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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 5, 2020 9:00:31 GMT -6
From to time I will use this thread to post some very old marching band videos that I happen to stumble across.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 5, 2020 9:29:55 GMT -6
Ever wonder what a competitive high school marching band show looked like 60 years ago? Videos of high school marching bands from the late 1950s and 1960s are extremely rare. Usually the only videos that have emerged from this era are ones that were part of a television broadcast. I have come across this video of the 1960 Kermit High School Marching Band in a 1960 UIL contest. I actually did not know UIL marching band contests went back that far. Kermit, TX is in far western Texas. In 1960, high school marching bands did not do corps style shows. High school bands started adopting corps style from the late 1960s into the 1980s. The style of the show in this video is traditional or football half time style. Back in the mid 20th century, bands often took part in many parades. There were several music festivals across the country which featured marching bands being judged in parades. The bands that the judges deemed among the best were often awarded ribbons and/or prize money. I actually believe it was in parades that the first judging of high school marching bands took hold. During the early to mid 20th Century, high school marching bands adopted what they did in parades to the football field to entertain the crowd during their high schools football game half time. This became known as their field show. In the 1950s and 1960s, rather than just have bands compete in parades, they started having them compete on the football field, with the bands doing what they called their field show. That is why a lot of long time marching band circuits (like in New York) still refer to them being a field band conference.
In the video, you can certainly see evidence in the drill design that that field shows were derived from parade formations. While in this old video it is hard to see their feet clearly, you may note the different marching technique (a traditional style marching technique). The roll step or glide step was adopted when bands moved to corps style shows. You will also note that the band did not march backwards, which I think was common for traditional style bands back then. Also note that there was no color guard. The color guard was adopted from drum corps when bands went to the corps style format (although many traditional style marching bands have since included a color guard, or in many instances majorettes, or pom poms, etc).
Also note that the high school 'kids' in this video are now in their seventies.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jul 5, 2020 16:21:37 GMT -6
Wow. Thatβs just really awesome! Band has been cool for a really long time. π€
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 6, 2020 4:14:39 GMT -6
Very much the same style as 1960 Kermit HS, here is a video of the 1961 LD Bell 'Blue Raider' Marching Band. Yes a much smaller band back then. This is the earliest video I have ever found of a BOA Grand National Champion marching band. I wonder if anyone who marching in this 1961 band ever saw the 2007 LD Bell GN Champion performance and if so what they thought of it.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Jul 6, 2020 6:49:34 GMT -6
Very much the same style as 1960 Kermit HS, here is a video of the 1961 LD Bell 'Blue Raider' Marching Band. Yes a much smaller band back then. This is the earliest video I have ever found of a BOA Grand National Champion marching band. I wonder if anyone who marching in this 1961 band ever saw the 2007 LD Bell GN Champion performance and if so what they thought of it.
The probably thought, "Those kids can't march a straight line to save their lives." Especially if they'd been removed from the activity since to mid-70's. Perhaps the biggest change is that "back in the day" (and this even includes when I marched in the very late 1970's) every formation was always that, a formation. Even in transition there was proper spacing, straight lines, symmetrical arcs. Today there are nice looking sets but in between there are random kids scattered all over, moving from dot to dot. It would be jarring for someone not used to that. "They're just running all over the place, Gladys!"
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 6, 2020 7:55:52 GMT -6
I am guessing they would also think, "oh my the deductions, the penalties".
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jul 6, 2020 12:07:46 GMT -6
Very much the same style as 1960 Kermit HS, here is a video of the 1961 LD Bell 'Blue Raider' Marching Band. Yes a much smaller band back then. This is the earliest video I have ever found of a BOA Grand National Champion marching band. I wonder if anyone who marching in this 1961 band ever saw the 2007 LD Bell GN Champion performance and if so what they thought of it.
