Flipwest64 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Is this another spot they took from the cymbal line? John Philips Souza is rolling over in his grave. This just is so insulting to everyone who or ever has marched in corps. Pianos are not part of drum corps. What will they do next year? add a freakin chorus? I say boycott DCI !!! Open up your window and yell out of it I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueShades152 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Is this another spot they took from the cymbal line? John Philips Souza is rolling over in his grave. This just is so insulting to everyone who or ever has marched in corps. Pianos are not part of drum corps. What will they do next year? add a freakin chorus? I say boycott DCI !!! Open up your window and yell out of it I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!!! I really hope there is some sarcasm in this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newseditor44 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 best post in this thread. you guys need to get over it. Now what fun would that be? Maybe you should get over the fact that I reserve the right to NOT get over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdeger1111 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Sorry I refuse to "Get over it" I really haven't objected to many of the past changes and I marched in the stone age of piston rotory bugles, but sorry we all have a line in the sand somewhere. Amped Vox & synth are mine. I've watch and listened to some of the top bands some of you have suggested and sorry the synth doesn't mix with everything outside. The horn line sounds like an accompanyment. I thought the creative aspect of this activity was to reorchestrate using the instruments that we had, which has been done incrediblly over the past however many years. Blue Knights have done piano concertoes before without a piano, WOW, what creativity. That's the inovation, SCV doing Adagio for Strings without..... You guessed it strings, hell I like their version better then the original. I thought Boston's Shinig Star with harmonies acoustically on the field were beautiful, no microphones neccesary. Next were going to have miced ensembles, the activity hasn't needed them ever before, now they're neccesary? I haven't heard effective use of smaller duets trios, octets in a while, the back field playing used by SCV in the past was staggering in it's effect, again that's innovation, working within the medium of the rules to create these varying effects. The staging of the players within the drill was the challenge presented to designers. I don't think I'm being a dinosaur just because this offends me, my 14 year old son is revolted by these changes, so instead of you guys tell us to take it or leave why don't you. You already have Marching Band for the other 9 months, why do you insist on making DCI the same as BOA? Sorry for the rant, but I'm frustrated reading the responces to this thread. if this is the "wave of the future" I guess I'll check out DCA as that circuit seems to be growing pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corps-mudgeon Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 (edited) You already have Marching Band for the other 9 months, why do you insist on making DCI the same as BOA? Selfish people want what they want, and as much of it as they can get. It doesn't matter that others are losing the little bit they have left for themselves. Most of the selfish people are pretty irrelevant, though. Traditions went by the wayside when DCI broke from the VFW and the AL. There's nothing to ground the organization beyond the attitudes of its component parts. When the majority of the creative and teaching staff within DCI spends the rest of their lives doing BOA and WGI, they're going to want to stay with the familiar. They're the ones I blame because they're the ones who can't be bothered with protecting the uniqueness of drum corps and spend their time voting for rules to homogenize the marching arts. Edited March 6, 2009 by corps-mudgeon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 homogenize the marching arts. Homogenization. That's about the size of it. DCI is BOA is WGI; less effort for designers and "creative" types to move concept XYZ from floor to field to dome. Getting paid two or three times for one basic theme makes sense, especially in this kind of economic environment, where drum corps is pretty meaningless in the overall scheme of things. Trumpet the new sounds and textures all you want this season; eventually, once we get everything legal to put on the field, what will you blame for tying your hands creatively, design teams? Do tell. Deign to speak to the masses from the ivory tower of the instructors caucus, lol. Drum corps has mostly been nothing more than a pastiche of others creations throughout its existence; true "all-original" shows are the minority. I sincerely doubt we'll see some new found wellspring of creativity no matter what else gets added. Like anything else, might as well give it a chance; but given that most of the people who will be using these types of tools already have done so for twenty plus years in their marching bands and have done so with few real creative breakthroughs to show for it . . .it will take some convincing. Anyway, look for woodwind synth patches in the next year or two . . . I'd bet on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69Cadet Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 And if anyone could spin naked Twister on a football field and do it tastefully it would be SCV also, right? Look here's the deal... it's not about whether its done tastefully, or performed well, or if it works in the show or doesn't work. It's not about whether we will learn to like it or if we have a "wait and see" approach. In my opinion (notice I said MY OPINION) any corps that caves in and uses electronic instrumentation ceases to be a drum and bugle corps. I've heard modern day marching bands with electronic instruments on the field, and quite honestly, I hate it. It sounds pathetic and fake. There is nothing more odd than an electric bass player who is playing the same chart as the tuba, yet you wouldn't know it because his volume is cranked, drowning out the tuba section. And not to mention the fact that dude is rocking away like it's a Stones concert. Just thinking about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (Yes, I am aware that string instruments will not be allowed in the pit. If this hurts your flame opportunity, I apologize) Some would argue that drum