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Lament of an old timer.....


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I have posted in this forum trying to understand why drum corps as I know it has died, and I am sad to say that after hearing the responses, I must agree, it has changed into something else that I don’t like.  I first want to say, that I was from a small local corps.  We were sponsored by a local volunteer fire department.  Most of went to the same school, and our parents were members of the local volunteer fire departments.  The corps was formed in the 50’s and marched into the 80’s.  Uncle Bert as he was known was the director for all those years.  We were like family.  We marched in local parades, participated in local M&M Circuits and performed at little league openings and special events.  All we needed was a school bus and a step van for the equipment.  There were no dues or fees.  We raised money through fund drives going door to door or on standing on main street.  You can’t compare the local corps to Hawthorne, the Skyliners, or Blessed Sacrament.  We weren’t in the same league.  But, we had spirit and drive. 

As for the corps of today, it’s like the music of today.  It may be technically better.  But, I don’t like it.  I like the Hassles when Billy Joel was the keyboard player.  It was just good old “Rock and Roll”.  Just like the corps of the 60’s. 

So, what I’m saying is that sure in most people’s opinion today’s corps rock, I just miss my old time drum corps and wish it could live on.  The sound was like rock and roll.

But, I feel that our legacy is leaving out the very heart and soul of drum corp.  The local kids who want to play in a corps.  Not just those talented few. 

 

Grenadier

Edited by Grenadier
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21 hours ago, Grenadier said:

 

But, I feel that our legacy is leaving out the very heart and soul of drum corp.  The local kids who want to play in a corps.  Not just those talented few. 

 

Grenadier

 

I defy you to show up at any DCA rehearsal and tell them that. You can come to mine anytime you want, and I'll stick you in the middle of the horn arc. And you can tell them they don't have the heart and soul you had back in your day.

 

But you won't.

Edited by Kamarag
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Sounds sort of the like arguments about BLM. Some people read an "Only" before the phrase. Others read an "Too" after it.

In other words, you could both be right. Everyone in Cabs, Bucs, C2, etc. has "rock and roll" drum corps heart and soul. But not everyone who has rock and roll drum corps heart and soul is in a corps.

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My Dear Medford Grenadier Friend,

I have fond memories of your corps and even wrote some charts for them a few years after you marched. Mr. Ellis and the rest of the parents were a great bunch who ran the team like a big family.

Before you write the obituary for drum corps with that approach I think you should go to dci.org and click on "corps", then note how many there are in the Open Class Division, like Music City, Legends, Les Stentors 7th Regiment, Louisiana Stars...et al.

Go to their websites and you will find units that are local, community-based and of a scale quite similar to the corps in which you marched.

They would welcome your support, I'm certain.

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15 hours ago, Kamarag said:

 

I defy you to show up at any DCA rehearsal and tell them that. You can come to mine anytime you want, and I'll stick you in the middle of the horn arc. And you can tell them they don't have the heart and soul you had back in your day.

 

But you won't.

You missed my point.  It's not that the kids today don't have heart and soul.  Sure they put everything they have  into it.  They are probably more talented then the average drum corps member in the '60's.  What I am saying that the corps in the 60's had your everyday kids join.  They joined because they wanted to be a part of something.  Some didn't even know how to play.  A number of us older corps members became the instructors.  Almost every town with in a 10 mile radius had a corps.  They were small.  The heart and soul of the corps is not only the music and performance.  It about the spirit of the corps, the team spirit and the friendships.  The feeling that when you enter the field that your doing your best because to paraphrase "Drumline"  when one sounds bad you all sound bad".  Also, personally I like the sound of the earlier corps.  But, that's my taste. Maybe my problem is I long for the days of community and hometown spirit which has been lost around these parts for years.

 

Grenadier

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4 hours ago, Grenadier said:

You missed my point.  It's not that the kids today don't have heart and soul.  Sure they put everything they have  into it.  They are probably more talented then the average drum corps member in the '60's.  What I am saying that the corps in the 60's had your everyday kids join.  They joined because they wanted to be a part of something.  Some didn't even know how to play.  A number of us older corps members became the instructors.  Almost every town with in a 10 mile radius had a corps.  They were small.  The heart and soul of the corps is not only the music and performance.  It about the spirit of the corps, the team spirit and the friendships.  The feeling that when you enter the field that your doing your best because to paraphrase "Drumline"  when one sounds bad you all sound bad".  Also, personally I like the sound of the earlier corps.  But, that's my taste. Maybe my problem is I long for the days of community and hometown spirit which has been lost around these parts for years.

 

Grenadier

 

FWIW, we have *many* local kids in our corps (Hawthorne, Fair Lawn, etc). The majority of the corps come from north Jersey. Several of our brass line members are indeed learning the instrument for the first time...

They *are* today's "everyday kid". They all "joined because they wanted to be a part of something."  

"Some didn't even know how to play." (See above)

" A number of us older corps members became the instructors." Many of Cabs' instructional staff marched in the corps before moving on to teaching (you'll find that in every corps).

"The heart and soul of the corps is not only the music and performance.  It about the spirit of the corps, the team spirit and the friendships.  The feeling that when you enter the field that your doing your best because to paraphrase "Drumline"  when one sounds bad you all sound bad".

