These are the glory years

[perc2100]

Don't understand how #5 says anything about this being "glory years."

I think he meant that the parity of corps (talent level, design, etc) is arguably greater now than it has been previously. The fact that in just five years a corps can go from Division 3 to World Class Top 8 is pretty remarkable in the post-tick era. Bluecoats went from non-Finalist to Top 6 in just five years. Troopers went from 23rd to Finalist in five years. The Academy went from not existing to 13th in seven years. BAC went from barely making semifinals to Top 5 in just five years. During this era corps have proven that it is not impossible grow substantially from a financial and competitive stand point in a fairly short amount of time, and that doesn't seem to be the case in previous eras (obviously with the tick system it was a little different since the judging criteria is substantially different than the build-up system)

With regard to #7, I find the number of "whistle to the tune" shows consistent pretty much every years for the past 20 years....usually 4 or 5 in the top 12. I also prefer to enjoy the hornline itself rather than trying to figure out who arranged it. When I hear a show and instantly know who arranged it, chances are it's going to be trite.

You know, while that kind of makes sense, you can listen to a Mozart work and know with a phrase or two that it's unmistakably Mozart. You can do the same for Copland, John Williams, etc. Every artists has their 'comfort zone'/style as a creator and just because you can identify a composer by pinpointing their idiosyncrasies doesn't make it "trite." When a person finds something they really like, it is easy to dismiss things we don't like simply because we tell ourselves, "I love song A, and hate song B, so I need to look for things that validate my opinion to feel better about myself." It's human nature and understandable, and obviously personal taste differs. I know plenty of people who can't stand listening to old drum corps arrangements because they seem trite and cliched and boring.

[Lance]

You know, while that kind of makes sense, you can listen to a Mozart work and know with a phrase or two that it's unmistakably Mozart. You can do the same for Copland, John Williams, etc.

Yes, those are composers, not arrangers. When the arranger's style overshadows the original creative work by the actual composer, and I can tell within 5 seconds that it's a "John R. Arranger special," that's not good. Ever.

Arrangers who get in the way make music tired and tortured very quickly; I'd say the frequency of it happening is pretty consistent over the past 30 years, and if anything, it's getting progressively worse.

[Lance]

I think he meant that the parity of corps (talent level, design, etc) is arguably greater now than it has been previously. The fact that in just five years a corps can go from Division 3 to World Class Top 8 is pretty remarkable in the post-tick era. Bluecoats went from non-Finalist to Top 6 in just five years. Troopers went from 23rd to Finalist in five years. The Academy went from not existing to 13th in seven years. BAC went from barely making semifinals to Top 5 in just five years. During this era corps have proven that it is not impossible grow substantially from a financial and competitive stand point in a fairly short amount of time, and that doesn't seem to be the case in previous eras (obviously with the tick system it was a little different since the judging criteria is substantially different than the build-up system)

I don't see how that makes these "glory years."

[MikeD]

Still hate #4. The field looks like a big mess with that many people on it, even with the best staging.

Oh, I disagree with that. there is plenty of room on a field as large as a football field for not only 150, but more.

Don't understand how #5 says anything about this being "glory years."

I think he is lumping a bunch of stuff together about the rise of new and old corps, along with the rest of his points. Trying to parse out one from the whole isn't fair, IMO.

With regard to #7, I find the number of "whistle to the tune" shows consistent pretty much every years for the past 20 years....usually 4 or 5 in the top 12. I also prefer to enjoy the hornline itself rather than trying to figure out who arranged it. When I hear a show and instantly know who arranged it, chances are it's going to be trite.

Oh, there are trite shows and not-trite shows by modern arrangers, as always.

[3rd_Star_Brigade]

How many marchers in Corps today smoke unfiltered Lucky Strikes?

HEY

I smoke Lucky Strikes and I marched in 06.

BTW- Most drum corps guards have a good contingent of smokers. You'd be surprised how many kids in corps still smoke... they just are told not to do it around the uniforms, fans, horns, equipments, schools, buses, etc.

[scouttimp]

I think there is universal agreement... even among most of the Legacy fans.....that todays Corps have superior overall talent numbers and the shows have much more demand. The instrumentation is easier to use, there is better nutrition and better conditioning.( How many marchers in Corps today smoke unfiltered Lucky Strikes ? ). Are the shows overall more entertaining today than in previous years ? That depends on one's perspective. I think this is where there is greater disagreement among fans.

Hey now buster- we NEVER smoked unfiltered Lucky Strikes. Only unfiltered Camels. The one cig our pit instructor would refuse.

Don't smoke, kids! Really!

[chaos001]

Yes, those are composers, not arrangers. When the arranger's style overshadows the original creative work by the actual composer, and I can tell within 5 seconds that it's a "John R. Arranger special," that's not good. Ever.

Arrangers who get in the way make music tired and tortured very quickly; I'd say the frequency of it happening is pretty consistent over the past 30 years, and if anything, it's getting progressively worse.

i don't understand the need to take a perfectly composed piece of music and put it through the Cuisinart. What's that old saying? "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

less is more.

[Lance]

Oh, I disagree with that. there is plenty of room on a field as large as a football field for not only 150, but more.

How many more....(afraid to hear this, because it will probalby happen...)

[Toby]

Oh, I disagree with that. there is plenty of room on a field as large as a football field for not only 150, but more.

Mike, I think it's just what some people think. I, personally, agree with the poster. 150 feels too chaotic for me to watch, 135 was on the brink. Even then, you can still have a hornline that can fill the venue, a percussion section that can do the job, and a large enough guard to fill space when you want to. Sometimes, there is something to be gained from the void in the field than having a large conglomeration of bodies.

[TerriTroop]

Mike, I think it's just what some people think. I, personally, agree with the poster. 150 feels too chaotic for me to watch, 135 was on the brink. Even then, you can still have a hornline that can fill the venue, a percussion section that can do the job, and a large enough guard to fill space when you want to. Sometimes, there is something to be gained from the void in the field than having a large conglomeration of bodies.

Amen to this. 150 for me has felt cluttered. 135 was a good compromise. I particularly liked the part I bolded. When teaching music I talk about the fact that silence is just as important to music as all the notes on the page. The silence before and after the music-making, the silence (or near silence) of the performance hall, the silence one can create in your mental state so you can approach your performance with greater focus, and of course the silence of rests, etc. The void spaces of a field to me fits that bill.