HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: streuer_d@cubldr.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: POPCORN
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 23:48:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.161158.6762@vdbsan>, dawson@vdbsan (Willard Dawson) writes:
  
>>I don't know where the poster of this info felt that allowing the fans
>>to participate would mean regression to past marching techniques and simple
>>music.  What would be nice, and I believe is intended, is to let the 
>>audience have a voice as to what they enjoy.
> 
> Obviously (to me, anyway), he feels that the majority opinion coincides with
> that regression idea.. perhaps he even subscribes to it himself.
> 
>>Most people, who are not drum corp nuts, truly enjoy the entertainment value
>>of a competition with the competition secondary.  For example, all this
>>VK bashing is out of line, because a lot of non-corp people look forward
>>to see the corp "that wears the red sneakers."  It's the entertainment value
>>that draws and usually keeps the new viewer.
> 
> Is it?  How many new viewers have actually been polled for us to determine
> what initially drew them to view the show?  I would be glad to see DCI,
> and its member corps, have a better link to whatever it is that defines
> "entertainment value" to the "average fan," as well as knowing the extremes,
> ranging from indifference to fanatic worship.  However, I don't know that
> that could be really separated from the need to appeal to the common
> denominator, and we all know what that's done to television.

WILLARD, YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE A SHORT MEMORY - YOU YOURSELF WERE ONCE A FIRST
TIME VIEWER AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT YOU WATCHED YOUR FIRST SHOW AND WERE
ABLE TO ANALYZE EVERYTHING FROM A TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW.  SOMETHING ABOUT
YOUR INITIAL EXPOSURE TO DRUM CORP GOT YOU HOOKED - THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT.  YOU HAVE TURNED YOURSELF INTO AN FAN BY LEARNING THE INTRICACIES
OF DRUM CORP. 
> 
>>True, after being exposed to drum corp for a while, a true fan appreciates
>>the difference and stretch of the more difficult music and marching.
> 
> What the hell is a "true fan?"  Is that anything like a "real drum corps?"

AS STATED ABOVE, DON'T FORGET WHERE IT STARTED FOR YOU.  THIS COMMENT WAS NOT
WARRANTED.
> 
>>But there is something to be said
>>about 'recognizing' a piece of music or seeing straight lines.  When they
>>showed the clip on the DCI national broadcast of Madison's Slaughter on Ten
>>Avenue, I got goose bumps.  One, because it was something from the past and
>>two, you could really hear them blasting those notes and you knew it was
>>good because you were FAMILIAR with the tune.
> 
>>Let's not make drum corp an elitist sport, keep it within reach of everyone.
> 
> You don't have to make drum corps an elitist sport.. it already is.  I seem
> to enjoy it being that way.  Maybe that makes me a true fan.

NO, SOUNDS LIKE THAT MAKES YOU SOMEWHAT OF A SNOB.
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Comments wanted about PBS broadcast
From: fath1@husc8.harvard.edu (Michael Fath)
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:03:16 EDT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <0easade00WBL41i6h2@andrew.cmu.edu> David James Foremsky <df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>Does anybody know who I should write to to complain about the finals
>broadcast?  Should it be to DCI or to PBS?  It really pi**ed me off that
>all of the beginnings of the shows were cut off because of introducing
>the drum majors (sorry - they could wait until after their performance
>if it is really that important) and that the Cadet's silent company
>front was totally missed. The guard work was great, but not worth
>missing the drill over.
>
>deej.
>
I have the email address of Keith Kline, the program manager at WTIU
who put on the DCI PBS broadcast.  If people have comments about the broadcast,
please post them and I will send them to Keith.  Please don't be too harsh -
but I'm sure he would appreciate any constructive criticism.

I'll let people know if he replies.


-- 
MM   MM FFFFF 	Michael Fath		fath1@husc.harvard.edu
M M M M F	Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
M  M  M FFF     Harvard Medical School         
M     M F       Boston, MA 02115				**Enjoy life!
From: urcat@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eilidh)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Percussion Techniques (was: Re: Original Corps Compositions)
Date: 2 Sep 92 01:06:24 GMT

In <1992Aug29.043813.596@vela.acs.oakland.edu> bfhalls@vela.acs.oakland.edu (HALLS BRADLEY F) writes:

>>For you drum corps percussionists out there: how difficult was/is it
>>for you to learn how to do a concert roll (or, rather, "unlearn" the
>>military roll to be able to do a concert roll)?

