Why aren't woodwinds allowed in DCI?

[dcifangirl]

I'm really unaware of what SoundSport is honestly.

It's EXACTLY what you suggested.

[CrownBariDad]

I'm really unaware of what SoundSport is honestly.

It's a new DCI initiative started a year or so ago along with Drumline Battle. I think any sort of instrumentation is allowed. A few drum corps who have folded (I think Glassmen is one) have come back as SoundSport teams. The smaller groups and lesser travel demands are kinder to the finances.

[Cappybara]

Yes, but a lot of high schools fail in recruiting enough woodwinds to balance out the brass. You ALWAYS need more woodwinds than brass. With the correct balance, the sound from the flutes and clarinets would reach the box. I say flutes and clarinets because saxophones generally don't have that problem.

Regardless, I've marched woodwinds, I've marched brass. Is it easier to project sound with brass? Of course. But if they did allow woodwinds in DCI, then I'm sure corps directors would take only the best, and one of the boxes on audition sheets would be "projection".

With that being said, do I think they should allow woodwinds? Yes and no. I love DCI in its current state. Do I think woodwind players should have the same opportunity as brass players? Absolutely. Maybe they could come up with another class that would allow woodwinds in? I don't know. Just my thoughts.

Are you sure about that? Every band that I've been in has had a need for more brass and less woodwinds. In my college band, I was forced to switch to mello from piccolo because they literally did not have enough mellos.

But yeah, woodwinds are for SoundSport. Let DCI be DCI

[UKSuperman]

Are you sure about that? Every band that I've been in has had a need for more brass and less woodwinds. In my college band, I was forced to switch to mello from piccolo because they literally did not have enough mellos.

But yeah, woodwinds are for SoundSport. Let DCI be DCI

In Kentucky it's the opposite. Plenty of Brass, woodwinds are to be desired in some schools. The upper classes have plenty, it's the smaller schools that lack woodwinds. I attended a 4A school with plenty brass but we lacked woodwinds.

Now that I understand what SoundSport is, I agree, let DCI be DCI. Question though, is SoundSport performed inside or outside? I guess I need to do some research.

[N.E. Brigand]

Are you sure about that? Every band that I've been in has had a need for more brass and less woodwinds. In my college band, I was forced to switch to mello from piccolo because they literally did not have enough mellos.

But yeah, woodwinds are for SoundSport. Let DCI be DCI

I think competitive high school marching bands usually have more woodwinds than brass for the very reason UKS has given. I just did a quick count for William Mason H.S., the band from my state who did best at last year's BOA Grand Nationals (finishing fourth), and it appears they had:

82 woodwinds

72 brass

21 battery (6/4/5/6)

27 pit

117 guard

For a total of 319 not counting the drum majors.

I should note that the approximately 50 of the guard members were more like glorified stagehands and bit actors, whose primary job was to dance around and manipulate the many large "fire escape" props (it was a West Side Story show).

That actually seems heavier on brass than many competition bands I've seen, but I'm not going to go count any others just now.

On the other hand, many college bands (and non-competitive h.s. bands) are less concerned with achieving the wind ensemble sound the competitive bands desire. Their interest is getting the music as loud as possible (not necessarily in a bad way) to entertain a noisy audience during halftime. Accordingly they want more brass and less woodwind.

[Lance]

Are you sure about that? Every band that I've been in has had a need for more brass and less woodwinds. In my college band, I was forced to switch to mello from piccolo because they literally did not have enough mellos.

it's like that for every hs i've ever taught. we get as many WW early on to switch to brass for field show. completely separate from symphonic band and orchestra, of course.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Lance

[shmeg212]

Because the drum corps we know today descended from military drum and bugle corps where it was literally just percussion and brass. Over time, yeah we started allowing electronics, rotary valve bugles, 2 valved bugles, 3 valved bugles, spinning flags, pitted front ensemble, all brass instruments, and each show is now marching more than just 10 sets, but throughout all of these changes, it is still just brass, percussion, and colorguard. You can say anything you want about trombones and electronics but within the whole picture, as long as it has those three elements, it is still technically a drum corps.

[BRASSO]

the drum corps we know today descended from military drum and bugle corps where it was literally just percussion and brass.

For historical accuracy here, The original Military Drum Corps did not have Brass. They had woodwinds. ( fifes ). They were called " Fife & Drum Corps". ( 1700's ) Later, brass bugles were added to the fifes ( late 1800's ). The " Bugle " was seen as a better fit to call the military unit to formation sound wise for distance, ie the so called " the bugle call ". Drum Corps, even into the 1930's, that were afiliated with Church, veterans groups had competitions in which the" Drum Corps" has bugles, fifes, and drums in their units in competition. Woodwinds thus were indeed incorporated along with the brass, percussion, color guard. into these early" Drum Corps" .Percussion generally was the largest section in many of these post WW1 Drum Cops too. Later, ( post WW2) units self segmented themselves into the original Drum corps for competition ( Fife & Drum Corps ) and the progressive wing called the Drum & Brass ( or Bugle or Bugle and/ or Bells ) Corps. Later, moving forward Into the late 40's into the early 60's, some circuits had separate divisions for " Drum & Bugle Corps ", and another for " Marching Bands " often competing in the same show, before the same judges, same judging captions, same audience, on the same football field. But they were intentionally kept separate and most easily and clearly identified by the instrumentation usage. It is worth noting, that it was the Drum & Bugle Corps division that always went on last in these shows, as they were generally considered more appealing for the public audiences, and many looked forward to these Drum & Bugle Corps performing in competition after the Marching Bands completed their shows in competition. Anyway, 'thought I'd take a few seconds for a brief few seconds trip down the" Drum Corps" history lane today to clarify a couple of things for any posters here interested in our Family Tree.

Edited July 2, 2016 by BRASSO

[HornTeacher]

I can only tell you HornTeacher, and in no uncertain terms, that the last straw for me with DCI, is if they someday allow Bagpipers on " all scotch ", to compete in DCI competition.

I could just imagine the horror with the narration and/ or singing portion of their show, you know what I'm sayin' ?

Hence, the historical basis for the necessity of Scotch.

[critter]

Corps would be better suited to expanding he size of their on field cymbal sections. If you are going to add members that most audience members wouldn't even notice, you should at least make them play instruments that cost a lot less to maintain. This means those extra tour fees are much more profitable for the corps.