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I hereby refuse to support DCI in 2019... who's in?


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1 hour ago, Land_Surfer said:

True but, despite all you mention, they still remained drum & bugle corps.  For the last 10 years, not so much.  Heavy on theatrics, reduced emphasis on the use of drill to visually interpret the music.  Adding electronics is not the same as adding a contra.  If the creative staff(s) think they are attracting a broader appreciation and audience for the organization by using more theatrics and electronics, I think they are wrong.  Who has the highest draw during warm-ups: brass, percussion or guard? 

Maybe 'drum and bugle corps' has changed and you refuse to accept it. It is an art form that is constantly evolving. Just like a 2019 Corvette is WILDLY different from a '65 Corvette, but they are still Corvettes.

Guess what? Electronics exist now in DCI, marching band, WGI, Indoor Winds, concert band, jazz band, etc. It's not going away. And it doesn't make 'drum corps' any less 'drum corps.'

Also - come to Military Park on Finals day when there are literally thousands of people watching horn and drum warmups.

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12 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Well it may not be a hypothesis but in the early 70’s there were over 140 drum corps in eastern Massachusetts alone. I don’t know how many are left.  Maybe 1. At one time there were 3 national caliber corps within a 15 mile radius of Boston; BAC, 27 & Northstar.  Also in the same competitive ranks were Sancians, Pembroke Imperials & Rockland Defenders. 1 remains.

 BAC, 27 and Northstar were all somewhat progressive in their time.  Looking back to those glory years is hypothesis enough for me to know that remaining the same  or being slow to evolve and adapt didn’t keep all the corps around.  I’m not a proponent of including woodwinds into the mix and I’m not a fan of amping brass.  But I like most everything else and I like seeing mm’s do things we couldnt even think of and play better than we ever could.  Maybe one or two corps had players capable of some of it.  But now there are plenty of corps with plenty of players capable of playing their butts off and marching more difficult #%€£ than we could.  There is an old saying that I prescribe to in my every day life and in my work, that I believe brought me some modest amount of personal success:  Adapt or Die.

very few changes of the on field product led to the demise of corps. the lack of funding and business acumen/approach is what killed corps

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1 hour ago, Land_Surfer said:

True but, despite all you mention, they still remained drum & bugle corps.  For the last 10 years, not so much.  Heavy on theatrics, reduced emphasis on the use of drill to visually interpret the music.  Adding electronics is not the same as adding a contra.  If the creative staff(s) think they are attracting a broader appreciation and audience for the organization by using more theatrics and electronics, I think they are wrong.  Who has the highest draw during warm-ups: brass, percussion or guard? 

audience at warmups is hardly an indicator of fan love. it's because drummers are note heads, and more often than not will walk from lot to lot to watch and not pay a ###### penny to go into the stadium.

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27 minutes ago, Lead said:

Maybe 'drum and bugle corps' has changed and you refuse to accept it. It is an art form that is constantly evolving. Just like a 2019 Corvette is WILDLY different from a '65 Corvette, but they are still Corvettes.

Guess what? Electronics exist now in DCI, marching band, WGI, Indoor Winds, concert band, jazz band, etc. It's not going away. And it doesn't make 'drum corps' any less 'drum corps.'

Also - come to Military Park on Finals day when there are literally thousands of people watching horn and drum warmups.

my 2019 Jetta is vastly different than my 08....and the biggest changes? electronics

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1 hour ago, Land_Surfer said:

True but, despite all you mention, they still remained drum & bugle corps.  For the last 10 years, not so much.  Heavy on theatrics, reduced emphasis on the use of drill to visually interpret the music.  Adding electronics is not the same as adding a contra.  If the creative staff(s) think they are attracting a broader appreciation and audience for the organization by using more theatrics and electronics, I think they are wrong.  Who has the highest draw during warm-ups: brass, percussion or guard? 

