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TOC - Warrensburg MO


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This x 10. I hate the over-reliance on the pit to fill in melody. SCV is as guilty as any this year.

And I predict that very soon, a corps will have it's battery remove their drums and do interpretive dance during the horn line's ballad. The battery members will be provided free therapy after every show, of course.

I have seen this in the competitive HS MB world going back to the 80's. In one band I judged, I think Lindenhurst, Long Island, the entire battery removed their drums and did a dance number with the guard for the whole ballad.

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Its the Show Me state.

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Seriously? I have to read every day about how "drum corps was better when it was rotary valves, marching timpanis, star bursts and z-pulls." Literally every day I have to read how something was better 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Now I get called immature because I finally call old windbags old?!

I am going to come at this from a different perspective because I can.

I may represent the longest period of time between competitive seasons for a marching drum corps brass player. I last marched a competitive drum corps show in 2010 with the Buccaneers. Before that, my last competitive show was with the Cavaliers in 1980. That's right, 30 years between competitive drum corps participation. I think I can speak to both sides of this issue.

BITD, marching styles were different, equipment was different and judging was different. We marched high step and still had to keep our feet out of the horns. We played horns that were more challenging to keep in tune. Heck, the horns had a limited number of notes that could even be played. Unless you had good/great range, you couldn't even play more than 2 octave chromatic scale. Sure, we were wind bags, but we blew the snot out of those old horns and a wall of sound was a...

:peek: "WALL OF SOUND" :peek:

More recently, we mark time with only our heels coming off the ground. However, we run while we play. We have much better horns that stay in tune and have a different tone quality. We have brass techs that run around with a tuner on their iPhone. Arrangers can write much more challenging parts and don't have to worry about not being able to play a specific note. And for sound, let's face it, 60 horns "in tune" will always sound stronger than a current group with 300 horns filled with some students (not all) that are only marching to party with "The Band" or get into the football game for free (See college marching bands).

Unless you can say that you were there BITD, and today, you really can't compare the two.

I truly loved marching with the Cavaliers back in 1980 when I got the opportunity to hear the awesome sound from Spirit, the beautiful Jazz of the Blue Devils and the fun of the Bridgemen. I also truly enjoyed marching in 2010 with the Bucs. I now get the opportunity to hear the impressive skills of the students in Crown, BD, Cadets, Bluecoats and so many other fine corps.

Don't be foolish in slamming one generation over another. If it wasn't for the crews back in the 40s & 50s that really started Drum Corps, or the 70s & 80s that started, and built DCI, we wouldn't have the opportunity to hear the top drum corps that you hear today. Respect your elders while enjoying the exuberance of the todays' youth.

Edited by Old Corps Guy
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Chicago's principal trumpet marched DCI.....Chris Martin.

Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal tubist marched DCI with Suncoast Sound in the 80's . . . . .Mike Roylance

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Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal tubist marched DCI with Suncoast Sound in the 80's . . . . .Mike Roylance

Yep, 84 and 87. He was my section leader in 87.

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Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal tubist marched DCI with Suncoast Sound in the 80's . . . . .Mike Roylance

I marched mello at Magic when he was teaching there. The dude seriously knew his stuff!

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