ea1974 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 (edited) Well, your FIRST year marching was my last year marching...started in 64....I agree with him, not you, and I do understand drum corps history. My first year marching was 1966. Marched DCI FROM 1972-1974. Guess you do understand DRUMCORPS HISTORY. I was wrong. Edited January 1, 2008 by ea1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TenorsForWorldDomination Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I read your profile. 3 years experience. It would do you good to understand drumcorps history.Just a suggestion. Mike Typical DCA attitude towards the less experienced or young. There are some younger members in current drum corps that DO research and know drum corps existed before the 80's or 90's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvt_cairns Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 (edited) History or no, the fact remains that most of our seasoned drum corps enthusiasts are not much enthused by the current activity. True, its change and morphing into a more esoteric, but better refined, musical activity leaves some out in the cold. Many times I feel that way myself, BUT.............the thousands that used to like drum corps, and now don't, are being replaced by thousands of youngsters who love it. So word of its "death" is just ludicrous. This may be true to people on a personal level, but the activity as a whole is fine, regardless of how disgruntled you are with it. So instead of the unnecessary middle-age swagger I see in here, it would be best to let the youth get out of today's version of drum corps what they can, and respect it. Experience should also teach you to be humble, no? Badgering someone else for a different opinion favoring today's activity, while showing off the notches on your headboard does nothing to honor and respect the history of the activity, and the point it has evolved to today. In our youth, drum corps was better than sliced bread. For some in their youth now, it still is to them. Give them the respect and fairness to enjoy today's activity without being criticized for it. They just might be more receptive to learn more about drum corps' "glory days". I must say I disagree. I live in a place that used to be considered the drum corps capital of the world by many, and now houses a struggling div 3 corps, and an all age corps. The kids in high school, and middle school haven't even heard of drum corps, and the closest they've come to marching is watching the movie "drumline" There used to be hundreds of corps nation wide, so many that in the 60's and 70's you probably couldn't find a person to that could name them all. Now it takes 30 seconds. If you weren't in sports you were in drum corps. Now I don't come from that age, my hay day was in the mid to late 90's, and so naturally my favorite shows come from that time, but even from just a few years ago the number of fans and corps has diminished greatly, so to say the activity is alive and well, is just plain incorrect. Now with the advent of open/world class, it pretty much kills what smaller div 3 corps are left, if they had trouble competing before, it's now impossible. Yes world class draws the crowds, but with corps budgets exceeding one million plus, it won't be long before they run out. Alumni groups aren't what they used to be, and with the amount of corps in major financial crisis how much time is really left for some of them? As dues increase to offset the financial need of the corps, less recruits will apply. It's just simple economics, for one the work ethic of yesteryear is gone, kids simply don't want to pay to work, at least they don't want to pay that much, and with costs in the thousands already the choice will be college or drum corps. How many parents are going to cough up 5 digits to pay for a summer activity? It's not that far off, the cost is increasing at a rate that the market for it can't keep up with now, what happens in 10 years? 20? I appreciate the skill of the corps now, it surpasses anything from my time, things that I never though could be done are common place now. 2007 was by far the most disciplined, energetic, daring and in my opinion the least entertaining year in drum corps. We used to feed off of the energy the crowd gave us, the golfing green style polite clapping groups give now is lethargic to say the least. Corps that didn't even make finals got bigger ovations then the top five corps. That tells me that the crowd young and old still values entertainment. Yes you can wow them by running at 260bpm, but they'll appreciate a song they can relate to as well. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to take anything away from what this years groups did, It's simply my opinion that the reaction was sparse in comparison. Drum corps seems to be an art gallery now, and while you might be impressed with the work put into a piece it doesn’t mean you understand or appreciate it. DCI is a business of entertainment, and in my opinion it living outside it's means, and it's failing. Edited January 1, 2008 by pvt_cairns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ea1974 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Typical DCA attitude towards the less experienced or young.There are some younger members in current drum corps that DO research and know drum corps existed before the 80's or 90's. What is typical DCA attitude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bari Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Right on, Mario!"That's because this material, by and large, is written and performed as an academic exercise, not an entertainment. It can be the musical eqivalent of watching someone solve quadratic equations: interesting, impressive even, but only for a select few." Right on, Frank! Amen. Sad but true. I have to tell you that I tend to agree with Frank here... and usually do since he is by far one of the best who ever taught me... Wayne Downey and Jack Meehan were no slouches either! But as I watched the 2007 Blue Devils this last year there were parts of the show that just amazed me... Then there were many parts that just plain annoyed me... I do not hold the members responsible for this change... they didn't write the shows... Nobody ever asked me what i wanted to play back when I marched... But i can tell you that there was so little "Pegasus" in the "Pegasus...ish" tune they did that I couldn't even go home whistling that! Drill is unbelievable these days but the musical hook just isn't there most of the time! People usually like what they recognize... so recognizable music is good and IMO the performers are really missing out on the UNBELIEVABLE experience of having the audience completely ENGAGE in the performance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cone256 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 I have to agree. I got the Finals DVD set for christmas and I have to say I was absolutely disappointed in the BD and Cavies shows for this year. I got nothing out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BklynMario Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 In a holiday. Carnegie Hall performance, Joshua Bell was asked about the diversity of his material. Although I can't find the exact transcript, he did make a point regarding esoterics(1) Essentially, he noted that not all performances need be so esoteric so as to not entertain, and thus lose a significant portion of the audience. I am certain that was the point that Frank Dorriti was making in his article(2), and what I was attempting to do in my essay. This and nothing more. 1. estoterics: Stuff that older drum corps fans just don't understand. 2. Drum Corps Planet, Inside the Arc, Issue 1, “Why You Hate the Music” by Frank Dorritie http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/content/view/883/53/ As to the paucity of community based, more financially affordable, socially purposeful drum corps activity, that is - as Dad's American born, but Sicilian bred voice would tell us: "...annudda storia" *Thanks for the many positive comments, and a very happy new year to all...... mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.