ekleve Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 (The word you is the plural, as in "the people of today's groups".) Just like most who are so in love with the "Brass Band Field Theater" of today. There is absolutely Nothing wrong with what is being done today. The problem is you have been told/taught that it is "Drum and Bugle Corps". Which it is not! What you have today is Brass and Percussion Band people playing Brass and Percussion Band Instruments. You no longer use Bugles. You no longer have a "Color Guard" You do not have any "Colors to Guard". You have a Visual Dance Ensemble. Then add all the Props, and stage sets. Then add the Amps and sound boards. Now add Singing, both and as an Ensemble and Soloists. Then lets not leave out Narrators and such. Even the Drill is not the Military "Corps" type of marching. Soon you will have Electronics. With the sounds of almost anything added. So you have Invented something New. It has "Evolved" as they say. It has combined many different things into what is done by the DCI groups. I happen to call it "Brass Band Field Theater" Just my term, but, one that seems to fit. That does not make what is done as Bad, Evil, or un-worthy. The opposite it true. They Quality is beyond belief. The Talent of the of the Highest level. Entertaining for sure. The Passion and love shows to all. Well deserving of Praise! So is it not time to "Evolve" into a new term/name for what is done. Just as a "CD" is not a "Record". Move on. Put "Drum and Bugle Corps" behind you. It is a "PART" of your past. I honestly believe that if you do change the term to something else it will put an end to all these problem discussions. We will ALL be happier for that. The following quote is from the original poster in the Death of DCP thread: "Drum corps in this country can be traced back to the civil war and frankly, I'm glad the same instruments used back in the 1870s aren't still used today. I'm glad drum corps isn't just an activity for reinactors." I love this quote. That says it all. First of all, that means drum corps has always been progressive, which is quite necessary. Second, are the alumni from the 70's and 80's (and earlier) forgetting that drum and bugle corps originally had nothing to do with marching around a football field, making cool formations, and competing in front of a panel of judges? So LucysSkylinerAlumni, based on your birthday in your profile, you marched junior corps in the 60's, and perhaps in the 50's if you started young. In any case, it was well after the Civil War! Your purpose for marching was not for the same military function that drum corps was first used for. Therefore, the activity you marched in back then that you called drum and bugle corps was also something new that was invented, just as today's corps are. You can pretty much take everything you said in your post and apply it to your generation. Today's generation did not invent drum and bugle corps, but niether did yours. Anybody who could claim responsibility for its origin and true intent is long dead. Oh and by the way, a CD is not vinyl phonograph, but it is still a record! ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 ...The top drum and bugles corps were always playing at the highest level for their time. That once again is not something that can be used to make a comparison. The basic foundation in music will never change. What todays DCI groups are doing with that foundation makes it boring exciting and entertaining for drum and bugle corps fans. ... This drum and bugle corps fan going back to 1964 fixed it for you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Too bad it isnt a requirement to at least register and use your real name in discussion forums. It would prevent a lot of nonsense that we get here and in other places. You should be proud of what you type and think...no ??~G~ thats for Geoffrey How do we know? :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Of course not. Why would you? It was stuff you didn't really want to hear. Like when somebody says something kids don't like, they cover their ears and go "nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" Or, like whistling while walking past the graveyard. Or...and I DID waste my time reading the whole thing....it mght just be a bunch of drivel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 If it's not Brass, Percussion and Color Guard it doesn't belong in drum and bugle corps.Amps, amped vocals and sissys dancing don't belong in drum and bugle corps. But then again, they are not really putting drum and bugle corps on the field anymore so they should STOP CALLING THEM THAT AND CALL THEM WHAT THEY ARE MARCHING BANDS!!!!! It's not adapting, it's changing COMPLETELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <**> Drum corps was a form of marching band when you and I marched too, so what is the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Also, competitive corps-style high school marching band has replaced community drum corps... with little distinction between the two activities these days. There are now more than 3 million kids in America participating in school instrumental music programs. I've been saying exactly that since pre-DCP days on RAMD. 400 drum corps in 1971...at all levels...vs thousands of competitive bands in 2007...at all levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 mmm, I think I see a solution here. Someone needs to come up with drum corps for foagies, and drum corps for whippersnappers, and combine the two. Then everyone can be right, and happy, and won't have to spend hours defending their opinions when they could be either practicing, or washing their dentures. There are a lot of alumni corps out there for the foagies....they do a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 These kids are long used to having amplification, vocals, electronics, etc. Even back when I was in high school, more than 15 years ago, our school program had been using amplification and electronics for several years. This is what THEY like. Only 15 years? When I was a band director in the late 70's we hosted a competition, and even THEN I saw bands marching electric bass guitars, with roadies behind wheeling an amp and power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 While I don't necessarily agree with everything skyliner alum, that is a pretty good post and one that I can really respect. You seem to understand that what we're doing may not be "your" drum corps, but there is still merit to it and I think that is what any current member of DCI would wish. One thing you mentioned and I figured I'd bring up is a term you used. You mentioned how what we do is not "drum and bugle corps". I think many members do not consider themselves members of drum and bugle corps, but really just refer to it as drum corps. Do you or anyone else reading find anything in the use of terminology that could show the evolution of our activity, or is it just an interchangable word? Just a thought. In 1971 people said that Madison, the Cavies, and Garfield were the 'death of drum corps' with their themed show....in 1976 people said that Bayonne was not drum corps when they came out in the banana unis...etc...I even saw a letter to the editor to Drum Corps News from the early 60's on NanciD's great site that complained about adding the contrabass to drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I agree, why do they continue to ride the wave of drum and bugle corps? Call it something else and move on to that activity, don't try to kill ours. Because it is still the same activity, that's why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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