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Amplification catching on in marching band world


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I've never heard one person directly or indirectly say "wow, what a great vocalist" after it being used in a drum corps show. I have heard many people say how unpleasant it was though.

~G~

Amplification has been used in the California band scene since at least 1991. I've been used to it, and I've seen/heard it used very effectively. Of course, I've also seen it used quite ineffectively.

Yeah, I was never necessarily against amplification and I have gotten used to it. However, I'm still having a hard time enjoying singing in a drum corps show. I'm not a purest - I went into the season open-minded about The Cadets, but for me, it simply wasn't effective and was distracting.

Oddly enough, I would like to hear the vocals go through the stadium PA system or have the corps use much larger amps. I think one of the reasons I don't care for vocals is because they may not be loud enough and the quality of sound (or lack of it) just doesn't seem to complement the brass and percussion on a football field. It's like going to a concert and having to hear the vocalist(s) through a transistor radio. Until they get the sound right, singing in a drum corps show just seems out of place to me.

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i first remember seeing it here in PA about 1980, but not very often....until 2004, last was in 1996. but, now we do see more of it

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It seems like the Cadets love of amplification is catching on in the marching band world. My old high school marching band this year is having a vocalist sing for one of their songs. I personally think this is a bad idea, but it seems like amplification is slowly taking over drum corps.

I judged a band show in Ohio 20 years ago that was partially based around some singers performing Broadway showtunes with mics. One of the Westerville's...don't remember shich. It was an excellent show.

I have seen amps used going back to the 70's.

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The school I work with used it back in 1998....so hardly anything new to the band world.

I know BOA bands have been using it before then.

If anything, I think Hop got the idea from marching bands.

If I remember reading...this year's singer and the song she sung with the Cadets were from a band in Texas. Hoppy and Sylverster saw the young lady when they were judging a USSBA show there and fell in love with both the song and the young lady's talent...they were right. Both were excellent.

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Yeah, amplification and electronics have been going on in marching band for years and years and years. Now it's catching on in drum corps, in that (wow, I'm starting to sound like Terrance) some corps are incorporating elements like talking and singing, which bands have used for years, and calling that "innovation." In doing so they are incorrectly likening this development to those such as evolution in visual and musical design (which were actually pioneered in drum corps, then used in marching band, not the other way around).

Bands used lots of percussion instruments prior to corps. When they were implemented in drum corps they were considered innovative.

Orchestras and bands used timpani...in some cases for centuries...yet when drum corps permitted them it was considered innovative.

Brass instruments used valves as well for a long time...when they were added to bugles it was considered an innovation.

Latin bands used timbales, congas and bongos for a long time...they were considred innovative when used in drum corps.

Orchestras and bands used tubas/sousaphones...when the contra was permitted it was an innovation.

Why? Because they were new to drum corps.

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You know, if the goal of DCI is to innovate, then why not try an avenue that has not been done? Woodwinds are old hat! What about strings? I don't know of any marching art form that has used strings. However, not being a string player, I don't know how feasible that would be. I'm sure that amps would be necessary, but it would at least be new.

Nothing wrong with that idea. A micced string section sitting in the pit, or on a platform on the field, would be a great idea.

Or course, if you tried to march the cello section it would look like Woody Allen in "Take the Money and Run" whre he played cello in a marching band doing a parade. :P

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