If VFW had allowed change....

[FrankBeMe]

My guess, the crowd size would be about the same as it is today, with the crowd and the corps membership different than what we generally have today. The Corps would look and sound different as well. The Drum Corps activity was a niche activity with a relatively small base of participants and devotees back in pre DCI Days. My guess, it would have remained the small niche activity as it is today. The Europeon model of the Military Tatoo might have found favor here in America. It would no doubt has become Americanized, and perhaps more " hip " in style and in music, visual, etc but with the military and patriotism core influences retained, imo. The crowds for the Military Tatoo in Europe tend to mirror in size the DCI Drum Corps we have here in the States. So I think the crowd size woould be about the same, or perhaps just a tad larger. But it's all speculation really.

I do think it is a good question to ponder about. I have thought about how things might have been different as well from time to time.

Military tattoos in Europe are huge. I've played in a few. There are some in the states, I'm not sure just how well attended they are but they bring in groups from around the world just as they do in Europe. I'm not sure if they would be as big here if there were more...I think the popularity of the ones here is because they're rare. I love those things!

[MikeD]

Did you ever see the libretto from the 1971 Cavie's show that they passed out in the stands?

Did the Cavies pass one out too? I know we (Garfield) did...our Revolutionary War show.

[Tom Brace]

And a more modern twist on the question, what if DCI never ket any key pass in 1999? Would we still have amps and electronics? My guess is no, since switching to band instruments opened the floodgate to switching other elements to band.

you should probably start your own thread on this, but there are already so many out there.

The specifics of this thread are affiliation...not instrumentation.

Affiliation. VFW and AL involvement in drum corps.

My premise is this. Many VFW and AL halls have closed across the country. The VFW did no favor to themselves when they dissed the returning Viet Nam war veterans. Now, years later, and recognizing this lack of judgment, they are flailing hopelessly trying to reengage this important group. Too little...too late. So, without new veterans, veteran posts are failing. As someone said earlier, it was the Posts who made drum corps a priority, not the National Org. So, I would expect drum corps would have failed before the early 1990s had DCI not been formed. The churches and Scouts were out of this expensive business and the AL and VFW would have also dumped it by the wayside well before the turn of the century I suspect.

So, for those wishing for the good old days, they are here...right now...with DCI and amps and Bb horns and grounded pits and singing. Oh, and guitars.

[Hup234]

The golden age of drum corps.

Voi-la!. Mr. Boo's rapier wit to the forefront with a quick thrust and parry into the old favorite "let's mock drum corps history!" In doing so, though, Mr. Boo inadvertently proves something very telling and profound.

This activity is the only one I'm aware of that gleefully belittles and diminishes its history and the tens of thousands of players, instructors and directors who have gone before.

It's evident on many discussion threads here. Moreover when it appears, few if any are offended.

And all of that is what's really telling about the current nature of this activity --what it has become, and what's to become (and soon, if one counts the numbers) of what remains of what once was a proud competitive American activity, where the intrinsic value and contribution of every current and past member and corps, no matter how humble, was appreciated, celebrated, remembered and honored.

======================================

It isn't supposed to be 'all about the kids', it's supposed to be about all the kids.

[Tom Brace]

Voi-la!. Mr. Boo's rapier wit to the forefront with a quick thrust and parry into the old favorite "let's mock drum corps history!" In doing so, though, Mr. Boo inadvertently proves something very telling and profound.

This activity is the only one I'm aware of that gleefully belittles and diminishes its history and the tens of thousands of players, instructors and directors who have gone before.

It's evident on many discussion threads here. Moreover when it appears, few if any are offended.

And all of that is what's really telling about the current nature of this activity --what it has become, and what's to become (and soon, if one counts the numbers) of what remains of what once was a proud competitive American activity, where the intrinsic value and contribution of every current and past member and corps, no matter how humble, was appreciated, celebrated, remembered and honored.

======================================

It isn't supposed to be 'all about the kids', it's supposed to be about all the kids.

