DCI Corps Moving Forward

[Davy1dave]

I wanted to start a new topic because of a response I saw in another other post. And it brought up a good point. It seems with the addition of electronic amplification and non-marching movement that DCI is moving beyond what is considered "traditional" drum corps. Some corps are embracing it, i.e. Phantom, Cadets. But I hear so many people complaining that it's not a true corps show with mics and choreography. Do you think amplification has ruined DCI, or do you think they are not moving far enough and would like to see more allowed, i.e. electronica, as it is in BOA?

I personally feel DCI has lost the innovation "edge" it had in the 80's and 90's. I mean, who in their right mind marched with no music being played before Star 93 or who would think to fill the entire field with 1 large flag, ala Santa Clara "Miss Saigon"? But what about today? Is there any truly jaw-dropping moments drill or visual wise that you haven't already seen at a BOA competition? Don't get me wrong, you can't beat the talent musically that you find in DCI. But it seems those pushing the creative envelope these days are more than likely to be at a high school than a drum corps.

Which leads to my final question. Are the limits that DCI places on what can be used in a show hindering the innovation or have the creative genuises left the Corps ranks for the High schools??Thoughts, opinions???

Edited August 1, 2007 by Davy1dave

[AlanAndreasen]

You make some good points. I think jaw dropping shows are in the eye of the beholder. After going to Indianapolis I must admit the Cavies kind of left me cold. They had a great show and performed the heck out of it. But, I also admit that over the last decade my expectations have grown greater and greater.

It seems that there is always a continuous movement of change and innovation but every now and then there also huge leaps (Garfield's Z-pull comes to mind). It's my theory of punctuated equilibrium in the world of corps. Something else to consider is that top BOA instructors/directors are also teaching corps.

[Davy1dave]

You make some good points. I think jaw dropping shows are in the eye of the beholder. After going to Indianapolis I must admit the Cavies kind of left me cold. They had a great show and performed the heck out of it. But, I also admit that over the last decade my expectations have grown greater and greater.

It seems that there is always a continuous movement of change and innovation but every now and then there also huge leaps (Garfield's Z-pull comes to mind). It's my theory of punctuated equilibrium in the world of corps. Something else to consider is that top BOA instructors/directors are also teaching corps.

I would venture to say "jaw-dropping" is in the sense that you can simply say "z-pull" and everyone knows what you mean. How great is it that a show almost 25 years ago is still talked about to this day? But when would you say was last "huge" leap? Medea? The Cavies "double-helix?" My point is that there are huge creative leaps going on in BOA more often than in DCI. Thoughts?

[AlanAndreasen]

I would venture to say "jaw-dropping" is in the sense that you can simply say "z-pull" and everyone knows what you mean. How great is it that a show almost 25 years ago is still talked about to this day? But when would you say was last "huge" leap? Medea? The Cavies "double-helix?" My point is that there are huge creative leaps going on in BOA more often than in DCI. Thoughts?

Yep, your'e correct. I guess it's a culture thing with drum corps. A marching band is free to experiment with anything because it's a marching band and it is expected. As a group, us corps heads, we are far less forgiving. Remember how corps was dead when we gave up the buglgle?

[zachariaswmb]

I would venture to say "jaw-dropping" is in the sense that you can simply say "z-pull" and everyone knows what you mean. How great is it that a show almost 25 years ago is still talked about to this day? But when would you say was last "huge" leap? Medea? The Cavies "double-helix?" My point is that there are huge creative leaps going on in BOA more often than in DCI. Thoughts?

Sure. Here's a thought. It's more difficult to come up with new ideas with the limited resources that DCI has, as opposed to the "anything goes" BOA style. You want more innovation? More bang for your buck? Let DCI become "anything goes" too. Me, I'm sitting back and waiting to have my mind blown by the next big thing.

[AlanAndreasen]

Yep, your'e correct. I guess it's a culture thing with drum corps. A marching band is free to experiment with anything because it's a marching band and it is expected. As a group, us corps heads, we are far less forgiving. Remember how corps was dead when we gave up the buglgle?

Ooops, wish I could spell buggle.

[exgmdm]

I'm not a creative-type - but I work with them in the web-development business...

