Jut Wondering

[KeithHall]

BTW...I am NOT complaining! I love drum corps today as I did yesterday.

Just saying what I have heard on DCP and other places.

[drilltech1]

When I say "Music Major", I am referring to those who are typically performance majors. For example, my undergrad degree from Univ. of Washington was a BME (Bachelor of Music Education), and I graduated through the College of Education. Those who were performance majors received a Bachelor of Music from the College of Arts. So yes, the education track is somewhat different than the performance track, at least in my experience.

I think it would be interesting to see a breakdown of Music Ed vs Music Performance majors in the different sections of various corps. Not that I am willing to invest the time to gather all that info.:satisfied:/>/>

Circling back to the original topic, BITD (70's), you could see the transition from instructors who were FMM's to those who were band teachers/music ed majors. As I recall, there was still a lot of animosity towards drum corps from the old guard band directors during that period.

I am also wondering why having Music majors would be a thing to complain about. Maybe it is the idea that having higher level musicians somehow chased out the "regular" drum corps people?

I currently do a lot of mentoring for new music teachers in school districts, assist others with college mentoring and job placement, etc. The positions are fewer and fewer."The regular drum corps people" may already be pursuing the few jobs in today's economy. Look how few college grads are getting hired in their preferred field.

If a music performance major is not double majoring in today's job market, that person is living in a fantasy land. If a music education major does not have a second major or double minor outside of music, they are being passed over as not the best fit for school districts having to trim fine arts budgets as other budgets and income are dwarfed. It's not necessarily what I think should happen, but it is the real situation. Very few areas of the nation are increasing the number of schools and increasing faculty numbers. Those who have jobs are staying longer and retiring later, if at all. The dream of being "the band director" is getting more distant for too many. Many current music teachers are being asked to do multiple schools or to get certification in other subjects. as well.

I think this is where the security of a blossoming engineering field attracts many, just as engineers love the precision, mathematical exactness, quest for excellence and discipline of DCI corps in addition to the aesthetic of music as a release and as an athletic activity in our marching arts.

These observations are from my professional experience. Perhaps others have other experiences leading to other opinions. But let the conclusions come from reality, not fantasy.

[SpiritVet]

Judging from my experience seeing the people of Spirit of Atlanta, there are certainly several but not 80%. My degree is in engineering, and the horn sergeants for the past three years (at least) have been non-music majors.

[JimF-LowBari]

Sorry screwed up my original response to: "That's gotta be one of the stupidest arguments I've ever heard. Drum corps, a musical activity, is suddenly no longer drum corps (again, a musical activity) because it's being filled with people who are passionate about music? Did I wake up in Bizarro DCP or something?"

First off we were passionate back then too.

At the risk of someone accusing me of wanting to go back to the 70s (NOT true) there are some things that have been lost over the decades. Two of them apply to the thread topic.

1) Disadvantaged kids have less of a chance now to play music with local groups (notice the use of "groups" and not just DC). IMO this is caused by changes to the world in general and is a shame.

2) DC has gotten more "intellectual" (can't think of a better word) in their shows today. Problem is people who are less knowledgable in music as are less likely to "get" the shows and less likely to attend.

Ya take steps forward and ya take steps backwards....

Edited June 28, 2013 by JimF-LowBari

[Pete Freedman]

There's nothing wrong with regretting the loss of a good thing (DC teaching beginners), even though it has been replaced with another good thing (experienced, potentially pro performers). No one is attacking modern drum corps here (yet). 'It ain't what it used to be' doesn't mean 'it's bad'.

Questions:

1. Do the corps at the bottom of the order in OC still take 'warm bodies' in the fall, say, and get them to the point where they would be an asset by summer? (Including color guard). I know there are still all-age corps that do this.

2. Were there people who were initially taught to play by a corps, who went on to a career in music? I'm sure there were at least a few.

[BRASSO]

The issue over in the Historical side of the house is.....some people feel that drum corps has lost what drum corps was (Make sense?). They feel that (BITD) the kids that made up corps were taken off the streets, taught to play a horn, and that was the spirit of corps. They feel that because of the music majors in corps today that drum corps is not drum corps anymore.

And so what is inherently wrong with this " opinion " ? Its how some of them feel, whether one agrees with this point of view or one doesn't. Why does it apparently bother you so much what someone's opinion is ? So much so that you have to run over to this side of the forum for what reason ? to validate your own " opinion " that their " opinion " is somehow not a valid one for them personally ? Its their " opinion ". Its as valid as yours, mine or anyone elses. What you're doing by running back and forth like this is just trying to stir up trouble, imo. It accomplishes nothing, as nobody usually changes their mind when it comes to what one likes or doesn't like.

Edited June 28, 2013 by BRASSO

[jonnyboy]

Why would anyone complain about music majors in drum corps?

I think some older folk might feel that if they were a youth of today, they might not be able to march in a D&BC because they wouldn't be qualified. The activity is serving a different population of kids than it did decades ago.

Just out of curiosity, why would you make a distinction between "Music Major" and "Music Ed Major"? Are Music Ed Majors not Music Majors?

Last time I checked a music ed degree is still a music degree, given out by a university's school of music or music department. Is it because the students choose to go into education rather than performance or composition?

Please enlighten me.

As a lay person, I think the distinction is that a music major is focusing on performing one instrument as a professional, and an ed major sampling many instruments and is learning how to teach students. You might make the same distinction between a biology major and a biology ed major. One will DO and the other TEACH. I suspect Drum Corps might better serve the education major that will be teaching, especially marching band.

[BRASSO]

I think some older folk might feel that if they were a youth of today, they might not be able to march in a D&BC because they wouldn't be qualified. The activity is serving a different population of kids than it did decades ago.

This is probably true. To take it a step further, at least 2 of the current DCI judges that judge the Visual Ana./ Vis. Prof. / GE Vis. captions today would not be out there judging today as most of these 2 can not read sheet music even today. But they marched in earlier era Drum Corps ( 60's )because this was not an impediment then to their ability to pick up a horn, get a spot in line, and march back then. Fast foward to today, and these 2 current judges would probably not qualify to get into a WC brass line of today. So, you do have a valid point, imo.

Edited June 28, 2013 by BRASSO

[BRASSO]

2. Were there people who were initially taught to play by a corps, who went on to a career in music? I'm sure there were at least a few.

Yes, there were quite a few. But realistically, lots of successful Lawyers, Bankers, Commercial Pilots,Financial Advisors, Nurses, Physicians, Business Owners, CPA's, Military Officers, etc attribute their career success to the life altering lessons they initially learned from their participation as youth in competitive Drum Corps. So while the ranks of the Music field does have successful Musicians asnd Music Educators that got their start in Drum Corps, far more career successful people in the non music industries have participated in Drum Corps. I suspect this likewise will change however over the years as these people retire, and the success in career paths will gravitate much more toward the Music and Dance, and Education fields in these current and future Corps.

Edited June 28, 2013 by BRASSO

[garfield]

Ran into a friend connected with Bluecoats and, in his guestimation, music majors account for about 30% of that corps.

Not official. Not audited. Just a guestimation.

Edited June 29, 2013 by garfield