Best and Worst Uniforms (2008)

[Matt_S]

I loved how Blue Knights' guard uniform looked against the field and the dark of the corps proper, but I can't say that I'd want to wear that tight white lycra.. even if I WAS tan and skinny from marching all summer.

But considering that most of the members are tan and skinny... well that tight white lycra is just one more reason why BK is one of my favorite corps.

[Matt_S]

That sounds very painful for the members!!!

I chuckled at this.

[MikeD]

What I meant about "innovation" being the nail in the coffin for the drum corps activity is 2 specific things:

1) corps are choosing music, instrumentation, and overall show designs that are destroying the traditions that define "drum and bugle corps" as it was intended to be.

No...you have it backwards. The things being done today are continuing the traditions that have defined D&B Corps since before you started...before I started actually (1964...see sig).

2) corps are killing themselves off one by one having to PAY for the innovations that will keep them competitive.

Hundreds...really thousands...of corps have died over time.

NOW?!?!?! Drum corps get new brand new custom-built horns every other year. They have to PAY to haul 150 members plus a much larger staff and overpacked semi trucks across the country to more and more performance venues. Kids cannot afford to march drum corps anymore because it runs upwards of $2500 just to be involved, not to speak of the expenses of transportation to camps, and to survive during the times when you aren't property of a corps.

Yes, it is costly. No doubt. To be part of the best is costly. Corps that purchase new Bb/F horns do so knowing they can sell them to the huge band market and remain current with new state-of-the-art equipment at a reduced net cost to themselves.

Drum corps innovation has already destroyed the activity. Yes, the shows are bigger, flashier, cleaner, etc. But, its like watching a baseball game knowing that almost every single player is not only doped up on performance enhancing drugs, but they are each being paid $180,000,000 just to play for a few years....kinda sad isnt it?

No, innovation keeps it strong and makes potential members want to belong. I doubt you'd find many today who would want to march drum corps a la 1979.

I'm mad....very very mad at the direction the activity has taken. I believe that we will start seeing more and more corps disappearing. Within just a few years I really don't think anyone but the top 12 will be left, and soon all those organizations will begin feeling the burn of how much $ is flowing in and out with every "innovation" some $$$$ hungry tycoon decides to introduce.

It is incumbent for DCI to do what it can to keep member corps viable. The limited touring model is one way to do that. The cost of new 'innovations' is hardly making much of a difference in a corps overall budget as your post seems to think. DCI, however, is not able to do much beyond providing limited guidance and support to the corps. It is not some huge organization with deep pockets.

[Stryfe]

The only facet I agree on these typical "drum corps conservatives" is that a bit too much money is put into uniforms, and I have no idea what that is, but I know it can't be cheap to commission and have made 150 new uniforms year after year.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Stryfe

[ussglassman]

No...you have it backwards. The things being done today are continuing the traditions that have defined D&B Corps since before you started...before I started actually (1964...see sig).

Hundreds...really thousands...of corps have died over time.

Yes, it is costly. No doubt. To be part of the best is costly. Corps that purchase new Bb/F horns do so knowing they can sell them to the huge band market and remain current with new state-of-the-art equipment at a reduced net cost to themselves.

No, innovation keeps it strong and makes potential members want to belong. I doubt you'd find many today who would want to march drum corps a la 1979.

It is incumbent for DCI to do what it can to keep member corps viable. The limited touring model is one way to do that. The cost of new 'innovations' is hardly making much of a difference in a corps overall budget as your post seems to think. DCI, however, is not able to do much beyond providing limited guidance and support to the corps. It is not some huge organization with deep pockets.

I really do appreciate the time you took to understand what my ideas were. Though you disagreed, I think you can understand where I might be coming from. I make those statements based on what I see in my own community, and throughout the entire country, where the influence of drum and bugle corps could play such a vital role if it had maintained much of the ideology it had 20 or 30 years ago. There are so many more kids these days that would benefit from drum corps programs throughout the country that were local, created specifically to strengthen communities, as many of the big corps today were created for, but have moved away from in favor of serving only those who can afford it.

I do clearly understand that the drum corps activity as I would have liked to have known it is evolving, and must continue to do so. Just because I don't care for these changes doesn't mean chills wont roll down my spine at the first big impact of a live drum corps show. I am a performer, a fan, and an active supporter of drum corps, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. However, my concerns do not speak neccesarily of things taking place "today," so much as tomorrow.

I want to go to a drum corps show when I'm in my 60's and see the units performing like a drum and bugle corps. I'm very scared that if the activity does last that long, wooden drums and brass-alloy horns will be relics compared to computerized "star trek" instruments. I'm scared for the 'future' of drum corps. I'm scared that the chaotic pace in which the activity is changing is going to cause major problems sooner than anyone is willing to consider.

I speak of being disappointed in these changes because of how much of the foundations and traditions of the true meaning of drum and bugle corps are being forgotten in the process. For example, I think its great that the Troopers wear buttons honoring past uniforms. I'm sure every corps member who puts on a uniform knows what that uniform means. But the future is fast approaching, and things all over our world are streamlining to become more efficient and more gratifying at the cost of history. I want the drum corps activity to grow, but foremost I want it to survive so that I can see my grandchildren someday running yardlines as members of drum and bugle corps.

