At what point and time did we lose Drum Corps

[audiodave]

Just curious - what year were you introduced to drumcorps and what years did you march (if marched)?

The reason I ask is because it seems that most people's favorite years of drumcorps are the years that they were introduced to drumcorps and/or marched and then tend to not favor as much the years after aging out.

I agree with this. Being introduced to it in 1977, I tend to have a sentimental

attachment to the shows of the late seventies that i watched as a fan. I still realize that the shows

of the 80's were better - how? musicianship. the 90's even more musicianship.

But I'll take Spirit 1978 over Spirit 2007 any day. Now, forget it. you'd better be pretty awesome

to make it in one of these corps today, because there are a limited number of slots.

As far as "peak years" go and when

the decline started? I'm afraid it was 1981.

1981 had the largest number of both corps competing

and spectator attendance. So it's been on the downward spiral

for the last 26 years! I just consider myself lucky to have marched

during the "peak years" of the activity. 1977-1982.

oh, and the G to Bb thing? I think it makes it a little

easier to grab high school and college band kids.

Clearly a "band-aid" (hehehe) over declining membership.

Next there won't be enough brass players but Hoppy will get

flutes and saxes accepted to keep dci going for another 10 years or so, until

it's just rolled into BOA, Which will have it's finals at the new Lucas Oil Stadium.

Edited July 23, 2007 by audiodave

[Carl306]

At what point and time did we lose Drum Corps

www.dci.org <----- here it is!

[bawker]

www.dci.org <----- here it is!

http://dcacorps.org/ <--- found some here, too. :P

[Carl306]

http://dcacorps.org/ <--- found some here, too. :P

Nice :P

[comeonfhqwhgads]

Am i the only one who doesn't care if the brass isn't technically bugles anymore? As long as the brass is playing it's fine in my opinion. They push buttons, air comes out, i clap. ._.

To me Drum Corps is what marching band is supposed to be but never really accomplishes. i loves me some high school marching band, but we've all got that thing that happens in the middle of the day for half a year.. oh yeah, school. since most schools big enough to field a decent band are public, chances are they have to include anyone who feels like joining. Besides, the American focus is more on the people running into each other INTENTIONALLY on the football field.

So Drum Corps exists as a refining process to mold marching music into a more pure activity that stands by itself. The manner in which the actual refining of the marching music experience happens is up for debate, of course. Things like bell-front instruments and dedicated, hardworking members, staff, and volunteers stand out as more obviously good things to have happened.. fluid drill, roll-step marching, Bb instruments, narration and amplification all stand out as things that are debatable. regardless, the fact that they exist and that DCI is constantly evolving instead of rehashing means that the refining process is continuing and the final product [should] turn out better.

This in now way means that we should ignore the rich tradition of drum corps, or that some things are decidedly bad for the evolution of it. It just means that just because things are different, and have been different, and will be different, that doesn't mean it isn't drum Corps any longer.

[Brassop]

Am i the only one who doesn't care if the brass isn't technically bugles anymore? ...

...

Am I the only one who cares if flutes aren't technically bugles anymore?

[comeonfhqwhgads]

>_>

sorry, any comment in that was lost on me

[IllianaLancerContra]

I've been involved with drum corps since 1978. I've seen a lot happen since then. I began my marching career with the Spirit of Atlanta in 1980 and 81 and then the Cavaliers in 1983 and 84. The changes I was a part of were moving the bells and timpani to the front ensemble (the beginning of the front ensemble) and going from loud in your face ALL THE TIME drum corps to a more musical and artistic approach. That was the really big things when I marched, besides the fact that knowable music was played. I thought the best show I've ever seen was the 1990 Star of Indiana "Beltshazzar's Feast". Awesome hornline and amazing run your butt off will playin' that hard crap drill design. The next would have to be "Frameworks" in 2002 by the Cavaliers.

I was okay with being allowed to have the show go off the field without penalty, I was okay when they went from two valves to three, afterall they were still bugles. But then I started getting concerned when they went from bugles to band instruments. No longer in my mind was it Drum and Bugle Corps, but Drum and Brass Band, but I lived with it because it didn't change the fact that it was still brass and drums, but someone please tell me why it is necessary to have amplification? And the shows the past couple of years have gotten so artsy for art sake that there's not a recognizable tune in the bunch or not much time is being spent on a theme before it's off to something else. The Cavaliers show this year is based on the music of Billy Joel. Well I've seen and heard the show and if they played Billy Joel stuff it must have been his obscure stuff because I heard nothin' that called my rememberance to Billy Joel.

Don't get me wrong I love drum corps. The talent of these musicians is awesome. Their work ethic and dedication are to be commended and that has never changed. But I miss the tunes man, the music. I want my drum corps back.