The probably thought, "Those kids can't march a straight line to save their lives." Especially if they'd been removed from the activity since to mid-70's.Β Perhaps the biggest change is that "back in the day" (and this even includes when I marched in the very late 1970's) every formation was always that, a formation. Even in transition there was proper spacing, straight lines, symmetrical arcs. Today there are nice looking sets but in between there are random kids scattered all over, moving from dot to dot. It would be jarring for someone not used to that. "They're just running all over the place, Gladys!"Β Β Ha thatβs exactly what I thought at Leanderβs Parent Preview in 2013! My kiddo was a freshman and I was like What the heck?! This ainβt marching band, itβs an off Broadway musical! π€£
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Post by supersound on Jul 7, 2020 9:42:38 GMT -6
and as a stylistic decision L.D. took a penalty during both prelims and semis that show was a masterpiece incredibly performed and incredibly designed.
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Post by supersound on Jul 7, 2020 9:51:09 GMT -6
www.dfife.com/L.D. Bell has one of the most extensive video archives out there
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jul 9, 2020 5:23:58 GMT -6
boahistorybuff we may have struck gold! Thereβs a former band student from The Woodlands posting in TXBands that he has an EXTENSIVE collection of videos uploaded! π±
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 9, 2020 9:55:25 GMT -6
boahistorybuff we may have struck gold! Thereβs a former band student from The Woodlands posting in TXBands that he has an EXTENSIVE collection of videos uploaded! π± That is awesome. Hope he puts them on a website or YouTube channel or something.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 9, 2020 10:51:53 GMT -6
So a little on Drum Corps:
In the post World War I era of the 1920s and 1930s, drum and bugle corps became popularized across the country. It was after World War II, however, that drum corps really gained popularity across the US and Canada. During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s there were hundreds of corps across the US and Canada. Some were very small and stayed local, while others were larger and traveled regionally and in some cases long distance. Drum corps back then were sponsored by VFW, American Legion, Boy and Girl Scout Groups, Churches and various other civic organizations. The VFW and American Legion sponsored many competitions and even held national championships. The Canadian Legion held a Canadian National Championships. Drum corps shows/competitions took off from the popularity of parade competitions. In the very early years (1950s and 1960s) competitions on the football field become common. The drill design in those early years was derived from parade formations, adopted to the football field. I have heard a lot of audio from the 1950s and have seen pictures, but most of my knowledge of those early drum corps years stem from the few videos that came out of the 1960s.
This is my knowledge of how the drum corps style shows were designed during those early decades of the 1950s and 1960s. First off, the corps played a collection of songs, often unrelated and from different genres. Yes this was long before the concept of a show theme emerged. The corps would start their show on the end zone on the left side of the field. They would march toward the center of the field while playing their opening. Leading the band was a flag bearer carrying the American flag (Canadian flag for the Canada corps). Once the corps reached the center of the field, they turned to the stands to perform. Most of their performance took part centered on the 50 yard line. They did a combination of drill formations while playing, with some of the more complex drill formations done while just the drums played and they performed a piece of music while standing still (known as their concert piece). During the closing segments of the show, the corps would march off to the end zone on the right side of the field, usually turning to the center of the field once reaching the end zone and playing the closing segments of the show. The drill designs were a combination of strait and diagonal lines/line segments, basic block drill and squares and rectangles. Designs were usually symmetrical to the 50 yard line. There were also a lot of sections where the corps remained stationary but still marked time; high step marking time was also common. There were far fewer percussion instruments; keyboards were not marched until well into the 1970s. To describe the color guard, it is important to first understand what the original use of the color guard or more specifically the flags were for in the military. During battle, military units or regiments had a flag bearer who stood with the unit and held up a large flag on a tall pole. This was so soldiers who got disoriented in battle could find their regiment or squadron. In the early days of drum corps, the flags were very large and carried on very tall poles. So they stood out and above the corps. Through most of the show, the flags acted more like flag bearers, just marching around carrying the flag up high. Now there was some guard routine with the flags for moments of visual interest, but these were few and far between. Rifles were also used. They were carried like you may see a marine carrying his or her rifle. The rifles in those days did however do a few tosses and they did a lot of twirling.
