Rick_bari3(at)NOTatBbMaleBUTt@Gmail•ComByteME
2008-05-15 16:17:22 UTC
I can deal with B flat brass but that floor tile snare drum sound still
bothers me.
Modern instrumentation refines the drum corps sound
by Mike Ferlazzo, DCW staff
This article originally appeared in the December 2007 edition of Drum
Corps world (Volume 36, Number 16).
http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?ID=681
While the sound of a drum and bugle corps is still distinct among
marching musical groups, long-time followers know it�s evolved and is
now quite different than Drum Corps International�s first year in
1972. Few can deny that instrumental advancements have elevated the
activity�s performance sophistication, allowing corps to explore many
more program possibilities than the DCI pioneers 35 years ago.
Corps in that first world championship event played bugles in the key
of G with one valve and a second slide or rotary. Their percussion
units used marching timpani, with snares -- and some tenors -- carried
by straps with leg rests on the drums. While the sound was awesome and
the military precision impeccable, both the musical and visual options
were bound by the limits of the instrumentation of the day.
Today�s brass instruments are, for the most part, in the key of B-flat
and have three valves, just like many of the same brass instruments
found in high school and college bands. Keyboards and timpani have
been moved to the front ensemble and are now played with the same
concert sensitivity as one might find in a symphonic orchestra,
particularly since the passage of amplification.
That has also led to the introduction of additional percussion
accessories and ethnic sounds to enhance the mood of the music.
Performers in the battery play on drums with high-torque heads that
provide additional exposure to their note-intensive books. And those
drums are transported by ever-lighter and more comfortable carriers
that allow greater freedom of motion.
The sound continues to be awesome -- although some traditionalists
might argue, not as powerful and edgy as it was in the key of G -- and
yet more refined, with seemingly no limit to what music or athletic
movements a corps can now perform.
Yet drum corps� instrumental evolution hasn�t just invited greater
creativity and performance possibilities, it�s also opened the
activity up to the rest of the musical world, particularly the
introduction of B-flat brass instruments in 2000.
�The inclusion of B-flat instruments has made all the difference in
the world in legitimizing our position in the world of music,� said
DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson. �It has opened up even more
opportunities for the corps and their sponsors to get involved.
There�s nothing [among instrumental changes during the history of DCI]
more significant than that.
�It puts us on the same page [with high school and college marching
bands]. A young person can bring his own trumpet to a drum corps
rehearsal. And while some real traditionalists may shutter at that, it
was huge for the activity.�
�We just switched Colt Cadets to B-flat brass last year,� said Vicki
Shaffer, youth programs director for the Colts, which includes the
Colt Cadets, Youth Choir and Summer Bands. �I really like the move in
the sense that it more parallels what they�re doing in their [the
performers] school programs. That�s because one of the things we�re
trying to do with all of our programs is obviously -- with the
exception of Colts [because they�re a world class corps with
accomplished musicians] -- to supplement kids� musical experiences.
�So the fact that we weren�t playing something that was unique to our
activity actually allowed us to be more mainstream . . . The
instrument that that kid�s playing in the band room is now what
they�re playing on the drum corps field, for the most part.�
The gradual conversion to B-flat brass throughout the activity has now
allowed musicians on all levels a more seamless transition into the
activity, without dramatically changing the sound. The evolution of
the front ensemble and amplification of its pit instruments has also
given concert percussionists the chance to try their hands at drum
corps, without requiring them to practice unnatural technique or
experience back pain while marching with heavy keyboard or timpani
instruments.
So drum corps instrumentation is now more conventional and consistent
with what musicians may find in their band rooms. But just like any
competitive activity, each group is trying to push the limits of the
equipment to better maximize the talents of their performers. And each
summer, members of world class corps get the opportunity to sample new
instruments featuring some of the latest technological advancements by
the top manufacturers.
It�s not just a one-way street when it comes to new instrument design.
The drum corps performers and their staffs are also providing valuable
feedback that designers use in building better products.
