Can a top rated band beat a....top......21 corps

[KevinSop85]

SO WAHT!!!

proof?! HAHA... Listen for yourself!!! You don't need a judge to tell you that!!!!

Where could one find a production of this acclaimed group?

[Musicman1084]

Lancaster Catholic? Really? I've never seen them, but I didn't know they were THAT good. I've followed TOB for a few years and noticed they've won the past two years, but I'm not sure that there are many bands in TOB that could match up with the top bands in BOA. Same goes for any bands in USSBA.

[SCVsopAaron]

I do know my stuff on balance and Intonation and your assumption on me thinking that brass and woodwinds can't balance is totally wrong. Do you even think about what you are going to type? Do you think I am completely oblivious to any symphonic or chamber or any mixed instrumentation groups that have been successful in their blending and sound production.

Color is an interesting subject and woodwinds and those other instruments do create all sorts of interesting and at times beautiful Colors, I just don't agree that they are unique to nor needed for DCI. If you would like to hear their blend or the rich color of a Dominant Seventh Chord Voiced to Banjo, Tuba, Kazoo and English horn than there are other places that you can go to hear that...why do you need DCI?

The posture thing, if uniform in sections would be fine, but across the ensemble it can't be done physically. Say you have a clarinet standing next to a piccolo and the piccolo next to an upright Euphonium player and then an oboe at the end to complete a 4 person form. How do you see clarity in that, even if they performers are holding their instruments and standing exactly the way they are supposed to?

First of all, yes, I do think... B)

Do I think you're completely oblivious? Not completely... The colors the instruments produce IS unique... can you make a trumpet sound like a saxophone? No. Impossible. Why do you need DCI? Because it is the only viable option as an source for the product... Posture?! is it the same for a contra and a bari??? NO!!!! irrelevant... it's all about how you teach it... AND we're off-topic...

[SCVsopAaron]

Where could one find a production of this acclaimed group?

HAHA... bands.org B)

Ya, they can for sure beat a few of the lower div. 1... easy...

While you're at it... check out Ronald Reagan, Carmel, etc...

You involved heavily in the BOA circuit?

[PhantomR]

I believe with the restrictions of a band being not so limited as a drum corps (numbers, players, etc) I think there are a few of the BOA bands that could take an 18-24 corps.

~>conner

[Malibu]

Lancaster Catholic? Really? I've never seen them, but I didn't know they were THAT good. I've followed TOB for a few years and noticed they've won the past two years, but I'm not sure that there are many bands in TOB that could match up with the top bands in BOA. Same goes for any bands in USSBA.

It would be interesting to see the top 3 bands from USSBA, TOB and BOA go at it. The only problem would be all three would have to use a different judges sheet.

As far as the question....yes, I do think a top knotch band could easily beat some of the corps 17-21. Size would do it alone. Most of those top bands are 200+. Some bands are taught by the very same staff that teaches some of the top 12 drum corps.

Now could a top band match some of the top 12? I'd say they could come close, but execution in both music and marching would be the drawing line.

Just my 2¢

[yabetterbelieveit]

In some cases, probably so.

However, give me the drum corps every time. :)

Ditto.

[wolfgang]

It would be interesting to see the top 3 bands from USSBA, TOB and BOA go at it. The only problem would be all three would have to use a different judges sheet.

It would be "interesting" but ultimately no contest. USSBA and TOB are circuits; BOA is really not a circuit in the normal sense of the word. And no, the top USSBA/TOB bands would not be anywhere near the top of BOA (which is really the top bands from a number of circuits such as UIL, ISSMA, a bunch of other state/regional circuits, and even places like Georgia and Illinois which don't have circuits).

To give a reference, at the BOA GN prelims last Friday, South Brunswick (NJ), who finished 2nd in the USSBA Group VI Open (theoretically the top class), finished 26th out of 46 bands in it's set of prelims (there were also 46 bands who played on Thursday); Whitehall, who was 2nd in I believe Group IIIA, was also there on Thursday and came in 41st out of 46.

Westminster, one of the top TOB Group IV bands, was also there on Friday and came in 23rd out of 46.

Before the defensiveness starts, both of these groups are really good bands. My comment isn't meant to disparage South Brunswick or Westminster, it's to point out that at BOA Grand Nationals there are a lot of really, really good bands. Just to even make semifinals (30-34 bands) you have to be outstanding. There were some excellent bands sitting on the sidelines on Saturday besides the 2 mentioned above (as in state/circuit champion bands in their own right).

USSBA and TOB would be more accurately compared to UIL, ISSMA, WBA, etc., than to BOA. Apples and Oranges.

Wolfgang

[wolfgang]

I was wondering (which I do alot) and thought about the thread about some band doing parts of the Cavies drill. Since bands are doing the drill and most (still??) members are high school kids could a top rated high school band beat a top rated drum corps??

Could a hs band beat a "top rated" corps? No.

Could a hs band beat a 15-21st place corps? Yes.

Also, some replies to this are wanting to make a band into a corps (limiting to 135, etc).

As has been mentioned, if you took bands like Carmel, Lawrence Central, Reagan, LD Bell, Lassiter, MIssion Viejo etc. and limited them to 135, using just their top brass players and no woodwinds, they would absolutely beat some of the 15-21st place corps (no comment on 14th and higher corps).

I think the one area where bands would probably fall a little short is in percussion, but then again a group like Center Grove may be quite competitive with the 15-21st place corps (I'm not a percussionist so will let people who are more competent in that area give their opinions).

I honestly don't think that a group like Pacific Crest, in a hypothetical situation if they came to BOA Grand Nationals as a drum corps, would make BOA GN finals.

Finally, it was reported that in 1998, when Lassiter from Marietta, GA came and won BOA with their "Wind and the Lion" show, that a band director and current DCI Top 12 Brass caption head stated if they had been in DCI that year, they would have finished well into the top 12 (I won't say the place it was reported he said because I had to do a double take at that; but I will say it was a lot higher than 12th).

I don't want bands to become corps and corps to become bands. Each is unique and wonderful in it's own right. I would rather watch Cavies or Phantom than a band show any day.

Wolfgang

Edited November 18, 2005 by wolfgang

[craiga]

Can a great hs band beat a Div 1 drum corps?

Absolutely!

If they do the following: Have auditions for all sections, have brass only instrumentation, be taught by a Div 1 staff, allow some college music majors to march, have a $500,000+ budget, commit to a 65 day tour with rehearsals EVERYDAY and shows nearly every night, and instill a sense of family and esprit de corps that ONLY drum corps will ever have.....

yeah, no sweat.....

But, I've marched in both activities and taught both for many years....and guess what? The biggest difference is the KIDS.......drum corps kids are different that band kids (even though some band kids do eventually step it up to become drum corps kids)

Anyone who is brutally honest with themself knows this is true.