capusctrump
-
Posts
11 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by capusctrump
-
-
I'm going to leave this question as open as possible. Think about what the question is really asking.
What do we have to do or change to make Drum Corps more TV friendly?
I think the marching music community needs to flex its size and purchase power and let TV networks know that we want better coverage of marching music.The two places this can be done are parade coverage and halftime of College Football Games.Once we get vocal about marching bands and TV executives realize the potential,they will take the logical next step,and seek out the ultimate in marching music.My link
-
It is lonely at the top, and after the incredible `09 rendition of the BD,you can`t help but admire what they did in 2010.They certainly did not play it safe,and really produced an amazing piece of art! As a spectator, all I could say was,"wow," as with so many other year`s BD shows.I`ve been going to DC shows for 32 years,and I`ve tried to turn people on to DC for most of those 32 years. It has always perplexed me, as to why I haven`t been more successful at recruiting new fans.
The first time I was blown away by them it was a combination of power and sychronization that really grabbed me. Thus, the all brass "in your face," nature of DC, combined with the incredible precision were the main ingredients that characterized the activity for me. If 2010 was the first year I saw a big time show, I probably would be impressed by the same elements that impressed me in 1978, and it would still be the BD on the top of the heap.
I still found the 1978 show to be more entertaining. So perhaps it isn`t as important what they do, as much as, how they do it?
-
In our local area 2 of the 3 band directors in our town came from drum corps. I am still a booster for our band and our director marched with a corps from Iowa, I think it was Knight Express? and also, his wife marched with another corps, I can't remember where right now. So, maybe it is all becoming one.
I read many people are wanting more entertaining shows. When I was in Indianapolis this summer, there was just something about some shows that made them more exciting to me. I believe the passion of the performers is this intangible something that can be felt by the crowd. So, when the kids believe in their show, when they are entertained by performing it, I think it makes a difference. I really felt a difference when Madison was on the field than I did when other corps either higher or lower than them were on the field. Sure, each show is different, but I think selling the members on their show, might be an important consideration some corps are missing.
Very well put!
-
will they be brave enough to stop in Phoenix?
I was thinking the same thing,the last time the Cadets came to Phoenix,SCV were there but BD were not.And the only time I remember The Phantom coming to Phoenix was when both SCV & BD were playing Stanford.It could really be a boost to Arizona Drum Corps if all 4 heavyweights square off!
-
I`ve marched a lot of different styles with a lot of different groups,but I`ve never seen anything like that drill The Vanguard did,besides the creativity involved, the ability to teach it,was incredible.
How could anyone not love that first note of Slaughter on 10th Ave.,by The Scouts?
-
In the summer of 1978,I caught wind that there was a local corps in Tucson.I spent most of my formative years in North Jersey,so I was aware of the existence of The Cadets and The Caballeros.So along with a handful of good horn players we proceeded to a parking lot where this rag-tag group practiced.At first it did not look very appealing,but after observing them for awhile,I started to notice that the drummers were pretty good,and then I realized that this was the best drumline in the state, by far,including the universities!So my horn playing friends and I decided that all this corps really needed was us.
So after practice I met the drum instructor,and he took me over to someone`s house to play me corps records.He had played with The Kilties in the mid `60s.I think we listened to the 1975 DCA Championship albums and The Cavaliers doing Russian Wedding Music.He told me about The Blue Devils,because the corps had gone to see The Championships in Denver the previous year.The director of the corps,told us that if we won The State VFW Contest,that he would see to it that we would go to the nationals in New Orleans.The state contest was a little over 3 weeks away,and so far the corps had an opener,and nothing else,so we dove in head first and won that trip to New Orleans.
Right after we won the state,I found out about 2 big corps shows in Southern California,so my best friend,the drum instructor and I,drove out to L.A. so I could see my first big time corps shows and I`ve been addicted ever since.The Santa Clara Vanguard pulled out The Bottle Dance that night and beat The BD for the first time in over a year!It was a great night for The SCV,but it was definitely the power and precision of The BD that did it for me.I have to mention their soprano line was rediculous.When they came at us with 5 soloists and Legend of the One Eyed Sailor in all its glory,there was no doubt who the pros were!That year The Kingsmen were still around,The Freelancers were great and The Troopers were still a force.Most summers after that I made it a point to catch those shows,including The Phantom doing the original Spartacus. I watched finals on PBS for several years when The Cadets charged onto the scene with their speed kills,Z-fold,eye candy.For me though,The BD were it,although I really loved The Scouts,The Phantom,The Cadets (especially that Mountain King stuff) and The Bridgemen.I never was a huge SCV fan,but I`ve always had a lot of respect for them.
