Synthesizers in drum corps

[Tom Brace]

i tell ya what...after 08 i was hyped to check it out again. when the job situation forced me to sell my seats in Indy....i was bummed for a day. now, the more i hear and see on here.....i'll gladly give it a shot at Allentown prices, but, i already have a bad feeling about it, just like I did 5 years ago...especially knowing what else some want to propose.

Just to see Regiment's show at Allentown would have been worth the ticket last season. When I read about "the Spartacus effect," it does present some interesting fodder for those most critical of drum corps' recent innovations to perhaps revisit the stands.

It was great to see a very appropriately modernized version of a classic old school drum corps show outperform the latest in design innovation.

My understanding that a certain corps from the Allentown area may attempt the same kind of approach to an old school Lenny Bernstein show. Could once again be worth the price of a ticket.

[dbc03]

I don't understand when people say stuff like BD 04, Cadets 07, etc were the reason they left drum corps.

One or two shows a year is really that big of a deal to you? I just can't imagine a situation where I would let my dislike of a few corps stop me from enjoying the rest.

[audiodb]

The reality is brass sections aren't prevalent in most of the music kids listen to, and kids are the life blood of this activity.

That's been true since we got home from World War II. Was there a point to that statement?

[Jeff Ream]

Just to see Regiment's show at Allentown would have been worth the ticket last season. When I read about "the Spartacus effect," it does present some interesting fodder for those most critical of drum corps' recent innovations to perhaps revisit the stands.

It was great to see a very appropriately modernized version of a classic old school drum corps show outperform the latest in design innovation.

My understanding that a certain corps from the Allentown area may attempt the same kind of approach to an old school Lenny Bernstein show. Could once again be worth the price of a ticket.

and i hope at allentown they do have that effect. i'd like to see them early, but i dont feel like those prices for a good seat and a 5 corps show justify it. and, if it sounds snobby, ok, but to pay 20 to sit outside the 35s sucks too

[Jeff Ream]

I don't understand when people say stuff like BD 04, Cadets 07, etc were the reason they left drum corps.

One or two shows a year is really that big of a deal to you? I just can't imagine a situation where I would let my dislike of a few corps stop me from enjoying the rest.

the problem i believe is in that they see it get rewarded by the judging community, and we all know that corps will follow what they see the big boys do. as such, it scares people off for what they see as future trends.

not saying it's 100% accurate, but there is validity to it as well.

[relmquist]

That is true, because that is what I consider those people to be.

I'm sure there will be those who hate it, just as there are with any change. But as always, there will be NO way to determine what the percentages are, so we will go back and forth all season as we do on most of these things!

I am glad that you have become the great arbitor of what is correct. I understand that you are a band guy, but to declare that everyone who does not like electronics etc. to be wrong and "old" is blatently wrong. Who granted you the right to brand people?

Isn't it possible that these people have been to BOA (I have) and heard OUTDOOR electronics (I have) and they notice the imbalance in sound that it creates? I love the indoor shows (WGI and BLAST). But the truth is the use of electronics indoors allow the sound to be mixed and miced properly. Every stadium will be different and the sound will vary at every show. There is not enough time (or money) to balance the sound in every stadium. It is a nightmare waiting to happen. What happens if the electronics fail? Are corps going to carry back-up equipment?

Mike, I know your opinions and I respect them. I think that you should do the same for us "old" people. People who always think that they are right should reconsider. All of us (as human beings) are sometimes wrong.

[soccerguy315]

but Bluecoats placed them brilliantly into their show and added to musical effect and storytelling without putting the Corps second.

disagree.

[audiodb]

No, I consider most of the anti-crowd posts to be whining and complaining. I just can't imagine an argument that does not have at it's center "I don't like it, so it should not be allowed".

IMO that's an oft-repeated and bogus argument which fits perfectly with what I said above about what is at the center of these anti-posts.

But it's not. There are not these global "issues" you anti-people seem to try and invent.

No, they are not 'trying to figure out amps.' IMO that is just not true, and it's another examlpe of anti- people inventing problems that do not exist.

The more I think about it, the more I view this gross mischaracterization of pro-acoustic drum corps fans as a personal attack. Hope you are taking Lance's advice to heart....

[dbc03]

the problem i believe is in that they see it get rewarded by the judging community, and we all know that corps will follow what they see the big boys do. as such, it scares people off for what they see as future trends.

not saying it's 100% accurate, but there is validity to it as well.

But it isn't really being rewarded by the judging community any more than corps that don't use it are being rewarded by the judging community.

Only 1 champion has used any amplified vocals, and that was a pretty light use.

The Cadets used it fairly extensively in 2006 and 2008 and had two of their worst placements in a decade and a half.

Nobody in the top 4 last year used amplified vocals.

1 corps in the top 4 of 2007 used amplified vocals (Cadets)

1 corps in the top 4 of 2006 used amplified vocals (Blue Devils with only one or two lines)

2 corps in the top 4 of 2005 used amplified vocals, Cadets and Blue Devils. Blue Devils used it most extensively and got their worst placement in 12 years

It seems that corps that use vocals and also march, play, and spin really well get rewarded and the corps that don't use vocals but also march, play, and spin really well get rewarded the same.

[MikeD]

I am glad that you have become the great arbitor of what is correct. I understand that you are a band guy, but to declare that everyone who does not like electronics etc. to be wrong and "old" is blatently wrong. Who granted you the right to brand people?

As I have said...these are my opinions. You and anyone else can hold whatever opinions you wish. I have read post after post here and in other forums and to me the over-riding attitude I get is people complaining because drum corps is not the way it was when they marched. I see it in this thread. "Drum corps is acoustic brass and percussion" someone said. No...it's not. Not since 2004. You see the same sort of thing in the thread about drum corps being better when it was local-based, and trying to create all sorts of convoluted rules to force it back that way now.

Isn't it possible that these people have been to BOA (I have) and heard OUTDOOR electronics (I have) and they notice the imbalance in sound that it creates? I love the indoor shows (WGI and BLAST). But the truth is the use of electronics indoors allow the sound to be mixed and miced properly. Every stadium will be different and the sound will vary at every show. There is not enough time (or money) to balance the sound in every stadium. It is a nightmare waiting to happen. What happens if the electronics fail? Are corps going to carry back-up equipment?

I have seen and heard electronic instruments in band shows going back to the 70's. There have been some excellent uses, some terrible ones, and others spread out along the spectrum in between.

Mike, I know your opinions and I respect them. I think that you should do the same for us "old" people. People who always think that they are right should reconsider. All of us (as human beings) are sometimes wrong.

I think what I think...it's right for me. I don't expect you or anyone to agree with me. This is a discussion group where we bat our opinions back and forth. I give mine as cogently as I can. That's all.