randomnoise Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share Posted August 24, 2006 Have to take exception with you guys. I think that serious musicians of any kind can and should perform in drum corps. To suggest otherwise is silly (although I do agree that anyone who is able should participate in one of these programs if they can). I marched with a number of pro hornists and we all agree that drum corps strengthened our chops. And helped develop us into better human beings. B) Don't bend your mouthpiece. Better to curve the leadpipe. And, yes, most marching horns are doodoo. The section in the hornline I teach (Renegades) play on 25 year old Kings. They play pretty well. Some of the newer alto F bell front horns are ok - the kanstul is especially interesting. Would love to hear a good section playing on them. Maybe they would be better if the top hornlines in DCI used them (as they did in the 70s and 80s). That's when the builders got input from the top brass sections and made better horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Have you played the newer Dynasty or Kanstul marching F alto horns? I'm interested in seeing how they sound, or more importantly, how they respond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kansan Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 One could also argue that if horn is that important to them, then they should be at Brevard or some such place over the summer instead of out on the field. RE: Horn angles. I wonder how well a horn mouthpiece would respond if the shank were bent? There are quite a few jazz trumpet players that have their mouthpieces bent in the 10-12 degree range because they are downstream players and need to get their bells out toward the audience. Pat Hession with Maynard's band, and Chuck Findley are the two that I can think of right now. I'm pretty sure the lead pipe on the Kanstul marching French Horn is bent. I know the two valve G King does not have a bend in the lead pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Have you played the newer Dynasty or Kanstul marching F alto horns? I'm interested in seeing how they sound, or more importantly, how they respond. I cannot remember the last time I saw a small bell alto on the field. Maybe they are there and I haven't noticed, but they seem rarer the frenchies. In my mind they always seemed like 'neutered mellos' or 'overweight flugels'. Actually I am curious about the Kanstul marching F Tenor Horn. Being a bit of a british brass band fan, the idea intrigues me. Seems to fill the niche that BD's late 80s 'Meehanphones' tried to fill. Anyone know about this animal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfmello Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Ah, Mike. As one well-respected mellophonist once put it: 'Let's leave the heavy lifting to the experts.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acockson Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Just a quick addendum/response.... I don't know if I'd consider myself a "serious" horn player, but if you don't mind including the service bands, I do perform for a living. Mostly sit-down concerts around DC/northern Virginia these days, but also many important standing and marching jobs (no fancy drill interactions, though...just stand up straight and try to look and sound as good as you can.) Many of my coworkers also had multiple years of very positive experience running around in corps shows during their previous summers, and I feel safe saying that all of them are superb musicians. Personally, I would never discourage any musician from a positive performance experience, providing that it could be done properly without compromising his or her other goals...and if anyone would argue that corps and pro performance are incompatible for this reason, it would be a personal (and hopefully well-informed) choice, and I would support it. Just know if you are reading this that there are those of us who have gone on to lead successful and even rewarding pro musician lives without being scarred by the drum corps experience, and speaking only for myself have in fact been improved by it. Mental approach and being a part of a high quality (not necessarily big budget) program are key factors; follow up with being intelligent about equipment, fundamentals, and a good approach to ensemble playing, and you might also have one of the most positive and thrilling performance experiences of your life. Thanks, Jeff, for two of the best summers I'll ever have. Aaron Cockson Cavaliers 91, 92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomnoise Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share Posted August 24, 2006 Have you played the newer Dynasty or Kanstul marching F alto horns? I'm interested in seeing how they sound, or more importantly, how they respond. I played them at NAMM this year. They were both pretty good, but I would use a Mellophone or a Flugel. They weren't better than them. And not such a distinguished color that they would project a new sound. That being said - I would love to see someone create a hornline instrumentation that had no mellophones. A different sound is always welcome. At least by me. This year, Arizona Academy had an interesting voicing. They had a different instrumentation from most with 18 Trumpets, 6 Flugels, 10 Mellos, 14 Baris, 6 Euphs, 10 contras. Nice sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Ah, Mike. As one well-respected mellophonist once put it: 'Let's leave the heavy lifting to the experts.' Jeff, Come now mello brother. No guts, no glory. I know the Tenor would not be your cup of tea. Just can't produce that 'Chrome plated G DEG with a Jet Tone' tone quality you prefer. All the better to indulge your audiance with a song and a shave ehh? And was that mellophonist possibly bald and and cantankerous in his old age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavAlum Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Why has the all-Mellophone midvoice section become the prevailing standard?Are we going to let the mid-80s Garfield Cadets and the early 90s Star of Indiana rule drum corps orchestration forever? Arrangers - write for French Horns and Flugels, too! Wonderful timbres await you. Flugels sure, but I've never heard a great sounding marching horn. (No Offense to those of you who work so hard to make them sound good). In general, I just don't care for the sound of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I agree that it would be interesting to hear a line of those Kanstul marching tenor horns. I love the sound of tenor horns in a British brass band, and thing it would be well-suited to the outdoor arena, if that is truly the sound that instrument achieves. My only question is which mouthpiece is provided with the horn - the smaller, trumpet-sized mello-type mouthpiece, or the larger alto/tenor horn mouthpiece that true brass band players use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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