[chaos001]

While a little off-topic for "Best and Worst uniforms of 2008," these posts say some very true things. It is amazing how a community can be formed around an activity, and be so out of touch from it. Ask any corps member after a summer why they marched, and I guarantee you that a numerically measurable response will never be heard. People claim to be supporters of this wonderful activity, in which young men and women pour their blood, sweat, tears, and lives into perfecting a product designed for entertainment, and yet they sit on their couches year in and year out defaming and criticizing those who have accomplished something amazing. Reducing something as wonderful as marching in a drum and bugle corps to numbers and opinions is criminal. It's as though someone is looked down upon for finishing a marathon forty minutes behind the lead runner, when the important thing is that THEY JUST COMPLETED A MARATHON. I know fully that this is even MORE off-topic than my leaping-off point, but "innovation" is ruining and 'modernizing' one of the most pure activities today. If you want to fret over numbers, watch professional sports, where individuals are ALWAYS put above the team. Everybody knows who was the quarterback was on last year's super-bowl winning team. Who knows the name of Phantom's mello soloist? Very few. Don't focus on individuals, don't look down on any corps. You may consider yourself a fan, but comments such as "I don't see the Colts doing anything this year," or "Corps A is a sinking ship, GO CAVIES!!!" are contributing, albeit indirectly, to the demise of beauty. Do not underestimate the power of public opinion. Everyone deserves a rousing standing ovation during finals week, regardless of what numerical value a small group of individuals allots them.

Eli Manning and Parker Doelling. duh!

[MikeD]

I really do appreciate the time you took to understand what my ideas were. Though you disagreed, I think you can understand where I might be coming from.

Not a prob...as to disagreements, a lot of people on DCP disagree with me quite often.

I make those statements based on what I see in my own community, and throughout the entire country, where the influence of drum and bugle corps could play such a vital role if it had maintained much of the ideology it had 20 or 30 years ago. There are so many more kids these days that would benefit from drum corps programs throughout the country that were local, created specifically to strengthen communities, as many of the big corps today were created for, but have moved away from in favor of serving only those who can afford it.

I certainly agree that there are lots of kids who would benefit from a local activity like drum corps was back "in the day" when I marched and taught (which is farther back than even the 30 years you noted! ).

However, IMO the declining numbers of corps that DID provide such a benefit was inevitable as the organizations that ran them (VFW/AL/CYO) lost much of their influence and membership. Societal changes, really starting in the 60's, pretty much (IMO) guaranteed that the community based corps would fail. Corps failed all the time, even back to the 50's; the difference was that when one failed another sprung up to take it's place. THAT is a major part of the dropoff in local corps. Fewer and fewer corps started up at the small local level to replace the ones that died.

So what were the remaining major corps to do to survive? They started going more and more national in their recruitment and performing, which did increase the costs of operations. As more corps failed, and were replaced by the thousands of competitive bands that now exist, the "marching junkies" from those bands became the major source of corps membership.

In my day, I just joined Garfield from a small local corps in NJ...that's how much of our membership came on board. There were no auditions...just placement...the instructor checked us out and placed us on an instrument. That worked when there were fewer people wanting to march in the big time corps than there were spots in the corps. Once more potential members wanted to join than there were spots to march, they HAD to go to an audition process....ending up where we are today.

One thing I find interesting...not sure if it means much or not, really...if you look at the 1971 VFW Nationals Finals, just before DCI started...six of the top 10 corps are STILL competing today, and the Cavies did not attend VFW's that year.

I do clearly understand that the drum corps activity as I would have liked to have known it is evolving, and must continue to do so. Just because I don't care for these changes doesn't mean chills wont roll down my spine at the first big impact of a live drum corps show. I am a performer, a fan, and an active supporter of drum corps, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. However, my concerns do not speak neccesarily of things taking place "today," so much as tomorrow.

Good sentiments!

I want to go to a drum corps show when I'm in my 60's and see the units performing like a drum and bugle corps. I'm very scared that if the activity does last that long, wooden drums and brass-alloy horns will be relics compared to computerized "star trek" instruments. I'm scared for the 'future' of drum corps. I'm scared that the chaotic pace in which the activity is changing is going to cause major problems sooner than anyone is willing to consider.

Well, I am getting there...55 this past October, yet I feel as you described when I attend a show today. As different as the activity is from 1964 when I started, it's still drum corps to me, and it's still great. I don't see that changing at all.

I speak of being disappointed in these changes because of how much of the foundations and traditions of the true meaning of drum and bugle corps are being forgotten in the process. For example, I think its great that the Troopers wear buttons honoring past uniforms. I'm sure every corps member who puts on a uniform knows what that uniform means. But the future is fast approaching, and things all over our world are streamlining to become more efficient and more gratifying at the cost of history. I want the drum corps activity to grow, but foremost I want it to survive so that I can see my grandchildren someday running yardlines as members of drum and bugle corps.

I too want it to survive...growth would be nice as well! I think the "foundations and traditions" are alive and well in the corps that exist today. From readings here and elsewhere the members seem to know what is important and how they are part of their corps legacy. IMO the instruments and show designs are the least important part of the equation, given the huge changes since I started.

That's MHO anyway, and I'm stuck with it!