�Manufacturers are spending significantly more and more time and
effort improving their lineup of musical instruments. Drum corps play
a large part in the research and development of these products for
Yamaha,� said Troy Wollwage, Percussion Marketing Manager, Band and
Orchestra Division, Yamaha Corporation of America.
�At Yamaha, we get valuable research and the corps get to experiment
and try new things in order to help tell their story,� Wollwage said.
�The long-term relationship is important as we are more likely to try
new things with the Scouts and Cavies than say, a corps that is very
new to playing Yamaha. This is mostly due to the fact that when we try
something, we only try it with a few groups. Having every corps that
is currently using Yamaha products prototype something new is really
not feasible as there are never that many prototypes made in the first
place. That is just not practical. But we do try and spread it around
as best we can so that we get a variety of feedback.�
Wollwage says all corps using Yamaha products get the chance to
provide feedback in further instrument development. Their input is
currently being used to produce better instrument balance, height
adjustment, durability and lighter weight, along with such smaller
things as better knobs, controls and fasteners.
He doesn�t see any monumental musicality changes in the near future
within the activity, but that could change depending on demand within
the market and the response to that demand.
�Well, I think if you take any industry, whether it be music
instruments, automobiles, cell phones, etc., there is increased
competition to design high-quality products that meet the needs of
consumers,� he said. �That will always be the case because consumers
want the latest and greatest.
�For any company to be successful in its market segment, they must
respond to these needs and it�s the same for instruments used by the
drum corps. Any drum corps, college band, professional musician or
indoor percussion group certainly wants to have products that meet
their needs. It is not intense for us to meet those needs. We do not
view it so much as an �arms race,� but rather, it is just our job. It
is what we do,� Wollwage added.
The biggest need that people seem to want right now is greater range,
according to Schaffer.
�As things evolve and we get into the structural technology and the
design of things going forward, it seems like ranges are expanding on
all the instruments,� she said. �It just seems like for every
instrument that comes out, a handful of years later -- especially in
percussion -- you�re going to be able to play a larger range on that
instrument. Then people want bigger and bigger ranges, and more
versatility that way.�
There seems to now be endless possibilities to the instruments and
sounds they can produce on the marching field. Those possibilities
could include a return to drum corps� roots for a particular musical
effect.
�What I think has been good is, if a corps goes and takes the field
with traditional field drums, that�s a different sound and yet they�re
still going to perform in the same way -- and there�s a different
value to what they�re doing,� said Schaffer. �So someone could take
the field right now with G bugles and be appreciated for what that is.
And someone could take the field with B-flat brass.
�That range of possibilities, I think, is good, because it allows
corps to do what works for them and to have what works for them.�
And what�s on the horizon instrumentally for the activity�s musical
future?
�Who knows really,� said Wollwage. �I stopped trying to figure that
out long ago. What�s important to understand is that the drum corps
activity plays a large role in the musical development for a number of
young musicians each year. As long as music instrument manufacturers
keep supporting the DCI activity, we are going to see great things
come from these young musicians.
�DCI and all the corps would be hard-pressed to do what they do
without the support of all the music instrument companies. It takes
all the manufacturers to help put these corps on the field. One or two
companies cannot support everyone.�
�The obvious question that�s asked on so many levels on an annual
basis is, �Are we going to have woodwinds?� � said Acheson. �And the
answer to that is, I have no idea what the corps are going to decide
they want to have or not have. But I don�t see that coming any time
soon.
�But whether it does or it does not -- and I said this about the kid
carrying a B-flat instrument vs. a G bugle -- does it enhance or
change their ultimate experience? No. As long as they�re in pursuit of
achieving excellence in the manner that only drum corps know how to
deliver, I don�t think it matters what the instrument is.�
Author�s note: This is the second of a three-part series on Yamaha�s
input into the evolution of the drum corps activity. Next month�s
installment will explore how drum corps now contributes to the product
development process for band instruments.
Thanks STU ( & Gary)bothers me.
