Klarinet Archive - Posting 000836.txt from 1997/11

From: Jennifer Rose McKenna <jrm0013@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: professional wind ensembles
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 16:22:10 -0500

On Sat, 22 Nov 1997, SEAN TALBOT wrote:

> First of all I find it unnerving the anti-drum corp feeling and
> makes me wonder when was the last time you experienced a modern drum corps.
> The importance of the music has really taken center stage over the last few
> years. Star of Indiana has left the field and is now a touring organization
> and I had the opportunity to see them at a sold out Ravina festival that was
> just as packed as the Chicago Symphony concerts held there. It might not be
> as professional as some other things but lets face it......it gets people
> listening to music. It gets hundereds of kids playing music and many come
> out not only with a positive musical experience that they will take with them
> the rest of their lives but many are excellent musicians. To say that
> drum corps has nothing to do with music shows that a person is not open to
> all mediums of music. I do understand that some people don't like brass bands
> or even brass quintets as far as their sound but they do have their place.
> DCI tried something new this year for their 25th anniversary in which they
> held a number of indoor concerts where a couple of corps would play their
> sets in a concert setting. There was also peroformances of color gaurds doing
> dances that Bob Fossy would be proud of. All of it showed the true artistry
> of Drum Corps. Someone just calling it a marching competition should really
> take a look at it with new eyes. I can smell the smoke of the flames comming
> my way but so be it. I get lucky very soon that I have a Satuday comming up
> where I get to play in a Drum Corps style marching band, an orchestra, and an
> excellent wind ensamble all in the matter of about 4 hours....and I am going
> to love all of it I will tell you now.
>
> Sean Talbot
> Universtiy of Wisconsin - Whitewater
>
i have a large bone to pick with drum corps..i have spent alot of time
with drum corp memebers because i was best friends with a member of the
blue devils, but being a clarinet player i was not included in there
conversations. as a matter of fact i was ignored entirely. dc's may get
people listen to music. but it is no exception to the rare treat of the
disappearing concert band which actually has all member of the wind and
percussion family. i feel it is wrong for people to call dc's the better
form of music; or the one that they prefer because it is soo obvious that
the concert band is a more well rounded form, and many of the dc
arrangements came from orchestra pieces, such as the planets, and concert
band pieces. so while drum corps may get people listening to music, it
should not be their impression of band.
also i would like to know what the term BANDO means? i have heard it many
times when i try to put my input into dc conversations. if someone can
tell me what that is, and i imagine it is derogatory, i will have a better
rebute the next time it is used. thankyou.

jennifer mckenna

jrm0013@-----.edu
university of north texas