One of the best designers I work with always wants to start with a complete list of constraints. He says it helps him to more fully engage his brain knowing what he can't do, and even when WE are "the client" and he could start with NO RULES at all, he prefers to write some himself to "constrain" the design process and to sharpen his focus on whatever goals we have set for the design.

And how does that relate to DCI and rules?

I would say that great show designers (I guess it's design teams now) also benefit from constraints - the dimensions of a football field being more or less standard throughout North America; The height of most marching members in a tall shako and plume is about 7 feet; 11 minutes is, well ... 11 minutes.

So I suspect that their creativity is not hampered in any way by rules, and may, in fact, be enhanced.

As an arranger in the G Bugle (F-Valve, f# rotor) days, I thought I was constrained by the notes that the horns "couldn't play". I thought that there were time signatures and even chord progressions that marching musicians "couldn't play" (I told you I'm not creative). Funny though, how the Argonne Rebels shattered nearly all my preconceived notions of "couldn't" in one afternoon at Marion, OH. I guess their arranger ( maybe Mrs. Opie, I really don't know) just didn't know quite as much as I did about what "couldn't" be done.

[jpaul]

Interesting topic.

It seems with the addition of electronic amplification and non-marching movement that DCI is moving beyond what is considered "traditional" drum corps.

Since it's inception drum corps has been moving away from "traditional" drum corps. It's a creative medium, and every time a corps does something that's never been done before the paradigm shifts. In the 70s corps introduced ideas that were outrageous compared to what was "traditional" in the 50s and 60s. It's no different now. Some changes are more radical, others evolve more slowly. That's when people start to panic. They see it something that has an immediate far-reaching impact and it makes them uncomfortable. We humans, as a species, don't really like things to change that much.

One of the best designers I work with always wants to start with a complete list of constraints. He says it helps him to more fully engage his brain knowing what he can't do, and even when WE are "the client" and he could start with NO RULES at all, he prefers to write some himself to "constrain" the design process and to sharpen his focus on whatever goals we have set for the design.

Constraints force you to think in ways other than what your first impulse or idea might be. Ever heard the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention?" When you can't do what you want to do, you have to find a way around the obstacle. Voila! Creativity.

Sometimes, when I'm working on a project, I make my own rules just because I'm sick of designing the way I design. That voice in the back of my head tells me that I need to come up with a new approach so I reject anything that resembles my past work. It can be challenging, but usually, just as I'm about to give up inspiration happens. It's a pretty interesting process.

[NR_Ohiobando]

I would venture to say "jaw-dropping" is in the sense that you can simply say "z-pull" and everyone knows what you mean. How great is it that a show almost 25 years ago is still talked about to this day? But when would you say was last "huge" leap? Medea? The Cavies "double-helix?" My point is that there are huge creative leaps going on in BOA more often than in DCI. Thoughts?

Technically the Cavaliers' "double-helix" move(I think you are referring to the one in the 95 show) was originally a high school marching band move. Some BOA nut will probably come in here and give the school.

I don't know everything about marching history, but here's what I think a list might look like. I added some of my own observations onto this list from dci.org. http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=d...6f-2bb4d7eaa77b

Truman Crawford: Changed the sound of drum corps with the brass arrangements he did for the Chicago Royal Airs in 1964 and 1965.

Jim Jones: Changed the look of the drill by have the Casper Troopers be the first to do a wide open drill and circles back in mid-1960s.

1966 Cavaliers: Horns, drums, drill and size with phenomenal execution of a push the envelope program

Gail Royer/Santa Clara Vanguard: Turned the drum corps world on it ear in 1970 when they beat every major corps in the United States. Started a whole new ball game.

1971 Cavaliers: One of the first corps (along with Garfield and Madison) (and without a doubt the best) to perform a total show concept, which was unheard of before this. The judges gave them the gas pipe, but the show was incredible. Saw it live several times and even today, it ranks as one of my all-time favorites.

'72 - DCI is formed; corps now have a little more freedom to perform who/what/when/how they want.

1975 Blue Devils: Brought the sound of big jazz to drum corps in a way never heard before. Further refined it in the 1976 show.

'70s/80s - The Guard is slowly developing a graceful/dancelike edge to its performances.

'77 Garfield - Garfield uses a vocal "Amen" at the end of their show despite knowing they will be penalized. They also give horns to their guard members to add some volume. Crowd loves "pushing the envelope" against the rulebook.

Crossmen 1978. This one requires a little explanation. This was a unique show, because they did things such as march an exposed drill and spread the forms all over the field and a lot of corps didn’t do that at that time. Their drum line had their faces painted and this was about a decade before face painting became popular. Except for the symmetrical drill, this was a show ahead of its time

27th Lancers - If I'm not mistaken, I think this was the first corps that Zingali experimented with. 27 gave the colorguard a little more importance than other corps.

'70s/80s/1976 Bridgemen - Entertainment becomes a big factor in programming. Corps not only perform for the judges, but also to get a crowd response-as evident by Santa Clara's surprise Bottle Dances in 79 and 82. Bridgemen's antics show corps just how far you could possibly go, and how much the crowd will love you for it.

early 80's - In the late 70's, corps started to ground timpani and other percussion instruments during standstill features in the show. This well named "pit" becomes popular enough to keep them grounded for the entire show.

early 80's - Asymmetrical drill is introduced by corps like Santa Clara Vanguard and Garfield Cadets, and music becomes incredibly complex. Garfield's huge success in specifically 83, added with their extremely tough musical program helped spawn a new way drum corps design their shows.

1983 Garfield Cadets: The year the East was back. Another major drill change that set the standard for years to come. After this show, it was almost bye-bye to symmetrical drills.

1984 Garfield Cadets: Not the first program to be developed by a single theme, but it sure as heck made everyone else follow suit.

80s The use of giant fabrics/flags becomes popular in adding a new visual element(the earliest evidence I have is the end of Garfield 83, though there were probably others before this)

80's/90's - Using Musicals as programming for shows becomes popular, as evident by the Phantom of the Opera shows, the WSS show, Les Mis, etc. Themes in shows become popular(PR's Spartacus shows come to mind as an early example).

80's/90's - Brubaker/Zingale/Brazale. = Drill/visual innovators, and pretty much the reasons why drill is so insanely cool nowadays.

Madison Scouts "Scott Stewart: He represents the very essence of what drum corps was and should be. He almost single-handedly kept the non-affiliated fan base coming to drum corps events for 25 years with his brilliant shows. Not only that, as a superb teacher and leader, he always put the interests of his corps members first. Why was Madison’s Camp Randall the favorite drum corps site during the last 25 years? Why did the Scouts have a strong avid fan base throughout the country during the last 25 years? Why did Midwest fans have more opportunities to view live performances of drum corps during the last 25 years than fans in other parts of the country? The answer: Scott Stewart."

90's - Musicality seems to become more important, as the "in your face/overblow" attitude of corps past will not score as well due to this, although it is still possible to blow the house down. Percussion writing also starts to solidify a new style.

'91 Star Marks the first non "Kings/Blue/Santa Clara/Scout-Cadets" to win Finals.

'92 - Having a theme for a show seems required for corps now.

'93 Star - "Has stood on a pedestal as the most intricate, complex, cold-bloodedly performed, digitally executed, mind-boggling, controversially and universally debated, emotionally manipulative show ever. It was so different from anything anyone had ever seen, everyone was left with years of internal and external debate and evaluation of what they had just witnessed. Which to me is the very quality of the proverbial ‘wonder.’"

'94 27th Lancers - Not entirely sure; but this could be the first time an Alumni Reunion Corps was created. It also marks probably the most emotional and awe-inspiring performance of a drum corps to date(at least that's how I see it). This might actually be the largest group that has performed for a DCI event as well(with the exception of retreats of course).

90's - Co-ed Colorguards are becoming popular by almost all corps. (I think Cavaliers/Madison Scouts/Phantom Regiment were the only powerhouses that stayed true to tradition).

'96(?) - Spirit of Disney award is introduced. (probably to give credit to the corps AND the fans)

2000's Bb horns make music much cleaner, and link drum corps to high school bands.

2000s Cavaliers - The "total package" shows become clear winners. Geometric drill is becoming increasingly popular.

2004 - Introduction of Amplifiers/Mics adds new options for GE into shows, although it backfires for many audience members.

a bucha other stuff happened too...whew

[critter]

Ooops, wish I could spell buggle.

Want to take another swing at that one?