What is missing from Drum Corps today

[docachna]

...i've said it before, I'll say it again. at a clinic I saw Cesario do a few years ago, he said "the biggest problem is too many designers are too busy designing to impress their friends and some judges, that they forget the fans...and some judges as well....

judges are fans...they WANT to be entertained. They WANT to shed a tear or laugh or yell "WOW THAT WAS AWESOME!" into their recorders. "

he's so right

I've only been watching corps for 35 years now -- but Michael Cesario was "spot on" with the above comment. The "WOW" is gone. For fans and judges alike. Staffs are so preoccupied with showing up "the other guy"'s staff that they've abandoned the paying fan completely. And the corps management have bought in. Instead of being an activity directed at the audience, it's become totally introverted and narcissistic.

Heck, watch the video of '76 Bridgemen at finals, near the end of the William Tell opener; watch the judge in the center of the picture (drumline ??) "leaning into" the accents..........he was gittin' it, let me tell you ! I don't think you get a judge involved like that anymore.....And don't think the Bridgemen didn't catch 9 kinds of h*ll that year for their "revolutionary" getups and show. "Drum Corps As We Know It Is Dead" !! Heck, they were digging the hole.....everybody thought the world had ended.

What's the difference ? What many here have said. It used to be that the music was always the primary consideration. The drill, etc., complemented the music, but you never forgot for a second that the music was IT. The drill and the show were the vehicle by which the music was presented. Now, however, the music is just one of numerous similarly-weighted components in a "total mosaic presentation" of a brand new art form. Next thing you know, white turtlenecks on the drum majors will be "all the rage"...........

Call me a dinosaur if you want; couldn't care less --but 95% of the shows out there bore me to tears. They're like genetically engineered food; it looks like hamburger, but boy, it sure doesn't taste the same when you bite in. Drum Corps "music" today, standing alone, is little more than Muzak. And it's even more sad when you see the technical ability of many of today's players, and you think what they could do with some material that actually woke their audiences out of a snooze.....

[BOBSMYTH]

it isn't just in DCI...happens all the way down to the band world too.

I liken it to the fact that drummers aren't afraid to have a spread and make a call

This is not a new phenomenon.

The drum judges have often been the ones putting down the big spreads. At least, that's what the article in Drum Corps World said - back in the early 70's.

[garfield]

I've only been watching corps for 35 years now -- but Michael Cesario was "spot on" with the above comment. The "WOW" is gone. For fans and judges alike. Staffs are so preoccupied with showing up "the other guy"'s staff that they've abandoned the paying fan completely. And the corps management have bought in. Instead of being an activity directed at the audience, it's become totally introverted and narcissistic.

Heck, watch the video of '76 Bridgemen at finals, near the end of the William Tell opener; watch the judge in the center of the picture (drumline ??) "leaning into" the accents..........he was gittin' it, let me tell you ! I don't think you get a judge involved like that anymore.....And don't think the Bridgemen didn't catch 9 kinds of h*ll that year for their "revolutionary" getups and show. "Drum Corps As We Know It Is Dead" !! Heck, they were digging the hole.....everybody thought the world had ended.

What's the difference ? What many here have said. It used to be that the music was always the primary consideration. The drill, etc., complemented the music, but you never forgot for a second that the music was IT. The drill and the show were the vehicle by which the music was presented. Now, however, the music is just one of numerous similarly-weighted components in a "total mosaic presentation" of a brand new art form. Next thing you know, white turtlenecks on the drum majors will be "all the rage"...........

Call me a dinosaur if you want; couldn't care less --but 95% of the shows out there bore me to tears. They're like genetically engineered food; it looks like hamburger, but boy, it sure doesn't taste the same when you bite in. Drum Corps "music" today, standing alone, is little more than Muzak. And it's even more sad when you see the technical ability of many of today's players, and you think what they could do with some material that actually woke their audiences out of a snooze.....

OK, for a "new guy" this statement is spot on. While today's shows don't put me to sleep they sure aren't nearly the "powerhouse" corps of BITD. I was just showing my 10 year old the '75 Scouts performance so he could understand the '09 camp video. His comment was "Jeesh, listen to that power!". Then "...but they sure don't march, do they?"

Now, he's 10 and has been to nine finals so he almost qualifies for "Old Skool", but I think he hit the nail on the head. Madison appeals to us today because the music was the most powerful part of the show. Not the props.

