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Marching Cymbals


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Lastly, I want to mention that cymbal sections are fabulous for younger students who may not possess the skills to march in another section, but by touring for a year within the cymbal section they get a full immersion into the drum corps culture and can perhaps continue to learn the skills for the other sections of the corps.

I've been waiting on someone to say it. Corps only want to take the "best" and not waste time on those who still need to learn the ropes/will take lots of time and attention to clean. I've asked every corps I've marched/taught about the reasons they didn't field a cymbal line and I always got: "It's just extra work, we'll be cleaner without it and it's hard to find someone who will teach beginning cymbal players"

I feel this is the exact reason why G hornline no longer exist and why there are only a handful of corps in the country. Everyone wants to live the "dream" and take shortcuts to be the great drum corps everyone loves. HEAP OF POO. I wish corps would go back to their roots and worry about how they can serve their community and the youth within their community instead of worring about how they're going to going to make it into finals/win so they can obtain bragging rights (b/c that's truly what winning is).

Rant over.

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I've been waiting on someone to say it. Corps only want to take the "best" and not waste time on those who still need to learn the ropes/will take lots of time and attention to clean. I've asked every corps I've marched/taught about the reasons they didn't field a cymbal line and I always got: "It's just extra work, we'll be cleaner without it and it's hard to find someone who will teach beginning cymbal players"

I feel this is the exact reason why G hornline no longer exist and why there are only a handful of corps in the country. Everyone wants to live the "dream" and take shortcuts to be the great drum corps everyone loves. HEAP OF POO. I wish corps would go back to their roots and worry about how they can serve their community and the youth within their community instead of worring about how they're going to going to make it into finals/win so they can obtain bragging rights (b/c that's truly what winning is).

Rant over.

I want to see SCV with their great cymbal line, and I wish the Scouts would bring them back. However, this is the way I read your recent post:

[if the corps' in DCI did away with focusing so much on the element of high quality competition, did away with auditioning to get the best of the best, and the corps' went more into a community service mode of teaching kids the shear fundamentals of things like cymbal technique, then kids would just flock into these fun little community drum corps' and the competitive performance quality of the DCI groups would not suffer.]

Okey Dokey, if you say so!

P.S. If you say the focus is too much on competition my response is two fold: 1) If competition is not that important then why keep score in the first place; and 2) The audience pays to see the high intense head-to-head competition of the best marching groups in the world not to see how great the corps' did at teaching fundamental techniques.

Edited by Stu
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MelloHorn13, THANK YOU!!

:worthy::worthy::worthy::worthy:

When I joined a Drum Corps back in 1972, I didn't know how to play an instrument. I tried unsuccessfully to play a horn, and ended up in the Cymbal Line. After lots of hard work, great instructors and some talent, worked my way through the drumline. And thanks to a financial settlement from my late Uncle, I was able to get new drums for the Pacific Alliance Drumline. (Who needs a classic car anyway?)

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MelloHorn13, THANK YOU!!

:worthy::worthy::worthy::worthy:

When I joined a Drum Corps back in 1972, I didn't know how to play an instrument. I tried unsuccessfully to play a horn, and ended up in the Cymbal Line. After lots of hard work, great instructors and some talent, worked my way through the drumline. And thanks to a financial settlement from my late Uncle, I was able to get new drums for the Pacific Alliance Drumline. (Who needs a classic car anyway?)

Great for you, and I mean that. However, let me ask you four question:

1) How many middle and high schools in 1972 trained musicians to the same high standards of those in 2011?

2) Are you aware that this training system of which you speak is being approached today in the organizations of SDCA, the lower level of DCI Open Class, and planned for within DCNA?

3) Are you implying that each and every DCI World Class corps should have performers side by side ranging from "I have never played music in my life" to "I am a conservatory trained ready for professional career"?

4) How can the drum corps training system you went through in 1972 be conducive to the DCI World Class "Major League" atmosphere in 2011 where Boston Crusaders, Blue Knights, Glassmen, Crown, Bluecoats, etc... are competing at such high levels that they can only take in youth musicians who are already well-trained?

Edited by Stu
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I don't see the cymbal as a "limited" piece of gear! A little thought is all you need to make it different!

See this:

Ed: Additionally, 26s with whiplash drill? Uh, yeah right.

Edited by hornandsoccer
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Great for you, and I mean that. However, let me ask you four question:

1) How many middle and high schools in 1972 trained musicians to the same high standards of those in 2011?

2) Are you aware that this training system of which you speak is being approached today in the organizations of SDCA, the lower level of DCI Open Class, and planned for within DCNA?

3) Are you implying that each and every DCI World Class corps should have performers side by side ranging from "I have never played music in my life" to "I am a conservatory trained ready for professional career"?

4) How can the drum corps training system you went through in 1972 be conducive to the DCI World Class "Major League" atmosphere in 2011 where Boston Crusaders, Blue Knights, Glassmen, Crown, Bluecoats, etc... are competing at such high levels that they can only take in youth musicians who are already well-trained?

I don't know about you sometimes. :rock:

I feel like you beat the same dead old horse in every thread, no matter what the subject is.

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I don't know about you sometimes. :rock:

I feel like you beat the same dead old horse in every thread, no matter what the subject is.

I am an enigma to myself :tongue: Anyway, the subject here is: a) whether or not corps' should march cymbals, b) whether or not none, some, or all corps' should train those cymbal players; and c) whether or not the WC should do that training or be a major league acquiring performers who are already trained. So, are you going to answer my four previous questions or avoid them?

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I am an enigma to myself :tongue: Anyway, the subject here is: a) whether or not corps' should march cymbals, b) whether or not none, some, or all corps' should train those cymbal players; and c) whether or not the WC should do that training or be a major league acquiring performers who are already trained. So, are you going to answer my four previous questions or avoid them?

Naaah. I'll pass.

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I say march em

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