Then The Star of Indiana happened.They pulled the wool over everyone`s eyes for one title,but then people realized that they weren`t a field show,they were a modern dance troup much better suited for a Broadway Stage.It was during this time period that changes were occurring.It used to be that it really didn`t matter what kind of show you played.as long as you brought the biggest,baddest,hornline with you.It was during this stretch that The BD really got jobbed by the judges a few times.I was at finals in Jackson,when The Scouts played Strawberry Soup,in the pouring rain,just before The BD played it.The Cavaliers beat The BD that year with a 3rd grade Bartok brass program!The highlight of that night though,was when Phantom played Amazing Grace leaving retreat,talk about goose bumps!!
I have never played in a group that satisfies judges to the extent that The BD does,but I have been in a marching band that received a standing ovation from 90,000.I know it must be very gratifying to achieve the level of excellence and artistry that The BD have over the last 2 seasons,but I`ll stick with that standing ovation.I`ve never performed for judges even in competition,first and foremost,I`ve always played for the audience,and their response was always the payoff.
Every time I watch drum corps I picture myself as a soloist for The BD,until this year.This year there was only one corps I wanted to be a member of,and that was The Madison Scouts.They were the one group that connected with the crowd.I saw it and felt it 2000 miles away at a theater in Tucson.The BD has raised the bar of the art form to a whole new level where the judges have pushed them,but their show was not as enjoyable as the one I saw in 1978.Drum corps is competitive field music,as an art form it still needs to be entertaining.General effect needs to be a major percentage of the score.Effect being a key word that implies that the passing of emotion to the audience is a factor.So if the judges and the fans can`t get closer together in what they are looking for the activity is going to be relegated to a fringe,esoteric fan base.Drum corps needs to learn from marching band and start playing for the audience instead of the judges.
-
You know drum corps is dying when……………
You replace your marching instructor with a choreographer.
You try to improve your front line sound by buying a new amp
You publish your repertoire and you play no RECOGNISABLE songs from it
You feel the need to amplify your soloists
You have to make room in the food truck for the 30 tons of props you are hauling around the country
The fans are in the stands complaining that they have to wait for an “exciting” corps……..And they are at the World Finals!!!
You have to make room in your corps budget for MICROPHONES
It stops being about the corps members and becomes all about the corps administration ego
It stops being about horns, drums and pageantry and more about a stage production
You cancel a show because your singer lost her voice.
Your "The Who" theme show involves smashing your amp at the end.
You ditch your Navy oxford shoes for jazz slippers.
You have more brass on the field than ever and still need amplification.
Your field show cures insomnia.
Your drum line cannot execute a single rudiment but moves like Cirque du Soleil.
Your color guard makes male figure skaters look brawny, rugged, and manly in comparison.
Jazz Running?
Your drum major doesn't use a baton or a mace but yells, "Plug it in!"
to start the show.
Your drum corps auditions includes a voice lesson
Your music is not recognizable ……….. by anyone
High mark time marching is unique and original
someone hears DCI and thinks of old Titleist irons.
there are more people in the pit than on the field.
rain cancels a show for fear of electrical problems.
judges give recaps like Bruno Tonioli critiquing a celebrity on "Dancing With the Stars."
drills look like a strand of DNA.
the music you play is so obscure the composers forgot they wrote it.
You hear comments like “I play third violin for the Troopers.”
You think WGI is the bomb but never heard of drum corps.
A soloist blames cracked notes on his #### reed being too dry.
They give I&E medals to flute and saxophone performances!
They start referring to drum corps as BAND!
You are a lifelong drum corps nut and you actually question whether you want to go a competition
You mention the 27th Lancers, North Star, Freelancers, or the Muchachos to “a drum corps fan” and they say “Who?”
The goal of the corps directors is to win a Tony Award
Your show requires an MC to explain what is going on.
The crowd as a whole does not yell and scream anymore during the performance.
People start to compare drum corps sound to that of a concert band
The corps is concerned with conveying nuance rather than giving “that chill”
Can any one think of more?
-
You know drum corps is dying when……………
You replace your marching instructor with a choreographer.
You try to improve your front line sound by buying a new amp
You publish your repertoire and you play no RECOGNISABLE songs from it
You feel the need to amplify your soloists
You have to make room in the food truck for the 30 tons of props you are hauling around the country
The fans are in the stands complaining that they have to wait for an “exciting” corps……..And they are at the World Finals!!!
You have to make room in your corps budget for MICROPHONES
It stops being about the corps members and becomes all about the corps administration ego
It stops being about horns, drums and pageantry and more about a stage production
You cancel a show because your singer lost her voice.
