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Corps Trademark/Identity Observation Thread


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This topic is kinda cheesy, but I think of this every now and then. There are some corps that have something unique about them, but for others, maybe not much right off the bat.

For example, Bloo pretty much has the title of being the hipster corps for their unique show titles and music selections in recent years.

And obviously, the Cavaliers are all about masculinity.

I'm lazy and won't list what I think of what makes every corps unique here. What titles do you all have in mind? No particular reason why I'm asking, just curious

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Yes, Bluecoats are today's cool corps. Hip is a good word. I have said before they have brought a new cool factor to drum corps.

The Blue Devils, for many of their early years, were the cool kids on the block. In the late 90s they became more sophisticated and avant-garde. Today I see them as eclectic jazz. They will take music from all kinds of sources and work it into a jazz-like show. They are diverse visually as well.

Carolina Crown, to me, is the new Phantom Regiment with Star of Indiana like visuals. They have that SOUND, and that coupled with their arranging style has brought them high placements and many fans.

The Cadets remain to me complex and artistic. They are not your typical entertainment. When they get a show right they are wonderfully regal, artistic, and very complex. 

Santa Clara Vanguard to me is New Age. They are a more classical version of what Bloo is with hip/jazz/fusion like music. 

Blue Knights are today's Avant-Garde corps. Sophisticated, diverse, experimental, radical, and unorthodox. 

Sadly for some corps, like Madison and Phantom, I can only say they are searching. I know how I feel about their older identities which were very fan friendly and brought them lots of success.  Back in the day Madison was POWER and Phantom Regiment was REGAL, Classical.  In recent years both corps are searching for the next thing. The next look and feel.

The Cavaliers are a Chameleon corps. They can adapt to any style of music or visual and make it work. From shows like XtraordinarY, to mountain climbing, to vampires, politics, etc., they are willing to tackle anything these days. 

The old Boston Crusaders were Militaristic and Regimented. In 2000 they shifted to a semi-classical approach with modern visual ideas. Today's corps is likely building the new identity with new staff. They are very bold and powerful this season. 

 

Edited by jwillis35
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Identity can be a good thing as described above.  On the other hand, it can also stifle the creative flexibility that has become the hallmark of today's successful corps.   A good example is how corps have adapted costumes to support any given show.    As with the Bluecoats, being hip is being trendy.  In order to stay trendy and relevant, you have to be able to adapt to the times.   In order to adapt, you have to be able evolve your look, sound, and presentation.    In addition to the Bluecoats, consider The Cadets, SCV, and Madison..   When it comes to identity (brand), these corps have, for the better part of their history, projected as strong of an identity as anyone.   And yet, all three corps have realized to some degree or another, that in order to compete within the framework of today's DCI and tastes, getting outside of their "identity" was important to their success and competitive survival.

Identity and trademarks are good.   Having a full pallet of design and freedom to move beyond the preconceived is better. 

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2 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

Carolina Crown, to me, is the new Phantom Regiment with Star of Indiana like visuals. They have that SOUND, and that coupled with their arranging style has brought them high placements and many fans.

Eh, I would argue that Crown is just the new Star, if for no other reasons than (1) in many ways, they somewhat remake themselves each year, while still remaining themselves (see: Star '89 --> Star '90 --> Star '91 --> Star '92; very different shows, but still Star), and (2) many people on their staff are either former Star staff (Hannum), or descended from Star staff in the same way as "coaching trees" in sports (Klesch descended from Prime, Sacktig descended from Zingali), or marched Star (Harloff, who I'd argue is himself descended from Van Doren).

That said, I agree that they do have their Phantom moments (see: all of 2015, only swap top-notch guard and iffy drums for top-notch drums and iffy guard).

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 I never quite understood how some fans see the similarities between Carolina Crown and the Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps, when I see FAR more dissimilarities that pale to the similarities mentioned above on here. For example :

 Carolina Crown moved slowly and methodically up the DCI placement ladder.. a long process. Star came out of the gate like a rocket ship, fueled with immediate financial resources they had from Day One at their disposal.,, and rose up the ranks rapidly.  Top 12 in their first season.

 Star of Indiana utilized very traditional, very conservative uniforms throughout its entire time in DCI. Carolina Crown went very progressive in its attire, cutting edge.

 Star of Indiana had a percussion section that was stellar...winning or placing high in Percussion. Crown is still searching for a medalist percussion section.

