show style marching looks so fun, almost funner than regular style (whatever it is called) i was just wanting to know the pros and cons compared to the two.

I think it's mostly personal preferance. Show style bands are more about entertainment. They would rather get the crowd to get up and dance, rather than worring about if the third snare lands three steps off the 45 yard line and two steps behind the hash after a 32 count drill move at 200bpm. CORPS STYLE bands are more about the precision and perfection of the performance. They strive to be the best at what they are trying to do.

Words cannot describe....

Yeah, basically show-style just focuses on getting the crowd pumped and to get them into a "toe-tapping" groove, if you will. The cleanliness of a drumline is really not an issue here, but rather how many visuals and cool flashy stuff you can put in while creating a groove.

Nothing wrong with that, I enjoy show style as well. It's really fun and upbeat, but since I'm wayyyy more of a technical musician, I prefer corps style. Nice clean triplet rolls with some cheese added in quite suits my palette.

It's all just personal preference. No style is better, to speak of.

"CORPS STYLE bands are more about the precision and perfection of the performance." Well, even though I came from a Showstyle highschool and noticing the other showstyle bands and lines in the area, we all tried to "strive to be the best at what we were trying to do." We all wanted to be good musicians and entertaining. That is what we strived to be the best at. We all worried about the precision and perfection of the performance. There is nothing stopping a Show line from doing cheeses and such, in fact I know many that are quite technical in their playing abilties.
I cant count how many times I went to a DCI competition and was bored to death. All the music began sounding the same as time went along, but the occasional drum break would bring back my attention. At Battle of the Bands, yes there are many bands playing the same song and you'll end up hearing it like 5 times. People in Show bands not only have the rhythm to play, but to dance also. There is way more energy felt from a Show Band.
I am aware of the differences between the 2 styles. I am currently in a Corp-ish band. We do "show out" at times. Mainly being guests during highschool exhibtions. I get out infront and do many tumbling and gymnastics things... why? Just because we are having fun and it gets the crowd into what we are doing and makes many of the Corp band kids say "Man, I wish we could do stuff like that in our band." Bands that combine the best of these 2 styles have, in my mind, the best style.
Anyways, Ive met more Corp style players that are stuck on themselves and are very "a-hole-ish." Many of the Show band members that I have met have been really cool. Thats just my POV on the members, not saying that wont change. Anyways, thats my 2 cents...

I came from traditional style its cool and all but show style is better becuase us snares dont have harnesses witch is a huge plus, the drumlines are huge and music selections are better. I'm talking about southern show style like DRUMLINE.

I hope somebody remembers that there has already been a battle waged aginst show and corps style bands.......If memory serves me correctly, the mod's closed it off because off agressivness against one another.

is balance encouraged?

Last time I checked, there were many different varieties of Classical. Scherazade? Russian Christmas Music? If you can say that those sound the same, you need to actually purchase the CD's with those pieces and THEN tell me that they sound the same. Also, Show-style is more popular because 9 times out of 10, the arrangements are of songs that, frankly, have NO musical needs in them besides loud and louder. Do I like show-style? No, but I won't mind seeing one or two just for an entertainment purpose (Morgan State Univeristy at Collegiate Marching Band Festival. for example). Not to mention, have you ever seen a show style band try stuff from fantastic composers like Matheny (sp?), Shostakovich, Williams and Whitacre, just to name a few? Also, more of the licks that I hear have NO balance and NO control over how the drum is approached. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer the tighter, more regimental required solos and commitment needed of a Corps style ensemble than one of a bunch of people doing pelvic thrusts to try and entertain a crowd.

i understand what your saying but not every show style band is out there jumping around acting dump playing loud
and snugglebunny of the time it sound messy because most of them dont learn one show a year look at b-cc or scsu it think that have the two best drumlines and they barly every play dirty

EDIT: This entire post has been marked red for correction. Please try again. A good place to start is English 101. Thank you.

The way I look at it is that corps style versus show style is sort of like classical or jazz versus 'top 40'. The musicians are simply catering to the tastes of a different audience.

A show style band typically puts entertainment for the average non-musician 'everyman' first. The better bands are competent enough to add technical/musical proficiency.

A typical corps style band considers difficult music played well to be an integral part of the entertainment. Well-designed corps-style shows are often also able to entertain audiences less familiar with the intricacies of the activity.

A corps-style audience will listen to a lot of show bands and think, "this sucks" -- just like a Carnegie Hall audience probably wouldn't think much of the Black Eyed Peas. On the other hand, a corps-style band playing for a show-style audience would be like the Metropolitan Opera playing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. It just wouldn't work.

I find your simile of corps vs. show to be like classical vs. top 40 to be right on the money.

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