The first video is from the American Legion National Championships in 1967. The video is of the Cavaliers (yes the same Cavies of today). They won the national championship. In fact, the Cavaliers were one of, if not the most successful drum corps of the 1950s and 1960s. In the video you will also see a lot of judges walking around on the field. Back in those days, there were several field judges.
The next video is of the 1968 Troopers (yes the same as today). This was actually an exhibition at a football game, so no judges walking around. I believe this was from a television broadcast which is why the video quality is so much better than most drum corps videos back in those days. In the 1960s, the Troopers were also one of the best drum corps in the country. They were also known as innovators on the visual front. Despite the rather rigid rules of the days when drum corps were governed by the VFW and American Legion, one of the innovations that came about in the 1960s was using circles and arcs in the drill, in addition to strait and diagonal lines. I don't know if the Troopers were the first to do this, but they certainly embraced it in their 1968 performance. I believe they may have been the first to do the expanding circle formation that you will see in the video. Utilizing circles and arcs in drill design become much more popular in the 1970s. Also during the 1970s (more toward the middle of the decade) drum corps started entering the field from the back and onto the center of the field instead of going end zone to end zone. Another thing of note in this video is that there was a little bit more to the guard routine. During the 1970s, the color guard routines become more complex which ended up adding a ton of visual interest to the performance. During the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, the length of the flag poles got shorter and the flags got smaller, which allowed flag routines to become much more artistic.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jul 10, 2020 6:59:20 GMT -6
boahistorybuff we may have struck gold! Thereβs a former band student from The Woodlands posting in TXBands that he has an EXTENSIVE collection of videos uploaded! π± That is awesome. Hope he puts them on a website or YouTube channel or something. Itβs pretty extensive. I have current access to it on google drive as he was nice enough to share it with me. Let me know if there are any particular shows since the mid 90s that you have been looking for. These came right off the BOA VHS videos they used to sell every year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 11, 2020 9:01:25 GMT -6
Below will be a series of videos of the George Rogers Clark HS Marching Band from Winchester, KY between 1969 and 1976. I also include a 1978 video. These videos showcase how a high school marching band transitioned from a traditional style marching band to a corps style marching band. You will see how the drill became more drum corps style by the early-mid 70s, how their marching technique changed, how a band developed a color guard and how their music became more sophisticated. This was a time period in which GRC improved dramatically. I will share all these videos because it is so rare for a high school marching band to have videos of this quality during that era and they showcase how dramatic the changes were during the early 1970s for these bands that transitioned from competitive traditional to competitive corps style. It also showcases how the drill design transitioned from something that looked like parade formations on a football field to more intricate formations of the mid/late 1970s corps style programs.
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1978
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 14, 2020 7:46:27 GMT -6
It All Started With The Kingsmen
During the early 1970s, unhappy with what they felt were rules that were stifling to artistic growth within the VFW and American and Canadian Legions who oversaw the drum corps activity, drum corps formed their own competitive circuit where member corps would determine the direction that the activity would take. That circuit was called Drum Corps International. The very first DCI World Championships occurred in the late summer of 1972. Up until 2020, the DCI World Championships has occurred every year since. From what I understand, heading into the very first DCI World Finals, Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Stars were favored to win. In a bit of an upset, the Kingsmen (or Anaheim Kingsmen as they were often called) won the very first DCI World title. This was the Kingsmen's only World Title. In fact, they only made finals three times. After their first place finish in 1972, they placed 6th in 1973 and third in 1974. After that, financial problems eventually led to the corps folding. I actually read that they were not really on strong financial ground in 1972 either. The Kinsmen were just one of many great corps that folded during the 1970s and 1980s.
Here is the video of the Kinsmen at the 1972 DCI World Championships Finals.
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Post by itsjustband on Jul 14, 2020 15:34:08 GMT -6
www.youtube.com/user/LubetheGoobThis channel has videos of North Cobb, South Cobb, Sprayberry, Pebblebrook, and Osborne HS bands (all cobb county) from as far back as 1975, plus concert band recordings from the 60s I believe
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 17, 2020 12:23:39 GMT -6
I believe it was in 2018 that LD Bell HS featured a bagpipe player in their show. If you thought that was the first instance of bagpipes being used in a high school marching band performance, well you were off by about 50 years.