 Carolina Crown has always had fan friendly shows.... they have never been booed. Fans love them, almost always.. even this season, the criticism is only slight ( vocalist use and integration ). Star was booed. They were not well liked by a lot of people at the time. Some of it was jealousy, as Star had resources, they did not. Crown has never been subjected to any of this hostility... and certainly never subjected to booing.

 Crown is an east coast.. southern based Corps. Star was a midwest Corps, from Indiana.

 Star voluntarily and unilaterally pulled out of DCI and went in a course that did not include DCI. Carolina Crown threatened to do so with 6 other Corps, but then decided in the end not to do so.

 Star was in DCI only a few years. Crown has been at it for much much longer.

 Star has an Alumni Corps that competes still, and provides exhibitions. Carolina Crown has no such Alumni Corps, despite being in existence much longer, and with no reported future plans to have such a Corps at the Crown Organization.

 Both Star and Crown have this in COMMON however.... both, despite their disimilarities, are and were outstanding Drum Corps that have 1 DCI Title in their resume of outstanding excellence in DCI... and with Carolina Crown afforded future opportunities to win more DCI Titles in the future that Star will no longer have.

 As such, when I watch and listen to the terrific Carolina Crown these days now ( 2017, in particular ), I see and hear a unique and completely dissimilar Corps from that of the equally terrific Star of Indiana from 25-30 years ago, but with so very little in common. The brass lines sounds, the brass arrangements,, the drumlines, percussion arrangements, etc among the two don't even sound remotely alike to me.. .. in the least.  But, maybe thats just me too, who knows.

 

 

 

Edited by BRASSO
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18 minutes ago, BRASSO said:

 I never quite understood how some fans see the similarities between Carolina Crown, when I see FAR more dissimilarities that pale to the similarities mentioned above on here. For example :

 Carolina Crown moved slowly and methodically up the DCI placement ladder.. a long process. Star came out of the gate like a rocket ship, fueled with immediate financial resources they had from Day one at their disposal.,, and rose up the ranks rapidly.  Top 12 in their first season.

 Star of Indiana utilized very traditional, very conservative uniforms throughout its entire time in DCI. Carolina Crown went very progressive in its attire, cutting edge.

 Star of Indiana had a percussion section that was stellar...winning or placing high in Percussion. Crown is still searching for a medalist percussion section.

 Carolina Crown has always had fan friendly shows.... they have never been booed. Fans love them, almost always.. even this season, the criticism is only slight ( vocalist use and integration ). Star was booed. They were not well liked by a lot of people at the time. Some of it was jealousy, as Star had resources, they did not. Crown has never been subjected to any of this hostility... and certainly never subjected to booing.

 

 

 

 

LIKE!  

 ...edited for...      I think sometimes the reference is due to the brass quality - and, of course, the incomparable Matt Harloff, brother Ben, and others - all having ties with Star.  

http://www.carolinacrown.org/index.php/connect/latest-news/156-introducing-the-2017-crown-visual-team

 

 

 

Edited by drumcorpsfever
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5 hours ago, ftwdrummer said:

 

That said, I agree that they do have their Phantom moments (see: all of 2015, only swap top-notch guard and iffy drums for top-notch drums and iffy guard).

I think that was one of the shows that skewed my opinion more toward Phantom Regiment over Star.  Those arrangements were just so Phantom like. Even their 2007 show with the Rossini closing it was killer Phantom like.  The 2008 show was a lot of classical style Phantom like writing as well. But overall I agree. There is a lot of Star in them. But there are also many differences from Star, and someone above noted. 

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I was at a few of the shows where Star of Indiana was booed.  I kept asking the people why they were booing and the only reason I was given was because of their director and the money he put into the corps.  

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9 hours ago, BRASSO said:

 Carolina Crown moved slowly and methodically up the DCI placement ladder.. a long process. Star came out of the gate like a rocket ship, fueled with immediate financial resources they had from Day One at their disposal.,, and rose up the ranks rapidly.  Top 12 in their first season.

Star also had the good fortune of starting up just as my corps, Pride of Cincinnati, was folding. In a coordinated effort with Pride management, Star brought a bus to an early spring camp in Cincy so that when PoC announced they would not field a show that summer, several of the MMs could continue their season in Indy. 

Edited by 3PoC
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5 minutes ago, 3PoC said:

Star also had the good fortune of starting up just as my corps, Pride of Cincinnati, was folding. In a coordinated effort with Pride management, Star brought a bus to an early spring camp in Cincy so that when PoC announced they would not field a show that summer, several of the MMs could continue their season in Indy. 

Doggone it!  I marched a few years too early.   I would have gone in a heartbeat!

Edited by drumcorpsfever
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