To this I say HOOEY. Your basis of statement is marred with misinformation. You are looking for an argument and appear with merely a strawman. Words are cheap and to those who are currently working to preserve drum corps vast history, I say, "BULLY!!!" It is time for a drum corps museum and Hall of Fame so the entire world can bare witness to the great past of this activity. Let's go back to the civil war era and follow this entity through the glory days of the 50s and 60s through the DCI and DCA era and also explore drum corps abroad.

It's time DCP quit sniping at each other about who is belittling the past and step up and do something about it. Hey, Bob Jacobs...where can I contribute?

[Jeff Ream]

To this I say HOOEY. Your basis of statement is marred with misinformation. You are looking for an argument and appear with merely a strawman. Words are cheap and to those who are currently working to preserve drum corps vast history, I say, "BULLY!!!" It is time for a drum corps museum and Hall of Fame so the entire world can bare witness to the great past of this activity. Let's go back to the civil war era and follow this entity through the glory days of the 50s and 60s through the DCI and DCA era and also explore drum corps abroad.

It's time DCP quit sniping at each other about who is belittling the past and step up and do something about it. Hey, Bob Jacobs...where can I contribute?

Hell just froze, but I'm with Tom for the most part. Yeah there's some out there on both sides who blast all things other eras, but by and large, they are the minority.

just some of them are very vocal

[Michael Boo]

Voi-la!. Mr. Boo's rapier wit to the forefront with a quick thrust and parry into the old favorite "let's mock drum corps history!" In doing so, though, Mr. Boo inadvertently proves something very telling and profound.

This activity is the only one I'm aware of that gleefully belittles and diminishes its history and the tens of thousands of players, instructors and directors who have gone before.

...

I think you missed my point. To the folks in the photo, that would have been the golden age of drum corps had they been able to see it decades later. I believe that to many, the golden age of drum corps was when they marched. The impact of drum corps on all of us who marched is so strong that it defines our perspectives.

[Hrothgar15]

I think you missed my point. To the folks in the photo, that would have been the golden age of drum corps had they been able to see it decades later. I believe that to many, the golden age of drum corps was when they marched. The impact of drum corps on all of us who marched is so strong that it defines our perspectives.

And what about those who haven't marched? How do they pick their "golden age" of drum corps?

Edited December 29, 2010 by Hrothgar15

[JimF-LowBari]

My premise is this. Many VFW and AL halls have closed across the country. The VFW did no favor to themselves when they dissed the returning Viet Nam war veterans. Now, years later, and recognizing this lack of judgment, they are flailing hopelessly trying to reengage this important group. Too little...too late. So, without new veterans, veteran posts are failing.

Can't argue with this as I started at a local community college (yeah think NBCs "Community") as lot of VN vets were taking classes on the GI bill in the mornings. And with Viet Namese refuges hitting early afternoon claseses things got real tense. My dad is a Korea vet and his feeling is the country ignored them too as they didn't "win" their "war" either.

But even if AL/VFW had been more inclusive of the Korea/VN vets the numbers were catching up to them anyway. Used to have the numbers but IIRC WWI and WWII had vets numbering in the millions or close to a million. Korea and VN vet numbers never got that high so numbers would have gone down as WWI/WWII vets passed away but not as badly.

And to Mike Boo, "If it ain't got fifes, it ain't real Drum Corps" <$1 to whoever repeated this somewhere on DCP">

[garfield]

And what about those who haven't marched? How do they pick their "golden age" of drum corps?

Well, I can't speak for everyone here, but the golden age was what I first experienced. It was that spark of excitement that got me hooked. It was the early '70's and the US Open.

Although I must admit that today I reflect most excitedly on the Cadets' three-peat from '82 on. It was that era - and that corps - that had me most in awe, even though I'd been "in" drum corps as early as 1973.

For a rare few, I think there is no "First Time". Every year is new, and the first time for them. I don't understand it, and can't relate well, but they seem as excited with each new year as they were when they first saw it.

It's a strange perception to me.