From: timc@diva.Berkeley.EDU (Tim Castro)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.misc
Subject: Drum Corps vs. College Band (was Re: Woodwins - bands vs corps)
Followup-To: rec.arts.marching.misc
Date: 27 Jan 1993 22:38:51 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: diva.berkeley.edu


In article <1993Jan27.022833.3999@rigel.econ.uga.edu> scottm@helena.stat.uga.edu 
(scott mclure) writes:

>DCI's top corps vs. the best marching bands?  You'd have to set some
>restrictions:

Oh no!  I was wondering when this day would come.  Comparing Drum
Corps and College Band is just like apples and oranges.  However,
just to add fuel to the fire:  :-)


>	1.	bands woud only be allowed to march 128 members,
>		which would kill them right off the bat.
>

Why?  I know of a lot of great bands (and corps) under 128.


>	2.	each group would only be allowed to prepare for a set
>		amount of time.  Be it 6 weeks or 6 months, they would
>		all start at the same time at the same level of pre-
>		paredness.


How about limiting the rehearsal period to 2 WEEKS (the preparation
time for a typical college halftime show).  Four 2 hour rehearsals
per week, 2 one hour sectionals and then one Saturday morning rehearsal.
I think the limited rehearsal time would severely hamper most corps.


>	3.	The rules for competing in DCI would have to be extended
>		over the bands, minus the instrumentation rule.  That
>		means a minimum time of ten minutes, max of 11:30.
>

How about extending the rules the other way, say limiting the show
to 8-9 minutes?  That's the time allotted to a band in a typical
halftime.


>	4.	The band members must be between ages 14-21, same as the
>		corps.  Can't have an experience advantage, one way or
>		the other.
>

No problem.  Most of the top 12 Corps are college aged.  All of
the College bands are college aged.


>	The results of this would be a total sweep by the corps.
>Remember, the corps are made up of the best members of hundreds of bands
>from across the nation.  Even U of Michigan couldn't compete under the
>same rules as corps do.  Even though I love big bands, straight-out
>competition between them is no contest.
>

Oh, I don't think so.  How would you judge such a thing?  Remember,
college band doesn't have any formal rules for competition.  And
how would you take into account the wide variety of different
college styles (i.e. everything from Ohio State's High Step
to Stanford's Scatter)?

Audience response is the only practical method to determine which
college band "won."  And I don't think most football audiences are
going to sit still for a typical corps show.  Case in point, the
current UCLA Band (directed by former SCV Program Coordinator
Gordon Henderson).  It really sad when you hear about a band that's
booed by its own student section.  And that's because their shows
don't APPEAL to the typical football audience.  A corps enthusiast
might enjoy it, but that's about it.

Most college bands are around for two reasons: To support their
teams and TO ENTERTAIN.  Competition between bands, although
sometimes fun, is just not a major consideration.  We're not around
for some DCI ring at the end of the season; we exist to entertain
our audience.  And I think many college bands do a pretty good job.

Like I said before, apples and oranges.

(I'm crossposting and setting followups to rec.arts.marching.misc.  
It might be fun to get more opinions from the college bands.)


--Tim Castro
(Who's marched both corps and college)

>Scott McLure
>


-- 
Tim Castro		    *   "When the air becomes uranious
U.C. Berkeley               *    We will all go simultaneous
timc@diva.Berkeley.EDU      *    Yes we all will go together when we go." 
timc@ocf.Berkeley.EDU       *           --Tom Lehrer, 1958
Newsgroups: rec.arts.marching.misc