What do YOU want to see in today's drum corps?

[liebot]

Bb horns, asymmetrical drill, amped front ensemble, modern battery, electronic instruments, no vocal amplification

and

Specific show (jazz)

[troon8]

I will only attend shows that use exactly 37.2 C flat euphoniums and one half-ton marching taiko drum for a duration of precisely 9 minutes and .80032 seconds, playing music at 174 BPM at a minimum dynamic level of P, but not to exceed MF, with drill consisting only of non-euclidian evolutions of concentric octagons at 7 to 5 step intervals. All colorguard members must wear plaid.

Although seriously, people have made a lot of good points in this thread! Better then mine at least, which is "you can't please all the people all the time..."

And I did vote for "musically dominated." I can handle a show with boring drill. I can't stand one with boring music.

[ohnozkitty]

i want to see professional organizations provide life changing experiences for young people via some sort of musical and visual performance.

Thats not what drum corps is about!!!!!!

..... OH WAIT.

[BigDale]

As a marching member that suffered through all this,

you have your elements all wrong.

Many of these drum corps things did not happen at the same time.

[ChildProdigy'89'05]

As a marching member that suffered through all this,

you have your elements all wrong.

Many of these drum corps things did not happen at the same time.

I do know that. I just assume some changes are for the better. Not to mention that I did forget to list my own preference in the poll. There are a lot of combinations. And if you don't prefer any of the selections, please state what you wish drum corps was today.

[Dale Bari]

I do know that. I just assume some changes are for the better. Not to mention that I did forget to list my own preference in the poll. There are a lot of combinations. And if you don't prefer any of the selections, please state what you wish drum corps was today.

Aren't you supposed to be studying, Adam? ('Round midnight is too late to be practicing your bari.)

And, make sure you get some sleep! (sleep? in college?!)

So, now you're starting threads on DCP. I have to tell Tammy that our little boy is all grown up. Way to come out of that shell, Grasshopper.

As threads go, this is a pretty good one. I'll go vote now.

PS: See you in a few weeks.

[shawn craig]

I prefer/don't mind...

* Bb horns--darker and yet more brilliant sound than G, its more symphonic. +plus easier to play. (G is all good though )

* Amplified front ensemble--players can play with better technique because they don't have to hack, plus it will bring in more talent, that I am sure. Professionals don't endorse sloppy hacking.

I have never heard vocals in any marching band or drum corps show that have sounded like they belonged there. I think this should fall under the category of: Does not sound nice/wrong idiom. It's just not conducive to sounding pleasant at all. Somehow, if it's not amped, I don't mind it at all (Boston 2000).

*Electronic Instruments--they are a part of music as it is. They will be a part of any ensemble you will find. Electronic instruments do not have "fake" sounds, they are created like any other sound if you break down what sound actually is. Plus, it is still instrumental. However, the over reliance on these instruments will sound tacky and uncharacteristic of a true symphonic sound. Music at it's highest level is in the symphony orchestra. They aren't replacing instruments with electronic ones, yet the use of an electronic instrument can still be acceptable. Drum corps needs to find an acceptable use for them, so they aren't masking or clouding what the actual instrumentation is (brass and percussion), or make anything sound corny, just like an orchestra would do. I hope that makes sense.

*Instrumentation is limited to brass and percussion instruments--drum corps instrumentation is brass and percussion, electronics can produce woodwind sounds, but that would cloud the actual instrumentation. Adding anything besides brass and percussion will make it not be drum corps. If you add a string section to a concert band, it is no longer a concert band, it is an orchestra.

*Players should be able to learn how to make their instrument effective for themselves. Brass instruments have always projected just fine, amping the brass is unnecessary, as they were conceived in order to play out doors anyway.

Design wise, I want to see...

4. Integrated Colorguard--I think guards are being stressed more and more, but I'm losing them. They need to integrated with the horns more, and have standard equipment. I think they need to be less spread out and in and around shapes and forms more closely. My favorite guard moment ever is in Phantom 04, where the guard fills in the heart shape. More of those moments need to happen.

3. A long ### drum solo with a groove--It's why people like them, kudos Cavaliers

2. New Visual Moments--Things like the ladders in Cavies 05, 07 Crown, Just great displays of talent and creativity. I wish these could be more limited in shows honestly, to use ideas conservatively. Then they will be more special and memorable.

1. Musically Dominant shows--I also would love to leave a show and be able to remember what I heard, even if I have never heard it before. Phantom 03

Excellent ideas. Mostly along the lines of what I think.

I am not too upset about electronics for the most part. I hope/want to believe most corps will use them tastefully. A couple corps will over use them and that I won't like. I really don't want to hear electronicly produced woodwind sounds; that will ruin a show for me. But as long as the focus remains brass and percussion I'll be ok.

I escpecially agree about amplified voice. It really doesn't sound right or fit musically with what's going on in the marching arts.

I don't have issues with Bb, however, I thought there was a certain richness to G hornlines that I liked.

[euponitone]

1. Musically Dominant shows--I also would love to leave a show and be able to remember what I heard, even if I have never heard it before. Phantom 03

Really...you'd never heard canon in D before?? I kind of envy you.

just messin...

[ChildProdigy'89'05]

Really...you'd never heard canon in D before?? I kind of envy you.

just messin...

It's definitely not the same Canon in D that everybody hears at weddings and such. Pachabel wrote more than one canon in D, although the piece is actually called "sanctus" Here is a true version of the piece. Every bit as spine tingling!

Edited January 30, 2008 by ChildProdigy'89'05

[mellos]

i want to see professional organizations provide life changing experiences for young people via some sort of musical and visual performance.

I like Sam's post. I'll vote for that.