IllianaLancerContra Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) like I said alot of inner city programs are all but gone unfortunately.....where it's needed most Which is where Drum Corps used to fill the gap. Remember, Cavaliers started as the Chicago Cavaliers. Bayonne Bridgemen, Revere MA 27th Lancers, etc etc. There may be more units (called HS Competitive Marching Bands) performing in the same style as DCI corps, but there is a population that used to be served by corps that now is not served. And, I believe society is worse for it. Edited February 11, 2014 by IllianaLancerContra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I've got to disagree [that fewer people are participating in drum corps now than in 1975]. When I was in high school marching band in the early 1970s, there were just two "corps style" bands in the state of Illinois...the Dundee Scots and Herscher. (A couple years later, Irving Crown, Dundee's neighbor, became hot.) Now, it seems every band is what we would have called "corps style" back in the day. What happened? Corps members went out into the marching band world and took their training to the bands, and directors started recruiting such people to keep up with the other bands. Therefore, there are MORE kids now getting their drum corps "fix" in their own marching band, unlike in my day, when that wasn't an option. The influence of drum corps is far beyond what we see on the field in August in Indianapolis. There was a newspaper article in Indiana a few years ago that revealed a number of the most competitive marching bands were spending $280,000 ON AVERAGE on the creation and instruction of their field shows, plus equipment and other items. Heck, if it wasn't for the marching bands, lots of high schools wouldn't have a single marimba. Now, lots of high schools have multiple marimbas, vibes and everything else they can fit in their front ensembles. Where did that come from? Drum corps. Who taught the kids how to march? Drum corps kids who became instructors. Who teaches the school drum lines and guards? Kids who came out of DCI and WGI. The drum corps scene is more active than ever, but more and more of it happens during the late summer and autumn. In many schools, kids are paying special fees to be in their high school marching bands to help cover travel and other expenses. That is money they don't have for summer drum corps. College tuition keeps going up and up. That is money they don't have for summer drum corps. The expense of running a drum corps can't be pinned largely on electronics, amplification and what else comes along...The major expenses include travel and insurance, which have increased over the past years almost exponentially. Yes, corps have had to get trucks that can transport more stuff, but that's not where the activity has taken the biggest financial hit. But I return to the point I wanted most to make: More kids than ever are getting the drum corps experience. We just don't see them on the DCI tour. What you're saying is that competitive marching bands (with woodwinds) are in fact drum corps. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Ok, but I have some doubt that you are correct. I believe that the percentages of eligible students in the nation's schools that are now participating in H.S. Marching Band is down from say 20 years ago ( say mid 90's ). While some schools marching bands have increased their Marching Baand numbers since the 90's, many others have lost the numbers they once had. Futhermore, the inner city schools that once had at least some small Marching Bands in earlier eras, no longer field a H.S. Marching Band at all these days, and the few that do, their numbers in their Marching Band are down, and in some cases way down. So we'll justhave to disagree that rates are up. I believe, when looked at nationally, the numbers .. percentage of student eligibility vs. actual student participation rates, I'm referring to here keep in mind, is down, not up. im not looking a t any percentages per how many students today verses whatever......is there not more popularity today..I say yeah I dont remember all ..these hs band circuits back then..i did say more than once that inner city's have lost alot of programs...i look at some programs im involved with 1 with over 500 kids and a waiting list...never saw that bitd....at least i didnt...but hey it was 1 statement in an entire post 1 little line which may spawn yet anther thread and multiple facts figures ,scales, histograms ..ughhhh exhausting..............lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I hate to break it to you, but... ...but drum corps didn't used to need to use microphones. And was all the more impressive thereby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Which is where Drum Corps used to fill the gap. Remember, Cavaliers started as the Chicago Cavaliers. Bayonne Bridgemen, Revere MA 27th Lancers, etc etc. There may be more units (called HS Competitive Marching Bands) performing in the same style as DCI corps, but there is a population that used to be served by corps that now is not served. And, I believe society is worse for it. i can agree with that totally BUT it's also not because of DCI IMO but the lack of community period. Many programs are gone from those inner cities. There just isn't the support and backing and kids today also , totally different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 What you're saying is that competitive marching bands (with woodwinds) are in fact drum corps. Well, I guess if "drum corps is marching band," as some have offered, then "marching band is drum corps." It goes along with my need for some spiritual symmetry in the world. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 If they were playing on a football field or other outdoor venue, I bet there would be mics picking up the sound. Ever see the sound systems being set up for an outdoor orchestra concert, even one wrapped around by a bandshell? I have, many times. So an orchestra playing in an less than ideal venue has to compensate for being away from their proper home by using microphones. OK. But outdoors, drum corps are in their ideal venue, one where they can shine and demonstrate their amazing ability to create a beautiful sound that thousands can hear out in the open and without amplification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 We had a line of flugelhorns in The Cavaliers when I joined in 1975. They took the place of 3rd sopranos. And we use to march French horns, so you make a good point…maybe they still won’t use all the tools that are available to them, just like any key has become 1 key but a different key…because as we all know…having a full palette of textures, colors and a chance to really innovative is about as meaningless in this activity as the old canard ‘it’s for the kids’ So yeah, it will grow the activity just like all the other great recent changes have. I see a follow me drill right into irrelevancy and we’ll all pretend they did the best they could, it was the times and not the decisions made along the way and we all wanted what was best for ‘the kids’ So basically, this is about a few corps using a gimmick horn parked in the pit blasted through an amp – like BD has done the past few years and the excuses, reasons for this folly is complete BS, per usual. It’d be a credit to DCI is this were all just hyped, nonsense used to get people talking about DCI in the off season band wont ever save drum corps, it wil ruin it and replace it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 ...and a french horn "bugle" just wont do. It wouldn't actually BE a french horn like the symphony orchestra uses, it would just sound like one and fit into the already established horns... We don't want to use what we have, we need to covet what we don't have... "Since we are dealing with Men it is inevitable that we should be concerned with the most regrettable feature of their nature: their quick satiety with good." -- J.R.R. Tolkien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) Michael - I used to look forward to you posting your DCI articles on a regular basis here. It seems that whatever you post to DCI is no longer posted here anymore. Unless I go to that website, I no longer have the opportunity to view your articles on past corps shows which I have always enjoyed. These were posted on each Monday every week. What changed? It wasn't me. When the change happened, I found out about it when the links I posted were taken down. I'm not comfortable pointing fingers, but I sincerely hope things will change in the near future. I still like coming here as it's a great way of communing with other fans and learning what they're thinking. I just can't post links to the other site anymore, and if others post links, they too will be removed. I hold nothing against anyone for this reality, but I do wish things were different. In the meantime, please continue to check out the other website for what I write on a weekly basis and for other informative info, and please continue to patronize DCP because there are a lot of great people here who deserve your support. Edited February 11, 2014 by Michael Boo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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