Has Drum Corps Lost Its Soul

[WOOHOO]

REGRESS?

Unless you are the member of one of the elite corps, what is your chance of winning a Championship?

Oh the otherhand, by teaching someone just a bit of your love of music and how to make those 'notes on a page' sound beautiful, can make a BIG difference in a lot of lives.

Your chance of winning that way is huge!

REGRESS?

By moving to become only an elitist organization that only wants to work with the very best musicians.........no wait.......

Did I say anything about winning a championship? I'm sure some people care about a little ring, but I certainly don't. I'm talking about the level and depth of the musical instruction, which I think is pretty good in DCI at the moment. I don't want that to suffer because they need to teach their members to read a treble or bass clef.

[Tom Brace]

What corps do/did you march with WOOHOO?

When I was drum corps age THEY TAUGHT you how to read music, how to play an instrument of your choice (then changed it if you didnt catch on) and how to march.

While doing this you became a member of a corps and showed off your skills in local shows.

NOW try to make it thru tryouts if you cant read music or play an instrument!

There's no time to teach.

Drum corps, as a few posters have reminded us, no longer teaches beginners music.

Maybe not every corps member is a 'music major' but every corps member is music literate.....and probably music educated in some form!

Drum corps might not have lost its soul, but the soul sure has changed or been relocated.......

Drum corps didn't always teach music back "in the day" either. It was rote in some cases at best. This is why drum corps became the antithesis of HS band programs who actually DID teach beginners the fundamentals of music.

This changed over time as more drum corps kids actually became music instructors and band directors. Actually, now...having drum corps on your resume is a plus when looking for a music ed job.

[Tom Brace]

sometimes, you have to take a step backwards in order to take 2 steps forward....and maybe right now drum corps in general needs that 1 step backwards

yeah, I don't believe that.

and it can't be dictated.

[Tom Brace]

To be blunt, I don't think drum corps has lost a thing: I think fans have. The common cliche' of the current generation of young adults is that kids seem to have a sense of entitlement, and that has CLEARLY found its way to many drum corps fans. Many fans have a very narrow 'definition' or expectation in a drum corps show design, and if there are elements they don't personally like the disgruntled fans are quick to shut off the positive aspects of the show, the positive aspects of drum corps in general, and immediately turn to the internet to whine. I don't care what uniform is on the field, how old the average membership age is, what repertoire is being played, what instruments are plugged in or acoustic, and what corps director is running things: there are PLENTY of great things to see no the field from every corps. I believe that many drum corps "fans" (or former fans), act like elementary school children by crying, whining and throwing virtual temper tantrums when they don't "get their way" in regards to show design. Instead of saying, "I don't like the mirror 'gimmick' or musical selection, so I'm going to instead focus on the incredible marching & music execution, color guard, and visual design," the soulless drum corps "fans" instead pout and cry, "I don't like mirrors so I'm just going to ignore the other cool things going on and instead scream and cry and whine." These crybabies go the extra mile by doing absolutely nothing to try to improve the activity other than whining to the internet (kind of like people who always complain about politics yet haven't voted in decades).

And to be honest, I was a cynical whiner for awhile too. After I aged-out I felt jaded about modern design trends, politics of the activity, etc and all I saw was the negative. After re-evaluating the activity (and stepping away from it for several years) I've easily been able to 'tune out' the stuff I don't like and instead focus on the cool stuff. It quickly became clear that the activity as a TON to offer fans who are willing to give it a legit chance. I stopped be as cynical and jaded and upset, and I've found an almost rebirth as a drum corps fan, enjoying the activity almost as much as I did when I first 'discovered' it decades ago.

And in the end it all comes down to the simple question of "why." If you don't like what's going on in the activity, why bother continuing to follow it (and if you say, "I haven't gone to a show in a long time" but still post/read here then you are still following it)? If you find more things you dislike than like, why bother wasting your time with it? I personally really don't like country music, and therefor I don't listen to it on the radio, don't listen to CD's, don't troll country music forums, etc. Life is too short to waste time debating and complaining about something you don't like (and something you have little/no chance of changing).

Drum corps is diverse, fairly healthy (at least it's far healthier now than when Dan A first took it over), and teaching young adults numerous important life lessons. Marching members now are just as proud/honored by their corps and its history than they were when I marched. I think it's laughable to even entertain the notion of drum corps "losing its soul," and I sincerely think that if you are contemplating agreeing with that notion than perhaps you should look in the mirror and ask the same question of yourself (or at least the question, "have I lost interest in drum corps").

thank you for posting this.

[mophilda]

SO you contend that beginners learn a different pedagogy than advanced players?

This thread is starting to crack me up!!!!!!