Modern instrumentation refines the drum corps sound
by Mike Ferlazzo, DCW staff
This article originally appeared in the December 2007 edition of Drum
Corps world (Volume 36, Number 16).
http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?ID=681
While the sound of a drum and bugle corps is still distinct among
marching musical groups, long-time followers know it�s evolved and is
now quite different than Drum Corps International�s first year in
1972. Few can deny that instrumental advancements have elevated the
activity�s performance sophistication, allowing corps to explore many
more program possibilities than the DCI pioneers 35 years ago.
Corps in that first world championship event played bugles in the key
of G with one valve and a second slide or rotary. Their percussion
units used marching timpani, with snares -- and some tenors -- carried
by straps with leg rests on the drums. While the sound was awesome and
the military precision impeccable, both the musical and visual options
were bound by the limits of the instrumentation of the day.
Today�s brass instruments are, for the most part, in the key of B-flat
and have three valves, just like many of the same brass instruments
found in high school and college bands. Keyboards and timpani have
been moved to the front ensemble and are now played with the same
concert sensitivity as one might find in a symphonic orchestra,
particularly since the passage of amplification.
That has also led to the introduction of additional percussion
accessories and ethnic sounds to enhance the mood of the music.
Performers in the battery play on drums with high-torque heads that
provide additional exposure to their note-intensive books. And those
drums are transported by ever-lighter and more comfortable carriers
that allow greater freedom of motion.
The sound continues to be awesome -- although some traditionalists
might argue, not as powerful and edgy as it was in the key of G -- and
yet more refined, with seemingly no limit to what music or athletic
movements a corps can now perform.
Yet drum corps� instrumental evolution hasn�t just invited greater
creativity and performance possibilities, it�s also opened the
activity up to the rest of the musical world, particularly the
introduction of B-flat brass instruments in 2000.
�The inclusion of B-flat instruments has made all the difference in
the world in legitimizing our position in the world of music,� said
DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson. �It has opened up even more
opportunities for the corps and their sponsors to get involved.
There�s nothing [among instrumental changes during the history of DCI]
more significant than that.
�It puts us on the same page [with high school and college marching
bands]. A young person can bring his own trumpet to a drum corps
rehearsal. And while some real traditionalists may shutter at that, it
was huge for the activity.�
�We just switched Colt Cadets to B-flat brass last year,� said Vicki
Shaffer, youth programs director for the Colts, which includes the
Colt Cadets, Youth Choir and Summer Bands. �I really like the move in
the sense that it more parallels what they�re doing in their [the
performers] school programs. That�s because one of the things we�re
trying to do with all of our programs is obviously -- with the
exception of Colts [because they�re a world class corps with
accomplished musicians] -- to supplement kids� musical experiences.
�So the fact that we weren�t playing something that was unique to our
activity actually allowed us to be more mainstream . . . The
instrument that that kid�s playing in the band room is now what
they�re playing on the drum corps field, for the most part.�
The gradual conversion to B-flat brass throughout the activity has now
allowed musicians on all levels a more seamless transition into the
activity, without dramatically changing the sound. The evolution of
the front ensemble and amplification of its pit instruments has also
given concert percussionists the chance to try their hands at drum
corps, without requiring them to practice unnatural technique or
experience back pain while marching with heavy keyboard or timpani
instruments.
So drum corps instrumentation is now more conventional and consistent
with what musicians may find in their band rooms. But just like any
competitive activity, each group is trying to push the limits of the
equipment to better maximize the talents of their performers. And each
summer, members of world class corps get the opportunity to sample new
instruments featuring some of the latest technological advancements by
the top manufacturers.
It�s not just a one-way street when it comes to new instrument design.
The drum corps performers and their staffs are also providing valuable
feedback that designers use in building better products.
�Manufacturers are spending significantly more and more time and
effort improving their lineup of musical instruments. Drum corps play
a large part in the research and development of these products for
Yamaha,� said Troy Wollwage, Percussion Marketing Manager, Band and
Orchestra Division, Yamaha Corporation of America.
�At Yamaha, we get valuable research and the corps get to experiment
and try new things in order to help tell their story,� Wollwage said.
�The long-term relationship is important as we are more likely to try
new things with the Scouts and Cavies than say, a corps that is very
new to playing Yamaha. This is mostly due to the fact that when we try
something, we only try it with a few groups. Having every corps that
is currently using Yamaha products prototype something new is really
not feasible as there are never that many prototypes made in the first
place. That is just not practical. But we do try and spread it around
as best we can so that we get a variety of feedback.�
Wollwage says all corps using Yamaha products get the chance to
provide feedback in further instrument development. Their input is
currently being used to produce better instrument balance, height
adjustment, durability and lighter weight, along with such smaller
things as better knobs, controls and fasteners.
He doesn�t see any monumental musicality changes in the near future
within the activity, but that could change depending on demand within
the market and the response to that demand.
�Well, I think if you take any industry, whether it be music
instruments, automobiles, cell phones, etc., there is increased
competition to design high-quality products that meet the needs of
consumers,� he said. �That will always be the case because consumers
want the latest and greatest.
�For any company to be successful in its market segment, they must
respond to these needs and it�s the same for instruments used by the
drum corps. Any drum corps, college band, professional musician or
indoor percussion group certainly wants to have products that meet
their needs. It is not intense for us to meet those needs. We do not
view it so much as an �arms race,� but rather, it is just our job. It
is what we do,� Wollwage added.
The biggest need that people seem to want right now is greater range,
according to Schaffer.
�As things evolve and we get into the structural technology and the
design of things going forward, it seems like ranges are expanding on
all the instruments,� she said. �It just seems like for every
instrument that comes out, a handful of years later -- especially in
percussion -- you�re going to be able to play a larger range on that
instrument. Then people want bigger and bigger ranges, and more
versatility that way.�
There seems to now be endless possibilities to the instruments and
sounds they can produce on the marching field. Those possibilities
could include a return to drum corps� roots for a particular musical
effect.
�What I think has been good is, if a corps goes and takes the field
with traditional field drums, that�s a different sound and yet they�re
still going to perform in the same way -- and there�s a different
value to what they�re doing,� said Schaffer. �So someone could take
the field right now with G bugles and be appreciated for what that is.
And someone could take the field with B-flat brass.
�That range of possibilities, I think, is good, because it allows
corps to do what works for them and to have what works for them.�
And what�s on the horizon instrumentally for the activity�s musical
future?
�Who knows really,� said Wollwage. �I stopped trying to figure that
out long ago. What�s important to understand is that the drum corps
activity plays a large role in the musical development for a number of
young musicians each year. As long as music instrument manufacturers
keep supporting the DCI activity, we are going to see great things
come from these young musicians.
�DCI and all the corps would be hard-pressed to do what they do
without the support of all the music instrument companies. It takes
all the manufacturers to help put these corps on the field. One or two
companies cannot support everyone.�
�The obvious question that�s asked on so many levels on an annual
basis is, �Are we going to have woodwinds?� � said Acheson. �And the
answer to that is, I have no idea what the corps are going to decide
they want to have or not have. But I don�t see that coming any time
soon.
�But whether it does or it does not -- and I said this about the kid
carrying a B-flat instrument vs. a G bugle -- does it enhance or
change their ultimate experience? No. As long as they�re in pursuit of
achieving excellence in the manner that only drum corps know how to
deliver, I don�t think it matters what the instrument is.�
Author�s note: This is the second of a three-part series on Yamaha�s
input into the evolution of the drum corps activity. Next month�s
installment will explore how drum corps now contributes to the product
development process for band instruments.
for this well inform
article(s). I'LL be
adding. My thoughts/
comments. later but,
for now,"ME"needs to
finish " HOE-ing " a
residential lot (act
-ually turns out to
be two Lots) ...I'LL
also explain later
b u t, I need hurry before the Stockton
temperature hits 100
degrees.;<{ Yes, its
goin'2 B a "HOT" MF!
Later, Dudes. -Rick
.