From: JPN@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Impressions--DCI Finals
Date: 28 Aug 92 18:19:06 GMT
Organization: Penn State University

This is a record of impressions from attendance at my second DCI finals;
but the last time I went was 1982 in Montreal.  I dont fall in the drum
corps fanatic category; I try to get to DCI East about every other year
and once in a while can catch a smaller competition.  Yes, I did march
in a drumcorps--the Madison Scouts for 5 years--but it was in the pre-
DCI days.  Back then Madison was a really big corps with 60 members
(36 horns, 16 percussion, 7 color guard, 1 drum major).  I think
Madison in 1988 had 70 horns alone.  Things have really changed, but
the basic objectives of drumcorps activity appear to be about the same.

1. SEATS--we had seats at about the 5 yard line in the lower deck.  Not
   the best, but most of the things being done could be appreciated.  I
   did  miss some of the VK gimics.  I enjoyed sitting with other people
   who were all long-term drumcorps fans.  However, they were not happy
   with the seats.  Several had ordered tickets in September (we
   ordered in November) and expected to get better seats than they did.

2. TOP SIX--I thought that the differences among the top six corps are
   relatively minor or somewhat matters of personal taste.  Madison and
   SCV were definitely on and Phantom was a bit off.  I love Madison's
   fast style and BD's sound.  I was very impressed by the Cavaliers'
   drill; even if it wasnt as fast paced as some others it was still
   visually impressive.  My top pick was the Cavaliers, followed
   closely by Cadets, Madison, and BD.  To my mind they represent the
   best combinations of difficult drills and difficult music.

3. SOLOS and GUARDS--not having been to finals in 10 years I expected
   to be blown away by the solos and by the color guards.  However, I
   only remember a couple of solos (BD?) and was only impressed by
   the guards from SCV and Cadets.  Was has happened?  Is the music
   now so complex that there is no room for solos?  Much of the guard
   work no longer seems to be integrated into the rest of the corps?
   Why?  Also, a drum solo should be a required part of the competition.

4. VK and Star--to my mind what these corps do does not represent the
   best traditions of drumcorps activity.  Yes, its entertaining to
   some and it is definitely different.  Both put on shows that are
   well done in terms of the music, but it doesnt blow me away in the
   same way the other corps do.  Both rely   too much on gimics to
   get the crowd excited at certain points, but I want a show that
   builds to generate excitement.

5. MARCHING--many of the shows that use the free-form drill look
   much the same after a while, especialy those that do those damm
   shapes that look like a lop-sided mountain.  If one looks at the
   parts of the drill that get the most applause iis things like
   company fronts and sunbursts.  A corps should be able to march
   in straight lines, but I could often pick out lines that were
   not straight (some were very long however).  Again, there is a
   trade-off between complexity of the music and complexity of the
   drill, so what a corps does is partly dependent on what the
   directors think will lead to the best scores.

6. LENGTH--I think I read that the minimum length of the shows is now
   10.5 minutes.  Perhaps, there are visual or musical reasons for this
   but I would prefer the old length of 11.5-13.0 minutes and see fewer
   corps (say, 10) in the finals.  Is the length of the finals conected
   with money or is there historical evidence that drumcorps activity
   benefits from a 12 corps final?  Afterall, there are quarterfinals
   and semifinals so there cant be too many surprises about the rankings
   of the corps below the top six or seven.

Those are my impressions.  I cant wait to buy the DCI video and see
how wrong (or right) I might be on some things.  I was very happy that
the CAvaliers won after so many great, great years.  If Don Warren is
still president (I think I read this), then he must be one happy man.
Secretly, most of us who marched with Madison years ago wanted to be
more like the Cavaliers musically, although we preferred the Madison-
style drills.  I hope some corps will continue to play music that is
familar to the audience, that some corps will occasionally stand and
blow, and that some corps will experiment with new, different and
exciting visual treats.
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps