What is the difference between BOA & DCI?

[GeorgiaGirl]

There's a lot of instructors in the activity who are equally immersed in both; it's their gig.

Since I've got a kid who does both, I'd have to say that when pressed, all of the corps would enjoy the type of excellent support that BOA bands get from parent/booster orgs.

Just one example... the BOA bands go on the field surrounded by a squadron of able-bodied dads who make sure the pit instruments get unloaded (then reloaded) correctly after a performance. Except for a few staff members, the front ensemble musicians in corps are on their own. BOA bands, conversely, have to arrange logistics and management based on what all parents know... there's about a million years of difference between age 13 and age 17. A lot of those kids are still young enough to truly need more adults to help them out and be a safety net.

It's kind of a complementary thing. One activity complements the other, and there's no reason they ought to even try to be the same. It's okay that they're different. It's kind of like shoes. You need athletic shoes, but you need dress shoes and flipflops, too. It's all good.

Using a whole gob of props in DCI is a tall order, because it's hard to build stuff out of plywood and what-have-you that will survive all those loadings & unloadings and make it through so many shows without falling apart. BOA has less shows to "aim" at, so the design staff can tailor the show accordingly.

People who've been around drum corps a really long time tell me that parent booster orgs for corps used to be a more important factor, but as my hubby is fond of noting, drum corps really changed big-time when the airlines were deregulated.

Edited August 22, 2007 by GeorgiaGirl

[RegimentContra94]

To win BOA you dont have to be the best band, just the band with the most crap on the field to distract the fact that they really dont play or march that well.

Careful, your ignorance is showing!

[wolfgang]

a couple points:

1) George Hopkins does not want DCI to become BOA.

He may want it to become USSBA, but not BOA (for those of you who are not aware, USSBA, which is a division of YEA, is attempting to be a competitor to BOA, but with a different approach).

2). Sticking with the aspects of the Cadets that were controversial (narration, Mr. Hopkin's push towards electronics, etc)-

By far my favorite show at last year's Grand Nationals was Tarpon Springs. I don't care where they placed (5th in finals), that show utilized both electronics and narration, but also touched me on a very human level. I think that may have been the best use of narration to tie a theme together and at the same time, not be too overbearing with the words.

Also, that trombone feature rocked :)

3). Even if marching band isn't necessarily your favorite thing (and nobody is claiming the BOA champion would be competitive with a top 5 corps), I invite you to come to the BOA Grand Nationals next November (I believe the 15th-17th; a week later than usual this year).

Saturday's semi finals is usually the best show (imo) of the weekend.

4) final point- these designers and arrangers of the DCI corps we all love-

those same designers, arrangers, and instructors work for the BOA semifinalist/finalist level groups.

PS:

If Mozart sounds like Mozart; if Bach sounds like Bach, then is it that unreasonable that Mike Gaines looks like Mike Gaines, or Jay Bocook sounds like Jay Bocook, whether it be for a corps or a band? All the greats develop their own style of writing....

[Hrothgar15]

For the record, I REALLY love marching band. I've just never associated it at all with drum corps...it's also the mentality that was ingrained upon the members of my band in high school. Nothing to do with it. Sure our band director worked out group tickets for shows, played the occasional DVD and advertised the broadcast on TV, but made it clear that it was no part of our activity.

[bawker]

Re: Tarpon Springs with the track and "Starting Line" stuff?

Yeah....that's exactly what we don't need in DCI....ever.

[Hrothgar15]

Yeah....that's exactly what we don't need in DCI....ever.

I think our friend Bawker just pointed out the biggest difference between DCI and BOA.

[bawker]

Let me temper the above statement a little:

I respect what BOA does...the shows, as "musical productions", are interesting on a certain level. It's more of a passing curiousity, though.

However, with GE so much of the BOA game, there's too much pressure on units to come out with the "deep, thoughtful" theme, and then for some to impress it as such with some overwrought narration over sparse arranging to cover not having enough trumpets or a missing lower end, etc.

Again, if it's a case of DCI borrowing from things to create due to designer cross-pollination....look outside of high school band, 'cause there's a lot of music, visual art and themes left to do that haven't been done by a high school.

There's nothing wrong with borrowing from BOA concepts on occasion...any more than there is in cribbing from musical theater, symphonic works or visual arts; but when a marching band circuit becomes the lead horse in the race (as it has for a while now, it seems)...something's wrong with the picture.

I come to the DCI table for completely different reason than I do the BOA one...

...let's not make both the same meal. B)

[dccorpsfan]

The cool thing about marching band, though...

there's still plenty of local circuts.

[Land_Surfer]

BOA has woodwinds (I can't believe I even typed that word) ;-)

[Tom Brace]

The cool thing about marching band, though...

there's still plenty of local circuts.

and I thought for a fleeting moment you were going to say, "Band Chicks."