Intrigue In Indy

[JoshClements403]

Attitude is still a big problem with high schoolers that march now. I have to work very hard to keep my students grounded and sometimes that means bringing the reality hammer down upon them.

When I was in High school we called it Drum Corps Fever. The kids would almost always think they're better than everyone and they would make sure everyone knew it.

[Eleran]

On the other hand, those kids coming back from DCI usually ARE the best kids in the marching band - they're the ones most committed to putting in the work to be better; they're the ones who have simply spent more time learning and practicing and performing; they're the ones usually the most enthusiastic about what they are doing.

Sure, the arrogance may be a thorn in the director's side, but a director who doesn't want their kids to push themselves to that level is a director who either (a) is himself deluded by his own arrogance that he can teach better than the drum corps, or (b) does not really care if he has marchers who want to push themselves to produce a better performance.

[CrownBariDad]

On the other hand, those kids coming back from DCI usually ARE the best kids in the marching band - they're the ones most committed to putting in the work to be better; they're the ones who have simply spent more time learning and practicing and performing; they're the ones usually the most enthusiastic about what they are doing.

Sure, the arrogance may be a thorn in the director's side, but a director who doesn't want their kids to push themselves to that level is a director who either (a) is himself deluded by his own arrogance that he can teach better than the drum corps, or (b) does not really care if he has marchers who want to push themselves to produce a better performance.

The best HS Drum Corps kids are those who come back from the Summer Tour wanting to share what they've learned without being pushy or arrogant.

Sadly, it's the bad eggs we all too often hear about.

[JoshClements403]

On the other hand, those kids coming back from DCI usually ARE the best kids in the marching band - they're the ones most committed to putting in the work to be better; they're the ones who have simply spent more time learning and practicing and performing; they're the ones usually the most enthusiastic about what they are doing.

Sure, the arrogance may be a thorn in the director's side, but a director who doesn't want their kids to push themselves to that level is a director who either (a) is himself deluded by his own arrogance that he can teach better than the drum corps, or (b) does not really care if he has marchers who want to push themselves to produce a better performance.

From firsthand experience, there's no problem with those kids being better, the problem is when they make other kids in the band feel like crap. We're talking about the minority here though. I rarely meet a kid in drum corps who isn't a great kid

[Forevergreen]

Honestly, if I am not mistaken- I swear hearing Great Gig in the Sky earlier in preseason and then later-seems as if it was edited/rewritten before the version they play now- and imho not as good.

[Yossarian Sam]

...Which, unfortunately, is the exact opposite of the formula they used in 2014 (music first, then visual).

Is this truly "unfortunate", or is it merely a different approach? Obviously visual and music effect are important elements of the activity, and inspiration can come from nearly anywhere for many artists.

[Cappybara]

Honestly, if I am not mistaken- I swear hearing Great Gig in the Sky earlier in preseason and then later-seems as if it was edited/rewritten before the version they play now- and imho not as good.

It is the cost of listening to a show in the pre-season or early season. You end up getting attached to an arrangement and the corps starts to sacrifice musicality for higher scores. It happened to me with a couple corps last year. Maybe I need to stop listening to corps until mid season so that I don't know what I'm missing

[Cappybara]

Is this truly "unfortunate", or is it merely a different approach? Obviously visual and music effect are important elements of the activity, and inspiration can come from nearly anywhere for many artists.

I think it's truly unfortunate. But that's my opinion. For me, the music always comes first. If Phantom Regiment had the most beautiful visual show ever but its pieces were disjointed and lacking, you'd sure as heck hear a lot of complaining because people expect good music from a Phantom Regiment show

[DrumManTx]

...Which, unfortunately, is the exact opposite of the formula they used in 2014 (music first, then visual).

I never would have been able to tell the difference. It fits with the type of music they have adopted, and is just as fun to listen to.

[Yossarian Sam]

I think it's truly unfortunate. But that's my opinion. For me, the music always comes first. If Phantom Regiment had the most beautiful visual show ever but its pieces were disjointed and lacking, you'd sure as heck hear a lot of complaining because people expect good music from a Phantom Regiment show

No doubt, folks would complain about disconnected music. But many complain similarly about visual elements they see as sub-par. And truly, in this activity, a balance needs to exist between the audio and the visual - so by definition, it would probably be impossible to design "the most beautiful visual show ever" if the music didn't fit. But you know that - I'm not trying to be pedantic.

My main point is that obviously the visual side of drum corps is an important point of distinction between it and other musical performance situations. I find it curious that some - and I'm not pointing fingers at any individuals, despite the quote above - seem to find the visual parts less important to the whole. It's not - or at least doesn't have to be - with regard to the creative process.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Yossarian Sam