ADDRESS:
The Evolution of Drum Corps
Mr. John J. Dunne
Drum and bugle corps, as an institution, has been in evolution since the beginning. What was
once an activity "to display the 'Stars and Stripes'" ("DCI Today"; Fall, 1997, p. 2) is now a
sophisticated activity that is popular around the world.
This paper will look at the evolution of drum corps from several perspectives. It will briefly
look at drum corps as it was in the past, and note the various changes that have shaped the
institution into the way it is now. A SWOT Analysis will then be presented to show the factors
that currently affect drum corps as a whole. From there, the potential paths which drum corps
may take in its continuing evolution will be presented. Throughout, the focus of this paper will
be on four areas of evolution: the activity, the corps, the instrumentation and the performances.
The Evolution Of The Activity.
Drum and bugle corps have been in existence since the post-World War I era "when veterans
formed corps to perform in parades as a way to display the 'Stars and Stripes'" ("DCI Today";
Fall, 1997, p. 2). The activity soon became youth-oriented as a way for organizations to give
teenagers a creative outlet while keeping them out of trouble.
After World War II, another wave of drum corps started. Many of the surviving units are senior
corps and/or alumni corps (examples include the Rochester Crusaders and the Reilly Raiders of
Willow Grove, PA). Several notable junior corps exceptions, though, are the Cadets of Bergen
County, formerly known as both the Garfield Cadets and (even earlier) the Holy Name Cadets
(founded 1934), the Madison Scouts (founded 1938) and the Cavaliers (founded 1948).
Beginning in 1963, the modern era of drum corps began to take shape. In September of that
year, "five men, Henry "Lefty" Mayer (NY Skyliners), George Bull (Yankee-Rebels), Randy Roy
(Reading Buccaneers), Pete Burns (Conn. Hurricanes), and Carmen Cirlincione (Archer-Epler
Musketeers), met in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania to discuss the possibilities of creating an
organization dedicated to promoting senior drum and bugle corps. This was the start of the
Drum Corps Associates (a.k.a. DCA), and it continued the legacy created by the V.F.W. which
discontinued its senior championship after 1962. The first corps to become charter members
were the Buccaneers, Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Musketeers, Rockets, Skyliners, and
Yankee-Rebels. Two years later, the first DCA championship was held at Milford, Connecticut.
Six of the seven charter corps competed on September 11, 1965; the Reading Buccaneers won."
(Cross, Martin; Section 6.1.1, Drumcorps FAQ 6/6 DCA - senior corps info; 12 October 1997)
In the meantime, the management teams of various junior corps were becoming uncomfortable
with the leadership of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, both of whom
sponsored major drum corps competitions. As Don Warren mentions in his keynote address for
this symposium [1995], "D.C.I. Reconsidered," he, as the founder of the Cavaliers, approached
Mr. Jim Jones of the Troopers in 1970 to suggest "that in some way we should form an
organization of a few drum corps (similar to a union) to see it we could improve our benefits and
begin to control our own destiny. We approached 3 additional Midwest and Western corps
(Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Santa Clara Vanguard) and formed the Combine. The Combine
operated like a union during 1971. In the fall of 1971 the Combine met with U.J.O.C., an
Eastern drum corps association, and together formed D.C.I. The original board of directors
(consisting of 13 corps) were all dedicated individuals whose drum corps activities were an
avocation, not a vocation. They were determined to organize the administration, finances,
contests, the rules and regulations for both on and off the field and, most importantly, never lose
sight of the young people involved in this not-for-profit organization. Although D.C.I. consisted
of 13 corps, all corps were invited to participate.
"The goals of D.C.I. were many - 1) to promote the trust between corps, 2) to give all corps,
large or small, a voice in the rules and regulations, 3) to create honesty in D.C.I. and the
individual corps operations, 4) to improve drum corps programs, increase attendance, and
publicity, 5) to
develop a more equal distribution of finances and to give the participants bigger and better
contests with high standards of judging, 6) to create a governing body for D.C.I. - a board of
directors consisting of managers or directors of the top 12 competing corps, with all corps
earning their position on the board through the competition field." (Warren, Don; "D.C.I.
Reconsidered"; forwarded E-mail; 2 December 1997)
For the past twenty-five years, DCI has been the dominant junior drum corps organization in
North America. The national championships began in 1972 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. For the
first three years, all corps competed directly against each other in one class. In 1975, two classes
were added to the competitions: Class A and All-Girl. In 1980, the two lower classes merged
into one class, but were separated again for the 1981 and 1982 seasons. In 1983 and 1984, the
two classes were again merged. In 1985, two new classes were formed: Class A and Class A/60.
The difference between the two was that Class A corps could have up to ninety members and
Class A/60 could have up to 60 members. In 1992, these two classes were renamed Division II
and III, respectively; however, the size limitations are still in effect. ("Division II & III...what a
great show!"; "DCI Today"; Fall, 1997; pp. 20-21)
Meanwhile, the drum corps activity had spread around the world. There are currently drum
corps associations for the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and the West Indies. In
addition, there are a number of drum corps located in Japan and Taiwan. Drum corps in other
countries is not always the same as drum corps in North America. For example, junior drum
corps in the United Kingdom are allowed to have members up through the age of 25. In DCI
sanctioned contests, the age limit is 21. Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK) also has four
levels of junior corps: Cadet Class, Junior Class, Class "A," and Open Class. In the Cadet class
(designed for members 13 and younger), any type of wind instrument may be used. In the junior
class (ages 16 and younger), at least 50% of the wind section must be brass instruments. At the
Class "A" and Open Class levels, all of the wind section must be "G" bugles like those played in
North America (http://www.dcuk.org.uk/info/minfo.htm).
In addition, there have been a number of cross-cultural activities by both individual members
and entire corps. A number of North American corps have had members from other countries
participate. Corps have also traveled extensively around the world as well. In 1988, the
Madison Scouts toured Europe, while the Blue Devils have visited Canada, France, Holland,
Italy, Japan and Switzerland ("DCI Corps Highlights"; "DCI Today"; Spring, 1997, p. 18).
Foreign corps have returned the favor by performing in the United States. The first Japanese
drum corps to perform in the United States was the Yokohama Rising Sun Drum & Bugle Corps
(now known as the Nippon Bugle Band of Yokohama, Japan). They did an exhibition at the
1975 DCI Championships in Philadelphia (http://www.NetLaputa.ne.jp/~aquila/history+.html).
This past season (1997), three drum corps from Japan competed in DCI: Pride of Soka in
Division II, and Bay Max and Yamato in Division III.
The Evolution Of The Corps.
On the field, the four main components of a drum and bugle corps have never changed. They
remain: the horn line, the drum line, the color guard and the drum major(s). Within these
sections, there have been minor variations over the years. The drum line used to be a single unit
which marched together on the field. Today, the drum line is separated into two sections, the pit
and the battery. The pit remains stationary on the field through the entire show, the battery has
their own marching responsibilities.
Similarly, the color guard has changed over the years. The original purpose of the color guard
was to guard the national colors (i.e.: the national flag). Today, it is the rare exception when the
national colors appear on the field at all. Today, the color guard's role is much more responsible
than it was in the past. The color guards of yesteryear were largely required to either handle a
flag or a rifle (and often in a rigid, militaristic fashion). The color guards of today must still be
able to handle traditional equipment, but they must also learn to handle props of all shapes and
sizes. Many guards must also know the rudiments of dance as well.
Color guards have also changed cosmetically. Through the late 1970's and early 1980's, most
color guards wore the same uniform as the rest of the corps, and there was one uniform "corps
flag." Today, it is not unusual for the color guard to be in a costume completely different from
the corps uniform. Nor is it unusual for the color guard to present several different flags during
a performance.
Off the field, drum corps has seen some changes, primarily in the composition of the corps
members. In the past, when the drum corps was a much more prevalent organization, the corps
was largely a local point of pride, representing a particular city or county (or even a
neighborhood in larger cities). Even as late as the 1970's in upstate New York, it was not
unusual for there to be one or more drum corps within a 20-50 mile radius of another. Corps
then were largely sponsored by either church groups, fraternal organizations or veterans' groups
such as the American Legion or the VFW. Today, most corps are freestanding nonprofit
organizations with a diverse membership. For example, the roster for the 1997 Blue Knights of
Denver, CO (http://www.dimensional.com/~bknights/1997MemberList.html) shows that of the
119 members, 55 came from the state of Colorado (46%), 23 from Texas (19%) and the rest
from 13 other states and three foreign countries.
The "feeder" corps has also largely disappeared. In the past, many junior corps fielded a corps
whose sole purpose was to train future members. These members started marching at very early
ages. (I myself joined a feeder corps at the age of nine years.) Today, only several organizations
still have feeder corps: the Blue Devils (Blue Devils "B" and "C"), the Phantom Regiment
(Phantom Legion), and the Santa Clara Vanguard (Vanguard Cadets). [Note: I have heard
arguments saying that Capitol Sound of Madison, WI can be considered a feeder corps for the
Madison Scouts; however, because the Scouts are all-male and Capitol Sound is coed, I do not
believe that corps to be a true feeder corps like the previous three mentioned.] Today, the
situation is very different. The average junior drum corps member will join a Division II or III
corps while in high school. They will spend several years at that level, then make the jump into
a Division I corps to finish out their career. In essence, the Division II/III corps are the feeder
corps for the Division I corps.
The Evolution Of The Instrumentation.
The instruments used in drum corps have evolved over the years like the rest of drum corps. The
drum corps bugle is an offshoot of the valveless military bugle, which has been in existence for
approximately two hundred years. Prior to the early 1950's, the drum corps bugle had only one
valve. According to Robert Schaefer, whose personal drum corps experience dates back to
1946, the first corps to use a bugle that could produce sharps and flats was the Liberty Bell
Cadets of Philadelphia (personal correspondence, 1997). The sharps and flats were
accomplished through the use of a polished slide. The slide was eventually replaced with a
"rotor" in the early 1970's. Around 1977-78, the introduction of two-valve bugles began to
replace the valve-rotor bugle. Most recently, the three-valve bugle has largely replaced the
two-valve bugles.
Today, the two big questions facing the horn line are: 1) should the "G" bugle be replaced by
marching band instruments (e.g.: trumpets instead of sopranos), and 2) should woodwinds be
introduced? The debate over both questions is rather contentious, and will not be reprinted here.
However, it should be noted that, should the evolution of the horn line continue, it will most
likely be along one or both lines. Otherwise, the evolution of the drum corps bugle has probably
come to an end.
Before the mid 1960's, the typical drum line consisted of snare drums, single shell tenor drums,
some bass drums, and several cymbal players. In 1965, the RoyalAirs of Chicago began using
bass drums that were of different sizes and pitches (Nevermann, James C.; "'Early' marching
percussion [long]"; RAMD; 10 November 1997). Nevermann credits the 1966 Cavaliers with
the most effective use of the multi-sized bass drums, however. The next year, the Boston
Crusaders began using two single headed "scotch" bass drums, mounted horizontally on one
player (the so- called "doubles"). Also in 1967, the RoyalAirs began using true marching
tympanies (Jet Pi9949; "'Early' marching percussion [long]"; RAMD; 12 November 1997). At
first, these tympanies were carried at waist level using either a crossed snare sling system
(Nevermann) or a counterweight system (Girard Jr., Larry; "'Early' marching percussion [long]";
RAMD; 13 November 1997), with the forward leg extended to allow the drummer to rest the
weight of the drum off his/her back. Later, a more comfortable carrying method allowed the
tympanies to be carried at chest level. Also in 1968, Ludwig began selling "timp tom" trios with
fourteen, sixteen and twenty inch heads (Nevermann).
The early 1970's saw the introduction of marching xylophone units. Corps were allowed two
units on the field. As a result, corps usually had one with a metallic keyboard while the other
was of a wooden make, producing a softer, richer sound. Further innovations in the battery
during the 1970's were the introduction of "quads" and "quints" among the tenor drums, and the
widespread use of semi-hemispherical shells attached to the underside of drums in order to
reflect the drum's sound forward.
The most significant innovation of the 1980's was the introduction of the "pit." Xylophones,
tympanies and other cumbersome percussion instruments could now be played at the front of the
field instead of carried around. As the use of props became more accepted on the field, other
percussion innovations began to be used. Racks carrying small drums, cymbals and other
percussion instruments began appearing on the field. Among the most unusual (if not
interesting) of these "racks" is the human roto-tom rack used by Les toiles of Dorion-Vaudreuil,
Quebec.
Overall, the evolution of percussion instruments in the drum line has been much more
widespread and accepted. The most likely reasons for this are because the innovations gave the
drum line a much more varied sound that fit in better with the horn line's music and, in the case
of the pit, it saved many drummers from future back problems.
The Evolution Of Performances.
The three traditional performances a drum corps makes are: the standstill (or concert), the
parade, and the "show," which is performed on a football field. Because the vast majority of a
drum corps' time is spent working on the show, that is what this paper will concentrate on. The
show, perhaps more than anything else, marks how drum corps has changed over the years.
