A story appeared in my local paper today, announcing the Cavaliers DCI show in Lisle this Saturday (June 26). You might be interested in how they describe drum corps now .... especially the Cavaliers manager's description of WHO the members are and WHERE they are from.

Copy and paste this URL to your browser to read the story.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110620/news/706209923/

------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

FYI .. here is the noted quote from the Cavaliers manager:

“Our members come from all over the world and are mainly college music students aged 20 to 21, with a few high school seniors,” Rasin said.

-------

Certainly no longer a community youth activity! (Of course, drum corps stopped being THAT many years ago.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Read your posting Dave and also the newspaper
article about there description of Drum Corps, it
sure isn't a local thing anymore.

Didn't recognize any of the music that the Cavaliers
are playing this season and I'm sure the people
sitting in the stands won't either,to bad.Who is the
one who makes the choices on what music to play and
do they take ask themselves if anyone one will know
what there playing,probably not.

I was browsing through DCI's website,to see if they
had any scores from this past weekend and I noticed
they really started out with a bang as far as what
corps were appearing in these first two contests.
The top five or six were together.

Also I went on the Cavaliers facebook,and I do have
to admit I seen a lot when it comes to some of the
crazy things that these Corps have done on the field
that are way out in left field,if you know what I
mean.One photo that they had on their facebook,
taken probably from the first contest this past
Saturday showed part of the drum section holding
this other drummer,now get this,upside down while he
was playing.I guess I haven't seen a lot.It's hard
to find word's for this...what's next?

What did you do in the Corps? French horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

That kind of stuff has been around forever. It just used to be at initiations...

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 read the whole article and have decided that it is nothing more than a two year apprenticeship in music and dance that you are lucky enough to pay for. And the only people they get a chance to make friends with, are themselves. They are constantly busy practicing or traveling to perform. They don't have any time to meet other corp members.

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

Steve,

That's pretty much true! I travelled with the Cavaliers in 1993 (I was still a band director, so it was a good learning experience for me), and there was very little time to socialize with other corps. In fact, the guys that knew people in other corps mostly knew them from college.

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

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

Besides the "professional" approach to drum corps (avoiding ANY pretense to being a community youth activity), look at the programs they now have.

. You have to have a "theme". It isn't enough to just play music which the audience can enjoy.

. Look at the totally silly "auxiliary" uniforms worn (these are NOT color guards now). Gosh, they are insane.

. The use of indoor, concert designed percussion instruments in an outdoor environment is totally bizarre.

Well, these ARE just MY opinions ... but I wonder just how long this product will "sell" to the general public. At a fairly high cost for tickets too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Am headed over on the other side of the Bay to Leland Stanford Junior University for tonight's DCI contest. Blue Devils, Santa Clara, Phantom Regiment and Garfield (Bergen County? Allentown? Texas?).

John, looking forward to your report. It would be interesting to hear what the marching members (remember when they were "kids"?) have to say these days.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

My wife and I went to the DCI show at Leland Stanford Junior University stadium last night.

Corps included Blue Knights from Denver, Mandarins from Sacramento, Pacific Crest from LA area, Phantom Regiment, Santa Clara, Garfield, and the Blue Devils. Also had Blue Devils B and C corps, Santa Clara B corps, a corps from San Antonio TX and the Renegades.

Blue Knights were the best I've ever seen them. Theme was English Folksong Suite but that included the old Anaheim Kingsmen opener. They had a few "park and blow" sequences that had the same power as the Cadets and Blue Devils.

Phantom Regiment played Romeo and Juliet which was first time in maybe 30 years, I've heard them play recognizable music. They weren't very entertaining (boring) is my main comment.

Santa Clara was just plain flat and more boring than Phantom Regiment. They followed the Phantom Regiment and Cadets. I saw them two years ago and it seemed they were on their way back but don't know about the 2011 version.

I actually enjoyed the Cadets. They won the show by half a point and it was all in visual and general effect. The theme is Angels and Demons. They put half the corps on the field in all white uniforms (the tradiional uniform but with white jackets). They were in ranks and well formed lines. Then as the corps was announced the other half comes out in all maroon uniforms at the other end of the field acting like an unorganized mob. Reminded me of the Bridgemen. The two diffent color schemes add to the visual effect.

