jdostie

There is a thread on trumpetmaster.com about this and some people recommend using alcohol instead of valve oil in the cold weather. Oil becomes more viscous in lower temps. I have no personal experience, but you might want to hop over there and do a search, see what you find.

Never mind, this is about feeder corps. My comment was out of place - thus deleted.

Some, it had to be carried on and off as I remember, but could then be grounded. I'm pretty sure we had grounded tympani for part of our show in '79.

Then it's what I remembered, I just wasn't sure what exact part of the show. And I loved that show!

New York, New York!?!

90.050 yesterday. I'm pulling for you SCV.

YES! That's what I miss.

Music cues, Oooh, yeah . . . I didn't mean to offend, and I only said dance outfit because for some reason costume did not come into my brain. I like costumes sometimes, but sometimes they don't seem to fit anything other than they are "not uniforms." And, I always like the hard core look of a color guard in uniform. Now, not having seen Troopers for 29 or 30 years, when I saw them last weekend, I will say I prefer the old uniform, but the "Indian" costume worked well. It fit both with the theme of the corps as a whole, and the theme of the show. And if I think back to '77, my first year, Bridgemen's guard costume did not bother me one bit because it fit with the theme. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing, when I think of Santa Clara's guard or Blue Devils, I have an image in my mind from the '70s, and that what my mind says they are "supposed" to look like. Same kind of thing happens with they style of music being played. OK, before I dig myself into a hole I'll shut up.

I always liked it as well, even worked with male members having the regular uniform . . . Really, it doesn't even have to be a feminized version of the same uniform, but I always liked it looking like a "uniform" period. There were plenty of corps even in the '70s that had something different for the guard that were still clearly uniforms, not dance outfits if you will.

Very reminiscent of SCV that I remember from the '70s (not entirely, but enough to make me feel good). After that company front I turned to my daughter and said, "the only thing missing was a bottle dance." She said, "what's that." I'll fix that little knowledge gap pretty soon. I liked their show - a lot - but I too feel it was missing something - could it be drill? I'd have to see the show again - I will, but in 3 weeks, a lot can change in that time.

By the accounts I'm hearing '80 would have been worse! Hard to imagine . . . I didn't march that year, and subsequently joined the Navy. So Birmingham '79 was my last taste of drum corps competition.

Harumph

Was it class A prelims in Birmingham '79? Hot, humid, and on AstroTurf that wanted to fry your feet? I think that's it, 'cause I remember finals being on grass in another stadium - and in the evening - seems like I'd remember if it were in Denver - from previous years, so must be Birmingham '79.

You are talking "normal" french horn right? I'd doubt that you can pick up a silet brass for that for $50, I paid $99 for a trumpet silent brass (with the amplifier). It might be possible to pick up the mute only, but still that sounds too cheap. I have silent brass, but prefer my best brass practice mute for trumpet. Follow this link, http://www.brassarts.com/horn_mutes.htm which I think will get you to a french horn mute, at least is says it's for horn . . .

Puppet - you never cease to amaze me. You have photos for every occasion, and a knowledge about so many . . . In contrast, I never even thought of having a camera, getting pictures, saving anything. And the few things I did keep (some pins, t shirts and my corps jacket, mysteriously disappeared when I went into the navy. I guess my folks figured I was done with them.

This doesn't work to well. Can't stay focused when someone says "What one Song Says Drum Corps." First thing that came to mind was Channel 1 suite, as I clicked on the link to open the page I thought Appalachian Springs, then when the page came open, I saw Malaguena, and though "of course," but then I kept reading, and started thinking about Chorus Line, William Tell Overture, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof (several songs there) . . . I guess you can tell what era I come from. However, one word says drum corps (also from that era as well I guess) B@LL$; it's not so much the tune that was played, but the way it was played - with attitude, with well B@LL$.

How about Casa Bonita? But seriously: 1. Friends, and people I didn't think were friends until I was much older and remembered them. 2. Coming back from showers and having the all the females in the corps have an entertainment show prepared for us; then us having to have a show ready for them when they came back. 3. The thrill of completing a show - and knowing I'd done my best. 4. Watching the other corps - show after show somehow it never got old. 5. Showday, preperation, anticipation . . . 6. In a strange way sleeping on a gym floor - certainly being young enough to sleep on a gym floor and get up the next day ready to spend the day marching - incredible. 7. Traveling - although it was mostly a lot of time in the bus, there were moments - Yellowstone, Banf, Mount Rushmore . . . some mall in the midwest . . . some mall in atlanta . . . Casa Bonita (oh, I said that). Edit . . . Might as well say it . . . tube tops and shorts, certain middle-horn players of the opposite sex, pretty much watching the color guard practice.