Your "The Who" theme show involves smashing your amp at the end.
You ditch your Navy oxford shoes for jazz slippers.
You have more brass on the field than ever and still need amplification.
Your field show cures insomnia.
Your drum line cannot execute a single rudiment but moves like Cirque du Soleil.
Your color guard makes male figure skaters look brawny, rugged, and manly in comparison.
Jazz Running?
Your drum major doesn't use a baton or a mace but yells, "Plug it in!"
to start the show.
Your drum corps auditions includes a voice lesson
Your music is not recognizable ……….. by anyone
High mark time marching is unique and original
someone hears DCI and thinks of old Titleist irons.
there are more people in the pit than on the field.
rain cancels a show for fear of electrical problems.
judges give recaps like Bruno Tonioli critiquing a celebrity on "Dancing With the Stars."
drills look like a strand of DNA.
the music you play is so obscure the composers forgot they wrote it.
You hear comments like “I play third violin for the Troopers.”
You think WGI is the bomb but never heard of drum corps.
A soloist blames cracked notes on his #### reed being too dry.
They give I&E medals to flute and saxophone performances!
They start referring to drum corps as BAND!
You are a lifelong drum corps nut and you actually question whether you want to go a competition
You mention the 27th Lancers, North Star, Freelancers, or the Muchachos to “a drum corps fan” and they say “Who?”
The goal of the corps directors is to win a Tony Award
Your show requires an MC to explain what is going on.
The crowd as a whole does not yell and scream anymore during the performance.
People start to compare drum corps sound to that of a concert band
The corps is concerned with conveying nuance rather than giving “that chill”
Can any one think of more?
-
How do I post? I just lost a 500 word diatribe when I tried to edit my questionable language.
-
You know drum corps is dying when……………
You replace your marching instructor with a choreographer.
You try to improve your front line sound by buying a new amp
You publish your repertoire and you play no RECOGNISABLE songs from it
You feel the need to amplify your soloists
You have to make room in the food truck for the 30 tons of props you are hauling around the country
The fans are in the stands complaining that they have to wait for an “exciting” corps……..And they are at the World Finals!!!
You have to make room in your corps budget for MICROPHONES
It stops being about the corps members and becomes all about the corps administration ego
It stops being about horns, drums and pageantry and more about a stage production
You cancel a show because your singer lost her voice.
Your "The Who" theme show involves smashing your amp at the end.
You ditch your Navy oxford shoes for jazz slippers.
You have more brass on the field than ever and still need amplification.
Your field show cures insomnia.
Your drum line cannot execute a single rudiment but moves like Cirque du Soleil.
Your color guard makes male figure skaters look brawny, rugged, and manly in comparison.
Jazz Running?
Your drum major doesn't use a baton or a mace but yells, "Plug it in!"
to start the show.
Your drum corps auditions includes a voice lesson
Your music is not recognizable ……….. by anyone
High mark time marching is unique and original
someone hears DCI and thinks of old Titleist irons.
there are more people in the pit than on the field.
rain cancels a show for fear of electrical problems.
judges give recaps like Bruno Tonioli critiquing a celebrity on "Dancing With the Stars."
drills look like a strand of DNA.
the music you play is so obscure the composers forgot they wrote it.
You hear comments like “I play third violin for the Troopers.”
You think WGI is the bomb but never heard of drum corps.
A soloist blames cracked notes on his #### reed being too dry.
They give I&E medals to flute and saxophone performances!
They start referring to drum corps as BAND!
You are a lifelong drum corps nut and you actually question whether you want to go a competition
You mention the 27th Lancers, North Star, Freelancers, or the Muchachos to “a drum corps fan” and they say “Who?”
The goal of the corps directors is to win a Tony Award
Your show requires an MC to explain what is going on.
The crowd as a whole does not yell and scream anymore during the performance.
People start to compare drum corps sound to that of a concert band
The corps is concerned with conveying nuance rather than giving “that chill”
Can any one think of more?
Drum Corps on TV
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
Part of the problem is the word "Bugle." Anyone not familiar with Corps conjures up images of a soldier on horseback sounding a charge during a cavalry assault.How many times have you had to explain what Drum Corps is? Maybe Brass and Drum Corps would give a better initial impression of the activity?
Four things in this world that really don`t translate well to TV:1)Hockey,2)Rock Concerts,3)College Football,4)Drum Corps.Any of these four are too big for TV to attract new viewers,but it seems that once you have experienced one of these events live,then you can get a sense of it on TV.It has been my experience that as soon as I introduce some one to a live Drum Corps show,they are blown away,but to introduce some one through DVD or even a movie theater,they usually are left cold.