Hrothgar15 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hmmmm ….. Let us analyze the name of the activity to see if the title is currently accurate before we jump on woodwinds shall we: Drum & Bugle Corps Corps: A group of persons associated together or acting under common direction. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corps> Bugle: A valveless brass instrument that resembles a trumpet and is used for military calls. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bugle> Drum: A percussion instrument consisting of a hollow shell or cylinder with a drum head stretched over one or both ends that is beaten with the hands or with some implement. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drum> Back in the early to mid part of the 20th century the activity began to use brass with rotors/valves (a brass instrument but by definition “not” a bugle), bells (a percussion instrument but by definition “not” a drum), and Color Guard (not even in the title). So, before we get all huffy about woodwinds changing the activity, please understand that before most of us were even born the proper title of the activity should have been changed to: Percussion, Color Guard, & Brass Corps. I think the whole definition game is stupid anyway. Some definitions of "bugle" incorporate valved brass instruments as well. That said, names do matter and help convey meaning and distinction, so if an organization is named in a particular fashion, they better have an argument to back up why they call themselves what they do. Another example: the switch from calling them "sopranos" to "trumpets" in the early 2000s. Technically a G soprano is a trumpet, but a different name was used for an expressed, distinctive purpose; deciding to call them "trumpets" when a more traditional name would have sufficed speaks volumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Quality Matters Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 NO! There will be one less fan of the activity then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I think the better question is... ...what happens after that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 > names do matter and help convey meaning and distinction, so if an organization is named in a particular fashion, they better have an argument to back up why they call themselves what they do. NASCAR is an acronym for National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. Those vehicles have not had any "stock" parts on them since the 1970's. However, they kept the acronym to honor where they came from and for cohesive identification. Much like the title Drum & Bugle Corps has stayed intact throughout the history of DCI even though there are no more bugles. > The switch from calling them "sopranos" to "trumpets" in the early 2000s. Technically a G soprano is a trumpet, but a different name was used for an expressed, distinctive purpose; deciding to call them "trumpets" when a more traditional name would have sufficed speaks volumes. The switch to Bb, and the subsequent terminology change, was simply a marketing issue. For example, Crown can now receive their horns from Yamaha, play the horns for one season, then sell them to a college or high school as a fund raising tool (this also helps the Yamaha Corporation). There are thousands and thousands of academic institutions in which to sell the used Bb horns, but very few groups who would want to purchase used G horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Right, I agree with you on both counts there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Here is the weird part to me: Hopkins claims that he wants to figure out a way to "lower" costs. Yet he proposes to add instruments which are very delicate, very fragile, need consent attention from a repair tech, need frequent pad changes/adjustments, and will go through hundreds of expensive reeds each week. Has he even thought about how much all of that will cost a corps each season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tito John Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) I'm just rambling here, so apologies for being so off topic. Ramble 1: The family was in New Orleans last year. Went to a jazz club with a well-known saxophonist performing with his group. The club seated maybe 150 people. (Sidebar: What a ripoff Preservation Hall has become. Many better places to spend an evening.) After the first number, the star of the show asked for more amp on his sax. Said he didn't want to blow his brains out. Ramble 2: Quote from a top orchestral conductor from (I think) the 1940s: "I never look at the brass. It only encourages them." In other words, the brass would overpower everything given the chance. Ramble 3: A woodwind doesn't have to have wood...a reed. Flutes? Piccolos? Sousa? Stars and Stripes Forever? So...bugles with valves? Percussion other than drums? Drum and bugle corps? So a top saxophonist can't fill a small club with sound without amplification (or is too lazy to do so?); maybe 12 orchestral brass overpower the strings and woodwinds despite being very outnumbered; and marching music has included so-called woodwinds for a long time. I don't know enough about music to reach any conclusions, but I wonder what a show with piccolos dancing over the top would sound like. On the other hand, how do you get enough clarinets and saxes in a corps to be heard over the brass? Edited January 12, 2011 by Tito John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvs me sum mello! Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I hope it happens tomorrow and I hope they call it Drum Corps if for no other reason just to P*** off all you dinos. But it's not going to happen. A woodwind instrument in the pit? Sure. A flute line? lol no. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 If the unthinkable happens and woodwinds are allowed unfettered, will it still be referred to as drum corps or will it just join the ranks of marching band. If you would argue it is still drum corps, what then is the ultimate defining difference between the two if not woodwinds? Will the world end on December 12, 2012? NO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) If the unthinkable happens and woodwinds are allowed unfettered, will it still be referred to as drum corps or will it just join the ranks of marching band. If you would argue it is still drum corps, what then is the ultimate defining difference between the two if not woodwinds? It will be called whatever the "powers that be" want to call it. I'm more concerned how it will affect DCA, Minis, Alumni corps as I predict it will totally change the type of audience for DCI. More people there to watch their little Johnny and Suzi like MB shows and not giving a crap about the activity after Johnny & Suzie age out. Edited January 12, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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