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When did drum corps become marching band?


  

207 members have voted

  1. 1. so, when did it happen?

    • Valved horns
      9
    • Grounded Pit
      7
    • Asymmetrical drill
      3
    • Three Valves
      4
    • Any key horns
      22
    • Amplification of pit and vocals allowed
      67
    • Amped brass
      6
    • Electronics
      23
    • Banana
      66


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It's funny, because I could've sworn that drum corps became marching back in 2003 when amplification was passed. I also heard that some of the same arguments were made when Bb horns joined the activity. Did I miss something? Did drum corps magically morph back into drum corps for a short time and then revert back to marching band now that these rules were passed? Anyway, for all you "Drum corps is marching band" people out there (Drum corps is and always has been a form of marching band, btw) just curious as to when you decided that what happened out on the field for 13 minutes ceased to be "drum corps" and became some mythical, mysterious, devilish activity known as "marching band."

Personally, I'm going with banana.

Today, when they passed electronics and amped brass solos etc. You forgot to put today on your list.

Edited by Lancerlady
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DISCLAIMER: I'm not Conner

This analogy isn't very apt. I'd say the Ford-Cadillac comparison would be better used to compare two different corps, not two different organizations within the marching activity. A better analogy would be to suggest that an SUV is not in fact a car because it doesn't look similar to the first cars Henry Ford rolled out of his assembly line.

*chews*

*spits*

Wut u one 'a dem city boys err sum'n, don't come 'round here with all dat readin 'n edumication

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Today, when they passed electronics and amped brass solos etc. You forgot to put today on your list.

If you'll read the options you'll notice that there are choices for both "amped brass" and "electronics."

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Band is drum corps and drum corps is band!

Prove me wrong!

Certainly. Be happy to.

Marching Band performances are designed and conducted for the entertainment of football fans, and are technically meant to be an "educational" experience for students of "traditional" musical instruments, many of which are designed for traditional stage performance, rather than for outdoors. Unfortunately, the musical experience is quite limited and marginally productive at best, for a variety of reasons. First, in order to appease the sports-minded audience, performances are often dominated by concerns regarding "supporting the team" or "mass appeal," with visual routines and music centered around "pep" songs or watered down versions of pop music familiar to the audience from common radio station play. Certainly, some marching bands attempt to play more sophisticated music that is more appropriate to the instruments being used. Unfortunately, because many of the instruments used were designed for the stage, rather than for outdoor performance, even the best marching bands can only achieve a certain level of performance quality can without the use of amplification - which, being outdoors, typically degrades, rather than enhances, sound quality. More importantly, the audience, having paid to see a football game - not a marching band - is largely disinterested and unsupportive of the group's efforts, regardless of the program's content or quality. All of this, combined, makes the intended "educational experience" moot, if not counterproductive.

On the other hand, drum and bugle corps performances are designed and conducted for the entertainment of audiences that have specifically paid for the opportunity to see and hear such a performance, making the performance experience much more rewarding for both performer and musician alike. The shows are (at present) performed on instrumentation (namely, brass and percussion) that is specifically designed to project sound with both power and finesse over long distances outdoors without the need of amplification, providing the audience with a rich, unique quality of musical sound unmatched by any other musical genre. For the performer, especially ones lucky enough to qualify for upper level corps, the full days of practice, the traveling from town to town, and the nightly performances to audiences that have paid to see THEM, not a sports team, all provide a far more realistic taste of a career in music than marching band, either high school or college, will ever be able to provide, resulting in a more meaningful and relevant educational experience.

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Certainly. Be happy to.

Marching Band performances are designed and conducted for the entertainment of football fans,

This really isn't the case much anymore, with marching band contests almost reaching the level of sport-like competition in some states.

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If you'll read the options you'll notice that there are choices for both "amped brass" and "electronics."

I read it Brian, what I'm saying is "today" is another option that could've been put on the poll cause that is when they passed amped brass AND electronics.

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This really isn't the case much anymore, with marching band contests almost reaching the level of sport-like competition in some states.

That is absolutely an inaccurate statement. First of all, marching band contests, even "sport like" ones, have been around for many years - this is not new. Yet, as it has been from the beginning, fall marching band activities are centered around creating a show performed at halftime at football games. The band competition aspect has always been, and continues to be, subordinate to the "support the team spirit" role.

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That is absolutely an inaccurate statement. First of all, marching band contests, even "sport like" ones, have been around for many years - this is not new. Yet, as it has been from the beginning, fall marching band activities are centered around creating a show performed at halftime at football games. The band competition aspect has always been, and continues to be, subordinate to the "support the team spirit" role.

Trust me man, in Texas, we're not writing the shows for the football fans. The performance at half-time is pretty much considered a "run through".

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