When some of the world’s top drum and bugle corps roll into Stillwater on Saturday, things will be a little different at the city’s annual Drum Beauty competition. Actually, they’ll sound different. As I wrote last summer, the elite marching-and-music units that make up Drum Corps International are being allowed to use electronics in an expanded role for the first time this year. So besides the amplification that has been allowed for several years, corps can now play electronic instruments live and use prerecorded sound effects and human voice to augment the music-making of their brass and percussion players. It’s a techno-trend that fans of the traditional marching activity jeer and advocates of change applaud.  

It’s not clear yet what we’ll actually hear this weekend, because the show in Stillwater is part of the national kick-off of DCI’s summer music season, which ends with the world championships in Indianapolis in early August. Drum Beauty will be one of the first opportunities that fans have to see and hear the elite world-class corps in a competitive setting. In fact, there was enough confusion during the off-season over how exactly corps could use electronics that a DCI rules committee had to clarify matters.   

We do know that the closest DCI corps to the Twin Cities, the Blue Stars of LaCrosse, Wis., are planning to use electronically reproduced sound effects to complement their show about a World War II-era factory. “Among the sound effects, audience members will hear steam, an air raid siren and the actual radio announcement that played when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941,” according to a DCI preview of their show. Blue Stars alumni who saw the preview told DCI “that they thought the electronic sounds enhanced the show.”

I haven’t heard what, if anything, is in store from the world champion Phantom Regiment (pictured) of Rockford, Ill.; the Cavaliers of Rosemont, Ill.; or Spirit of Jacksonville, Ala. I do know that when the Madison Scouts of Madison, Wis., hired a new caption head for their front-ensemble percussion, an understanding of electronics was specifically cited among his qualifications.

I have to admit that even though I’m a techno-geek, I prefer drum and bugle corps in their traditional, in-your-face, LOUD brass-and-percussion configuration — no electronics. But whatever the results of adding electronic instruments, it will be nearly impossible to keep me from being mesmerized by this amazing display of music and motion.

Besides the DCI world-class corps mentioned above, Drum Beauty will also feature Minnesota Brass Inc. of St. Paul, the Govenaires of St. Peter, the Colt Cadets of Dubuque, Iowa, and the Racine Scouts of Racine, Wis. You can buy tickets for Saturday’s show, which starts at 6 p.m. at Stillwater High School stadium, through the Drum Beauty website. Not only will you see some great shows — electronics or not — but you’ll also be supporting an important nonprofit activity. See you there.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 3:22 pm and is filed under Audio, Techno chatter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.