[BRASSO]

I've only been watching corps for 35 years now -- but Michael Cesario was "spot on" with the above comment. The "WOW" is gone. For fans and judges alike. Staffs are so preoccupied with showing up "the other guy"'s staff that they've abandoned the paying fan completely. And the corps management have bought in. Instead of being an activity directed at the audience, it's become totally introverted and narcissistic.

Heck, watch the video of '76 Bridgemen at finals, near the end of the William Tell opener; watch the judge in the center of the picture (drumline ??) "leaning into" the accents..........he was gittin' it, let me tell you ! I don't think you get a judge involved like that anymore.....And don't think the Bridgemen didn't catch 9 kinds of h*ll that year for their "revolutionary" getups and show. "Drum Corps As We Know It Is Dead" !! Heck, they were digging the hole.....everybody thought the world had ended.

What's the difference ? What many here have said. It used to be that the music was always the primary consideration. The drill, etc., complemented the music, but you never forgot for a second that the music was IT. The drill and the show were the vehicle by which the music was presented. Now, however, the music is just one of numerous similarly-weighted components in a "total mosaic presentation" of a brand new art form. Next thing you know, white turtlenecks on the drum majors will be "all the rage"...........

Call me a dinosaur if you want; couldn't care less --but 95% of the shows out there bore me to tears. They're like genetically engineered food; it looks like hamburger, but boy, it sure doesn't taste the same when you bite in. Drum Corps "music" today, standing alone, is little more than Muzak. And it's even more sad when you see the technical ability of many of today's players, and you think what they could do with some material that actually woke their audiences out of a snooze.....

Band leader and American Composer, Duke Ellington once instructed " It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing ".

Duke Ellington knew a thing or two about composing, audiences, and music.

Pulitzer Prize for Music

Big Band Hall of Fame

Jazz Hall of Fame

French Legion of Honor

Songwriters Hall of Fame

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

" one of the most influential artists in the history of recorded music " ( wikfi )

Composer of over 500 songs

Millions of records sold

Ella Fitzgerald upon hearing of the death of Ellington : " It is a very sad day. A genius has passed "

Edited January 12, 2010 by BRASSO

[Jeff Ream]

I've only been watching corps for 35 years now -- but Michael Cesario was "spot on" with the above comment. The "WOW" is gone. For fans and judges alike. Staffs are so preoccupied with showing up "the other guy"'s staff that they've abandoned the paying fan completely. And the corps management have bought in. Instead of being an activity directed at the audience, it's become totally introverted and narcissistic.

Heck, watch the video of '76 Bridgemen at finals, near the end of the William Tell opener; watch the judge in the center of the picture (drumline ??) "leaning into" the accents..........he was gittin' it, let me tell you ! I don't think you get a judge involved like that anymore.....And don't think the Bridgemen didn't catch 9 kinds of h*ll that year for their "revolutionary" getups and show. "Drum Corps As We Know It Is Dead" !! Heck, they were digging the hole.....everybody thought the world had ended.

What's the difference ? What many here have said. It used to be that the music was always the primary consideration. The drill, etc., complemented the music, but you never forgot for a second that the music was IT. The drill and the show were the vehicle by which the music was presented. Now, however, the music is just one of numerous similarly-weighted components in a "total mosaic presentation" of a brand new art form. Next thing you know, white turtlenecks on the drum majors will be "all the rage"...........

Call me a dinosaur if you want; couldn't care less --but 95% of the shows out there bore me to tears. They're like genetically engineered food; it looks like hamburger, but boy, it sure doesn't taste the same when you bite in. Drum Corps "music" today, standing alone, is little more than Muzak. And it's even more sad when you see the technical ability of many of today's players, and you think what they could do with some material that actually woke their audiences out of a snooze.....

while I do not judge drum corps, I do juge band and indoor drumline, and I'm sure to let my inner fan come out

I had the honor to judge a line this fall that made me laugh out loud into the tape recorder...they were that good. I'm told the kids loved the tape

[DrillmanSop06]

For what it's worth...

I sat in an auditorium in 2007 and listened to Albert Lo begin to choke up while commenting on our closer. DCP told us to "drop the played out '70s/'80s show designs." I'm so proud to have marched in a drum corps which really did put the audience first at least in that single year.

Just sayin'...

Edited January 12, 2010 by DrillmanSop06

[Rimba47]

I'm a younger guy still marching in a world class corps. I've only been fan of drum corps for about 5 years.

