pearlsnaredrummer77

Yeah Jim, we are pretty similar. In fact, a couple of us Vagabonds went to the Westshore standstill in either 84 or 85, so I saw you in action back in the day. Being from a Class A corps, I always have a lot of respect for the smaller corps. I'd like to do Alumni corps, but my spinal fusion didn't work as well as it should. Another part of my drum corps heritage,lol. I have a 1952 Jaguar Mark VII that I'm hoping to get to the paint guy this summer! Maybe on the road this fall. No clubs yet though...

I have to second Jim. I really love the sound of brass and percussion. I don't enjoy the bflat brass as much as the g horns that we used to call bugles. Not that i'm living in the past. I just prefer that particular sound. It is more pleasing to my ear: just a matter of taste I suppose. But I still go to see DCA (and Alumni) shows because I still find enough that I do like-no electronics, no narrative, & a solely brass and percussion line-up. (I know the amps are coming, but that doesn't bug me as much as the synths, guitars and whatnot.) I like it so I'm willing to drive distances, pay for motels, tickets, food, etc., to attend those shows. That said, I wouldn't walk across the street to go to a FREE HS or College band show. I did do HS and College band, but it's not what was my passion. Not interested. I have never particularly liked the sound of woodwinds in marching ensembles (probably because I started as a clarinetist & grew to hate the sound of the thing!) and I'm just not interested in spending my time, and money to attend. I feel the same way about DCI. I don't like it: I don't attend. Wouldn't it be foolish for me to attend an event that I don't care for? At this point, you probably couldn't even pay me to see a DCI show. Just not my cup of tea. (I feel the same way about NASCAR, Professional Wrestling, and Billy Joel concerts). More power to those who like it... About being 'better' now or then... I don't think you can compare. The contexts were completely different. Can we really compare the 21 year old music majors of today vs. the 15 year olds taught to play by the corps of yesterday? If you judge how the average drum corps member played vs. that of the average HS player, we were better in the good old days: when ever that was... Really, it is like saying which car is better, a 1950s Ferrari or the latest model? Can you really compare them? To what purpose does it serve? Finally, at my first drum corps shows ever, I was blown away by the big corps, but the one I was most impressed with was the Watkins Glenn Squires. I was amazed how they could do so much with so little. :thumbup:/> :thumbup:/>

That's good advice Jim, and exactly what I do. I stopped going to DCI as I didn't find it very entertaining. Nothing against the performers, but the shows were not my cup of tea. I still go to DCA (and Alumni shows), but if they start going in directions I don't care for, I will stop. (I would go to SDCA events if they were in my area )All the sooner I get my antique car on the road!

Take your argument and consider that for those of us who like our brass undiluted with synths,etc. To me and many others, that sound needs nothing to "make things more interesting." I feel that people who like music with marching music with synths, electric guitars, basses, etc., have HS Marching band, some College bands and DCI. I don't care what goes on in those circuits. Folks can do what they like there. They can have Kanye, Kim and the baby rapping with one of the units for all I care. But why are the fans of that style of music so intent on converting the last bastion of brass and percussion music(DCA)? Why does every marching form have to be exactly the same? After they finish with DCA will they go after the fife and drum corps and drum and baton units?

I don't know... Historically Drum Corps was quite different from band and average audiences could tell the difference. In fact there's a thread on the Historical DCI board right now about the Troopers shocking a football audience. Before the 80s most HS bands were not 'corps style' and most were doing a lot of high stepper show band stuff. Drum Corps had distinctive instrumentation and the sound produced was different in tone and quality. Of course since the late 1980s, I would say that the differences have greatly diminished. Although basketball has changed, the fundamentals of the game: ball/hoop, etc., have not. The elements that make basketball distinctive as a sport remain. However I think that drum corps is in the process of losing that distinctiveness in order to emulate (what I see as) an inferior art from (HS band). I think some of us would like to see the distinctive elements of drum corps be preserved and see it as a safe guard to drum corp's future existence. Following the same exact path as HS band (and DCI for that matter) will only lead to the end of the activity that we all love. Some folks welcome the changes the end of drum corps distinctive elements as they see band as a superior activity, with "better" instrumentation in order to fulfill their artistic dreams. In reference to number of shows, perhaps many of us see the DCI model as so influential being that a bare fraction of shows remain in comparison to the past. DCI has led the way on the path toward greater similarity to HS band and there the decline of the activity (in terms of performance/entertainment opportunities) is most shocking. If this hasn't happened yet in DCA, it's because of the conservative path followed by the DCA organization. I guess many of us see the amps as a step in the wrong direction.

The "symphony" will be played to a "crowd" of about 40 at the 4 shows left per summer. But it will be "art" so who cares?