Coop

I am late rolling in on this one, but

1. Well said

2. I must have seen you w/ SOA in 80; and competed against you in 83 - what did you play

[THX 1138]

I've been involved with drum corps since 1978. I've seen a lot happen since then. I began my marching career with the Spirit of Atlanta in 1980 and 81 and then the Cavaliers in 1983 and 84. The changes I was a part of were moving the bells and timpani to the front ensemble (the beginning of the front ensemble) and going from loud in your face ALL THE TIME drum corps to a more musical and artistic approach. That was the really big things when I marched, besides the fact that knowable music was played. I thought the best show I've ever seen was the 1990 Star of Indiana "Beltshazzar's Feast". Awesome hornline and amazing run your butt off will playin' that hard crap drill design. The next would have to be "Frameworks" in 2002 by the Cavaliers.

I was okay with being allowed to have the show go off the field without penalty, I was okay when they went from two valves to three, afterall they were still bugles. But then I started getting concerned when they went from bugles to band instruments. No longer in my mind was it Drum and Bugle Corps, but Drum and Brass Band, but I lived with it because it didn't change the fact that it was still brass and drums, but someone please tell me why it is necessary to have amplification? And the shows the past couple of years have gotten so artsy for art sake that there's not a recognizable tune in the bunch or not much time is being spent on a theme before it's off to something else. The Cavaliers show this year is based on the music of Billy Joel. Well I've seen and heard the show and if they played Billy Joel stuff it must have been his obscure stuff because I heard nothin' that called my rememberance to Billy Joel.

Don't get me wrong I love drum corps. The talent of these musicians is awesome. Their work ethic and dedication are to be commended and that has never changed. But I miss the tunes man, the music. I want my drum corps back.

Coop

Like the first responder said, go to a show (or more) this year and delete this post. We never lost drum corps. It is still with us. It has evolved but it is still drum corps.

I was extremely skeptical about amplification however I have come to realize just how beautiful it is when you can hear the full resonance of the pit instruments, especially marimba and vibes. If corps were to turn off the amps you would loose a great deal of musical effect from the pit.

Amplified vocals and narration have been the most difficult for me to accept. A few times some corps have done it and it has actually worked o.k. '04 Crown's amped singing drove me crazy... other than that I friggin LOVED the show. Blue Devils '05 "Yowza yowza yowza" was the most irritating thing in the world. Crossmen's radio theme show narration in '06 was also irritating to me.

On the other hand in this years Bluecoats show "Criminal" there's a point where everything on the field stops and you hear a "cop" yell through a loudspeaker "Stop! You have the right to remain silent. Anything you play can and will be used against you" and then the music starts again. I think that works

and brings a greater element of reality to the theme of their show. It's not distracting to the music because there's no music being played at all.

Didn't plan to say that much but there you have it. My opinion only.

[stevedci]

As far as "peak years" go and when

the decline started? I'm afraid it was 1981.

1981 had the largest number of both corps competing

and spectator attendance. So it's been on the downward spiral

for the last 26 years! I just consider myself lucky to have marched

during the "peak years" of the activity. 1977-1982.

Starting in 2002, DCI spent a considerable amount of time researching what had transpired during it's first 30 years.

there were many urban legends that were looked at, many relating to number of corps and audiences.

urban legend - "In 1972, there were well over a 1,000 drum corps"

reality - In 1972, there were approximately 350 active corps

a considerable amount of time was spent looking at corps participation in championships, and in particular, the "Montreal Bump" - the abnormally large number of corps competing in Montreal and the large audiences. (est of 31,000 and 33,000 for each year).

you can see the montreal bump for corps participation in the following graphic.

we concluded that the large audiences were driven in part by a large number of corps competing - 98 in both years. that said, one might ask, where did those 98 corps come from, since the number of corps in 1980 was in the 65-70 range, and why did they stimulated that much audience growth (50%+ increase from 1980)?

so we looked into where those 98 corps came from:

net/net -- a significant factor in the 1981 and 1982 peaks in montreal was a substantial number of ontario and quebec school associated corps who never participated in a DCI championship before or after.

this begs another question, which would be another thread -- where did those corps go?

oh, and the G to Bb thing? I think it makes it a little

easier to grab high school and college band kids.

Clearly a bandaid over declining membership.

prior to this season, 2007, more than 8,000 students auditioned for places in Division I corps.

the positive economic impact that the brass key rule change has had on drum corps is profound. look at the list of DCI corporate partners and then look at the artisit endorser (Yes, A&E) relationships that the top corps have w/ Yamaha, King(Steinway), Dynasty, Jupiter etc.. those are relationships that would not have been possible w/o that rule change. and the rule change has allowed DCI corps to become tremendous school music market influencers. that is a dramatic shift from where DCI and the corps were 10 years ago.