ToferVis Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 So, as usual this time of the season brings about a lot of talk of the differences between marching band and drum corps, and how drum corps is copying them and blah blah blah. first off let me say i think the whole argument is stupid. I really don't see how some people expect something to remain the same for 35+ years without any type of change. Everything changes...EVERYTHING. Cars are different from what they were in 72, all major league sports have had changes made since 72...everything just changes. As far as copying marching bands...i think it's much the other way around. now i know some people will say what about Blue Stars copying Tarpoon Springs, but i have point here i promise. I honestly think these drum corps would do more stuff first to be 'cutting-edge' but they're not allowed. It takes a marching band doing it first, so that people are like, 'oh ok, that's not so bad' before DCI can push a rule change. But more importantly i think some people fail to realize that these marching bands look up to drum corps. Many bands watch shows and discuss what it takes to achieve that. I think some of the problem is that high school marching band shows themselves are beginning to catch up with the design level of DC. There's not much we can do to outdo ourselves anymore, at least I think. Let's face it, DC people get waaayyyy to caught up in our clout to really see what this activity does. It's going to need to change a little, because that's just how the world works. discuss? maybe i'm just dumb but it's something that's been running through my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washingtoncorpsfan Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 To me, it's not so much about show design, but about instrumentation. I'm currently in my school's marching band and I'm huge drum corps fan. They can mimic each other all they want, just as long as the instrumentation stays the same, I'm just fine and dandy with drum corps and the direction it's taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntington Mallets Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I agree, also with a "new era" of band directors coming in from a more modernized world of drum corps and marching arts in general, the variety seen on the fields in the fall will look even more different as years progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Thank you so much. Finally...someone with enough humility to just say it. Marching band isn't a dirty word, no matter how much we "elite DC freaks" like to think it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgang Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 anyone who uses the word "bando" is demonstrating their ignorance..... and invoking terminology that reminds one of she who's name may not be spoken over on RAMD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legalhack Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 It seems that most current DC arrangers and designers have their feet in both worlds. My guess is that, while their writing takes into account differences between ensembles, their basic philosophies remain the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mophilda Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I always think of "bando" as classically goofy things. The 45 degree head tilt all the time. The chin strap on your shako. All the unnecessary tension and angst in movement. The slide that you slam into because you are so hard core, but all thats facing forward is your horn. Woodwind horn lifts where all that changes is where their eyes are looking. You know, things that make you giggle. There are some things that bands do that are way cool. Worth copying. The original poster has a great point that high school marching band design is catching up with drum corps because we have pushed the limits of movement, velocity, and design so far that we are slowing down. Not that we can't ever do better, but the possibility of bigger is coming to a close. You can't take a 2-to-5 stride size. You can't march 400 BPM. I think drum corps is like the hemline on womens shorts- it got to about 2.5 inches in a pair of summer shorts before they had to take it to the other extreme with bermuda shorts all the way to the knee. You can only go so far before your undies are showing. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I've never been in marching band, only drum corps. I've seen quite a bit of posters who are all high and mighty about drum corps to the point where they have called marching band "nerdy" and other adjectives. A lot of people who march drum corps have come from marching band. You know in the grand scheme of things, if you show drum corps to someone who knows nothing of the difference between that and marching band, they'd still think we're "nerdy" as well. A little humility goes a long way when it comes to DC and MB I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baristeve Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I don't think that marching band is a dirty word at all.. heck, some of the top BOA bands could probably out play some of the lower level world class corps. BUT, Drum Corps and Marching Band ARE two different activites, and should be treated as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I don't think that marching band is a dirty word at all.. heck, some of the top BOA bands could probably out play some of the lower level world class corps. BUT, Drum Corps and Marching Band ARE two different activites, and should be treated as such. I agree with this statement, but people shouldn't go as far as belittling marching bands. Hell, without them we probably wouldn't have the talent in DC we have today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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