Since the late 1800's, drum
corps has been a part of the American Heritage - starting
with the military tradition of Drum and Fife as known-during
the American Revolution, through the bugle bands of
the early ? 900's, to the modern day drum and bugle
corps which has evolved into the most disciplined,
precise audio/visual display of musician pageantry
in existence anywhere in the world.
What makes this activity
impressive is that the level of professionalism displayed
in the competitive drum corps performance is achieved
by members between the ages of 12 and 21 years. The
exaggerated display of semi-military marching programs,
precisely coordinated with progressive, classical,
and marching music has grown into the largest youth
oriented, crowd appealing activity in the United States
and Canada. The competitive atmosphere has much to
do with the level of quality drum corps project in
the performances. No other competitive or non-competitive
youth activity has consistently attained the professionalism
that is common in the average drum and bugle corps.
Some of the performers have
musical backgrounds; most of them do not. Those with
no previous training are from scratch by the staff
of each drum corps. The fact that the horn lines are
superb is due to many long hours of individual practice
and group rehearsals.
The competition itself is
primarily a spring and summer activity for those who
participate. Preparing for competition takes hundreds
upon hundreds of hours during the fall and winter months
to improve techniques and to learn and perfect the
musical and marching repertoires.
People travel many thousands of
miles each year to attend the competitions around this
country and Canada. It is common for the major drum
corps competitions to draw 15,000 to 25,000 spectators.
In the United States and
Canada, competitive drum corps number well over 2,500
units, representing approximately 250,000 boys and
girls, and 90,000 to 100.000 adults staff and booster
club members. This does not include several thousand
non-competitive, parade oriented drum corps, which
will bring the participation level well over the million
mark.
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JUDGING AND SCORING
In competitive drum corps
What You're Going to See Tonight!
Military Precision-the musical blend and excitement
of a well directed band or orchestra and the showmark
of a Broadway Show.
To those of you who are seeing
a drum corps show for the first time, we wish to point
out a few interesting facts on just what a drum and
bugle corps competition is all about.
All of the performers competing
here tonight, are under 21 years of age. The musical
and marching excellence you are about to wit- ness,
has no match in any other youth performing sport. Perfection
is their goal.
The instrument, a bugle, is a
single valve hom pitched in the key of G, with the
valve used to change the key from G, to F or D. In
addi- tion to the valve, use of a rotary valve (similar
in type to that used on a Concert French Horn), is
op- tional, but if used it permits them to use F#.
The variety of sizes of these instruments makes for
the overall "big band" sound. The range of sizes varies
from the smallest bu- gle, a soprano, through to the
trench horn, flugle, mellophone, baritone, bass-baritone,
and the largest carried is a contra-bass bugle. Those
horns are among the most difficult instruments to master.
Many of the performers have musical
backgrounds, however, most do not. Those that do not
are trained from scratch by the staff of each drum
corps. The fact that the hom line ace superb, is due
to many long hours of rehearsals.
The techniques of the drum lines
are distinctive, unlike anything you 11 ever see in
any other musical arena. The percussion sections are
programmed much the same as the horns. The percussive
instrument- ation includes tonal opportunities by use
of marching tympani, and varied mallet instruments,
as well as the more traditional marching cussion accessories
allowed, provide for numerous special effects to help
bring additional color to their phase of the overal
musical performance.
The great and colorful portion
of each corps' show, is the section called the "color
guard". This name is more traditional than factual,
because the overall con- cept has changed through the
years from a very small segment of the corps, centered
around the Nation- al Color, organizational (sponsoring
flag), and corps flag, with its honor guard, to a rather
large segment of many more flags and rifles. The pre-
sent idea for the "color guard" is to bring more visual
color to the program by specially designed equipment
effects, and through choreographed patterns used to
frame the audio/visual presentation of the musical
segments of the corps.
The pageantry of a drum and bugle
corps competition combines the military precision of
West Point, the musical blend and excitement of a well
directed band or orchestra, and the showmanship of
a Broad- way show.
To the drum corps "purist", the
fine points are well understood and appreciated, to
the newcomer or novice, the obvious aspects of the
program and performance are the highlights. Both the
purist and novice are the entertaining objec- tive
of these corps'.
HOW IT IS JUDGED
The purpose of this article is
to unravel some of these points to make this show more
understand- able and enjoyable. So, we begin by pointing
out that the group of men who, in your mind, seem to
be in the way of the corps. . . nosey individuals who
are praying into the business at hand, are the judges.
These men are authorities in their respective fields
(captions) and they constitute the balance of power.
It is their job to determine the capability of each
corps in the caption they are judging.