and bugle corps went out in 2005 when electronics were first used. But for me, this is it. It's hard for me to think of SCV using electronic instrumentation. Or any corps for that matter. Yes its trivial, and yes marching bands all over the country are doing it, but this is Drum Corps. Remember when we used to get ######(upset) when people called us marching band? Well, we're getting closer and closer to not be able to argue that anymore. We are only a few flutes and saxophones away from Marching Band... and the gap keeps closing. For those of you that feel the need to call me out because I'm a bit old school, go waist your time somewhere else. There are more than a few of us ###### off about this. Such is life, things change, and a good portion of us will move on. For those of you looking forward to the change, go forth and enjoy. If this is your cup of tea, then I support your right to enjoy what you want, how you want. I mean that with no ill will. But for me I don't need to give it time. I've given Green Beans 38 years and I still don't like them. I know I have no desire to see a piano on the field. All I need are good beats, a good and loud hornline and some crazy drill. But that is pretty much dead these days... drum corps is no longer drum corps... Hear HEAR and cheers to you. Tho I think there is nothing wrong with the potential that growth can bring, it's really now pretty much outta hand at this point. The "newbies" 4-5 years in, really know nothing about what drum corps is or isn't - how could they? These people will look at something or hear something from a few years back and call it old school. Me? I've been around longer than most of you & I don't like any of this one bit. How much DON'T I like it? I walked away after championships 2004 and never went to a show since. Closest I came was a percussion reunion in Allentown last summer & it never even occurred to me to go inside and see the show. My personal belief (in all things) is - "If you're not a part of the solution, you're part of the problem" Simple. Folks? I have some harsh reality for you... it NOT Broadway on a football field, it's NOT art that moves and It's definitely STILL the 1/2 time, NOT the game. IMHO, drum corps is dead, it now just Drum & Trumpet Bands. Look @ the statistics, there hasn't been an upward spike in what, 20 years??? How many are now left? less than 50, and prob less that 40. Gimme a break. I say, hire Keith Emerson for the Keys player and get the flying spinning piano for a good G.E. score Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ussglassman Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 (edited) The only reason why corps are buying this junk is to stay "competitive." They are worried that if they don't have brand new Bb horns and the most advanced computer junk of the century, that they will fade into obscurity. I'm not upset with SCV or any other corps who is forced to go this route, because it really isn't their fault. Its the fault of those at the top of DCI who raise their hands out in salute when some guy in a green military suit, who has a tiny little mustache and a really extreme combover, starts babbling about new ideas! (no....the man in question doesn't really look like that, but someone in history who his behavior resembles does) Why doesn't anyone stand up to this guy and his cronies? Why don't the drum corps directors step up and say "I don't feel my corps needs this, why should my corps spend $$$$$$ just to have equipment that has no business on a football field?" SCV and BD are facing a bingo crisis right now. Every other corps in existence is facing dramatic financial shortages which will bring back the days of not being able to fix busses broken down on the side of the road, and will make talented young performers have to go hungry until the corps scratches enough $ for a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. All this, and DCI is imposing all kinds of new equipment spending requirements and hiding under a guise of "allowing new concepts." All they are allowing is for corps to die off, and the ones who don't die off will have lost so much of their identity, they may as well have folded years ago. My heart goes out to the junior corps members who read this. Even though you are fuming mad that someone disagrees with the shiny new computer you've just auditioned to play, we "traditionalists" just want you to see that you don't need a computer panel to play great music and create friendships with people just like you, and compete nationally against other corps of people just like you......soon, if this keeps up, it will all be gone.....You'll wish you had ranted a little too. (And I will not sit down and "get over it." I love drum corps, I have loved it and been involved in some form for 10 years now, and when I see the rate of new corps coming into the activity exceeding the rate of corps leaving it, I will stop whining. When I see corps break off from the status quo and perform within their means, I'll stop whining. When everyone on DCP finally realizes that its much better to have 200 corps performing on BUGLES than 12 corps playing computers, I'll stop whining.....) Edited March 6, 2009 by ussglassman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Well, I would think that they want to find a high level piano player for the spot, though that person could also do other pit work when they are not playing the piano part if they have a long enough tacet section. Well, once again, the SCV posting does not mention a need for any other front ensemble skills for this person....just piano. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flam control Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 You know.....SCV is not fielding a show called "The Piano." Go listen to the original orchestration of App Spring and realize that the piano adds a minute amount of color to the ensemble. For the love of Zingali, they're not putting a baby grand center field and performing a concerto. With the addition of Jeff Lee to their staff it looks as though they've gone a long way to secure the very best person (IMO) to make sure that the sounds coming out of the pit are appropriate. It's a bold choice for their music team, but I'm sure we can count on them to produce a tasteful product once again. That said...when it's all said-and-done I'll put money down on this: -SCV will, once again, field a fantastic show full of great music, fun drill, and lots of heart....still the essence of any great drum corps show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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