Music APA Sample

Running head: MUSIC, DRILL AND HISTORY 1

Music, Drill and History

Student Name

Hallyburton Academy

English IV

1st Block

M. Vitrone

September 19, 2011

MUSIC, DRILL AND HISTORY 2

Music, Drill and History

Early Corps History

Drum and bugle corps comes from a rich American military history, separate from other

marching musical activities. Beginning after World War I through the 1970s, corps and

competitions were often sponsored by the VFW and the American Legion. Owing to these

groups' roots, corps was traditionally militaristic. By the late 1960s, many corps wanted more

creative freedom and better financial compensation than was offered by the sponsors. Some felt

the prize money structures, based on how well they scored, were not fairly compensating all

corps for their appearances. Additionally, some felt the current judging rules were going against

musical and theatrical possibilities. At the peak of American drum corps participation, several

corps decided to band together and form their own organizations, which ultimately led to the

formation of Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1965 and Drum Corps International (DCI) in

1972. By this time, many corps had already lost their church or community sponsors. For the

corps that remained, longer travel times were necessary to attend the contests, adding to the

financial and time demands on the organizations and their individual members. At the same time,

costs for the increasingly complex field shows mounted, and creative and instructional demands,

led many competitive corps to quit. By the late 1990s, only half of the corps that existed in the

60s and 70s remained; although several new corps, some of which have become very successful,

did start up along the way.

Modern Corps

Non-competitive classic-style corps saw a renaissance beginning in the mid 1980s, and

they continue to organize, members often remain vigilant about the traditions and virtues of the

drum corps activity. Freed from the traditional and more restrictive judging rules of the late


1960s, corps began making innovative changes such as the use of multi-valve horns, wide-

ranging tempos, intricate asymmetric drill formations, elaborate guard costumes and props, and

the use of stationary percussion instruments. A common criticism of drum corps is that it has

become too close to marching band, although in truth the two activities have evolved together

over the years. The most apparent difference between the two is the fact that corps uses only

bell-front brass instrumentation. Some corps still utilize the traditional G Bugle which is very

rarely found in marching band. The competitive season for corps is in the summer rather than

fall, with auditions and initial ensemble rehearsals actually beginning as early as late October of

the previous year. The top-tier competitive drum corps programs are often far more difficult and

more professional than marching bands, as members in full time touring corps have no

distractions outside of corps during the season and you can only get in with a strict audition.

Marching Band Instrumentation

The size and composition of a marching band or drum corps can vary greatly. Some

bands have fewer than twenty members, and some have over 500. American marching bands

vary in their instrumentation.

Woodwinds.

Some bands omit some or all woodwinds, but it is not uncommon to

see piccolos, flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, and tenor saxophones. Clarinets, alto

clarinets, bass clarinets, and baritone saxophones are less common, but can be found in some

bands. Bassoons and oboes are not found on a field due to the risk of incidental damage; the

impracticality of marching with an exposed double reed, and high sensitivity to weather makes

these instruments unusable during marching season.


Brass.

The brass section usually has trumpets or cornets, horns, alto horns,

or mellophones, tenor trombones, baritone horns or euphoniums, and tubas or sousaphones.

Soprano cornets are sometimes used to supplement or replace the high woodwinds. Some

especially large bands use flugelhorns and bass trombones. Specially designed versions of the

lower brass have been created for use while marching. These are typically wrapped in such a

way that allows the bell to face toward the audience at all times and makes the instrument easier

for the player to hold. Bands my also modify their instrumentation to remove slide trombones

completely and replace them with another instrument, such as a valve trombone or marching

baritone.

Percussion.