The basic idea of the show is to produce an integrated mixture of instrumental music and
marching for a period of between eleven and one-half and thirteen minutes, of which eight
minutes must be "in motion" (i.e.: marching). Although, in the past, even this rule was not set in
stone. To accommodate all the drum corps performing at large competitions, corps were
required to learn two shows, one at the normal length (the "finals" show) and one that was
roughly seven to eight minutes long (the "preliminary" show). As the number of drum corps fell,
the preliminary show was abandoned in the early 1970's.
There have been three major eras in the history of the modern drum corps performance. The
first era was that of the "Inspection." Drum corps' subordinate association with the American
Legion and VFW meant that drum corps would be inspected by military veterans before taking
the field of competition. Corps lined up in company fronts in the end zone to the audience's left,
and were inspected while the corps in front of them performed. Corps members were inspected
for general appearance, neat and clean uniforms, clean instruments, etc. Any infractions would
result in points taken off the overall score. Because the corps started their show behind the goal
line, the first number was known as the "off-the-line." The typical show consisted of that song, a
color "pre" or presentation, a concert, a drum solo, a production number and an exit. The corps
was
expected to cross the opposite end zone's goal line before the end of the show. However,
because of the distance between the corps and the audience, corps were allowed to return to the
field after all members had crossed the opposite goal line. This became known as the "reentry."
The era of the inspection ended in the early 1970's.
The second era lasted from around 1974 through 1983. This intermediate era marked the
beginning of the drum corps' experimentation in performances. Rules became relaxed over time.
Corps were no longer required to start their show in one end zone and finish in the other.
Instead, they could start on the side line opposite the audience, and finish anywhere on the field.
Later, the rule changed so that corps members could start anywhere on the field. Drill and music
became more complex. Repertoires began to be based on a single musical theme. The first
props began appearing on the field. The color guard (especially the rifle lines at first) began
wearing different costumes from that of the other corps members.
The reason this period exists apart from the "inspection" era and the third era has to do with the
judging of drum corps contests. Before 1983, all corps were judged based on the "tick" system.
Any mistake made in the music or the drill received a one-tenth of a point deduction off the
corps' score. Some judging was based upon how the corps appeared to the audience (general
effect), but most of the points were dedicated to the corps' ability to execute. As a result,
instructors focused their corps members on "cleaning" the drill and music. In the summer of
1983, the first experimentation in the "build up" system of judging began. Now, instead of
trying to attain perfection, the corps member was asked to perform the music and drill as it had
been designed. This changed the emphasis in drum corps toward bigger, more elaborate
productions. In terms of a corps' degree of difficulty in "musicality" and in marching drill, corps
in the "build up" era are generally considered to be superior to the corps prior to 1983. However,
the corps prior to 1983 are considered to be superior to the "build up" era corps in terms of being
able to execute the drill and music.
The debate between which system is better, the "tick" method or the "build up" method, is
extremely contentious. Older fans of drum corps would like to see a return to the tick method.
Other fans prefer the judging the way it currently is. Still others would like to see a more
equitable mix between the two systems, where a greater emphasis is given to execution but
enough points are still awarded on the basis of "build up."
Drum Corps SWOT Analysis.
For those not familiar with the term, a "SWOT" analysis looks at a business or organization from
both an internal and an external viewpoint.
Internally, the entity being analyzed is concerned with identifying potential strengths and
weaknesses. Externally, opportunities and threats need to be addressed. There are two primary
goals in performing a SWOT analysis. The first is to identify as many potential strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats as possible. The second goal is to use this knowledge to
capitalize on the organization's strengths while taking advantage of the external opportunities
available to the organization, while minimizing the entity's weaknesses and the threats external
to the organization.
Below is a SWOT analysis on drum corps as an institution. This analysis does not try to focus
on any specific corps (although several corps are used as examples), but on the activity as a
whole.
STRENGTHS:
* Cutting edge in terms of musicality and marching skills among marching
organizations. While drum corps no longer has the huge lead it once held over high
school and college marching bands, the intense focus on competition at both the junior
and senior levels forces drum corps to be as creative as possible in both the selections of
the annual repertoire and the drill that will be performed to that music.
* Attracts individuals with high musical talent. Drum corps has always attracted a large
number of high school and college musicians to its ranks. This has allowed drum corps
to perform a high level of quality music.
