Meaghatron Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 If you're a youngster and have received nothing but unbridled praise for everything you do your whole life, maybe it seems like bashing.Wait til you get your first real job! This hasn't happened to me. My mom was tough! Besides, I've been working for a few years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elphaba01 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 For me, it will be when all the alumni corps fade away. IMHO, they are the ONLY corps that I consider to be close to what drum corps was "back in the day". Yes, I'm old and I realize that my opinion is based solely on the way corps were back then. I really dislike DCI for the amps and spoken word parts of shows. I do watch DCI however, specifically for the marching. Those kids amaze me and I have a huge respect for the work that goes into each production (as I do for all the DCA corps). "Alumni Corps Fade Away": Well said. The Alumni Activity is, weather you like it or not, the "Last Stand" of what REAL drum and bugle corps was. Recognizable crowd pleasing music, "G" bugles, (Yes, we know Scout House is "Bb", but thats what they were as a junior "Bugle Band"), rudimental drumming, marching and manuvering and marching color guards that still feature the US flag and flag presentations. The folks performing in the "Alumni Corps" are the veterans that came up though junior and senior drum corps in the 50s, 60s, and 1970s and are giving the activity one more great effort before age and infirimities finally force them to the sidelines. My witches hat is off to all of you... Elphaba WWW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melligene Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) "Alumni Corps Fade Away":Well said. The Alumni Activity is, weather you like it or not, the "Last Stand" of what REAL drum and bugle corps was. Recognizable crowd pleasing music, "G" bugles, (Yes, we know Scout House is "Bb", but thats what they were as a junior "Bugle Band"), rudimental drumming, marching and manuvering and marching color guards that still feature the US flag and flag presentations. The folks performing in the "Alumni Corps" are the veterans that came up though junior and senior drum corps in the 50s, 60s, and 1970s and are giving the activity one more great effort before age and infirimities finally force them to the sidelines. My witches hat is off to all of you... Elphaba WWW Amen to that. I make no excuses for what I like. Started this Drum Corps' thingee at age 14 with a senior corps'. As mentioned before........it is what it is.......if you don't like it....don't go. Edited June 7, 2008 by melligene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'm in total agreement with Fran about his 'core experience' points as well as the "fundamental drum corps sound of brass and percussion." To me, lose that by introducing woodwinds and it will lose its appeal as drum corps, and become marching band. I agree, John.... woodwinds are the "tipping point" for me, too. Their addition would alter forever that brass and percussion sound that, to me, is the essence of drum corps. Fran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 "Alumni Corps Fade Away":Well said. The Alumni Activity is, weather you like it or not, the "Last Stand" of what REAL drum and bugle corps was. Recognizable crowd pleasing music, "G" bugles, (Yes, we know Scout House is "Bb", but thats what they were as a junior "Bugle Band"), rudimental drumming, marching and manuvering and marching color guards that still feature the US flag and flag presentations. The folks performing in the "Alumni Corps" are the veterans that came up though junior and senior drum corps in the 50s, 60s, and 1970s and are giving the activity one more great effort before age and infirimities finally force them to the sidelines. My witches hat is off to all of you... Elphaba WWW god, I feel so old, now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 god, I feel so old, now. iv'e felt old for a while now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 well Don, you started in 1967... how do you think I feel? this old French Horn got his first tick on the field in 1959... and I'd been in a parade corps for 4 or 5 years before that... Eisenhauer was President! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 well Don, you started in 1967... how do you think I feel? this old French Horn got his first tick on the field in 1959... and I'd been in a parade corps for 4 or 5 years before that...Eisenhauer was President! yeah your ancient. but your still at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddySpikes Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I am also old school drum corps, but I have watched a fair share of contemporary drum corps. First,today's drum corps demand talent and devotion. They are expensive to belong to, and the lifespan of a member seems to be for only a couple years.....they get burned out after a couple competitive seasons. There are also different motives for joining the elite corps than in the past, and one of those motives is for college music education majors to get DCI marching credentials on their resumes. I don't see drum corps as being the kind of fun summers we enjoyed in the 50's and 60's, and that doesn't mean we didn't work very hard to stay competitive. They have become very grueling time consuming obsessions rather than memorable and fun experiences. Drum corps has become "professionally" oriented rather than an amateur activity that was something interested kids did for several summers developing a high degree of proficiency through hard work, cameraderie, good instruction, and loyalty. I seriously doubt most corps member in the elite DCI corps even know each others names. I may be wrong, but after working with some contemp drum corps, I believe the observation to be accurate. Second, even though the M and M is enormously complex, and the cadence very fast, it isn't especially enjoyable to watch. It is incredibly mechanical and doesn't always reflect the rhythm of the music...third, the music is unrecognizable and esoteric. That is my biggest let down. Yep, the players are excellent musicians, and they know the music, but the music isn't very interesting to me. It isn't like corps from by-gone eras where after leaving a competition, a fan could hum and enjoy the routines over and over...not really the case today. I'm not a pit fan, and I liked the old school rudimentary drum lines, and finally, the "color guard" and all those complicated and very intricate and difficult routines that are now a part of a show tend to detract from the horn and drum lines which seem to be around more to supplement the color guard and its routine rather than being the major show. Drum corps has changed. Some of us like the older days and ways, and many others like what is. All is OK, but I still am glad I marched when I did. It would take an entirely different mind set to march today with most highly competitive corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoHmempho04 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I don't believe it's possible when drum corps becomes un-enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts