Much like a villain from a Saturday morning cartoon show, I am totally committed to my hair-brained scheme to draw in more fans to drum corps. I am diabolically attempting to connect the hilarious (if crude) movie The 40 Year Old Virgin if the amazing (if obscure) art of people marching around a field with brass instruments and drums. Perhaps my bizarre hybrid will conquer the entertainment world, or possibly eat me in an ironic but predictable conclusion.
Today's Quote:
He's performing a public colonoscopy. Isn't that sweet? -Paula
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
Last time I wrote about how I find the scale of drum corps an exciting and impressive aspect of the activity. While seeing more than a hundred performers march and play as one is a stunning and powerful experience, it also requires an amazing amount of precision and focus on the part of every person on that field. If ever a member makes a mistake during the performance, the visceral thrill of watching a mob of people move in one direction and play one chord quickly becomes the sad comedy of one person moving in the wrong direction and playing the wrong note. This means that though the power of a drum corps is in its size, its efficacy depends on each individual. If you watch drum corps for any reason you have to appreciate the fact that all the members have to be working together precisely or else one of them could have the most embarrassing moment of their young lives. An example I have witnessed came at a midsummer drum corps show in my home state of Ohio. At this point in the competition season corps are usually pretty set in their shows and are working on perfecting the performance and taking it to that next level. So any mistake is going to be pretty glaring. The Crossmen were on the field and playing Frank Ticheli's wonderful piece "Blue Shades". This music starts with a very difficult section where all the musicians must play a series of syncopated notes with long pauses in between while marching back and forth at high speeds. Bop-bop. PAAAAAAUSE. Bop. PAUSE Be-bop.They we're doing great. Be-bop bop. Until everyone hit one note Bop went into their pause then one player played one note all by him/herself. *beep* You could feel everyone in the stands whince as all the fans said "oooh" as our hearts broke for the poor little guy/gal. So appreciate how difficult drum corps can be. These people have to work hard, because if they don't their every mistake will feel like a public colonoscopy.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Daily Dose 5/1
Once more into the breach of the regular feature where I combine my interest in drum and bugle corps with the widely beloved movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. With any luck by describing drum corps with quotes for a blockbuster I'll be able to draw in a few extra people into the drum corps fold.
Today's Quote:
And now, I'm making your silver pants blue. -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
One of drum corps most vulnerable aspect are the goofy costumes people see the members wearing. Marching bands are usually donned in some sort of brightly colored pseudo-militaristic garb that always looks incredibly dorky in close-up photographs. Ever since Elvis Presley and the triumph of rock as America's choice of popular music, people have grown accustomed to thinking of music as an individual activity. Our image of a musician is a rock star or pop singer not a member of an orchestra or a girl marching around a field with a trumpet. This seems a little regressive to me, since for centuries music was built around the idea of collaboration and harmonizing diverse voices. Pop music has made us latch onto the model of the solo voice. I think we've gotten some wonderful music out of the last several decades. I'm just concerned it has thrown off our sense of scale. No, drum corps does not work on an individual scale, but not all great music has to. Sometimes music should be grand and immense and meant to be seen from great distances. Modern rock tours have to bring in giant speakers, TV's, pyrotechnics, props, sets and special effects to make the audience feel like they're watching something special. With drum corps all you really need are the performers, their instruments and some empty space and you can put on something huge. Blue and silver pants aren't going to win you many fans, but watching hundreds of blue and silver legs dart in and out with tremendous precision and speed will.
