Would you really leave the activity

[twofoot]

Anyone ever see the South Park episode with Indiana Jones? I think I would probably feel the same way Stan and Kyle felt. GH is to drum corps what George Lucas and Spielberg are to their own movies.

[michsta8]

The problem with this line of thinking concerns instrumentation and size. If woodwinds were allowed, either one of two things would have to change:

1. Drumline and hornlines would have to be smaller in order to hear woodwinds on the field

or

2. You would have to have 80-100 woodwinds on the field to balance the brass on the field.

Given the possibility of either situation, these could be the consequences for both.

1. Drumline and hornline volume becomes "softer" to the audience.

or

2. The overall corps membership expands to the 220-250 range to accommodate for the woodwinds, and thus, a lot more feet and notes to clean. If this happens, then the idea that "performance levels are too different to be comparable" goes right to the garbage can.

I can not imagine the financial problems corps would face with such a large membership (more buses, instruments, staff, food, etc.), but that is another topic altogether. Perhaps this was part of George's idea all along---start slowly increasing membership so that woodwinds become a possibility.

[michsta8]

no, all you would have to do is Amp the ww's

[Matt_S]

Anyone ever see the South Park episode with Indiana Jones? I think I would probably feel the same way Stan and Kyle felt. GH is to drum corps what George Lucas and Spielberg are to their own movies.

perhaps a bad analogy, since Indiana Jones grossed $317 million domestic, and has a solid 76% aggregate rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

[skajerk]

A synth is a real instrument, and technically qualifies as a percussion instrument, just like a piano does, because the instrument is played by striking the keys.

Woodwinds are neither Drums nor Bugles.

I thought a piano qualified as a percussion instrument because the strings are struck with a hammer, not because the keys themselves are struck.

[CitBos]

I thought a piano qualified as a percussion instrument because the strings are struck with a hammer, not because the keys themselves are struck.

In my opinion, it's kinda the same thing. The strings are struck by a hammer when the keys are struck with a finger. No matter how you really look at it, two things are being struck at the same time.

[notelvis]

Every time a major change is added to drum corps, we hear people say "I am not coming back" and that "I won't watch drum corps again." However, most of those people come back, and usually end up here to discuss their disappointment.

On the flip side, those that advocate change are rarely the first ones to open a new topic on a rules change. Probably because those potential posters fear backlash from those who don't want change.

So, the question is: Would you leave the activity if woodwinds were added to the competitive program? Thinking clearly and being honest, would you leave for good?

I would never use the term NEVER.......

But I stopped touring after nearly 25 years involvement in the activity after my daughter was born in 2005.

Each summer since I miss being 'out there' less than i did the summer before.......and I am finding that there are other things I enjoy spending time on during the summer just as much.

Woodwinds in drum corps would be just one more thing that would push me even further away to the point that I could see myself just not bothering to even see three or four shows a summer anymore.

[hrnguy500]

I forsee WW coming into the activity. I don't want that but its probably gonna happen. The evidence I bring to the table is the Blue Stars encore this year. They have a clarinet feature. The song is performed very well, props to the performers. While its not competition material it is still a WW at a DCI event. I know I&E has WW portions but its typically overlooked.

Those that are progressive in this activity, we know who they are, are going to look at BS this season and think that it could be another "creative aspect" to include in the activity.

I say boo to that.

[byline]

Anyone ever see the South Park episode with Indiana Jones? I think I would probably feel the same way Stan and Kyle felt. GH is to drum corps what George Lucas and Spielberg are to their own movies.

Interesting correlation . . . especially with Lucas. I didn't think it was possible to ruin the "Star Wars" franchise, but he found a way to do it.

[byline]

perhaps a bad analogy, since Indiana Jones grossed $317 million domestic, and has a solid 76% aggregate rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

You mean last summer's Indy installment? I honestly think a lot of that was parents taking their kids to what they knew would be, at the very least, a popcorn movie. Even if it wasn't all that good, at least it was predictable and had that name-brand recognition. I felt it was, at best, synonymous with McDonald's: mediocre, but consistently mediocre.

But hey, Micky D's still sells a lotta burgers!