Jeff

It appears you are talking about the first valve tuning slide on 2 valve bugles that was pushed in to tune certain notes. The spring mechanism then returns the slide back to original position. First try oiling it and working it back and forth to spread the oil down the slide. If that doesn't work you can take it apart with a small allen wrench and clean it thoroughly. It could be it wasn't used much as the slide was pushed in for high G#/Ab, which would be rare on a french horn. It may just need to be broken in if it wasn't used much. If it will return to the out position, it really isn't a problem.

Actually the G soprano bugle is more cylindrical than a Bb marching trumpet. As all two and three valves sopranos have employed Bb trumpet proportion length and bell section, the lower key is usually achieved by adding about 9 inches of cylindrical tubing after the leadpipe and before the valves. Some of the designs make the bugle, primarily the Dynasty 3 valve, look like a cornet with the wrapping, but it remains clearly a trumpet. The sizzle we associate with the soprano bugle is a result of that adaptation. The more conical soprano brass instruments, cornet and flugelhorn, have a darker, mellow sound and little sizzle. The trumpet/soprano voice is the only cylindrically based instrument in the drum corps choir, as trombone-like baritones have not been utilized in many years.

Inquiring minds want to know......... If Strawberry Soup wasn't watered down wouldn't it be Strawberry Stew? :P Well anyway I'll bet that string section on the Ellis Tears of Joy album couldn't march a lick!

To the best of my knowledge drum corps started with the M1892 Field Trumpet in G as opposed to the M1894 Bb model for it's tuning slide. The Bb bugle was a triple wrap with no slide. The G model was a double wrap and had a slide that pulled out to F which was used when playing with military bands. Both were widely employed prior to WW I in the armed forces.

Frank, The Cavaliers played mellophone mouthpieces designed by Larry Kershner. To describe them briefly they look like a roll of quarters, with a trumpet rim, and a french horn cup. John Simpson had one this summer and gave me a chance to examine it. John was also instrumental in getting deeper mellophone mouthpieces in vogue by employing them with the Sky Ryders back in the earlier 1980's. That was a sweet sounding brass line that deserves wider recognition. Now as to use of a mellophone outside of the marching arena, Pat Metheny had one during his Secret Story tour. It was played in a few songs as part of a flugel-mellophone duo.

Josh, A "full" DCA corps would consist of 128 members. Assuming that, 64 horns would likely be a full line with 20 sops, 12 mellos, 20 baris, and 12 bass a typical configuration. Bush surely used all their equipment last year and we need to find some more for 2006.

Not sure where people get their information about DCI and judges........ There is a rule in both DCA and DCI that you can't judge a corps that you have worked with until one season passes, meaning anyone affiliated with a corps in 2005 can't judge them until 2007. This is to prevent any appearance of impropriety. The vast majority of DCI judges have previous drum corps experience as marching members, instructors, and arrangers before they became judges. I started on a G-D bugle with one valve and pulled slides. There was never any requirement for judges to have no drum corps experience. To do so would be rather foolish. To imply that somehow playing a certain brand or key of instrument is favored or a key to success with the judging community ignores the fact that it is a performance based caption. In the days of G only, corps with beat up, mismatched bugles defeated corps with brand new sets of horns. In the days of Bb/F and G lines competing in DCI and currently in DCA, having a set of Bb/F isn't a guarantee for improved scores or making finals. It's the players that have, do, and will continue to determine the contest outcomes. One judges what is heard.

The 3 valve Kanstuls that were made for Future Corps were exceptional as well.

The thought of 64 Mignemis is rather overwhelming. B) Would they all be full-sized Mignemis or would they come in assorted sizes? b**bs How 'bout 18 Minimenis, 20 Midnemis, and 16 actual Mignemis, and 10 Maxinemis?

