The Death of Drum Corps

[apoch003]

Thanks Sue. You said it nicely. I was about to go ballistic about it.

[Bob J]

While driving into work today, I slipped in my tape from DCI finals, 1982. Yesterday I had discovered the Bridgemen website, and had spent much of my workday listening to their shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s, so I have been in a mood for old time drum corps. What I noticed as I drove, was the crowd response for the Cavaliers. Here was an 11th place corps, but as they wind up for the push in “Softly as I Leave You” the crowd is going crazy! I mean, you can practically hear the flying babies hitting the artificial turf!

The next corps on the tape is Garfield Cadets. 1982 was the year they played “Rocky Point Holiday” and Gershwin’s “Concerto in F”, with that amazing drill, like nothing ever seen before. They gave an incredible performance, and jumped 2 places from prelims to finals to finish 3rd. But even though there was a huge East coast presence, the crowd response (to my ears) did not match that of the Cavaliers, and it got me to wondering why. I have a theory.

Just who makes up the audience at a drum corps show? Well, you’ve got the family and friends of the current performers, who cheer the most for their respective corps, you’ve got the drum corps alumni, who cheer the most for their respective corps, you’ve got the marching band people, who cheer the most for whatever excites them, you have the hard core drum corps fans, devoted to their favorites, and you have the casual drum corps fans, who have their favorites, but who hold no allegiance to any particular corps, and want simply to be entertained.

So what happened in 1982?

We had an 11th place corps (12th in prelims, so they went on first), forming up into a company front, getting ready to march right over their rifle line, everybody knows it, and their playing a tune that we all know and associate with the corps. Who is cheering? Everybody!

Everyone who came up from the East coast to cheer on their family and friends in the Cadets, Bridgemen and 27th Lancers. Everyone who formerly marched with Madison or Blue Devils. All the Santa Clara faithful and Phantom Phans. All the newbies at their first show. The crowd went wild! They couldn’t help themselves.

Comparing this with Cadets that night. Cadets were better in every respect.

Now I contrast this with 2007.

After having been away from the activity for twenty some-odd years, I attended semi finals this past August in Pasadena (as part of the family/friends crowd). My impressions? Wow, drum corps has changed. Everyone was so good. The marching was amazing. But, I had to listen pretty carefully to find the bits and pieces of music I recognized (OK, I’m exaggerating a little, but come on, listening to drum corps shouldn’t be that hard!). My wife and kids were bored stiff, but I got them to stay up till the end of Carolina Crown (I’d heard that was a crowd pleaser). I stayed through Blue Devils with my parents, but left before Kingsmen (I know, I’m still kicking myself! I just had no idea at the time what was coming up.). The corps I enjoyed the most was Phantom, because I recognized the music.

Oh, and there was nothing even close to the ’82 Cavaliers, as far as getting the whole crowd going.

Drum corps hasn’t died, but I’ll bet the casual drum corps fan has. Or is at least on life support.

[MilesandCassius]

Drum corps is no more dead than the automobile is. My argument - it's changed in ways I can no longer get inside and understand what is going on.....in the 60's and 70's, I could open a hood, get at the spark plugs, use a timimng light, adjust the dwell, etc. I understood if I did something, there would be a different result. When the EPA came along, when we discovered that we were polluting the crap out of our life on earth, when we realized that we needed better MPG to use less (although there are more drivers), etc - that is when engine design changed. When was the last time you knew someone who got under the hood of a late model car and tuned it?

OK - I am stretching this, but the old school visuals and instrumentation could not survive. We you realistically go to a show today to see corps coming off the starting line, marching at 120BPM, standing still for minutes at a time (a la concert)? I doubt it.

As local drum corps lost their feeder corps base, I remember how corps were attracting more and more band kids to survive. When we went to 2-valve sopranos, the drum corps kids were curious about using the valves, while the trumpet playing band kids were laughing about have 2/3 of a trumpet. It took a few years before all bugles transitioned to 2 valve. And, it became more legit as the bugles went to 3 valves - band directors had no reason to complain about the "ba$tard" form of music we played. As we wanted our drums to be tighter for better sound quality and projection, the equipment literally caved in from torque and tension. New designs prevailed. In the pit, musicians could behave and perform like real orchestra pits. Guards offered visual support with dance and movement instead of holding a rifle or flag pole stationary.

Kids today haven't got a clue about what the dinosaurs are trying to hold onto. Isn't that life? My parents, and grandparents lived through world wars, the depression, the Cuban missle crisis. I don't want my kids to deal with those - learn about them - but do not have to suffer from them.

