Why not get rid of the Drum Line?

[ptr250]

In all the years I’ve been reading this forum I’ve seen some pretty moronic posts. Made a few myself, but this one takes the cake! Let’s do a drum corps show with no drums. I’ve got it; let’s get rid of the drums and horns!!! Then the drill writers and choreographers can really cut loose. With amps all the sound can be provided by a synth and a drum machine or better yet just pre-record it. I really can’t understand why some people want to continue to screw with the activity. IMO the activity peaked in the late eighties and early nineties and all the changes since then have done nothing to improve the product. Here’s a novel idea!!! Leave the activity alone and enjoy it for what it is!!!!

[Jeff Ream]

How come no one has thought of just getting rid of the Drum Line. 90 percent of music aka mahler and many others is not doable to march (dance) because it has to be changed so drastically to make it work. Why is there no winter guard like groups for brass. Dont get me wrong I think drum lines are what makes a drum corps. But wouldn't it be nice to hear some music that was actually musical, aka Cadets 84 opening, 87 and such. Mahler would be very doable but you cant add percussion do it. Same with Brukner or Shubert. I just think it would be cool to have a pit and brass, we already do that, but it can never be done for to long or else you get points off for it. I AM NOT SAYING DRUM LINES SUCK, I AM JUST SAYING MAYBE WE COULD DO A SHOW WITHOUT THEM ONCE.

yeah 84 and 87 were so unmusical.

(sarcasm off)

[Jeff Ream]

An Orchestra does not sound like a horn line with pit percussion. You ever see blast? To bad they always play the same music. And it would only make it more visually appealing now that you don't have a constant line in the forms for the snare line.

if i wanted to see an orchestra, i wouldnt go to a drum corps show.

[Fievel]

I have to admit, after seeing top BOA bands like Tarpon Springs and Plymouth play in BOA Finals with only a pit (Plymouth didn't keep the pit-only approach) I'm actually suprised that there haven't been pit-only corps at the "upper level" just for the sake of trying something different. Although, I do remember the Ventures winning Div. 2 in 1990 with just brass, guard, and pit.

[monoemono]

Every brass player I know would rather see the BD horn line warm then most full shows.

Apparently I was not consulted in this informal survey.

[MarimbasaurusRex]

It really IS a shame that the rules don't allow for at least some of this kind of flexibility. It's never made all that much sense to me that every corps has to have the same instrumentation. For instance, if you don't have tympani in the pit you can't get a score, whether the music is enhanced by tympani or not. Maybe the music doesn't call for snare drums, but you've got a bunch of them so they've got to play. There must be some way to make this more flexible.

But, if you really want it to sound good and do Mahler right, then the horn line should probably sit in chairs, there should be a full string section and a woodwind section and it should be called a symphony because that's what Mahler wrote. That's what a "pit" is for, right?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

If you think about it, there is no reason to have drum lines, or anything else for that matter, other than that is what makes it drum corps.

As a member of a section that practically no longer exists, I think I have an at least somewhat unique view on this topic. Why not put the whole percussion section in the pit?? Now with the addition of amps, we could put the pit in the back and they could provide a solid and unmoving source of tempo for the horns and guard to listen to. With 1 or 2 guys on snare drum, it would be a LOT cleaner, especially with them not being out of breath from marching or haveing shaky drums from wearing them on harnesses. You could totally cover the tenor and bass lines witha few guys on different size tom drums. Again, a lot cleaner. And this also satisfies the age-old excuse for cutting certain sections; more brass players. With a "drum line" going from 24 members to 4 or 5, thats 20 more brass spots. Think of what you could do with that. And a pit-only percussion section would offer a mulitude of more musical options. With them being in the back, the parts could be as minimal as required. They would be out of the way, just a back up to the real sound producing section: brass. The percussion judge could even stay back there and get a lot more of a solid read without having to run around all the time.

[Matt_S]

It really IS a shame that the rules don't allow for at least some of this kind of flexibility.

That's my thought on the matter. I have nothing against drumlines, and I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm not advocating their removal from the activity in any way. But I am intrigued by the concept of a show with only pit. I think it would lead to a unique show, with a sound and style different from everything we've heard. And I do think the original poster is absolutely right, that some moods and styles are helped by having a tacit drumline. If nothing else, allowing flexibility would give designers another direction for the show, and I'm all for that.

[drumcorps4ever]

Drum Corps:

Hornline is the voice

Drumline is the heartbeat

Colorguard is the face

DM is the ATTITUDE........... :)

[CornoBehnke]

In all the years I’ve been reading this forum I’ve seen some pretty moronic posts. Made a few myself, but this one takes the cake! Let’s do a drum corps show with no drums. I’ve got it; let’s get rid of the drums and horns!!! Then the drill writers and choreographers can really cut loose. With amps all the sound can be provided by a synth and a drum machine or better yet just pre-record it. I really can’t understand why some people want to continue to screw with the activity. IMO the activity peaked in the late eighties and early nineties and all the changes since then have done nothing to improve the product. Here’s a novel idea!!! Leave the activity alone and enjoy it for what it is!!!!

hahah, well, Have you ever seen a sousa arangment for drum and bugle corps?? Pure bugles, Bass drum Cymbals and Snare. YOUR IDEA OF DRUM CORPS IS NOT THE ORIGINAL. I am sick of hearing that crap, "stop screwing with the drum corps I know" You dont know what drum corps was like in the 17th centery, swiss fifes and drums. Thats the "real" drum corps. Or maybe we can go to the roman drum corps of just pure bass drums?