From the late 1960s and into the 1980s, the Dundee Scots were a corps style high school marching band from Dundee, IL. They were very active in the summer competitive circuits that were so common back then. They marched in Scottish military attire, which included kilts. They also marched not one, but a whole section of bagpipes. The Dundee Scots were a very good high school marching band for the times and won several competitions across the Midwest. They even sold albums of their performances. The Dundee Scots participated in the summer Whitewater MBA Grand Nationals of the late 1970s. In 1976, they were runner-up to the Open Class title and placed 2nd overall at the very first Grand National Championships. In 1977, they were runner-up to the Open Class title and placed 3rd overall at the second MBA Grand Nationals.
Here are two videos that I came across of the Dundee Scots from way back in the early years of corps style high school marching band shows.
1972
1975
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 23, 2020 9:38:21 GMT -6
Did they have any idea this was just the start of their legacy?
In 1976, the Blue Devils won their very first DCI World Championships. They were still a very young corps at the time. In fact, they did not even attend the first DCI Championships in 1972. In 1973, they attended but did not even place in the top 20 at the DCI World Championships. They made DCI World finals for the first time in 1974, placing 9th. Then they jumped to 3rd in 1975 before winning their first title in 1976. Even though it was a lot easier back then for corps to have a rapid improving trend, the Blue Devils' meteoric rise was still impressive. The Blue Devils now have 19 DCI World Titles. They have placed in the top five in DCI finals every year since 1975 and have placed in the top two in DCI finals every year since 2007. This makes them the most successful drum corps in DCI history.
One of the appeals with the Blue Devils even way back then was how they embraced jazz. Below is an excerpt from the Blue Devils 1976 show. This was their concert piece segment of the show. If anyone has the complete 1976 Blue Devils show, please post. It is well worth watching.
This is the video of the 1976 DCI Finals Awards Ceremony. Historic now considering this was Blue Devils first win. Of the 12 finalist corps from that year, only half are still in existence today.
To get a sense of the mid/late 1970s style, here is a video of the 1977 Blue Devils full show. They won their second DCI World Title with this show. It showcases the symmetrical style of drill, a more aggressive (but still very military) style color guard, and off course the incredible music of the Blue Devils. During the late 1970s, the Blue Devils were also pioneers in curve linear drill designs.
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Post by drumcorpsgeek on Jul 23, 2020 10:02:30 GMT -6
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 25, 2020 8:13:41 GMT -6
Winter Guard International formed in the late 1970s. Local and regional winter guard competitions did however go back well into the early 1970s. I believe winter guard competitions and workshops actually go back into the 1960s. In the 1970s, the style of winter guard was still very military, although some dance moves had begun to be incorporated into the guard routine. Here are two videos of winter guard from 1978. The first is Flushing HS and the second is the Cavaliers. While I certainly don't expect color guard to go back to that military style, I do think there was a certain elegance to the routines during that era.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 27, 2020 10:12:51 GMT -6
The Largo Band of Gold Legacy
Long before Tarpon Springs was the dominate force in the marching arts across the Tampa/St Pete metro region, there was one band that really jump started this region and perhaps the whole state of Florida into the marching arts. That band was the Largo HS 'Band of Gold' and their director was Robert Cotter. In 1968, Mr Cotter turned the Largo HS marching band into a corps style band. During the 1970s, Largo HS was noted as being one of the best high school marching bands in the country. They wowed crowds locally, regionally and even internationally. One of their biggest achievements was winning a competition in Europe in 1978 called the World Music Contest. I actually read that they so impressed the European crowds that they were the ones who introduced corps style to Europe, something that really took off in the Netherlands. The success of the Largo Band of Gold also resulted in the formation of Suncoast Sound, a drum corps formed in the St Petersburg area in 1979. Suncoast Sound went on to have a good deal of success in DCI during the 1980s and were DCI World Championship Finalists seven times from 1983 to 1989, finishing as high as 5th place in 1986. Largo's success also inspired other local high schools to expand their competitive band programs, most notably Pinellas Park HS and Seminole HS who were both finalists at the very first fall Grand Nationals in 1980.