Today's Quote:
And now, I'm making your silver pants blue. -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
One of drum corps most vulnerable aspect are the goofy costumes people see the members wearing. Marching bands are usually donned in some sort of brightly colored pseudo-militaristic garb that always looks incredibly dorky in close-up photographs. Ever since Elvis Presley and the triumph of rock as America's choice of popular music, people have grown accustomed to thinking of music as an individual activity. Our image of a musician is a rock star or pop singer not a member of an orchestra or a girl marching around a field with a trumpet. This seems a little regressive to me, since for centuries music was built around the idea of collaboration and harmonizing diverse voices. Pop music has made us latch onto the model of the solo voice. I think we've gotten some wonderful music out of the last several decades. I'm just concerned it has thrown off our sense of scale. No, drum corps does not work on an individual scale, but not all great music has to. Sometimes music should be grand and immense and meant to be seen from great distances. Modern rock tours have to bring in giant speakers, TV's, pyrotechnics, props, sets and special effects to make the audience feel like they're watching something special. With drum corps all you really need are the performers, their instruments and some empty space and you can put on something huge. Blue and silver pants aren't going to win you many fans, but watching hundreds of blue and silver legs dart in and out with tremendous precision and speed will.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Daily Dose 4/30
Another in my increasingly ingratiating attempts to combine the goodness of drum corps with the quotable fun of the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin in the hopes of giving my favorite form of musical performance a more appealing veneer for the uninitiated.
Today's Quote:
Yeah, you should definitely tell her, because I saw this movie called "Liar Liar" and the message was, "Don't lie."And that was a smart movie. -Cal
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
When any enthusiast tries to persuade someone to venture into their chosen past time, they try to play a careful game of salesmanship. You want to persuade someone that there is a lot to be excited about, but you don't want to come across as a geek or fanatic. Often when members of cult fan bases attempt to appeal to a general audience they try to play it "cool". They will try to soften their enthusiasm and give you a polished version of the truth. Describing the activities using half truths and artful euphemisms, these well meaning souls hope to persuade their audience, but ultimately mislead them. It doesn't do me or anyone else any good to try and convince you that drum and bugle corps is any thing other than what it is: a hyperactive relative of marching bands with a very specific appeal and a very limited audience. I don't deny these are facts as the situation currently stands. However, I do hope to change those facts by opening eyes to the wonder of marching music. To do this I will be honest about drum corps in all its successes and failings, because only when my audience can trust me will they be willing to try something based on my recommendation. Therefore you will notice that this blog never attempts to sell drum corps as anything than what it is. I don't want you to go to a drum corps show expecting a rock concert. I want you to realize that if you like rock concerts there might be something worth seeing at a drum corps show. I will be an honest ambassador for the activity I enjoy so much, so long as my audience is honest with me in return, and I encourage all other drum corps fans to do the same. This blog is not a sales pitch it is a celebration. I don't want you to buy into drum corps. I want you to join the party.
Today's Quote:
Yeah, you should definitely tell her, because I saw this movie called "Liar Liar" and the message was, "Don't lie."And that was a smart movie. -Cal
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
When any enthusiast tries to persuade someone to venture into their chosen past time, they try to play a careful game of salesmanship. You want to persuade someone that there is a lot to be excited about, but you don't want to come across as a geek or fanatic. Often when members of cult fan bases attempt to appeal to a general audience they try to play it "cool". They will try to soften their enthusiasm and give you a polished version of the truth. Describing the activities using half truths and artful euphemisms, these well meaning souls hope to persuade their audience, but ultimately mislead them. It doesn't do me or anyone else any good to try and convince you that drum and bugle corps is any thing other than what it is: a hyperactive relative of marching bands with a very specific appeal and a very limited audience. I don't deny these are facts as the situation currently stands. However, I do hope to change those facts by opening eyes to the wonder of marching music. To do this I will be honest about drum corps in all its successes and failings, because only when my audience can trust me will they be willing to try something based on my recommendation. Therefore you will notice that this blog never attempts to sell drum corps as anything than what it is. I don't want you to go to a drum corps show expecting a rock concert. I want you to realize that if you like rock concerts there might be something worth seeing at a drum corps show. I will be an honest ambassador for the activity I enjoy so much, so long as my audience is honest with me in return, and I encourage all other drum corps fans to do the same. This blog is not a sales pitch it is a celebration. I don't want you to buy into drum corps. I want you to join the party.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Daily Dose 4/27
Let's take another spin around the carousel where I try to make awkward and strained comparisons between the world of drum and bugle corps and the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. My hope is that the use of popular movie quotes will help people understand the beauty and wonder of drum corps even if they've never seen a drum corps perform before.
