Parking Lot Drum Line Battles

[Jared_mello]

The BEST rep is a street (or lot) rep.

I'd much more so trust a bunch of judges saying that the Cadets show was a 99.15 and over a point better than any drum corps in the world, than a bunch of 15 year old kids who say that there's nothing more worthwhile than watching BD warm up in the lot because they're loud and play high notes, and miss watching earlier corps because of it. Even in a drumline perspective, BD may have fun and play some sweet stuff in the lot, but were nowhere near as clean as the Cadets line (or many others) on the field. The rep from THAT means a lot more to me, personally. This example even translates to the other discussion; maybe if BD didn't spend their pre-show time checking out other corps' lines, talking with fans, friends, and family, and eating (yes, I did see it), they would be performing to the same level as the aforementioned corps that gets to the site, warms up, and takes it to the field. It may be a question of style and corps preference and whatnot (or simply the personality of most west coast drummers, haha :P), but this difference, just as much as a hypothetical drum off would, detracts from a corps performance on the field. Granted some people wouldn't mind this difference (if every line adapted that style, for example), but I'm pretty sure the results are self-explanatory. Drumlines go out there with the intentions of being the cleanest in the world, and I don't know how many would be willing to jeopardize that by shifting their focus. That rep means a lot more to me, personally.

Don't mean to diss BD here, but I'm just using them as an example. I do admit it'd be fun and all (I witnessed my first drum-off a few weeks ago in Jacksonville, with the bands from the FSU/Virginia Tech ACC Championship game), but generally impractical and as G-Cym said, not in the interests of most instructors and members.

[Jared_mello]

Snapettes Mom, just wanted to let you know, its Bluecoats, not Blue Coats. No offense or anything, just informing for future reference.

[dbc03]

Don't mean to diss BD here, but I'm just using them as an example. I do admit it'd be fun and all (I witnessed my first drum-off a few weeks ago in Jacksonville, with the bands from the FSU/Virginia Tech ACC Championship game), but generally impractical and as G-Cym said, not in the interests of most instructors and members.

Hah, in my earlier post when I said that I had seen my college band do it and that I was embarrassed that it was happening that's what I was refering to.

[Jeff Ream]

sorry, i dont see a staff giving up the time

[felixh]

Nice comeback but I'm not convinced the logistical thang is that difficult. Don't most corps break for dinner at the end of a afternoon block. After dinner it's get your stuff cleaned up and ready to leave on the bus for the show by a certain time. (Possibly a couple of hours) I think this year the level competition will be better than ever and a lot of lines will not get the credit they deserve on the field. In the lot playing one on one to each other cuz they can sounds cool to me. But then again it's something you would want to do. Sorry to hear it's not for you.

Merry Xmas,

Mom

PS. I'm out on vaca for a few days.

I agree. And I cannot believe that their is not enough confidence in the talent and maturity of todays lines to take on this extra event. I can see if we were dealing with a less experienced high school or college group, but this is drum corps....we are known for doing the extraordinary. I do not think it requires the exhausting demand that some are suggesting, and it is by no means a "collassal waste of time." Besides,as I mentioned earlier, it also gives the opportunity for corps other than the top 5 to showcase their talent.

Edited December 26, 2005 by felixh

[cwillpayne]

It there are drum, horn, or guard 'battles' of any sort, it should be done after the show. I remember after a show in 1999--that year we were beating Phantom the all of first tour-- they came within a point of us.... their hornline arched it up in front of our busses as we were changing after retreat, and threw down the most INCREDIBLE amazing grace i have ever heard....at the time, i was mad that they did it, and we did end up aving a pretty competetive summer......

while we took it as insulting, wouldnt it have been great if we had something loud and in your face ready to go?

but anyway---

do your drumming, playing, dancing, shaking or whatever battles, but do it after the show.....

Maybe another reason to bring back retreats....gives more time for that kind of stuff, and for the building of comradory.

Edited December 26, 2005 by cwillpayne

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I agree. And I cannot believe that their is not enough confidence in the talent and maturity of todays lines to take on this extra event. I can see if we were dealing with a less experienced high school or college group, but this is drum corps....we are known for doing the extraordinary. I do not think it requires the exhausting demand that some are suggesting, and it is by no means a "collassal waste of time." Besides,as I mentioned earlier, it also gives the opportunity for corps other than the top 5 to showcase their talent.

I just can't agree. A corps' members, staff, admin team, volunteers and equpiment are already stretch to the limit. The current corps directors just this past season agreed to do away with one of the most time honored traditions, Retreat, in order to lessen the time constraints placed on a touring corps. I do not see any staff willingly placing even more strain on a group to show up in advance or leave a show late for something that really has nothing to do with the whole point of their season: cleaning the field show. Most corps I know already spend very little time on things like streetbeats and even corps songs as it is. Adding more strain to the equation is preposterous. The only time I could ever see this happening would be near finals week when no one has to move to another location. Of course even with the I&E competition we already have, many, many corps choose not to participate. Why? More time to clean the field show of course. And this is with only a few people per section leaving to compete. What corps would let a whole section or more just leave for the day?

Tell me that the Cadets or SCV would let their drumline just not rehearse for 4 or 5 hours the week of finals. Tell me that in addition to them being gone for a day and not working on their show(also removing the tempo listening point for most of the corps), that the staff of any corps would use time that could be helping them actually move up a place, to work on playing beats.

[dbc03]

It there are drum, horn, or guard 'battles' of any sort, it should be done after the show. I remember after a show in 1999--that year we were beating Phantom the all of first tour-- they came within a point of us.... their hornline arched it up in front of our busses as we were changing after retreat, and threw down the most INCREDIBLE amazing grace i have ever heard....at the time, i was mad that they did it, and we did end up aving a pretty competetive summer......

while we took it as insulting, wouldnt it have been great if we had something loud and in your face ready to go?

Wow, that's incredibly classless and much less than I would expect from a group like Phantom.

[Snapettes Mom]

I thought BD was amazing this last year. Did anybody notice the reason their snares might have had a little dust was because they took a huge risk by playing the entire show with their douple snares turned on. Those guys were pretty darn ballzy in my book.

If you don't think a percussion staff would support doing a drum battle gig do you think they would even have a say if The Letterman Show offered a couple of top lines like Cadets and Bluecoats 30k each for some air time. It would happen for sure. The BOD would throw down the hammer on the director and it would be a done deal.

As well that could be the start of something big.

Mom

Edited December 26, 2005 by Snapettes Mom

[BeachDrums]

After reading this thread, I tried to see both sides. Would having additional outlets for sectional music/performance competitions during the summer enhance or take away from the drum corps experience? If these additional competitions were instituted, would they take away from or reduce the corps show quality and enjoyment for the paying fans? Or, would the fans enjoy them and see them as an additional part of a drum corps evening? Some here seem to believe that the summer tour should be strickly devoted to perfecting the show only. Is devoting some time to other music competion, playing corps songs, jaming with other corps simply wrong? If so, why? Is the present focus on only devoting practice to an 11 minute show all summer long limiting, or is it the responsibility of the corps and obligation to the fans to perfect it, and it only. Would drum, brass, guard competions attract more fans to the activity or would it detract and be detrimental to the corps shows?

I don't have the answers. But, as some have suggested here, maybe a compromised would be in just having friendly, informal get-togethers after a show on occasion to enjoy the talents of all "in the Parking Lot." No judges, no medals, no official competitions; just a bunch of very fine corps performers learning, sharing, and appreciating each other and the activity under a mild summer evening sky. You would get to see and hear friendly "sharing" of talent and no practice time would be jeopardized. I suppose, ultimately, it will always be impossible to please everyone.

Edited December 26, 2005 by HISop