musclebud Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I'm not going to put a damper on this discussion or be an old fart. However, several things that are a fact: 1) today's hornlines are not as loud as in the early 1980's (I marched PR then) and 2) The crowd at my age-out finals in Miami was 40,000 (about twice what it is now). I agree with those that say that the marching is more demanding than BITD. And, it's not my decision on what anyone should/should not be doing. DCI is made up of the corps directors and however they choose to go is what happens. I guess time will tell! While I am not going to disagree with any of your opinions........ That Miami 40,000 attendance figure is about to get you slaughtered and attendance figures is a whole bunch of other topics.. have mercy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977Kingsmen Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Ok i am old school and started in 73. Yes drum corps has changed. It is still drum corps plain and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbrassboy Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I am a new drum corps fan because my son is of age to participate and it is his passion. It is becoming mine too! I have become quite obsessed with it. And being a knowledgeable music person, I LOVE what is happening today. Love the classical music. Last thing I want to hear is a bunch of over done pop out there. I also like hearing original music. I also love the dance elements that have become popular. I think the whole of it is a sensory bonanza. I also have been around long enough to know that things always swing back. At some point, there will be backlash and a return to old school focus on drill... until things change again. Personally, Phantom's show makes me weep. It's stunningly beautiful. And incidentally, they are my favorite corps. I love their sound, their look, their drill, their design... all of it. And interestingly enough, PR is one of the only WC corps that has stayed true to its' roots with symetrical drill (for the most part), classical music, and adding only some dance to the guard. IMHO, they have adjusted to the ''changes' in the classiest manner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koburd Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I think drum corps is perfect as it is today. Yes I've seen the older shows and they are still awesome to this day, but what is on the field today is just as much drum corps as drum corps was in the 70's or 80's. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcikon2 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I do miss finals being in different cities. I go back to 1975 and have been to quite a few finals. I thought several places back in the 80s had quite high attendance. What is the attendance these days in Indianapolis? Is Fan Network bringing in enough money that might be offsetting the lower attendance during finals week? I will admit that I don't get as excited with shows as I once did. I seem to be more critical of marching errors and musicality (tone quality, blend, balance, etc.) these days, especially if I am not able to get the show. On the other hand, I am able to appreciate creativity, talent, show design, and staging. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbrassboy Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I do miss finals being in different cities. I go back to 1975 and have been to quite a few finals. I thought several places back in the 80s had quite high attendance. What is the attendance these days in Indianapolis? Is Fan Network bringing in enough money that might be offsetting the lower attendance during finals week? I will admit that I don't get as excited with shows as I once did. I seem to be more critical of marching errors and musicality (tone quality, blend, balance, etc.) these days, especially if I am not able to get the show. On the other hand, I am able to appreciate creativity, talent, show design, and staging. 17, 363 at finals last year.... http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=e036bb58-e95e-4e9b-8f04-28b6081f8e94 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxingfred Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Dear JC12 I understand where your coming from and respect your opinion but, identities change just like hair styles and fashion. I too long for the Devils playing awesome jazz charts but they have a new style now that works for them. I would love to see the Bluecoats with their 15 man snare line, screaming solos during a great rendition of Green Sleeves but they have evolved after 10 years. I think for the better. If you go to another drum corps show Stick around for the corps you like and buy a hot dog during the corps you don't but the effort and dedication the kids put into this activity is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamMan Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Call me a newbie, but it's hard for me to sit down and watch a video of a drum corps pre-1982. When I watch a few of those shows together, I can hardly distinguish them apart. They all look the same to me. Nowadays, every corps has something different from the other corps. If anything, I'd say there's more of an identity to corps of today, than there was of that time. Sure they aren't playing the old songs that corps are famous for (besides Cadets/Phantom/Madison), but when I see the Cavaliers, I know it's the Cavaliers, when I see the Bluecoats, I know it's the Bluecoats. I guess it's just a matter of different generations. To some up my statement: THOSE DARN KIDS WITH THEIR DARN ROCK 'N ROLL MUSIC!!! (*waves cane*) Exactly how a lot of the fans see it today. *Shows 1975 DVD* "Ok, who did you like?" "I dunno, the corps with blue uniforms and shakos and who marched symmetric drill was good, but I really liked the other two corps that wore blue uniforms and shakos and marched symmetrical drill." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclebud Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 (edited) To answer your first question.... yes. I just went and watched both Phantom and Bridgemen 1979 on the DCI Fan Network... with an open mind.... and they were actually more alike than I was expecting. I have seen the shows before, but I was surprised how "loose" Phantom was during parts of the performance... something I associated much more with the Bridgemen. Anyway.... the shows are much more alike than Crown and BD's 2012 shows in the following areas: timbral variety visual design (drill) visual choreography (dance, body movement) show pacing (opener, concert, percussion, etc... BD's 2012 show completely rejects this) show cohesion musical arranging Yes, the unis are more different, but the source music is about the same amount of "different," and marching styles actually seem more different to me in the modern corps, but that is difficult to tell. But the most important things to me in a drum corps show, I have listed above... and I find much more variety in 2012 Crown and BD. Again, I still find a great deal of variety in the 1979 shows, but I contend that the very constructs of what was acceptable as drum and bugle corps in 1979 was far narrower than what we have today. It's pretty easy to go on the fan network and say that there was little difference between the 1979 shows of Phantom Regiment and Bridgemen. But for those of us that sat in the stands during that period the differences could not have been more pronounced. With any luck 30 years from now someone with your current opinion will look back at the shows of 2012 Madison Scouts and 2012 Blue Knights or 2012 Blue Devils and 2012 Carolina Crown and wonder what the big difference was. That is of course if the activity can survive. Edited July 26, 2012 by musclebud 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbeau Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 SO SAD! You are old enough to remember the words of Bob Dylan Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don't criticize What you can't understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly agin' Please get out of the new one If you can't lend your hand For the times they are a-changin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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