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Name
Rohan
Jan 24 2015, 4:44pm
Post #1 of 13
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Drum corps anyone?
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Now this is truly off topic! Anyone here happen to be DCI (Drum Corps International) or DCA (Drum Corps Associates) fans? I've really become a big fan over the past year, and it really is an amazing activity.
P.S.
For those if you who don't know, a drum corps is basically a professional marching "band." DCI is a organization that exists all over the United States, and during the summer corps compete all over the country. It may sound strange if you aren't familiar with the marching arts, but if you enjoy music I strongly suggest you take a look at some of the DCI shows on YouTube. The things those young men and women do is truly amazing.
Example: http://youtu.be/942smREXNvQ
How many Tolkien fans does it take to change a light bulb?
"Change? Oh my god, what do you mean change?! Never, never, never......"
(This post was edited by Name on Jan 24 2015, 4:56pm)
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Jan 25 2015, 5:55am
Post #4 of 13
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When my sister's kids were in high school marching band
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I went to any and all marching competitions around the area. Their band was pretty successful, but they excelled in concert season. (During my nephew's time in band, they were invited to play at Carnegie Hall. It was for a band director's conference, but still a big honor. And I get to say my nephew has played Carnegie Hall  )However, many of the local high schools have really top rated marching bands who are invited all over. I really enjoyed watching the comps and miss them now that the kids are grown. Band kids and their families are just awesome.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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elf_wannabee
Lorien
Jan 26 2015, 4:28am
Post #5 of 13
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I've been a DCI nut for several years as well as Bands of America!
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I was on a championship AFROTC drill team in college and my wife was on her college band. If you want to know--my wife and I attended The University of Arizona. So as such we both became enamored of the movements and music these corps and bands provide at such a professional level. Our favorite corps are Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, Santa Clara Vanguard, Madison Scouts, and Blue Devils. My favorite BOA band is Broken Arrow in OK! We yearly go to our nearest Regal Theater to watch the DCI quarterfinals in August and go to the BOA superregional at St. Louis' Jones Dome in October. It's great to see the youth of the USA participating is such wonderful artful activity. We love DCI and BOA so much! I encourage all my TORnsibs to go to either a DCI or BOA show when they play near you. I just wish I would see one BOA or DCI show based on the wonderful Howard Shore score to either LotR or The Hobbit. Thanks for posting this opportunity to correspond about DCI and BOA!!
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 6:42am
Post #6 of 13
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Although they're not really "professional".
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(How unexpected that clicking on a random recent squire post pulls up a reference to myself.)
Drum corps are the best marching bands, by far,* but rather than being paid for their work, the members pay fees (in the range of $3,000, I believe) to spend their summers rehearsing all day, nearly every day, traveling thousands of miles by bus, and sleeping most nights--when they finally arrive in the wee hours--on high school gymnasium floors. This CBS story about a particularly young member of the top corps gives some sense of the work they put in. That aired the night of DCI Finals, which I did not get to see live, because I was at Mythcon.
I am indeed a huge fan of drum corps (and to a lesser degree, all marching bands), and got to see live the show to which Name links twice last year, in Dublin, OH and Massillon, OH (residents of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. are lucky in the number of drum corps competitions within easy travel distance): Santa Clara Vanguard's reprise of the music of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. They had parlayed that material into a bronze medal ten years ago, but this time they only placed fourth at Finals. It was still a wonderful show, even utilizing trombones, which were legal in DCI for the first time in 2014, though they added little to that performance.
DCI is for members of high school and college age, while DCA is "all age" and attracts both younger people and weekend warriors well into their 50s. (I have seriously considered auditioning for the latter, but none are closer than a four hours' drive.) There are international corps, as well, including a couple dozen in Europe.
*The very best college bands, as for example Ohio State University, probably have a membership nearly equally talented to a good drum corps, so that if they chose to focus on just one production all season, and if they weren't also taking classes and studying at the same time, they could put on shows of similar quality. The shows they actually perform would score at best around 70% on the scale at which the best drum corps are scoring 95% or above. Likewise the best high school marching bands--of which Broken Arrow, OK, cited by elf wannabee, is a fine example--and they do devote an entire season to just one show.
