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Broken Arrow's Answer to Ramps - the Arms Race Continues


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How is 'band' different from 'corps'? The subtleties elude me.

Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. Nearly seven months of practice - 4 of those as cloistered monks minimally aware of their surrounding world outside of gym floors and stadiums. The level of achievement is certainly to a higher level. Dollars to spend is another difference. And all of that makes the experience - you could call it summer marching band camp without woodwinds for now, and be close. I'm not sure there's much difference beyond that.

Never in my long and distinguished career as a benchwarmer have I ever seen HS bands so closely resembling what's in DCI (or vice-versa). And an AWFUL lot of HS bands playing DC arrangement-knock-offs. It's not hard to see that DCI has a ripe crop of highly-trained and experienced kids to choose from. No wonder auditions are so full and such great money-makers for the corps.

If there were just more drum corps to accept them and collect their payments, I'm sure the supply of high-quality talent could support several more corps around the country.

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Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. Nearly seven months of practice - 4 of those as cloistered monks minimally aware of their surrounding world outside of gym floors and stadiums. The level of achievement is certainly to a higher level. Dollars to spend is another difference. And all of that makes the experience - you could call it summer marching band camp without woodwinds for now, and be close. I'm not sure there's much difference beyond that.

....

I'll give you "cloistered", but after watching Clash of the Corps how could you possibly say "monks" ? Might be some vows that don't apply :w00t:

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I'll give you "cloistered", but after watching Clash of the Corps how could you possibly say "monks"? Might be some vows that don't apply. :w00t:

Now I'm imagining a drum corps show based on The Name of the Rose. Would James Horner's score adapt well?

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Now I'm imagining a drum corps show based on The Name of the Rose. Would James Horner's score adapt well?

Not sure there's enough there. Some really nice chorale possibilities but as I recall it's not an action packed soundtrack. Still there's plenty of other Horner scores to draw from. For that matter there's probably brass band lit that's right in line with the concept. What about Pillars of the Earth? Plenty of monks but lots of action as well. (btw if you haven't read that -- it's a great read)

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Now I'm imagining a drum corps show based on The Name of the Rose. Would James Horner's score adapt well?

Crown already did that in Inferno, ha, ha. Eco, Eco, Eco...

(You have to read the book....or the long form of the movie.)

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It's all a bit circular though, isn't it? The judges work for DCI, which effects the collective decisions of the corps, so ultimately the corps could decide that such an approach was acceptable, if they wanted to. Apparently they don't want to. Is that because they think audiences won't like it, or for other reasons?

Yeah - the judges work for DCI.

Say a corps came out with a minimalist program and the judges didn't like it. As a result initial scoring is lower than expected.

More likely than not, the corps makes changes to appease the judges (and raise the score). It's no longer about the original intent of the program, but about appeasing the judges and hopefully raising the score.

Corps still have a choice. How many stick with the original design of the program?

Few if any. The judges may work for DCI, but in the end they control what gets rewarded.

Edited by Fish
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Yeah - the judges work for DCI.

Say a corps came out with a minimalist program and the judges didn't like it. As a result initial scoring is lower than expected.

More likely than not, the corps makes changes to appease the judges (and raise the score). It's no longer about the original intent of the program, but about appeasing the judges and hopefully raising the score.

Corps still have a choice. How many stick with the original design of the program?

Few if any. The judges may work for DCI, but in the end they control what gets rewarded.

Sure, in the course of the season. But then next Januals, those corps who want shows to be more minimalist advocate for that change, no?

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