glory Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) ... To the Mikes (Boo and Davis) - yes, I know Massachusetts and Wisconsin have competing marching bands. But considering that there are 10 times as many competing bands vs. the historical peak population of junior corps, the number of such bands in MA and WI are comparatively sparse. In the context of what I was responding to, I would say the bands in those states are not even sufficiently numerous to have "replaced" the drum corps we lost on a statewide level. Putting aside important issues like weather and whether the kids of Massachusetts and Wisconsin would prefer to stomp around with instruments in November or June, we need to know this ... Whatever choice those (and similar) kids make about marching in corps or band, the exodus at issue didn't happen only after 2004 with DCI's decision to allow electronics in. It happened long before amps, before Bb, indeed before nearly every change or trend DCP would use to accuse DCI of felony malfeasance. On the contrary, corps like 27th and Kilties and dozens more whose names were less familiar were on their deathbeds in the day when the tunes were more familiar. They were dying away even as the roar of the crowd was legend. HH Edited December 10, 2012 by glory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottgordon Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Whatever choice those (and similar) kids make about marching in corps or band, the exodus at issue didn't happen only after 2004 with DCI's decision to allow electronics in. It happened long before amps, before Bb, indeed before nearly every change or trend DCP would use to accuse DCI of felony malfeasance. I don't blame electronics for the death of corps and exodus of fans. I blame electronics for MY exodus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottgordon Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Yes, the experience is in fact unique. Name another youth experience that provides an 80 day tour of the entire country. Name youth activities that afford extended national and world travel opportunities? There must be hundreds (Google youth travel), and all over the world. I did a 6-week trip when I was in high school on an educational program. And I'm not so convinced that members join corps to see the country... you don't really see very much of the cities that are visited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranintothedoor Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 And I'm not so convinced that members join corps to see the country... you don't really see very much of the cities that are visited. True, but you see enough of it to form opinions about the state/city you rehearsed in. For instance: "Iowa is terrible... their grass is way too thick to march through!" or "I'd rather die than visit Louisiana in July." ... but I digress. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) True, but you see enough of it to form opinions about the state/city you rehearsed in. For instance: "Iowa is terrible... their grass is way too thick to march through!" or "I'd rather die than visit Louisiana in July." ... but I digress. :-) LOL used to travel a lot as a civilian computer programmer for the Navy. One conversation stands out: Sis-in-law: Where were you this time. Me: San Diego SIL: Neat, what's San Diego like Me: Route from the airport to the base and back looked nice..... And after a week in December at a certain city.... wife: Wouldn't it be nice to vacation there? me: no... NO.. and #### NO!!!! (lead story for the TV news was "Will we average a murder a day for the year") Edited December 10, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Don't know what happened at 7:30 tonight that caused this reading comprehension blackout....but to review: 1. To actucker - I never said all urban areas had drum corps. Not to mention that the urban corps were dying off well before DCI came along, at least here in the Northeast. Peruse corpsreps and look at the number of urban corps in the Newark and NYC area...relatively few made it to the DCI era at all, or just barely. 2. To the Mikes (Boo and Davis) - yes, I know Massachusetts and Wisconsin have competing marching bands. But considering that there are 10 times as many competing bands vs. the historical peak population of junior corps, the number of such bands in MA and WI are comparatively sparse. In the context of what I was responding to, I would say the bands in those states are not even sufficiently numerous to have "replaced" the drum corps we lost on a statewide level. Well, we disagree, as usual. Was it a one-for-one 'replacement'? No...that is being far to pedantic. On a nation-wide level the concept holds true, and the number of competitive bands far outstrips the number of competitive corps that ever existed at one time across the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Concept? That's all it is....a concept. Marching band did not "replace" drum corps any more than Nintendo has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Concept? That's all it is....a concept. Marching band did not "replace" drum corps any more than Nintendo has. No, it is not just a concept. Competitive MB did replace the old local neighborhood drum corps. You just refuse to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 (edited) LOL and reading your GSC experiences are why I no longer say that what I saw in the 70s was the same for everyone. And willing to say Central PA can be different from other parts of the country for a couple of different reasons. In the area of DC, Central PA might have been one of the few areas with a lot more Sr corps than Jrs. Off the top of my head only Jrs in the area for any part of the 70s would have been York (White Roses) and Schuykill Haven (Belvederes/Black Diamond Regiment). Posted this in another thread as thought (finally) hit me. Maybe reason why my part of Central PA had very few Jr corps was because lot of the schools had a strong music/band program back to at least the 1950s. No ida when they became competitive but the weekly lessons were free for elementary school and even had them over the summer. Only other Jr corps I can think of in the immediate area during this era is Gettysburg Cannoneers which lasted a few years in the later 60s. Edited December 11, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Posted this in another thread as thought (finally) hit me. Maybe reason why my part of Central PA had very few Jr corps was because lot of the schools had a strong music/band program back to at least the 1950s. No ida when they became competitive but the weekly lessons were free for elementary school and even had them over the summer. Only other Jr corps I can think of in the immediate area during this era is Gettysburg Cannoneers which lasted a few years in the later 60s. early 70's is when competition started growing around here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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