Why adding woodwinds won't work in drum corps

[mikita21]

"The past two years I saw yawns and had kids wanting to leave early. "It's no different than what we do..." was a common statement. "

I was all over Hopkins and other directors at the time of the most dramatic changes just a few years ago. At that time, he in particular talked to me (through e-mail) about the need to keep evolving and especially the need to attract "teens in Texas". I found that a most interesting phrase, with all the added shows in that state; the level of the music programs in schools in that state and so on.

But the fact is, shows today are mostly forgettable. The four worst words in Drum Corps have been, for maybe a couple of decades now"....an original composition by......"

Band teachers (no offense again, to y'all) are presenting a huge variety of contemporary material that may work at one level, but does not seem to be working in my world of "Field Theater". As a result, shows are full of nothing but hooks, designed to draw you back again and again to the incident unfolding. The Blue Knights of Colorado have become particularly famous for this......presenting a show that is perhaps annually the single least memorable show in DCI, but stacking it with hooks that keep arresting your attention moment to moment, as it wanders away.

One of the most sage pieces of Broadway advice works here; when they leave the theater, they better be whistling your tune. With the entire panoply of challenging popular and classical music to draw from, could we leave the teaching of abstract composers to the classroom, and present to audiences the "show-stoppers" they'll remember?

Look at all the posts throughout all the threads in here. Check out all the posts in the thread that was unfolding during the DCI semi-finals tonight, and particularly those posted whils Star Alumni was on the field. Musical memories -- and it is those memories that will draw fans back, looking for the next memory. So much is being made of so many corps' performances without a single allusion to an actual piece of music.

And I think that's just wrong.

[Brad T.]

You know, being an OSU alum & growing up in Central OH I've seen The OSU Marching Band countless times. I think TBDBITL is honestly the closest ensemble that still resembles real, old school drum corps. Sure, they use brass band insreuments and not bugles, and there's rarely a color guard (can't remember if they use an honor guard), no pits/electronics, and rarely mallet instruments or other sidelined instruments (sometimes bells or chimes or large church bells, and maybe an occasional drum set). No modern tonal bass drums, mostly symmetrical drill, and typically the music charts are fan favorites, either pops, lating stuff, or popular classical charts.

OSU does not have a color guard or honor guard. There is use of electronics, but typically it comes in the form of large metal framed loudspeakers that are setup for a miced solo. Other sideline percussion I've spotted include drum racks, timpani, gong, chimes, concert bass drum, and I think there was a glock once. Most shows do not have any sort of pit. Symmetrical drill is commonplace for the band, however, in 2005 they started using tonal bass drums. Pregame shows with the typical block band and Script Ohio are done using only two tone bass drums (24" and 30" if I recall) but halftime shows are done on 4 tonal basses (typically 22", 24", 26" and 28").

[DutDutOut]

Here is the definition of corps:

1. Mil.

a. a military organization consisting of officers and enlisted personnel or of officers alone: the U.S. Marine Corps; corps of cadets.

b. a military unit of ground combat forces consisting of two or more divisions and other troops.

2. a group of persons associated or acting together: the diplomatic corps; the press corps.

3. Printing. a Continental designation that, preceded by a number, indicates size of type in Didot points of 0.0148 in. (3.8 mm): 14 corps.

4. Obs. corpse.

Origin: 1225–75; ME corps, cors < MF < L corpus body; see corpse

[atlvalet]

I hear George Hopkins' iPhone has a clarinet as its ringtone.

[stevie89phan]

What was different from what they do 10-12 years ago that isn't now?

It's fricking marching band. It's just a bunch of people running around on a football field twirling things and tooting on things.

This serious red-faced back in the day stuff....ugh.

Wow, attitudes like this from drum corp fans really sadden me. All I know is when I was first exposed to drum corp in 1989 I was instantly hooked and could never ever get enough. As a brass player I was in awe of the power of the G bugles and couldn't wait to be a part of the activity BECAUSE it was something different I couldn't get at my high school. I was WILLING TO PAY TO BE A PART OF IT because it was different and special. My only hope is that enough current members feel this way to preserve what so many think of as an honorable tradition but sadly I guess most new members don't know the difference. I told myself after seeing the show in Atlanta this year that as long as Phantom and Madison are around I will always support drum corp but with the addition of woodwinds I will NOT PAY to see any shows because it will JUST be marching band. And honestly I really just wish the members could have as special an experience as I did when I marched.

And in regards to the "This serious red-faced back in the day stuff....ugh." ... Yeah, it will be interesting to see just how many dollars DCI loses when most of their "Legacy" fans stop giving them money. Way to go Mr. Hopkins, you're a real visionary. To clarify, I'm actually really impressed with MOST of the shows this year and I am actually impressed with the sound most corps are puting out so no I'm not a hater of new mellenium drum corps I just don't understand how one man can have so much sway over the entire activity.

[MikeD]

And in regards to the "This serious red-faced back in the day stuff....ugh." ... Yeah, it will be interesting to see just how many dollars DCI loses when most of their "Legacy" fans stop giving them money. Way to go Mr. Hopkins, you're a real visionary. To clarify, I'm actually really impressed with MOST of the shows this year and I am actually impressed with the sound most corps are puting out so no I'm not a hater of new mellenium drum corps I just don't understand how one man can have so much sway over the entire activity.

He doesn't.

[N.E. Brigand]

We use the words interchangeably, but they are two different things. Drum Corps and Band are two different things, and what sets the former apart is the absence of woodwinds and strings. That seems a no-brainer to me.

Except for the marching bands that don't have woodwinds. (And very few marching bands use strings.)

[N.E. Brigand]

I just prefer to hear ww instruments inside which is what they were really made for.

Bagpipes?

[N.E. Brigand]

Drum Corps is marching band already. AND, it's watering itself down so bad that you can't really tell the difference. As a teacher, I take students to DCI shows every year. 10-12 years ago the kids went and FREAKED out at what they saw. The past two years I saw yawns and had kids wanting to leave early. "It's no different than what we do..." was a common statement.

So the difference between marching band and drum corps is a few sounds effects? Add a half-dozen synth cues and some synth bass to, say, Santa Clara Vanguard's 1999 show and you've changed it from something that awes high school band members to something that bores them? Has the quality of DCI marching and playing really declined so much over the past eleven years? Or has high school band marching and playing gotten that much better? Mind you, I'd prefer that electronics be eliminated, and I agree that they stifle creativity, somewhat, but their use so far seems to me a minor flaw with most performances.

(Darn you for thinking of bagpipes before me, though. Substitutes "shawms" in my previous post.)

[Lance]

So the difference between marching band and drum corps is a few sounds effects? Add a half-dozen synth cues and some synth bass to, say, Santa Clara Vanguard's 1999 show and you've changed it from something that awes high school band members to something that bores them? Has the quality of DCI marching and playing really declined so much over the past eleven years? Or has high school band marching and playing gotten that much better? Mind you, I'd prefer that electronics be eliminated, and I agree that they stifle creativity, somewhat, but their use so far seems to me a minor flaw with most performances.

(Darn you for thinking of bagpipes before me, though. Substitutes "shawms" in my previous post.)

I'm against woodwinds and all, but plenty of kids in high school bands have been bored by DCI for decades.

And 99 SCV...great show. Rosander still uses the body movement thing in blobs all over the field.