crashhelmi36 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Again, I doubt everyone will leave and stop paying if woodwinds enter drum corps. We're too addicted to the marching arts to give up watching it. I went to a grand total of one marching band show this offseason (yes, I went there), and that was only because I was recruiting for Mystikal. But you're right, if Drum Corps added woodwinds, I still would be addicted to the marching arts... which would be more than satisfied by my Season Pass subscription and Drum Corps DVDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 One argument I hear again and again by pro-woodwind folks, is that having woodwinds would add SOOOO much color and variation of sound that is currently missing from the activity. Would you not agree that a brass quartet is a wonderful and valid method of musical performance? Who in their right mind would approach a brass quartet and say "ya know, you guys would be so much more interesting and fulfilling to listen to if two of you would just play a flute and saxophone". Of course, the idea is ludicrous. The second a woodwind is added to that equation, the brass quartet ceases to exist. This is no different than adding woodwinds to drum corps. The all brass sound produced by a drum and bugle corps is a unique, valid and astonishingly beautiful method of musical performance. The music performed by top marching bands is equally as impressive, but there is no question that it is DIFFERENT, which is part of what makes it great. To all of you out there trying to advocate the abolishment of drum corps in the pursuit of summertime competitive marching band (which is EXACTLY what you are proposing like it or not), please PLEASE STOP. There is room in the music world for BOTH activities. you want coloration, fart into a pit mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einstein On The Beach Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 you want coloration, fart into a pit mic. classy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Metallica has performed with a string symphony before, are they no longer a rock band? Or vice versa, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra has performed with Metallica, are they no longer an orchestra? If a drum corps adds a sax solo for a particular show, I fail to see why we should say they are suddenly no longer a drum corps. Metallica is a one time shot. woodwinds in drum corps is forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 B flat instruments and amps are optional. if you like competing with one hand tied behind your back sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I'd love to see a corps come out on a new set of Kanstul G bugles and no amps, and have basically the best designed and performed show of all time. Where do you think they would place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 - Someone asked about the unique drum/brass sound argument. Personally, I don't care or notice the difference all too much. Here's the link to the band (EW BAND!) in my original post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUn8XEhjz94...ted&search= Listen to the two minute intro. Cool sax solo, followed by full-impact. Do you hear the woodwinds during the impact? No! You almost never hear woodwinds when a big marching band is playing full-out. You'll still get your uber-brass sound when you want it.- This argument about having brass ensembles for brass, woodwind ensembles for woodwinds. If you're a woodwind player, there is no need to be in a brass quartet because there is an alternative, your woodwind quartet. If you're a roller hockey player, you can find a high-level roller hockey league, the alternative to ice hockey. If you play a string instrument, you have an orchestra, the alternative to band, etc. There is NO alternative for woodwinds in drum corps after high school, an activity so similar to high school band in both visual and music aspects that instructors are switching between the two without any difficulty at all. Woodwinds can't join any competitive marching activities after high school on their main instruments, unless you consider college band competitive. - Creating a summer band circuit to watch it fail wouldn't make sense. Why would you do that, when DCI already has all of the fan base (aside from DCA in the northeast) ? It would obviously fail because it's VERY difficult to start a marching organization from scratch. If DCI created a woodwind division, that would make some sense, although it wouldn't last very long before the two merged. Before you know it, one of the start-up woodwind groups will be as good as the best brass/percussion groups, and the conflict between which one is better would cause them to merge. - The point of the original post was to get this actually talked about, instead of all the immature jokes that are tossed about in other threads. Over the past year, there have been very few threads focusing on just woodwinds besides a poll that led to no real discussion. I don't see woodwinds getting passed for at least the next 7/8 years, but I think it's time we finally talked about it. a lot of people do care and notice the difference. as you have seen here and elsewhere, many woodwind players cared so much they learned brass. in your second paragraph, you subscribe to this utopia that drum corps has to be all things to all people, and what people dont get is by trying to make that reality, you dilute from what makes drum corps in the first place. it is that uniqueness that makes it so special. ever go to a band show? other than parents of that band, who is in the stadium throwing burning babies at a great show? (cricket, cricket) exactly. oh and DCA is nationwide and growing. just thought you should be aware. why is it growing? because drum corps, the unique artform that it is, is attractive as hell to people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 - Audiences for bands include mostly parents because of the age - it's a school activity, unlike drum corps.- Again, the age. What I said was "after high school there is no alternative". - There's no huge market for woodwinds because woodwinds have little interest in drum corps to begin with when seeing that they're excluded. Only a small portion of those woodwinds actually make the switch. By adding woodwinds, you're taking advantage of the huge band market that attends DCI shows, allowing more people to experience DCI. The experience is much more important than alumni sitting in the stands. there IS an alternative. drum corps. learn to play brass, percussion or do the guard. trying to be all things to all people is a death sentence to the activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 - The experience only comes at high-level high schools, maybe 50-100 across the country. The experience is just a small sample of the greater DCI rush of the summer tour.- What is the difference between someone who picks brass at 9 years old and someone who picks woodwind? The kids are all the same. More brass are interested because up to this point, it's been brass and percussion. The woodwinds will be out there if they are allowed. - Curling, NFL, wtf? Those are two COMPLETELY different sports. Marching b*** and drum corps are very, very similar. - Again, I doubt everyone will leave and stop paying if woodwinds enter drum corps. We're too addicted to the marching arts to give up watching it. ncaa football and pro football are very similar. should we change one to be just like the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Listen, what do you think my intentions were, to get DCI to change for me right this summer? As I said earlier, I don't think it's going to be passed in the next 7/8 years, several years after my age-out year. My personal situation has nothing to do with my opinion on it.We've heard many drum corps stories of people that went to a show or saw it on TV, thought it was cool and tried out, and it turned out to be one of the best experiences of their lives. They didn't try out with an aching desire to do it like woodwinds that make an instrument change, and I doubt all the brass players at audition camps have it too. Allowing woodwinds lets more people like this get in. SBI, was that in the 1980's? Marching band has vastly changed since then. The number of good competing groups has exploded since 2000. They're out there. For the third time, age explains the reason why NBA/NCAA exist seperately. ok...so since we have girls basketball and boys basketball at the HS level, why arent they intermixed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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