You ask me, I like a mixture. I like music that fits with the horns and pit. I like parts that aren't too easy, and aren't extremely hard. My idea music is stuff that's impressive, and entertaining.

Yeah, the load dispersing bridge casings (now used on Yamaha basses) were used by Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Madison Scouts and Dutch Boy in '90/'91, and '92 again by the Blue Devils.

Even though demand is not on the sheets anymore listening to judges tapes over the years the judges are still taking that into account. But as already stated, the demand isn't just in the music anymore. Judges reward lines that are doing crazy drill all while still playing clean, so even though the actual notes aren't demanding, the music and movement combined are.

I do think writing has changed since the tick system was dropped but really that should have had the opposite effect. Without ticks you'd think the writing would be more beefy nowadays since they won't get counted off for every little mistake so the writing could be more risky.

I thought that the Demand subcation had been integrated into the Music Analysis scores.

Ticker, you make a lot of good points especially about jumping corps. You used to join a corps based upon if you liked the theme of the coprs and also for the instructor. For example when I marched VK, I never really cared for VK the corps. The reason that I marched there was because I always wanted to be in a Float line. There were quite a few of us that were there for the love of Float. Not to toot my own horn, but I probalbly could have gone and marched somewhere else, but I felt a stron loyalty to Float and wanted to put him back on top. In '93, we even had guys who marched Devils come and march VK to be in a Float line.

I also can remember when you could tell the different styles of drumming in the mylar days. The east coast always seemed to tune their drums loose and play really slurred as oppossed to the west coast where we cranked up the heads and played everything a little tighter. Even on the west coast there were two distinguished styles. SCV had the more legatto style utilizing 3 heights while BD had a more staccato sound utilizing more of a 2 height method of drumming. VK in the 80's had an east coast influence with Matt Savage as their instructor due to his days with the Bridgemen. Mid-west had distinct sounds as well. The Cavies had a very regimented sound. The Scouts always drummed on the back beat. And Phantom, well to put it gently (and I hope I'm not offending anybody) just sounded old and out of date. Star on the other hand was a non factor in drumming until '89 being always a Chameleon and changing their sound.

The late 80's and early 90's really did change drumming forever with the invention of the Remo Falam's and free floating snare shells. But with the invention of the falam head came the problem of the fellas striping their wrists out playing on the hard surface. Now gone was the "playing through the drum". Sure the sound of the kevlar head is awesome, but you could cheat a little bit while drumming and I think that's where playing with good technique and the "shallow" sound of individual playing has come to be.

Don't forget though that Star '85 - '88 was Delucia, if you listen to 85 it sounds like a brigmen line playing brigemen notes.

Back before the mid 80's I think corps promoted staff up through the ranks...you marched there for years and then if you were the best, you taught there...the raised you to come back and teach....Dennis and Pat Patrillo and Dubinski
Hannum and Aungst
Its all traced out in one of the "history" thread (Hulka, a little help here...)
but then the guys who were "raised" didn't wait around, they went off to teach somewhere else...which is when/why the distinct still started to get wattered down.

T.

Yeah, thats the one!

I recommend everyone checking out the VicFirth site, particualarly the interview with Hannum, Float and the Delucia piece on the history/evolution of things.

Way cool stuff.

first off, I'd like to say that this thread is definitely an eye opener. it's nice to heard or read the different insights of corps vets other than my instructor(he marched 27th Lancers in '85).

whenever he and I talked about the difference from when he played, he always says that every was meatier and ballsier (i.e., playin things that some lines now wouldn't even attempt) something on my own that I've noticed is that a lot of the playin was roll based. first show that comes to mind is Vanguard '87, alot a lot of extended roll passages and since '00, I haven't seen anything close to that.

a few years ago when I was really gettin into corps, I was able to see a vid of the Top drumlines from the '70s to the late '80s, it was different from hearin the difficult books from the present day corps then watchin Bridgemen, 27th Lancers, and various other corps throw down some insane stuff. I was never graced the chance to see VK or Star, so sorry...haven't been exposed to them yet.

If you guys haven't seen Phantom's line from this past season(2005), then check it out here. They are definately in a style of some early 90's "old school" style drumming and attitude that we have been talking about here. At least in my opinion. It makes sense though...look at who teaches their line Feel free to disagree or agree if you want.

http://www.pearldrum.com/04_nuhom/PRFinalsWeek.mpg

I think they have a nice mix of both styles going on there. Perhaps this may be the shift back to "old school" we were talking about. I didn't get to see Phantom this year so this was a nice treat. Thanks for sharing Bernie.