Land_Surfer

Once again, here we are, pondering the realm of possibilities surrounding the proposed use of artificially created and potentially melodic sounding electronic instrumentation. Whenever I think about this topic I always ask myself "what was my draw, my fascination, to drum corps?" Great outdoor arrangements with a good beat? Pomp and Pageantry? Discipline? All & None of the above? It was actually "natural aspiration!" The condensation of a full orchestral score or jazz book into the voices of a full brass and percussive choir that could and still be able to make it resemble that of a full orchestra / ensemble was my draw. We can talk all we want about the expansion of horizons using synthesizers and such but the true measure of a drum and bugle corps is its ability to recreate, through natural aspiration, using its own instrumentation, the voicing created by the great composers and do so in a manner that draws the crowd in to the emotion of the performer. Electronic instrumentation will result in nothing more than the dilution of and compromise towards the creativity that founded the drum and bulge corps.

BOA has woodwinds (I can't believe I even typed that word) ;-)

I don't think corps are quite as loud as they once were. Volume use to be an underlying trademark to some and a benefit to others. The loudest corps I've heard to date came out of the 1988 season: Madison's opener - Williams' Concerto for Jazz Guitar & Orchestra (had to be the loudest) and Star of Indiana's opening movement to "Porgy and Bess." No one can deny that Regiment's '89 opening movement to its New World show was a force to be reckoned with, but possibly not quite as powerful as its 1986 closer, Mahler's 2nd (they had nothing to lose so they left ears ringing that year, wow!).