Has Drum Corps Lost Its Soul

[Lance]

The marching band I write for and teach is totally volunteer...after school. Band classes are concert band from day 1. We have MB members from both concert bands as well as the orchestra, so one MB class would be impossible to schedule.

We are tiny, but the kids who march do so because they love it not for a grade.

same with our group. only a fool would sign up for it if they didn't love it.

and we have concert band and all of that, too.

it's really the only way that we could keep marching band afloat around my parts, and I know we're not alone.

[MikeD]

Any concert that takes place outside of the actual class time, by definition, is extracurricular. Give extra credit points as an incentive, but we should not give an actual class "grade" for anything out of class time.

Can math homework be graded in your view? If so, how is mandating concert attendance in a concert band class any different from mandating that the student answer 2-34 evens on page 267 of the Algebra II book as homework?

[oldschooldbc]

They needed a new field...one larger than 53 X 100, just to hold the Allen band!

Yes, they are huge. They come from a huge school, with 5000 students. 10% of their school participates in marching band; that is about average in Texas. That's how you get a 500-member high school band - which is actually bigger than many college bands.

They are classified as Class 5A size, but in reality, Class 5A in Texas begins at about 1900 students. That school should have been broken up into 2 5A schools a long time ago. That would have required about $100 million, to build a second 5A school in that district. Ironically - or perhaps not so ironically - that is what the district just spent on the stadium, and its performing arts complex. But I guess football takes precedence. Especially in Texas.

Again, what I said at the start of this thread: priorities, priorities, priorities.....

Edited September 7, 2010 by oldschooldbc

[Jim Nevermann]

My first year in HS marching band was 1964 and in drum corps, 1965. Back then, apart from instrumentation, the overall differences --in general-- between marching bands & corps were distinct. I eventually taught [always as a hobby] HS & college marching bands, jr & sr corps and also, for a couple years, judged HS & corps contests.

I note that the former distinct differences --again, in general-- between marching bands & corps [including, certainly, their instrumentation] have become almost nonexistent. Corps & bands have become and/or are becoming 'McMarching' groups, separate and distinct only by whether they're academic or non-academic in sponsorship, if they use woodwinds or not, and by how "polished" and complex/simple are their shows.

My sense --increasingly of dismay-- is that corps and marching bands [with, that I can think of, the notable exceptions of "show bands" and "mummer/string bands"] will eventually be all but indistinguishable from each other. And this trans-formative overlap; this merging of marching music identities has happened in roughly 50 years.

Closing with a question from a higher perspective: apart from the differences or percentage in the numbers of groups, have fife & drum corps as well as pipe bands undergone such pivotal changes?

[Jeff Ream]

I'd like you post a link where those things were said.

I'd love to, but the DCI website doesn't have those articles up anymore. I'll dig for the interviews in DCW this week.

[Jeff Ream]

First, my DCA sources tell me last year's attendance dropoff was double the number you are stating (almost 800 fewer).

Next, I agree...people who aren't doing something to try to help and make a difference shouldn't try to show off their expertise. I am certainly glad I am not one of those people.

Next, price out a set of 5 timpani heads...it cost about the same as a Yamaha MO-8. That's JUST THE HEADS.

The East had 3 years in the 90s with Boston, Cadets, Crown and Magic or Crossmen before they left for Texas(1 of those years)...and a smattering of II/III corps. FACT. That was the show. Cadets won every one of those shows. There was no competition in the East for Cadets in those days.

Next, I could Google map it, but suffice to say, the powers in DCI determined awhile back that having shows in Dixon, Streator, Oswego night after night wasn't as profitable as having one show in Normal for instance. Also, the sponsors for those shows were not finding them as profitable either.

I think the wake up has already occurred way before Mr. Cesario has anything to say.

As far as criss crossing the globe. I support a corps in Tempe. They went to California for shows. Then they went to Texas to join the tour to Indianapolis. They weren't required to criss cross anywhere. They finished 14th thank you without crisscrossing. Colts crisscrossed less.. They finished 13th? Chart Madison's touring schedule for me please? They finished 10th. How about BD, the first place corps. They spent a week in California...then they went to the Midwest where finals are. They spent the rest of the season in the east.

I don't see your points here Jeff.

I did edit this post to say this...I hope the weather is great and I hope you have a great time. No, I know you will have a great time. Enjoy this great drum corps weekend, Jeff.

ok, i'll take your word for it. considering the stadium isn't exactly friendly for a drum corps crowd ( aka not as many seats between the 40's as other venues) it still looked good. Given the economey, i can deal with that. Just as DCi could with 2-3k dropoff from Bloomington to Indy.

2...uh yeah, you can very much be one of those people.

3, yes i iknow what tympani heads cost. now figure out how much gas costs for the extra miles spent on the road with the national touring model.

4 I remember when the East used to see Spirit, Crown, Suncoast and others too. Funny, crowds seemed just fine with it. hell in 2001 when Cadets went West, HersheyPark Stadium had a crowd of about 6k for No Cadets, Crossmen, Boston, Bluecoats, Crown and Spirit...plus Cabs Alumni, the Marines, and from DCA the brigs, Bucs, Cabs and Grenadiers. so no Cadets didnt seem to hurt a bit...as attendance was about the same from the 1999 show ( no show in 2000).

5...yet now the powers that be say the curent model isn't working. that seems to be their MO every time something they vote for doesn't work.

6...I don't think the wake up call has hit yet. Alarms may be going off, but I see a lot of snooze buttons being hit.

7.....and yes, the tour schedule is more far flung than ever...and add in month long spring trainings, yes costs go up.

[Jeff Ream]

And if he can't....that means it didn't happen?

I remember electronics being hailed as the fix too. Needed to take it to the "next level." Needed by the creative teams so they could "continue to evolve." And all that

and others pointed it out too

[Jeff Ream]

No, it's not even implied that "electronics means bigger crowds". He was talking in far more general terms about what it would take,

in his view, to move DCI along...in order to make it attractive to potential members and audience. He NEVER said that "electronics means bigger crowds".

[Jeff Ream]

THIS is what I replied to...Jeff's post where he said:

I asked Jeff to post a link...skywhooper posted the proposal George made...which did not back up Jeff's statement. George's proposal rationale was a broad discussion of his view on the direction DCI should take, and electronics are but one component. Never did he say that electronics were a 'fix' to anything, nor were they a 'boon' to attendance.

there were articles on dci.org where some of them said it would drag in the band kids....even here George says it:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.ma...DCI+passes+amps

[Jeff Ream]

Not really. Seems as if he just wants to take it further along that same line....that it needs even more radical change. Doesn't mean he was wrong then. In fact, what George said then is similar to what Greg Orwell is saying now.

do you get cause and effect?

he pushed for this stuff to go thru.....and now they say crowds are down and it's getting tougher to stay in the black.