A while back someone said the problem with DCI corps is you don't leave the stadium whistling the music from their show. You will, if you see the Blue Devils this year. This show is a tribute to Burt Bacharach with a lot of his popular songs from the 1960s and 1970s. All they need to add is Dionne Warick vocals and maybe play "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." Musically their show is one of the most entertaining for a long while. Like Denver they have a few "park and blow" sequences and the volume they produce reminds one of the old Madison and Spirit of Atlanta brass lines--but louder and more under control. My guess is they'll need some work on the visual part to repeat.

A couple of other comments.

I didn't count performers but the Pacific Crest, Blue Knights, Blue Devils and Cadets seemed to have more members on the field than Santa Clara and the Phantom Regiment.

The San Francisco Renegades did an exibition. They seemed about a third of the size I remember from five or six years ago. Less than 30 horns and very small number of dancers.

Sacramento Freelancers Alumni did a pre-show concert. Nice sound. More horns than the Renegades but only one drummer. They had a guy set up with a set of traps so they sounded like an all brass jazz band.

Having been to a lot of venues for corps contests over the years, the Stanford Stadium is the best. It is a relatively new football only stadium that is closed on both ends and only seats 60000. We had seats on the 50 yard line in the second deck. You see the entire field. Would be great for football too--although I think a season ticket for those seats is about $2500.

My wife, who has no drum corps background other than attending shows with me every five years or so. doesn't like the dancers and props. She liked it when they had the flags. She actually brought her Kindle so she could read while listening to the music.

The section we sat in had a lot of Santa Clara Alumni (guys with corps jackets than had patches from their 73 and 74 DCI championship). They don't like the Blue Devils much the way most of us don't like the Cavaliers. They sat on their hands during the Blue Devils performance.

Finally, before the contest we went to the pre-contest cookout. Ran into Gary Czapinski. Hadn't seen him since the corps get together in 2005. He's retired from judging and was out for a visit with some of his old friends (he worked with Santa Clara in early 70s and of course has been involved in a lot of other programs as well as DCI judging). Chops' last year in Norwood was my first--marched in a squad with him, Bruce Borck and Ted Orland. He then was our drill instructor through 1965 season.

Doubt I'll see another show this year because of my personal and business schedule but I would go to see the Blue Devils and Cadets perform again if I had the opportunity.

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-61 Cadets 1962-1966 Imperials

John,

Thanks for the review! Phantom being boring is redundant, and I too thought Santa Clara might have been on their way back a few years ago - disappointing. Not surprised that they don't like the Blue Devils, for the same reason many in the midwest didn't (and/or don't) like the Cavaliers.

For Cadets to do Angels and Demons they could just put the corps at one end and Gary Hopkins at the other. I'm assuming the all-white uniforms makes everyone look like their drum majors used to look?

And Devs are playing recognizable music? I'd love to hear that. However, they are suffering competitively for it, which is always the problem in DCI. You apparently have to be esoteric to win!

I know the Cavaliers have already beaten all of those corps, and the Carolina Crown beat the Cavaliers one time early, so it might be an interesting season.

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

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

Bob,

The white Cadet uniforms are like their old drum major uniforms. The drum majors are the only ones dressed in the tradional Cadet uniforms. They start off the show with a girl dressed like an angel entering on the left side (where the corps dressed in white is). I don't recollect a similar figure to represent evil, but that would have been a good place for Hopkins. The kids playing the demon side of the corps look like they are having a lot of fun when they show up. The just mill around taunting the other side until the music starts. One of two times I've enjoyed the Cadet's show (the other was their 2002 show which was a tribute to 911).

The Blue Devils are the best musically but as you note it's tough to get a visual show to match popular music and/or get a high score. I did go out to their website and download a studio recording of the music. In the studio environment they sound a lot like Stan Kenton's jazz band playing Burt Bacharach music. We've all complained about the keyboard being added to the pit, but it is really effective to have that piano sound at the start of the opening number, "A House is Not a Home." A lot of Bacharach's songs start with the piano and for that matter many of the old Stan Kenton band arrangements feature the piano. Last year the Blue Devils' arrangement of "Laura" used the piano just like one of Kenton's arrangements of that song.

Another interesting thing this season is the DCI "super corps" contests. The season started with the top 8 corps from last year in two contests and this past week end half of them have been in California. In the major corps (top 8 to 10) never when head to head until the last month of the season. So there is more competition among the top corps early. That scheme will be difficult for a corps to go undefeated.