* Finals competition broadcast annually on PBS. Unlike other pageantry arts
organizations, DCI has had their annual Highlights show broadcast on public television
for many years. This show has proved to be an extremely valuable tool to recruit new
members into various corps.
* Strong internet presence (webpages produced by corps and individuals, RAMD,
alt.drumcorps, #drumcorps IRC channel). Drum corps has a large number of web pages
produced by both drum corps and individual members/alumni. There are over 125
separate webpages representing individual corps in the United States, Canada, Denmark,
Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Japan. In addition, there are a
number of pages devoted to winter guard and winter percussion units, folded drum corps,
and specialized pages devoted to some particular aspect of drum corps (scores,
repertoires, etc.). There are several usenet channels devoted to drum corps, and an IRC
channel as well. All of these provide current news, information and publicity for the
activity.
WEAKNESSES:
* High cost structure makes the corps expensive for corps management and members.
Each year, a Division I drum corps must raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in order
to field a competitive drum corps. Smaller corps have smaller budgets, obviously, but
the pressure to raise money is just as great. The high cost structure has made drum corps
very reliant upon the corps members for some of the annual budget. In 1997, the annual
dues for Division I corps ranged from $450 (Madison Scouts) to $1,400 (Cadets of
Bergen County) (Wise Enterprise; "Joining a Drum Corps: Division I: Corps by Corps
Cost Comparison"; http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wiseweb/to-join.htm).
* Corps focus on national tours, neglecting local promotion. A common complaint
among participants on rec.arts.marching.drumcorps (RAMD) is that drum corps neglect
their home regions. For example, according to the "Drum Corps International Summer
1997 Schedule," Phantom Regiment traveled to sixteen states and one province in sixty
days for a total of 37 scheduled competitions. Of those 37 competitions, only eight were
in the state of Illinois (21.6%). To give a Division III example, the Patriots of Rochester,
NY performed in fifteen competitions over a period of 39 days in seven states and one
province. Of the fifteen competitions, only four were in New York State (26.7%).
* Limited radio/TV publicity. Other than the DCI Highlights show on PBS, there is
limited coverage of drum corps activities on radio and television. Special events, such as
the Cadets of Bergen County's appearance at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer
Olympics, provide positive coverage of the activity but those instances are extremely
rare.
* Limited access to drum corps products (CDs/videotapes). While the hardcore fan of
drum corps will know where to buy drum corps products, such as CD's and videotapes,
the casual fan has limited access to these products.
OPPORTUNITIES:
* Large alumni base who would like to share their experiences and/or create new drum
corps for their children to participate in. As the generation that marched in the 1970's
and 1980's settle down and raise families, many of those drum corps alumni will find
themselves wanting to share their drum corps experiences with their children. This has
led to a fairly steady stream of new drum corps being created throughout the United
States and Canada.
* Partnerships with high schools and colleges (mutual recruiting opportunities; potential
college credits and/or scholarships available). Opportunities exist for drum corps and
high schools and colleges to use each other as mutual resources for recruiting and
education (music, dance training, etc.). While this opportunity has been exploited by
DCI and individual drum corps, the bond between the various parties can be further
strengthened.
THREATS:
* Heavy competition for the entertainment dollar. Obviously, drum corps must compete
for the average person's entertainment dollars. The summer time, which is when most of
a drum corps' activity takes place, is an especially difficult time to compete for money
due to all the options people have to spend their discretionary income.
* Year-round schooling. As school districts convert to a year-round schedule, the
traditional summer vacation (which gives drum corps members the time to participate in
touring) is threatened.
* Gaming. The growth of gaming establishments, such as casinos on Indian
reservations, can potentially threaten the bingo establishments that finance many drum
corps operations.
The Future Of Drum Corps.
Based upon the trends shown in the prior sections on drum corps' evolution and the SWOT
analysis, I foresee a number of ways drum corps can evolve. Those paths include:
1) Drum Corps can remain essentially unchanged from the way it is today.
2) Drum Corps becomes two classes of corps: corps with college students who have the time to
tour nationally, and corps with those students who do not have the time to time to tour nationally
but can tour regionally.
3) Drum Corps can become organizations more focused on the education of their members.
4) Drum Corps can become organizations more focused on entertaining indoors in a non-drum
corps format.
5) Drum Corps can become organizations more focused on entertaining indoors in a drum corps
format.
6) Drum Corps can focus on the traditional drum corps activity during the summer but focus on
individual and ensemble performances in the other seasons.
7) Drum Corps can focus on the traditional drum corps activity, and provide other opportunities
for musicians who wish to perform on non-drum corps instruments.
8) Drum Corps can become marching bands.
9) Drum Corps can become extinct.
The first alternative, that drum corps remains unchanged from the way it is today, is an unlikely
scenario. Drum corps has evolved more or less continuously from the start of the activity to the
present. To stop evolving now seems unrealistic.
The second alternative, where drum corps become two separate classes based upon the members'
time availability, is based on the threat from year-round schooling. Year-round schooling does
occur in various school districts around the country at the primary, middle and high school
levels. Middle and high school students who are enrolled in schools with year-round schedules
would have little or no time to participate in those drum corps with national itineraries. They
might have the opportunity, however, to be in a drum corps that travels regionally. There may
come a time where only college students who do not attend summer school can participate in a
nationally- touring drum corps.
The third alternative, that drum corps become organizations focused on the education of their
members, is based upon the model of the Imperials of Seattle, Washington. The Imperials Drum
and Bugle Corps is now the Imperials Music and Youth Organization
(http://www.imperials.org/). According to the Imperials webpage
(http://www.imperials.org/about.html), the organization changed its emphasis in 1986. After
being a drum corps for twenty years, the mission of the Imperials' organization is now to instruct
youth in music education. They fulfill this mission through a youth choir, three levels of jazz
ensembles, a jazz combo and a percussion ensemble (http://www.imperials.org/cdesc.html). In
addition, the organization provides its members with a summer music retreat on Whidbey Island,
a series of community concerts, and a picnic/concert with guest musicians.
The fourth alternative, that drum corps become organizations focused on entertaining indoors in
a non-drum corps format, is based upon the model provided by Star of Indiana/Brass Theater. In
1994, Star of Indiana transformed itself into "Brass Theater." This group took the best of drum
corps and theater, and merged them into commercially viable entertainment. The end result is
something that isn't quite drum corps or traditional theater but is thoroughly entertaining none
the less.
The fifth alternative, that drum corps become organizations focused on entertaining indoors in a
drum corps format, is based upon both the Brass Theater model and the model provided by
Winter Guard International. The idea here is to scale down a traditional drum corps to the size
where it could perform in a confined area, such as a basketball court. This alternative will be
discussed in detail further below.
The sixth alternative, that drum corps focus on traditional drum corps activity during the
summer but focus on individual and ensemble performances during the other seasons, may be
the most likely scenario to take place in the future. Winter color guard competitions have been
in existence for well over twenty years, winter percussion ensembles' competitions were started
by Winter Guard International in 1994, and winter brass ensembles have just recently started.
All these groups give members extra opportunities to practice, perform and compete. It is
probably no coincidence that two of the top three Division III corps in 1997 for the visual
caption (the Mandarins of Sacramento, California and the Patriots of Rochester, New York) and
the Blue Devils, who won the visual caption in Division I this year, all have long-running winter
guard
programs in place. The potential problem with this alternative is that it requires two things out
of drum corps that are currently out of vogue: a local membership and frequent rehearsals.
The seventh alternative, that drum corps focus on traditional drum corps activity, and provide
other opportunities for musicians who wish to perform on non-drum corps instruments, is also
happening today. For example, the Blue Devils sponsor a Yamaha music school
(http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~timr/BD/units/yamaha/yamaha.html) and the Diablo Wind
Symphony (http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~timr/BD/units/symphony/index.html) which offers
additional music instruction to wind and percussion students. The Patriots of Rochester, New
York also operate a music school.
The eighth alternative, that drum corps become marching bands, is probably the alternative that
strikes fear into the heart of every drum corps purist. In this alternative, the corps would replace,
in part or in whole, the "G" bugle instrumentation currently in use with traditional marching
band instruments. The pros and cons of this alternative have been discussed extensively on
RAMD, and will not be rewritten here.
The ninth and last alternative, that drum corps becomes extinct, is a real possibility but is
probably unlikely in the future.
The point to remember in presenting these nine alternatives is that, with a few exceptions, there
is a very strong possibility that more than one path may be taken. In fact, four of the nine
alternatives are already in use and several drum corps are currently pursuing at least two of the
alternatives simultaneously. There will be no right or wrong path for the evolution of drum
corps to follow. More likely than not, drum corps will find themselves following one or more of
the alternative paths, if only to increase the odds of the organization's survival.
