OT Any experience with Drum Corps (DCI)?

[vacock]

Our grandson will do DCI after his last year in the Mauldin HS band. He plays trumpet. Is it worth it for post HS? It looks like he wants to go to USC and should get in. I’m not sure if he thinks he will have time for the Mighty Sound of the Southeast. It looks like his time in the DCI would conflict with the start of the USC band camp.

 

[will110]

Our grandson will do DCI after his last year in the Mauldin HS band. He plays trumpet. Is it worth it for post HS? It looks like he wants to go to USC and should get in. I’m not sure if he thinks he will have time for the Mighty Sound of the Southeast. It looks like his time in the DCI would conflict with the start of the USC band camp.

I was a member of the Mighty Sound of the Southeast for two seasons. It's an incredible experience, so if DCI conflicts with USC, I'd choose USC every single time.

I never did DCI, though I did know quite a few people who did.

 

[Piscis]

I wonder how long it is going to be before schools do away with the marching bands and all the flag corps and dancing girls? Those big bands take up around 400 seats that could be sold to people who would be forced to donate to the program in order to be able to buy tickets. The revenue would certainly be at least $1 million per season and the school would do away with the expense associated with the band (it cost $650,000 to send the band to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade).

NFL games don't have bands and piped in music is becoming more and more of the music played at college games. As college football continues to follow the NFL path, marching bands seem like they will be a casualty of the money grab culture that has taken over college football.

 

[vacock]

I wonder how long it is going to be before schools do away with the marching bands and all the flag corps and dancing girls? Those big bands take up around 400 seats that could be sold to people who would be forced to donate to the program in order to be able to buy tickets. The revenue would certainly be at least $1 million per season and the school would do away with the expense associated with the band (it cost $650,000 to send the band to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade).

NFL games don't have bands and piped in music is becoming more and more of the music played at college games. As college football continues to follow the NFL path, marching bands seem like they will be a casualty of the money grab culture that has taken over college football.

Or they could come from outside the stadium to perform only at halftime. Good point.

 

[KingWard]

DCI is a wonderful spectacle and much can be derived from the experience. I also think they have added elements to the choreography and props that really don't enhance the basic disciplines of precision marching and great musicianship. It has become very gimmicky for the purist.

But as to the question regarding high-level college band vs. DCI when there is a conflict, if you have a chance to do "big" college band as part of the university experience, I say take the opportunity. I don't think it's a choice one would regret.

 

[Skuddy]

 

[will110]

I wonder how long it is going to be before schools do away with the marching bands and all the flag corps and dancing girls? Those big bands take up around 400 seats that could be sold to people who would be forced to donate to the program in order to be able to buy tickets. The revenue would certainly be at least $1 million per season and the school would do away with the expense associated with the band (it cost $650,000 to send the band to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade).

NFL games don't have bands and piped in music is becoming more and more of the music played at college games. As college football continues to follow the NFL path, marching bands seem like they will be a casualty of the money grab culture that has taken over college football.

The benefit of having the band on the Thanksgiving Day parade from a marketing standpoint is immeasurable though. That's a lot of eyes who saw USC who otherwise probably wouldn't have given USC another thought. The Carolina Band is traveling to London next summer as well. That's huge from a university public relations standpoint.

I don't think we're at the point yet where schools will get rid of bands. It's too much a part of the culture, pageantry, and gameday tradition. Remember the outrage when the Citrus Bowl told Iowa their band couldn't perform at halftime a couple years ago? The backlash was so strong the bowl game changed the ruling and allowed both Iowa and Tennessee to perform at halftime.

Sure, college bands across the board don't play as much today as they once did, but that's a long way from getting rid of them entirely.

 

[Piscis]

The benefit of having the band on the Thanksgiving Day parade from a marketing standpoint is immeasurable though. That's a lot of eyes who saw USC who otherwise probably wouldn't have given USC another thought. The Carolina Band is traveling to London next summer as well. That's huge from a university public relations standpoint.

I don't think we're at the point yet where schools will get rid of bands. It's too much a part of the culture, pageantry, and gameday tradition. Remember the outrage when the Citrus Bowl told Iowa their band couldn't perform at halftime a couple years ago? The backlash was so strong the bowl game changed the ruling and allowed both Iowa and Tennessee to perform at halftime.

Sure, college bands across the board don't play as much today as they once did, but that's a long way from getting rid of them entirely.

I don't think you would want to know how many students enrolled at USC because they saw the band in the Macy's parade. I would be shocked if the number even reached single digits. The trip to London will probably generate the same number of students, especially since college marching bands do not exist in England.

Players not getting paid to play college football was also a big part of the culture and tradition of college football and we see how quickly that changed.

 

[muscleknight]

Does USC have a plan for the train and caboose breaking down on the field before 2001? If they did break down its going to delay the start of the game by at least an hour.

 

[psychocock1984]

Like a couple of others I marched a couple of years in the USC band. My two years of marching were George's last two years of running for USC.

I would be very surprised if the USC band does already make accommodations for folks who wish to do DCI and join camp in progress. I would encourage you to contact the band director. It shouldn't be a choice of one or the other but how can you do both.

College band is different from High School where typically one show is worked all seasons long - with modification - to perfect it for band contests. That really isn't the case for college. A college band will be doing a different show practically every game - a piece or two from the previous week might be kept in. The goals is less perfecting a show to win a competition but more focusing on entertaining the few folks how didn't go concessions or relieve themselves of beverages consumed earlier. All that to say missing some of the camp would be as bad for the band's performance as it would be for high school.

 

[vacock]

Speaking of cheerleaders

 

[will110]

Like a couple of others I marched a couple of years in the USC band. My two years of marching were George's last two years of running for USC.

I would be very surprised if the USC band does already make accommodations for folks who wish to do DCI and join camp in progress. I would encourage you to contact the band director. It shouldn't be a choice of one or the other but how can you do both.

College band is different from High School where typically one show is worked all seasons long - with modification - to perfect it for band contests. That really isn't the case for college. A college band will be doing a different show practically every game - a piece or two from the previous week might be kept in. The goals is less perfecting a show to win a competition but more focusing on entertaining the few folks how didn't go concessions or relieve themselves of beverages consumed earlier. All that to say missing some of the camp would be as bad for the band's performance as it would be for high school.

Missing band camp probably means you wouldn't march pregame. A ton of camp is devoted to learning high step marching and the pregame routine. It's by far the most physically demanding show performed all year. Not marching pregame would be a major disappointment, it's the best part of being a band member.

 

[Piscis]

Speaking of cheerleaders

She has a body like an 11 year old boy.

 

[vacock]

She has a body like an 11 year old boy.

Smaller and lighter is better to throw them around.

 

[Piscis]

Smaller and lighter is better to throw them around.

Yeah, but I like them to look like girls, but you do you.

 

[bayrooster]

Where's our midget girlfriend poster (jsusc)? How would she rate?

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

Where's our midget girlfriend poster (jsusc)? How would she rate?

50% off.