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Time to Say Goodbye, after 15 years


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9 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Yeah it was a lot easier to see the talent when corps were making beautiful music out of modified signaling devices.

And for those of you not from bitd that is not a slam. We had piston/rotor beasts from one of the better manufacturers and still had to be careful not to lose tone or screw up the blend.

Now the musical talent imo shows in the charts.... from the ones I’ve seen... 😯 

Oh definitely not a knock an ANY of the shows or talent levels of the past. Even from a drummers standpoint (and remember...we play drums because we can't count to potato,) the musicality and skill of the musicians was outstanding BITD. I've played on mylar...lots of it. It's horrid and wretched and terrible compared to the picnic table we call kevlar. The drums were huge (I played on 10 lug 15 x 12" Ludwigs until I finally made it to DCI.) And yet, those MM's could make them sound amazing. I see some huge differences from when I marched in drill that I don't think I could have hung with. I mean, 1980's drill was kind of [back 8, left 8, diagonal 4...BOOM hit my dot.] 

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Just now, Terri Schehr said:

I remember him saying something like it was the worst business he’d ever been in as far as losing money. 

Yep. He did it because he loved the activity and truly cared about giving young men and women an experience and education that they would never forget. Plus, I think it was a challenge for him to show that it could be done "in the black" from the first time the corps took the field. 

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2 hours ago, cybersnyder said:

Is there really any “financial gain” in drum corps. 

Depends how you want to spread oneself throughout the activity. IF, you want to say " Drum Corps " and a person spreads themselves through " ALL " aspects of the activity, Fall programs, winter programs, summer programs, smaller programs etc YES , there have been many who have had quite longevity and financial gain in the activity.

Now with what I just said, as I have said in the past when some want to find some blame as to why the lines between Drum Corps, WGI and band are blurred, it is and has been for decades the same reason above.

Now this is about the individual, as far as the corps in general I would agree, a hole money just falls into. This would also go for winter programs. The cost is no joke from the smallest program to the largest.

Edited by GUARDLING
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9 minutes ago, cybersnyder said:

Yeah, 990 filings confirm. Surprisingly, smaller corps can be much closer to profitable than the big boys (or girls, not trying to be sexist).

To clarify, the 'financial gains' I refer to involve the following players.

 

Equipment manufacturers/retailers

Instructors and Designers who receive compensation that can rise for a variety of reasons

Anyone receiving income from managing individual corps and/or organizations like DCI

Recipients of dues payments

Aspiring composers

Aspiring instructors/technicians

Inventive souvenir merchants

 

YES, there is a continuing desire for more income. Everywhere one looks.

 

 

 

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Kind of off topic but since we’re talking about differences between bitd and now....

it’s 10:30am Sunday morning and I can hear the local HS band practicing. My band didn’t compete but could imagine the upshot if Sunday practice was brought up. In the 80s our corps had practice Sunday am but couldn’t make any sounds until 12:30.

Off the top of my head can think of two churches within earshot of the practice I’m hearing....

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18 minutes ago, Fred Windish said:

To clarify, the 'financial gains' I refer to involve the following players.

 

Equipment manufacturers/retailers

Instructors and Designers who receive compensation that can rise for a variety of reasons

Anyone receiving income from managing individual corps and/or organizations like DCI

Recipients of dues payments

Aspiring composers

Aspiring instructors/technicians

Inventive souvenir merchants

 

YES, there is a continuing desire for more income. Everywhere one looks.

 

 

 

I think I may have answered a bit of what you said. Now remember , not everyone can do what I said. It depends on many factors and smart moves , mentors  talent and most of all patience. Do most fall into this? No, have there been many over the years Yes

Edited by GUARDLING
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4 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Kind of off topic but since we’re talking about differences between bitd and now....

it’s 10:30am Sunday morning and I can hear the local HS band practicing. My band didn’t compete but could imagine the upshot if Sunday practice was brought up. In the 80s our corps had practice Sunday am but couldn’t make any sounds until 12:30.

Off the top of my head can think of two churches within earshot of the practice I’m hearing....

I don't remember ever practicing on a Sunday in HS. Granted I went to a Catholic HS that was run by the Jesuits and the Sisters of Mercy (I still have nightmares) so probably would have been flogged. I do remember when we were having our new stadium built and had to run percussion sectionals right behind the bandroom in a little field which faced the rooms were religion classes where run every day. 

Edited by Weaklefthand4ever
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4 minutes ago, Weaklefthand4ever said:

I don't remember ever practicing on a Sunday in HS. Granted I went to a Catholic HS that was run my the Jesuits and the Sisters of Mercy (I still have nightmares) so probably would have been flogged. I do remember when we were having our new stadium built and had to run percussion sectionals right behind the bandroom in a little field which faced the rooms where religion classes where run every day. 

Great practice... now go do penitence for interrupting class lol

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9 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Great practice... now go do penitence for interrupting class lol

Forgive me father for I have huzgidda-da-gocked 14 times since my last confession.....

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1 hour ago, Weaklefthand4ever said:

I can agree that in some instances, mic'ing of brass can sound pretty bad. I've seen it used well, and badly. But let's also not fall into a hole that we've crawled out of 1000 times. We've seen the arguments about the death of traditional drum corps when the pit was introduced, when rotor/piston set up's gave way to 2 valves and then 3, when G went to B-Flat, when park and bark changed to far more dynamic drill, when the standard opener/ballad/closer dynamic, when mylar gave way to kevlar...the list can just go on and on and on. 

Look...the activity is bound to change. Playgrounds and stickball gave way to video games. I don't like the change in identity very much either, but I'm not gonna knock changes in how a uniform looks when those changes make it easier and a hell of a lot cooler for MM's during the hot summer months. I don't see any laser light shows happening and I have yet to see Elvis pop out of a moving stage surrounded by 60 dancers in skimpy outfits. The changes we are seeing are a natural progression of an activity that is VERY niche. 

I think the players now have TREMENDOUS talent. Maybe that's just me and I just can't recognize talent anymore...but I doubt that very much. 

I no longer defend drum corps as being something unique and different, because it isn't.  And no, it has not "always been marching band anyway."  Those in decision-making authority purposefully changed it, removing all meaningful distinctions between it and marching bands.  DCI is now just an expensive summer band program.  Indoors.   I see no point in it.  I find the Ohio State marching band a more entertaining experience, and I am a Michigan grad.  Perhaps people don't attend shows to be entertained, rather, they go to see the excellence, tremendous talent, however you happen to state it.  To each their own.  

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