Who marched drum corps?

[Bandmaster]

Well, let's see.... Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian teach the low brass sections of the Phantom Regiment and the Arizona Academy drum and bugle corps. Plus Sam also wrote the brass book for the Academy. So something good must be going on at least in a few corps?

The biggest problem is when high school instructors get carried away and want to "emmulate" drum corps and forget that the high school kids can't rehearse 10 hours a day and they also have academic classes and family life to worry about. Realistic expectations must be kept in mind. My personal feeling is that too much time is being taken from musical instruction and applied to visual instruction. Learn to play first... then learn to march!

I marched my first year of drum corps two years ago, at age 50. Before that I taught youth marching band for 30 years.

[bttmbow]

I did two years in a B corps called the Vaqueros in the early 80's, when I was in junior high into high school.

Peter Bond, third trumpet in the MET Opera Orch., was in the Phantom Regiment, and coached them for quite a few years.

I have no regrets.

Chris Hall
METopera, tuba

[GC]

Every band I've ever seen at BOA Grand Nationals has been corps influenced. These ensembles provide an excellent outlet for kids, provide discipline and all sorts of life lessons, and often feature musicianship that is on levels that are difficult to believe. Being corps-style definitely hasn't stopped their teachers from teaching fantastic playing. Maybe some of the complaining teachers need to look more closely at their own methods. Corps style doesn't require "higher, louder, faster"; it's just a choice that fits within the genre, but it's not the only one.

[TexTuba]

Ok here's my take. First off, I LOVE DCI. I am a big fan of it and I love to see it when it's in San Antonio and this new theater thing just rocks. But I do not like the whole "Let's have high school bands imitate the same thing" attitude. Yes, great people have come out of it and have worked with corps. But a DCI-style show should be left off of the high school field. That style of show works for a select few bands in the country. NOT the majority who attempt it. They try it and fail because they shoot for too fast, too loud, and too much movement. Look at the old DCI from the 70s and 80s. They pretty much stay still(well, what is considered staying still by today's standards)and it WORKS. Many corps directors have and still say DCI is a way of doing it, it is not THE way. Personally, I'd take a marching show of Sousa or King and have them move very little if that meant that there was a QUALITY sound and it wasn't killing them to march the show. Bottom line DCI is great but it should be where it is right now. And it should be OFF of high school bands' fields. End rant.

Ralph

[TheChiefofStaph]

I think that corps provides another musical outlet for kids and teens. Since these outlets are becoming rarer in places like our public schools, I'm willing to embrace it.

As for the musical value, I think that Chris Martin (Principal Trumpet, CSO) would (and, for that matter, has) argued that drum corps is a beneficial experience for young musicians.

[ken k]

Reading Buccaneers 1978-1980 and again 1982 - 85 Baritone the first two years and Contra the rest. We wond DCA in 1979 & 1980.

They look like the corps to beat in DCA this year also.

ken k

[windshieldbug]

Reading Buccaneers 1978-1980 and again 1982 - 85

Was Parkes still there? He was our WCS DMajor 1976

[porkchopsisgood]

I almost got a ring....

Star of Indiana '90 and '91.....

1990: Caught acute rheumatic fever....no go....

1991: Caught a paying gig.....same result.....

Oh well....but I love the activity and will always get a thrill out of watching it.

And personally I feel, with the right influences and direction from a good band director, drum corps' influence on HS marching band is incredibly positive. It's when band directors who have no idea how to implement drum corps techniques into their programs that a problem develops.

Spend a couple of weeks tagging a drum corps....I guarantee they'd be happy to have ya....

[tubaribonephone]

JOSH07 IS STUPID!!!

I may be stupid, but I don't stoop to calling people names, or insulting them. And that doesn't make DCI not stupid.

Tubaribonephone can suck my *****.

Ok, first off, you can't take a joke, can you?

And second of all, by calling DCI stupid, you are not only insulting a very great and patriotic activity (lets not forget that Drum and Bugle Corps started with the VFW ) but also litterally thousands and thousands of young men and women who have marched year after year as far back as the mid-to early 1950's.