Mr Cotter left the program at the end of the 1979/1980 school year. Had he not left, perhaps Largo HS would also have competed in the first fall Grand Nationals in 1980, seeing that it was held in Jacksonville, FL. Turns out they did not compete at that competition. Like so many strong programs of that era, the director was often a big part of their success. Mr. Cotter's departure ended up being a detriment to the Largo Marching Band, although they continued to be strong competitors in Florida through at least the 1980s, if not into the 1990s.
Below is a video of the 1978 Largo 'Band of Gold' at the World Music Contest in Europe. One thing of note is that Largo, like many other high school bands of the day, had a section of majorettes in addition to the military style color guard. Majorettes often twirled batons, danced and/or used pom poms or other things of visual interest. They were also dressed more artistically, usually in leotards. They were a big part of high school marching bands during the mid 20th Century for parades and entertaining football crowds. There were a lot of high school bands that fit these into their shows as they transitioned into corps style in the 1970s. Several bands actually carried these into the 1980s before they were phased out. In fact, in 1981 and in their 1982 Grand National winning performance, Norwin HS had a section of baton twirlers. In 1981 and 1982, Warren Central HS (Indiana) had a group of dancers that were incredibly good. In the instance of the 1978 Largo band, the majorettes danced and also used flags. Based on the available videos of that era, these dancers using equipment like flags was not as common.
1978 Largo HS 'Band of Gold'
Video of the legacy of Robert Cotter
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 28, 2020 12:36:24 GMT -6
This video is not so much a vintage video per say. It is more of an educational video. It really explains why drum corps and marching bands got their start in the military. This video also suggests that not only did the Revolutionary War give birth to the United States of America, but also suggests why marching bands and drum corps have become so ingrained in American culture.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 29, 2020 7:11:07 GMT -6
Back in the early years of drum corps, it was required that there was a presentation of the American Flag (or Canadian Flag for the Canadian Corps) near the start of the field show. It was often a big display of patriotism and pageantry.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jul 30, 2020 12:10:20 GMT -6
The 27th Lancers; Gone But Never ForgottenDuring the late 1960s through the early 1980s, the 27th Lancers, from Revere Massachusetts, was among the top drum corps in the world. They were DCI World Championship Finalists 12 times, finishing as high as 2nd place in 1980. The corps folded during the middle of the 1980s. The 27th Lancers embraced many innovations during their glory years. They often utilized a back corner entrance or exit to their shows where the axis of symmetry was at an angle to the 50 yard line. This was most notable in their signature closure; Danny Boy. Everything is marched. Prior to 1982, all instruments had to be marched on the field in both DCI and most high school marching band circuits. During the 1950s and 1960s, this limited the number of percussion instruments used in drum corps and in high school marching bands. During the 1970s, more percussion instruments were introduced to the field, like tympani and keyboards. These instruments still had to be marched (I am sure some of the members who marched them suffered from back problems later in life). During the drum feature, it was common for the tympani to be set on the field and played. Through the rest of the show however, they had to be carried. The 27th Lancers pushed the envelope in terms of types of percussion instruments marched on the field in the 1970s. They had some of the largest keyboard instruments being marched and they may have even been the first to march chimes. In 1975, a member of the 27th Lancers marched chimes. They engineered something that almost looked like a cage to carry the chimes. Here is the link to a DCI article that shows an image and gives a little background info about the first person to march a chime rack during the 1975 season of the 27th Lancers. In 1982, there was a rule change that allowed tympani and keyboards to be grounded along the front sidelines rather than be marched on the field (the pit had been born). This rule change also occurred nearly simultaneously among several high school marching band circuits, including BOA (or MBA as it was known then). In following years, more persuasion instruments were added to the pit. This ended up giving a much more nuanced sound out of the percussion section. It also allowed for the use of larger keyboards, which gave much deeper/richer sound quality. Another result of this was that the drums that were left