School bands in Canada (are there any)?

[wolfgang]

For you Canucks on here, do schools in Canada currently offer music performing opportunities?

As I'm sure you're aware, in the U.S., high school bands have taken the place of smaller corps largely, becoming the training ground for people who comprise the ranks of DCI corps. However, north of the border, do school bands exist? If so, are they strictly concert organizations, or do they march?

I think one huge factor in the decline of Canadian Jr. Corps could be the handicap that exists with potential members (ie- the US competitive HS bands) versus the US corps. It seems like in the 70's, Canadian corps were quite competitive, and the decline started in the 80s.

I know Les Eclipse, Academie Musicale, L'Insolite, Les Etoiles, and of course Dutch Boy (1990 Finalist) had success in the 80s and early 90s in World Class (or it's equilavent), but for whatever reasons, World Class has been devoid of Canadian corps for quite a few years now. Do those of you in Canada think this is permanent, or can you think of ways in which Canadian Corps can get back to the World Class level? Just throwing this topic out there for discussion.

[susantaylor40]

Musical arts has been dying a slow, painful death up here. There is the offering of the typical musical menu.... stage band, orchestral, vocal.... but it does not start until the high school level if it is offered at all. Plus to be in these bands, having a musical background or training helps get you a seat. In other words, if your child shows any aptitiude towards any instrument, private lessons are in order, and not every family can afford the cost. High school marching bands do not exist here. Yes, bands like Burlington Teen Tour Band operates, but outside the educational spectrum. In short, drum corps offered what the public school system didn't.... a musical education, complete with marching skills and an area of competition.

Yes, drum corps thrived in the 70s and 80s up here... even little towns had a drum corps of some sort. The reason, IMO, that Dutch survived when the activity slowly diminished is primarily because of the Northstar Youth Orgainzation. NYO organized the fundraising, the BOD, etc, so that the directors of the corps could consentrate on running the corps, the winter colour guard, and the feeder unit.

Some other would know far more than I do, but I do know this.... talented kids went south of the border to march when they outgrew what was being offered up here.

Add: When I marched, music teachers hated drum corps with a passion. If you marched drum corps. it was a death sentance to any chance of playing in any band, no matter how good you were in general.

Edited November 30, 2010 by susantaylor40

[Stu]

Musical arts has been dying a slow, painful death up here. There is the offering of the typical musical menu.... stage band, orchestral, vocal.... but it does not start until the high school level if it is offered at all. Plus to be in these bands, having a musical background or training helps get you a seat. In other words, if your child shows any aptitiude towards any instrument, private lessons are in order, and not every family can afford the cost. High school marching bands do not exist here. Yes, bands like Burlington Teen Tour Band operates, but outside the educational spectrum. In short, drum corps offered what the public school system didn't.... a musical education, complete with marching skills and an area of competition.

Yes, drum corps thrived in the 70s and 80s up here... even little towns had a drum corps of some sort. The reason, IMO, that Dutch survived when the activity slowly diminished is primarily because of the Northstar Youth Orgainzation. NYO organized the fundraising, the BOD, etc, so that the directors of the corps could consentrate on running the corps, the winter colour guard, and the feeder unit.

Some other would know far more than I do, but I do know this.... talented kids went south of the border to march when they outgrew what was being offered up here.

Add: When I marched, music teachers hated drum corps with a passion. If you marched drum corps. it was a death sentance to any chance of playing in any band, no matter how good you were in general.

Some down here in the lower 48 feel that the increase of high school marching band was the demise of many drum corps'. Since Canada apparently does not have a thriving High School Music program, what was the downfall of the Canadian corps' in which you speak?

[susantaylor40]

Some down here in the lower 48 feel that the increase of high school marching band was the demise of many drum corps'. Since Canada apparently does not have a thriving High School Music program, what was the downfall of the Canadian corps' in which you speak?

Money. Travel costs increased while membership dwindled. Add to that exchange rates, the limitation of bringing food purchased in Canada to be comsumed while on tour, upgrading drums, horns, guard equiptment, uniforms... all priced in American dollars while the Canadian dollar sunk lower in value in comparison.

[lindap]

Money. Travel costs increased while membership dwindled. Add to that exchange rates, the limitation of bringing food purchased in Canada to be comsumed while on tour, upgrading drums, horns, guard equiptment, uniforms... all priced in American dollars while the Canadian dollar sunk lower in value in comparison.

