Time to Say Goodbye, after 15 years

[cybersnyder]

3 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I think it is highly unlikely to have a WW section in the corps proper. I can see the day that a solo WW or two are used as featured solos or as a small group from the pit.

If that’s the case, would many of the legacy fans bolt for the door? How would they react if a Benny Goodman type clarinet solo opened Rhapsody in Blue? 

That would be ok. 

[GUARDLING]

11 minutes ago, cybersnyder said:

But closer to the free side than $5k / season. There aren't many competitive bands around me, but the school system implemented a policy where students couldn't be charged more than $50 for an activity. I guess that's more fair to students where money is really tight, but it killed the few competition bands that were around. So in the end, I'm not sure it was really as fair as intended.

Ive worked in places where the guard programs for winter were over a thousand and for both fall and winter were over 4 grand..Yes not all are like this but several are. The difference is in some places there was programs in place to help those who needed help.

[Terri Schehr]

8 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I think it is highly unlikely to have a WW section in the corps proper. I can see the day that a solo WW or two are used as featured solos or as a small group from the pit.

If that’s the case, would many of the legacy fans bolt for the door? How would they react if a Benny Goodman type clarinet solo opened Rhapsody in Blue? Would that be the end of drum corps for you? 

I’m fine with that.  Just not marching on the field. 

[GUARDLING]

37 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

I’m fine with that.  Just not marching on the field. 

I think that's what will be seen..at least for now

[MikeD]

1 hour ago, Terri Schehr said:

I’m fine with that.  Just not marching on the field. 

Sad to say, my guess is that is what will happen. 

[greg_orangecounty]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I think it is highly unlikely to have a WW section in the corps proper. I can see the day that a solo WW or two are used as featured solos or as a small group from the pit.

If that’s the case, would many of the legacy fans bolt for the door? How would they react if a Benny Goodman type clarinet solo opened Rhapsody in Blue?

First they came for the Pits and I said nothing......

[Jeff Ream]

15 hours ago, garfield said:

Of course there's no guarantee, but there's never been one and, while kids will pay fees, you can't ignore from the equation the 2.2 new sets of eyeballs that those MMs drag along for several years.

Corps have been fielding for years without member costs covering member expenses and I wouldn't expect that to change with a new busload of members.

 

but is this increase guaranteed at every show? No. there's already talk of going to fewer yet larger in terms of corps performing shows. Does that guarantee the corps more revenue from those shows? or do they actually lose by having fewer performances? after all, even with fewer shows, you're still paying housing, food, fuel and insurance on those days you don't have a show

[Jeff Ream]

12 hours ago, Lance said:

In their minds, it was no longer a bugle with those modifications.

I know some of you weren't around when people were on here were arguing for hundreds of pages over dictionary definitions about what a "bugle" was when Bb was legalized back in '00, and how allowing Bb annihilated the very idea of what made a drum corps unique from a marching band.  It was very real, and their arguments were exactly the same as we have in this here gem of a thread.  And that was a smaller change than going from valveless to valved.  

I've been descriptive and fact-based in what I've said, not argumentative.  I don't care how you or anybody else defines "bugle". 

I think some on here have a hard time distinguishing between people saying the following:

1. Woodwinds belong in DCI. 

2. Woodwinds are most likely coming to DCI soon. 

I think most of the good posters on here are saying #2, but some crazies conflate it with #1 for reasons passing understanding.   

FYI, no one was here in 2000 arguing Bb when it was approved. DCP didn't start until 2002

[Jeff Ream]

9 hours ago, Tim K said:

In a few weeks there will be videos from the BOA Grand National Championship with people wondering whether we will see some prop, gimmick, or death defying stunt on the drum corps field. I think they will believe, and rightly so, that Broken Arrow=Band + Excellence, or replace Broken Arrow with  Marian Catholic, or Avon HS, etc. 

You mention the 1960’s as a time when drum corps had a superior attitude towards bands, and I would argue this was the case until the mid 80’s when you saw fewer and fewer feeder corps. When BOA and other circuits formed, and high school programs had similar scoring sheets to drum corps with drum corps judges scoring competitions with drum corps instructors designing shows, things got very heated. I think at times that drum corps takes for granted what high school band programs do for the activity, but I would call it rivalry, perhaps superiority and a bit of sour grapes, but I’d hardly call that bigotry. 

let's be honest, many in the band world looked down on drum corps. Some still do actually

[Jeff Ream]

6 hours ago, Guitar1974 said:

I don't see it going down like this at all (DCI increasing corps size to accommodate woodwInds, extra buses, etc).  I see it like this:

1) DCI soon adopts rule that allows any instrument (woodwinds)

2) Due to many factors (high cost of obtaining and maintaining instruments, need for additional instructional staff, the fact woodwinds are finicky instruments, etc) corps will relegate 99% of woodwind use to solos or small ensembles.  A novelty instrument, used- at most- like trombones/sousaphone/etc now.

3) DCI will shove woodwinds down our throats. With lots of pictures in email blasts, website coverage, etc.  Just like trombones when first adopted, same for french horns, etc.  There will be some great sax/flute/etc players brought in who shred and put on an entertaining show.  Woodwind proponents and DCI will swoon.

4) The root of drum & bugle corps is now completely removed for the sake of what amounts to minor useage of "non-drum corps" instruments, which could easily have been omItted by using aforementioned drums & brass to play the parts.  

It'll be just like trombones.. For the minor/subtle difference they bring to the show the entire look of the activity was changed.  Woodwinds push it even farther down the path. 

I'm obviously not a fan of the loss of traditional bell front brass instrumentation haha... But at this point it is silly to NOT allow woodwinds.  It is all about the look- obviously enough people can't stomach seeing flutes and clarinets on the DCI field.  We have the voice now in the synth.  We also have strings and everything BUT woodwinds allowed on the field.  It is okay to play woodwind patches in the show on a synth but not actually allow the instrument to play it live on the field.  Seems odd to me at this point.

well at least woodwinds won't do the same trombone gimmick to death