Fran Haring Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 And I have heard plenty of Bb lines that were plenty loud enough Me, too. I think I still have powder burns from the Buccaneers' line last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Not far from being a band, corps went to bb bugles to gain kids from high school bands .The G bugles sound a hell of a lot louder ,can't get that from the bb.LOUDER IS BETTER it gives the fan's what they want . Those fans might be better served to set up chairs alongside the runways at Newark Liberty and watch the planes take off and land. Tubas and trumpets if you where to say that 20 years ago you'd be laughted out of rehersal. Yes, there have been clueless people in every era. I agree with you on that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I have to agree with you...The progressive thinkers have gutted the appeal of what we know as drum corps. The big sound is gone...not just the brass, the perc now sounds as if it's played on cardboard boxes. Although many of the innovations over the past few decades are for the better, IMO, the dilution of the big bold sound striped away the excitement and allure.....so yes, todays corps are just a bunch of everyday bands! This is 100% spot on. What made Drum Corp great was the music & the identity & diversity of styles. Drum Corp was better when the corps members weren't music majors who flew cross country to camps, but who were local kids who learned how to play their instrument in the corps. They joined a Drum Corp & marched with their corps for many years. There was a distinct difference between Drum Corp & marching band. Drum Corp were in a different league. Drum Corp was different & unique. Drum Corp were bad ### & cool. Marching bands were neither. Has the influx & influence of marching band & guard prancers been good for the Drum Corp activity? We all know the answer to this question. The current state of the activity says no. DCI must change its course in order to survive, but the DCI BOD doesn't have the balls. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I have yet to figure out why so many people want to keep drum corps in a time period of the past, yet have no problem with the rest of the world moving forward. Guard prancers? Really? Talk about insulting. Perhaps moving this conversation to the "Historical Forum" would be the better place for it. Because it seems that is really where people discussing how great things were BITD and how horrible they are now belongs. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Great reply Kay! This type of post continues to pop up year after year and one side has "all" the answers and then there is the other side.... Truth be told....the brass manufacturers weren't making enough money on G bugles. As the corps died so did the request for more G horns. There are more bands and individuals playing Bb and it makes perfect business sense to go to a "universal" key. This was NOT DCI's conspiracy at all, it was the manufacturers (Yamaha, Dynasty, etc). It was a great ride BITD with G bugles but we have been in Bb for some time. Why bring up a dead horse? Talk about the odd uniforms that corps are wearing or was Alberta Girls a band or drum corps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valve Oil Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I have yet to figure out why so many people want to keep drum corps in a time period of the past, yet have no problem with the rest of the world moving forward. Guard prancers? Really? Talk about insulting. Perhaps moving this conversation to the "Historical Forum" would be the better place for it. Because it seems that is really where people discussing how great things were BITD and how horrible they are now belongs. The heart and soul, comradery, freindship, family and fellowship are certainly the backbone of the activity...past, present and future, no question. As I said, much of the progressive innovations have enhanced the product greatly. My beef is that the unique sound and intensity has been gutted...yes, gutted. Anyone that can play a trumpet can play a G soprano so the argument that it's easier to recruit band people is weak. When the product was loud, exciting and in your face... the stadiums were full, there were hundreds more corps in existance and there was no shortage of show sponsers or BIG shows (Dream, Mission Drums, Barnum)....so yes, things were great BITD, and how I wish todays generation could experience the same level of success as well as the thrill of the passion and adulation exibited by legions of fans. And let's not hear about the economy anymore. Have you been to the movies, a Major League game or Broadway play etc. etc.?.....not cheap, but a venue people want to enjoy, and they do in droves! Or have you evaluated the costs associated with golf, boating, skiing or the myriad of other activities that some would claim are drawing people away....if you participate in those activities, I promise, they're not cheap either. The rest of the world is indeed moving forward, unfortunately, drum corps is falling way behind in popularity. The fading state of our activity, when you compre it to a vibrant past tells me all of the changes in the name of sophistication isn't panning out. No one wants drum corps to thrive more than me...but this is sadly, my honest opinion. And no, this is not a topic that belongs on the Historic thread for the fogeys to banter around....there are valid points that apply to today! Why is it that Hawthorne Alumni is so wildly recieved wherever they go? It isn't because the fans miss the Cabs....they're still here! Perhaps it's the sound and energy they put forth! They get a better reaction than the Cabs, or any other DCA corps for that matter, so score one for the big sound. Now that Empire(perennial crowd favorite) is bowing out, we'll only have the Kilts to remind us what drum corps is supposed to sound like. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Now that Empire(perennial crowd favorite) is bowing out, we'll only have the Kilts to remind us what drum corps is supposed to sound like. I agree with you about the Statesmen being a crowd favorite every year, but I don't think the key of their brass instruments has much, if anything, to do with that fact. It's their mindset, their show and performance style, their commitment to putting easy-to-"get" shows on the field year after year. A corps can do that, and be a big fan favorite, with instruments of any key. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I have yet to figure out why so many people want to keep drum corps in a time period of the past, yet have no problem with the rest of the world moving forward. Guard prancers? Really? Talk about insulting. Perhaps moving this conversation to the "Historical Forum" would be the better place for it. Because it seems that is really where people discussing how great things were BITD and how horrible they are now belongs. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 When the product was loud, exciting and in your face... the stadiums were full, there were hundreds more corps in existance and there was no shortage of show sponsers or BIG shows (Dream, Mission Drums, Barnum)....so yes, things were great BITD, and how I wish todays generation could experience the same level of success as well as the thrill of the passion and adulation exibited by legions of fans. And let's not hear about the economy anymore. Have you been to the movies, a Major League game or Broadway play etc. etc.?.....not cheap, but a venue people want to enjoy, and they do in droves! Or have you evaluated the costs associated with golf, boating, skiing or the myriad of other activities that some would claim are drawing people away....if you participate in those activities, I promise, they're not cheap either. The rest of the world is indeed moving forward, unfortunately, drum corps is falling way behind in popularity. The fading state of our activity, when you compre it to a vibrant past tells me all of the changes in the name of sophistication isn't panning out. Emphasis, mine. And if you refuse to acknowledge the economy is just one of many reasons, then you are equally guilty of putting your head in the sand. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneva Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I think the change from G to B flat/multi-key was for a number of reasons with the market being the biggest factor and the reason that things will never return. Number one, as the number of participants in the activity decreased the demand for G bugles softened making it more difficult from a profitability standpoint for instrument manufacturers to supply what had become a niche market. But there are other factors such as the entry of main stream musicians and educators into the activity who were not comfortable with the different playing characteristics of these instruments particularly from the standpoint of the greater intonation challenges. Unfortunately for the drum corps purists, the trade off for instruments that slot better has been that they also have a narrower cone of sound and are more difficult to project with outdoors where drum corps usually perform. Speaking from the point of view of a trumpet player who played and is still playing on G sopranos, I feel that that the trumpet models in use by modern drum corps have projection characteristics which are better suited for indoor playing rather than the field. I know that there are trumpet makes out there with the freer blowing characteristics similar to G bugles. They are just not the Yamahas and other makes in current use by corps. If corps want a better emulation of G bugle responsiveness, they will have to utilize a different style of trumpet such as the Flip Oakes Wild Thing. Great reply Kay! This type of post continues to pop up year after year and one side has "all" the answers and then there is the other side.... Truth be told....the brass manufacturers weren't making enough money on G bugles. As the corps died so did the request for more G horns. There are more bands and individuals playing Bb and it makes perfect business sense to go to a "universal" key. This was NOT DCI's conspiracy at all, it was the manufacturers (Yamaha, Dynasty, etc). It was a great ride BITD with G bugles but we have been in Bb for some time. Why bring up a dead horse? Talk about the odd uniforms that corps are wearing or was Alberta Girls a band or drum corps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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