Re-hash of an old complaint...

[manoloblahniksabre]

There's your sign. :)

Is this my sign?    :P

Heh heh.

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[Tsar Nikk]

There's your sign.  :)

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Heh heh...you have a habit of quickly vanishing into thin air. :P

[Medeabrass]

The 1st time I heard them referred to as trumpets it made me wince. Bugles, horns..even BRASS would be ok,,but TRUMPETS! ewwwwwwww!

Whats next..drum corpse?

Dontr let it die!

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We were referred to as a "drum corpse band" during our alumni performance in the Indy 500 parade last year. They also said we were playing Henry "Veee" by William Walton....nice

[manoloblahniksabre]

Sorry. Thunderstorm. :) *rumble* :P

Heh heh...you have a habit of quickly vanishing into thin air.  :P

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[abgiles]

As far as I can tell, this prmarily applies to sops and contras. When I marched (early 80s) a baritone was a baritone in both band and corps. Same for the mellophone. A euphonium was a euphonium in brass band, wind ensemble and corps. A french horn was called a frech horn. Did you lead the charge back then? "Please, stop calling those french horns french horns!!!! The are "mid-voiced bugles" for god's sake!!"

Jeez, guys. It's just names. It mellophones didn't bother you, why do trumpets?

Ok...I know that I've said all of the following before.  And I know that a LOT of current members don't even know that we once called them sopranos (or contras, for that matter).  And yes, I am fully aware that stating the following relegates me to "old dinosaur" status.  I don't care.

I say to-mah-to, you say to-may-to; I say soprano…you say….trumpet?

Have we just given up on differentiating between a drum and bugle corps and a marching band?  Is it simply too difficult to hold on to one last little bit of tradition in the face of all the traditions we have already kicked to the curb.  Are we too lazy to continue this particular tradition?  We’ve already rid ourselves of the traditional 128 member rule.  We’ve rid ourselves of playing the corps off at retreat.  We’ve rid ourselves of some of the traditional corps themselves!  So why must we rid ourselves of such a small, harmless, innocuous tradition?

I am, of course, referring to the disturbing trend I have noticed of corps’ staffs calling the instruments in their horn lines “trumpets” and “tubas.”  What gives? Is using “tubas” more efficient because it has two fewer letters than “contra?”  Is using “trumpet” easier than using “soprano” because there is one fewer syllable and it rolls off the tongue faster?  In the words of Vince Lombardi…”What the heck is going on here?”

Yes, I am aware that the G bugle was the one we commonly referred to as a “soprano.”  If it is an issue with semantics, calling a Bb Trumpet a “soprano” is not incorrect.  The “trumpet” is the soprano voice of the choir (in this case, a drum corps).  The “tuba” is the bass/contrabass voice in the choir.  So why is it so difficult to maintain one rather cool little snippet of drum corps history?

In my day, which was not long ago (1991-1994), calling a soprano a “trumpet” was a bando way of doing things, and was likely to get you dirty looks.  Calling a contra by the name of tuba prompted the standard quasi-Schwarzenneger response from “Kindergarten Cop” (paraphrased): “Eeet’s naht a tooooba!  Eeet’s nah-thing like a toooba!”  Are we sucking up to the instrument makers?  Is this some way of advertising the fact that now a high school band student can go out and buy the very same trumpet that the Cadets or Blue Devils or Cavaliers use?  Are we selling our drum corps soul for marching band profits? 

Can someone tell me a good reason why certain corps stopped calling their sopranos sopranos, and their contras contras?  I just want one good reason.  And don’t give me that rationalized garbage I have heard before about not wanting to confuse band kids who come to clinics…that is lame.  That is the drum corps equivalent of “A dog ate my homework.”  For years kids came to clinics and heard the mystic words like “soprano” and “contra” and it added to the allure of a drum corps (I know it did for me).  When I saw the Cadets clinic in Orlando a couple of years back and they called them “trumpets,” my spine cringed and has not moved back since.

Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Costanza complains that if “Relationship George” meets “Bawdy, Fun George” they will kill each other? “WORLDS ARE COLLIDING!!!” screamed Kramer.  This is the same thing.  I don’t want corps to be more band-like.  I don’t want bands to be more corps-like.  I don’t want WORLDS COLLIDING.  I just want a well-performed show, with props kept to a minimum, with gimmicks kept to a minimum, with great marching, great playing, great drumming, great spinning…a classic drum corps show. 

I am a dinosaur...hear me roar.  Hopefully I can be one of the cool dinosaurs, like a raptor or an allosaurus.  :P

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[Tsar Nikk]

As far as I can tell, this prmarily applies to sops and contras.  When I marched (early 80s) a baritone was a baritone in both band and corps.  Same for the mellophone.  A euphonium was a euphonium in brass band, wind ensemble and corps.  A french horn was called a frech horn.  Did you lead the charge back then?  "Please, stop calling those french horns french horns!!!!  The are "mid-voiced bugles" for god's sake!!"

Jeez, guys.  It's just names.  It mellophones didn't bother you, why do trumpets?

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Umm....because a mellophone is NOT a marching french horn, it's a real instrument. There is no charge to lead here...there are both marching french horns AND mellophones. Baritones ARE baritones, and Euphs ARE Euphs...I don't really see your point.

As far as your mid-voice argument...there were some corps that called them altos...no big deal there.

I don't see why you felt the need to come into this conversation, guns blazing, and not really add anything intelligent to it.

[manoloblahniksabre]

Wow. I'm not that old, but I remember calling them alto's. :) And, I'm still in the habit of calling them soprano's, though, technically, they weren't really back in the day when I marched, either. I do miss the raw, edgy sound of G. Well, for some corps, like Scouts.

I don't add intelligent banter to this forum usually, either, Nikk. I just like to harass you. What's your point? :P

Umm....because a mellophone is NOT a marching french horn, it's a real instrument.  There is no charge to lead here...there are both marching french horns AND mellophones.  Baritones ARE baritones, and Euphs ARE Euphs...I don't really see your point.

As far as your mid-voice argument...there were some corps that called them altos...no big deal there.

I don't see why you felt the need to come into this conversation, guns blazing, and not really add anything intelligent to it.

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[Tsar Nikk]

I don't add intelligent banter to this forum usually, either, Nikk. I just like to harass you. What's your point?  :P

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Yeah, but you're cute. :P Just as long as you're not Lucy again. ^0^

Besides...I don't think you came in guns a-blazing....maybe you're saving that for later?

[abgiles]

gosh, my apologies for not meeting your rigorous standard of intelligence. i played alto and flugel, so i am quite aware of the nomenclature. you probably thought i wasn't intelligent enough to know that. you could be right. by the way, my guns were hardly blazing. if you considered my mild comments as such, you must lead a pretty sheltered life.

Umm....because a mellophone is NOT a marching french horn, it's a real instrument.  There is no charge to lead here...there are both marching french horns AND mellophones.  Baritones ARE baritones, and Euphs ARE Euphs...I don't really see your point.

As far as your mid-voice argument...there were some corps that called them altos...no big deal there.

I don't see why you felt the need to come into this conversation, guns blazing, and not really add anything intelligent to it.

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[Tsar Nikk]

gosh, my apologies for not meeting your rigorous standard of intelligence.  i played alto and flugel, so i am quite aware of the nomenclature.  you probably thought i wasn't intelligent enough to know that.  you could be right.  by the way, my guns were hardly blazing.  if you considered my mild comments as such, you must lead a pretty sheltered life.

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Gosh, I'm sorry that my rigorous standards of intelligence are such as to offend you. I'm afraid I hoped too much that anyone responding to the thread would actually have something to offer, instead of a lame "Jeez, guys. It's just names. It mellophones didn't bother you, why do trumpets?" argument...especially considering that the argument itself made no sense.

Golly gee willikers, I guess I'll instead take your rebuke about leading the charge back then with a spoon of castor oil, pardon moi! :P

P.S. When you enter a thread with statements such as "Jeez, guys. It's just names," and "Did you lead the charge back then?", how else do you expect to be taken? Besides...guns blazing doesn't mean Magnum 44 blazing...in this case, it obviously meant pea shooter.