Indoor drum and bugle corps

[wbargeron]

Here is my question: Could indoor drum and bugle corps be accepted by the indoor winterguard activity? In your opinion, do you feel this form of ensemble could co-exist with current indoor winterguard programs? Please weigh in with both good and bad points.

[TastyWaves]

Here is my question: Could indoor drum and bugle corps be accepted by the indoor winterguard activity? In your opinion, do you feel this form of ensemble could co-exist with current indoor winterguard programs? Please weigh in with both good and bad points.

If you mean a full compliment of Brass/Guard/Percussion like outdoor D&B corps, then i doubt it.

Winter Guard and Percussion have really cemented themselves over the years as a solid activity.

Just like "Summer is drum corps time", so now is "Winter is Guard/Indoor Perc time".

It would mean competing with Winter guard and drumlines for membership which would also be tough without creating hostile tension.

Ive been teaching winter lines for almost 10 years now and I almost always hear about how much our members love it because its "Just percussion".

Same goes with quality staffs. Most of them that are any good to begin with are probably involved with the indoor activities in some form.

Judges are also in high demand for WGI and every other indoor circuit. Many guard and perc judges are flying around the country as it is as are most "Visual" judges who have become involved the last few decades.

Finally, Facilities.

High school and college football stadiums facilitate much of the drum corps activity, Same with Gynmasiums being the performance/rehearsal venue for indoor guard and drumlines.

Most schools i have been involved with often have MUCH conflict with the school over use of the gyms. While some schools are built with 4 or 5 gyms, I think more are built with 1 or 2.

I know we have to fight with all of our athletics and many other groups over the course of the year. Even other space gets tough. Our band room is used for Booster meetings, our theater runs year round so the auditorium isnt always free, the cafeteria and other large spaces are used by student council, parent meetings, PTO organizations, etc. In the fall its not bad becasue we are outside, but in the winter, everyone wants to be indoors.

Do i think it CAN be accepted, sure. Do i like the idea, Absolutely! I love drum corps and would love to see the expansion, but after 10+ years of teaching and dealing with not only the educational but logistical aspects of Scholastic and independent groups, I think it would be an uphill climb. But who knows.. many uphill climbs have yielded great results!

Best of luck.

[sday88]

It already exists:

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...ighlite=%2Bsdca

[wbargeron]

I am familiar with the Small Drum Corps Association and have spoken the gentleman in charge of that organization. They have a good concept and was very informative of the positive and negative aspects of the activity. My question is can indoor drum corps co-exist with other winterguard activities? Going head to head so to speak with the activities would be absolutely ridiculous and against anything positive that could be gained by having such an ensemble.

Is it possible that the people who want to only do indoor drumline/winterguard do just that, and someone who would like to do drum corps but cannot afford $2,000-3,000 or have the talent just yet to make such an ensemble, or just has other plans over the summer, could do indoor drum corps? Plus, where are the rules for this activity? They don't exist really. It could be easy for winterguard and visual judges, many of whom judge marching bands and corps, would be able to adapt a system suitable for the ensembles.

[quegrawks]

I am familiar with the Small Drum Corps Association and have spoken the gentleman in charge of that organization. They have a good concept and was very informative of the positive and negative aspects of the activity. My question is can indoor drum corps co-exist with other winterguard activities? Going head to head so to speak with the activities would be absolutely ridiculous and against anything positive that could be gained by having such an ensemble.

Is it possible that the people who want to only do indoor drumline/winterguard do just that, and someone who would like to do drum corps but cannot afford $2,000-3,000 or have the talent just yet to make such an ensemble, or just has other plans over the summer, could do indoor drum corps? Plus, where are the rules for this activity? They don't exist really. It could be easy for winterguard and visual judges, many of whom judge marching bands and corps, would be able to adapt a system suitable for the ensembles.

Many of the judges might not though. They enjoy the break from drum corps/marching band as well.

If you choose to do something like this during the winter season, it's best to do it as a "senior" corps with members who are over the age of 23. That way you won't be "stealing" potential members from guards/drumlines. Start doing some exhibitions and see how it goes from there. You'll need to find out if there's an interest before trying to recruit other groups.

Another idea- attend the local winterguard/drumline circuit meetings to solicit opinions. You're better off asking people in your local area than you are asking in DCP from people all around the world. Start small, then see what happens from there!

*edited for typos

Edited July 30, 2009 by quegrawks

[Jim Nevermann]

Full corps, indoor marching contests were a regular feature in the Washington/Oregon scene roughly from the mid 1960s through the mid 1970s. Typically there was I&E brass, drum & guard competition during the day, supper break, full guard competition, and then full corps competition doing shorter length shows [and with no execution marching judging] of six to eight corps. Sometimes the contests were followed by a dance with a live band. The corps were *loud* and the contests were an eagerly looked forward to way to see what everyone else was working on for their summer field shows. It was always GREAT fun. I miss it!!

However, the *significant* difference then, unlike now, was that 99.99% of the corps' members, including the top level corps nationally, were locals... and not from all over the planet [corps' base of operations city being STRICTLY a point of geographical reference] like they are now. See, back then the Seattle "Cascades" members really lived in the Seattle area all year. The Portland "Royal Lancers" members really lived in the Portland area all year. And, by the way, bigger cities often had more than one corps: in 1969 Seattle and its suburbs had *seven* corps! There were a zillion more D&B corps than there are now. Likewise back then, most corps [everywhere, not just the NW] held practice once a week, pretty much throughout the year, and "drum corps camp" was essentially a one weekend a year event.

Fast forward to 2009: Would the DCI Finalist corps [for instance] have the financial wherewithal, the local membership and the time to do the equivalent winter indoor shows we did in 1969, even locally? I very, very strongly doubt it.

I'd like to be proved wrong, though.

Edited August 2, 2009 by Jim Nevermann

[Mr. D. from da 313]

Here is my question: Could indoor drum and bugle corps be accepted by the indoor winterguard activity?

No. The very best precussionists will be doing WGI so another "group" would have to use "2nd rate" percussionist.

Distance. How far are you willing to travel to be in an indoor DBC?

Sound. My sons in WGI as a snare. the sounds in some of the gyms are bad enough with just percussion add, in the rest and ^%$((**%^#.

Are "qualified" horn players gonna march indoor after a season of DCI followed by Marching Band, followed by indoor?

The following that WGI has is already limited. Mostly parents, friends, family of the groups. Not a huge following for indoor by the general public. Sort of like for all drum corps.

Having said all that im sure you can have a few "events" in certian citys and be able to cover costs, maybe,

so im sure someone might try it. But long term not gonna work. Nor will it every "take off"