troon8 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Why do they even call it guard anymore? Because accurate or not, it still sounds better than "Pretty Flag, Plastic Sword, Fake Gun & Dance Section." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 It's not really called drum and bugle corps anymore. Just drum corps and I think that is how it should stay. They don't guard the flag anymore so why not call it auxiliary? plastic sword dance troupe lol that is funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dapperpoet Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 This isn't just a guard thing, it applies to music, too. Look at BD in, say 09 and 10. How much difficulty, really, is there in those ensemble brass books? Almost all of the difficulty in 2009 is in solo and small ensemble passages. How often is the whole ensemble performing at once? And when you attract the level of performers BD does, I certainly understand showcasing soloists, but again: balance. Proving, once again, that no matter what the subject great minds will use it as an opportunity to take a shot at BD. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 It's not really called drum and bugle corps anymore. Just drum corps and I think that is how it should stay. They don't guard the flag anymore so why not call it auxiliary? plastic sword dance troupe lol that is funny. Horns are not bugles...haven't been for decades...there are more than 'drums' in percussion, also for decades...and guards do not guard anything, also for decades...so what? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) It's not really called drum and bugle corps anymore. Just drum corps and I think that is how it should stay. They don't guard the flag anymore so why not call it auxiliary? plastic sword dance troupe lol that is funny. noone has guarded the flag in many decades..so why is it an issue now...and if its called drum corps now its very misleading isnt it? theres certainly more than drums on the field..who cares whats its called and what the current defination of a guard is....not many I'm sure...just trying to make a point my friend ..a name is just a name.......I remember back in the day my family who marched before me saying its not drum corps anymore or even a color guard, so I suppose 20 years from now ( if the activity is still around) those will re define what it all means once again.....just as we did oops..lol..didnt see Mike D said just about the same thing...lol..sorry Edited March 23, 2012 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Proving, once again, that no matter what the subject great minds will use it as an opportunity to take a shot at BD. Indeed, but he is spot on in his analogy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) I read a history of drum corps many years back that traced the origin of drum corps to the military bands of the Civil War. Now I've seen Civil war photos and paintings of Civil War buglers, but I've never seen a Civil War contrabass player or mellophone and have no idea of the key of the Civil War bugles are, so if we're being technical, we haven't had real drum and bugle corps for well over a century, and no the Yankee Rebels do not count. Even the Cadets when they hailed from Garfield and were known as Holy Name, when BAC hailed from Hyde Park and was known as Most Precious Blood Crusaders, or even Madison, Kilties, and Cavies when they really were Boy Scout troops would not have fit this definition. Now I am planning on stopping at some Civil war sites between Allentown and Indy this summer. If I find out I'm wrong, I'll post a correction. My guess is that drum corps is just a nickname of drum andbugle corps. It's also not a new name. It predates DCI and I've seen programs from shows in the 50's that call them drum corps. P.S.: I know in many posts I mention missing the corps of my youth, but I am not advocating going back to Civil War era bugles or marching styles. Edited March 24, 2012 by Tim K 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPendergrass Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Difficulty comes in many forms, not just spinning. There is some implication that body/dance is easier, in fact, we are especially critical of some hornlines for body. The problem with that, is that dance/body can be just as hard as spinning. It wasn't until I learned more about body that I realized how hard it can be. I used to be extremely critical of guards that did a lot of body movement, until I started marching a WGI unit, myself. Dance/Body isn't something that can just be rote learned, it is an acquired talent. It takes time, dedication, technique, and thousands of hours of study... much like spinning a rifle or a sabre. Not only that, but movement is hard, artistic, and more in line with the current content in DCI. When I watch Drum Corps shows now, I see how the guards more closely resemble the theme and content of the show then they EVER have. Some of the 90's drum corps shows I love and have adored since childhood, when I watch now, I see some guard stuff that absolutely terrifies me. That's not taking away from what the activity was, that's complimenting what the activity has become. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Difficulty comes in many forms, not just spinning. There is some implication that body/dance is easier, in fact, we are especially critical of some hornlines for body. The problem with that, is that dance/body can be just as hard as spinning. It wasn't until I learned more about body that I realized how hard it can be. I used to be extremely critical of guards that did a lot of body movement, until I started marching a WGI unit, myself. Dance/Body isn't something that can just be rote learned, it is an acquired talent. It takes time, dedication, technique, and thousands of hours of study... much like spinning a rifle or a sabre. Not only that, but movement is hard, artistic, and more in line with the current content in DCI. When I watch Drum Corps shows now, I see how the guards more closely resemble the theme and content of the show then they EVER have. Some of the 90's drum corps shows I love and have adored since childhood, when I watch now, I see some guard stuff that absolutely terrifies me. That's not taking away from what the activity was, that's complimenting what the activity has become. I actually don't disagree with this. Coming from the dance side, what is done on the field does not do justice to dance. That is to be expected as it takes a LONG time to develop skills to do it well. The whole point of drum corps is to "do it well". A LOT of it simply feels forced or filler IMHO to try and get the extra 1/10 point for perceived difficulty or what "is expected" today by the judges. Scatter dance etc is free form and pretty un-judgeable. But, to be fair the dance Phantom did this year (uniform guard) was well done and I think they got credit where credit was due. IMHO if you are bothering to bring equipment (and spend good money on it) on the field I say lets see it used with demand and precision as part of the whole visual ensemble (drums horns guard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I actually don't disagree with this. Coming from the dance side, what is done on the field does not do justice to dance. That is to be expected as it takes a LONG time to develop skills to do it well. The whole point of drum corps is to "do it well". A LOT of it simply feels forced or filler IMHO to try and get the extra 1/10 point for perceived difficulty or what "is expected" today by the judges. Scatter dance etc is free form and pretty un-judgeable. But, to be fair the dance Phantom did this year (uniform guard) was well done and I think they got credit where credit was due. IMHO if you are bothering to bring equipment (and spend good money on it) on the field I say lets see it used with demand and precision as part of the whole visual ensemble (drums horns guard). I agree about dance ..Ive alwas felt it really isnt dance but more about movement..I think PR was beautiful to watch mainly because it was very simple and clear and fitting to the theme...in fact it really reminded me of SCV the PH. OF The Opera years...very simular in many ways. I do thik there is a tremoundous amount of demand, percision and a huge addition to theme and visual ensemble in so many ways. If people would just look its so much more apart of the themes of today and addition to the corps. So much more from the days of spin spin spin..toss toss toss of some of the past years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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