to march on the field were able to be incorporated into the drill design more effectively. It also led to more and faster movement among the drums on the field. Another thing that evolved during the 1970s was a much more intricate color guard routine. The 27th Lancers really pushed the envelope with their guard. Their guard had among the most difficult guard routines of anybody from the mid 1970s into the early 1980s. In 1975, they used double flags, perhaps the first to do so. They also introduced a high level of athleticism into the guard routine. They had to have really conditioned their guard members to perform they way they did; probably more so than other guards were doing at that time. Below is a video of the 1980 27th Lancers at the DCI World Championship Finals. They finished 2nd this year. It was their highest finish ever and closest they would ever get to winning a DCI World Title.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Jul 30, 2020 14:40:55 GMT -6
The 27th Lancers; Gone But Never ForgottenDuring the late 1960s through the early 1980s, the 27th Lancers, from Revere Massachusetts, was among the top drum corps in the world. They were DCI World Championship Finalists 12 times, finishing as high as 2nd place in 1980. The corps folded during the middle of the 1980s. The 27th Lancers embraced many innovations during their glory years. They often utilized a back corner entrance or exit to their shows where the axis of symmetry was at an angle to the 50 yard line. This was most notable in their signature closure; Danny Boy. Everything is marched. Prior to 1982, all instruments had to be marched on the field in both DCI and most high school marching band circuits. During the 1950s and 1960s, this limited the number of percussion instruments used in drum corps and in high school marching bands. During the 1970s, more percussion instruments were introduced to the field, like tympani and keyboards. These instruments still had to be marched (I am sure some of the members who marched them suffered from back problems later in life). During the drum feature, it was common for the tympani to be set on the field and played. Through the rest of the show however, they had to be carried. The 27th Lancers pushed the envelope in terms of types of percussion instruments marched on the field in the 1970s. They had some of the largest keyboard instruments being marched and they may have even been the first to march chimes. In 1975, a member of the 27th Lancers marched chimes. They engineered something that almost looked like a cage to carry the chimes. Here is the link to a DCI article that shows an image and gives a little background info about the first person to march a chime rack during the 1975 season of the 27th Lancers. In 1982, there was a rule change that allowed tympani and keyboards to be grounded along the front sidelines, rather than be marched on the field (the pit had been born). This rule change also occurred nearly simultaneously among several high school marching band circuits, including BOA (or MBA as it was known then). In following years, more persuasion instruments were added to the pit. This ended up giving a much more nuanced sound out of the percussion section. It also allowed for the use of larger keyboards, which gave much deeper/richer sound quality. Another result of this was that the drums that were left to march on the field were able to be incorporated into the drill design more effectively. It also led to more and faster movement among the drums on the field. Another thing that evolved during the 1970s was a much more intricate color guard routine. The 27th Lancers really pushed the envelope with their guard. Their guard had among the most difficult guard routines of anybody from the mid 1970s into the early 1980s. In 1975, they used double flags, perhaps the first to do so. They also introduced a high level of athleticism into the guard routine. They had to have really conditioned their guard members to perform they way they did; probably more so than other guards were doing at that time. Below is a video of the 1980 27th Lancers at the DCI World Championship Finals. They finished 2nd this year. It was their highest finish ever and closest they would ever get to winning a DCI World Title. I was fortunate to be in the stands to see this performance, in Birmingham. My buddy and I were recent HS grads and we'd gone to a ton of shows from Whitewater to Allentown to Birmingham this season. Of course everyone's favorite that year was the Scouts (They're Playing Our Song, Malaguena, Ice Castles) but they finished 6th. 27th was terrific but the Blue Devils deserved the win. It was a peak year for The Bridgemen as well. Hard to imagine this was 40 years ago.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 6, 2020 10:14:36 GMT -6
