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The history of the Westshoremen


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in my 48 years of life, all around this crazy game, i've seen several eras of drum corps fans complain about the product. Guys before my dads time #####ed about what they saw. Guys from my dads time #####ing about my time. Now some people from my time #####ing about what they see.I'm immune to it in many ways.

 

However when someone internet muscles up and goes on a full bash, i have no problem poking the bear. I like to remind them people #####ed about what they did too, and yet they demand respect for their time, while totally ####### on those doing it now...and few see the hypocrisy of their actions. So, if nothing else, I poke more. I am a huge fan of making idiots look worse.

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2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

I am a huge fan of making idiots look worse.

And yet, somehow, you've been nice to me.  :8_laughing:

Seriously... I agree, I'm totally fine with someone who simply feels that modern-day drum corps is not their cup of tea... but who also doesn't take it to the level of insulting those currently involved with the product.

It's the code words/phrases... "It's not real drum corps today"...  "All that prancing and dancing like a Broadway show"... stuff like that. Or the outright insults, like "Today's corps members don't have the heart we did"  and so forth.
 

One of my favorites, which I heard from a grizzled drum corps vet at an alumni show after-party once... "Today's horn lines, they can't hold a candle to the way we played."  You're right.... today's horn lines simply cannot match that edgy tin-can sound of many of the lines from way back in the day.  LOL.

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When someone brings up the "good old days,"  I like to ask them which ones, no valve, single valve, double valve until deemed illegal, valve rotary or the now legal two valve?

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I discussed this on a recent thread. In 1983, Mel Stratton discussed this at the WCU Director's clinic.

 

With Competition band, there was the "Traditional Era" (post WW2 to @ 1970-1975)

 

Cascavant-style stuff, Ohio State, etc.

 

Then the "Presentational Era" from 1970-1975-to about 1982) Early Corps style shows based on Drum Corps of the era. Opener, production, Concert, Drum Break, Flag Pre, Closer, Lots of company fronts, music loud, come at the stands, music soft, turn aorund.

 

1982ish on, the "Eclectic Era" where many different artistic ideas and concepts were borrowed and combined.

 

I said there I'd like to see what Mel thinks what the situation is "Post Eclectic" and how he would define it.

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On 10/11/2017 at 3:58 PM, Fran Haring said:

And yet, somehow, you've been nice to me.  :8_laughing:

Seriously... I agree, I'm totally fine with someone who simply feels that modern-day drum corps is not their cup of tea... but who also doesn't take it to the level of insulting those currently involved with the product.

It's the code words/phrases... "It's not real drum corps today"...  "All that prancing and dancing like a Broadway show"... stuff like that. Or the outright insults, like "Today's corps members don't have the heart we did"  and so forth.
 

One of my favorites, which I heard from a grizzled drum corps vet at an alumni show after-party once... "Today's horn lines, they can't hold a candle to the way we played."  You're right.... today's horn lines simply cannot match that edgy tin-can sound of many of the lines from way back in the day.  LOL.

you're not an idiot. you need a lot more than bad fashion sense LOL

 

and I agree....it's not for everyone. I dont even like all of t. to ##### and whine and #### and moan ad nauseum online....get the #### over it. find a new hobby.

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5 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

you're not an idiot. you need a lot more than bad fashion sense LOL

 

and I agree....it's not for everyone. I dont even like all of t. to ##### and whine and #### and moan ad nauseum online....get the #### over it. find a new hobby.

Those folks who go to shows and complain nonstop... what a waste of their money.

I hear ya, there are some things going on I would change, in a perfect world...LOL... and if it ever gets to a tipping point for me, I'll be out... but will never bash the ones still involved. What's the point in doing that.

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It's an art form, so if someone liked everything about it or every show, there would be a problem. That being said, I found DCA real, real watchable this season. The Bucs' show was really good- maybe not my total cup of tea, but very good.

 

Wasn't fond of the rocking chairs, either. But I think that the percentage of what was really good outweighed the kinds of stuff that would turn me off by a large margin.

 

I was put off by DCI a few years back- it got to where some of the shows were pretty pretentious. That was a design issue, and I think enough corps have worked to solve that issue enough where I can find some good stuff in there that's exciting and inspiring. SCV last year, was unexpected and pretty cool.

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A lot of that nasty sound had to do with gear- the student quality instruments, folks using some pretty nasty mouthpieces like Jet-Tones, Parduba Double-Cups, the Schilke 13 A4As which were about as bad as the Jet-Tones.... I'm certain no one's using crap like that anymore in a competitive corps. We were steering everyone away from that at Westshore in 1982 for God's sake with the mouthpieces.

 

Still... I see some HS bands using some bad stuff. Bad mouthpieces on Mellos and Low Brass in particular. "It came with the horn". Yes it did, and it makes a great paperweight, knickknack, or pencil holder! :laugh:

 

Usually when mid voices are chronically under pitch, it's a mouthpiece issue.... learned that the hard way about 20 years ago now, and it fixed things easily.

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On 10/11/2017 at 10:08 PM, buzzgok said:

When someone brings up the "good old days,"  I like to ask them which ones, no valve, single valve, double valve until deemed illegal, valve rotary or the now legal two valve?

Easy as Hades to overblow lol....

 And I have played piston rotor, 2v and 3v all in g.

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On 10/13/2017 at 6:19 AM, BigW said:

It's an art form, so if someone liked everything about it or every show, there would be a problem. That being said, I found DCA real, real watchable this season. The Bucs' show was really good- maybe not my total cup of tea, but very good.

 

Wasn't fond of the rocking chairs, either. But I think that the percentage of what was really good outweighed the kinds of stuff that would turn me off by a large margin.

 

I was put off by DCI a few years back- it got to where some of the shows were pretty pretentious. That was a design issue, and I think enough corps have worked to solve that issue enough where I can find some good stuff in there that's exciting and inspiring. SCV last year, was unexpected and pretty cool.

the re-emphasis on all aspects of GE, not just the intellectual helped DCI 

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