thriving11 Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 hopefully it will rain on everyone's electronics It does rain on everyone's electronics. Quite frequently. Perfect example: 2011 Allentown Regional. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Sorry, that argument is a crutch. That didn't stop the asst. director, a bassoon player, at my kid's school. She played bari a couple seasons (2008-9) with Bluecoats. It also didn't stop the many ww players that I marched with personally through the years. For those who want to switch and have the time/ability, that is fine. IMO they shouldn't have to. DCI corps should permit any instruments. Just MHO, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thriving11 Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 For those who want to switch and have the time/ability, that is fine. IMO they shouldn't have to. DCI corps should permit any instruments. Just MHO, of course. I was thinking about this, too. It's a musical event that doesn't represent all musical instruments. I don't know what to say to that, though. It's easy to say "it's not fair to exclude woodwinds", but it would be impractical to have a woodwind section try to compete against a DCI brass section in reaching the press boxes at the large stadiums drum corps perform in. Also, with high schools, there is an obligation to give every student a chance. That obligation doesn't really exist in independent drum corps that originated in regimental military brass bands. I do think woodwinds and string instruments should be allowed as mic-ed instruments in the front ensemble, though. I mean, people get worked up when someone mentions a mic-ed woodwind/string in DCI, but people don't get as worked up over singing or vocal performance (or, in Boston's case, whistling). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I was thinking about this, too. It's a musical event that doesn't represent all musical instruments. I don't know what to say to that, though. It's easy to say "it's not fair to exclude woodwinds", but it would be impractical to have a woodwind section try to compete against a DCI brass section in reaching the press boxes at the large stadiums drum corps perform in. Also, with high schools, there is an obligation to give every student a chance. That obligation doesn't really exist in independent drum corps that originated in regimental military brass bands. Oh, WW can be heard just fine when the book is written well and they are staged properly. The band I arrange for has been a WW-heavy band for decades and does just fine in competition. I don't really care about the distant past origins of corps; what is on the field today is far different from those origin. I care about the here and now. Just MHO..I know others think differently. I doubt WW will be legalized though, until such a time that the corps admins think it crucial for the continued survival of DCI....a long way away. Unlike the use of amps and electronics, there is NO support or demand for WW by the instructors. They had wanted A&E long before they were ever approved by the directors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thriving11 Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 Oh, WW can be heard just fine when the book is written well and they are staged properly. The band I arrange for has been a WW-heavy band for decades and does just fine in competition. I don't really care about the distant past origins of corps; what is on the field today is far different from those origin. I care about the here and now. Just MHO..I know others think differently. I doubt WW will be legalized though, until such a time that the corps admins think it crucial for the continued survival of DCI....a long way away. Unlike the use of amps and electronics, there is NO support or demand for WW by the instructors. They had wanted A&E long before they were ever approved by the directors. That's definitely true. Until there is a demand for woodwind players in DCI, there won't be any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 For those who want to switch and have the time/ability, that is fine. IMO they shouldn't have to. DCI corps should permit any instruments. Just MHO, of course. yet even the corps directors themselves minus 1 or 3 don't want woodwinds. not cost effective for 1, and it will drive away a lot of fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Doherty Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Dear Friends, I am in respectfully extreme disagreement on this topic. As I understand it, amplification of the pit was pursued by Hoppy because the keyboard players were having to beat the bars off their instruments to be heard, at great expense, due to damage to the instrument, and the replacement cost to the organization. A legitimate issue in IMHO. I see no justification beyond this for electronics. Part of the creative process behind DC was for the arrangers to find a way for the brass and percussion to provide superior on-field arrangements of music not created for DC. (Those Composers who have created wonderful arrangements with DC in mind like Holsinger deserve great credit). Using all purpose fill-in instrumentation diminishes the role of the brass and percussion players. If Stanley Clark played for BD, why would they need the Bass horns? If Billy Cobham played for the Cavies and recorded an electronic part, why would they need a drum Line? Are we headed for a Chick Corea quintet on the field? Great stuff, but not DC. Both Corea and Cobham played Corps. No thanks, minimize the electronics. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skajerk Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I was thinking about this, too. It's a musical event that doesn't represent all musical instruments. I don't know what to say to that, though. It's easy to say "it's not fair to exclude woodwinds", but it would be impractical to have a woodwind section try to compete against a DCI brass section in reaching the press boxes at the large stadiums drum corps perform in. Also, with high schools, there is an obligation to give every student a chance. That obligation doesn't really exist in independent drum corps that originated in regimental military brass bands. I do think woodwinds and string instruments should be allowed as mic-ed instruments in the front ensemble, though. I mean, people get worked up when someone mentions a mic-ed woodwind/string in DCI, but people don't get as worked up over singing or vocal performance (or, in Boston's case, whistling). You must be new here because people have and still do get worked up over vocals. Including me. I hate... H A T E mic'd vocals ('04 Crown, '05-7 Cadets for example). But there have been a few, very few shows, that it worked for me ('07 Crown, '07-8 Bluecoats). Signed, A singer who can't stand mic'd vocals on the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibexpercussion Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Let's get some "Key-tars" (as made famous in the 80s) and some Kraakdoos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 The topic question is this: What will become of the electronics? Simple, same as anything: some corps will use electronics effectively. Some will use them as prominent, featured voices. Other corps will use them ineffectively: as background effects, chords, doubling brass/mallet parts, etc. One thing's for sure: there will be plenty of people digging electronics, and plenty complaining about 'em on DCP. Basically - same 'ol, same 'ol Prediction: This coming season will show many corps including a synthesizer as an actual musical instrument and not a background, chordal effect. This could be, and to be honest that's what I'm hoping for. If we're going to use synthesizers, we might as well USE them. I'm hoping more arrangers/designers will utilize synths because they have great ideas for them, and not just use them in compulsory way (i.e. "we've got this thing, I guess we have to do something with it") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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