ScribeToo Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Just a respectful question So.. were you going to put a little flag over the part where "respectful" begins or just let us guess? Stef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gellio Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Seriously though, since 2000 I feel drum corps has only gotten better minus 2005 (that year was a big let-down for me). I do agree after 2000 people started watching drum corps differently. I mean shoot, 2000 was maybe the best year for drum corps ever. After experiencing the last 8 or so years of drum corps I can't watch most of those old shows the same way anymore. They sound so...bleh...and are kinda bland visually. Its just music and marching for music and marching sake. I can still jam to them in my car (jammed to 97 phantom not too long ago) but I guess I've been conditioned to react negatively to sub-par-quality drum corps products. I really do feel the par for quality drum corps product (execution and design) is raising every year, which is making it hard for show designers to keep up with new levels of demand and innovation and entertainment, while making a strong competitive show. Maybe thats why some of us feel like drum corps shows are getting "worse"...? Wow. I consider some of the shows from 1984 (my first year) to 2000 as some of the best shows ever. Sorry, but when I think about shows like 1991 Star and 1993 Star (even 1990 Star) they beat almost anything out there today. Same can be said with shows like Madison ('88 and '95), Phantom ('96, '97), SCV ('85-/'87, '89, '97-'00), BD (a handful of years), Cadets (a handful of years). Sorry, I like the straight-forward drum corps - marching and music for the sake of marching and music. Much of this theme crap today is overdone and is just laughable IMO. I'm very leary about bringing newcomers to drum corps shows, because I am embarassed for the activity often with some of this ridiculous stuff some of these corps are doing. I honestly imagine it won't be long before I care less about drum corps, because it is just headed in such a ridiculous direction...Cadets '06-'08. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gellio Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I always love it when people use this reference, so I did a little research.In the DCI era... 1972 Argonne Rebels Stars and Stripes Forever 1972 PAL Cadets Stars and Stripes Forever 1972 Sacred Heart Crusaders Fairest of the Fair 1972 Vagabonds (NY) Washington Post March 1973 Americanos El Capitan 1973 Argonne Rebels Stars and Stripes Forever 1973 Boston Crusaders El Capitan 1975 Velvet Knights El Capitan 1976 Bridgemen Stars and Stripes Forever 1976 Madison Scouts Stars and Stripes Forever 1978 Argonne Rebels Stars and Stripes Forever 1979 Argonne Rebels Stars and Stripes Forever 1984 Argonne Rebels Stars and Stripes Forever 1987 Black Knights El Capitan 1987 Madison Scouts Stars and Stripes Forever 1989 Coachmen Stars and Stripes Forever 1990 US Naval Academy Stars and Stripes Forever 1991 Lone Star Stars and Stripes Forever 1996 Glassmen Stars and Stripes Forever 2000 Troopers Stars and Stripes Forever 2005 Jersey Surf Stars and Stripes Forever 21 times, total, that a Sousa march was played. Out of how many drum corps shows? 12 are way back in the 70's; 4 times in the 80's; 3 tmes in the 90's. Only twice in the eighth year of this decade. So, where are all the shows with Sousa marches? And do you really think it's all we played? Try CorpsReps.com to educate yourself. Garry in Vegas I HATE Stars and Stripes for ever. Hated it, hate it, will always hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_S Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 That being said, I'm always more interested in hearing new music than old music on the field, both because the nature of the beast is that each time a warhorse is resurrected, it seems to pale in comparison (every "Strawberry Soup" since the '83 Madison version seems less interesting than the one before it) and because I like the corps' musical staffs to program what THEY're interested in. I can talk all day about new or neglected artists in my field, and I like it when those who work in the music vineyard do the same in their own field, using drum corps as a medium to make their cases. Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Just a respectful question about the slogan you appended "For Holy Name shall always be":2008 marks the fiftieth year since the Holy Name parish dumped on the Cadets by confiscating all their equipment in mid-season, a major scandal in the D&BC community at the time. The Cadets, to their eternal credit, quickly regrouped with borrowed equipment and makeshift uniforms and went on to survive and prosper. Please clear up that longstanding mystery for me as to why the shameful actions of Holy Name are glorified in that slogan rather than the heroic 1958-and-later Cadets themselves. I've witnessed a number of parish-affiliated corps intentionally hurt in this manner by the oh-so-worshipful Pillars of the Church of which they were a part. All I could ever deduce on such disgraceful actions was that the parish leaders were jealous of the glories the corps and staff were achieving without the input of the backlapping politicos within the parish advisory councils. Thanks. I don't think any of us who are/were members use that quote to glorify the Holy Name Church. It's more a solidarity comment saying that we are ALL Cadets, whenever we marched...going back to the beginning...part of an amazing history that continues to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I HATE Stars and Stripes for ever. Hated it, hate it, will always hate it. Looks like you had the fortune to miss playing it 3,259 times by one year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 2007 was mediocre, the top 3 shows were all rather weak and forgettable where as 2006 was better than most 2008, seem to be off to a slow start and the top shows are not really all that great Talent does seem to be down this year, or maybe it’s the staffs that are down Most the corps seems to be happy to cruise on autopilot with show design – many shows feel formulaic, plug and chug, like I’ve seen them all before – only the guard costumes changed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craiga Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Thank you to everyone who made thoughtful replies. To everyone else: I can think of smart-### comments on my own. I'm looking for real input here. To respond to some good points that were brought up: -I believe that to a certain degree show designers have forgotten that the main purpose of drum corps is to entertain, not to necessarily to win. Drum corps has become more of a competitive sport in recent years (and there's nothing wrong with that) but I think at the end of the day, most people just want to go to a show and be able to hear some great music. They don't necessarily care who has the most sophisticated show or the most difficult music. -To those who think I'm a grumpy old man stuck in the "good ol' days" of drum corps: I'm not that old. You should check out Boston 2008. No narration, no props. plenty of melody...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crfrey71 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Drum corps has become more of a competitive sport in recent years (and there's nothing wrong with that) but I think at the end of the day, most people just want to go to a show and be able to hear some great music. I have to really disagree with drum corps being more competitive. I actually think it is way less that way today than it was back in the 70's and 80's. Even the drum majors lining up for awards was competitive back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skajerk Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 (edited) - MORE MEMORABLE MUSIC. No more of this arcane and abstract crap that seems to go on forever. Maybe it will impress a bunch of highs choolers high schoolers, but it's growing old on me. Also, no more shot notes every 5 bars, and no more drum breaks that last forever while the horn line is off in the back corner doing choreography just for the sake of doing choreography. If you pick music that people are familiar with, the will be able to relate to it more. You can still do a lot of crowd pleasing stuff without sacrificing difficulty. Well, I usually lean towards the "more memorable music" side when it comes to this argument. HOWEVER... there are those shows that can just jump out and grab you. Just a few examples, (and going with music from my era and realizing that some of you out there might've heard some of this music before... I hadn't)... - 1982 Valley Fever doing Carmina Burana piqued my interest in drum corps. - 1983 VF. Had the chance to play Alexander Nevsky. - 1985 Suncoast Sound (A Florida Suite)- My all-time favorite show! The first show with ALL ORIGINAL music written specifically for them. Can't use the "no one has heard it before so people won't like it" excuse for this one. - 1985 Phantom (Symphonie PHantastique)- The first show that got me off my butt and into the nearest record store. After 24 years, it's still one of my favorite (and I think one DCI's most under-rated) shows. I think it's due for a remake. - 1986 Suncoast (Adventures In Time)- I knew that it had been done before in DCI, but this was the first time that I'd heard it. This was another show that got me to the record store. Just saying, what may be unfamilar to you might... just might, be attractive to someone else. Edited July 1, 2008 by skajerk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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