Save Drum Corps Part II (a): The Solution

[charlie1223]

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 ?

That's like asking a Swimmer: "Would you rather just compete with the mediocre athletes in your county? you can go to the pool across the street and still have free time to play video games. Why would you want to fly half way across the world to compete with a just few of the BEST swimmers in the WORLD at some little shenanigan event called "The Olympics?! You'll still have fun with the local wantabees!"

People don't have the aspirations to be mediocre. For things to be considered the best there needs to be FEWER of them. Why are diamonds so expensive? because they are harder to get/low supply. What's fancier the millions of McDonald's stores the the handful of Chef Ramsey Restaurants. It's all about how competition pushes people to be better than they they thought they could.

In general, your whole angle on this issue is severely skewed, its hard to even understand where most of this is even coming from.

[Lance]

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

On Facebook

no

[Michael Boo]

lol Are waffles better with syrup or powdered sugar and a dash of cinnamon? Which is most cost effective? Has there been a survey of syrup versus sugar? Inquiring minds need to know!

Nutrition of pure maple syrup vs. honey

[lindap]

Nutrition of pure maple syrup vs. honey

Thanks honey ;)

[Michael Boo]

Thanks honey ;)

Any time, sugar.

[Barifonium]

he doesnt speak for anyone..young or older..

not necessarily.

[John H]

[danielray]

Thats because there is no way for that participant to compare their time in Drum Corps then with a comparison with being a participant now unless they had access to a Time Machine. And any poster that thinks that a comparison can be made favorably or disfavorably regarding the experience would have likewse needed to have taken a ride in a Time Machine.

MLB players in earlier eras took long all night train rides to games between cities. Slept in unairconditioned Hotel rooms in some cases. Then went out and played day game doubleheaders the next day. Surely that experience isn't the same as modern MLB players having jet flights, masseuses, valets, etc and people to wait on their every whim and need. That said, noboby would say that the baseball experience of ( say )Babe Ruth was any less of a wonderful experience for him than the experience of ( say ) Alex Rodriquez is for him now. It just silly to try and make a comparison re. one's " experience enjoyment level " one way or the other between different eras.

A simple checklist could allow you to make a rational enough assessment:

- Equipment is new either every year or every 2-3 years, compared to kids playing on mismatched taped-up horns that have been around since they were in diapers

- Bologna is not considered a meal

- Busses actually start without being pushed, generally remain functional until destination

Even back in my era there were corps that had kids piling out of the bus to give it a push, corps playing on ancient McGyvered equipment and corps struggling to keep kids fed. This does not happen anymore, thanks to leadership making very smart decisions (ex: moving to Bb horns... probably the single smartest decision ever... one that should've actually happened in the 70's).

Back to the original premise of the thread... saving drum corps. If you think drum corps is dying, ask a drum manufacturer.

Edited January 27, 2012 by danielray

[BRASSO]

- Bologna is not considered a meal

Oh Contraire. Baloney is a meal if you having nothing else to eat, and you are hungry. And its a meal if Filet Mignon is not available, but this is all beside the point. People can state that Drum Corps has changed. They can comment on whether or not those changes in their view are for the better or for the worse in their opinion, or something less impactful. But they tend to jump the shark when they state that a marchers level of enjoyment is any less or more for that marcher compared to a) someone's experience from an earlier era or B) compares the same experience with someone marching right alongside that marcher. It can't be compared. My experience marching Drum Corps was exhilerating for me personally. It doesn't msatter what era I marched in. My experience was probably better than others I marched with, but I don't really know that.Nobody does. Likewise, the creature comforts of today thst marchers have at their disposal does not in of itself make their experience in doing Drum Corps better for them than mine. Nor does the lack of same in my era make my experience in doing Corps less enjoyable for me than the experience current marchers receive. Thats just nonsense. One's personal experience can not be adequately compared with anothers evaluation of the Drum Corps experience for them. Not across different eras. We can't even adequately compare marchers experiences between and amomg marchers of today either. I don't compare my level of exhilaration in marching Drum Corps with anyone else's. I'm in no position to do that. No one else can compare their experience... good or bad.... with mine either. Frankly, its an impossible exercise, because its so personal. No matter when we marched, or who we marched with, or marched beside.

Edited January 27, 2012 by BRASSO

[BRASSO]

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

On Facebook

Yes, I do agree with you that Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" could have been a bit longer in breadth and depth and he could have expanded on the character's and events described a bit more. It was way too short of a novel.

Edited January 27, 2012 by BRASSO