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 7:36am
Post #7 of 13
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Haha! Broken Arrow is one of the bands my sister's kids had to compete against!
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They are awesome. One thing about band kids; they can appreciate the competition. Sure, the kids in the others bands get tired of losing out to B.A., but in the end, they usually shake their heads in awe and admit,"They *are* good."
My town, Owasso, also has an excellent band, as well as Jenks and Union. I think they've all been in the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, etc. I know marching in a parade isn't the same as on the field, but it's usually the bands that excel in the latter who get invited to the former.
I just wish they got the same respect and attention from the towns people as the football teams do.  They work every bit as hard, if not harder. I'm so glad to know that there are people out there who do, indeed, appreciate them! 
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 7:46am
Post #8 of 13
(528 views)
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...The band that did a tribute to Michael Jackson (including his moonwalk) one week and a tribute to Spielberg films the next during the 2013 season? They are incredible! And to think that they change their routine every week. It's mind-blowing! 
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
(This post was edited by zarabia on Jan 26 2015, 7:49am)
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Name
Rohan
Jan 26 2015, 10:53am
Post #9 of 13
(520 views)
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Wasn't BOA (unfortunately), but we marched Tournament of Bands, which is mainly Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and some surrounding states. It really was a great experience.
I'm from Williamsport PA, and actually I have many friends who march with the Hawthorne Caballeros. Heck, I'm good friends with the lead drum major for Cabs. Believe it or not, the Cabs probably has about a third of their people hailing from Williamsport, including instructors (it's like a 3 hour drive for all of them). It's kind of strange, considering the Reading Buccaneers are much much closer, and yet no one is involved with them.
I was planning on marching with the Cabs this year, but I am unable to for multiple reasons. Hopefully in 2016 
How many Tolkien fans does it take to change a light bulb?
"Change? Oh my god, what do you mean change?! Never, never, never......"
(This post was edited by Name on Jan 26 2015, 10:57am)
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a.s.
Valinor
Jan 26 2015, 12:22pm
Post #10 of 13
(519 views)
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Well HI--and you have probably seen my cousin's son
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He's with the Madison Scouts. I understand they are pretty good.
a.s.
"an seileachan"
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." JRR Tolkien, Letters.
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 1:41pm
Post #11 of 13
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Band Nation had something to say to this guy
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Anyone see this in the news? Some pseudo-commentator decided he would try to score "cool" points with the football fans by picking on the marching band, calling them "dorks" running around the field with their instruments. The response from Band Nation was fantastic! Folks from across the country and including the Army Field Band had something to say to this guy. What I think is really funny is the commentator was never a "tough" football player, he lettered in ... wait for it... Tennis. Besides, anyone who is with the band knows, they're not dorks, they're geeks. The term is Band Geek. Geez, get it right, tennis man.
With a hubby from Ohio, we love watching Ohio State Marching Band. The football is OK too but we watch the games for the band.  They are famous for their Script Ohio and they do a different show every home game, and they are spectacular. A YouTube search of Ohio State Marching Band 2014 will bring up all their shows from this year. Here's the Classic Rock show. Really spectacular! It's easy to see why the are TBDBITL (The Best Darn Band In The Land).
And just in case anyone doubts the fitness level of these kids, here's a study they did on an elite marching band member to measure fitness as compared to athletes. At performance level, they are comparable to marathon runners.
This band mom (also known as Popsicle mom during band camp) loves the kids in the marching band. They aren't the biggest group in the school but they are the nicest kids you could ever meet. As far as I'm concerned they are the best "team" in the whole school.
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ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
(This post was edited by entmaiden on Jan 26 2015, 6:01pm)
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 26 2015, 5:59pm
Post #12 of 13
(509 views)
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TBDBITL - The Best Darn* Band In The Land. They are amazing, and like NE said, they are full-time students.
(proudly born in Ohio and still an Ohio State fan).
* of course, the real name is not family-friendly
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Jan 27 2015, 7:54am
Post #13 of 13
(520 views)
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Great links, Dame Ioreth! Thanks for posting them.
I agree, band kids are the best! And band parents. My sister put in waaay more time than she should have considering how full her plate was. I suspect it's the same with you. But the enthusiasm and dedication of the kids is infectious.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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= Forum has no new posts. Forum needs no new posts.