Congrats, you just described every corps on the field in DCA today. 

"Maybe my problem is I long for the days of community and hometown spirit which has been lost around these parts for years."

I can't speak for many other corps, but I can assure you the "community and hometown spirit" is alive and well in places like Hawthorne and Reading (and likely many others).

Look, you don't like today's drum corps. That's fine. But don't make baseless claims and accusations when you're simply ill-informed. The fact is that the "kids off the street" corps are indeed aren't there anymore...that role was taken over by scholastic bands. And scholastic bands do it *way* better than the local corps of yesteryear did it.

Today's kids are indeed more talented. They are also instructed by way better teachers, administered by folks that have the best interest of the folks involved and the health of the corps in mind to a far greater extent (did you folks even think about insurance back in the day?), and in an era of monumentally increased costs, field fiscally healthy and responsible corps.

Kids have changed, and so have audiences. I fail to understand why you have to diminish today's corps, and that's exactly what you've done, despite your claims otherwise, in order to put your rose-colored-time-travel-glasses on.

Why can't you simply accept and enjoy both? 

Edited by Kamarag
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I share some of the same melancholy thoughts as Grenadier as I continue on my lifelong attraction to drum corps. I've been "saved," so to speak, by embracing television drum corps, meaning the current FloMarching schedule.  I always choose the Multi-Cam option. There, I still see the same youthful enthusiasm and growth potential of the best young adults from someone's neighborhood. Their faces, their sweat, their exhilaration upon receiving applause, and sometimes much greater audience reaction. What we did years ago, what we gained years ago, is still happening.  The packaging is just different.

I've concluded the reality is . . .  I'm simply lamenting me growing older. The drum corps activity goes on and will, ultimately, out-live me. That's the good.

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5 hours ago, Kamarag said:

 

FWIW, we have *many* local kids in our corps (Hawthorne, Fair Lawn, etc). The majority of the corps come from north Jersey. Several of our brass line members are indeed learning the instrument for the first time...

They *are* today's "everyday kid". They all "joined because they wanted to be a part of something."  

"Some didn't even know how to play." (See above)

" A number of us older corps members became the instructors." Many of Cabs' instructional staff marched in the corps before moving on to teaching (you'll find that in every corps).

"The heart and soul of the corps is not only the music and performance.  It about the spirit of the corps, the team spirit and the friendships.  The feeling that when you enter the field that your doing your best because to paraphrase "Drumline"  when one sounds bad you all sound bad".

Congrats, you just described every corps on the field in DCA today. 

"Maybe my problem is I long for the days of community and hometown spirit which has been lost around these parts for years."

I can't speak for many other corps, but I can assure you the "community and hometown spirit" is alive and well in places like Hawthorne and Reading (and likely many others).

Look, you don't like today's drum corps. That's fine. But don't make baseless claims and accusations when you're simply ill-informed. The fact is that the "kids off the street" corps are indeed aren't there anymore...that role was taken over by scholastic bands. And scholastic bands do it *way* better than the local corps of yesteryear did it.

Today's kids are indeed more talented. They are also instructed by way better teachers, administered by folks that have the best interest of the folks involved and the health of the corps in mind to a far greater extent (did you folks even think about insurance back in the day?), and in an era of monumentally increased costs, field fiscally healthy and responsible corps.

Kids have changed, and so have audiences. I fail to understand why you have to diminish today's corps, and that's exactly what you've done, despite your claims otherwise, in order to put your rose-colored-time-travel-glasses on.

Why can't you simply accept and enjoy both? 

I wouldn't bother anymore trying to explain what is happening in today's drumcorps activity to this guy. It seems all he does is post on all the forums the same thing over and over and over and over. I've given up trying to comment on things.

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1 hour ago, HBD said:

I wouldn't bother anymore trying to explain what is happening in today's drumcorps activity to this guy. It seems all he does is post on all the forums the same thing over and over and over and over. I've given up trying to comment on things.

Don't bother because you ignorant of the facts.  There use to be dozens of corps on Long Island.  The Skyliners, Sunrisers, Smithtown Freelancers and Plebes, the Golden Grenadiers, Portsman, Czechmates, West Sayville Golden Eagles, the Lindenhurst Legionaires, and dozens more.  Now there is only one corps on Long Island, the Sunrisers.  Explain that HBD!  If drum corps is alive and well.  Why does in not exist on an island with over 2 million people.  Get over yourself.

 

Grenadier

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24 minutes ago, Grenadier said:

Don't bother because you ignorant of the facts.  There use to be dozens of corps on Long Island.  The Skyliners, Sunrisers, Smithtown Freelancers and Plebes, the Golden Grenadiers, Portsman, Czechmates, West Sayville Golden Eagles, the Lindenhurst Legionaires, and dozens more.  Now there is only one corps on Long Island, the Sunrisers.  Explain that HBD!  If drum corps is alive and well.  Why does in not exist on an island with over 2 million people.  Get over yourself.

 

Grenadier

How many times do people have to explain it to you? Frank Dorrite even tried, Fran Haring tried, you just don't want to accept the explanations. Get over yourself!

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