I hear you. The economy was rough in the 70's. I moved west and got the same experience in the early 80's. I'm gonna fast forward. I went to the Grey Cup parade last Saturday 'cause it was a balmy -7 degrees C compared to Tuesday's -37 with wind chill. There were 8 marching units, 1 Cadet band, 3 community based marching bands, 2 high school affiliated marching bands, a combined junior and all age winter guard (whom were an all girl marching band since 1966) and a combined high school cheer team and drum line. I enjoyed the parade.

When we went to Indy 2010, Brenda mentioned that her high school got new drums in June. I said 'Wanna share with my high school.' She said 'Get your own drums'. Let the competition begin. Her high school drum line with the new equipment was cool. Our school built a state of the art fitness centre, computerized language lab, supported the swimming pool and more, it's time to plant the seed for music. The concert band, jazz band, ensembles at middle school (Jr. High) level is good here based on many concerts I've attended over the years. I've watched that garden sprout but they have few competitions and may not be sustainable, however, the band directors were/are wonderful.

The cheer teams at Jr. High, High school and post-secondary level (in our neck of the woods) are numerous, competitive, have governance, a fan base, a judging community and require very little capital costs. The logistics are somewhat different up here at the ? parallel. Perhaps drum corps in this day in age is doable in Canada, baby steps, one step at a time :-)

[wallace]

Pipe bands are huge in Canada with several World Championship winners.

[sarnia sam]

I wouldn't say there are no music programs in high schools in Ontario. They all have programs - just not marching bands.

Some of the schools have very good programs, but most I have seen are competent, but not what I would call good and in my experience that has always been the case.

Still, the idea of marchinig bands is starting to make a comeback. Queen's University and the University of Western Ontario in London have marching bands. UWO had one when I went there decades ago but it was worse than pathetic. Now it's bigger and they have someone working with the drumline that knows his stuff (Lee Buckley currently with Scout House).

Two schools up north where I live, Collingwood and Bracebridge, have had marching bands for many years, but I'd say their drum lines were afterthoughts.

St. Michael's College (where the Michael Power Knights used to be based) has had a drum line for about 7 years. They had 16 snares and half a dozen tenors and several basses for the Santa Claus Parade in Toronto a couple weekends ago. De La Salle College (if I have to say what corps came out of there you need to brush up on your drum corps history) just bought a full set of drums to start a drum line. Another school south west of Torotno has started a drum line and there's a school up in my area that is trying to start one. I think that is all a result of the movie and kids wondering why they don't have marching bands at their schools.

All that said, school marchiing bands were rare even in the 60s and 70s because we just didn't have a tradtion for it like there is south of the border except in Toronto during the 60s and 50s when several schools had bands - but those were more an outgrowth of in-school army cadet groups (that's where the Jolly Jesters, Toronto Optimists and a few other corps of the 60s and 70s came from).

Regards,

John

[Dmlkmen]

There was a very good band from Calgary that toured at some DCI events in California last year. I saw them at the Walnut show. They did a Les Miserables show which was pretty good. Anyway, they were a healthy size of about 150 or more.

I can't remember the exact name of the High School, but I know it was named after a Bishop- so probably private/Catholic School. In talking with them around the busses/unloading area, they mentioned they were one of the few High School Bands in Canada. They were performing at The Calgary Stampede Field Show and Parade event that August, and were doing halftime shows at the Calgary Stampeders games.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Dmlkmen

[lindap]

There was a very good band from Calgary that toured at some DCI events in California last year. I saw them at the Walnut show. They did a Les Miserables show which was pretty good. Anyway, they were a healthy size of about 150 or more.

I can't remember the exact name of the High School, but I know it was named after a Bishop- so probably private/Catholic School. In talking with them around the busses/unloading area, they mentioned they were one of the few High School Bands in Canada. They were performing at The Calgary Stampede Field Show and Parade event that August, and were doing halftime shows at the Calgary Stampeders games.

Bishop Grandin and CSSB are 2 of Calgary's many bands that were at the parade I attended on Saturday

[Dmlkmen]

Bishop Grandin and CSSB are 2 of Calgary's many bands that were at the parade I attended on Saturday

Bishop Grandin....thanks, I had forgotten their name.. Won the Stampede field show this year too.

The Stampede sounds like a big event that I hope to attend at some point. From reading about it, the city is very hospitable to the marching band, brass band, and drum corps groups participating.

http://csmarchingbands.calgarystampede.com...1695〈=1

Edited November 30, 2010 by Dmlkmen