Of all the alternatives presented, the one that is probably the most interesting is the fifth, the
indoor drum corps. Jay Wise first wrote about this idea in his post to RAMD on September 9,
1997, entitled "Is the future of CORPS indoors?" I wrote a follow-up post to RAMD on
September 20th. Jay's major arguments for the indoor drum corps were as follows:
That indoor corps could possibly solve the three essential problems of drum corps:
"1) TIME
"Significantly less than summer corps, which could lead to greater participation. No conflicts
with band camps, no conflicts with summer courses being demanded of college students now.
You can go to school, work, and still do the "corps" thing. You still get travel (weekend trips)
and the thrill of performing and/or competing.
"2) TALENT
"The gym floor alters the marching element. The senseless running around for field coverage is
less, in fact the marching element is more a movement element. Fans are closer to the action,
lending more credibility to body movement and subtle theatrics. The physical demands of drum
corps become different... perhaps leading to more willingness for participation.
"3) COST
"Weekend touring removes 4 of the 6 vehicles the larger corps tour with. An indoor ensemble
fits on one bus with one equipment vehicle. The need for paid drivers, paid cooks, etc. are
lessened. In fact the total need for volunteers is lessened, while the time involved on touring
actually improves the availability of volunteers. The need for a huge staff is gone, as 1-2
instructors per area can adequately cover things."
Jay believed that an indoor corps system could also address the following problems:
"Getting more kids involved: While a unit drops from 120 to potentially 40 (dropping by
one-third), would there be a larger increase in groups overall? This would actually grow
participation. Groups such as YEA would be able to support a whole cadre of organizations, as
well as allow similar organizations from other regional groups (perhaps each summer corps
could sponsor/manage several units).
"Increased localization: By nature, groups would become more localized, as it's hard to
"commute" to a group when you have 4 days between gigs.
"Arts in the schools: Marching band programs would have another avenue for getting young
people involved in the arts, and something to take to the School Board when cuts in the arts are
presented."
Jay thought that the ideal size of an indoor corps would be 12 brass, 10 percussion and 18 guard
for a total membership of 40 people.
I myself had been considering the same idea of an indoor corps independently. When I saw Jay's
post, I wrote back with some of my ideas.
For example, I felt that the ideal indoor corps size would be fifty to fifty-two members. I would
use about 30 horns, 10 percussion and 10 guard for a total of 50 (52 if you use two drum
majors). I thought that a slightly larger horn line would be a better choice because the main
venues I would want an indoor corps to perform in would be larger basketball arenas (college
stadiums and/or NBA arenas). Also, I would want the indoor corps to also be able to perform at
outdoor events where the extra decibels are necessary.
Regarding the three essential problems of drum corps (time, talent and cost), I wrote:
"The other value with regard to time is that the corps could march year round. In Arizona
[where I live], the big enemy is the heat. Indoor events are held during the summer (hence the
great popularity of arena sports (like the Arizona Rattlers and the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix).
Outdoor and indoor events are held during the winter. A smaller corps which performs on a
basketball court could perform at any time of year for virtually any type of event. (Imagine
being able to perform a drill on a street during a parade!)
"There is also now the added dimension of performing in multiple directions. Say a corps
performs at an NBA game during halftime (one song). You could incorporate the drill to have
parts of the corps facing in all directions, not just one. (This is another reason why I'd have a
larger horn line.) The potential problem here is that you either need to have at least two drum
majors on either side of the court or a corps that is extremely aware of the tempo (perhaps like
the Mandarins who focus off of a snare).
"Two buses would be needed at a maximum, both of which could be chartered instead of owned.
Other corps vehicles could be rented as well (using a U-Haul truck as an equipment truck only
when needed). Costs would go way down, which would lower the barriers to have more units
spring up. This could become the impetus needed to create a whole new style of competition
(for both junior and senior corps)."
As to the problem of trying to increase local representation among corps members, I wrote:
"Creating indoor units would also help corps to focus more on parades, which seems to be a lost
art of marching among current corps (and also helps in the fundraising and publicity
departments)."
Some additional thoughts I had were as follows:
"Practice facilities should become easier to obtain and be less stressful on the neighbors. Using
any school with a gymnasium would do the trick.
"Another potential benefit is that this type of corps could link with WGI as well as DCI/DCA.