From the schedule it looks like the Blue Devils aren't competing for about a week so I expect their show will be modified to get more visual and general effect in the mix. They might have to recuit Dionne Warick or Aretha Franklin to do some vocal work.

I checked DCI scores last night and it looks like Madison is stronger (believe they've topped the Blue Stars and maybe Bluecoats) and may make a run to get into that top 8 category for next year.

For those of you in the Chicago area, DCI has a show in Rockford on July 17 with just the top 8 corps from 2011. If I lived in Chicago area, I'd go to that show and skip going to Indianapolis.

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-61 Cadets 1962-1966 Imperials

Nice reporting John of the Corps you seen.I'm glad
to hear someone is playing popular music for a
change,maybe it will catch on with the others,but
than again I'm sure it wont't,too much of a
dreamer I'am.

To bad the Corps of today are isolated from each
other like they are.They arrive at their
destination,practice for hours on end before
the show,than do what ever is next on the agenda
go do the show and without missing a step hop on
the buses with food in hand and off to there next
venue.

It was nice with the way we had it,being able to
see the Corps we were competing against that night
sometimes before we went on and also after we
came off the field.There a few times I can recall
that we really couldn't.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

Yes, I agree Rich. It seems like a strange way to participate in the drum corps activity. All they ever (seemingly) see is their own corps.

I liked Steve Kas' comment about it being a "two year internship in music and dance." I think that is a true description. I know many band directors get their first jobs based on membership in drum corps, especially in those states that are highly competitive in marching bands.

Who would have ever thought that drum corps would be helpful on a resume?

And the corps are really set up to function one year at a time, then everything starts over again for the following year. I don't think many people march more than two or three years at the most, as opposed to those of us who were nuts enough to do it for 8, 9, or 10 years in the past.

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 programs are for kids who are serious about music/band. During last Saturday's show they ran interviews with the Blue Devils kids on the stadium "jumbotron". One kid is a bass drummer this season but last season he marched the Blue Devils as a tuba player. That is very different from the old drum corps.

You're right, back then there was no way anyone from the horn line wanted to ever be a drummer. Especially BASS DRUM???

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

You're close, Steve. Nobody from the horn line COULD be in the drum line. And the fact that person could only make bass drum proves my point...

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 way I see it the kid wasn't good enough to make the brass line and took a demotion to the drumline. Of course the ideal corps is 60 horns and a bass drum so the kid might be on to something.

I mentioned earlier that the Freelancers alumni played a concert exhibition last week with 30 horns and one drummer with a trap setup that was a fantastic sound. Also on the Blue Devils studio recording of their last song--"Wives and Lovers"--sounds like the have someone playing a trap setup and the marching drums didn't play. The effect (including keyboard/piano and B-flat horns) is a sound identical to Stan Kenton's jazz orchestra. They didn't use a trap set in their field show though.

Re: the Blue Devil who switched to the drum line...

1. I think that the switch probably had NOTHING to do with failing to make the cut for the brass line. He is probably a music major who wanted to get experience in the drum line. That isn't a bad idea .. even as a bass drummer (which, these days, is NOT an easy task), he'd see HOW the instruction and arranging is done.

2. While some brass players like to think that the drum line isn't important, the drums do provide musical enhancement to the charts (and the basic beat). Besides, without the drums, the corps is just a BUGLE corps.

3. The use of a drum set isn't a real requirement to get the sounds they want. Blessed Sacrament showed that way back in 1963 when they formed a drum set using standard marching equipment. It was very successful. In fact, many corps used their drum lines very creatively to get "non-military" percussion sounds .. jazz, swing, Latin, etc. Again, BS was VERY good at that.

4. The use of "pit" percussion in today's drum corps is really silly. It adds a LOT to the expense and doesn't (usually) add that much. Keyboards and tympani are designed for indoor use and aren't very effective outdoors.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Nobody ever said they were marching in a "Bugle Corps"...

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

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

One of my wife's friends lives in Wisconsin (near Janesville). She attended the DCI show held in Whitewater recently.

She told us that she really liked the corps .. especially the PROPS!

Yikes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Whoa Mr. Shreffler! I take umbrage at your comment regarding a horn player not being able to play drums! While I don't necessarily disagree I sense an implication that it would be no problem the other way around! Bob, I know you're a music guy and would be able to play the instrument. But march a drill while playing it? I think you'd go into a panic attack and get lost as soon as you got more than 5 yards away from the 50!

