What do you think is wrong with Drum Corps today (if anything)?

[soccerguy315]

Voice overs can add to the show, instead of detract from it, as long as it is done tastefully and with a clear purpose (This has been stated numerous times on this site, yet some still refuse to give them a chance). And is BOA truly so bad? If you ever decide to sit down and suffer through a few shows, then you can see that there are some bands whose musicianship can equal that of many corps in World Class (and some that dare I say, surpass...) Watch bands such as James Bowie (especially 2011), Marcus, Avon (some years), Carmel, The Woodlands, etc. These are some of the best playing bands in the nation (and yes, I am including our precious Drum and Bugle Corps in this category as they technically are considered bands).

if you march one of those bands (or others of a similar level) and then march world class DCI... I don't think you would think they are on the same level. None of the kids that I know that marched in that type of HS band think the band is anywhere close to their time in DCI.

[mikespeed]

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And further more, as I have said many times, I believe it is the drum corps "newbies" who are actually most turned off by these "new" elements. Us diehards will (for the most) part stick with this activity through just about anything, but whenever I bring a new fan to a show they seem extremely impressed by the performances, but question why all the extra stuff is thrown in when the bulk of the performers (brass, percussion, and guard) can do amazing things themselves.

This is the truth, 100 percent. Every newbie I've taken to a show generally enjoys DCI, but finds certain elements of it very lame. Heck, I'm a diehard fan, and even I squirm in my seat during some of these shows. Volume, precision, and excitement are the things that make casual fans and first timers come back for more, not cheesy narration or spaced-out concepts that make them wonder why they even spent the money to come in the first place.

Another note:

On DCP, we love drum corps, and will spend money to watch this stuff no matter what. However, general audiences are less accepting of eccentricity than us. Want proof? Just look at the crowd reactions for lower scoring shows like "Secret Society" or "Magnificent 11" as compared to, say, "Re-rite." I guess DCI has a decent enough mix right now, but if shows continue to trend towards the esoteric as they have over the last decade, I can't imagine the fan base expanding or even remaining the same size in the future.

Goodness, look at me. I just made my first "DCI is going to die!!!" post. I need to get off of this website for a while!

Edited July 16, 2013 by mikespeed

[FlamMan]

I can summarize what I feel is wrong, & how many Corps people who I know feel, in 2 words...

Blue Devils.

[MelloMatt]

I wasn't talking about the activity in general, I was just talking about one part (Musicianship). Visually, the top Corps are leaps and bounds ahead of BOA bands (I come from a band that people consistently cite as one of the hardest visual books of the year in BOA, but it is obvious how much more difficult, say Crown's books, or Cadets books are). But I do feel that Marcus last year was pretty darn close musicality wise to BD, or Bowie in '11 to the Cadets.

[jwillis35]

To me (and just me), I'd goose the sheets to make visual GE just a little less important, and give music GE just a slight edge over it. I think that alone could change the flow and programming on so many shows it would cover a lot of the "where's the musical phrasing?" or "chop 'n bop" complaints that people have had over the years about drum corps.

Yeah, I know drum corps is about the blending of music/visual ("art that moves!"), but I guess I've always come down on the side of trying to shape the visual production to the will of the music charts.

I agree with this.

Drum & Bugle Corps is, first, a music activity. It sprouted from a musical activity and is still music first. The visual (be it drill, flags, sabres, props) are there to enhance the music in real-time. It's the music that touches us the most, with the visuals adding greatly, but to a lesser extent.

The scoring system has to better reflect excellence in music performance (achievement), excellence in music construction (what the kids are given, content and artistry), and excellence in demand (the difficulty of that content). Music GE should be given greater weight over Visual GE, and Visual GE should be more about how the visuals enhanced the music and less about having the latest, greatest, most innovative show ever. None of this matters when the show is a snoozer and the choppy, unfocused music leaves everyone wishing they had gone to the British Open for tea, crumpets, and the excitement of Phil Mickelson's polar golf game. :-)

Choppy Phrasing

One of the things I checked was Show Design, but it's not so much about entertainment. There are many types of entertainment to be developed and experienced by us, the fan. I don't expect every corps to be Madison Scouts-like, and I don't want to see all the corps copying each other. The problem the activity has, at least in terms of show design, is with building and managing phrases and musical thought.