True. Plus for me, the beauty of the drum corps sound is the pure brass sound which to my ears sounds 1,000 times better than woodwind/brass/synth/guitar combos. For me the pit was never the focus: more like icing on the top. I hate that the emphasis these days appears to be on the supplemental rather than the core: I mean corps :)

So Pandora's Box is opened... At least it's the lesser of the Evils. I can see a tiny bit of merit to the amps argument (technique). However, if this is the foot in the door for the synths, I guess then it's only Alumni shows for me. I just can't stand the sound of the hybrid synth/brass (guitar, etc)

Thanks Gary! Yeah I missed out on CD of A. They were done by the time I got involved, unfortunately. I did however see the Meridian Woodpeckers all girl fife and drum corps. They were down the road from Butler and taught by Andy Taracs, jr. During the early 80s.

Cool pic! Anyone know what the person in row three is playing? It looks to be some sort of massive single tenor. Im not sure though as im using a Nook, so it's hard to tell.

Sign me off as "no! No! And no!" (Not that it matters,lol!)

Squires DUTCHBOY Florida Wave Valleyaires Ohio Brass Factory (dca) Les Chatelaines Suncoast Sound Cambria Cadets CMCC Warriors Marion Cadets Black Watch NJ Canadian Knights Kiwanis Kavaliers Have great memories of all these corps. Although the big corps got most of the glory, these corps were the foundation of a healthy activity.

Wish i could have seen my corps in their heyday! I saw my first show in 79, and both corps when i was just transitioning from clairnet to drums in hs.

The drumline throw down is a good idea. My college drumline did this frequently and even non-band types seem to love a good drum off. The amps and electronics. No thanks. Expensive, devisive snd on a practical note Difficult to mix well. Why not market DCA as the alternative: pure brass & percussion? Why copy everything DCI and competitive marching bands do? DCA should continue being a distinctive experience. The younger members are already joining without superfluous instrumentation. Truthfully, I don't see too much drum corps left the future for DCI. I expect that sooner rather than later it will simply be a elite summer marching band league. I expect that more corps will fold until theres only a frw major corps/bands left. I'll be shocked if DCI doesn't add woodwinds within the next decade. And with what they are doing why not? Given this potential trajectory of DCI I think DCA's formula will continue to attract more and more youthful performers,

I love the Kaiser Wilhelm helmets. Wish someone would use that style again.... The rest of the UNO, not so much. :)

So what do you like about the hybrid grays? Just curious...,

The OP needs to elaborate a thesis-as it stands it's more of a general statement. What is mean by "Americanism"? How did the Eisenhower use music? What type of music? Popular music? Emerging Rock, Big Band, Jazz, Classical? How was this discourse received? I think the OP has raised an interesting topic, but needs to flesh out his ideas a bit...

This is an important topic. I know of examples of it back when I was a marching member. Drum Corps (DCI & DCA) need to act pro-actively in this regard. In addition, there should be formal "no tolerance" policies required by each corps. This is only for the self-preservation of the activity. All it would take would be one "Sandusky" to collapse the whole deck of cards. I also wonder about sexual harassment... I certainly saw numerous examples of this from staff members directed at marching members during my marching career. At my job, we are required to take bi-annual training.

I agree! The people I was sitting near were "WT*$% is this?" When I saw it, the guitars were mixed horrendously and you couldn't hear the bass. I'm not sure what the point is of making DCA exactly like every HS band and DCI corps. Why not preserve and market a distinct identity and instrumentation?

Tubas or contras are already in use and electronics are not. "Better" is subjective. I don't think this is the time to add costs or alienate people with a controversial and costly addition to the instrumentation.

I wonder about the HS kids argument.... It seems like when I got involved with the activity in the late 70s, folks were saying that HS band was going to save the activity. Clearly that hasn't happened. I think most people who do HS band see that as a phase of their lives that most close after HS. I'm wondering if it may be time to consider other audiences maybe targeting military families, reaching out to Hispanic and African Americans who are way underrepresented (roughly 30% of the US population). Maybe offering free tickets at larger venues to these groups realizing the seats will go empty otherwise. don't know DCA @ DCI may already doing this-trying to think out of the box.... I also agree with Sayre about The local corps.

That's true and if its agreed electronics brings in no one, but adds to the expense and alienated others, it should stay out.

Being a drumme, this has been an interesting thread. Tome the g horn sounds better, louder and grittier. But i understand and except the switch. But i do think you get more bang for the buck with the bugle. I think the reason the ghorns are bugles is cultural. A lot of folks played on one or two valve horns and were quite proud to be mastering a bugle rather than a hs band trumpet.

Thats a cute one Linda! Btw!How were those boots tomarch in?