drum corps are not bands

[Jimisback]

MOST are bands now. TOO BAD AND TOO SAD !!!!!! It has been done. It will only sink farther. Cheerio.

[HockeyDad]

Calling drum corps band is like trying to buy girl scout cookies from a marine.

A marine who jazz runs. And wears makeup. And emotes.

[tommyfromhowardst]

Well lookie here--band people--you're on the wrong web site--here's yours;

http://www.marchingbandplanet.com/

They try to look the same but they don't TASTE the same. Impostors. So quit pestering my drum corps brothers and sisters and kindly return to your own dimension!

(in good fun!)

[LSU GRAD 82]

I used to get upset but now that they ARE bands, there is no longer an argument except with the name.

Yep. Got that right. The 25 and under crowd will argue to the death, but we all know what REAL Drum Corps have become.

DONT want to be called a band, then DONT act like one.

Welcome to DCI/MBI 2009. (A wholely owned subsidiary of BOA).......

[MikeD]

As a woodwind major, no it is not.

Drum corps is like any other musical ensemble. Wind Ensemble is brass, ww, perc. Brass ensembles are just brass. Perc ensembles are just perc.

Drum & Bugle Corps is what it says. Drums & bugles. Stick to that. Any instruments that fall into that category are fine.

Nothing says it has to remain that way forever. There are so many more things permitted today than when I started in 64 that adding WW won't be that big a deal...said the percussion major who played bari in the Cadets one year as well as 6 years of sax in HS concert and jazz ensemble and two in college jazz ensemble.

[MikeD]

And what is your obsession with trying to ruin drum corps and take away anything unique about it?

Because he drank the 'kool-aid' .

Ray

IMO adding WW will make it better, not ruin it. Just as amping the pit and adding electronics has improved drum corps...and all of the other changes made in the 45 years I have been around drum corps.

And I do NOT appreciate personal attacks.

[USMKLAVIER]

Drum Corps are two things. Brass and Percussion. That they have synths, really doesnt discredit this as a piano is a PERCUSSION intrument.

Sorry, I HAVE TO:

The argument has been tried without success; piano is, like organ, in a category all its own. (Organ is not a wind instrument, NOR keyboard percussion; piano is not keyboard percussion NOR string instrument.)

The whole "piano is a percussion instrument" argument is moot anyway. I don't see pianos on the sidelines, not even pianos with microphones. SYNTHS ARE NOT PIANOS.

edit: This is not taking sides on this argument. Just defending my instrument. :)

Edited August 18, 2009 by USMKLAVIER

[MikeD]

The OP simply asked the question why many drum corps folks don't like corps being called bands. I think that question has been answered quite a few times in this thread. No matter how many times you throw comments like yours in, you can't possibly deny that "marching band" has a certain connotation in American culture, and it is by that measure that drum corps members would rather not be judged.

Well, IMO those who should know better make way too much of a distinction where none really exists...and never has.

Additionally, your one band being purely voluntary aside, you know for a fact that in many places people are in the band for the reasons I listed a few pages ago: MB is required in order to be able to qualify for the higher ensembles in some high schools, or required for scholarship retention in colleges, or counts for PE credit in both types of institutions. I'm glad your band is all voluntary. I'm fairly certain ALL school marching bands are all voluntary - as long as you don't mind not getting into the highest ensemble (thus potentially losing scholarship opportunities when you present yourself to colleges) or losing a current music scholarship in college, or having to take Phys Ed classes.

There are lots of bands that are totally extra-curricular...contrary to the point the poster I replied to was trying to make. Yes, some aren't...but since many are that is not a defining difference between HS band and DCI corps. That's all.

Honestly, can we get over the definitions, the instrumentation debates and the tiny little examples that are supposed to somehow disprove the larger phenomenon of cultural perception of "marching band" vs. "drum corps"? It's just not about that. (in my oh so humble opinion )

The cultural perception among 99+% of the country sees them as the same.

[bmroth1]

Predictions: Some within 5 years, some within 10:

1) Attendance will continue to go down as it sounds like it did this year.

2) Instrumentation will continue to converge to band.

3) Open Class corps will be a thing of the past.

4) Retreat will resemble WGI more each year.

5) DCI will officially change its name to The Marching Music Major Leagues or MML.

6) Due to poor attendance MML will not be able to continue to justify having a separate show for the Independent Bands and will move Independent Band Competition into Grand Nationals with Scholastic competition similar to a WGI setup.

7) The convergence of DCI/BOA will be carefully constructed between DCI/BOA and MENC.

8) George Hopkins will look like a "Legacy Fan" and try and fight these changes but it will be too late.

Edited August 18, 2009 by bmroth1

[USMKLAVIER]

Predictions: Some within 5 years, some within 10:

8) George Hopkins will look like a "Legacy Fan" and try and fight these changes but it will be too late.

Irony?