One Band, One Sound

[JGuy1288]

The only comparisons that I can draw (and remember) between the two are:

1) There is an audition process.

2) Pushups make you stronger.

[charlie1223]

Its funny that many Drum Corps people knock and look down on Drumline and show bands but how many drum corps get the national exposure that these bands do. These show bands draw thousands to each game. I'm sure you advertised a show with the top 5 corps and the top 5 show bands the show bands would draw more people.

And the funny thing is Drum Corps is one high step away from becoming show bands.

Drumline has a completely different aura than drum corps. And drum corps people knock down the movie drumline because "drum corps noobs" ALWAYS refer to drumline when trying to understand drum corps and frankly the movie drumline gives a poor representation of what "drum corps" is. (Not saying it gives poor representation of anything else)

And frankly I don't feel national exposure has anything to do with how good/bad/talented/amazing you are. Some of the smartest/most talented people don't get national attention but that does not diminish who they are or what they do. So, while I don't mean to "look" down on show bands, I know personally that drum corps perform at a higher level and what's popular nationally means diddly squat.

Plus Drumline overall has a devastating underline subtext for technical proficiency. It understates the necessity to practice to become good (Cannon can't even read music but plays funky beats). And in the movie the school's band plays "flight of the bumble bee" and everyone hates it. While the rival band plays something funky and everyone goes crazy. It fools the audience into believing that something is difficult when it isn't (When the two rival characters Cannon and that other guy play that drum solo together and they are staring at each other, the pattern they play is so freakin' easy its a joke)

Obviously people like what they like and there is nothing wrong with that. But the movie clearly undermines technical proficiency with "entertainment value" and that for whatever reason you have to choose between the two. Luckily with drum corps you can have both.

It all goes back to this experiment that was conducted in an NYC subway station. They had this world famous violinist (that people pay hundreds of dollars a ticket to see perform live) pose as a homeless person performing his violin in the subway station. And no one was even turning their heads to hear him play or even gave him any money.

People just can't appreciate technical proficiency anymore, let alone recognize it when its staring them at the face and this movie directly reflects that. So it gets a thumbs down from me.

Again, thank god for drum corps. We can recognize technical proficiency so our entertainment pallet is much wider.

Edited December 21, 2010 by charlie1223

[MikeN]

But of course DCI corps aren't scholastic units that can afford to put on a concert for the edification and enrichment of students in the band, parents and a few curious passerby. These are touring productions that rival any rock tour or Broadway show for the travel arrangements involved. Hopkins' quip "the circus comes to town" is a fair comparison as far as the logistics involved. DCI shows are an entertainment product aimed at selling enough tickets and souveniers to turn a profit and keep the show going down the road.

So national popularity *is* important, especially in an era when discretionary income is getting harder and harder to solicit.

Mike

[charlie1223]

So national popularity *is* important, especially in an era when discretionary income is getting harder and harder to solicit.

Mike

Well, yea, duh its important when it comes THAT. but it isn't important in how "good" something is, how talented someone is, or how how much value it has. In those terms national popularity does not influence that. I mean, I wouldn't say Lady Gaga is the most talented singer in the world but she is definitely one of the most popular, see what I mean?

[Piper]

Although it has become a running joke among all drum corps fans and participants,

I actually think there might be some valuable lessons in teamwork and personal initiative in the movie Drumline that could be applied very much to the drum corps activity. What do you think?

I think that you're trying to be provocative and antagonistic.

[Kamarag]

But of course DCI corps aren't scholastic units that can afford to put on a concert for the edification and enrichment of students in the band, parents and a few curious passerby. These are touring productions that rival any rock tour or Broadway show for the travel arrangements involved. Hopkins' quip "the circus comes to town" is a fair comparison as far as the logistics involved. DCI shows are an entertainment product aimed at selling enough tickets and souveniers to turn a profit and keep the show going down the road.

So national popularity *is* important, especially in an era when discretionary income is getting harder and harder to solicit.

Mike

Maybe, but remember...these bands play for and entertain more total audience in a single fall Saturday afternoon than all of the DCI audience counts for every show all year long...combined.

[BozzlyB]

Maybe, but remember...these bands play for and entertain more total audience in a single fall Saturday afternoon than all of the DCI audience counts for every show all year long...combined.

Ya, for no other reason than to see the band and be entertained, stadiums are packed on a weekly basis. What a joke, at least be somewhat honest in your statement. 99.99 of the people there are there to watch football and could give a #### about the band, so making that comparison to the audience reached by drum corps is pointless and irrelevant.

[Lance]

But of course DCI corps aren't scholastic units that can afford to put on a concert for the edification and enrichment of students in the band, parents and a few curious passerby. These are touring productions that rival any rock tour or Broadway show for the travel arrangements involved. Hopkins' quip "the circus comes to town" is a fair comparison as far as the logistics involved. DCI shows are an entertainment product aimed at selling enough tickets and souveniers to turn a profit and keep the show going down the road.

So national popularity *is* important, especially in an era when discretionary income is getting harder and harder to solicit.

Mike

when have dci shows ever rivaled broadway shows? if that's your measure of "national popularity," then dci has always been a spectacular failure.

i think dci has been as successful as any youth activity where people willingly pay to participate could possibly be given the very same expectations of what constitutes entertainment for the average person.

in short, it's a niche activity, and always has been. and despite how much we love (or loved, for those who hate it now) dci, it's never been the same product as what broadway puts out or what "most" people care to spend their time and money on attending. advertising it as such would be deceiving (yes, even in the 70s, 80s, 90s).

if producers believed that stuff from the movie "Drumline" would attract hordes of fans to football stadiums, they would have tried marketing it after drumline made all of its millions at the box office. there's probably a reason they didn't, and i hope dci never tries to go that route.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Lance

[Kamarag]

Ya, for no other reason than to see the band and be entertained, stadiums are packed on a weekly basis. What a joke, at least be somewhat honest in your statement. 99.99 of the people there are there to watch football and could give a #### about the band, so making that comparison to the audience reached by drum corps is pointless and irrelevant.

Clearly you've never seen a showband halftime at a college football game. But that's ok. You keep on trollin'.

[wcmello09]

I always enjoyed during a rehearsal when a coach would show up and we would explain who we are and they would say things like "drumline, I loved that movie"

That and we would be asked who our coach was.

Good times