Today's Quote:
They're not %$#&ing toys! This is Ironman, okay? -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
When an activity involves bright costumes, musical instruments, and a lot of colorful flags it can be hard to get people to treat it seriously. Since the easiest thing for most people to compare drum corps to is marching band and most people associate marching bands with high school football, most people will blow off drum corps as something for children. While I emphasized in yesterday's Daily Dose that this is an activity geared for youth, people of all ages can appreciate it. It takes a mature mind to truly appreciate all of the artistic beauty that's poured into every show. You have to have a developed sense of timing and detail to appreciate the precision and athleticism involved in the marching and movements of the performers. Just like fine food and top of the line products need a certain aesthetic sense to be appreciated fully, it takes a grown person to really love a drum corps show. This should not be taken to mean that only adults would like watching a drum corps shows. With all of the roaring music, rapid motion, and sweeping spectacle these corps put on the field a person of any age can have fun at a show. Even though I don't recommend the movie I quote as family friendly, a drum corps show will always been a fun and special evening out for the family. So come one come all drum corps is the kid friendly show that's not just for kids.
Today's Quote:
They're not %$#&ing toys! This is Ironman, okay? -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
When an activity involves bright costumes, musical instruments, and a lot of colorful flags it can be hard to get people to treat it seriously. Since the easiest thing for most people to compare drum corps to is marching band and most people associate marching bands with high school football, most people will blow off drum corps as something for children. While I emphasized in yesterday's Daily Dose that this is an activity geared for youth, people of all ages can appreciate it. It takes a mature mind to truly appreciate all of the artistic beauty that's poured into every show. You have to have a developed sense of timing and detail to appreciate the precision and athleticism involved in the marching and movements of the performers. Just like fine food and top of the line products need a certain aesthetic sense to be appreciated fully, it takes a grown person to really love a drum corps show. This should not be taken to mean that only adults would like watching a drum corps shows. With all of the roaring music, rapid motion, and sweeping spectacle these corps put on the field a person of any age can have fun at a show. Even though I don't recommend the movie I quote as family friendly, a drum corps show will always been a fun and special evening out for the family. So come one come all drum corps is the kid friendly show that's not just for kids.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Daily Dose 4/26
Wilkommen, to today's edition of my effort to bring new people into the drum corps fold by using the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin to explain interesting details and tidbits from the world of drum corps.
Today's Quote:
Is it true that if you don't USE it you LOSE it? -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to with drum corps?:
Drum and bugle corps were turned into competition and performance groups in America in the 20th century with the goal of giving young boys and activity to keep them physically fit, involved in the community, and away from the temptations of delinquency. These corps were often the offshoots of other organizations like scout troops, police brigades, or military units to give the youth of the area a way to be involved in the sponsor group. Drum corps have always been first and foremost about providing a structured activity for young people. Though the corps have evolved and become mostly independent, they remain centered on teenagers. The modern corps are organized around a few principles and one of the most important is that drum corps should be an activity for the young. This is why there are age limits on who can participate in a drum corps from 14 to 22 years old. Though many may want to march with a corps for as long as they can it's only a short lived experience. If you don't make use of a year of eligibility to march in drum corps it is gone. This is why for those who turn 22 or "age out" their last year marching is always a bittersweet experience. Most corps try and do something special for those corps members who will take the field for the last time. I don't want to get into the rites and rituals each drum corps honors here, but I do want to emphasize that when you see a drum corps you are seeing a special slice of the members' lives. This is a special time for them and the fact that they spend it trying to entertain the audience is a very special thing. As an audience member knowing this has always made drum corps seem more powerful and poignant knowing that I'm watching someone's fond memories happen right in front of me and I hope you can experience that feeling the next time you see a corps perform.
