The talent level of the average brass player in the 1980s was terrific; I know because that's when I marched. However, there are two differences with respect to talent today: (1) First, the worst players on today's brass lines are better than the worst players on a 1980s brass line. (2) Second, the best players in the 1980s were better than today's best players. As proof, I offer the soloists from the 1970s and 1980s against today's soloists. I'm sorry, but the quality just isn't there today and this is predictable as modern band directors are more concerned with self-esteem instead of developing musical superstars. Today's high school bands, both indoor and outdoor, have substandard soloists and this translates to drum corps.
Don't get me wrong and don't misquote me either: The modern brass sections are terrific and the musical arrangements are generally better than they were thirty years ago. I still enjoy seeing a live show but to compare today's brass lines to those of the 1970s and 1980s is impossible due to disparate instrumentation and, well, the lack of volume. What's missing today is the raw emotion associated with stand-shaking volume! It "got" an audience and hooked them forever because it was different than any high school or college band. Today, well, things aren't all that different and I think this is what frustrates older fans to some extent. The other difference is physicality of the players and I fundamentally disagree with those who believe we who marched in the two-valve era were either out of shape or somehow less physically capable than today's players. We didn't spend our lives in front of video games. We went outside, played, ran, and got in shape naturally. Were our lungs better? Yes. Did we have to jazz run? No -- and I'm glad. We didn't need microphones either. Just sayin'.
I got to play with as well as stand in front of the best brass lines in bugle history in competitive situation and I wish I could take all of today's players and younger fans on a time warp so you could hear for yourselves what those 1970s-1980s brass lines sounded like. Contrary to the claims of some, those brass lines did not sound crass, "like butt," nor was anything "overblown." Those brass sections were loud -- extremely loud -- but the ensemble sound was very transparent and every part could be clearly heard. A modern Bb/F line is also very good, transparent, and every part can be heard, but most lines I hear are mellophone-heavy and trumpet-light. The volume isn't there -- and that's okay. It is what it is.
1988 was certainly a big year for change in drum corps but I look back to my rookie year of 1980 with The Cavaliers as another significant year which set up some future changes. I remember seeing Santa Clara Vanguard for the first time in 1980 in Allentown and we heard SCV was having an "off" year. Well, they weren't! Their brass line and drum line were outstanding as usual but their drill was so asymmetrical and different for its time that we wondered how the judges could even evaluate it fairly. I recall watching SCV that night and telling my brother Cavaliers, "Someday, everyone will have drills like that."