What are your controversial marching arts opinions?

[Tim K]

I have often thought of myself as the drum corps equivalent of the kid who may not play baseball but knows the stats of the players past and present, knows the scores, and the history. I’ll admit I’m not 100% accurate and can take correction in some drum corps areas (friends and family may disagree as to whether I take correction in other areas of life). I don’t get the intricacies of judging all of the time, my strengths brass and GE, my weak area of knowledge is  percussion though in all areas I know what I should see and hear.  I’ve been a consistent fan since I was 12 years old which whether or not I care to admit it, is 47 years.

My controversial opinions:

1. Many people who claim to be old school and want a return to the old days do not know the old days, probably did not attend shows in the old days, and quite possibly never marched and I’ll be broad in my definition of marching and consider marching anything from being in a Memorial Day parade when you were in elementary school to being in a DCI finalist. Throwing names like 27th Lancers and Bridgemen and watching a DVD or YouTube clip of Madison in 1975 does not make you an expert in what used to be. 

2. Many who claim to be present day enthusiasts have been to one show, heard a few things in the stands both pro and con about drum corps today, and are now experts on out with the old in with the new. No, just because you saw a video of Phantom and the 2008 version of “Spartacus” or Star in 1993 and attended a show does not make you an expert on contemporary drum corps.

3. If you go to Allentown, don’t claim to be a board member or trustee of a corps, particularly Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, or the Cadets. You’re not a board member, you’re not a friend of a board member or dating a board member, and chances are an actual board member is sitting near you, listening, and laughing.

4. Many of those who yell “Go Trevor,” or “Brendon,” or “Steph” or “Shana” as a corps takes the field do not know Trevor, Brendan, Steph, or Shana and no one marching with the corps has those names.

Enough procrastinating and back to work.😊

Edited July 12, 2022 by Tim K

[kkrepps]

3 hours ago, keystone3ply said:

 Depending on the number in my party, I'm not going to spend $3-6k for tickets, travel, food, etc. to deal with weather issues.

Fair enough. You raise some good points. 

I don't disagree that the weather is the biggest advantage of indoor venues.  Extreme heat, rain, high winds could ruin the event.  I'll grant that I also couldn't take a long show like WC prelims in the hot sun. 😁 And maybe they have improved the sound quality.  

But anyway, I still think that outdoor shows sound better...and look better (at night under the stadium lights).  So, if the weather is nice, that's how I like it. 🙂

[FTNK]

Blue Devils are the best corps

Long loud chords are unmusical and bad

[Orwellian Wiress]

5 hours ago, Tim K said:

Many of those who yell “Go Trevor,” or “Brendon,” or “Steph” or “Shana” as a corps takes the field do not know Trevor, Brendan, Steph, or Shana and no one marching with the corps has those names.

I have a good story about that. DCI @ Rose Bowl this year, every corps that takes the field, parents are yelling their kids' names. Nothing unusual there. As BD takes the field, there's an explosion in name callouts. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the music, but suddenly I had the guts to yell "GO SOMEBODY!" at the top of my lungs. Girl behind me laughs and yells "ANYBODY!"

Great experience. Can't wait to go back next year.

[DrumCorpsRelic]

5 hours ago, Tim K said:

I have often thought of myself as the drum corps equivalent of the kid who may not play baseball but knows the stats of the players past and present, knows the scores, and the history. I’ll admit I’m not 100% accurate and can take correction in some drum corps areas (friends and family may disagree as to whether I take correction in other areas of life). I don’t get the intricacies of judging all of the time, my strengths brass and GE, my weak area of knowledge is  percussion though in all areas I know what I should see and hear.  I’ve been a consistent fan since I was 12 years old which whether or not I care to admit it, is 47 years.

My controversial opinions:

1. Many people who claim to be old school and want a return to the old days do not know the old days, probably did not attend shows in the old days, and quite possibly never marched and I’ll be broad in my definition of marching and consider marching anything from being in a Memorial Day parade when you were in elementary school to being in a DCI finalist. Throwing names like 27th Lancers and Bridgemen and watching a DVD or YouTube clip of Madison in 1975 does not make you an expert in what used to be. 

2. Many who claim to be present day enthusiasts have been to one show, heard a few things in the stands both pro and con about drum corps today, and are now experts on out with the old in with the new. No, just because you saw a video of Phantom and the 2008 version of “Spartacus” or Star in 1993 and attended a show does not make you an expert on contemporary drum corps.

3. If you go to Allentown, don’t claim to be a board member or trustee of a corps, particularly Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, or the Cadets. You’re not a board member, you’re not a friend of a board member or dating a board member, and chances are an actual board member is sitting near you, listening, and laughing.

4. Many of those who yell “Go Trevor,” or “Brendon,” or “Steph” or “Shana” as a corps takes the field do not know Trevor, Brendan, Steph, or Shana and no one marching with the corps has those names.

Enough procrastinating and back to work.😊

TimK. I can empathize with your sad but to the point, not so "controversial", but more "observational" Truths from your/my own 58 years experience within the Drum Corps Activity.

 With Age Comes Wisdom: For years I have selectively limited the DCP "Topics/Threads" to engage in. Too Old, too Smart, Too TIRED, to wage an often winless DCP War of opinion, that at times becomes way too harmful, to the point of becoming toxic. 

[Mello Dude]

I miss old school crowd energy.

 

[DrumCorpsRelic]

1 hour ago, FTNK said:

Blue Devils are the best corps

Long loud chords are unmusical and bad

May I add to "Chords", IMHO:  T O O  Long, Overused, and has become too Cliché specifically among the Top 12. More Musical "NOTE" books have become, "Screaming Contests!"  Bad for my bleeding ears, which have lost 20% hearing in both ears, thanks in part to all the over amplification. Waiting for my new Ear Plugs.

[Fran Haring]

Lose the front-sideline mics "enhancing" a horn line's volume. 

You have 60-80 horns out there. The players are talented and well-trained. They can be really loud without overblowing or going out of tune. 

[Cappybara]

50 minutes ago, Mello Dude said:

I miss old school crowd energy.

 

In all honesty it annoys me when there are people around me loudly cheering while I’m trying to appreciate a show. Might be a generational thing. So many people have ruined/made themselves a part of the finals recordings for a lot of performances in the 80s and 90s and I’m happy it’s not as prevalent nowadays. It’s more courteous

[Cappybara]

12 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Lose the front-sideline mics "enhancing" a horn line's volume. 

You have 60-80 horns out there. The players are talented and well-trained. They can be really loud without overblowing or going out of tune. 

It blows my mind that certain corps are sampling their entire tuba line. I think Phantom and Bloo are. Not sure who else is