Piper Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 (edited) Having marched in my fair share of parades, I know for a fact that the average spectator on the sidewalk couldn't tell the difference between a Drum Corps and the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Dept. band. It's not like a Drum Corps show where most fans are pretty knowlegable. We had a parade one time when one of our sop soloists stayed in formation and wailed away while one of the DM's stepped out front with a bari, totally faked the whole thing and the crowd was throwing babies at him. We couldn't believe it! We were laughing so hard we could barely keep playing. Ah, the things people will do for money. Edited January 5, 2013 by Piper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Another great answer, though I ask...should there not be a balance between entertaining and quality. You can entertain, take a relaxed approach and still look good and move in time. That's my real point. Well said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 (edited) Honestly, Stanford was my first thought when I saw Crown's approach. Granted, much more tame and hardly as offensive but the wondering and lack of some form of uniformity, just makes me question the purpose. I appreciate military bearing and badassery as much as the next guy. It's cool and impressive. It's just not how *this* drum corps approaches parade performances. It's different. It might even upset a few stick-in-the-mud traditionalists. I get it. But it's not disrespectful. And it's not lazy or indifferent. The audience at those parades LOVE Crown's performances - go crazy for them actually. And here's the weird thing: the performers LOVE marching those parades. They're engaging the audience over the entire route, not staring straight ahead and ignoring the crowd. They're smiling and laughing and stopping for pictures, talking to little kids, etc.. It's a two-way street. And despite being thrilled about going on a west coast swing, I'm positive the corps will also be wishing (at least a little bit) they were back in Bristol on July 4th instead of somewhere west of the Mississippi. Virtually everywhere else on the 4th of July in drum corps land, performers are dreading marching parades -- they can't wait 'til they're over. And the audiences are politely clapping for each corps. In Bristol it's a big party and EVERYONE is invited. And everyone is having fun! I think it's kind of cool. I also think the Marine Silent Drill team is kind of cool. As for being paid, I feel confident the parade committees bring Crown back year after year BECAUSE of the way they approach parades. I'll admiti it: I didn't get it either -- until I talked to the kids who marched those parades. Then I got it loud and clear. There's room for everybody in drum corps. Even Crown :-) Edited January 5, 2013 by corpsband 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmjfelts1988 Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 I appreciate military bearing and badassery as much as the next guy. It's cool and impressive. It's just not how *this* drum corps approaches parade performances. It's different. It might even upset a few stick-in-the-mud traditionalists. I get it. But it's not disrespectful. And it's not lazy or indifferent. The audience at those parades LOVE Crown's performances - go crazy for them actually. And here's the weird thing: the performers LOVE marching those parades. They're engaging the audience over the entire route, not staring straight ahead and ignoring the crowd. They're smiling and laughing and stopping for pictures, talking to little kids, etc.. It's a two-way street. And despite being thrilled about going on a west coast swing, I'm positive the corps will also be wishing a little bit they were back in Bristol on July 4th instead of somewhere west of the Mississippi. Virtually everywhere else on the 4th of July in drum corps land, performers are dreading marching parades -- they can't wait 'til they're over. And the audiences are politely clapping for each corps. In Bristol it's a big party and EVERYONE is invited. And everyone is having fun! I think it's kind of cool. I also thing the Marine Silent Drill team is kind of cool. As for being paid, I feel confident the parade committees bring Crown back year after year BECAUSE of they way treat the audience. I'll admiti it: I didn't get it either -- until I talked to the kids who marched those parades. Then I got it loud and clear. There's room for everybody in drum corps. Even Crown :-) Alright, ya got me. Can't argue with any of this. I'm a believer now. :smile:/> 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 (edited) Ok, I'll accept this. I guess variety is good. Never thought of it that way. I think I was just so impressed with the Phantom video that I got carried away. I just liked what Phantom did, that's all. :) It impressed me. I'll take this response and all the others and stand corrected on Crown. Getting that out of the way now, I pondered having this thread closed but figured lets take a different approach. Since some great videos have been posted as well as stories like the above where parade performances have inspired people. Lets enjoy some of that. No more negative (at least not from me). Sorry for getting carried away, guys. Seriously. I don't call it getting carried away. You had a lot of valid points. Edited January 5, 2013 by En929 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBaritone Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Did I miss something? This looks like every other corps I've ever seen or been a part of, in a parade. Slightly dirty feet, slightly dirty drums. Nothing extremely awesome, but nothing terrible. What's this big fuss about? DISH THE DIRT! EDIT: Oh, it's just Crown. Never mind. Have you people seen them before they go on the field? Should be no surprise as to why they do parades their way. I can't tell if you're being insulting or just saying that we're not as cookie-cutter as other corps when entering a field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamMan Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I can't tell if you're being insulting or just saying that we're not as cookie-cutter as other corps when entering a field. Eh. You are what you are. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I can't tell if you're being insulting or just saying that we're not as cookie-cutter as other corps when entering a field. Zag. Me, too! :ph34r:/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Dear Ms. Advice Columnist: I’ve got an interesting family. My oldest brother is in jail for selling crack to elementary school children. My youngest brother is attending Stanford University, where he’s in their marching band. My oldest sister is currently on trial for soliciting an undercover police officer in the drive-up lane at Taco Bell and my youngest sister died last year in a meth lab explosion inside her outdoor playhouse. My twin brother is in a coma from falling out of a tree house when he was attempting to do a double gainer into a kiddie pool on a dare for a week’s supply of heroin. My mother is in prison for running a brothel that enslaved Russian immigrants and my father disappeared after street gangs learned he had been selling them fake LSD made up mostly of stevia sweetener. I have two aunts who run a strip club that caters to equestrian midgets and an uncle who scams foreign tourists at airport hotels into buying fake Rolex watches and imitation Gucci handbags made in China. One of my grandmothers bicycled naked through a picnic of Mormon missionaries and the other one owns a cable porn channel specializing in films featuring Australian outback wildlife. Her husband, my step-grandfather, traps and captures those animals, continuing the job started by my grandfather who was eaten by a pack of dingoes. My other grandfather was kicked out of the Westboro Baptist Church for being mentally unstable. I’m dating a wonderful woman and I want to ask her to marry me. However, I think she deserves to know the truth about my family before agreeing to become a part of it. I’d like to hear your opinion on the following: Should I tell her about my brother who’s a member of the Stanford University marching band? Its a tough one to call between telling her about your brother in the Stanford Marching Band and the others in your rather exotic caste of characters in you family. To resolve this, I need to ask you... do any of your family have a license to carry a firearm ? If so, don't marry... elope with her and take her to Costa Rica or the Seychelles Islands or some such, and the two of you disappear from your family forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Well, I'll take Precision over whatever Crown was doing every day of the year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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