SPECIAL UPDATE:
I will be attending the DCI Classic Countdown tonight. So watch this blog for special content directly related to the show. For everyone planning to go, I hope we all have a great time tonight. For those who aren't planning, what's wrong with you? Go and get your tickets already! it's in theaters everywhere. More info here.
Today's Quote:
Is it true that if you don't USE it you LOSE it? -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to with drum corps?:
Drum and bugle corps were turned into competition and performance groups in America in the 20th century with the goal of giving young boys and activity to keep them physically fit, involved in the community, and away from the temptations of delinquency. These corps were often the offshoots of other organizations like scout troops, police brigades, or military units to give the youth of the area a way to be involved in the sponsor group. Drum corps have always been first and foremost about providing a structured activity for young people. Though the corps have evolved and become mostly independent, they remain centered on teenagers. The modern corps are organized around a few principles and one of the most important is that drum corps should be an activity for the young. This is why there are age limits on who can participate in a drum corps from 14 to 22 years old. Though many may want to march with a corps for as long as they can it's only a short lived experience. If you don't make use of a year of eligibility to march in drum corps it is gone. This is why for those who turn 22 or "age out" their last year marching is always a bittersweet experience. Most corps try and do something special for those corps members who will take the field for the last time. I don't want to get into the rites and rituals each drum corps honors here, but I do want to emphasize that when you see a drum corps you are seeing a special slice of the members' lives. This is a special time for them and the fact that they spend it trying to entertain the audience is a very special thing. As an audience member knowing this has always made drum corps seem more powerful and poignant knowing that I'm watching someone's fond memories happen right in front of me and I hope you can experience that feeling the next time you see a corps perform.
SPECIAL UPDATE:
I will be attending the DCI Classic Countdown tonight. So watch this blog for special content directly related to the show. For everyone planning to go, I hope we all have a great time tonight. For those who aren't planning, what's wrong with you? Go and get your tickets already! it's in theaters everywhere. More info here.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Daily Dose 4/25
Welcome to my daily feature where I try to use the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin (which I do not endorse for anyone under the age of 37) to explain the ins and outs of drum and bugle corps for the uninitiated.
Today's Quote:
If I have to hear "Yamo Be There" one more time, I'm going to "Yamo" burn this place to the ground. -David
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
I have noticed an increasing trend for high school and college marching bands to rely on the same tired rock tunes for their half-time shows at football games. As this is the version of marching music most people are familiar with, it may be difficult for them to understand the appeal of a drum corps show. After all who wants to spend three hours watching and hearing the same tired ditties from Jefferson Airplane, Earth Wind & Fire, or the Allmond Brothers. While half time shows have become stagnant recycling sessions of the Time-Life "Greatest Hits of the "70's" collection, drum and bugle corps actually push the artistic envelope. No drum corps wants to be compared to someone else's performance of a song. Every corps works hard to find new and interesting music or at least new and interesting interpretations. Even though they draw from orchestral music they often use modern pieces by current composers. Sometimes they dig back for music from the past that people aren't as familiar with (i.e. it hasn't been used in a thousand movie soundtracks already). You even have a rising number of corps commission entirely original music for their performances. I am not guaranteeing that the music these groups play will appeal to you, but at least you have some assurance it won't be the same dull elevator rock you've heard dozens of times before.
