The Case for Woodwinds in Drum Corps

[Claritone]

I didn't read the whole thread but... I'm a clarinet player who really wanted to march drum corps, and I learned euphonium last summer. If your willing to work a little bit it's not really hard to learn a brass instrument(especially euphonium), and I really don't think woodwinds belong in drum and bugle corps.

[bawker]

OT:

= awesome.

/OT

[Jeff Ream]

What about the unique sounds that you get by just using brass and percussion? Isn't it worth preserving something unique?

I think it is.

Adding woodwinds would change the "sound" of drum corps. Brass lines would have to play differently. It wouldn't be the same performance.

agreed. you want woodwinds, make an anything goes division.

[Jeff Ream]

You're 19 and a woodwind player that wants to march drum corps.

What's with people today, you would rather change the entire activity to suit you than go thru the effort to adapt to the activity?

Good grief!

If you really want to march drum corps, learn a bugle and do it!! I would say thousands of woodwind players have done that very thing over the last 20, 30, 40 years. Such disrespect to them to demand that drum corps change.

And what about all the woodwinds players in drumlines and color guards!! And as DM's!! Such disrespect to those talented folks and their love of corps.

Last thing that solidifies this whole topic.... Picture this: clarinets to the box!! Or better yet, bass guitar amp pusher to the box!! Ugggh!!

[Jeff Ream]

Yes, lets homogenize all music ensembles.

Every music ensemble on the planet should have every instrument in it. All this "uniqueness" crap is tiresome. Everything should be the same. Ensembles with different instrumentation are a thing of the past and we should all forget about it. We've got to destroy as many unique ensembles as we can...for the good of the future.

exactly. communism for drum corps..all the same and nothing more and nothing less!!!

[Michael Boo]

...or:

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...t&p=1107089

Heh. B)

I thought you were referring to the DCI.org article that just came out today. But you will notice in the forum thread you quoted that I did not endorse the concept of woodwinds. I do believe drum corps is whatever it becoms, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily becomes omething we don't recognize at all.

[Jeff Ream]

ok... I'm a saxophone player. I marched my first season of drum corps, last year when I was 20, in Div I, and I am aging out this year.

someone made a very good post for you on one of the earlier pages... YOU CAN MARCH THIS YEAR. It doesn't matter if you haven't touched a brass instrument yet. You can march this year. It's up to you if you want to do it. If you want to march at the "best" corps you can, you will march wherever you can this year to gain experience, and then see what you are like in August.

There are woodwind players all over DCI, including the "top" corps. Seriously. They wanted to be part of those corps, so they worked their ##### off to get there. Drum corps is not an easy activity. You will be pushed the entire summer. It is an amazing experience. And it will be all the more rewarding if you switch instruments, because you know how much work you put into it.

There are people who have played a brass instrument starting in September, and they are on the field in Division I the next summer.

So,

1. You can march this summer. Call/email those corps.

2. You will get a chance to march in Division I before you age out. The only way you won't is if you don't try.

If you want to march, you will make it happen. But you have to decide you want to do it.

If you can't imagine putting in so much work, that consists of practicing like, an hour a day, or maybe even less, you wouldn't survive the summer anyway. Figure out if this is what you want to do. If it is, go for it, you won't regret it.

POST OF THE YEAR

[Hrothgar15]

Hey, nothing wrong with clarinets to the box...in marching band. And it's not like the actual bell is pointed to the box...

[Jeff Ream]

How bout this...

open up the option

find a way to judge it so that you neither have to use woodwinds or shun them

let the corps experiment

if it works out it works out...if it doesn't it doesn't

we all know not every corps will even bother to use woodwinds...it is basically impractical to have them march because of the extreme difference in volume and the amount of members that would have to be taken away from other sections to field these instruments.

I believe that marching band is unique because it has woodwinds, but it works for them because they can have the sheer numbers needed to create a good balance in sound. Woodwinds should, IMO, get a chance in drum corps, but I doubt they would ever get past the "brass player puts his/her horn down picks up WW in pit, plays a smooth, chocolatey solo, picks his/her horn back up and marches his/her butt off" stage, and that's cool with me

they want to experiment, let em leave DCI and do it

[Jeff Ream]

Just as some encouragement:

I am a flute player. When I was 19, I picked up the mellophone in May, and in November made a top 5 corps.

Also, something to think about:

I grew up around the Cavaliers. I was always in total awe of their organization and what they did.

When I decided that I wanted to march, my father suggested that we sue the Cavaliers, forcing them to accept females. (In all seriousness). I said no. Because if we were to succeed in getting them to accept me, the qualities of the organization that I so admired would cease to exist. Yes, they would still be called that Cavaliers. Of course that wouldn't change. But by including myself, the organization would change. Is it unfortunate? Yes. Did it stop me? No.

Now some tough love:

Actually, I disagree. It should absolutely be held against them. Part of what corps are looking for is a serious commitment to who they are. This means everything from ability to personal and financial responsibility.

Is it harder for woodwind players?

Yes.

Welcome to drum corps. It's hard.