Jeff Ream Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 If that's the case DCI has been screwy from the get go: * G bugles * G bugles with valve/piston * G bugles with two valve * G bugles with three valve * any key brass * snares with plastic heads * snares with kevlar, high tension heads * legit tenor drums * trios * quads * quints * sixes * a few large bass drums * tonal bass drums * cymbal lines * no cymbal lines * nothing but marching drums * some keyboards marched via carriers * some timpani marched via carriers * some grounded percussion + some marching keys * ground percussion * expansion of percussion to pretty much anything-goes * mic'ed percussion * synths Instrumentation has been influx since the beginning. So really, people identify with instrumentation THEY relate better to, as opposed to some sort of standardized instrumentation. As of this season at least, DCI is still all brass, percussion, and color guard. That basic fundamental instrumentation hasn't changed, and people are getting bent out of shape at this point (especially not knowing HOW this change may or may not be implemented) over very little substance. I'm not saying I disagree with you....but let's be real......bell front brass, plus no trombones, regardless of the key is a defining line to many people. and if you aren't a percussionist, drums are drums LOL. DCI is at a huge cross roads as they keep tweaking instrumentation.....they think the pot of gold lies in the revolving door of band kids., but the loyalty of fans with decades invested in following DCI is being tested. As more and more of those fans drift away, is there enough in the band word to keep it going? And since DCI does no marketing or research to back up their claims as to why the toys are needed, we'll never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) I really REALLY disagree with you. Drum and Bugle Corps has ALWAYS been about the brass instrumentation. That's what gives (or gave) these groups their unique sound compared to other ensembles, such as British brass bands or even the closely-related marching band. I love the French horn and tbone sound; they obviously fit well into the brass choir. We could already get those colors using the marching versions of these horns. With tubas, the sousaphone (brass, not plastic) is pretty unnecessary but I'm not sure they fit into the look of corps. Percussion has always been more flexible in this regard. Adding mallets made sense. Making logical adjustments with types of drum heads or grounding a tympani didn't doesn't change the fundamental sound of the groups until we started adding synths. That changed the sound of the whole corps ensemble. Bands, corps, and other groups' percussion have always had different "toys" from one group to another. The same is not true for corps brass lines... It's gotten to the point that having flugelhorns in the hornline is considered exotic. For instance, it was something that the Crossmen could do that would make them sound different than other groups. So I believe that people are more okay with percussion changes than they are with brass changes. When people define drum corps in the context of being about dedication, quality, familial bonding, "the experience", and all of that, it makes me think of The Marines, the Boy Scouts, fraternities and sororities, or even the NFL players... These things aren’t unique or specific to Drum and Bugle Corps, but we could describe them this way as well. And as for quality, there are some high school bands that are better than some corps. Are those high school bands now corps? What made Drum and Bugle Corps unique was its specific brass voicing. It's is what makes brass bands unique. Strings make string quartets unique. Well put. Edited February 11, 2014 by N.E. Brigand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Well put. Thanks; the things that are/were specific to Drum and Bugle corps are the things that are being changed. Those other aspects will proabably always be the same. They're wonderful and admirable, but when we're describing the activity, they're not very helpful. I don't want to come across as looking down at those wonderful things, but those are more touchy feely things. Bell-front, valved, marching brass instruments is more specific and unchageable description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallace Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 DCI's apparent decisions to makeover its product into something more 'BOA-like' is certainly curious. The DCI directors see something in adopting a model that already exists. In other words, what DCI provides is no longer enough. I know very little about BOA (never attended an event) other traditional band circuits, WGI, etc. But, evidently something is there. What is it? If they add all brass instruments and woodwinds then all they will have to do is bring their BOA charts to camps. Let's be honest. Isn't the innovation happening at the high school level anyway? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My question is, what exactly is BOA getting out of this? Is DCI going to start funneling money their way, or will there be a merger? There's some amazingly high quality products coming out of BOA recently, but they're still very much an independent organization. Seems like people are drawing connections that aren't really there, outside of the Summer Symposium thing which is a couple of days out of the summer, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAvery Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My question is, what exactly is BOA getting out of this? Is DCI going to start funneling money their way, or will there be a merger? There's some amazingly high quality products coming out of BOA recently, but they're still very much an independent organization. Seems like people are drawing connections that aren't really there, outside of the Summer Symposium thing which is a couple of days out of the summer, correct? Correct me if I'm wrong (and I am sure someone will), but isn't BOA still a private, for-profit company? If they are and were to merge with DCI, how would that work? Honestly, I don't see that happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingusmonk Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Correct me if I'm wrong (and I am sure someone will), but isn't BOA still a private, for-profit company? If they are and were to merge with DCI, how would that work? Honestly, I don't see that happening. Not For Profit. http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/36-3413042/music-all.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 It is possible for not-for-profit organizations to merge. I don't know the details of how the process works, but it happens. Last year we donated some of the proceeds from one of our plays to a social service agency that had lately been formed from the merger of two other such organizations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 As of this season at least, DCI is still all brass, percussion, and color guard. That basic fundamental instrumentation hasn't changed... DCI is still ‘all’ Brass and Percussion and the basic fundamental instrumentation has not changed? Hmmmm.... Definition of a Brass Instrument: A musical instrument which is characterized by a long cylindrical or conical metal tube and ending in a flared bell and produces tones by the vibrations of the player's lips against a cup-shaped mouthpiece while blowing air through the metal tube. Definition of a Percussion Instrument: A musical instrument which is struck to produce sound. Synths, Electric Keyboards, Guitars, Bass Guitars, and other electronics do not fit either one of those definitions. Sometimes those instruments are classified as being in the 'rhythm' section of an ensemble, but that does not make them either Brass or Percussion instruments. So, would you like to revise your statement that DCI is still 'all' Brass and Percussion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 DCI is still ‘all’ Brass and Percussion and the basic fundamental instrumentation has not changed? Hmmmm.... Definition of a Brass Instrument: A musical instrument which is characterized by a long cylindrical or conical metal tube and ending in a flared bell and produces tones by the vibrations of the player's lips against a cup-shaped mouthpiece while blowing air through the metal tube. Definition of a Percussion Instrument: A musical instrument which is struck to produce sound. Synths, Electric Keyboards, Guitars, Bass Guitars, and other electronics do not fit either one of those definitions. Sometimes those instruments are classified as being in the 'rhythm' section of an ensemble, but that does not make them either Brass or Percussion instruments. So, would you like to revise your statement that DCI is still 'all' Brass and Percussion? Pianos are often considered percussion instruments (hammer striking strings), and guitars aren't too far off from that. I'm dubiously stretching it, but I'm OK lumping synth & guitars into brass & percussion. And in context to the last week's mayhem of "oh my god, trombone: the horror" going around, the fundamental sound of drum corps in 2014 will not change from 2013 (or 2005 for that matter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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