Chris, The standard for scoring is the philosophy of achievement, which entails a simultaneous consideration of both what a corps plays and how well they play it. It is summerized as Achievement = Content + Performance, so content, aka demand, aka difficulty, plays a vital and important role in ranking and rating corps. Anyone that denies it, is not reading the criteria on the sheets. In dealing with hypothetical scenarios, it often simplifies arguments to unreal outcomes. I've never heard two corps "equal" in performances. IMO, no one could ever equal the Renegades or many other corps that have a unique sound and approach to the activity. Yet in many cases judges often deal with brass lines in the same scoring range. They always have different strengths and weaknesses, both in content and performance. Surely in some of these cases, the more demanding program is the determining factor. Regarding intonation, it is never easy to get a brass line to play with proper pitch. It is probably the most difficult component for a brass line to achieve. No one ever plays in tune, although corps do an amazing of pitch control in a difficult environment on the move. Equipment is an obvious component of that equation, but there are many other factors, including but not limited to mouthpiece, key of the arrangement, arranger's skill in voicings, temperature, humidity, motion away or towards the listener, dynamic extremes, range extremes, staging, and physical demand of the drill in addition to the skill of the performers. I'm not sure that judges could ever quanitify or guesstimate all of the above in addition to what they hear eminating from the instruments. I would hope that the judges take into account all they can and reward everyone's achievement in accordance to the criteria on the sheet. Whether they play G or Bb/F instruments surely is a factor, but just one of many in my opinion and not vital to outcome. Too many people have the perception that somehow corps will have to abandon G instruments to be successful. Unfortunately perception has a tendency to become reality. That is why judges are told to judge what they hear. Looking forward to hearing your 2006 program..... Jeff

In all my years as a judge, no organization, DCI or DCA, has ever suggested any weighting of score in regards to equipment, whether that be key of instrument, brand of instrument, valve configuration, or mouthpiece. To suggest otherwise is contrary to practice. You judge what comes out of the bell of the horn. If a corps believes that the Bb/F or G gives them an edge, go for it. If a corps feels that a certain mouthpiece is superior, pop them in the horns. If you feel a certain make of horn is the one to play, go get a set. However, if you are looking to score in box 5, you better have some great players and top notch instructors, along with outstanding brass arrangements. Jeff Mitchell, Bush Program Consultant

Both are part of the process. Corps are rated, placed on the scoring scale using the criteria on the back of the sheet, and ranked, determining the order of finish (first to last) and spread between units, i.e. how many tenths.

double reply

In assigning scores, judges use a process of IMPRESSION-ANALYSIS-COMPARISON. IMPRESSION is the initial reaction to the performance in relation to the criteria which determines the scoring range; upper box 3, lower box 5, etc... ANALYSIS is to review the performance and reassess the criteria to insure that the IMPRESSION is accurate. Thus the corps is rated, given a scoring range. COMPARISION looks at any other scores assigned in that range and determines the actual ranking of corps. So judges use both the criteria (rating) and also look at others (ranking) to assign scores. As far as assigning maximum numbers, 100 or 20.0, it has never been considered to be perfect. From a practical standpoint, one can assign a maximum score in a subcaption, if that is felt to be the best one has seen. So when judges assign these numbers it is not based upon any notion that it was a flawless effort, but that it was the highest achievement in the activity.

Dear Mr. Kidd, As long as you breath, your mouth will not be shut. It is simply not possible. It is far more likely that Rush Limbaugh will become a long haired, left wing, tree hugging hippee. :P Jeff Mitchell, Bush Program Consultant 2003-2005

Perhaps it's best not to stereotype drum corps as junior and senior. Each corps is a unique entity with it's own identity and performance traditions. By dividing our activity into two competing bodies and then making broad generalizations, we build fences that are largely illusionary. Thus we create barriers that exclude people from experiencing the totality of the activity. This lack of inclusion furthers the separation and creates much negativity. Drum corps, it's all good........

