A lot has been said recently about subjects such as: narration (voice components... talking ... on the field); instrument amplification, new instruments, etc.

Along with strange field manuevers and dance routines, we all wonder where is drum corps going?

Will drum corps be just another "band" actvity? They might even merge with the Bands of America Group.

What are YOUR thoughts?

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

They will eventually add woodwinds, because Hopkins wants it, and regardless of what a NUT CASE he is, he eventually gets his way. They will merge with BOA, because then they'll be the same activity anyway - there will just be a summer and fall version.

My only wish is that they would change the name to something besides drum corps. Maybe adding woodwinds will force them to do that.

Thank God for old cassette tapes, CDs, and DVDs!

But maybe there will be a "retro" movement, and DCI will start a separate division for real drum corps.

OK, time to wake up now...

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

The really unfortunate thing in all of this is that we have an activity that was originally started by veterans and volunteers as an activity for local pre-teens and teenagers that's turned into a business with a bunch of people like Hopkins and many others making a living off the activity. This isn't the only "youth activity" where this has occurred and maybe that's progress.

Seems to me that the future of drum corps (like Bob I wish they'd drop the term drum corps) solely depends on a number of people like Hopkins. They don't care what anyone else thinks. Based on the seeming dwindling number of junior corps, it seems to me that it will either finally become a band activity (and all the people like Hopkins will continue to have a job) or it will die.

Does "community" drum corps (as knew it) still continue at the DCI Div 2 and 3 levels?

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

I doubt that's the case on anything but a small scale. The Blue Devils try to do it with their C corps but their B Corps and the Santa Clara Cadets corps seem to be training for the high school kids.

Bob no reason to wake up,I'm not going to.I'm glad
I have those oldies but goodies to watch,to listen to,
to relive those times,that's something you can't have taken away.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

It is so great to be one of the "older guys". . . .
We have had the chance to see and enjoy all drum corps has had to offer, both the old local kids groups, which we belonged to, and the new musicians, who some of us don't favor, but are able to appreciate their many talents!

What did you do in the Corps? bass drum

What years were you a Corps member? '57-'62

Bob,

Good point! The talent level in drum corps today is WAY beyond what any of us marched with. Most of the guys I marched with, in both Norwood and the Cavaliers, couldn't read music, let alone play the sophisticated stuff they play today. As for drumming, I'd put my RUDIMENTAL chops - and most anyone who marched in "the day" - up against anyone today, but the level of MUSICIANSHIP in the percussion section (NOT drum line) is light years ahead of our time. But progress isn't ALWAYS positive...

The kids today don't get out of drum corps what WE did - because they live all over the country, they only know each other for a short while, and the days of people marching six, seven, ten years is LONG gone. It's more educational MUSICALLY now, but I think we learned more about LIFE in our time.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

I do agree. . . ."In our time". . . .Golly, that sounds like we are really old. . . .Anyway, in our time, we marched for many years and those kids were our family and had a big influence on our lives. I always think how I could have join a much lesser crowd and maybe ended up in jail. As you can tell, drum corps made a very big difference in my life!
Also with members from the neighborhood, we hung together thru marriages and what not. . . .You can see it at the reunions we have had. . .We all still have a closeness and care about each other's lives. I don't think the younger people can experience this in the same way.

What did you do in the Corps? bass drum

What years were you a Corps member? \'57-\'62

The two Bobs speak wisely here! (Yes Bob Turner we ARE old!)

Drum corps is DIFFERENT now in MANY ways. It is more than just the shows. The members often march in a top level Div 1 corps only one year ... often their final year!

The corps experience is mostly a musical experience now, not really a LIFE experience (at least not as we knew it).

And, they do come from all over. They have little sense of ongoing "community". BUT, with the very intense summer season of 8-10 weeks, they DO develop a sense of community for that group.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

Just wondering about the closeness. While the time we spent together spans years (maybe decades if you add in B Corps, teaching, judging,...)today's kids are cramming years into days. They essentially live together on their tours. We at least got to spend a little time apart.

What did you do in the Corps? drum

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1969

John T is correct .. a DCI "tour summer" (along with the preparation camps) is VERY intense.

AND expensive!

Yes, drum corps is way different now. I don't think that I could have handled the intensity of a summer like that ... or the expense! (Certainly not 40 years ago!)

BUT, many of them look at this as an investment in their professional futures. OR, they can simply afford it!

This is NOT community based drum corps!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

WE have talked about the "future" on several threads on the forum ...

Behind it lies ... where does TRADITION remain in all of this? Is it OK to just "toss out" the past and do NEW stuff?

Bill Blomquist noted the Cadets tradition of uniform but not of performance (show). Same is true of all corps with marching shows. Now more like dancing. What about music that "normal" people can understand/ remember/ enjoy?

We already realize that "community" drum corps is (essentially) GONE!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-1963

I agree it is nice to be one of the older people
in that respect where we can say we seen it all
at both levels.You can't compare it to anything.
The memories will always be there.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963