ironlips

Here's a plan: Truncate the DCA competitive season down to a month, the last 3 weeks of August and the first week in September. DCI performers who wished to could then march this extended season with DCA corps after Indy. (Some already do this.) It would be the drum corps equivalent to those post-season football games like the East/West Shrine, the Pro Bowl or the College All-Star events.

As the saying goes, "we must all hang together, or ... we shall all hang separately," Both of these leagues seem to be marching to the scaffold, albeit at different rates. Some kind of affiliation may be a path to their collective salvation.

A very good analysis here, and several practical suggestions.

Fran speaks as someone who marched in a certain era. I too remember the Boonton show.

Sobering thought: Drum corps can do that now through the Magic Synth. Woodwinds are already here! Arrrrg! In a perfect world there would be 2 classifications: 1. Pure Brass and Percussion - US Marine Corps, West Point Hellcats, Old Guard, Greg, and Frank 2. Mic/String/Reed/Plug-in Corps - Yanni, Blue Man Group, Stomp, everybody else Hot dogs would be served only at intermission, so as not to offend anybody. All kidding aside, I think we all realize that Drum Corps is deep into the "adapt or die" cycle, and the "die" side is in the lead at present. Bold moves, managerial and artistic, must be made...and soon.

Hey, I get it. Just add another category that permits them. They can compete against each other, as would the brass/percussion groups. When the flute groups go on, you and I can go get a hot dog.

"..make Open Class all instrument and encourage high school band programs to put together summer competitive programs that can be on the same ticket as DCI drum corps. " Some variation of this is feasible.

2muchcoffeeman has it right, I think. "It's the tour model." Staff Bloat is also a major factor, particularly if they are flown in and out for a couple of tour days at a time, provided rental vehicles, and housed in hotels. A corps really can get by quite nicely with fewer than 7 or 8 brass techs, for instance. There will be (and have been) layoffs, but that will make some very fine teaching talent available for corps further down the food chain.

Many years ago I taught a corps. A dad had three kids marching. His wife sewed uniforms and flags. His cousin was on the drill staff. Since then, they have won several National Championships. My inclination would be to try to assist this new start-up, even if only with encouragement and moral support.

The kid looks like he's working on his embouchure. Future Hall-of-Famer?

As B says, "Fred Sanford and George Zingali also missing from that membership! 😲" Again, that's the point. There are many luminaries left to be so honored, and anyone reading this can start that process, right here, right now: https://www.wdchof.org/

You know, I get it, these are not the most experienced high school bands in the world but there was a time when even the mighty DCI champion corps went through their growing pains and performed at this level. These are the kids who are going to keep the drum corps activity alive over the next several years. Personally, I applaud them and the parents who financed this trip for their daughters and sons. They may be pebbles now but many of them will become diamonds later and we'll be paying to see them.

No, you didn't. And that's exactly the point. They clearly deserve to be recognized, honored and inducted. Please use the forms on the website, or encourage someone else to do so. Any interested party can file a submission: https://www.wdchof.org/

Tim would be a good candidate. Please take the next step by going to the WDCHOF site and filling out the form: https://www.wdchof.org/ As a "'...saurus", you probably know all the relevant details.

In my personal view, this person is of far less importance than the other 400 members of the WDCHOF. He's the equivalent of a Confederate statue that has both opponents and defenders. Focusing this thread on this individual does a disservice to all the others who, for good reason, have been honored in the past, and to the truly extraordinary persons who deserve recognition going forward. This is an opportunity to show your support for them. Choose that.

So, do you know someone who deserves to be honored? Here's your chance. Any interested party can submit a candidate by going here and clicking on "Membership" in the upper left hand corner: https://www.wdchof.org/ Note that there are 2 categories, Regular and Associate. Read the requirements, fill out the appropriate form and submit it before January 15th.

So, do you know someone who deserves to be honored? Here's your chance. Any interested party can submit a candidate by going here and clicking on "Membership" in the upper left hand corner: https://www.wdchof.org/ Note that there are 2 categories, Regular and Associate. Read the requirements, fill out the appropriate form and submit it before January 15th.

A good guy, with so much positive energy. How very sad.

Thanks for posting the video, Jim.

This is a very solid band program.

So, in the vernacular of my old neighborhood, "How we doin'?" Better overall, I'd say, based on observations made at Stanford, Annapolis and Allentown. (Note: all were outdoor shows.) 1. General Balance of Winds/Pit/Soloists - the first two show noticeable improvement over previous years; solos, not so much = C+ 2. Clarity of Narration - much improved by eq, levels, minimizing efx, and designers allowing space in scoring = B 3. Synth Overmodulation - better controlled by some corps, others still lagging = C 4. Mallet voice clarity - somewhat better, though some overmodulation, and masking by overwriting still evident = C- 5. Best of Breed - tie: Bluecoats/Cadets, with bonus to latter for utilizing Kerouac's actual voice, if I'm not mistaken. Disclaimer: The above is the opinion of someone who knows too much about sound mixing, and often expects more than may be reasonably anticipated from drum corps, given all their logistical constraints. Other viewpoints are welcome here, particularly from those who attended shows in domed venues.

As a youngster, I always thought the season began with the St. Patrick's Day Parade on 5th Ave in March (why do you think they call it "March"?), continued with indoor exhibitions at guard and I&E shows, included a couple of "standstills" at armories, progressed to "Evening with the Corps" at Carnegie or Symphony Halls, with parades and competitions extending from Memorial Day through Labor Day, finally culminating back on 5th in October, providing cadence for those Knights of Columbus cats Every couple of years we'd get the invite to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, after which a few months of boredom set in until it was time to polish those white bucks again for that Irish shindig. There was a lot more time for bonding than the current 6-7week season provides.

Dynamite playing. The CSO has had arguably the finest brass section in the world for many years (Dale Clevinger, Bud Herseth,...etc.), and as for Chris Martin, their loss is NY's gain:

I hear there were "good people on both sides", depending on whether they wanted to sound like playing on a rock or a glass-top coffee table.

And since we're mentioning Hollywood Buglers, let us not forget Cpl Randy Boone, bugler at Ft. Apache in the Rin-Tin-Tin TV series. He taught me how to play "Assembly" and "To the Color" for my Cub Scout Troop.