This contest or competition,
is being judged under the rules of Drum Corps International,
and the following is a break-down of that scoring system:
Marching & Maneuvering-
Execution 25 Points
Marching & Maneuvering-
General Effect 10 Points
Drumming-Execution/
Exposure Error 15 Points
Percussion Analysis 5 Points
Drumming-General
Effect 10 Points
Bugling-Execution 15 Points
Bugling-Musical
Analysis 10 Points
Bugling-General Effect
10 Points
Total Scoring Worth 100
Points
Every corps has a total of 100
points to start with. During the course of the performance
on the field, every error they make in the various
captions are deducted from the "Execution" captions.
Each error made, has a worth of one-tenth of a point.
At the end of their per- formance, the total errors
recorded are subtracted from the 55 points alloted
to the execution captions. The balance of the scoring
is on a build-up basis, meaning that they are given
credit for worth, content, and effect of their program
and the performance.
THE CAPTIONS JUDGED
MARCHING & MANEUVERING-EXECUTION:
No army ser- geant is more exacting in his require-
ments for precision marching. Of- ten, a mistake is
not the glaring er- ror, noticeable to the average
fan. It is the minute failures which of- ten separate
one corps from ano- ther. Interval between men, dis-
tance between ranks, files not cov- ered, dress of
squads, platoons, and other type fronts are gener-
ally the areas sampled by the marching execution judge.
Any er- ror, even of the slightest degree, means the
loss of a tenth of a point for each infraction. The
perfection of detail must be carried out to such an
extent, that any technical or human failure meets with
a dis- approving check from the judge. The unforgiveable
drum corps crime of "out of step" is greeted with a
tenth of a point for every sixteen steps or fraction
thereof. Should a corps member fail to pick- up his
feet uniformily with the other members of the corps,
or become sloppy in his carriage and/or bearing, the
judge is there to take off one-tenth of a point. An
unmerciful cuss is the M&M Judge, but he must do his
job in order to help the "team" of judges arrive at
the correct competitive results.
BUGLING-EXECUTION: Theirs is
the task to ascertain that each member in the bugle
section is a musician, playing his part. Tone quality,
musical accents, proper brass technique, musical blend,
tone and release are all qualities which good drum
corps horn sec- tions must have. Failure in any and
each aspect, means the loss of a tenth of a point.
Musical contrast, diminuendo and crescen- do, accelerando
and retard are vital qualities of a good musical unit;
each failure means the loss of a tenth of a point.
Handling of equip- ment such as the uniform position
of the bugle while marching and playing, bringing them
up and down at the beginning and com- pletion of a
song, lend to the good order of the unit. Each failure
means a tenth of a point.
MUSICAL ANALYSIS: The bugle caption
also has a category whereby the judge evaluates the
training displayed by the musicians, the content of
the written score, and the tone quality and intonation
control of the instrument by the performers. Credit
is given for the degree of excellence in each of these
considerations.
DRUMMING EXECUTION/EX-POSURE
TO ERROR: The drum judges police all facets
of execu- tion and exposure to error of the performing
percussionists. Attacks, releases, contrast, diminuendo,
cres- cendo, uniform playing of rudi- ments, are
all requisites of a good drummer. Any time he errs
in any one of these and other depart- ments, he
loses a tenth of a point for his unit. As with
the bugle judge, the judge of this caption utilizes
a high degree of concen- tration in watching and
listening to the performance, so that he can accurately
evaluate the precision of the section.
A balancing factor on the execution
drumming score sheet is a build-up or credit consideration
called "Exposure to Error". This caption insures that
the program- mer of the drum music does not totally
design his phase of the show, for easy perfection.
A pro- gram should be a challenge to the performers,
rather than one less than the performing capabilities
of the section. The judge gives credit for the more
exposed and difficult repertoire, to a limit of 5 points.
GENERAL EFFECT: This
is a credit caption, which allows the judges to evaluate
on a build-up basis, all those elements of the program
and performance which collectively present the finest,
smoothest, most pleasing and fin-ished performance.
A units super- ior ability, originality and show- manship
are considered. The eval- uations, in order to rank
and rate each corps. Audience reaction to an effect,
production, and perform- ance is very much a part of
his consideration.
The General Effect caption is
divided into three sub-captions worth ten points each;
Marching & Maneuvering General Effect, Bugling, and
Drumming General Effect. Each is evaluated by a specialist,
and their collective re- actions make-up the total
score given each corps performance in General Effect.
TIMING & BOUNDARIES: Each
corps you see on the fie'd is in competition for a
minimum of ele- ven and one-half minutes, to a maximum
of thirteen mmutes. A.i\y corps under or over time
is pen- alized 2/lOths per six seconds or fraction
thereof.
Once a corps has entered the
Held of competition, they are required to remain within
the bound- aries (end zone to end zone, side to side).
The only member allow- ed over any boundary is the
drum major. Violation of this rule is also penalized.
There are many more areas
of the scoring system which are all a part of what
separates one corps' performance, from another. To
detail all of them would take more time than you
have before tonights show begins, but all of it,
as well as the tradition of the activity, is what
makes the program distinc- tive and spectacular.