And third of all, I completely agree with SymphonicBeast, telling me to do what you said is "SO uncalled for". What I said I consider a little childish, yes, but what you said is something that is just plain and simple, wrong.

[Joe Baker]

What am I missing here?

Drum corps is like a marching band on steroids (yes, I know... they come from different origins -- I'm just talking about the end result). Marching band drills vary from simple to difficult, right? The elite drum corps start at difficult and extend well into the impossible, while at the same time playing VERY, VERY difficult music EXTREMELY well. With typically about 100 players on the field, these guys will blow the hair off your head, too. No description will really do, though; you just have to see it to understand. Anybody know of some decent online video clips?

I won't pretend to understand all of the complaints against drum corps, but the one we used to hear all the time was that they play too loud, ruining their chops for "real" playing (the presumption being, first, that all brass players had an orchestra gig as their ultimate goal). That argument is falling pretty flat these days, given the number of former corps players in the top echelon of American Symphonies.

If I understand Charlie correctly (and I hope he will explain his stance a bit more, as I really do want to understand) his complaint is that the High Schools are trying to do the same type of show as the elite corps are doing, and it's just too much to ask (learning and executing the drill, not so much performing the music) of EVERY marching band kid -- especially for those kids who don't give a flip about marching, and are only doing marching band because it's required of students who want to be in concert band.

I respect those who differ, but would offer an opposing view: my son has benefitted greatly from the influence of the drum corps. He was only slightly interested in band until seeing his first drum corps, but has put in tremendous effort and improved drastically as a player largely BECAUSE he hopes to play in a drum corps. His interest in corps has since blossomed into interest in many other types of music, as well. So I would definitely say it's been a huge positive for my kid.

FWIW, we'll be at the DCI show in Murfreesboro, TN tonight. Anyone else going?
_____________________________________
Joe Baker, who has never been in a corps, but would join a Sr. corps if there were one within 100 miles.

[ai698]

Let's see-

Nova 1980-81 (parade corps), we used piston- rotor horns, I still have the contra and my sister's bass baritone
Troopers 1982 contra
Arizona Musketeers 1988 brass staff, corps folded two weeks before tour
Legend of Texas 2000 support staff, corps folded the next season

Marching drum corps gave me the discipline to become a better player and get me through college. It also make Air Force basic training a piece of cake. Drum corps been very, very good to me.

[ken k]

Reading Buccaneers 1978-1980 and again 1982 - 85

Was Parkes still there? He was our WCS DMajor 1976

Yes, the "mace-bearing professor" was there. Quite the motivator. I also got to work with him in 1985 as the assistant horn line instructor. That was a treat.

So if you were at WCS back then you probalby knew half the BUCS horn line. Denny Kline, Walker Penoch, Bill Smith are three who come to mind, can't think of any others right now; I think half the horn line was music majors at either West Chester, Millersville, Delaware, Penn State or Mansfield or band directors. It was a killer horn line that stayed very consistent for about 3 years, then later in the 80's it fell upon hard times.

[THE TUBA]

I have not marched in a drum corp yet, but I hope to in the future. The Carolina Crown drum corps has their spring training at my high school for the past few years (excluding the year previous to this one), and I have followed DCI very closely for the past three years, so I think my opinion shoud count for something. The argument that some people are making that drum corps is bad is very similar to a thread I saw on another website about marching band in general.

"One point that he made was that it can really damage your sightreading or just overall reading ablility. He said that while in marching band you're not pushing/ challenging yourself nearly as much as you should (musically) because if you think about it, you're spending about 6 or so months, on only 3 movements and thats all you ever practice.He was saying that if you think about it, within the course of those 6 months,a player could have learned very many NEW skills but yet all they practice are the ones they already know,so when it comes time for Region/State or Concert Festival, they've limited themselves so much that (unless they practice frequently) they may have a harder time sightreading any type of rythems because they may not have been exposed to them before. He said that this could well limit the growth of your reading skills.

