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Agreed. I said it before and I stand by it...someday very soon after electronics are finally approved (my guess is within the next five years), a corps will utilize this technology in a way that will totally blow people away in a completely unique and entertaining way. It will be received extremely well by even the critics, as they won't be able to deny the fact that audiences totally dig it. Will that end all the criticism? Nope. But it will allow the activity to move ahead and put to bed the notion that such things "don't belong."

There will be audiences who like it. They will be different. It's all in a matter of which niche you want to appeal to.

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Agreed. I said it before and I stand by it...someday very soon after electronics are finally approved (my guess is within the next five years), a corps will utilize this technology in a way that will totally blow people away in a completely unique and entertaining way. It will be received extremely well by even the critics, as they won't be able to deny the fact that audiences totally dig it. Will that end all the criticism? Nope. But it will allow the activity to move ahead and put to bed the notion that such things "don't belong."

I know some will over do it, and that others will use it tastefully to compliment the show. To be honest, I'd rather hear a small amount of electronics (except for sampled woodwinds and strings) done well to amped vocals.

For me it's not that some won't do it well so much as the fact someone WILL use sampled woodwinds and/or strings. Then you have woodwinds (in some form) in drum corps. That's really what concerns me.

Do I hate bands and woodwinds, NO not at all.

But I REALLY LOVE the unique all brass and percussion sound. Is there something wrong with that or wanting to preserve that?

Edited by shawn craig
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For me it's not that some won't do it well so much as the fact someone WILL use sampled woodwinds and/or strings. Then you have woodwinds (in some form) in drum corps. That's really what concerns me.

I don't think that will be an area of too much concern. I personally think that the BOA model of electronics (no sampling allowed) will eventually be the model approved in DCI. Not the one that George has proposed, which does allow for sampling.

As for woodwinds themselves being approved? I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

Edited by rut-roh
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As for woodwinds themselves being approved? I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

I agree, and I hope you're correct!

I'd like to throw something out there and if you don't agree, please tell me why:

Do you think that the posture and marching that you expect of drum corps can be seen in someone playing a flute or clarinet? I don't mean the 200 bpm-I mean just a corps marching in can be intimidating to a new person or even seasoned veterans.

The arms out, the making yourself look taller, stronger and like a wall and looking at and thru someone has a certain toughness and agression that I don't believe can be seen in woodwinds on the field. It doesn't fit for me. I also don't like the sound, but that's just me!

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I'd like to throw something out there and if you don't agree, please tell me why:

Do you think that the posture and marching that you expect of drum corps can be seen in someone playing a flute or clarinet?

Absolutely. Excellence will vary, of course, in terms of how much time they get to perfect what they've been given. But when it comes to being able to grasp and accurately convey the concepts of good posture and visual performance, woodwind players can look every bit as good as any brass player.

True, there is something to the arms up position of holding a brass instrument, and that bell-front brass image has been a cornerstone of the drum corps activity for decades. When you start adding into that different arm positions of holding a saxophone, or a clarinet, or a flute, it does create a less homogenized look. But I've seen many bands who displayed a great deal of excellence in the principles of visual movement where those differences were less pronounced. Excellence tends to do that.

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Absolutely. Excellence will vary, of course, in terms of how much time they get to perfect what they've been given. But when it comes to being able to grasp and accurately convey the concepts of good posture and visual performance, woodwind players can look every bit as good as any brass player.

True, there is something to the arms up position of holding a brass instrument, and that bell-front brass image has been a cornerstone of the drum corps activity for decades. When you start adding into that different arm positions of holding a saxophone, or a clarinet, or a flute, it does create a less homogenized look. But I've seen many bands who displayed a great deal of excellence in the principles of visual movement where those differences were less pronounced. Excellence tends to do that.

Good point, however your definition of excellence might be different from others.

Excellence in the way I think drum corps should be is that intimidating look, the guard no longer has it and I tend to watch the corps proper lately. I've seen very good bands and it still does not give the feeling of "drum corps" excellence so to speak.

Just my 27 cents....

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Good point, however your definition of excellence might be different from others.

Excellence in the way I think drum corps should be is that intimidating look, the guard no longer has it and I tend to watch the corps proper lately. I've seen very good bands and it still does not give the feeling of "drum corps" excellence so to speak.

Just my 27 cents....

I agree wth you LancerFI. I've seen some very good bands over the years and their bearing, the intimation and attitude, never quite matches any drum corps. Not just div I but including DCA, div II, and even most div III corps.

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Excellence, to me, is always intimidating.

Agreed.... :)

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Good point, however your definition of excellence might be different from others.

Excellence in the way I think drum corps should be is that intimidating look, the guard no longer has it and I tend to watch the corps proper lately. I've seen very good bands and it still does not give the feeling of "drum corps" excellence so to speak.

A Cadet-level band would have just as high an excellence level within each instrument...the flutes would be just as 'good' as the trumpets.

Of course, the definition of 'good' in this area varies between flutes and trumpets, as it does now between trumpets and tubas.

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