That s your opinion, which of course you are free to hold. Others back then felt as you are today. What seems like small differences to you looking back was a huge deal back then. Adding electronics was a large addition. Adding contras was as well, in its time. We even started to use some early level of theatrics. In my corps 1971 show (Garfield), we had brass and guard members do a minuet and hoedown to represent the Hessians and colonists in our "America, the Brave" Revolutionary was show. We also passed out a printed libretto in the stands, the early version of "narration".

Bayonne had their horns "march" on their knees, and they had members in all sorts of costumes in addition to the banana uniforms. Set piece drills went away...OTL, color pre...exits, etc. Guards started to spin and toss rifles and then flags...they were new elements at one time. BAC tried to march orchestra bells in 1969, but had to remove them at VFW Nats, as they were not permitted under the rules of the day...ruining an amazing drum show.

Bottom line is you like what you like...no problem with that. To me it just continuing to evolve and change, and I happen to enjoy seeing what designers come up with, and how amazing the members perform the shows.   

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Agree with Mike as all a matter of taste. Personally I got hooked by the horn and perc sound made by only horn and perc. Anything else hides that sound so ugh... Watched my first big DCI show in years last season and parts I liked, parts I didn’t and shook my head at prop city going on. And my main thought on props was the added cost for ?????. Sent pics of the tv screen to show some props to another person and their thought was “this adds to it how?”.

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48 minutes ago, Lead said:

Maybe 'drum and bugle corps' has changed and you refuse to accept it. It is an art form that is constantly evolving. Just like a 2019 Corvette is WILDLY different from a '65 Corvette, but they are still Corvettes.

Guess what? Electronics exist now in DCI, marching band, WGI, Indoor Winds, concert band, jazz band, etc. It's not going away. And it doesn't make 'drum corps' any less 'drum corps.'

Also - come to Military Park on Finals day when there are literally thousands of people watching horn and drum warmups.

Yup, brass and percussion warm-ups attract the most.

 

just because everyone uses electronics doesn't make it right.  Drum corps and marching bands cannot afford the quality of equipment to compliment the natural stereophonic sounds created by brass and percussion.  Today's result is a pestering sound detracting from the sound quality and purity of the ensemble.

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14 minutes ago, Land_Surfer said:

Yup, brass and percussion warm-ups attract the most.

 

just because everyone uses electronics doesn't make it right.  Drum corps and marching bands cannot afford the quality of equipment to compliment the natural stereophonic sounds created by brass and percussion.  Today's result is a pestering sound detracting from the sound quality and purity of the ensemble.

Yes, the “guess what it’s not going away” retort does not compel. 

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27 minutes ago, MikeD said:

That s your opinion, which of course you are free to hold. Others back then felt as you are today. What seems like small differences to you looking back was a huge deal back then. Adding electronics was a large addition. Adding contras was as well, in its time. We even started to use some early level of theatrics. In my corps 1971 show (Garfield), we had brass and guard members do a minuet and hoedown to represent the Hessians and colonists in our "America, the Brave" Revolutionary was show. We also passed out a printed libretto in the stands, the early version of "narration".

Bayonne had their horns "march" on their knees, and they had members in all sorts of costumes in addition to the banana uniforms. Set piece drills went away...OTL, color pre...exits, etc. Guards started to spin and toss rifles and then flags...they were new elements at one time. BAC tried to march orchestra bells in 1969, but had to remove them at VFW Nats, as they were not permitted under the rules of the day...ruining an amazing drum show.

Bottom line is you like what you like...no problem with that. To me it just continuing to evolve and change, and I happen to enjoy seeing what designers come up with, and how amazing the members perform the shows.   

hell they let the South win the war! 

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17 minutes ago, Land_Surfer said:

Yup, brass and percussion warm-ups attract the most.

 

just because everyone uses electronics doesn't make it right.  Drum corps and marching bands cannot afford the quality of equipment to compliment the natural stereophonic sounds created by brass and percussion.  Today's result is a pestering sound detracting from the sound quality and purity of the ensemble.

just so you know...the pit is part of percussion, and they draw some ###### good crowds.

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