It's not to say, I understand what some corps are trying to present, but there is a style that many corps align themselves with, and that what continues to capture me and my $$$$ support.

I am not sure there is enough space to make sense of my thoughts. Do you wear the same style of clothing that you wore when you were a kid? Drum corps is not dead, but it is different.

That, my friend, is outstanding. My sentiments exactly. Wonderfully put. Thanks.

[apoch003]

Bob J has probably the best point of all.

If you lose your audience, you lose it all. I don't care how complex drum corps has become, but if the audience (and I mean a WIDE audience, not the bohemian drum corps "evolvers") doesn't like your show, they simply won't come to them. And their money goes elsewhere.

LEARN TO PLEASE THE AUDIENCE AGAIN.

Edited February 5, 2008 by apoch003

[overthehillDM]

Bob J has probably the best point of all.

If you lose your audience, you lose it all. I don't care how complex drum corps has become, but if the audience (and I mean a WIDE audience, not the bohemian drum corps "evolvers") doesn't like your show. They simple won't come to them. And their money goes elsewhere.

LEARN TO PLEASE THE AUDIENCE AGAIN.

It's happening to a certain extent. Come on...that's always been one of our strengths in Bayonne.

And, to be honest, I have been one of the biggest critics of show design in the last SEVERAL years.

A former corps director from the midwest and I had this very discussion back at finals in 2006. We agreed that things need to change toward a more audience-friendly show.

But, to me...the trend appears to be shifting back.

There are many corps that already have bought into the idea, while many others are still somewhat resistant to this approach.

Give it time.

[LancerLegend]

Bob J has probably the best point of all.

If you lose your audience, you lose it all. I don't care how complex drum corps has become, but if the audience (and I mean a WIDE audience, not the bohemian drum corps "evolvers") doesn't like your show. They simple won't come to them. And their money goes elsewhere.

LEARN TO PLEASE THE AUDIENCE AGAIN.

Yo bro - I think here you offer a tangent argument. How do the dinosaurs bring a newbie to a show and expect them to embrace, comprehend and enjoy what is being presented?

If, the dinosaurs are still holding on, its because they truly love the art form, and ignore the stuff they don't like. If we listen to abstract music - no melody or harmony to grab on to, we might get a hot dog. But to the friends we bring, it might be hard to explain we're getting a hot dog in protest - when they might think every show sounds the same. The visual portion might thrill them, but I think universally we remember the music that was played.

[flamparadiddlediddle]

It's not a tooomah!!!!

Nicely done 'Arnold' !!

[byline]

Nicely done 'Arnold' !!

Played around with this a bit:

[byline]

Drum corps hasn’t died, but I’ll bet the casual drum corps fan has. Or is at least on life support.

Sublimely put. Touche!

By the way, I also remember the same type of crowd reaction when Garfield followed Blue Devils at the 1982 "Drums on the Ohio" show in Evansville, Ind. The crowd went absolutely berserk for Blue Devils (myself included), but then became rather subdued for Garfield. I enjoyed Garfield's show . . . but for me, Blue Devils had it all: huge entertainment factor, along with the incredible performance levels. Garfield was the corps I admired, but Blue Devils was the corps I loved. In fact, that '82 show is still among my all-time favorites.

[apoch003]

Yo bro - I think here you offer a tangent argument. How do the dinosaurs bring a newbie to a show and expect them to embrace, comprehend and enjoy what is being presented?

If, the dinosaurs are still holding on, its because they truly love the art form, and ignore the stuff they don't like. If we listen to abstract music - no melody or harmony to grab on to, we might get a hot dog. But to the friends we bring, it might be hard to explain we're getting a hot dog in protest - when they might think every show sounds the same. The visual portion might thrill them, but I think universally we remember the music that was played.

I don't expect the newbies to embrace, comprehend and enjoy what is being presented. That's the point.

But I DO say that the genre should change so that it DOES embrace newbies. With entertaining shows that the newbs can relate to.... i.e.: Music they know (not just snippets buried under the harmonics), drill designs related to the music being presented (not random swirls and spinning diamonds...unless the song is "diamonds are a girls best friend"), and guard work that tells the story and yet still has high precision (catch those darn flags and rifles! It looks disgusting when even ONE is missed, but missed in every fricken set! That's up to 6 misses a show!).

Or am I the only one thinking things like this?

Edited February 5, 2008 by apoch003