DRUM CORPS IS EVOLVING ....

DRUM LINES FOR EXAMPLE:

1. BOOM CHICKA BOOM .... 1950s
2. RATAMACUE, RATAMACUE .. 1960s
3. 32ND NOTE ROLLS, INTRICATE INTERSEGMENT
PATTERNS ... 1970S AND 1980S
4. XYLOPHONES, TIMPANI, PIT INSTRUMENTS .. 1990S TO PRESENT

YOU CAN MAKE THE SAME ARGUMENT IN OTHER ASPECTS OF DRUM CORPS.

EVOLUTION OR PROGRESS?

What did you do in the Corps? drummer: later: Quartermaster, assistant drum instructor

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

1950s Single valve sopranos, baritones, tenor and french horn bugles with a slide transitioning to single valve and rotor and adding the base-baritone
1960s Contra Bass, Mellophone and Euphonium (no more baritones and tenor horns)
1970s and 1980s transition to two valves instead of valve and rotor
1990s to present transition to three valves and B-flat horns now called trumpets, marching trombones, tubas and french horns. Sounds like a brass band instead of a bugle corps.

The G-bugles had a different sound and projected more volume, guess that's why they have to amplify brass solos now.

May have got some of the evolution out of whack in the 50s as I only go back to 1959. When I joined the Cadets in 1959 we had horns with just a valve and now rotor and in pretty poor shape. So I assume the Imperials got a set of horns with rotors some time in the mid-50s. I didn't get a horn with a rotor until I joined the Imperials in the fall of 1961.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959 thru 1961 Cadets 1962 thru 1966 Imperials

Maybe a little of both. Maybe neither. Depends on your mindset.

When you think of it, drum corps just seems to have finally caught up to bands with regard to instrumentation, disregarding woodwind instruments of course. The problem is that they failed to retain their uniqueness by keeping the instruments in the key of G. People can claim that the Bb instruments are more in tune, which in reality they are. However, there was the (IMHO) unnecessary trade-off of less power and projection, which now requires more bodies and amplification, for the miniscule difference in intonation that is gained through that trade. But in reality, good players play well and in-tune on any horn, regardless of key. When you go back to even the mid to late 80s and compare the top 5 groups back then to the top 5 groups today, were there really that many more intonation errors to justify the switch or is it really the difference in talent level between then and now that makes the real difference? So to address the original question, was it worth the trade-off or is it a natural part of progress, evolution or in reality financial necessity? I guess we'll have to see how this all plays out in the next couple of years to really determine the answer.

For now, in my humble opinion, it seems that drum corps have just morphed into a refined, much more talented version of a modern marching band on steroids, without the woodwinds. Is there truly much difference when you take the quality of performance and volume of sound out of the equation? Go see a really good high school marching band show, like Bands of America Grand Nationals and you might have an awakening of sorts. It all comes down to the level of talent and rehearsal time, which is extensively more in each area in the drum corps activity. The shows for the top groups in each medium are designed by pretty much the same people. So how much different is it when taking everything into consideration?

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager