WHY has drum corps evolved in the direction it has?

[Crowncontramom]

I don't think I've seen this discussed on here. I was watching a clip on "the site that shall not be named" of the St. Rocco's Cadets from the sixties. Why, exactly, do you think drum corps has evolved from military style to the pageantry/broadway show style of today? I love it all, so I'm not looking for the positives and negatives to be discussed. What are the factors that have driven the activity in the direction it has gone, style-wise? (not numbers of corps wise or numbers of fans wise)

Edited July 15, 2010 by Crowncontramom

[garfield]

I don't think I've seen this discussed on here. I was watching a clip on "the site that shall not be named" of the St. Rocco's Cadets from the sixties. Why, exactly, do you think drum corps has evolved from military style to the pageantry/broadway show style of today? I love it all, so I'm not looking for the positives and negatives to be discussed. What are the factors that have driven the activity in the direction it has gone, style-wise? (not numbers of corps wise or numbers of fans wise)

Two things:

1. The emphasis on visual and de-emphasis on execution, and

2. A willingness on the part of many corps directors to follow the "suggestions" of a few to implement No. 1, above, as a way to increase membership/attendance.

IMO

[DrinkinOuttaCups]

I think the change in style has happened mostly due to so-called "landmark shows." These are shows where a corps takes a huge risk in terms of design, but it wound up paying off incredibly well. For instance, SCV 1980 with the asymmetrical drill, or Star of Indiana 1993 with the strange choice of music, or Cadets in the mid-80's (can't remember the specific year, sorry) with high-speed drill, or Cavaliers this decade with the higher emphasis on the visual aspect. These shows all helped change the activity to the style it's currently at - high-speed, asymmetrical drill, lots more emphasis placed on the visual aspect, and the music choices aren't always familiar tunes now. In my opinion, the last show to truly change the game was probably the Cavaliers 2002 show.

[perc2100]

I don't think I've seen this discussed on here. I was watching a clip on "the site that shall not be named" of the St. Rocco's Cadets from the sixties. Why, exactly, do you think drum corps has evolved from military style to the pageantry/broadway show style of today? I love it all, so I'm not looking for the positives and negatives to be discussed. What are the factors that have driven the activity in the direction it has gone, style-wise? (not numbers of corps wise or numbers of fans wise)

I mentioned this in another thread, but IMO it stems from the 1971 'Combine." Corps directors before DCI were 'forced' to live with arbitrary rules of all types by the VFW and other organizations that ran drum corps competitions. Those organizations, from what I can tell, too very few considerations of corps directors under advisement when making competitive rules, compensation decisions, guidelines, etc. Several directors wanted to be completely in control of their own destiny and formed The Combine, which became DCI.

As with any other creative "art" form, designers at the top of their game constantly wanted to push themselves and boundaries as far as design elements. Military symmetrical drill became asymmetrical drill. Marching up and down yard lines at 8-5 military-approved step sizes became jazz running. Color guard went from literally guarding the colors of the flag with rifles and sabers to using 'weapons' artfully like baton twirlers and dancers. One innovation leads to another: if SCV decides to ditch symmetrical drill and go asymmetrical, Cadets decide to push the concept further.

I think there is a pretty clear line (in general, at least) between eras of drum corps, and it all has to do with the 'need' for designers to continue to push both themselves and the boundaries of the activity as far as design go.

[Liahona]

I don't think I've seen this discussed on here. I was watching a clip on "the site that shall not be named" of the St. Rocco's Cadets from the sixties. Why, exactly, do you think drum corps has evolved from military style to the pageantry/broadway show style of today? I love it all, so I'm not looking for the positives and negatives to be discussed. What are the factors that have driven the activity in the direction it has gone, style-wise? (not numbers of corps wise or numbers of fans wise)

It doesn't bother me personally that the activity has moved from the military to the pageantry style per se, but the mere fact that we are not getting a garden variety of styles is more disturbing than anything else . My personal complaints the last few years are surrounded around the fact that drum corps has turned into the same ole and cookie cutter drum corps. Don't get me wrong I LOVE drum corps today as much as yesterday. Though this is true, I really haven't seen any REAL innovations over the last 20 years in this activity. Perhaps that is because a lot of the people that were involved with this activity 20 years ago are still involved today. There really has not been a change of the guard, so to speak. When that happens maybe we will evolve into an even better genre.

[oldcavie]

"Several directors wanted to be completely in control of their own destiny and formed The Combine, which became DCI."

[TerriTroop]

Let's also take into consideration that the VFW and the AL and the CYO and any other organization that held competitions were not sustained by their membership to the point of continuing to sponsor such shows. That process was a bit organic. The Combine was certainly a reaction to the rules and regulations issues, but I believe that had the Combine - and then DCI soon after - not come into being drum corps might not have survived at all.

[michsta8]

Infiltration of band geeks

[ReformedDCFan]

because drum corps is art and art is in a constant state of change.

[Blackstar]

Aliens....definitely aliens.....