Marching percussion typically includes snare drums, tenor drums, bass drums,

and cymbals and is responsible for keeping tempo and is employed for its percussive impact. The

front ensemble which is on the front sideline consists of: guiros, and chimes or tubular bells,

concert bass drums, and gongs, as well as a multitude of auxiliary percussion equipment. Drum

sets, purpose-built drum racks, and other mounted instruments are also placed here. Until the

advent of the pit in the early 1980s, many of these instruments were actually carried on the field

by marching percussionists by hand or on mounting brackets. Some bands have eclectic

instruments too as synthesizers, electric guitars, and bass guitars, along with the

requisite amplification. Unusual percussive instruments are sometimes used, including brake

drums, empty propane tanks, trashcans, railroad ties, stomping rigs, and other cool sounds. Drum

Corps International (DCI), on the other hand, like the name suggests is a drum and bugle corps,

so it consists mainly of drums and bugles. In addition to drums and bugles, it also contains the


color guard and a front ensemble, but it has no woodwinds or other brass instruments. Some

drum corps are male only corps as well, like The Cavaliers and Madison Scouts (Drum Corps

International website, 2011).

Rules for Formations

There are a few simple rules when it comes to marching band or drum corps: play your

music, know your choreography, and get to your dot. When I say, Fit the form,” I mean that if

there is a curve or a circle or a straight line, the players should stay behind the person in front of

them, keep their intervals the same to their left and right, and front to back. Players should stay

the same space apart; that way, the band gets a good general affect on the audience and judges.

The formations should appear as a big picture and not marchers getting to their dots, their set

coordinates.

Technique

When players start setting drill for a marching show or a DCI show, they get drill sheets,

and this gives them coordinates, such as Side 1, 2 steps outside 45 yard line, 7 steps in front of

front hash, and that is their dot, their spot on the field. There are two sides to the field; side A and

B. Side A is to the left of the 50 and side B is to the right of the 50. Since a football field is laid

off in sections of 5 yards, band members have some common practice steps to learn how to

march. The common steps to practice marching include: an 8 to 5 count, a 6 to 5 count, a 12 to 5

count, and a 16 to 5 count. However, when players are marching a show, there are some steps

that are smaller, some steps that are bigger, and if the players are lucky, sometimes they do not

have to move at all.

As visual programs have increased in complexity, corps have developed and formalized

various movement techniques, the goal of each being the achievement of fluid, consistent


movements that allow for precise musical technique at all tempos, step sizes, and directions.

Given that instrument-wielding members most often face toward the audience, marching

technique must not affect the motion of members’ upper body. Horn players may twist their

lower bodies in their direction of movement, but members of the battery cannot do that because

of their drums. This hindrance led to the invention of the crab step, where the legs cross over one

another to move side to side. Being visually oriented, color guard can face any direction at any

time, as long as their movement matches the choreography. The most common backward

marching technique requires that the band members balance on their toes and sort of drag them

across the ground; another technique instructs the members to reverse the heel–toe roll step,

allowing for heel and ground contact.

Marching technique programs have largely been inspired by dance technique, and

members of the color guard and horn-line often jazz run in order to maintain upper body stability

when marching at fast tempos with large step sizes. In addition, choreography has permeated all

sections of the contemporary drum corps, so not just color guard has visuals, but the horn-line

and battery and even front ensemble do as well.

Drill formations have become very sophisticated in modern corps. While traditional

blocks, company fronts, and symmetrical formations may still be used occasionally for impact,

they have largely given way to abstract formations and intricate developments aided by the use

of computer assisted drill writing programs. Drill writing is an art form unto itself, and is very

carefully written to keep instrumental sections together, to put featured members at the center of

attention, to visually reinforce musical phrasing, and to create the most interesting and

innovative shapes and movements (Drum Corps International Fan Network website, 2011).


Band Members’ Mentality and Dedication

It all winds down to how well band members want to do. Players will practice the way

they want to perform. Excellence is a habit, so band members who want to excel will practice

excellence and get used to doing it, every time all the time. Whether it be marching the show at

world finals or at their rehearsals, they will treat every run through like it is finals night.


References

Drum Corps International Fan Network website. (2011). http://dci.thefannetwork.org/

Drum Corps International website. (2011). http://www.dci.org/corps/

Drum Corps Planet website. (2011). http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/

Documents

Music APA Sample