Hornline sizes

[AlexL]

The bigger the better, as long as you can maintain the quality of the line. Corps have clearly been able to do this at 80. If they could do that at 128, id not be opposed either. Biggest thing, every corps should not have to be the same. Id find it cool if one corps had 100 horns at the expense of guard numbers (you'd probably have more visual responsibilities for those horns to make up for it), and im sure some would enjoy a giant guard at the expense of horns.

[Bruckner8]

Yeah, I don't know you

I suppose it is just ear to ear, I suppose. I hear them now too much, but that certainly doesn't make me right or wrong.

I'd love to borrow your ears for a day, lol! "Umm, hornline, that was great, but I can hear the tubas too much."

I'd KILL to hear too much tuba! I don't think it's possible, unless it's bad tuba...plenty of that out there too.

You're not wrong....you feel what you feel. But I hope your approach is in the small minority, lol.

[BigW]

I'd KILL to hear too much tuba! I don't think it's possible, unless it's bad tuba...plenty of that out there too.

AGREED. Maybe it's because I'm a Euphonium player who's dabbled with the tuba off and on and has has been fortunate enough to have taught some great kids on Tuba.

And as for bad tuba playing, don't let me near one, whatever you do! God help us all!

[BigHoosierMack]

My biggest issue is the new 16-man Mello sections...

I hate to say this in such a blanket way, because there are some obvious exceptions (BStars '10 for one) that defy a simple truth.

There aren't 16 world-class-ready mello's x's 12 corps to go around..let alone 20 +...and adding more than 12 lowers the bar on talent in a small way at the top, but in a HUGE way at the bottom. The books are lameer, the lines are huge, and now they play half notes. I'm not even that old, but the rippin' cadets mello lines of up to the early 2000's have been left behind for far less-intriguing and interesting counter-melodies. The alto voice used to serve a very distinct purpose in the Drum Corps sound, and I think it has evolved to fill more of a lead baritone role.

my $.02

~Michael

Edit: "Open" to "World"

Edited August 24, 2010 by BigHoosierMack

[runyancm]

I am a sucker for the big brass sound, so there is that. But I agree that there is not enough bass to support the size of these lines, and since I don't like the (introduce tangent #1) synthesized doubling of the low brass parts, I think that I would prefer smaller well balanced lines without the electronics.

Also, I have to say the 150 total is too big for me visually, it's just getting too busy out there during transitions, etc.

Lastly, I'll introduce tangent #2: Is it self defeating for DCI to contain the talant to the big corps? At a time where DCI should be trying to grow the activity (ie, more corps), would it be better to spread the talant? The flip side, of course, is that larger corps provides the opportunity for more kids to march right now. Is the difficulty in getting more corps to participate in DCI due to lack of talented interest, or other factors. If the former is a big contributor, than we should spread the talent. I don't know the answers, but I think it's an interesting tangent.

Oh, and I miss the mellos of yore, too. I always thought those rippin' counter melodies would have been the most fun to play and march to.

[AlexL]

Lastly, I'll introduce tangent #2: Is it self defeating for DCI to contain the talant to the big corps? At a time where DCI should be trying to grow the activity (ie, more corps), would it be better to spread the talant? The flip side, of course, is that larger corps provides the opportunity for more kids to march right now. Is the difficulty in getting more corps to participate in DCI due to lack of talented interest, or other factors. If the former is a big contributor, than we should spread the talent. I don't know the answers, but I think it's an interesting tangent.

How many of those 15 extra would be at another corps? Most of the top corps turn away a lot of kids that dont end up going anywhere.

[supersop]

My biggest issue is the new 16-man Mello sections...

I hate to say this in such a blanket way, because there are some obvious exceptions (BStars '10 for one) that defy a simple truth.

There aren't 16 world-class-ready mello's x's 12 corps to go around..let alone 20 +...and adding more than 12 lowers the bar on talent in a small way at the top, but in a HUGE way at the bottom. The books are lameer, the lines are huge, and now they play half notes. I'm not even that old, but the rippin' cadets mello lines of up to the early 2000's have been left behind for far less-intriguing and interesting counter-melodies. The alto voice used to serve a very distinct purpose in the Drum Corps sound, and I think it has evolved to fill more of a lead baritone role.

my $.02

~Michael

Edit: "Open" to "World"

This kinda bugs me. It just makes it all the more obvious that drum corps in the Jr. Ranks has gotten away from a teaching role, and are now more of a Cleaning Role. If you want 20 mello's and can only find 12 that are World Class out of the box .... then you MAKE 8 more.

Those ripping mello licks that you long for aren't possible while jazz running ........ not to the level of performance we all expect. The issue isn't so much the talent of the kids nor the talent of the arrangers ........ it's the physical stresses being put upon the performers bodies making it impossible to bring an sufficient music book to the table ......... no matter how many horns you use.

[MDBaritone]

What's the golden 64 ratio people are talking about? How does it split out?

And I think it's good that different corps have different ratios (or different sounds, I've never been one to count). I love the Blue Stars having a mello-heavy sound, but I love BD with their trumpets too. Different styles of music, different corps histories need different hornline ratios.

For the record I would still go to drum corps shows if it was battery and a (clean) hornline of 120 blowing my face off for 11 minutes.

[supersop]

What's the golden 64 ratio people are talking about? How does it split out?

And I think it's good that different corps have different ratios (or different sounds, I've never been one to count). I love the Blue Stars having a mello-heavy sound, but I love BD with their trumpets too. Different styles of music, different corps histories need different hornline ratios.

For the record I would still go to drum corps shows if it was battery and a (clean) hornline of 120 blowing my face off for 11 minutes.

64 makes a perfect 8x8 block ...... that's about the only thing Golden about it.

[DCIfan90]

What's the golden 64 ratio people are talking about? How does it split out?

And I think it's good that different corps have different ratios (or different sounds, I've never been one to count). I love the Blue Stars having a mello-heavy sound, but I love BD with their trumpets too. Different styles of music, different corps histories need different hornline ratios.

For the record I would still go to drum corps shows if it was battery and a (clean) hornline of 120 blowing my face off for 11 minutes.

They're probably talking about 20 trumpets, 12 mellophones, 20 baritones, and 12 tubas.