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Really Old Drum Corps


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If you also look up Boy Scouts there is 1/2 the amount of members than there was in the 70s.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if drum corps had half the members, corps, circuits, etc. that it had in the Seventies?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello All,

Brand new member chiming in here...

Just read most of the stuff on this thread, and see I am not alone in many of my thoughts of old corps vs. new,

While much of the discussion revolves around units from the 50's and 60's, compared to modern day, I am curious as to your thoughts of the integral transition period of the seventies. It was then that I was fortunate enough to march with Michigan's only national champion corps, and rub elbows with many of the "old timers". I learned much, highly respected the history, and gleaned a whole bunch of inspiration and comradery from those experiences.

It was obviously the time of the birth of DCI, the end of the "tick" era, as well as other changes. What say you as to this time frame, and it's impact on the activity?

Thanks,

John Sonefeld

Saginaw, MI

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I just now saw this thread and I found it ironic how I was just thinking this morning how much I miss corps trooping the stands and full retreats. DCI tossed them both aside years ago.

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Hello All,

Brand new member chiming in here...

Just read most of the stuff on this thread, and see I am not alone in many of my thoughts of old corps vs. new,

While much of the discussion revolves around units from the 50's and 60's, compared to modern day, I am curious as to your thoughts of the integral transition period of the seventies. It was then that I was fortunate enough to march with Michigan's only national champion corps, and rub elbows with many of the "old timers". I learned much, highly respected the history, and gleaned a whole bunch of inspiration and comradery from those experiences.

It was obviously the time of the birth of DCI, the end of the "tick" era, as well as other changes. What say you as to this time frame, and it's impact on the activity?

Thanks,

John Sonefeld

Saginaw, MI

I, too, marched '75 to '77, so I am biased. That much I admit. I don't much care for the electronics and the drum sets. Pits I tolerate. Never could see how those guys actually marched with tymps.

I liked the mix of GE and execution we had for the judging system. That said, though, the musicianship at the upper levels does not appear to have suffered at all. If anything it is better by far, IMO. So I was wrong on that count.

I do remember the inspections and thinking that they were crazy, but I do/did see the connection to history. But, I think that getting away from VFW and American Legion posts also made the comunity support a little harder to come by. Of course there appears to be fewer and fewer VFW/American Legion posts around, so maybe that decline in support was inevitable. Who knows?

Like I said, I am biased. I consider my years with the Guardsmen to be among my best, and the memories are still cherished, 35 years later.

Edited by Wort
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Hello Friends,

Having been around DC since the early fifties I have gotten the opportunity to hear a lot of Corps. There was a lot of fine music played in the seventies. BD, Madison, Bridgemen, Muchachos, Guardsman, 2-7 and others. One of my favorite years was 1978. SCV and PR were superb and the rest of the field wasn't far behind. The DVDs are available. Give it a try.

Kevin

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I still have "really old drum corps" records. The old 33 1/3 kind. Even they were better back then as you could hear them announce the corps at both the beginning and end of the show. You could sometimes hear fans yell as well. Such as "Go get 'em Ralph". Yes, I know the quality of recordings is much better now.

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I just now saw this thread and I found it ironic how I was just thinking this morning how much I miss corps trooping the stands and full retreats. DCI tossed them both aside years ago.

DCA still ends almost every competition with this. I'm glad they will not change that format.

Edited by irishbugle
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Has anyone ever thought "what happened to drum corps in New Jersey?" New Jersey was the center of junior drum corps in the 50's.

I know I'm just isolating one statement from your post but I wanted to respond to this directly. As a New Jerseyian, Jersyite...? I am very proud that, through the entire drum corps activity, New Jersey seems to be the most dominant state today. I can't think of another state that produces more drum corps.

I still consider The Cadets, (Holyname Cadets, Bergenfield Cadets, Cadets of Bergen County... etc) to be from New Jersey. Even though they are now headquartered out of Allentown.. they still spend a lot of time in the Garden State and have the most pull.

Here is a list of all the corps across the entire activity that are still headquartered in New Jersey.

- The Raiders (Regular DCI Open Class Finalists, 2005 Champion)

- Jersey Surf (Well know DCI World Class Corps)

- Hawthorne Caballeros (Consistent Top 5 DCA finalists and one of the oldest Drum Corps around)

- Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni (a separate corps with it's own separate membership but same affiliation)

- The Bushwackers (6 time DCA champion)

- Fusion Core (DCA Class A regular finalists and Champion)

- Windsor Regiment

- Bayonne Bridgemen Alumni

- Hawthorne Muchachos Foundation (just reformed)

8 Drum Corps, each with solid membership. Then add the Muchachos reformation back into it.

I think overall, the drum corps your referring to has simply migrated to DCA.

Edited by irishbugle
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  • 1 month later...

I joined drum corps because the girl I was dating forced me to. I had never really played any musical instrument. I learned to play the scale in a basement of the local legion hall. Well me and the girl broke up, but I decided that this drum corps thing just might be a lot of fun so I stayed on as a member of the Duquesne Dukes drum and bugle corps. most of us lived in Duquesne and hung around together until it was time to go to practice. Then we would all trek down to the legion and rehearse. After we would go to the local hangout until it was time to go home. There was a comeradrie that the kids marching today couldnt even comprehend. Im sure todays members have close friends in the corps they march with, but WE were neighbors so to speak and lived within a few blocks of each other for the most part. Now you have kids living in the east who travel to California to march. Well to this day Im still playing my bugle and it was the drum corps experience that ghelped to shape my life into something positive. I have friends ive known for over 50 years who I still march and play with. Thank you Drum corps for all youve done for me.

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