Pre DCI groups

[HPUEuph5]

I'm writing a paper on Drum and Bugle Corps as a site of memory since they were first veterans units.

So, does anyone know of any good written sources? I have news articles but I need some stuff more concrete.

[ambassadorhorn]

I'm writing a paper on Drum and Bugle Corps as a site of memory since they were first veterans units.

So, does anyone know of any good written sources? I have news articles but I need some stuff more concrete.

There isn't much (which to me is surprising). Here's a good start if you can find a copy:

Ross-Robertson, David, and A P. Samuels, eds. Encyclopedia of drum and bugle corps. N.p.: Allen Co., 1966.

I have gathered a bunch of references on a Drum Corps Wiki article here: http://www.drumcorpswiki.com/Books

Let us know what else you find.

edit: for formatting

Edited March 21, 2007 by ambassadorhorn

[JoSaints]

I'm writing a paper on Drum and Bugle Corps as a site of memory since they were first veterans units.

So, does anyone know of any good written sources? I have news articles but I need some stuff more concrete.

Another source would be to contact some of the corps who had their starts with Legion or VFW posts -- many have documented their histories for show programs and such. Two that come to mind immediately are Skyliners (started as the Gabarina-Mazarkis post corps) and Archer-Epler. While these aren't "scholarly" resources, many profs accept them as recorded oral traditions.

When you say "site of memory," do you mean ways of remembering those who served in the military? If so, you might also want to make note that for a very long time (until the late 70s-early 80s) corps were required to have a "color presentation" as part of their show. Garfield Cadets took it to the max with their peace sign during the Viet Nam War era.

[MikeD]

I'm writing a paper on Drum and Bugle Corps as a site of memory since they were first veterans units.

So, does anyone know of any good written sources? I have news articles but I need some stuff more concrete.

I know it's just more news articles, but here is NanciD's great site of old Drum Corps News articles...she is up to 1964...

NanciD

[Vince Lamb]

I'm writing a paper on Drum and Bugle Corps as a site of memory since they were first veterans units.

So, does anyone know of any good written sources? I have news articles but I need some stuff more concrete.

I'm one of the authors in the second volume of Drum Corps World's A History of Drum and Bugle Corps. That series covers pre-DCI drum corps.

[Hup234]

I'm one of the authors in the second volume of Drum Corps World's A History of Drum and Bugle Corps. That series covers pre-DCI drum corps.

Vince, I'm a veteran of the era and I read through the book. That first volume was very sketchy and often inaccurate on the period before 1970, and bypassed most of the historic landmarks, important events and influential people of the period. It was as though the editors couldn't wait to rush through to write about current times.

Much of what was written of the period had a smug aura about it in comparison to what was said of the contemporary era. Worst of all, and totally unforgiveable, was that there was no effort to contact the people who were there. The thing was written without qualified research, and deserves little credibility.

Euph, I suggest you post your telephone number for the alumni and D&BC veterans to contact you.

A good D&BC history book is needed but I want to advise you that the alumni don't check here often. When I post it's because someone forwards something of interest. Thanks, and good luck.

(And the 1964 Encyclopedia is good but is more of a catalog of corps then active which bothered to contribute to it.)

[audiodb]

I was going to try and respond to your entire post, but this part says it all:

Worst of all, and totally unforgiveable, was that there was no effort to contact the people who were there. The thing was written without qualified research, and deserves little credibility.

Obviously, you know nothing about how these books were compiled. Perhaps you are the one whose research effort is lacking....

The first DCW history book was a decade-long effort. Contributions were solicited from anyone and everyone willing throughout that period. Fact of the matter - the people "who were there" did not step forward to write. Many of them would far rather sit back and take potshots at anything written today (yourself included, apparently).

The second book is an even clearer testament to this problem. Lists of corps were developed, and searches conducted to recruit people to cover them. Still, there are a few corps of obvious significance that are missing from this book because no one offered to write about them (or the one person who did didn't come through in the end). I ended up writing a chapter for that book covering corps I had no personal contact with, had never even seen, and never lived within 1000 miles of - because if I hadn't, they would have been left out too.

Let me know when your book comes out. (Seriously - I'd like to read about all that history you refer to.)

Edited March 25, 2007 by audiodb

[Vince Lamb]

Another source to use would be Jodeen Popp's book, "Competitive Drum Corps ... There and

Then to Here and Now." It's not a very scholarly book, but it has lots of entertaining anecdotes about corps up to the late 1970s. Also, to address another criticism, "she was there."

Good luck finding it, though. When I last ran a search on it, back in 1995 or 1996, fewer than a dozen libraries had copies.

[Hup234]

"I was going to try and respond to your entire post, but this part says it all:

Obviously, you know nothing about how these books were compiled. Perhaps you are the one whose research effort is lacking...."

What's obvious about you is your effort to defuse reality with smug sarcasm.

What's less obvious, though, to your fellow fanatics who are too close to the trees to see the forest but more obvious to the D&BC veterans like myself (most of whom shunned all the mincing, prancing foolishness decades ago) is that your "history" book is a farce because the veterans who were there weren't contacted, and if you had taken the time to absorb what I said about that, you could have grasped that the reason your requests for contributions were ignored is because the D&BC greats of years past - the veterans - don't like what your activity has become and don't come to your events or read your publications, understand? And I'm only here because someone forwarded this topic.

It's arrogant to even suggest that you needn't reach out to those who lived the period and that they - we - should somehow find you.

"The first DCW history book was a decade-long effort. Contributions were solicited from anyone and everyone willing throughout that period. Fact of the matter - the people "who were there" did not step forward to write. Many of them would far rather sit back and take potshots at anything written today (yourself included, apparently).

"I ended up writing a chapter for that book covering corps I had no personal contact with, had never even seen, and never lived within 1000 miles of - because if I hadn't, they would have been left out too.

Let me know when your book comes out. (Seriously - I'd like to read about all that history you refer to.)"

I and many others have written plenty in our time (look it up), and we always treated my sources with respect.

[Hup234]

"I was going to try and respond to your entire post, but this part says it all:

Obviously, you know nothing about how these books were compiled. Perhaps you are the one whose research effort is lacking...."

What's obvious about you is your effort to defuse reality with smug sarcasm.

What's less obvious, though, to your fellow fanatics who are too close to the trees to see the forest but more obvious to the D&BC veterans like myself (most of whom shunned all the mincing, prancing foolishness decades ago) is that your "history" book is a farce because the veterans who were there weren't contacted, and if you had taken the time to absorb what I said about that, you could have grasped that the reason your requests for contributions were ignored is because the D&BC greats of years past - the veterans - don't like what your activity has become and don't come to your events or read your publications, understand? And I'm only here because someone forwarded this topic.

It's arrogant to even suggest that you needn't reach out to those who lived the period and that they - we - should somehow find you.

"The first DCW history book was a decade-long effort. Contributions were solicited from anyone and everyone willing throughout that period. Fact of the matter - the people "who were there" did not step forward to write. Many of them would far rather sit back and take potshots at anything written today (yourself included, apparently).

"I ended up writing a chapter for that book covering corps I had no personal contact with, had never even seen, and never lived within 1000 miles of - because if I hadn't, they would have been left out too."

And you admit that? Writing a "history" with no research only to be able to say somebody did?

"Let me know when your book comes out. (Seriously - I'd like to read about all that history you refer to.)"

I and many others have written plenty in our time (look it up), and we always treated our sources with respect.