Jeff Ream Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Many have people have posted that part of the demise of drum corps’ has been their attempts to homogenize with high school marching bands. Here is a different theory: What if the demise of drum corps’ has been partly caused by the high school marching bands over the years homogenizing with corps’? As high schools began emulating drum corps’ show design and competitive prowess their activity grew (both in quality and in extra due fees to be in the high school band). Broken Arrow and L.D. Bell now charge thousands of dollars to march, and if you took out woodwinds they could compete very well in DCI with the upper part of Open Class or the lower part of World Class. Moreover, by studying the history of the entire spectrum of the marching activity, one can see that as more bands joined BOA, or became more competitively active in other local/national competitions, more corps’ folded. That has to be more than coincidence. Now, open for discussion: it started with bands emulating drum corps. then, somewhere in the 90's, as the desingers between the two at the upper levels became pretty much one and the same, the balance shifted....these designers wanted the toys they got to play with in the fall. the rise of competitive HS marching band...and those bands doing it are still a minority in the total number of HS marching bands out there....may have played a part, but you also have to factor in the loss of local groups and churches, the options kids have now vs then ( who played soccer in the 60's?).....really I only see most people complaining about band hurting drum corps on the design side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) it started with bands emulating drum corps. then, somewhere in the 90's, as the desingers between the two at the upper levels became pretty much one and the same, the balance shifted....these designers wanted the toys they got to play with in the fall. the rise of competitive HS marching band...and those bands doing it are still a minority in the total number of HS marching bands out there....may have played a part, but you also have to factor in the loss of local groups and churches, the options kids have now vs then ( who played soccer in the 60's?).....really I only see most people complaining about band hurting drum corps on the design side. Jeff: I want to make sure that I understood you correctly. Due to the homogenization process, or the intermingling of designers, instructors, and performers, you are stating that whereas DCI used to drive the bus, somewhere in the 90's BOA (or competitive marching band) began to drive the bus? Edited February 5, 2011 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Marching bands from "back in the day" made conscious decisions to do "corps style" programs, influenced by the drum corps. Those bands fundamentally changed what they were all about, and opted instead to emulate drum & bugle corps in virtually every way that they could, with the exception of changing their instrumentation. With that, there was instant competition created where "similar" marching experiences were available to participants, without having to actually join a drum corps. Plus, rather than having to leave all of your woodwind friends behind in order to march drum corps, the marching band was all-inclusive. Not sure I follow this "logic" since marching bands compete in Fall and corps in the Summer? There's very little barrier to doing both and in fact nearly all corps participants have a marching band background. Rather than continuing..... was imminent. This entire section can be summarized as follows: "I think drum corps is defined by it's instrumentation." You're ignoring the other 99% of the end-product that (even before A&E and Bb) they shared in common. Competitive marching bands *are* (for all intents and purposes) producing drum corps shows. The differences between the two activities (excepting excellence) lie entirely outside the end-product. This is not because drum corps is attempting to be like marching band -- it's because marching band has become fall drum corps. I think drum corps *is* different than marching band. But the differences have little to do with brass vs. full band -- they have to do with the whole experience the members go through. I came to drum corps because it's not high school marching band. I love being around 149 other individuals who want to work hard, who want to produce the best show that they can, and who are committed to doing that. IMHO things like this fundamentally separate the two activities. Not electronics or Bb or even a clarinet in the pit. Fundamentally it's the unique experience of the participants that make "drum corps" "drum corps". I think it's sad to see so many legacy fans choosing to sever ties with that common bond and instead focus on trivialities like A&E. The unique part of their experience did *not* revolve around instrumentation -- it revolved around shared hardship and brotherhood and too many other great qualities to list here. When they were marching around the field it was hardly the key of a brass instrument that *defined* what they experienced. It troubles me to see amazingly talented musicians pigeon-holed and denigrated into being "easy buttons" and "crutches" when in reality those kids are experiencing drum corps much as members have always experience drum corps. It's not the activity who's turning their back on the legacy fans; it's legacy fans turning their back on fellow drum corps members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skewerz Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 a lot of the upper level drum corps shows in the 2000's were performed the year earlier in high schools... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Jeff: I want to make sure that I understood you correctly. Due to the homogenization process, or the intermingling of designers, instructors, and performers, you are stating that whereas DCI used to drive the bus, somewhere in the 90's BOA (or competitive marching band) began to drive the bus? design wise yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 design wise yes. That is backwards; like High School Football Coaches designing plays for the Pro Coaches. So much for DCI being the Major League! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skewerz Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) That is backwards; like High School Football Coaches designing plays for the Pro Coaches. So much for DCI being the Major League! designers were(and still are) using high schools as their test bed. if the high school shows judged well, the drum corps show should just well also, as judges also overlap between drum corps and BOA. Edited February 5, 2011 by skewerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 designers were(and still are) using high schools as their test bed. if the high school shows judged well, the drum corps show should just well also, as judges also overlap between drum corps and BOA. not always. trust me, i've seen it blow up in people's faces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 That is backwards; like High School Football Coaches designing plays for the Pro Coaches. So much for DCI being the Major League! well, look how many recent drum corps shows have been inspired by what a designer did elsewhere? Cadets 05, many Boston offerings, Yowza..... now quick. after 1984, how many bands rolled out WSS? too many same for App Spring in the fall of 87 and 88. Les Mis after Cadets? Still seeing it. Carmen too. and many others....til about, oh 10-12 years or so ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 how many bands are in BOA though? my impression is that it is a very tiny percentage of bands in the country. But...the hundreds of corps that failed over the decades were not primarily DCI finalist level corps. The average competitive bands have replaced the average corps...only in far larger numbers...and at much higher performing levels than lots of those small corps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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