He said that off-season, "marchers" tend to practice way less than they ever do because,they get a feeling of relief and something tells them "well the seasons over, i've done my part, I dont have to worry about playing until we get next seasons music" and they never really do anything to make THEMSELVES better, individual, players, which would actually HELP the next season.

He spoke about volume,intonation, and also a type of "marching style" (so he called it), and how these are most seen/heard in trumpet players off season.(i really had no clue what he meant by that one....)


The only good thing he said about marching band was that it keeps a band together, whether it be tempo wise, friendship, or simply loyalty."


You could very easily make the same arguments about drum corps. The fact of the matter is, this is only true for some cases. I can see how doing a bad drum corp with bad staff can be detrimental, but I cannot see how participating in a good corp or a great corps can cause you harm. This is like saying playing high is bad for your chops. Playing high the wrong way is bad for your chops.
BTW: drum corps has changed from the 70's and 80's

[Leland]

He was saying that if you think about it, within the course of those 6 months,a player could have learned very many NEW skills but yet all they practice are the ones they already know,...

I understand this point, and I've known some longtime corps members that couldn't sightread very well.

What some people don't understand is that "skills" aren't simply learning a huge variety of notes. Another set of skills involves playing the small details extremely well -- and with consistency. Like it or not, this usually involves repetition.

Getting all those performers to march & play correctly is a pretty complex task, too. The performances you see at Finals are leaps & bounds better than what arrived on the field in June. Kids often don't get to experience the playing side of an extremely well-executed performance, but once they do, they understand what's possible in any future ensembles.

Yet another skill to learn is flexibility. Broadway performers understand this well, dealing with numerous changes & alterations and making them sound as if they've always been there. When you have 50-odd shows over the summer, it's natural to add & take away segments to improve the overall production, and then convincingly perform them for the public.

There are certainly benefits to this hyper-critical approach to performing. I'd also say that, ideally, a player would have both experiences -- super detailed refinement of a single production, and learning how to read & quickly assemble a wide variety of other works & styles.

(do I sound tired? Forgive me if I do -- I'm simply beat tonight...)[/i]

[TubaRay]

If anything I think in Texas not enough schools have orchestras!

I really agree with this(if I understand the comment, correctly).

[TubaRay]

Would the strings squads use white fiberglass instruments and bows?

Would the basses use straps, carts, or carry them on the shoulder? I think that there might be a market for basses that are made of white fiberglass with bodies that swing up onto the player's shoulder and a fingerboard that is located in a place that is not quite comfortable.

You could spin and toss the bows, too.

Good point, Wade! One of the effects of DCI on high school bands has provided a marketing Mecca for the sale of various types of equipment which are only necessary for use in the marching band. For instance, we all understand the need for multiple bass drums and quints in ANY musical ensemble. How could ANY of them survive without these?

[KenS]

In Take the Money and Run, Woody Allen plays the cello in his HS marching band during a parade.

OUTSTANDING!

[hydeuphonium]

Blue Devils
02 03 and 04
Lead Bari

It's good because A) you have these kids playing everday, unlike kids that just sit around all summer and play video games, B) It keeps kids in shape, C) These kids get to see the United States AND with some corps.. Europe and Japan.. D) Where else are you ever going to get to perform in front of 25,000 SCREAMING fans?


thats my take on it..

[Leland]

I'd like to see a tally of mature vs. immature posts in this thread.

[Leland]

Had to relate to this one...

Personally, I feel that many band directors are out of there depth when teaching during marching season and harm their students via very bad information regarding breathing, tone production, articulation, et cetera.

(true story)

I'm talking with a flute player after band one day, and she says that her back has been hurting after marching rehearsals.

"Where does it hurt?" I ask.

"Right here," she says, pointing to her lower-mid back.

"Do you lift up your chest, roll your shoulders back, and set your weight down on your hips like Dr. D says to do?"

"Yes, and it still hurts," she replies.

"Ah, then that's your problem. Here's what you really should do..." I spend the next few minutes having her correct her posture, straightening up and lifting off of her hips, etc.

"Oh... oh wow, that really helps! Thanks a lot!"

... Talk about clueless band directors harming students...

(oh, and I didn't really learn how to march in marching band...)