I don't have to like every show I see, but if I see something that is well developed, well planned, makes musical sense, and keeps the viewer/listener attached to the show for the full 12.5 minutes, then I think that is a success.

Too many corps have tried to put so much music into their shows that the arranging is short, snippety, even gimmicky at times, and the sense of good musical phrasing that would help to build to climactic moments is simply not found. The notion that you can just put some loud chord anywhere for instant impact (GE) is false. For years people often gushed over Phantom Regiment's ability to connect with an audience (and for good reason). People always thought it was because they played classical music (in a loose sense of that term for my music scholars out there), but in reality it's how they arrange their music with big, sweeping phrases that pull us into the show.

To some extent, music is emotion (it can be many other things as well), but the emotional front will fare so much better and draw fans into the shows at a higher rate when phrasing is dealt with. Too many shows of today feel like sound effects reels with visual chaos taking place. It's even worse when you announce your theme to the world (in marketing, programs, DCI website, etc.) and after viewing the show we still can't tell what your show is about.

[Plan9]

DCI is at a nexus. It's in the middle of a perfect storm of...........

1) the urge to expand design (both musically & visually);

2) the urge for high(er) tech innovations (sound and sight)

3) the urge to seek more eye candy on the field (uniforms & gizmos) ;

4) the need to expand its media portals and access points;

5) the need of its alums (a big section of the audience) to maintain a connection to the traditions & memories that touch their drum corps bones;

6) ...and ultimately, the need for gaining the excitement of the new without losing the strength and power of the old.

So, in answer to your question.......IMO, DCI is in a great place...it just needs to find or strengthen that connection to a broader audience....much like the defunct (and I mean dead) "song and dance shows" of the 60's & 70's did when they re-emerged as American Idol, the various Dance competition shows & ALL of their clones. DC is an amazing spectacle, it has all the bells and whistles....it just needs to be produced with imagination....and smart organization. This will only be done if its leaders can set aside their egos and collectively understand this nexus they are in. If they do, they will all go to the next level....together. If not.....................

[skywhopper]

I voted that DCI is doing just fine as it is in the first question, and I do think there should be an 'anything goes' division...I've said that for years, so I voted that one in the second question.

It's called SoundSport!

[Henson]

And yes, I agree that voice overs and electronics can add to a show. They just haven't yet (Crown's show this year may be my one exception) because the implementation and execution of these new elements has never been close to equaling the excellence of the top groups' brass, drums, and guard.

That's it right there. I've been deeply involved with BOA as an adult for a decade now, and anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge partisan for the organization. (Disclaimer: No, I'm not Chuck Henson, we just share a last name and a few drinks from time to time.) But the reasons these elements you're talking about here fit into the high school shows better than they do drum corps shows are, in my opinion:

1. the broader instrumentation allows for a broader range of sounds to feel natural for a high school band,

2. some band instruments that SHOULD be heard will not be heard without amplification, especially solo woodwind voices,

3. more to your point, the level of execution is "right." Sucky execution at the high school level is in some ways excusable, but stick the same level of mediocre execution of electronic elements into a premier DCI group and it sticks out like a sore thumb. It's out of place.

I have ZERO problems with electronics. I have serious problems with the current execution. The only people getting it even close are the Bluecoats, and even they have their own issues with the mix. Once this element is done well enough to sound like it actually belongs rather than sticking out and being distracting, I think you'll find much of the confusion and negativity will go away. They question is whether the current generation of show designers and caption heads have the proper technical expertise to pull this off. I doubt it.

[MikeD]

It's called SoundSport! :thumbup:/>

That is a start, for sure. There should als be a class set up witihin the current competitive structure of WC and Open class as well, that includes any instrumentation and any size a corps wants to field, IMO anyway.

[Slingerland]

Sucky execution at the high school level is in some ways excusable, but stick the same level of mediocre execution of electronic elements into a premier DCI group and it sticks out like a sore thumb. It's out of place.

That was my original objection to the concept, and it still holds.

That being said, this year it seems that most of the corps have gotten better about adjusting the amplified levels and the material they use to blend in more seamlessly with the live shows, though it's still a work in progress. With a few exceptions (Bluecoats, notably), the use of samples seems more restrained than the last few years. Cavaliers seem to have gotten the "more is better" thing out of their system; let's hope it's gone for good.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Slingerland