Save Drum Corps Part II (a): The Solution

[CaballarosJr.]

Preface: I would ironically like to thank a college music library for having every DCI DVD from 1974 until 2008 and all those SOPA intended youtubers for allowing me to artistically catch up and review with Drum Corps since DCI stopped on PBS

Today, millions of Americans commuted around their hometowns going past fields and buildings that their pre-collegiate/artistically sophisticated/George Hopkins era drum corps used to practice. What is considered evolution apparently means that it is better that The 2010 Blue Devils were champions (I hate even using that word with BD) of a field of 40 other corps. Yet, 35 years ago, they equally unjustly won over Phantom and maybe up to 700 other corps.

While most every policy that George Hopkins is responsible has reduced the number of Drum Corps people to virtually non-existent.. My policies would constantly expand the number of Drum Corps people with the intent to have at least one drum corps in every city.

College music majors should start drum corps at their universities as a school function, like their symphony orchestras, marching bands, choirs (vocals in Drum Corps, gag me with a spoon). Drum corps with college music majors is like Love Story’s early scene with Oliver borrowing a book from Jennifer’s school library, College music schools and their universities have many fields, many gyms, probably several auditoriums and everything else they need to operate a Drum Corps. High school era Drum Corps used to have to ask for donations of garbage bags for the road.

I found it bizarre reading profiles of drum corps music majors. That for example, a family member in North Canton could go to Harvard and their first audition mass applied online is for the Blue Devils. There used to be a Cambridge Caballaros where those who were MIT or Harvard students could just walk to rehearsals from their dorms. Not take airline trips across country. And why couldn’t the North Canton student just march with The Bluecoats and go to Ohio State University. And even better march with a OSU Drum and Bugle Corps and let the Bluecoats be mostly from Stark or Portage County high schools.

SERIOUSLY, ALL YOU COLLEGE MUSIC MAJORS WOULDN’T YOU RATHER JUST WALK ACROSS CAMPUS AFTER CLASSES, SLEEPING AFTERWARDS IN YOUR DORM’S BED WITH A SHOWER INSTEAD OF FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE SLEEPING ON SOME GYM FLOOR THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE HOT WATER ? AND DON’T YOU FEEL A BIT GUILTY TAKING FUNDS THAT COULD BE HELPING SOME HIGH SCOOLER PERFORM MUSIC IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH DROPPED MUSIC PROGRAMS DUE TO LEVY FAILURES ?

The NCAA and DCI could engage in a joint effort to have something like Big Ten, Pac 10 et al. Drum Corps Conference, succeeding where The VFW, AL and CYO failed thus resulting in DCI. Those who attend Gail Royer’s “Wilcox High School” would be in SCV, those who attend Stanford would march in the Cardinal Drum Corps. There would be separate national competitions for each NCAA and DCI corps where the top 30 or so of each would meet for a joint competition-sort of like a Drum Corps Super Bowl.

In the Illinois Championship there could be really cool arguments between who will score better the super sophisticated Northern Illinois University Corps, or the mostly entertaining should have been 1977-1980 DCI Champion Phantom Regiment (I’m sorry but I cried four years in a row).

I even have a new scoring system that will be revealed in my next posting. It would challenge ol schoolers to realize that old school park and blow drum corps really wasn’t very challenging or visually interesting (1975 Scouts, why bother to WATCH the DVD and not just LISTEN to the CD). While have the post reverse z-pull era corps realize that modern corps is way too intellectual with drills that follow the slogan, “If you can’t dazzle (the spirits of former MM judges) with brilliance, baffle them with fast paced bs.

Freeze frame most fast paced drills and you could “write them off the M and M sheets” in a single picture. Yet, I’ve formulated some great drills for some of Drum Corps best concert numbers. As much as classic drum corps nuts hate fast paced drills, in 1993, my beloved Phantom did a much more interesting drill for their 1979 Into Concert number.

The long term vision of non collegiate Drum Corps should be to have at least a few corps in every metropolitan area comprised, by rule, of 75% of members no older than 18. The other 25% would be either collegiates from universities too small for a drum corps or not even collegiates.

From the finals in the joint DCI/NCAA Drum Corps Championship to the beginning of the DCI season the DCI corps would have to perform at 12 local events. Anything from the full corps performance at a local BOA competition to a small ensemble doing Christmas carols at the local mall. Those that didn’t couldn’t compete.

Each DCI Corps could figure out how to fulfill their performance requirement logistics regarding residency rules.

In addition to the public disconnect to Drum Corps occur as more preppies invaded a youth activity in the late 1980’s. There evolved an artistic disconnect with those ol schoolers with way too intellectual, cookie cutter drills that became the staple, initiated by Star, Cavs and Garfield. It’s a tragedy that when Star and their bizarre 1993’s Barber and Bartok “thing” didn’t end the intellectual era of Drum Corps. One would have thought Jim Mason would have been perceived as Dr. Frankenstein.

The History of Drum Corps by Steve Vickers volume I page 167 et seq. offers insight better than I can explaining how in 1993 entertainment disappeared from drum corps, replaced with programs you had to understand and be educated. As entertainment disappeared so did fans and PBS viewers who simply cried for a good old fashioned Rockford File or Civil War Depiction where the south wins, the Phantom disappearing or get tears hearing the best music ever or Spirit’s simply beautiful 1980 “Let It Be Me”. not the fast paced obsessed finale from the 2003 Spirit of Jacksonville State University.

Drum corps were artistically tortured in the pre-DCI Era with VFW and AL performance rules that apparently was the reason for Drum Corps greatest night-August 23, 1966 where The I.C. Reveries sit down inspired the 27th Lancers, North Star, SCV and indirectly others. Drum Corps and their Level 1 through Level 5 drill difficulty, has created the same type of requirement situations.

There is literally no difference in drill design from the reverse z-pull to the present. It’s like drum corps are competing in a figure skating short program like mentality with “required elements”. The next paragraph appears mandatory elements to be in World Class.

A rotating block. Small 360 degree pivots inside a parabola changing into a rectangle with the “small pivoters” joining the block. Four blocks forming one then rotating into a diamond then evolving into a company front to music that is to completely “undramatic.” There are “required elements” that have been endlessly repeated since Garfield beat the beautiful SCV’s beautiful rendition of Carmen in 1990.

Golden Era corps (1979-1989) had their own identities with drills and guard work that looked like a human thought what would fit the music. I would rather watch th 1987 Sky Riders or 1984 Garfield Cadets or 1981 Bridegemen West Side Story than the Amped up, way too fast and complicated 2009 Cadets.

It’s time that Drum Corps get over the VFW and AL rules and realize that if you drop a rifle, or crack a note, be out of step(or phase), are too close or too far, or out of line it should matter. Yet realize that there’s nothing wrong with a third valve(1987),picking up a rifle(1980) and performing asymmetrical drills (27th,1979).

Which seques to my scoring system for my next posting.

Steve Bayt

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[whitedawn]

[burgerbob]

Dang! I'm not sure where all the hate for college age music majors comes from.

[SFZFAN]

Here we go again...

[Michael Boo]

Edited January 26, 2012 by Michael Boo

[corpsband]

[MotoSurfBass]

From a (now ex-) college music major...

[84BDsop]

Preface: a whole lot of crud spewing from soneone so trollish few can even stand to read what he posted the FIRST time

Thank you....that it all.

[Toby]

As a graduate from a school of music, what you ask for is highly unattainable, and here's why:

Many universities rent out facility space on weekends for events on campus. A drum corps would require the use of practice rooms, performance halls, athletic fields (good luck getting the AD to acquiesce to your request), and dorm space. Tying up these resources with a unit that isn't even an institutional requirement, much less something that isn't a cash-cow immediately, makes no sense to administrators.

The schools that have marching ensembles are highly protective of their instruments. Rarely do they loan out equipment to students, so good luck with strangers who aren't officially affiliated with the schools. These ensembles already have reputations in the area/region. Why should they start something new when they already have bands/orchestras/choirs. You'd need student interest first, with faculty backing, and even then, you would still need a sympathetic ear from the owners of the purse-strings (donors).

Asking music students to start it is even crazier. Music majors take upwards of 13 classes a semester to get 15-18 credits. That doesn't include the time spent in practice rooms preparing for lessons, ensembles, and other academic coursework needed to graduate. I was lucky enough to get through 18 credits while working 20-25 hours a week and pass with honors (barely).

[John H]

tl;dr

I mean, really.