I don't think that DCI should move in a direction where it creates shows just to please those fans who want a 2010 corps to sound like their favorite 80's corps. To change DCI because a hole in their heart is empty now that their favorite show is over 30 years old. The years we have lived always seem sweeter than the years we are living, but that doesn't mean we should resurrect the past. Learn to appreciate something new. As a younger member I've fallen in love with the modern drum corps not the one's from decades ago. I don't mind the innovations in the activity and I certainly don't mind any changes that have yet to come. And I'm sorry that you older guys can't appreciate the way I feel about drum corps today. In 20 years from now the activity will be different, maybe not what I had originally fallen in love but things change and I wouldn't want to be stubborn and selfish to believe that an activity should change just so it pleases me. But I know that I'll always be a fan and frankly don't think I'd find myself dreaming of the good old drum corps days when blah blah was better and blah blah was louder.

If drum corps wants to gain popularity it can't just think about pleasing older fans. It needs to please younger fans as well like myself. If this discussion is about the current popularity of drum corps in general (which it partly is) then you can't leave out the majority of the population which include youth. We have different tastes in a lot things and the generation gap is difficult to come to terms with. But what needs to realize is that MAYBE what wowed a stadium full of people in the past WON'T wow a stadium full of people now. The bottom line is that its possible to strike a balance between what pleases an older fan and a younger fan. But I honestly feel that changes like that happen naturally and are happening.

So, to answer the question "what's missing from drum corps?" I would have to say nothing. I love the activity as it stands and all the innovations/growing pains it can endure. Every show has something to offer that I enjoy and I don't expect to like every single formation and note I hear in a show, even in the ones I marched but that’s natural and I don't think that justifies completely overhauling DCI and what not. But the bottom line is that DCI should look toward innovation to garner more popularity and revenue, not over its shoulder.

[kickhaltsforlife]

What will please fans is BALLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[kickhaltsforlife]

No seriously... you turn on any late 80's, early 90's drum corps DVDs and kids will go nuts. THAT IS THE STUFF THEY WANT TO SEE. We started getting away from that when designers wanted to satisfy their own needs of self expression. THERE IS A TIME FOR THAT... DRUM CORPS IS NOT THE TIME.... and if you are a good enough designer you will be able to ad your #### in, no problem.

The big debate in performing arts for centuries for composers... is why do they write music... is it to please others? or to pelase themselves. We are seeing this same thing in drum corps.

Personally I write with an audience in mind. And I try to make things as diverse as my audience will be... but everyone will still enjoy that.

I have a firm belief... that as musicians... as members of a performing art, we are not there to please ourselves.. we are there to perform, there to get a recation... emotion from others. It is not a time for selfishness. While I appreciate some peoples experiments with "art" thats all i do... is appreciate it.. because I am a generous person.

ENTERTAIN ME. Or AT LEAST SOMEONE ELSE!

JUST ENTERTAIN!!!!!

[FlamMan]

I've only been watching corps for 35 years now -- but Michael Cesario was "spot on" with the above comment. The "WOW" is gone. For fans and judges alike. Staffs are so preoccupied with showing up "the other guy"'s staff that they've abandoned the paying fan completely. And the corps management have bought in. Instead of being an activity directed at the audience, it's become totally introverted and narcissistic.

Heck, watch the video of '76 Bridgemen at finals, near the end of the William Tell opener; watch the judge in the center of the picture (drumline ??) "leaning into" the accents..........he was gittin' it, let me tell you ! I don't think you get a judge involved like that anymore.....And don't think the Bridgemen didn't catch 9 kinds of h*ll that year for their "revolutionary" getups and show. "Drum Corps As We Know It Is Dead" !! Heck, they were digging the hole.....everybody thought the world had ended.

What's the difference ? What many here have said. It used to be that the music was always the primary consideration. The drill, etc., complemented the music, but you never forgot for a second that the music was IT. The drill and the show were the vehicle by which the music was presented. Now, however, the music is just one of numerous similarly-weighted components in a "total mosaic presentation" of a brand new art form. Next thing you know, white turtlenecks on the drum majors will be "all the rage"...........

Call me a dinosaur if you want; couldn't care less --but 95% of the shows out there bore me to tears. They're like genetically engineered food; it looks like hamburger, but boy, it sure doesn't taste the same when you bite in. Drum Corps "music" today, standing alone, is little more than Muzak. And it's even more sad when you see the technical ability of many of today's players, and you think what they could do with some material that actually woke their audiences out of a snooze.....

I was gonna write a message about this...but you said everything that I wanted to say, probably better than I would have said it.

I hope the Scouts are good this year & a trend towards traditional drum corps shows will begin.