But she has a scimitar, I don't remember the '77 show, but I don't think there was scimitar/sabre dance . . . could this be from early in the season before a uniform change?

SABRE DANCE! Huah

It gave the Contra from North Star the opportunity to sit down and play a solo!

Wow, the responses were just opposite of what I expected between you and Martybucs. Maybe I'll have to reread your respective posts.

"John Philip Sousa was one of the pioneers in showing the possibilities of drums and "open tone" bugles. In 1888 he wrote a Trumpet and Drum book which included not only the rudiments of drumming but also a march for drums and bugles . . ." Trumpets, bugles referred to synonymously by John Philip Sousa - and in this context. If that's accurate, we might have to kind of rethink some of our "it's not bugles anymore" positions. also, the whole activity comes from Drum and Fife corps - er woodwinds. Grr. The only thing we can say about that is "well, we are talking about not the origins, but a more recent adaptation - "Drum and Bugle Corps." We don't have to like it, I certainly don't, but from a historical perspective, woodwinds preceded the bugle. Hmph. Well then, my position - if I were on a steering committee for DCI or DCA - or if I were on a public forum where such people might read it (oh, I am), that the current incarnation in question is Drum and Bugle Corps, which does not include woodwinds or keyboards (or does it now? I am not entirely up to date on this years rules) or stringed instruments. If that's what you want, then please either start an organization with an name descriptive of the activity, or be change the name of the activity you are participating in to reflect what you are offering. Leave the "Drum and Bugle Corps" moniker for percussion and brass instruments - and as I have said in this paragraph, I'll be willing to make the adjustment for trumpets = bugles based on the above (I am assuming this is correct). Also, a thought occurred to me as I was writing this, what is an "open tone" bugle other than a natural trumpet? More conical? That would make it a natural cornet? If that's the case, then that supports the trumpet=bugle/bugle=trumpet hypothesis. As to what we prefer? That's another question. I prefer G. It becomes a question of politics and economics, however, what key is chosen/accepted by the corps, DCI, or DCA. Does DCI still allow G bugles if a corps wanted to go that way?

Well, I've posted this before (a long time ago), but we all kind of define it based on what our own "golden era" might have been. Having played on piston rotor for only camps, practice, and 1 show before getting a 2 valve soprano, I loved my 2 valve soprano, and for me that's the definition of drum corps - really anything between '73 and '79. . . I don't know what happened after that until last year. I can tell you this, my first show since '79 was DCI west last year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, BUT, it looked vastly different than the drum corps I knew. And it had nothing to do with the type of horn (though the sound was different). Even ignoring the pit, the demeanor on the field was vastly different. Corps members "found" their starting spot on the field and independently found the box, raising their horn to at on their own, a their own time etc. Equipment was dropped and then picked back up, the overall feeling was more "showey," and much less military bearing. And I thing every drum line did a "bee bop" thing, I don't know what else to call it except kind of dancing while playing during a drum break. While that might have been cool to see on the occasional corps, it wore a bit thin. All in all, it was less "hard core" drum corps. The real thing is, for those who support the changes, I wonder is there no point at which you say "this far and no farther?" Is there a point when you say "it's no longer drum and bugle corps. So they add woodwinds, you say hey, it's still drum and bugle corps, it has brass. They add more synthesizers, still, has drums and brass. Then someone decides, you know, we can have more pageantry if we expand the guard to about 100 members, we don't really need horns any more, we have synthesizers that can play those parts. Is is still drum and bugle corps? Ok it's drum corps. But wait, we can expand the guard to 140 members by synthesizing percussion. Oh, and let's not call it guard anymore, after all, they aren't guarding anything, let's call them dancers or choreographic artists, or pagaent performers. So I have been absurd, but it does demonstrate that there is a point at which it makes no sense to call it drum corps. So the question is "where is that point?" I'd say we're coming close to that point. As I said about a year ago, when you can't distinguish (and I don't mean semantics that drum corps is not a marching band, you'll know what I mean) marching band from drum corps, then drum corps as a separate and distinct activity has ceased to exist. Have we reached that point, maybe not, but are we coming close?

That's a pretty awesome arrangement. Who wouldn't take advantage of that if available, and it meets your visual design criteria.

Are you saying that the sponsors are sponsoring the corps for uniforms and nothing else, would not give the money if it were used say to reduce tour costs to the members? Or is it all fungible?