The instrument makers get more than advertising. They get some real expert feedback on their products. The King brass were actually developed by Phantom Regiment. Div 1 corps are great means to field test equipment. If a drum or horn can stand up to a summer of a full tour, it will last a marching band many years given the more limited rehearsal and competition schedule. So it is also about having a better product and having corps give feedback and advice.

It is a question that has no answer. It depends on what brand of instruments are purchased, the quantity bought, and who you buy them from. The cost differential of producing a Dynasty/Kanstul bugle vs. marching brass should be roughly equal. These instruments are virtually identical, excepting the leadpipe and length of valve tubing. Given that most corps would be able to purchase either directly, you would find little difference in price. If you purchase marching brass from a dealer, obviously the cost would include a mark up and most marching brass purchased by bands are sold in this manner. Obviously one could find Bb/F instruments on either end of bugle pricing, with trumpets costing anywhere from a $100 made in China model to expensive hand made models costing several thousand dollars. The same goes for the rest of the brass choir voices. The real cost advantage that Bb/F instruments offer is that they hold their value better than a bugle. Instruments can be rented out to bands each fall or sold outright. Given that most corps purchase directly and that bands usually buy from a dealer at a marked up price, the resale value for Bb/F is higher. Also the market for used marching brass is far better than bugles and instruments are sold more quickly.

The woodwind promoters on this thread might want to consider that the companies that produce marching brass and percussion gear their sales towards organizational purchasers. That would be high schools, colleges, and drum corps. The business is to sell specially designed instruments to be played while marching and in an outdoor arena. There is no such animal as a marching woodwind, nor do bands and/or individuals buy them based on their outdoor performance characteristics. Woodwinds are purchased for use as concert and jazz instruments and are promoted as such. The vast majority are purchased by individuals and not institutions, so there would be little benefit to equipping a someone with a matched set of woodwinds for competition.

The only posters that have any real enthusiasm for woodwinds are the most alienated, which should give you more hope. Why they keep bringing it up is beyond me. No one is for it. Some are just more against it than others. B) Perhaps they want to rally others to their anti-DCI position. Drum and bugle corps has been about straight bell front brass since the dawn of the activity. We have a very restrictive bugle defintion and the only changes over time have been key and valves. Remember there are a myriad of marching band brass instruments that are still illegal. Keep the faith.............

1985 was the first year for the A&E plus 3 valve bugles, I think. Don't remember how it turned out. Jeff

Ahhhhh.... the mysterious "they", now that's a tough one to dispute. :P This is no correlation between the attempts to get amplification for the front ensemble, which were passed by the percussion caucus numerous times, and the sole attempt for woodwinds that was barely discussed before being squashed in the brass caucus in it's sole appearance some years ago.

You will never see woodwinds in DCI. It was proposed a few years back once and had no support whatsoever. It has not been proposed again. It makes great banter for the doom and gloom types, but it is a non issue.

It was our intention to play fan friendly music in Russian Winter Portraits. Whether you were thinking 4th of July or Russia, it was designed to put a big finish on our show. There really is no right or wrong, we just hope everyone enjoyed the 2005 Bushwackers. We had a great season and would like to thank all the fans that cheered us on. You gave us that little extra we needed to finish strong in late August and September. Just to explain a little of the 1812 concept for those that saw Bush this season, we had a trumpet feature where they stand and play with one hand. The music they play represents the French and we staged them as the French army. During the second phrase the low and mid brass enter with a Russian theme and are staged to represent the Russian army. The low brass then overpower the upper choir to represent the Russian victory and the bass drums in the pit are cannon shots. At times, actual cannons are used during outdoor performances of 1812. The bells we employed represent the pealing of church bells signalling the Russian triumph. So there is a story line in the music that we tried to tell. Jeff Mitchell, Bush Program Consultant

Three things every drum corps fan knows; :P 1- Who should have really won the contest 2- How to better run DCI 3- What should have been shown on the DCI/ESPN2 broadcast