Time for Rifles to Go?

[Tim K]

Drum corps complete with marching, flags, uniforms, majors, and a battery is born out of military tradition, so I don't see why you find one particular aspect of that tradition more problematic than the rest.

In any case, plenty of other military elements have fallen out of favor in modern drum corps for one reason or another. Lots of corps have left out rifles and sabres in the past. But they are de rigeur in most shows these days. I'd take that as evidence that they provide something that the designers, members, and audience appreciate in the activity.

If your objection is just over the glorification of violence and firearms in American culture, well... drum corps is probably not the first place I would look if I wanted to start changing that.

In 1979 and 1980, the Bridgemen recreated the Civil War, Bridgemen style of course and they took liberties. For one thing the South won at DCI--interesting concept from a corps that hailed from New Jersey, and I think they used flags, not rifles. I vaguely remember a corps had mobsters one year, but I don't believe I've ever seen rifles being used in a militaristic manner or to actually mock-murder someone. As a matter of fact, what is done with rifles in a drum corps show is as close to a real military battle as when Fritz's toy soldiers and Clara's toy box come to life to fight the Mouse King in "The Nutcracker." Rifles in drum corps, whether the regimented style of yesterday or the free style manner common today, are used artistically.

I also agree with your point that drum corps is about the last place to look for the glorification of violence. I have seen great shows and horrible shows, shows that are bizarre, off the wall, corps where the color guard wears uniforms that I'd probably consider too skimpy for my daughter if I had a daughter, shows that are exciting, boring, and everything else in between. I think I've seen it all except for one thing--I don't think I've ever seen tasteless which glorifying violence would be. I trust I will not see it this year either.

Edited February 5, 2013 by Tim K

[Sam98]

Speaking of alternate equipment, someone mentioned the airblade. That piece of equipment seemed to have died a quick death--any guard caption heads or instructors care to weigh in?

http://www.bandshoppe.com/catalog/productDetail.do?p=Air_Blade

[corpsband]

Speaking of alternate equipment, someone mentioned the airblade. That piece of equipment seemed to have died a quick death--any guard caption heads or instructors care to weigh in?

http://www.bandshopp....do?p=Air_Blade

This season of Glee ?

[BRASSO]

Speaking of alternate equipment, someone mentioned the airblade. That piece of equipment seemed to have died a quick death--any guard caption heads or instructors care to weigh in?

http://www.bandshoppe.com/catalog/productDetail.do?p=Air_Blade

haha... just shows that not all new ideas wind up having a long shelf life in DCI Drum Corps. Even BAC in '08 that used the airblade utilized rifles prominently that year in their show too.

I think this thread has about had its full shelf life now too. 9 out of 10 people on DCP don't want rifles eliminated in DCI Drum Corps, and there is not much support among the current Corps marchers, nor are their proposals from any DCI C orps Directors to eliminate rifles in DCI Drum Corps. So I'd say the time honored use of rifles in DCI Corps for the last 40 years is not about to come to an end anytime soon, as it vitually has little current support anywhere.

Edited February 6, 2013 by BRASSO

[glory]

To me the question is less whether rifles are obsolete, archaic or any other such descriptor. The more relevant question in my book is whether there is a better way to achieve the visual effect.

In that regard I've long felt that sabers didn't generate enough visual impact to justify their place in the program. Don't get me wrong. I know those spins and other effects are difficult and deserve to be recognized. What I'm referring to is how difficult they can be to see from the stands. They're just too slight. That's a lot of work for what amounts to a blur.

Rifles don't have that problem. The problem with rifles is they just don't seem to fit with program, uniform, etc. While they do offer significant visual effect, they do beg the question: Why? Airblades? Double why? Some of the staffs we've seen work well. I doubt that's the answer, however. So rifles remain the default.

Flags don't seem to have the same issues because the silks make them so adaptable. And they look pretty in the wind.

HH

Edited February 6, 2013 by glory

[BRASSO]

The problem with rifles is they just don't seem to fit with program, uniform, etc.

HH

Maybe... but lots of things in Drum Corps don't ideally "fit " either. You mentioned here " uniforms ". More than half the Corps " uniforms " in any given year don't really match the show theme selected for that year, nor the music selections played. And most of the Guard unis colors rarely match the color schemes of the Corps proper unis either. These are but 2 examples. There are lots of others. But most of us are able to look beyond some of these artificial, and superficial things and look at the big picture re. the presentation and the performance. Its like watching a traditional Italian Opera in Beijing. None of the performers on stage look even remotely Italian, nor even European. Even with makeup. Far from it. And they don't sing the Italian Arias in Mandarin either. But nobody minds. We've watched actor Yul Brenner, a Russian, play the role of a King from Thailand in "The King and I". The audience is able able to look beyond all this in the big picture, and enjoy the presentation and its performance despite these few aspects that perhaps don't ideally fit.

Edited February 6, 2013 by BRASSO

[glory]

Maybe... but lots of things in Drum Corps don't ideally "fit " either. You mentioned here " uniforms ". More than half the Corps " uniforms " in any given year don't really match the show theme selected for that year...

With you on that. Remind me to bring it up in the "change the uni" thread.

One more thought. Unis don't fly through the air. Not that much, anyway.

HH

[flammaster]

Before when Rosie O'Donnell said she didn't want to support it because of the rifles I thought "oh come on" but now days I can see it not being such a cool thing even though it is tradition.

[BRASSO]

With you on that. Remind me to bring it up in the "change the uni" thread.

One more thought. Unis don't fly through the air. Not that much, anyway.

HH

Lots of things don't change in other sports, music, theatre, etc either.

For just one example... why doesn't Major League Baseball abandon the tradtional " archaic " use of the wooden baseball bat for the " new and improved " aluminum baseball bat ? Afterall, the aluminum bat won't break into pieces on a hit ball... they are easier to grip by the batter's hands, or hitting glove..... they are much less costly in the long run as they don't splinter and break... a baseball when hit on an aluminum goes further in distance than a ball hit on a wooden bat.... the aluminum bat is safer than a wooden bat for fans and opposing players as batters don't lose their grip as easily, with bats flying off into the stands or down toward the 3rd basemen as he ducks his head, etc.... the aluminum bat has a nicer ping sound to it when the ball is hit on an aluminum bat, than on the duller sound of a ball hit on the wooden bat... and a dozen more advantages the aluminum bat has over the old wooden Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

Major League baseball does not want to forego the wooden bat for the aluminum bat for one simple reason : they like the tradition of a baseball being hit with a wooden Louisville Slugger baseball bat.Plain and simple. Its no more complicated than that as to why MLB has not dropped the wooden baseball bat for the " new and improved " aluminum baseball bat.... rifles in Drum Corps are like these Louisville Sluggers to MLB players, owners, fans. They are " perfect "... despite its known imperfections.

Edited February 6, 2013 by BRASSO

[drumcorpsfever]

In that regard I've long felt that sabers didn't generate enough visual impact to justify their place in the program. Don't get me wrong. I know those spins and other effects are difficult and deserve to be recognized. What I'm referring to is how difficult they can be to see from the stands. They're just too slight. That's a lot of work for what amounts to a blur.

HH

I tend to agree with you on Sabres. I'm not a big fan of them though I appreciate the skill of the spinner. However, and this is a big however... when the performers spin them with authority, absolute precission, height, and "pop", it can be an amazing effect. The challenge, though, is executing that type of precission. It's not easy to do. It seems they have a greater risk/reward than with rifles. Although the same is probably true of both.

Edited February 7, 2013 by drumcorpsfever