Tom Brace Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Slide whistle - not percussive, yet used in the front ensemble. Closer to a flute than to a drum. I heard it too often this year by I think 3 of the top 12...it's gotten gimmicky now. Drum and Slide Whistle Corps? If we are going to spend pages arguing about the legitimacy of amps, than I believe the slide whistle deserves it's day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geluf Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Its a legit instrument that is also legal. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburstall Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Its a legit instrument that is also legal.*shrug* Is it state it it the DCI rulebook (if one supposedly exists...or is that a drum corps urban legend?)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark1 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 I think we need more cow bell. Slide whistles are usually played by the percussion section in a band/wind ensemble setting because the rest of the players have their mouths occupied playing some other wind instrument. At least, that's how it was explained to me many years ago in band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jthomas666 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Slide whistle - not percussive, yet used in the front ensemble.Closer to a flute than to a drum. I heard it too often this year by I think 3 of the top 12...it's gotten gimmicky now. Drum and Slide Whistle Corps? If we are going to spend pages arguing about the legitimacy of amps, than I believe the slide whistle deserves it's day! Peter Scheikele often refers to the slide whistle as the poor man's trombone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
festive Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 OT, sort of, but are harmonicas illegal? If played by the pit? Just wonderin'. How about the juice harp? Not that I'd like to hear a show full of it. Unless someone's doing an Ives show, in which case I'm all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The absolute best use of a slide whistle in drum corps history (IMHO) was Santa Clara Vanguard's "falling bomb" effect in 1991's "Miss Saigon" show. Everything was loud, then sudden silence, and then the whistle was heard for just a second or two...and nothing else. VERY effective. A great story regarding that is one told to me by the percussion staff that year. Gail Royer stated he didn't care for the sound of the particular slide whistle the corps had, so a staff member changed its color by covering it with colored tape. The next day, they played it for Gail and he approved of the change. They never told him they just covered it with tape and it was the same whistle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 It's a minor pet peeve, but to me it's used as nothing but a gimmick. It's almost "nevermind what we're actually playing - hey, look, here's the whimsical part - hear the slide whistle?" Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 It's a minor pet peeve, but to me it's used as nothing but a gimmick. It's almost "nevermind what we're actually playing - hey, look, here's the whimsical part - hear the slide whistle?" Mike Too true...you can almost see the guard with the big happy (or "surprise") faces when you hear it. Too much whimsy in shows nowadays for me. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skajerk Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Sorry, I can't picture '83 Garfield without the use of all the whistles, bells and bird calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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