Local indoor corps may, in fact, find it beneficial to sponsor more independent WGI units and
competitions.
"The reason why I came up with this idea is because I've seen several junior corps come and go
in the Phoenix area over the past decade. Let's face it, there are certain areas of the country
where the traditional drum corps as we know it just doesn't work out very well. The number of
drum corps in the west, for example, is appalling. As much as I enjoyed marching in a
traditional junior corps as a teenager, I think that the indoor corps may be a viable alternative for
the areas of the country where traditional corps can't survive."
A Long-Range Forecast.
The following is pure conjecture. Drum corps as a whole seems to be following several different
trends now At the Division I level, there is a stability among the various corps. Most of these
organizations have been in existence for decades, and there has been little turnover in the annual
standings for some time. Some of these organizations are now beginning to show other corps
how to succeed in the activity (Cadets of Bergen County/YEA and the Madison Scouts come to
mind). This development will probably be positive, but could be potentially divisive should
politics enter the relationships.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Division III corps. This group is traditionally the most
volatile with new corps forming and old corps dissolving every year. These are the management
teams that are in most need of the help the Division I corps have to offer, but probably receive
the least for whatever reasons. These groups are also the most likely to experiment with the
winter ensembles (including winter guard), simply because their memberships are mostly local
youth.
Another group that will benefit from the winter ensembles is the newly forming and re-forming
drum corps. These groups are finding that winter units provide several positives:
* they are small in size, in both membership numbers and budget, thus making them
easier to manage and finance,
* they provide hands-on management experience that can be applied as the group grows
to full drum corps status,
* they are able to perform locally, with local memberships, which helps in the
generation of publicity and fundraising, and
* for re-forming drum corps, the groups help to keep the old name alive. Three folded
drum corps have followed this route as they work to regroup: Black Gold of Tulsa,
Oklahoma (http://www.theshop.net/smwright/blackgold/), the Northernaires of
Menominee, Michigan (http://www.cybrzn.com/~nadc/) and the Royal Crusaders of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9064/prc.html).
As the groups with winter units grow in size and political clout, allegiances within the drum
corps world may shift. There are many complaints aimed at Drum Corps International's
handling of the marketing of drum corps, and an organization that could potentially step in is
Winter Guard International (WGI). Over the past twenty years, WGI has seen its sponsorship of
pageantry arts competitions increase as winter guard and winter percussion units become
popular among both independent units (including drum corps) and high school and college units.
In addition, WGI is gaining experience in the production of national marching band
competitions that could be easily extended to the drum corps world.
Overall, the number of drum corps that pursue the non-traditional alternative paths (such as
numbers three (Imperials), four (Brass Theater), and eight (marching bands)) will probably be
few in number.
Alternatives where the traditional drum corps format remains the same, with supplemental units
and/or music schools created, are more likely to be followed. If this is the case, the potential
benefit to the drum corps world is that locally-based drum corps may start to revive in greater
numbers. By taking advantage of the better economics and increased competitive opportunities
that come from association with Winter Guard International, units will be smaller but more
widely spread. The so-called "Death of Drum Corps" may be averted.
Conclusion.
Drum corps evolves. That is a fact. Drum corps purists who resist the evolution of drum corps
need to realize that change is inevitable. The days when drum corps were inspected before a
competition and marched from end zone to end zone are over. Perhaps the larger concern of the
purists is: will the unit still be a drum and bugle corps after the change? If the eighth
alternative, drum corps become marching bands, is followed, the answer will be no. The
introduction of woodwinds into a drum and bugle corps would alter the quality of the music. A
drum and bugle corps plays, by definition, only drums and bugles. In that regard, those units that
follow the "Brass Theater" model will no longer be a drum and bugle corps. They are forming
their own musical niche.
There are still many alternatives presented above that can leave a unit a drum and bugle corps.
The question is: will those changes allow drum corps to remain as they are today? The answer
there is probably no. There are too many powerful forces at work (economic, demographic, etc.)
that are forcing drum corps to change. We, as members of the larger drum corps community,
must recognize that changes need to be made and adapt to those forces so that the activity
continues, stabilizes and prospers again. An indoor drum corps may not be your father's drum
corps, but it would be a drum corps none the less. The outward form may be different, but the
thrill of performing, the blood, sweat, tears and agony of practice, and the camaraderie and esprit
de corps--all these would remain the same. It is vital that we pass the essence of the drum corps
experience on to our children. That is the greatest legacy we can give them.