned witches. Cadets had some of the rare beauty on the field (after a fall). It was mostly more of the same all the way to Scouts for whom "mean" is probably the best we can say. A common mood seemed to be shared among the design teams last fall. Someone near me in the stands in Indy suggested that mood reflected the drum corps community's reaction to the storm surrounding the presidential election. He might be right. In any event, I hope we've moved on. HH Cavies had some of the best humor done in a drum corps show since VK last year. And honestly, in a society where things like Game of Thrones and apocalyptic super hero movies are super popular, i'd say that has more of an effect on trends than anything coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 4 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said: Cavies had some of the best humor done in a drum corps show since VK last year. And honestly, in a society where things like Game of Thrones and apocalyptic super hero movies are super popular, i'd say that has more of an effect on trends than anything coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Or maybe it all emerges from the same place? Art reflects society. Always has. Always will. Not conceding anything on Cavies, however. The only thing funny about that show is that someone thought it was a good idea. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Dark. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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