barigirl78 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) I think people here might find this amusing. I purchased a drum corps history book in Indianapolis. It's called "Drum Corps International, The First Decade, 1972-1981". In the early part of the book, they have a sub-chapter called "The Theme Show". Here's an excerpt: In many ways, 1971 was the precursor to modern-day drum corps, as entrtainment and interpretative art began to intersect. Seeemingly every corps in the activity had drawn upon artistry and creativity and featured dancing, costume changes, and props.To instructors, this movement became known as the "theme show concept." To corps purists, it became known as "the beginning of the end". Examples were: Racine Scouts: wedding on field. St. Joseph's of Batavia: Woodstock Pittsburgh Rockets: show about the Third Reich Troopers: marchers riding contrabasses and performing war dances and battles Blue Rock: hobby horse race and elephant head prop Chicago Cavaliers: incorporated gymnastics and tumbling Kingsmen: used Mickey Mouse in a song and dance Included in the book is a letter to the editor of Drum Corps Digest complaining about the changes. It's too much to transcribe in its entirety, but I'll do one or two paragraphs: There are people out of uniform, equipment on the ground, whistles blowing, boys dancing, girls dancing, a little girl running down the sidelines bowing to the people, I mean a little girl about 8 years old, a whole corps running from one formation to another, acrobats, jugglers, clowns, horses, balloons, rockets, tumblers. All we're missing is the ######## that wrote this garbage.You have got to think drum corps, not band. An earlier part of the letter talked about how at the show the guy attended, there were boos and spectator disgust thrown in the direction of the Cavaliers and how it was a "travesty of justice" that they still won the show. 1971. The year before DCI started. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Edited to add, it was the site that edited the word in the quoted letter, not me. The word was a synonym for donkey. Edited August 28, 2012 by barigirl78 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) Some other "purists" believe Drum Corps "died" when some Drum Corps replaced the woodwind ( fife ) with the brass bugle. So its all relative, really. For these folks ( more in numbers than we might think ) a " REAL " Drum Corps is a Fife and Drum Corps, not a Drum and Bugle Corps. There are more Fife and Drum Corps in existence today that Drum and Bugle Corps, so they might be right, who knows. Some say just be patient with our form of Drum Corps, as it ( a woodwind ) might just eventually return to our form of Drum Corps we all love and cherish here too...at which point, should it occur, we will have come full circle with them in that respect anyway. Edited August 28, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Some other "purists" believe Drum Corps "died" when some Drum Corps replaced the woodwind ( fife ) with the brass bugle. So its all relative, really. For these folks ( more in numbers than we might think ) a " REAL " Drum Corps is a Fife and Drum Corps, not a Drum and Bugle Corps. There are more Fife and Drum Corps in existence today that Drum and Bugle Corps, so they might be right, who knows. Some say just be patient with our form of Drum Corps, as it ( a woodwind ) might just eventually return to our form of Drum Corps we all love and cherish here too...at which point, should it occur, we will have come full circle with them in that respect anyway. If that's the case, I had a full summer of drum corps from A-Z this year. My vacation started with East Coast Classic. The next day I went to Allentown, then East Rutherford. Made a side trip to DC and then headed to Williamsburg and saw the fifes and drums at Colonial Williamsburg. From there I headed to Indy. So I saw everything from the activity's colonial ancestors to Dada. Things have changed. I do seem to recall hearing a few years back that a drummer from Colonial Williamsburg was marching with a World Class Corps. I don't remember which corps. I suppose marching straight ahead in spite of tourists blocking you and trying to get your photo, cannons and muskets being fired while you perform, and maintaining straight lines in spite of the gifts left behind by horses is great preparation for DCI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) I'm done with this discussion. Another way of saying "whatever". You lose this debate! Edited August 29, 2012 by Ghost 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 So, first of all, let me just say that the Fan Network rocks. Being able to pull up anything on demand and check it out or see live shows... well worth the subscription. Anyway, just interesting to see a lot of dinos on here complaining about things these days, when much of what they complain about today is stuff that has been around for ages. It was really the 80's and early 90's that were the most radical in terms of change in drum corps. Those complaining about props and costume changes seem to have a very selective memory and might want to check out SCV 87. Those complaining about out there color guard uniforms and chop/bop music need to remember Suncoast Sound 88. Those complaining about dancers out there need to check out Cadets 87. Those complaining about no shako's or jackets need to watch Blue Devils 92. Those complaining about singing need to go back and watch Cadets 84. Those complaining about about mashing up tunes seem to have forgotten Cadets 89. Point is ... I remember those already extinct complaining about all those things above in my day, how those things killed drum corps. This is no different than the current generation of old timers complaining about the current state of the activity. Drum corps has always changed, will always change... a younger generation will dig the #### out of it... while an older generation will nonsensically complain about it. This is the cycle. There is no crisis here. The sky is not falling. This is nothing new. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.... Funny stuff. That's like saying the Model T is the same as a Hummer. After all, they're both cars. Cadets '84 like Yowza Yowza or This I Believe? I think not. Just as one example - I'm not gonna go thru a line by line refute. That's rather pointless and you wouldn't agree anyway. There's been a sea change between the years you mention (84, 87, 88 ,89, 92) and today. And I'm not even making a statement about whether one or the other is "bad". I'm just saying there has been huge change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 It took me this long to actually read some posts in this thread and I can say that I most definitely like waffles... More than ever! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I don't disagree with your factual statements, Daniel...because I know they're true. But you do have a charmingly sweet way of convincing others to rapturously embrace you and affectionately give you a love noogie. Considering you (I believe) marched in the Dino era, carrying a Dino instrument, I am curious how you managed to evolve whereas some (like yours truly) did not? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 The "Off Broadway" avant- garde show productions also utilized the latest advanced technologies. Its not just the Broadway productions that utilize the latest in technologies to help make the experience more pleasant for theatre goers. But as the saying goes, you can't put lipstick on a pig, and then think its not a pig. The shows thats drive the largest audiences to the Broadway shows are the tried, true, and the familiar. No amount of the appropriately applied latest technologies (the lipstick) can save an unappealing show ( the pig ) with audiences, Mike. Never said it would. A lousy show is lousy, no matter the technology. That wasn't the point. The point is that when shows noted are revived, outside of the special cases like South Pacific that purposely tried to recreate the original look and feel, they are using the modern technological and musical advances made since their initial run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Another way of saying "whatever". You lose this debate! What debate? Two people talking past one another. That's no debate. But if you want to declare a "whatever," you have my proxy. Just don't say I lost. Too many good points in there! HH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) What debate? Two people talking past one another. That's no debate. But if you want to declare a "whatever," you have my proxy. Just don't say I lost. Too many good points in there! HH There are too many good points here indeed. I'm a dino in denial yet observant. Preston Scout House had high mark-time before drum corps time. Their guard carried flag holsters on their hip as did 27th Lancers in 1969. Scout House played entertaining music on the streets of Madison. The longer we dig into the past, the more we will find that some things have changed and some have remained the same. I recently found a 1980 local newspaper article about winter guard and how the kids wanted change. The photo was of a snare and bass drummer marching winter guard in jeans and tee shirts :) edit will i post the photo? nope nope nope Edited August 29, 2012 by lindap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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