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 1974-1981

Jim Fetty speaks the truth when referring to the 50 yard line..."But march a drill while playing it? I think you'd go into a panic attack and get lost as soon as you got more than 5 yards away from the 50! "
-------------------------------------------------------

Back in the "old days", when drums were carried using drum slings and not the new "carriers", drummers really couldn't move around as much as other members. Hence, we tended to "hug" the 50 yard line like an old friend. Our "marching skills" were normally quite limited.

Of course, now the drum lines race around like anyone else .. mostly doing that ugly sidestepping "crab walk". It doesn't matter much either, since their drumming is fairly simple stuff ... not the difficult rudimental drumming of old.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

I agree with Jim Fetty. In the 60s the drummers who knew how to march were the non-rudimental bass drums and the cymbal players.

In DCI all the drumming is done in the pit. Marching drummers are just an extension of the dancers. I see them being replaced with Woodwinds and Strings in the Pit as advocated by George Hopkins.

Dr. Fetty,

Guilty as charged! I LOVED the 50-yard line! In fact, the only time I strayed from it was one move in the closer in 1980 - and it scared me to death! If we had an odd number of snares in a season, I was on the 50. If it was an even number, I was one step to the right.

And I could never march the way these guys do, but as Dave says, they aren't playing anything of much difficulty while doing it.

Maybe that's why I liked being Drum Major - I NEVER had to leave the 50-yard line!

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

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

As the 2011 drum corps season winds down, I was thinking about how different drum corps is now from the "old days" .. and also how there are still similarities.

1. Rich Biver reminded us of some realities: after all these weeks of long road trips, grueling practices, hot sticky weather, sleeping on gymnasium floors, etc. (actually, most of us didn't have WEEKS of long road trips)

2. It is still fun to march, play and thrill the crowds. Have pride in your performance.

3. Steve Kas noted that the new drum corps is a "two year internship in music and dance." Many band directors get their first jobs based on membership in drum corps, especially in those states that are highly competitive in marching bands. (Who would have ever thought that drum corps would be helpful on a resume? ... and what do you SAY?)

4. Bob Shreffler reminded us that corps are really set up to function one year at a time, then everything starts over again for the following year. In fact, after DCI Finals, most drum corps don't really EXIST again until they are reborn the next Spring.

5. It seems that most people march don't more than two or three years at the most, as opposed to those of us who were nuts enough to do it for 8, 9, or 10 years in the past.

6. Sadly, MOST drum corps have virtually NOTHING to do with any community at all. Even many "Open" class corps are like that. It does seems that the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard have real community programs which allow local kids to do something other than DCI tours.

================================

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

1. I've seen some features on the Blue Devils site about kids in various positions. One kid is a Contra/Tuba player, another color guard member, another who was demoted from the Blue Devils horn line to bass drum and a young woman who is a snare drummer (she said Blue Devils hadn't had a woman playing snare since 1984). Anyway most of them say they have marched for six or seven seasons for one organization--the Blue Devils. Of course they started in the C or B corps. So not everyone flips from one corps to another each season.

2. The Tuba player is a local kid who went to the local junior college as a music major and joins the Marines as a member of one of their bands after the season ends.

3. When I consider I saw my first DCI contest in 1975 and only nationals in 1976 (36 years ago), I'd say that going back to the 1950s and 1960s is no longer the "old days" but maybe pre-historic. At least from the perspective of those who marched in early DCI and are now on the other side of 50 years old.

4. I had to be in Indianapolis last Thursday and Friday for business and don't envy anyone who's going there. After dealing with Bay Area weather that's been in the high 60s during the day and low 50s at night I felt like I was serving a few days in purgatory. Indy has had about 30 days straight of 100 degree weather. Good idea to have the event in an indoor stadium although the sound is probably like playing inside a gym.

I don't think many kids flip from corps to corps anymore - in fact, that's probably less common than it used to be. I think they just only march a couple of years now, in most cases.

You can only be "demoted" within the drum line (ie snare to tenors); to be moved from any other section to the drum line is an honor afforded very few lucky individuals.

And I'm sure the performing aspect is still the same, and it's what I miss most - putting on the uniform and going out there in front of people! One difference now is that most every show is what Nationals used to be to us - larger crowds in larger venues. I don't think there are very many "local" shows held in high school stadiums these days.

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

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

John, thanks for reminding us that we marched in PRE-HISTORIC times! Caveman drum corps!

================================

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66, ass't drum instructor 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963