What would you choose...

[JeffUsnaDB]

I was waiting for someone to mention '95 Madison (thanks, Fran!)....

'91 Crossmen?

'89 SCV?

Jeff

[En929]

I agree with Blue Devils 1988 and Madison 1988 too. That's what got me into it....I also show students Blue Devils 86....that gets them.

[ajlisko]

Have you ever had to tell somebody about drum corps? If you had an extensive collection of DVD (or even VHS) or CD and record albums, what ONE show, show segment, drum or drill break would you use to illustrate what drum corps represents? Something that, after you share it, you can say, "Now THAT's drum corps!"

Any era, any corps.

What ONE snippet would you use to show someone that "This is what I do...this is drum corps".

For pure drum corps entertainment? Vasella Musketeers 1965 ... GE ... fun packed ... start to finish ...

:-)

[Commander71]

1965 Mighty St.Joe's

1966 Chicago Cavaliers

1967 Boston Crusaders

1968 Chicago royalairs

1969 Blessed Sacrament

1974 Santa Clara Vanguards

1975 Madison Scouts

1975-76 Rochester Phoenix

Any good year of Skyliners and Cabs

1965 Rochester Crusaders

Ok...I'm really liking this list...I might replace 68 Royal Airs with the '66 show...I had the 1966 Fleetwood CYO champioship album and I listened to that show about a million times!

[Fran Haring]

Ok, I haven't been around as long as you all have but I would go with:

Phantom '89 (New World Symphony)

Phantom '06 (Faust)

BD '07 (Winged Victory)

All good ones!

Seeing the Phantom choices made me think of another of my favorites: 2005 Phantom Regiment, the Gershwin show. Absolutely fantastic.

And also the Blue Devils, pretty much any year. With the exception of that "Dance Derby" train wreck from '05.

Fran

[JKatzmellophone]

Have you ever had to tell somebody about drum corps? If you had an extensive collection of DVD (or even VHS) or CD and record albums, what ONE show, show segment, drum or drill break would you use to illustrate what drum corps represents? Something that, after you share it, you can say, "Now THAT's drum corps!"

Any era, any corps.

Would you let them listen to '66 Crusaders play "Talk to the Trees" followed by the great drum solo? Anything from Hawthorne or Skyliners? Pepe wailing out in "Aquarius"? That smooth early 80's Bucs hornline playing Mangione? Hurcs belting out "Heat Wave" or "Bill Bailey"? Sunrisers screaming sop line in "Joker"? I guess you can see what era I seem to be stuck in...any era will do.

What ONE snippet would you use to show someone that "This is what I do...this is drum corps".

If I was to show anything as an introduction to drum corps, I would show them the Cabs and Sky from late 50s early 60s or even very early 70s. They were the top of the list at the time period and all corps back at that time pretty much were producing similar shows. Then I would show them mid 70's BD, SCV, 27th and 80 Bridgemen to give a taste of the changes made from typical AL/VFW style to independent DCI competition and Cabs anytime between 1980 and 1982 For DCA. And I would end with any BD performance between 1986 to now, star 90-91 Cadets 83 thru 2000 and Cavies 1995 to show what DCI has evolved too the present and Cabs 2003-04-06-07 and Reading 05 to show where DCA has evolved!

Edited March 2, 2008 by JKatzmellophone

[TomMoore]

Since I marched the 2005 Buccaneers show and there's an unflattering close-up of me during Adagio for Strings, I frequently use this show to introduce my friends/colleagues to the activity. Plus, I like watching it!

For my friends who are serious about classical and symphonic music, I'll frequently show them Bucs, Santa Clara or Phantom Regiment to introduce them to what we do now.

I've shown friends who are serious about jazz any number of performances by the Blue Devils, Bluecoats and Brigadiers and they're impressed.

Actually, I like to be a bit of a lending library and loan entire years' DVDs to people. They report that they liked the whole thing and really appreciated knowing how many different styles and approaches there are to the activity.

By far the most effective, however, is when I succeed in getting the 'uninitiated' to trust me enough to go to a show with me. Then I get a kick out of watching their jaws hit their laps and realize they're hooked.