njthundrrd Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 (edited) Avon - Richard Hinshaw (The Academy) Broken Arrow - Their Band Director, Darrin Davis LD Bell - Leon May Tarpon Springs - Their Band Director, Kevin Ford Carmel - Michael Gaines Kennesaw Mountain - Pete Weber Marion Catholic - Their Band Director, Greg Bimm Lawrence Central - Their Band Director, Matt James Stephen F Austin - Mitch Rogers I think? Cedar Park - Andy Ebert Union - Alan Mueggenborg Center Grove - Leon May Edited November 18, 2010 by njthundrrd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsOnTheField Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 FYI, the synths are all in the back. There are no synths in the pit in front of the field. Until this year, they have not had enough numbers in the pit to field a drum line of adequate size. From what I hear, they are starting their first winter drum line this year, and I believe the plan is to have some type of battery on the field next year. Not having a battery percussion has been a choice and if they have a winter percussion this coming season...it will not be their first. Just check WGI history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Definitely NOT better execution - sorry I didn't make that clear. That's one reason I enjoy DCI - it's the highest level of achievement in marching music today. Despite the clearly superior programatic choices being made given the access to things like synths, props, etc. in marching band, I can't pretend that a marching band will ever get the same primal, gut-wrenching, skin tingling feeling out of me that a hornline does. Even if it doesn't happen on the field for 10 minutes straight, I can walk over to the lot and hear just the pure, gorgeous sound of brass. Now, on the field, mix in pit, mix in sound patches, whatever. But the fundamental thing that draws me to drum corps more than marching band, aside from overall excellence, is the difference in acoustic instrumentation. In a way, the limitation creates the draw for me. My line comes at woodwinds. I'm sure a DCI corps with woodwinds would be amazing and showcase the excellence of young people in a way no other venue could allow. But then it would just be summer drumband. This is all just my personal opinion. I hope that helps clear it up. Now, I'm sure the inevitable argument is that, "Oh, if we make these programming changes, we move one step closer to being marching band." The fact of the matter is the raw material - the sound production, the electronics, the props - are ALL already being used in DCI. If you're going to use 'em, do it up right. That's all I'm sayin'. Btw, I also enjoyed the marching/playing shows I saw coming out of Grand Nationals. You know why I loved Broken Arrow? Melody. I could hum it, I knew it, and I could recognize it without even seeing a description that it was based upon the Wizard of Oz. Isn't that what we want from our DRUM CORPS? So even on the other side of the spectrum, PROGRAMMING (not performance or execution) is just so far behind IN MANY CASES (not universally, of course.) gotcha, DrillmanSop. my bad on the misunderstanding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpssaavy Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Not having a battery percussion has been a choice and if they have a winter percussion this coming season...it will not be their first. Just check WGI history. Yes, they have a history in WGI for percussion. - Concert Percussion! Not drumline. Let's just say it has been a smart choice to not put 3 snares 2 tenors and 4 basses on a field and deplete their pit talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marchingartist Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 (edited) By the way, if I wanted to see the highest levels of performance, I'd go to Grand Nationals. In fact, I'm kind of considering it. If I wanted to see the highest levels of achievement in an idiom I can't pretend I don't enjoy way more, I'd go see DCI. I'd love to have both in one venue...If this is the future of DCI, let's get there faster. I'm excited. And guess what? There's melody there, too! I know - crazy! I don't think I've ever agreed with another DCP post as much as I have with this one. Edited November 19, 2010 by marchingartist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Marching flutes and sax lines earn my scorn It’s the instrumentation, man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 No - drum corps and marching band are distinctly different activities, and always have been. Marching band is precisely what the name says....taking a "band", typically an indoor and stationary performing group, and having it "march". As most marching bands are scholastic groups, their instrumentation is based upon what the scholastic band programs use - traditionally, brass, woodwinds and percussion. As bands sometimes incorporate other devices like strings, electronics or voice, so do marching bands. As these activities evolved, most of their changes still reflect their founding and lasting philosophies. Drum corps are still independent organizations that must be mobile, yet cost-effective, and they still equip and design for performances in outdoor/field venues. Marching bands are still predominantly outgrowths of scholastic music programs, and thus still generally seek to employ the same kids and instrument types they have year-round. I generally agree with your comments, but I would like to point out that marching bands don't exclusively use the same instrumentation that they use during concert season. For example, I don't see too many marching bands using tubas, oboes, English horn, French horns. Yes, those instruments aren't excluded from marching band, but they are not present in bands. Also, marching bands use marching percussion, while concert bands don't. Marching bands use mellophones, sousaphones, or bell front tubas. Some marching bands use synths, guitars, and other strings. Concert bands do not. So instrumentation in marching band is often more diverse than concert bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 drum corps left anything remotely "military" behind well before dci came about. Not entirely. My first year marching...1971.... color presentations were still a required show element, the U.S. Flag Code was adhered to, and inspections were still conducted (at the VFW and AL shows). I would consider all of these things to be a part of drum corps' "military" roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...eTabs%3Darticle ...and BOA gets a good bit of press.... Sounds like the beginnings of marching band aren't that different than corps after all.... Too bad Boo didn't write the article to get the facts right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...eTabs%3Darticle...and BOA gets a good bit of press.... Sounds like the beginnings of marching band aren't that different than corps after all.... Too bad Boo didn't write the article to get the facts right... Thank you for the compliment. Just so you know, sometimes some say it's too bad I did write something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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