Kamarag Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) What is your logic, by the way? The logic I see here for "evolution" is that kids want what is promoted in popular music, kids want what is available to them, kids want what they already have in other performing ensembles, and that is why we need electronics. Well, woodwinds fit that description too. The prevailing "logic" suggests that we must therefore also include woodwinds in drum corps. To refuse would be to cease "evolution", and thus die. Agree or disagree? I've said this before in other threads, but it bears repeating: Drum corps will most likely never have whole sections of woodwinds marching on the field. It's impractical, you'll mostly never hear them, and it's cost prohibitive on a scale far beyond what any corps can budget for (electronics aren't anywhere near as expensive as people seem to believe, but woodwinds would blow people's minds with the cost of purchase and upkeep). Woodwind *sounds* are already legal (in DCI, and now DCA). Even if woodwinds were made legal, the most you'd see is amplified instruments in the pit. But the difference is this: There has been a push for the legalization of electronics in by designers and more importantly, instructors. There is zero push for the legalization of woodwinds. I seriously doubt there will be anytime soon. Edited December 9, 2014 by Kamarag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Haven't weighed in much on this... because, hey, whatever happens, happens, and life will go on regardless of anything I say or do on any subject....LOL... But for many years now.... back to the late 1990s for me... I've thought that the all-age corps, on average, could perhaps do an even better job with the use of electronics than the DCI corps... because the all-agers, by the nature of the beast (having members past the age of 22) would have access to professional announcers and professional board ops/special effects and electronics experts... some of whom might already be involved with a given corps as a marching member or staff member. My two cents. Worth about... two cents. Without inflation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I've said this before in other threads, but it bears repeating: Drum corps will most likely never have whole sections of woodwinds marching on the field. It's impractical, you'll mostly never hear them, and it's cost prohibitive on a scale far beyond what any corps can budget for (electronics aren't anywhere near as expensive as people seem to believe, but woodwinds would blow people's minds with the cost of purchase and upkeep). Woodwind *sounds* are already legal (in DCI, and now DCA). Even if woodwinds were made legal, the most you'd see is amplified instruments in the pit. But the difference is this: There has been a push for the legalization of electronics in by designers and more importantly, instructors. There is zero push for the legalization of woodwinds. I seriously doubt there will be anytime soon. Why do scholastic bands march whole sections of woodwinds, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 But for many years now.... back to the late 1990s for me... I've thought that the all-age corps, on average, could perhaps do an even better job with the use of electronics than the DCI corps... because the all-agers, by the nature of the beast (having members past the age of 22) would have access to professional announcers and professional board ops/special effects and electronics experts... some of whom might already be involved with a given corps as a marching member or staff member. Suddenly picturing Fran Haring with a wireless mic on a front-field stage in the Sunrisers 2015 production... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Why do scholastic bands march whole sections of woodwinds, then? Who supplys the woodwinds, school district or the marchers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Who supplys the woodwinds, school district or the marchers? Good question. Generally speaking, the smaller, cheaper stuff are rented by the students or student owned. The "bigger" stuff are generally district provided whether brass or Woodwinds. Quality saxes are starting to go through the roof, and I've been trying to price a new Hirsbrunner Stealth Euphonium for myself, for instance. The base Hirsbrunner was 4k back in 1985 when I first priced one, and from what I can figure out, 8-10k new would be the range. Tubas-- through the roof. A good Mirafone 5 rotor was 6K back in 1980. So... Pics, Clarinets, Trumpets, some saxes are generally student owned. In some schools, everything is generally provided because of the lower-income backgrounds of the students. It well may explain why a lot of the big cities have no instrumental music program to speak of and really never have. It also explains a lot as to why Jupiter's made the inroads it's made-- districts selling to the low bidder, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) Thanks W since you know the area, my old MB (Central Dauphin) only supplied the percussion and heavy tailed brass tubas. Band was non-competing in the 70s and competing in the 80s. Everything else was supplied by the students but (thank goodness) the district had a great rent to own program with Menchey(sp?) (3 yrs to pay off) for the students that could be started in the 4th grade. LOL my trombone somehow survived 15+ years of use from the time my folks started the rental until my sis graduated 9 yrs after me. Paying for the easily stolen equipment could explain a lot about less affluent districts. Edited December 9, 2014 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I've said this before in other threads, but it bears repeating: Drum corps will most likely never have whole sections of woodwinds marching on the field. But the difference is this: There has been a push for the legalization of electronics in by designers and more importantly, instructors. There is zero push for the legalization of woodwinds. I seriously doubt there will be anytime soon. Seems like we have heard this before. People were saying just a year ago that amping the pits would not lead to full blown electronics. Now here we are. DCI and DCA want woodwinds no doubt about it. They just want to time it just right so they don't #### off a large section of the alumni. DCI and DCA slowly erroded into marching band by Going to Multi key, then amping the pits then full blown electronics then to concert band instruments. Had they tried to get all of that at once there would have been a revolt like crazy and the stands would have been empty and alumni contributions would have declined rapidly. No woodwinds are coming. Cant say when but they are coming. Someone will get it voted in by saying we need the added color and they will only be used for solo work. They have to have the woodwinds because a lot of serious music majors that's their primary instrument and we are keeping them out of DCI DCA. Ive heard Hopkins blabber that enough to know that is the spin they are putting on it. So YES woodwinds are coming. Welcome to MArching Band Planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 OK, well thanks for answering that question. I do appreciate it. Mind you, here's how I read your answer: corps need to cater to dumb kids. It's like George Lucas explaining years ago why explosions in the near-vacuum of space are audible in Star Wars: the audience doesn't know any better. It's sad, really. it's quite the opposite. corps need to cater to smart kids. Kids can go to DCI, they can stay in band, or they can do DCA...and DCA is supposed to be like band, only better and cooler. Well, without all of the same options, it wasn't like band. Close, but not quite. Look, I'm 45....I love old, I love new. But my happy fat ### is not the future of DCA. DCA, far more than DCi has an aging audience base, and they need to rope kids in to not just march, but become hooked for life so that in 20 some years, it'll be their happy fat ##### on DCP #####ing about the anti gravity shoes being legal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 And I find it hysterical when people suggest that electronics are necessary for drum corps to survive. Like this: I find it hysterical that people refuse to get it. kids want what they see others having. let's see if I'm 18, and I can go somewhere that's cutting edge, and maybe go broke...or I can go to DCA, but it's kinda stuck in the past because fans ##### too much....I risk going broke. the future of DCA is not in it's aging fan base., the future of DCA is the kids there now, and the ones to come who will become us, and hopefully grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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