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Time to Say Goodbye, after 15 years


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While this goes back a number of years, in the early 1980’s  Massachusetts had a new tax law called Proposition 2 1/2 which lowered property tax which was passed when the economy was tanking. Schools had to make drastic cuts and I know of at least one town that wanted to cut band because there were activities outside of school, in this case a drum corps known as the Simplex Minutemen, that could puck up the slack. I know one of the directors in that area lost his job, and while I’m sure budget cuts and lack of seniority were the major culprits, he still blames drum corps that in his opinion compete with school programs as the reason he lost his job. 

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19 hours ago, MikeD said:

That is what the parents of brass, percussion and guard do now. What is the issue adding WW? 

Plus, kids already ask their parents for double that much for other summer music activities, that can also be done at their HS or college.

I have always wanted to ask you this Mike and this seems the perfect time 🙂

Why  is it you want more marching bands featuring any and all instrumentation ?  Especially when there are are hundreds if not thousands of this type of unit already? 

I like brass and percussion only on the field...where else can I go for that if you change dci and dca to look and sound like mb with any instrumentation allowed?

 An Anything goes div ain’t happening so please refrain from that recommendation  🙂

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20 hours ago, garfield said:

You mean, like a trumpet player, a mello-player, a baritone?  A guard or snare drummer?

 

Good point

But

 I doubt DCI would allow or implement woodwinds in a way where they could be marching on the field they would just be staged in the pit so you’re asking the parents to put out money to have you sit on the sideline and not march 

Edited by Triple Forte
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14 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

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

Sure... unless several corps play "Rhapsody in Blue" or "Begin the Beguine."  :tongue:

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7 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

 

In DCI, you are judged BY what is presented, instrumentation-wise.

IN DCI judges are told what to judged by the voting membership

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5 hours ago, Old Corps Guy said:

A simple question.  Have you ever tried to keep more than one piccolo in tune with another for 11 minutes while marching on a football field?

I know my answer...…………………………………..:whistle:

no i don't teach woodwinds

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14 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

i'd ask this as a parent...you get all of that at school for thousands less. whats so special to pay 5 grand?

No different than what happens today.  Brass, drums and guard - you get all of that at school.  Heck, drums and guard you also get WGI.  

Mike

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Just now, MikeN said:

No different than what happens today.  Brass, drums and guard - you get all of that at school.  Heck, drums and guard you also get WGI.  

Mike

and in my school district, you can get WGI for less than a grand which can be fundraised. marching band last i knew had zero fees, and they do very well in 2 circuits. Not that i'd stop my kid given my background but the average band parent was attending their first drum corps show at age 3 weeks

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1 hour ago, Triple Forte said:

I have always wanted to ask you this Mike and this seems the perfect time 🙂

Why  is it you want more marching bands featuring any and all instrumentation ?  Especially when there are are hundreds if not thousands of this type of unit already? 

I like brass and percussion only on the field...where else can I go for that if you change dci and dca to look and sound like mb with any instrumentation allowed?

 An Anything goes div ain’t happening so please refrain from that recommendation  🙂

Think of a pyramid of organizations for marching/music.

The organizations in the bottom 90+% are the bulk of the units. There are then a relatively very few top level groups.

Back in my era (pre-DCI), the entire pyramid was pretty much drum corps units. Hundreds of smaller corps at every level from parade corps through circuits such as the Garden State Circuit here in NJ, with others at that level around the country. There were then the national level corps at the very top. Even when there were hundreds of corps, there were still only a handful at the top, similar to today. Kids in smaller corps moved up the pyramid all the time. My own example is that I marched a parade corps from age 10-14, then a GSC corps 15-16, and then Garfield ages 17-19. 

Flash forward to today. The 90+% of units under the very top are the competitive HS bands, by the thousands now. At the very top are the WC DCI corps. Kids who participate in those thousands of competitive bands eventually become the members of the WC corps. All that is, except the WW players. I just see no reason in 2019 to leave them out. DCI is the very top of marching/music. Why should WW players be excluded from that level? 

Plus, having instructed and written for many bands over time, and judged a couple of hundred competitions, I like the sound WW add to an ensemble.  

 

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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

no i don't teach woodwinds

They’d make great drumsticks imo...

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