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How does drum corps evolve?


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What influences the change and evolution of design in drum corps over the years? I ask because I assume most designers/judges marched or participated in the activity during 90's and early 2000's and drum corps is WAY different now than it was then.

Do designers want to try and push the envelope for their concept by adding new layers never seen before? I'm just wholly ignorant on all of this and would love anyone's perspective.

 

 

PS. As a side note, do you think we are in a "phase" and drum corps will do like fashion does and return to different phases from the past? As in eventually we will return to more emphasis on marching and playing? Thoughts?

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I don’t think drum corps will ever return to the days of marching faster while playing more notes. The changes made to make guard equal to instrumentalists can’t realistically be undone without tearing apart the financial status of every corps.

What may change is more world class corps, which should mean more regionalized touring.

From an artistic standpoint I suspect we will see more, not less, amplification—but done better. Meaning less thunderous goo.

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2 minutes ago, heyboiay said:

What influences the change and evolution of design in drum corps over the years? I ask because I assume most designers/judges marched or participated in the activity during 90's and early 2000's and drum corps is WAY different now than it was then.

Do designers want to try and push the envelope for their concept by adding new layers never seen before? I'm just wholly ignorant on all of this and would love anyone's perspective.

 

 

PS. As a side note, do you think we are in a "phase" and drum corps will do like fashion does and return to different phases from the past? As in eventually we will return to more emphasis on marching and playing? Thoughts?

Interesting questions. I think you have opened a subject for a firestorm of comments so I'll wait to see what gets posted but IMO for starters, the activity has evolved chasing getting higher scores and developing performance perfection similar to professional football. You have a top tier musically trained professionals training and judging, fans who enjoy the activity and the sport of competition, and members who compete just to get an audition to play with a winning corps, and lastly a number of schools which have a growing number people interested in playing in the band. I'm in California and here all of our schools have reduced or cut their music programs. Both BD and SCV draw heavily from the Texas area.

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11 minutes ago, heyboiay said:

What influences the change and evolution of design in drum corps over the years? I ask because I assume most designers/judges marched or participated in the activity during 90's and early 2000's and drum corps is WAY different now than it was then.

Do designers want to try and push the envelope for their concept by adding new layers never seen before? I'm just wholly ignorant on all of this and would love anyone's perspective.

 

 

PS. As a side note, do you think we are in a "phase" and drum corps will do like fashion does and return to different phases from the past? As in eventually we will return to more emphasis on marching and playing? Thoughts?

Marching members on individual aerial vehicles...with onboard synthesizers/effects loops to plug their horn into to put effects on their horns...soloists hovering 50 feet above the turf. As membership costs increase, holographic members that are projected onto the field or "green screen" VR members who march their whole show with VR glasses on in their basement, and are "added" to the overall corps...Eventually, all marching "members" are programmed robots that don't need water, stand up to the 130 degree days on the future Texas tour....and finally...DCI will just be a computer simulation on your screen. There won't be any marching members, just former DCI fans/designers who can write code. 

That escalated quickly. I apologize in advance. 

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Interesting thought. A lot of times culture is cyclical, although when it returns to an older cycle it is not exactly the same, it is a new twist on the old. So I think Drum Corps design will continue to change, but it will sometimes reflect older traditions in a new way. A continual cycle of new nostalgic reflection, followed by radically new thinking. Just my thought...YMMV.

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8 minutes ago, Rich Cline said:

Interesting questions. I think you have opened a subject for a firestorm of comments so I'll wait to see what gets posted but IMO for starters, the activity has evolved chasing getting higher scores and developing performance perfection similar to professional football. You have a top tier musically trained professionals training and judging, fans who enjoy the activity and the sport of competition, and members who compete just to get an audition to play with a winning corps, and lastly a number of schools which have a growing number people interested in playing in the band. I'm in California and here all of our schools have reduced or cut their music programs. Both BD and SCV draw heavily from the Texas area.

I think all of the top tier corps draw heavily from the Texas area. Your point on arts cuts is taken, though. 

 

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2 minutes ago, PopcornEater1963 said:

I think all of the top tier corps draw heavily from the Texas area. Your point on arts cuts is taken, though. 

 

Yes it's sad. There was a time when the Art's were big in the schools. Not only music but other Art's as well. Not any more. Currently California schools rank #19 in Overall Rankings and #31 out of 50 in 2018 based on U.S. New rankings.

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1 minute ago, Rich Cline said:

Yes it's sad. There was a time when the Art's were big in the schools. Not only music but other Art's as well. Not any more. Currently California schools rank #19 in Overall Rankings and #31 out of 50 in 2018 based on U.S. New rankings.

Georgia overall has pretty shady ratings as a state. We're fortunate to live in Cobb County Georgia when it comes to an arts/marching arts perspective. There are former BOA Grand Nationalists, Super Regional Finalists, etc. about a nine iron from my driveway in any direction you want to hit the ball. 

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8 minutes ago, PopcornEater1963 said:

Georgia overall has pretty shady ratings as a state. We're fortunate to live in Cobb County Georgia when it comes to an arts/marching arts perspective. There are former BOA Grand Nationalists, Super Regional Finalists, etc. about a nine iron from my driveway in any direction you want to hit the ball. 

WOW. What a treat to go watch

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When looking at changes to our “sport’” over the years, the affect of equipment manufacturers should not be overlooked. There is big money to be made by those who service this activity. These firms are constantly finding improvements to our problems and, frankly, using high end drum corps programs to promote their options. Many firms actually hire DCI instructors to represent them. Products that create a buzz leads to sales far outside simply American drum corps. The traditional marching band, scholastic and private, market dwarfs DCI.

Recent uniform evolution is a great example.

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