Overhype

There are very good reasons: As soon as corps were allowed to have a pit (1982 or 1983?), many corps did so that first year. In 1983, when DCI first allowed corps to sing and otherwise use vocals, many corps did so that very first year. One of the commentators mentioned it during a PBS broadcast, to the effect that, now that corps are allowed to sing they all seem to think they have to. In 1991, when DCI first allowed three valved G horns, we saw corps using them that very first year. This was pointed out during the PBS broadcast after the Bluecoats soprano soloist was shown playing one. In around 1991, when the performance field was expanded to include the area in front of the sideline, several corps (specifically Star and Madison, if I remember correctly, moved their front ensembles so that marchers could move into that area. As soon as the number of performers was increased from 128 to 150, many corps increased their size that same year. When corps were allowed to use any key of brass (bell front) in 2000, Blue Devils and Cadets both did so that very first year. Most if not all other corps made the transition in the years following. (I don't know whether there even are any more G hornlines.) When amplification was first allowed in 2004 (?), many corps used a PA that same year. When synths were first allowed, many corps used them that same year. In a nutshell, every single rules change I can think of has resulted in many if not most corps stretching out into those "new" areas that very first year. So I believe it is perfectly reasonable to presume that we are going to see plenty of the "new" instruments this summer and even more over the next couple of years.

There is nothing "new" about field shows with trombones, French horns, Sousaphones, tubas, trumpets, amplification or synthesizers either. All of that has been done for decades by marching bands. ...which is where a lot of that stuff belongs.

I predict that the restrictive "brass" and "percussion" captions will be eliminated in favor of a more general "music" caption, so that designers will not be hindered by an oppressive judging system that seems to require them to use brass and percussion instruments. I also think that woodwinds and strings will have become common, and that the bands will be using auto-tune, drum machines, stage lighting, pyrotechnics, animals and water fountains. I also predict that the performers and educators will work insanely hard all winter, spring and summer to put on the shows of their lives. Long live drum corps.

An observation... It took DCI 20 years from when Star of Indiana left DCI in 1994 to devolve into the same instrumentation concept that Star eventually utilized in "Blast!" (Amplification, voice, synthesizers, any brass) I also found it interesting that it was Jim Mason (then of Star, now of Madison) who initiated the proposal to allow all brass instruments. If you had told me in 1994 that this was going to happen, I never would have believed you.

What year(s) of VK do you like? They were usually very different from year to year.

There's no way I can pick just one. Here are some of my favorites: Star of Indiana 1990, 1991 Star of Indiana 1993 Carolina Crown 2013 Troopers 1980s Blue Devils - pretty much any year in the 1980s or 1990s

Hilarious that you "cannot reveal their identities!" What can you tell us about them? Are they drum corps people? College band people?

...Yet.

Great job, Crown! You represented yourselves and the activity very well! And though your appearance was too brief for a fan like me, I think Disney did a good job in how they produced your segment.

I haven't listened to that podcast in a few weeks, but I believe the point of the original statement had to do with Crown's approach to selecting music, and not to suggest or assert that other corps would be incapable of playing the music Crown plays.

How about Blue Devils 1998? West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet? (Tchaikovsky and Bernstein?)

The greatest ideas and concepts start with great music. Great composers. Great arrangements. Plain and simple.

This isn't very current, but I'd love to hear a corps like BD play the breakdown of "Control" by Puddle of Mudd in a standstill. For me, this is mostly about how I imagine the battery wailing as the music builds in that section. I don't see it working for the brass, but hey, it's awesome in my imagination. Maybe it should actually be Puddle of Mudd with a full battery drum section! http://youtu.be/I0-lENIRHaM?t=2m50s

One of the things that Pink Floyd does well is take their time in developing musical ideas. They take you on a journey and they don't rush to get you there. I don't think drum corps could do justice to PF material because of their 11 minute time restrictions. But, I really like both PF and D&BC.

Maybe that's because 34 is generally pretty young to be playing BINGO, in my experience anyway.

Wow. I count only 16 dots. Therefore, it would be a perfect move for many tuba sections! :tongue:/> But seriously, I wonder whether it could even work with 32 or 64 people.

It's cool to read how different everyone's opinions can be. My personal favorite is Cabaret Voltaire. I can't get Apollo 13 and the Satie out of my head. I also really dig how BD dug into their archives and reset some spots from their 1991 and 1996 shows. Great stuff!

I say throw out the rule book and allow any instrumentation imaginable. DCI opened Pandora's box in 2000 and has since lost many of the qualities that made drum corps unique. So now we have brass band instruments that are not as loud as the old Gs. But to make up for that loss of volume, we have amplification and synthesizers. (Gee, thanks.) Let's stop kidding ourselves about what should be allowed, and accept that it's a matter of a short period of time until DCI allows any noisemaker imaginable. Trombones, Sousaphones, French horns, violins of every size, woodwinds, pan flutes, guitars, kazoos, bagpipes... Come on in. The door is wide open.

At the beginning of the 2013 tour, Crown's director, Jim Coates, said that this tour is costing about $30K more than other years. Source: http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=b55b2b75-fc27-4ce4-bc13-34d127794aa5 I'm sure BD and SCV travel budgets from most any year would tell how much it costs. I'm sure travel costs are similar whether traveling east to west or west to east.

Right. Blame it on the equipment!

I'm not sure how a lip-synching impersonator could be considered "excellent." Sorry for the OT downer, but that was truly horrible. Poor girl shouldn't have been put up to do that.