Today's Quote:
If I have to hear "Yamo Be There" one more time, I'm going to "Yamo" burn this place to the ground. -David
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
I have noticed an increasing trend for high school and college marching bands to rely on the same tired rock tunes for their half-time shows at football games. As this is the version of marching music most people are familiar with, it may be difficult for them to understand the appeal of a drum corps show. After all who wants to spend three hours watching and hearing the same tired ditties from Jefferson Airplane, Earth Wind & Fire, or the Allmond Brothers. While half time shows have become stagnant recycling sessions of the Time-Life "Greatest Hits of the "70's" collection, drum and bugle corps actually push the artistic envelope. No drum corps wants to be compared to someone else's performance of a song. Every corps works hard to find new and interesting music or at least new and interesting interpretations. Even though they draw from orchestral music they often use modern pieces by current composers. Sometimes they dig back for music from the past that people aren't as familiar with (i.e. it hasn't been used in a thousand movie soundtracks already). You even have a rising number of corps commission entirely original music for their performances. I am not guaranteeing that the music these groups play will appeal to you, but at least you have some assurance it won't be the same dull elevator rock you've heard dozens of times before.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Daily Dose 4/24
Here comes a new installment in which I try to explain the intricate subtleties of drum corps using quotations for the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. I think it's possible to get people new to the marching arts to better understand and appreciate drum and bugle corps if you jexplain it using something they already know and like.
Today's Quote:
There were two sides to that billboard, and they both hurt equally. -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
Lots of recreational/competitive activities can be physically demanding, but you'd have hard time appreciating how much work being in a drum corps is without actually trying it yourself. Those instruments may not seem heavy at first but trying holding them up for ten to twelve minutes straight while maintaining rigid posture and running up and down a football field or soccer pitch. I bet you your arms will start to feel tired if you just hold them in front of you for one minute and that's without any added weight. Scientists have studied the biometrics of someone performing in a drum corps show and compared it to the physical effort required to run a marathon. Everyone who has to practice and perform in the summer sun has a legitimate right to complain, and I'm not making any claims about how drum corps compare to sports or other popular pursuits. I just think most people would have a greater appreciation for what they see a drum corps do on the field if they realized how much it hurts. The common perception is that athletics are all brutally demanding while anything to do with the arts or music is soft and weak. As someone who has lifted a horn and marched around that field I can assure you there is very little soft about it. The practices are generally even tougher than the performance because that's the only way to make sure the performers can survive the show. I hope to bring more first hand accounts of how hard these performers have to work and how much it can hurt to be in a drum corps as the year goes on.
BONUS- Mainstream media luv:
Some news articles out there are pumping up this week's big drum corps event, the Classic Countdown. Movie theaters around the U.S. will be showing some of the best drum corps shows of all time. If you're a fan this is a great way to support the central organization for drum corps in North America, Drum Corps International. If your new to the activity this can be a great way to get introduced to how drum corps has changed over the years. I'm desperately trying to fit it into my schedule, so I can share my experience with you.
Today's Quote:
There were two sides to that billboard, and they both hurt equally. -Andy Stitzer
What does this have to do with drum corps?:
Lots of recreational/competitive activities can be physically demanding, but you'd have hard time appreciating how much work being in a drum corps is without actually trying it yourself. Those instruments may not seem heavy at first but trying holding them up for ten to twelve minutes straight while maintaining rigid posture and running up and down a football field or soccer pitch. I bet you your arms will start to feel tired if you just hold them in front of you for one minute and that's without any added weight. Scientists have studied the biometrics of someone performing in a drum corps show and compared it to the physical effort required to run a marathon. Everyone who has to practice and perform in the summer sun has a legitimate right to complain, and I'm not making any claims about how drum corps compare to sports or other popular pursuits. I just think most people would have a greater appreciation for what they see a drum corps do on the field if they realized how much it hurts. The common perception is that athletics are all brutally demanding while anything to do with the arts or music is soft and weak. As someone who has lifted a horn and marched around that field I can assure you there is very little soft about it. The practices are generally even tougher than the performance because that's the only way to make sure the performers can survive the show. I hope to bring more first hand accounts of how hard these performers have to work and how much it can hurt to be in a drum corps as the year goes on.
BONUS- Mainstream media luv:
Some news articles out there are pumping up this week's big drum corps event, the Classic Countdown. Movie theaters around the U.S. will be showing some of the best drum corps shows of all time. If you're a fan this is a great way to support the central organization for drum corps in North America, Drum Corps International. If your new to the activity this can be a great way to get introduced to how drum corps has changed over the years. I'm desperately trying to fit it into my schedule, so I can share my experience with you.
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