cixelsyd Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 8:01 PM, corps8294 said: The change or "evolution" of the activity is occurring at a much faster rate than it was from the '70s to '80s, '80s to '90s, '90s to '00s. Part of this rapid change about is the significant growth and popularity of BOA and WGI. It used to be DCI and the drum corps activity that had the influence in the marching performing arts; BOA and WGI looked to the drum corps activity for inspiration. Now, it's the other way around. Most of the movers and shakers in the in the drum corps activity are coming from BOA and WGI programs as a lot of the classic big names are retiring, passing the torch to their younger counterparts, or (sadly) passing on. The instrumentation allowed in the activity is becoming more closely related to marching bands and the look and design of the corps and their shows are heavily influenced by WGI. The young men and women in the ranks love and embrace what's going on and they are the ones that are keeping the corps alive. There are some things I'm not crazy about (sousaphones? really?); but, if the members dig the changes and keeps them coming back, so be it. This is their time and era. What kind of "popularity" are you referring to? Among the marching arts design establishment, or with audiences? And in either case, what leads you to your conclusion? Is it just the increased similarity of design, or do you have quantifiable data of some kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 1:24 PM, garfield said: OK, you're a show producer at DCI and you want to attract kids to your drum corps show, likely several years prior to their marching in corps. What do you do? Make Youtube video's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 7:01 PM, corps8294 said: The change or "evolution" of the activity is occurring at a much faster rate than it was from the '70s to '80s, '80s to '90s, '90s to '00s. Part of this rapid change about is the significant growth and popularity of BOA and WGI. It used to be DCI and the drum corps activity that had the influence in the marching performing arts; BOA and WGI looked to the drum corps activity for inspiration. Now, it's the other way around. Most of the movers and shakers in the in the drum corps activity are coming from BOA and WGI programs as a lot of the classic big names are retiring, passing the torch to their younger counterparts, or (sadly) passing on. The instrumentation allowed in the activity is becoming more closely related to marching bands and the look and design of the corps and their shows are heavily influenced by WGI. The young men and women in the ranks love and embrace what's going on and they are the ones that are keeping the corps alive. There are some things I'm not crazy about (sousaphones? really?); but, if the members dig the changes and keeps them coming back, so be it. This is their time and era. I think you are onto something. I just can't get with it. Last year a large population of the activity really dug BlueCoats. I had many thoughts about the bluecoats and very few were good. Good thing I was not judging I would have laid waste to the skateboard track. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 8 minutes ago, E3D said: Good thing I was not judging I would have laid waste to the skateboard track. Then you probably would have knocked the BD for their clothes racks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Just now, Ghost said: Then you probably would have knocked the BD for their clothes racks. That or chairs / mirrors. If I was a field judge I would toss few flash bangs in there to get everyone out onto the field ,,,, at least trying to do some drill or imagine it ....play an instrument without sound amplification and alteration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Just now, E3D said: If I was a field judge I would toss few flash bangs in there to get everyone out onto the field ,,,, at least trying to do some drill or imagine it ....play an instrument without sound amplification and alteration. Might be tough with so many snowflakes involved. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Need a safety pin emote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 (edited) These guys play 3 or 4 tunes that would make a good corps sound. Or maybe someone should contact the old Suncoast Sound folks and buy their music Florida Suite. That would be a good start for a revolution. Go all the way back into the crowd please'rsss. Edited May 8, 2017 by E3D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 (edited) I, too, feel we may see some crazy stuff this summer. I, however, believe the latest revolution (if we want to call it that) began some years ago and has slowly brought us to this current stage of drum corps. There has been a lot of experimenting, and that coupled with rules changes has made way for the designs we are seeing in today's shows. To me, it started with Bb/F 3-valve brass inclusion in 2000. It continued with amplification and electronic instruments in the pit. It was things like the use of drum speak/rap in the Cadets 2005 show, narration (used by many corps), singing, the Blue Devils "Risking Absurdity" show in 2008. We've seen a rise in the use of props, more staging, more body movement, more ensemble vocals (like Crown 2013, 2014), and the soundscapes and show design of the Bluecoats who have taken concepts like tilting, sound & noise, and sliding and worked them into fantastic shows that pack a musical and visual punch that has grabbed many fans. We've seen the inclusion of WGI concepts; perhaps more than we did in the 90s or early 2000s. BOA has had an influence as well, but not for the reasons that people on here are claiming. BOA is nice, but it is no where near as popular as DCI. Not even close. BOA's influence on DCI has more to do with rules. For many years the bands that compete in BOA (and even other state-level competitions) were allowed to use a wider variety of instruments on the field, in the pit. They have long been using synths, other electronic gear, as well as acoustic instruments like violin, string bass, bassoon, oboe, etc. DCI seems to have moved in this direction and now allows most of this except woodwinds. I pray woodwinds are never allowed. But who knows where DCI will cut the chord on all these advances. Does DCI have an idea in their collective heads as to what the modern American Drum & Bugle Corps should look like? Or are they fine with making it no different from band? The next few years could be pivotal. Might we hit a saturation point with all the craziness, or can this current movement into the future sustain itself? I honestly have no idea. Might we see a return to more traditional forms of marching and playing with minimal use of props, dance, body movement, electronic sound design, and more? Probably not in the next 5 to 7 years, but I wouldn't bet against it. I agree with the OP though that we may see some craziness this summer. There have been many things that have led us to this point, but the 5 or 6 shows that have really opened the door are: Bluecoats 2016 Blue Devils 2015 Carolina Crown 2013 Blue Devils 2010 Carolina Crown 2014 Bluecoats 2014 Yes, Cadets 2011 is a fantastic show, and one of my all-time favs; but it is still mostly marching and playing. It had a great theme and was staged impeccably well with guard, brass, and percussion. You can argue BD 2012, but I don't feel they quite had the influence on other corps with that show. SCV the past few years has been just beautiful, but still mostly traditional with some props (much like their 1988/89 Phantom shows). There are other shows that have been innovative and fresh. Blue Stars have done some excellent work in recent years, and I loved Academy this past year. But I list the six shows (3 corps) above because they have not only taken things the furthest, but have also placed the highest consistently in recent years. If we continue to see changes, my bet is that the staff and admin teams for all the other corps in the activity are looking at, assessing, and dissecting the shows that Bluecoats, Crown, and BD have put out in the past 7 or 8 years. Edited May 8, 2017 by jwillis35 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 1 hour ago, E3D said: These guys play 3 or 4 tunes that would make a good corps sound. Or maybe someone should contact the old Suncoast Sound folks and buy their music Florida Suite. That would be a good start for a revolution. Go all the way back into the crowd please'rsss. By far, my favorite Suncoast show. That drum line, and particularly those bass drums, were hot as heck. This was a beautiful show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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