The accusation that "corps style ruins the 'real' percussionist" holds
true sometimes even for pit/mallet players.  When I first came to UCSB
my scholarship audition came before I'd toured VK '86 pit.  So as an
incoming freshman a month after finals I met up with some stiff bias
against corps style, which at the time was even more discouraging since
I was hoping my studying at college would prepare me to eventually 
audition for a drum line with a corps (my dream being to be one of the
priveledged few girls on a top 12 corps snare line!  :)

My four-mallet technique learned with VK was tossed out the window
(ouch) and rudiments onle taught consert style for snare.  Unfortunately
I've aged out now and never did get a chance to try out my dream to
make a snare line, so I definitely have never acquired corps chops.

But I agree with the comments I've seen on-line so far....musicians
(when at all possible -- baring time constraints also lamented) should
try and develop as many styles as possible, with proficiency.  But
unfortunately, we usually don't have time to.  *sigh*  Then I'd got
for the: work hardest on what you're playing.  And rudiments in your
spare time.   :)

BTW, any other mallet players' opinions on four-mallet techniques
in and out of corps?  VK '86, we used independently held mallets,
i.e. pinky and 4th fingers around the outside mallets, and middle
and index fingers working with the thumb for the inside ones.  At
UCSB, it was insisted that we cross the mallets in our palms, the
outside mallet between our index and middle fingers.

Thanks!

Cat (a.k.a. in VK '86 - Chris) McGlothlin

*********************************************************************
Cat McGlothlin  urcat@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu  'urcat'='you-are-cat'   "Oh!"
  >>Please Vote in November!!!  Vote out State of CA Incumbents!!<<
   >>>Let State Employees receive paychecks instead of IOU's!!!<<<
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: mlz@mlz.SPEECH.CS.CMU.EDU (Marce Zaragoza)
Subject: SENIOR corps finals this week!
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 12:05:16 GMT


Hey, is there anybody out there?  That is, who might be interested and knows  
what's been happening in the senior corps world (DCA)?  Semi-finals and finals  
are in Allentown, PA on Sunday, September 6th.

If anyone has followed or has even seen a senior corps lately, I'd appreciate  
hearing what the latest standings were and what the corps are doing.

Thanks!

Marce Zaragoza
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: VK's next frontier
From: eputnam@vax1.umkc.edu
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 23:34:32 GMT
Organization: University of Missouri - Kansas City

In article <1992Sep1.161158.15193@ncsu.edu>, jvbutera@grad09.math.ncsu.edu (Jeffrey V. Butera) writes:
> 
> And gone.  The Cavies played pieces of the planets a few years ago (88ish 
> anyone help me?)
> 
>>
>>It's a great idea!
>>                               Scott 
> 
> And it was a great show by the Cavaliers (Now that I think, it may
> have been 87)
> 

As someone else has pointed out, it was 1985.  However, I don't think that the
presentation by the VK would remind too many people of the Cavies show 8 years
ago.  Plus, I guess you would rule out having any repeat music.  Garfield's
'84 show wouldn't have hit the field because other corps had done West Side
Story.  Same is true for Sky Ryders' '87 (which is one of the more remarkable
shows that I have ever seen).  How 'bout the Cadets playing "Candide" after
Santa Clara had already won with ?  Just out of curiousity, did you confuse
Madison and VK in '88 as both played Maleguena.  The list goes on and on...
(kind of like a VK character from this past year!).

In short, remember that music is a performing art, and drum corps more so.  The
interpretation of the artist(s) is what makes a piece, not who wrote it.

To paraphrase VK, Drum Corps: A rare medium well done.

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry)
Subject: Re: Impressions--DCI Finals
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 03:46:34 GMT

cdoser@polari.online.com writes:

>The whole reason for the decrease in competing time was basically so
>that they could fit more corps onto one side of a record. There was

I always thought it wasn't to fit more corps on a side, but to space out
the grooves on the record for a better recording.

At least I remember hearing that as one of the principle arguments for
the reduced time during the debate.

Later,
Bob
-- 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=- Bob Berry -=- Net-Guru's Inc.        ! rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu   -=-
-=- Teach them quick, before they think. ! 803-654-7623 || 803-656-1076 -=-
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Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: dci@cs.washington.edu (Donald Chinn)
Subject: Re: Original Corps Compositions (was: Drumcorps Sandwich)
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 01:34:47 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.174042.25128@stortek.com> pae@blackcat.stortek.com (Phil Earnhardt) writes:
>In article <1992Aug25.052334.2593@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> sradeker@nyx.cs.du.edu (scott radeker) writes:
>
>I finally remembered what was interesting about using "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
>in this discussion -- Sun Coast Sound used this in their Contemporary Child
>show. Needless to say, it was not the classical arrangement (whatever that
>would be!) and they were not standing in a box formation.
>
>This Sun Coast program, and their Florida Suite program, were both mostly
>original compositions. Question: what are the other pieces composed for drum
>corps? Which are people's favorites? Are original compositions A Good Thing
>for the activity, or do they tend to be too expensive/obscure/etc?
>
>--phil
>pae@blackcat.stortek.com


There is one piece that I can think of.  It was in the 1987 Cavaliers
program.  I forget what the name of it is.  I think it was written by
one of {Maslanka, Nelson, Holsinger}.

As to whether original compositions are a good thing, I think so, because
it indicates that the field is maturing into its own art form, rather
than simply regurgitating other people's ideas in a new format (this is
not to say that that is bad, though!).

As to obscurity, if a new drum corps piece were written with the classical
or wind ensemble idiom in mind, then it probably would be "obscure", as this
seems to be the trend in those idioms (although, in any period in the
development of classical music, much of the music was probably considered
"obscure").  It's hard to predict obscurity in a style such as that of
Florida Suite.  Now, wouldn't it be interesting to have a drum corps branch
of the jazz idiom?!  The mind boggles.

I felt that Prof. Cambell's little introduction to the percussion section
in the PBS broadcast to be very informative and interesting.  I suspect that
drum corps is fairly close to the cutting edge of percussion techniques,
but I could be wrong (drum corps is probably not on the cutting edge when
it comes to keyboard instruments).

-- Donald
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Entertainment and Effectiveness III
From: eputnam@vax1.umkc.edu
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 06:50:18 GMT
Organization: University of Missouri - Kansas City


Okay, I give up...  What is so darn special about a stupid company front?!?
Let's face it, the things are soooooo obvious when they happen almost to the
point of being anticlimatic (at least for me).  I know that I am going to 
insult several readers now, but ...  I personally believe that the only reason
that company fronts are still used is that it is the only time when the general
audience knows when to clap.  They are also one of the few times that the
drill is highly accessible to average people.  Let's face it, with some of the
drill currently being displayed (Star, Cadets, Blue Knights) you REALLY have
to watch and remember what pictures and motions have been made.  How many 
"Zingalli inverting eights" have most people caught?  Probably none.  But,
form a mostly straight line the length of the field and march slowly towards
the audience and the stadium comes down.

Only three corps have done company fronts which actually mean something:
Blue Devils, Cadets, and VK.  Blue Devils because it's tradition and I can 
live with a traditional/trademark move.  Cadets because they have poked so
much fun at the concept.  VK because in '88 they had that light speed company
front which was a wall of music being shoved at the audience.  I am sure that
others will name other corps that had better ones, but these are the only ones
which stick out in my mind.

For some reason, I sense the approach of large flames...

Eric Putnam
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: ddm@wpi.WPI.EDU (David D Marshall)
Subject: Fees for Top Corps
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:04:44 GMT

I looked in the faxs, but I couldn't find this topic covered.  What are
the fees for marching Cadets and other top corps.  I really would like
to know about Cadets since I would like to march them but if I don't have
the cash I'm not going to audition.

Email or post.
ddm@wpi.wpi.edu

-- 
       |"So get off your but and ride."         |     _,-~o     |
       |"It's the motor that wins the races."   |    _-\_<,     |
       |               E-mail ddm@wpi.wpi.edu   |   (*)/'(*)    |
From: rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry)
Subject: Re: Entertainment and Effectiveness, Round 2 (was Re: POPCORN)
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 03:59:59 GMT

dci@cs.washington.edu (Donald Chinn) writes:

A whole lot of stuff I just posted before this one came in.

Well put.

Later,
Bob
-- 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=- Bob Berry -=- Net-Guru's Inc.        ! rwberry@hubcap.clemson.edu   -=-
-=- Teach them quick, before they think. ! 803-654-7623 || 803-656-1076 -=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: truher@s1.gov (Joel Truher)
Subject: Re: Far-out VK!!!
Organization: LLNL
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 19:29:22 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.225252.1@vax1.umkc.edu> eputnam@vax1.umkc.edu writes:
>
>How? Holst's "The Planets."  

Cavies did Planets only a few years ago though . . . 

Joel
Organization: Junior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 09:18:36 -0400 
From: David James Foremsky <df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Cadets '86 closer
	<92238.142718MHUGHES@MIAMIU.BITNET>

I believe that I read somewhere that the 1986 closer was supposed to be
a "spoof" on other drum corps shows (raincoats=Bridgemen, the lead-in to
the final company front is a direct copy from the Blue Devils closer
that year).  Whether or not they played Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs
earlier, I have no idea.  I do know, however, that the idea of playing
PFR goes back to at least 1986, and only with the advent of three-valve
bugles could they really play it as they did last year.

deej 
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: GRS02907@APPSTATE.EDU (GRS9999102)
Subject: ALT DRUMCORPS WRITERS POLL
Organization: APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 22:04:00 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

the alt.drumcorps writers poll


as we've seen in the varying opinions written here on the network,
there are quite a few discrepancies between the judges ratings and 
the feelings of some writers here.  As a wrap-up edition, I'm conducting
one more poll of the group to determine the final placings of the 
corps this year.  

PLEASE REPLY: your top 15 corps to THIS address

notice that this is a brand new address and is probably the reason 
your prior e-mail bounced back to you.

please have your results sent to me by 3 pm EST so that i can have the
results up by that evening.

also if you have any ideas on ways to keep some sort of poll running during 
the off-season, let me know!

dolittle
ASU
CROWN
From: cneal@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Chris Neal)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Original Corps Compositions (was: Drumcorps Sandwich)
Date: 27 Aug 92 04:56:26 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <1992Aug26.013447.13553@beaver.cs.washington.edu> dci@cs.washington.edu (Donald Chinn) writes:

>As to whether original compositions are a good thing, I think so, because
>it indicates that the field is maturing into its own art form, rather
>than simply regurgitating other people's ideas in a new format (this is
>not to say that that is bad, though!).

I agree completely. I think the new compositions are a great addition. It
seems like they still turn lots of heads because they are not the norm.
As for arrangements (in defense of), I think one mark of really great
music is that it can be performed in multiple mediums and still sound great.
What do you think??

>I suspect that
>drum corps is fairly close to the cutting edge of percussion techniques,
>but I could be wrong (drum corps is probably not on the cutting edge when
>it comes to keyboard instruments).
>
>-- Donald

Maybe there's not a great deal of technical innovation in the mallet playing, 
but there's certainly some great mallet playing going on in many corps. I've 
seen lots of 17-25 pits (and below) where virtually all the players play
4-mallet, and watching pits like BD warm-up is really mind boggling.

Chris
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: gordons@CS.ColoState.EDU (vahl scott gordon)
Subject: VK's next frontier
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1992 15:00:35 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University

eputnam@vax1.umkc.edu says:

> I think that a great idea for a show would be for the Velvet Knights taking
> another "Magical Mystery Tour," but this time tour the solar system.  How?
> Holst's "The Planets."  Not to start another flame war and debate over what
> constitutes "real" ..., but I think that based on this past year VK is moving
> toward more challenging music and The Planets would allow them to continue
> this while allowing for some fun. Just think of all of the "little green men,"
> Star Trek humor, ...  And hey, if you thought that land shark attacks were 
> great, wait till you see the beast chomping on planets.

A great idea, but a more "direct", VK-style approach would be to use
more "pop"-ish outer space songs.  Here are some:

               Theme from Star Trek
               Theme from Star Trek, TNG
               Theme from Dr. Who
               Theme from Star Wars
               Close Encounters
               E.T.
               Twilight Zone

Excerpts from more commonly-known passages of the Planets (Mars and Jupiter)
could also be thrown in.

> A simple idea whose time has come.

It's a great idea!
                               Scott 

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: cdoser@polari.online.com
Subject: Troopers
Keywords: corps, troopers
Organization: Seattle Online Public Access Unix.  (206) 328-4944 (all lines telebit-equipped)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 04:19:16 GMT

Did anyone here see the Troopers? I thought they were robbed!
Of course, so did about 30,000 others at Camp Randall (less 9).
                                                        _ _ _         /|
                                                        | | |        / |
____________________________________________ (|----------------- ___/  |
| Cathy Doser        *     Black Watch       (|---____________  \ __   |
| P.O. Box 69271     *      1972-1978             / /   | | |  \ |  \  |
| Seattle, WA 98168  * 1978 Class A Champions    | |   =|o| |= | |   \ |
|                    *  'You are what you are,    \ \_________/ /     \|
|                    *  or what you want to be!'   \___________/
|_____________________________________________________________________|
|      cdoser@atc.boeing.com     |    cathyj@f104.n343.fidonet.org    |
|_____________________________________________________________________|

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: tmv@blitzen.uucp (26129-vandewater)
Subject: Re: Drum corps and the Media
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 13:27:23 GMT



When Garfield won DCI in 83, there was a brief story on it on
Nightline..or one of those nationwide news broadcasts.  It was a 2 minute
story nicely put together (especially since they put me on camera! :-)
Anyway, the story explained how an east coast corps finally is doing
well against the powerhouse california corps....wow, things have
changed in the past few years!

Tom
---

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
From: phantom@hardy.u.washington.edu (PHANTOM)
Subject: Top Corps tour fees
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 01:40:13 GMT

Last I heard from Cadets, the tour fee (I have the original letter in front
of me right now) was $725, not $1200. Of course, this doesn't include your
white bucks ($40?) and miscellaneous extras, but it is considerably more
reasonable than the $1200 figure. Has this changed since I considered 
(Summer of '89)?

They have a payment schedule and were willing to work with me if I couldn't
meet it, and depending on how good you are and how badly they need you, you
might get by for less than advertised, but don't count on it.


-Matt

Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps