[Dixielandjazz] RE: Marching Bands

[Edgerton, Paul A]

I won't mess with that marching band Tar Baby, no sir. But I will offer this
humble anecdote about my one and only visit to an event known as "Drums
Along The Rockies," sponsored by Drum Corps International. 

There are DCI corps all over North America, and I presume elsewhere. They
consist of teenagers playing assorted sizes of "bugles" and drums. These
bugles are nearly always two-valve instruments capable of playing a
chromatic scale over the majority of the range of standard three-valve
brasses. The drums can include nearly any conceivable percussion instrument.
Back in MY day, they were mostly actual marching drums, with an occasional
xylophone. Nowadays, they include many semi-mobile contrivances, but I
digress...

The first thing to note is that these kids dedicate a portion of their lives
to the pursuit of excellence. They live on road, train relentlessly and
compete with other corps. The event I attended (let's call it DAR from now
on) happens late in the season and brings the top 20 corps together in one
big competition. These kids are ambitious and highly focused on what they
are doing.

Now, each corps has a different theme and style. Most are derived from
military music. Even the ones that rebel against the military model still
value precise execution. Getting dozens of teenagers to work together is an
enormous challenge, but it can produce astonishing results. Many of the kids
who "age-out" of DCI never go on to any other musical endeavor. For some of
them this is the biggest thing they will ever do.

And it is a big thing. I had just graduated from a five years of college as
a music major. I was pretty sure I knew what a marching band was all about.
Marching, right? Yep, lot's of it -- like I had never seen before, but
that's not what I came away with.

I was blown away by the MUSIC. I'm talking goosebumpy, hairs on the back of
your neck standing up emotional IMPACT. The dynamic range was ferocious,
ranging from a single, soft horn to dozens of strong youth putting out
everything they had. There was an broad range of emotion expressed in many
tempi, textures and styles. I've never seen so impressive a show, and by
kids at that... most of them on their summer break. 

All I can say is, If you ever get a chance to attend one of these shows, do
it! It matters not if you like marching band music, go and see -- and hear
-- what can be done with a few dozen kids and a hell of lot of work and
discipline.

Paul Edgerton, who is still smiling after that "Concert on the Run"