I do not consider teaching fingerings and "it goes like this" anything similar to the path that any well-structured program would take. I teach middle school band and a lot of it is getting the right fingers down at the right time, but you're teaching fundamentals as part of a bigger picture so that they begin to have the tools to make the information turn into sound. Then you work on that sound becoming music. Then expression... You know where I am going with that.

Those kids that came to the drum corps and learned to play a horn or a drum were taught that show. They may have come away with an appreciation for music and a work ethic but a great well rounded music education wasn't it. The pedagogy that brass and percussion staffs use today IS along the same path that advanced players are using. This was not the case before. Advanced players are not writing 0-13-12-1-0-12-2-0 under their notes...

We are talking about the non-musician who is barred from participation in drum corps as if there is a group of them begging for a chance. Where does this idea come from?

I would be interested to know the stats on the number of "beginners" that were on old school lines. I am sure that everyone had some, but a whole line of them? I find that hard to believe.

[N.E. Brigand]

And in the end it all comes down to the simple question of "why." If you don't like what's going on in the activity, why bother continuing to follow it? If you find more things you dislike than like, why bother wasting your time with it? I personally really don't like country music, and therefor I don't listen to it on the radio, don't listen to CD's, don't troll country music forums, etc. Life is too short to waste time debating and complaining about something you don't like (and something you have little/no chance of changing).

If the performers in your preferred genres started playing country music, mightn't you voice your complaints?

[Stu]

To me, for drum corps to have 'soul', it needs to honor its history by getting back to teaching music to kids.

Those kids may never compete in the World Class Championships, but they will still learn a lot!

Instead of narrowing the scope of 'teaching' in drum corps, can't it be expanded?

Marching music of yesteryear:

Very Few, if any, Middle School or High School music programs had marching education.

College music focused on concert and orchestral with block slip halftime ra ra.

Drum Corps grabbed kids off the street, put instruments in their hands, and had them bang and blow learning the basics, and kept on teaching them as they progressed in age.

Marching Music of today:

Middle School now instructs youth on the basics of music.

High School now instructs marching and introduces competition.

College now refines the musicianship and provides rather good marching experiences.

Drum Corps is now the pinnacle of the marching activity auditioning well educated musicians.

So, you are saying that due to that change in our school music education system, drum corps has lost its soul; and therefore we should revert back to the way it 'was' to recapture honor in drum corps?

[FHdork]

<And to be honest, I was a cynical whiner for awhile too. After I aged-out I felt jaded about modern design trends, politics of the activity, etc and all I saw was the negative. After re-evaluating the activity (and stepping away from it for several years) I've easily been able to 'tune out' the stuff I don't like and instead focus on the cool stuff. It quickly became clear that the activity as a TON to offer fans who are willing to give it a legit chance. I stopped be as cynical and jaded and upset, and I've found an almost rebirth as a drum corps fan, enjoying the activity almost as much as I did when I first 'discovered' it decades ago.>

Thank you for voicing this - I too went through that period with drum corps, and while it was painful, it's allowed me to enjoy the activity 'through' the things that I don't like; the things the make me cringe. One of my best friends seems to be stuck in the negativity about drum corps...which is so sad...

[WOOHOO]

<And to be honest, I was a cynical whiner for awhile too. After I aged-out I felt jaded about modern design trends, politics of the activity, etc and all I saw was the negative. After re-evaluating the activity (and stepping away from it for several years) I've easily been able to 'tune out' the stuff I don't like and instead focus on the cool stuff. It quickly became clear that the activity as a TON to offer fans who are willing to give it a legit chance. I stopped be as cynical and jaded and upset, and I've found an almost rebirth as a drum corps fan, enjoying the activity almost as much as I did when I first 'discovered' it decades ago.>

Thank you for voicing this - I too went through that period with drum corps, and while it was painful, it's allowed me to enjoy the activity 'through' the things that I don't like; the things the make me cringe. One of my best friends seems to be stuck in the negativity about drum corps...which is so sad...

I get negative when I'm on here (I'm so impressionable ), but that all fades away when I'm at a show. Too much good, hard work going on to be negative about immaterial things.

[skywhopper]

I personally really don't like country music, and therefor I ... don't troll country music forums

Thank you for saying this!

As to the rest of the discussion, I think there might be something to the idea that with diminishing support for music programs in public schools, there is an opportunity for drum corps to become more involved in music education for young people. Certainly the G7 claim this as part of their mission. The sticking point is going to be funding. The money has to come from somewhere.

The hundreds of corps that are often lamented around here were supported by churches, towns, VFW, and American Legion. The key to getting those groups back is finding the money to support them. But it can't all come from one place. DCI, or the G7, they can't build it. It takes hundreds of organizations around the country all wanting to do so. Doesn't have to happen all at once, but it has to start somewhere.