12L Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 There may be a few courses in drill writing here or there, but I would doubt that one can major in it or even minor...I haven't read all these posts so I could be wrong. At any rate, I would think that drill writing is rather like coaching a basketball/football team (or any sports team). You don't get any formal training...you just play basketball, and then work your way up the coaching ranks. The better you are, the higher you go. Your talent qualifies you, not your degree... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Bauglir Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Yes, making all drill look the same will not attract 90% of Americans. I certainly hope that you did not get the impression that I want all drill too look the same. If anything I think more variety is needed. I'm right with you when you say that the visual aspect of drum corps is underrated and underdeveloped. I would say 95% of the shows out there have drill that is completely unrelated to the show, and not at all interesting to watch in it's own right. It seems that most corps just throw some drill in that looks like wet spaghetti moving around and call it a show. That's nonsense. But I don't think trying to teach a standard of drill design is going to help that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asifindnoarta Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 And I say It is improving every year !! what are you seeing?/ What can you bring to the table as a designer that will make it better?? Send in your resume of design and let's get you hired. Cause I will go to every show i can and buy the season pass to see what you create that will be SOOOO new , so fresh that all other designers will bow at your feet !! The new MAster has arrived and we shall follow our new " Golden Child " . We will drink the kool -aid as you show us the light !! Please !PLEASE !!! Be our beacon , our lighthouse out of the darkness !! Show me the way to enlightenment and i shall be your grasshopper !! LAy your creative hand upon my eyes so i can see the LIGHT . Please Master Please !! SHOW ME THE WAY , be my :angel: of hope , The one to save the visual world from the path of destruction !! I so see your way !! b**bs ^0^ Although I find your personification of me as some sort of messiah very amusing, I don't think that's what I was getting at. I don't plan on spreading some divine knowledge upon the Drum Corps world. I do think that we can work together to improve Drum Corps (particularly visual design), and I think the way to do that is through a lot of systematic scrutiny and through the discussion of what we discover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12L Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Or perhaps quite the opposite...maybe drum corps takes itself too seriously and is overdeveloped to the point that it is beyond the comprehension of the "real" world. too true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmenjeffb Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Although I find your personification of me as some sort of messiah very amusing, I don't think that's what I was getting at. I don't plan on spreading some divine knowledge upon the Drum Corps world. I do think that we can work together to improve Drum Corps (particularly visual design), and I think the way to do that is through a lot of systematic scrutiny and through the discussion of what we discover. And i am saying we do that !! I am waiting to hear you say how your system is better and will make design better . What is this " system" you keep speaking of ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asifindnoarta Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 And i am saying we do that !! I am waiting to hear you say how your system is better and will make design better . What is this " system" you keep speaking of ?? Well specifically, I would like to start questioning conventions objectively. There are many conventions that exist in drum corps seemingly because of military tradition. A good example is the block formation. Clearly the block is some efficient method used for militaristic purposes. The block of course carried over into Drum Corps (as did many, many other conventions) without enduring much questioning of its own aesthetic merits in a drum corps setting. In short, I would rather people point to a convention and say, "so and so thought about this method for a long time and decided that it was worthwhile" than pointing to a convention and saying "we do this because its a tradition and because it has roots in the military." My "system" calls for a strict and meticulous examination of the conventions of current dril design. I suspect that this will result in some revelations that will imporve the art once applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 (edited) In short, I would rather people point to a convention and say, "so and so thought about this method for a long time and decided that it was worthwhile" than pointing to a convention and saying "we do this because its a tradition and because it has roots in the military." Ok, I see. You aren't interested in truth, you're interested in using BS to justify your position. We DO use the block "because its a tradition and because it has roots in the military". We also use it because it is without question the fastest way to form a group of people and take accountibility of them. It's also the fastest and most efficient way to move people into other formations (colum of twos, for example) for movement. We use it in drum corps for two reasons: 1) It's an efficient and easy to clean formation (basics block, etc) 2) It looks cool and you can do all kinds of fun things with it (rotations, expansions, contractions, etc) So there's your "strict and meticulous examination of the conventions" of the block formation. And I did it in about six lines. Edited July 21, 2006 by Kamarag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X DM Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 (edited) To the best of my knowledge, an individual rises to the position of drill designer through a very informal process involving not much more than marching and teachign in a particular drum corps. It appears that marching and teaching experience are the only qualifications required for the drill designer position. There is no degree, no formal education, no solid foundation of collective theory. It seems that drill designers take the position first and then later on perfect their craft through experience. Essentially, drill designers are learning on the job. They don't write a single set before actually coming into the position. It seems to me that there should be some system of practice, some theoretical analysis of drill to study before taking the position. The existing body of knowledge seems to reside in casual conversation between the specialized experts. Conventions that we take for granted never appear to be scrutinized or methodically studied. Where did the rotating block come from and why is it still here. When did the great minds convene to rationaly and objectively conclude that the rotating block is a worthwhile method? I fear that there is no great theoretical body, no real school of thought. I fear that the drill I watch and march is created by a few specialized individuals who are self-proclaimed masters. Let us painstakingly scrutinize the modern conventions and improve upon them through our intelect. Let us not be so trusting. Let us question the current custodians of the art. You said there is ( quote ).. " no degree, nor formalized training, " etc to become a Drum Corps Drill Designer. Ironically, you typed this no doubt on a computer keyboard and that computer utilized programming to transfer your words to us. For some historical context, the invention of the computer keyboard began with the invention of the typewriter which was invented by Christopher Sholes in 1868. Christopher Sholes had no " degree ", nor any " formal training ". He never went to College..........The first basic programming language which allows words to be communicated effectively via a computer keyboard was invented by a person who dropped out of college " to question the current custodians of the Art ....of current conventionality ". Both these inventions by people without a " degree " nor " formal training " allowed you here today to transfer your thoughts and words to a world wide audience. George Zingalli, a master genius in modern day Drum Corps Drill design ( inventor of the famous " Z pull " ) marched as a bass drummer in Drum Corps. And the current and former Music Majors among us can no doubt cite the Great Masters that shunned the University for any significant contributions to their Musical creative Masterpeices. Creative works of genius are not found typically in college, despite conventional wisdom that wants us to believe that they are. The inventions and creative works in Music and Art that had the greatest impact on the world were done " off campus ", and done oftentimes by people with little formal training or degree connected to their invention or works of creative art. And that's the genius of it all. Edited July 21, 2006 by X DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asifindnoarta Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Ok, I see. You aren't interested in truth, you're interested in using BS to justify your position.We DO use the block "because its a tradition and because it has roots in the military". We also use it because it is without question the fastest way to form a group of people and take accountibility of them. It's also the fastest and most efficient way to move people into other formations (colum of twos, for example) for movement. We use it in drum corps for two reasons: 1) It's an efficient and easy to clean formation (basics block, etc) 2) It looks cool and you can do all kinds of fun things with it (rotations, expansions, contractions, etc) So there's your "strict and meticulous examination of the conventions" of the block formation. And I did it in about six lines. I believe that there is nothing strict or meticulous about a six-line analysis. You have not convinced me that a block is at all worth-while. I'm sure for every block ever written in a show there exists some alternative move that, if used instead of a block, would be a better move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Bauglir Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 So you think the block ths absolute worst move ever? Because saying "anything would be better" basically means as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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