Rules Proposals

[drumcat]

By the way, there are thousands of bills that don't get through congress each year... the problem is that in DCI they all come up for a vote. Congress has a committee for this stuff.

[Hrothgar15]

IMO all of the micced vocal stuff will remain an occasional kind of thing...as it has been in the band world basically forever.

The fact at BOA Atlanta in 2004 approximately 83% of the bands in finals used extensive narration says otherwise. But I haven't been to BOA since then, maybe things have changed.

[MikeD]

Mike, I know you're really ok with the concept, and it's cool, I respect that. But here's my perspective (which I imagine is shared by a lot of other people).

Drum corps is this very cool thing most of us discovered when we were young. It was cool because it had its own language, its own traditions, its own code of ethics and standards, standards which were immeasuraly more exacting than the lowest common denominator world we live it.

We all responded to the difficulty of the thing - that you HAD to perfect what you were doing or lose points for your corps, that you HAD to learn how to play for 8 hours a day without blowing your chops, that you HAD to stop yourself from swatting at the mosquito on your nose when you were standing at parade rest in public, because there was and is accomplishment in that discipline.

The proposals do nothing to harm those ideas.

There have been some changes in the activity in the last few years that have tried to simplify things. While I wasn't enthusiastic about some, I was willing to allow that there could be some sense in others. I was in favor of mic'ing the keyboards 20 years ago when I was still instructing, since it was a way of compensating for a natural disability of those instruments when it came to outdoor use. Mic'd vocals, on the other hand, I've never cared for and don't to this day - because they're cheesy and usually come off as amateurish, two things that drum corps has historically striven NOT to be.

We like drum corps because it isn't sappy and (done well) DOESN'T try to be pop. It tries to be cool, it tries NOT to do things because they're easy or trendy. There are already mediums in which synths are allowed, and that's fine, but I hope I'm not being too snotty in saying that those mediums are, imho, lesser versions of this art form in the same way that community theatre is a lesser version of professional theatre. Taking on additional layers of their "easy" solution to instrumentation problems won't improve drum corps - it'll just lower yet another of the standards that keep the activity working on a higher plane than its immediate relatives.

I have heard all sorts of use of vocals over the years in MB...ranging from great to lousy...as in anything.

But here's my counter-proposal to Hopkins'. I'm all in favor of synths being allowed, but only for corps with fewer than 75 performing members. If we're going to be changing the tone and texture of the shows, let's go ahead and open the avenue to those who could most utilize the help. That way, organizations could choose to go with 'electronic enhancement' to make up for a lack of musicians or they could go trad and go big. Comes down to it, I'm even willing to allow that the 150 member rule might be ok, AS a tradeoff for taking the synth element out of the equation for larger corps.

That way, the change could be seen as a tool for growth among the smaller organizations, wth the rest of the activity either keeping it out altogether or, at worst, taking a wait and see attitude toward the prospect, allowing the littler corps to experiment with the possibilities of the medium. (FWIW, in the interest of promoting growth at the grass roots level, I'd also be in favor of using some sort of framing/masking device on the field for Div 3 corps so that the playing area was better suited for the size of their productions, but that's a topic for another day).

IMO the addition of both electronics and WW could help the smaller corps that are having trouble recruiting. Why not field 15 brass and another 15-20 WW if they were allowed, plus an electric piano?

But it'd be a real shame to see the activity cave in at all levels to the marching band solution to the world. Taking away difficulty only dilutes one of the attractions that the activity had for many of us in the first place.

I see nothing in the proposals that takes away difficulty.

[MikeD]

The fact at BOA Atlanta in 2004 approximately 83% of the bands in finals used extensive narration says otherwise. But I haven't been to BOA since then, maybe things have changed.

BOA is hardly the be all and end all of MB. There are thousands of them spread across the country. Yes, BOA bands can be among the very best, but they are a fragment of the total MB activity nationwide.

[mobrien]

I see nothing in the proposals that takes away difficulty.

I push a button on a keyboard, and a pre-programmed sound comes out of a speaker.

Sounds like the original "Easy Button" to me. B)

[Hrothgar15]

BOA is hardly the be all and end all of MB. There are thousands of them spread across the country. Yes, BOA bands can be among the very best, but they are a fragment of the total MB activity nationwide.

Ah, very good point. Being part of a "BOA band," my marching worldview is pretty limited. I was also part of a band that would never, ever even think of using any form of vocal amplification, and whose intent with every show was simply to add a visual portion to our musical performances, like those which we would perfect during concert season. This might explain a lot. :P

[MikeM]

The proposals do nothing to harm those ideas.

I have heard all sorts of use of vocals over the years in MB...ranging from great to lousy...as in anything.

IMO the addition of both electronics and WW could help the smaller corps that are having trouble recruiting. Why not field 15 brass and another 15-20 WW if they were allowed, plus an electric piano?

I see nothing in the proposals that takes away difficulty.

But, these proposals turn drum corps into Marching Band.

Drum Corps is Brass and Drums. Individuals want to make it Marching Band, and this, IMO is unacceptable.

[MikeD]

I push a button on a keyboard, and a pre-programmed sound comes out of a speaker.

Sounds like the original "Easy Button" to me. B)

Hit the bar with the mallet...or the drum with the stick...and the pre-programmed (by virtue of the manufacture) sound comes out.

[drumcat]

Hit the bar with the mallet...or the drum with the stick...and the pre-programmed (by virtue of the manufacture) sound comes out.

And there's no way to constrain said sound to being any type of acoustic replication of allowed instruments. No way, no chance. Everything that drum corps isn't can be found in sampling.

[Newseditor44]

let me just say that i can apprecate the ideas that people put forth and the effort made to make the activity more enjoyable and to take it down new and exciting paths. Change is good, but can't too much change too soon can have a negative effect?

Aren't we completely getting away from the simple things that have made or activity unique. Sure, you can argue that what separates drum corps from Marching Band are the hours the kids spend on the field, the hard work and dedication, and the complexity of the programs. Now if you seriously believe that crap, I have a great piece of oceanfront property to sell you in Oklahoma. Marching bands have consistently been closing the gap as far as quality of performers in the past several years. The lie between drum corps and marching band has been blurred and will continue to blur even more with the passage of such ridiculous rules.

In fact, I think the argument can be made that the only thing that makes drum corps worth while is the stigma that goes along with the name "drum corps", or the names that have made the activity such as SCV, Blue Devils, Cadets. Kids march these corps because of name recognition.

I don't know, I am so ###### that I can't even finish a sentence.

Stepping off of my soap box

Edited January 5, 2007 by Newseditor44