It's called DRUM & BUGLE Corps

[donincardona]

If you look close enough you'll see that a lot of things we use everyday came out of Scotland....MacAdam (blacktop) radio,television,medical proceedures, medicenes, engineering, literature, music, and the most important was the 1600's proclomation 0f Broath (??) that was the basis our Declaration of Independce.And we would be governed by England's Guilty until proven innocent rather than Scottish ( Roman) laws that are based on Fair and equal justice........OK, I'm off my Soapbox

Jim Ormiston.....Clan Cameron :ramd:

lets not forget the italians..........they gave us " THE SOPRANOS " B)

Edited September 21, 2007 by donincardona

[MikeD]

If you look close enough you'll see that a lot of things we use everyday came out of Scotland....MacAdam (blacktop) radio,television,medical proceedures, medicenes, engineering, literature, music, and the most important was the 1600's proclomation 0f Broath (??) that was the basis our Declaration of Independce.And we would be governed by England's Guilty until proven innocent rather than Scottish ( Roman) laws that are based on Fair and equal justice........OK, I'm off my Soapbox

Jim Ormiston.....Clan Cameron :ramd:

All of the goodness is offset by.....Haggis. :P

A SCOTTISH HAGGIS DISH

Go out and kill a lamb, cut it up, take out the stomach, liver, and the rest of the stuff inside the lamb.

Mix everything and add some salt and pepper, some eggs and last, onion. Cook it in a big pot for 3-4 hours over an open fire. Then serve it hot! Bon appetit!

recipe

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish.

There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately an hour.

Wikpedia

:P

[Dale Bari]

Hey Crusaders had a guy twirling a baton, didn't they? Back in the late 70s or early 80s? He was good!

That was Mr. Alan Smythe, who passed away in the last year or so. He was drum major of the Rochester Crusaders (in the 60's and 70's, IIRC).

[atlvalet]

Cavallero, you crack my ### up. :D

[donincardona]

That was Mr. Alan Smythe, who passed away in the last year or so. He was drum major of the Rochester Crusaders (in the 60's and 70's, IIRC).

alan smythe came to cru in 1970. he came from the interstatesman. he was with cru untill 1979. he was the best of his time he passed away in 2003 of a stroke. sad thing is had he gotten treatment quick enough he might sill be alive today. may he rest in peace.

[markdewine]

cin4057- YEAH ! What you said ! Your dad sure taught you right. This activity has changed so much over the years, so as to be almost unrecognizable from what it was meant to be.

The most glaring difference, IMO, is that the vast majority used to do drum corps because they LOVED IT.

Now, it's done for money, ego, recognition, power and control (behind the scenes), and various other sundry reasons.

The main focus used to be character building, teamwork, discipline, pride,...the stuff that makes a difference in a young person's life.

I'm not saying that corps doesn't teach these things today...but nowadays, it's almost an afterthought.

I wish I had Bill Gates' $$$$ I'd buy instruments, uniforms, and equipment for 20 "new" corps across the country. Then I'd find a staff for each, that would be willing to teach....because they want to. (Then, of course, I'd pay them handsomely!) :P

[G_Bass]

I believe what you say, but if they have that mind set today, why do they call a contra bass a tuba?

I do understand many play both these days and do band as well as DC, but......................

Its always fun watching people do push-ups for that mistake. ^0^ ^0^ ^0^

[Piper]

Its always fun watching people do push-ups for that mistake. ^0^ ^0^ ^0^

Oh yeah. Gotta love the Marine Corps. "This is my rifle...... this is my gun. This one's for shooting, this one's for fun." :P

Edited September 21, 2007 by Piper

[Legalhack]

No disrespect intended.

My point is

drum and bugle corps use to consist of troubled teens being taken off the streets.

Being guided and taught discipline and respect. Taught from scratch how to play an interment. For free!

Taught by instructors who did it for practically nothing. Just for the love of it.

Now those kids aren't afforded this opportunity any more.

That loss pains me!

Now junior corps consist primarily of kids who've been in bands all thru school. Kids with families with resources. Financial support.

FINANCIAL ! Don't get me started on that one!

It's all about the almighty score!

Not enough variety in instrumentation!

Lets incorporate some woodwinds and saxophones!

What is that?

This is drum and bugle corps!

We are slowly loosing, what drum corps is/was, all about. It's history and traditions.

The underprivileged kids!

Every single one of us in here has an opinion on this subject, so don't go disrespecting me for having one of my own.

For feeling passionately about what's been lost.

BTW This is a cool subject for debate.

You didn't offend me and I didn't mean to launch a personal attack. Given the heated nature of DCP, I should have been more clear.

I asked my question to learn about the causal nexus as you perceived it. Part of my curiosity stems from the fact that the most prominent proponent of expanding instrumentation is a drum corps "lifer" (who may not have marched in a HS band) and many current traditionalists have a school music background. Your answers provide a good point of depature for more discussion.

I agree that there has been a coincidence of the increase in corps dues (and/or tour fees, tuition, etc.), a shift from some traditions and an increased relative involvement on the part of band kids. However, I think increased monetary requirements and an increased percentage of band kids marching in corps are symptoms rather than causes. The nationalization of drum corps and corps' indpendence from parent organizations may be more likely causes.

When corps divroced themselves from local organizations whose goals centered on the betterment of immediate communities, it "freed" corps to become a meritocracies in selecting members but it also may have made such a shift inevitable. As the corps' identities shifted from "arm of XXXX serving the people of YYYY" to "an organization that exists to compete with the best on a nation-wide basis," the incentive to select the best trained members increased as did the pressure to spend more on staff, travel, equipment, etc. Nation-wide exposure to drum corps (through PBS and the VCR) also increased the talent pool from which the most prominent units could draw. The result was a crowding out of local talent that accellerated as corps at all levels folded. Thus, national touring, national exposure and independence may have been a triple whammy for underprivileged kids. If it existed, this triple whammy came from decisions that corps staffs made in the in the 70s and later. If this was so, band kids who marched in corps incidentally benefitted but were only a cause in the sense that directors and caption heads could draw on them.

Slightly, off topic, I'll note that it's been decades since marching in a prominent junior corps was cheap. This discussion prompted me to find an on-line inflation calculator. The results were not unexpected. In 1983, the typical open class, DCI model was two tours during the summer (i.e., local shows, first tour, local shows, second tour ending at finals). That year, I think the Crossmen charged tour fees of about $450 (in part, becuase they toured to California). That $450 in 1983 amounts to $962 in 2006 dollars, less than current tour fees for Div. I corps but still a pretty penny. Also I read somewhere that, in 1980, Garfield's tour fees ran about $250 or $669 in 2006 bucks.

Edited September 21, 2007 by Legalhack

[LegalEagle50]

Also I read somewhere that, in 1980, Garfield's tour fees ran about $250 or $669 in 2006 bucks.

if you want to compare that to other inflation, in 1980 that $250 was a year's tuition at the Catholic school i attended. now it is close to $4,000 i believe.

everything costs more today. food, gas, insurance and instructors. while keeping things financially reasonable so everyone can participate is a great goal, it really is impossible to see fees return to a level of yesteryear.

not trying to swat a hornets nest ~ just trying to put things in an honest perspective.