[Just a thought]

I think its about time something changed. DCI has grown so powerful that they are changing the activity so each drum corps has to evolve into something drum corps was never intended to be. Drum corps isnt about instrument sponsorships or ticket sales. Its about teaching young people to become more than what they ever could be. Whatever new sanctioning body arises should create a focus on new drum corps with the intent to get kids off the street and out of trouble. The way DCI has manipulated the activity, no low-income kid could ever perform with a DCI corps. The way corps are required to tour for so long, etc pushes the focus away from bettering local communities through music; it makes it a financial benefit to someone, and that isnt drum corps. The way a corps cannot survive without dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into high-end uniforms and instruments isnt what drum corps is supposed to be. DCI is going to kill itself off only because its setting too high a price tag on what it takes to be successful as a drum and bugle corps.

[What new Alumni Corps should Pop Up?]

There is a very good possibility that both Sacramento Freelancers and Anaheim Kingsmen will be taking the field in 2009 as competitive senior corps.

[Contrabass Bugle GG Question.]

Basically you want to play your GG contra in a concert/marching band setting right? I had actually written a fingering chart for that purpose. The only problem is anything above the concert Bb in the staff starts getting really squirrley and hard to tune. I think I actually tried playing one random high note with all fingering combinations and it read the same on my tuner. However, if you want to take the time, its best to have a tuner and go from there. The horn is in the key of G, which means that the tuning concert pitch that comes out of the horn is a "G." That is the same G played 12 on a BBb tuba. If you follow the chromatics up from there, you will see the BBb, fingered open on a BBb tuba, is actually 23 on a contra. please PM me for any other questions, I'll try to find that fingering chart i wrote. I wrote it because I find it sad that these huge majestic instruments are considered useless and obsolete. Also, im sure they will turn up on ebay as "marching tuba" and I can see some kid buying one not having a clue how to play it.