Could the new pre-show rule lead to woodwinds?

[perc2100]

Well, not exactly. The difference is that there was a large group of designers and instructors who favored amplification and later electronics for a while prior to their inclusion. That is simply not the case today regarding woodwinds.

We are no closer to adding woodwinds to the competitive show today than we were before the pre-show rule was passed.

And from what I understand, this was just a clarification of current rules. I thought that there was a little grey area, and this rule passed just to clarify an existing rule.

Regardless, I totally agree with what you said above. You might as well say woodwinds were inevitable as soon as drum and bugle corps stopped being a military/VFW thing and became an independent entity.

[perc2100]

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It seems like just yesteday, doesn't it ?, that we were being told that the use of woodwinds being approved for DCI I & E competition would in no way, shape or form lead to woodwinds showing up on the field.

Yep. It also seems like just yesterday that people were wearing "drum corps' dead" and "the day drum corps died" t-shirts proclaiming the impending and fast approaching death of the activity were all the style. Funny thing, though: that happened before I was born, and I've been aged-out for over ten years now.

So maybe things are just fine.

[Rimba47]

It also seems like just yesterday that people were wearing "drum corps' dead" and "the day drum corps died" t-shirts proclaiming the impending and fast approaching death of the activity were all the style.

I hate when I hear people say that...

[cybersnyder]

I wouldn't worry about drum corps dying. DCI could, but that wouldn't mean that the corps would cease to exist.

[Jeff Ream]

honestly...i knew narration would die out until prerecorded narration/vocals could go thru.

Why? Because I've seen the band world shift from spoken live to prerecorded, especially in indoor, and knew it would only be a matter of time

You left one out though....narration. Sometimes things dont work that well, and corps stop using them....at least for the most part. I would be thrilled if only 2 or 3 corps a year used narration, and at the moment, that seems pretty likely. As far as amping pits go, well of course everyone will keep doing that. As far as synths, the only widespread 'universal' use I saw of that was the fake bass notes....and considering those were pretty much universally disliked, I'm hoping that goes away too. If a few corps use piano or techno sounds in their show each year, im fine with that as well...

[Jeff Ream]

Who said that? MAYBE people said "not every corps will use them," but honestly I doubt anyone said no one would use amps.

many people thought it would never get passed considering how many times it was shot down

[Jeff Ream]

here's where your argument fails. you couldn't have synths bass guitars etc without amps. I do expect woodwinds to get passed solely so they can be used for mic'd solos at first....which you need amps for. from there it will grow.

so yes, ultimately, it will go back to the passage of amps

Which means exactly nothing. Something else can always happen. Unless you believe in a grand conspiracy to dupe the entire drum corps community into lazy acquiescence, these incremental changes don't have to be connected. It is entirely possible - and indeed likely - to decide one without respect to the other. Electronics no more make woodwinds inevitable than grounding the pit did.

Trends such as these are realized only backward. If drums corps decide to use amps, they do so without regard to whether they should also use woodwinds. There is no viable support for woodwinds in drum corps today. This we-said-that-about-amps mantra that some insist on repeating ad naseum isn't some sort of scientific forecast. It's more in the category of hurt feelings and accumulated anxiety.

Crown was one of the first corps to make use of amplified voice. They debuted the new toys with both narration and singing. Did that lead to woodwinds or even support for such a change? No. It didn't even lead to more singing. It's not inevitable. It's not even a continuum.

HH

[Jeff Ream]

and i''ll disagree. when you look at the sequence of rules passed since the 2003 vote, you can see it develop over time...you need one to have the next etc.

Well, not exactly. The difference is that there was a large group of designers and instructors who favored amplification and later electronics for a while prior to their inclusion. That is simply not the case today regarding woodwinds.

We are no closer to adding woodwinds to the competitive show today than we were before the pre-show rule was passed.

[BRASSO]

Yep. It also seems like just yesterday that people were wearing "drum corps' dead" and "the day drum corps died" t-shirts proclaiming the impending and fast approaching death of the activity were all the style. Funny thing, though: that happened before I was born, and I've been aged-out for over ten years now.

So maybe things are just fine.

some people got confused in the 70's.

They flashback and think they remember T- shirts proclaiming " drum corps is dead ", but in reality in the haze of it all, they confused this with "Grateful Dead " T-shirts that( mostly) a few snare drummers might've worn.

I don't recall seeing or even hearing about" drum corps is dead " t-shirts back in the 70's. Sounds like an urban myth, or some confused hippie's flashback, or perhaps a local t-shirt made up in a local sovie show. It wasn't a national t-shirt, I can tell you that.

Edited February 24, 2010 by BRASSO

[perc2100]

some people got confused in the 70's.

They flashback and think they remember T- shirts proclaiming " drum corps is dead ", but in reality in the haze of it all, they confused this with "Grateful Dead " T-shirts that( mostly) a few snare drummers might've worn.

I don't recall seeing or even hearing about" drum corps is dead " t-shirts back in the 70's. Sounds like an urban myth, or some confused hippie's flashback, or perhaps a local t-shirt made up in a local sovie show. It wasn't a national t-shirt, I can tell you that.

Yea, I could be wrong. Like I said, that was before I was born. But I have read on more than one occasion (and I thought awhile back I actually saw a picture of the shirt posted here) about the shirt. I may be mistaken about exact wording on the shirt too.

Regardless, my point is that our activity is constantly changing. Heck, to max out the sheets, it's pretty much a requirement for a corps set new standards in design and execution. Ever since the activity starting evolving well before DCI even came into existence people have been quick to proclaim the end of the activity. I can easily imagine discussions like, "surely without the military symmetrical precision drill the activity will die off since no one will want this preposterous change." Or, "Wow. If we start adding all of these concert instruments, corps will go broke, fold, and there will be no one left far into the future, in the 1990's." Or whatever (yes, my above 'quotes' are partially in jest).

And I imagine that just as it was untrue then, it will be untrue now and drum corps will continue to exist and evolve.