The very first Texas UIL State Championships were held in 1979. Round Rock HS won the Conference 4A title that year, which at the time was the largest class in UIL. I have enjoyed Round Rock so much the last decade. I had no idea their legacy went so far back. The video is of their prelims performance. There is a section where the band made a formation with the axis of symmetry at an angle to the 50 yard line. They then rotated that formation so that the axis of symmetry aligned with the 50 yard line. That was a common move during that era. The cleaner the band could execute that move, the higher their visual effect score. From the comments and the video, looks like they had some flaws in that move in prelims that they later cleaned up in finals, which likely allowed them to win the state title.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 6, 2020 12:02:26 GMT -6
The very first Texas UIL State Championships were held in 1979. Round Rock HS won the Conference 4A title that year, which at the time was the largest class in UIL. I have enjoyed Round Rock so much the last decade. I had no idea their legacy went so far back. The video is of their prelims performance. There is a section where the band made a formation with the axis of symmetry at an angle to the 50 yard line. They then rotated that formation so that the axis of symmetry aligned with the 50 yard line. That was a common move during that era. The cleaner the band could execute that move, the higher their visual effect score. From the comments and the video, looks like they had some flaws in that move in prelims that they later cleaned up in finals, which likely allowed them to win the state title.Β Round Rock is to RRISD what Leander is to LISD. The original. Leander HS has been around since 1899, but Round Rock has been around even longer, since 1867! Also, RRHS (yes they are also the original RRHS, sorry Reagan π) was the largest high school in Central Texas back in the 1990s. Lots of great history in that school!
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Post by Samuel Culper on Aug 6, 2020 14:18:37 GMT -6
The very first Texas UIL State Championships were held in 1979. Round Rock HS won the Conference 4A title that year, which at the time was the largest class in UIL. I have enjoyed Round Rock so much the last decade. I had no idea their legacy went so far back. The video is of their prelims performance. There is a section where the band made a formation with the axis of symmetry at an angle to the 50 yard line. They then rotated that formation so that the axis of symmetry aligned with the 50 yard line. That was a common move during that era. The cleaner the band could execute that move, the higher their visual effect score. From the comments and the video, looks like they had some flaws in that move in prelims that they later cleaned up in finals, which likely allowed them to win the state title. Round Rock is to RRISD what Leander is to LISD. The original. Leander HS has been around since 1899, but Round Rock has been around even longer, since 1867! Also, RRHS (yes they are also the original RRHS, sorry Reagan π) was the largest high school in Central Texas back in the 1990s. Lots of great history in that school! Round Rock is the largest high school in Central Texas today. Enrollment in the latest realignment of 3,714. Next largest in the Austin metro is Lake Travis at 3,401. And the largest in the San Antonio area is Ronald Reagan at 3,462.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 8, 2020 4:50:12 GMT -6
One of the early Indiana power house marching bands was Haworth HS from Kokomo, IN. They won the Class A title at the second and third ISSMA state championships in 1974 and 1975. In 1978, Haworth become the very first Indiana band to make Grand National finals. In finals, they finished second overall. They had actually won prelims but were beat by the legendary Live Oak Emerald Regime in finals. Haworth was awarded the best percussion award in finals. This was Haworth's only appearance in Grand National finals. In 1980, when the Grand National was moved from summer to fall, Haworth was a finalist at the MBA June Nationals, renamed the Summer Nationals. In the fall of 1980, Haworth was runner-up and Class AA Champion at the MBA Mid-South Regional held in Tennessee (Sprayberry HS GA won that regional). That was the closest Haworth got to winning a BOA (or MBA) regional title. It was only a few years later that Haworth HS closed.
Below is a video of the Haworth marching band at the 1978 ISSMA State Finals. They finished second to Chesterton that year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 9, 2020 4:31:08 GMT -6
The Live Oak Emerald Regime - The First Bands of America Power
If you read the season reviews, you will know that the first four Marching Bands of America Grand Nationals were held in June in Whitewater, WI from 1976 to 1979 (these became the summer nationals in 1980 when Grand Nationals was moved to the fall). Live Oak HS, from Morgan Hill, CA attended the first three Grand Nationals. In 1976, they placed 1st in Open Class and 1st overall, becoming the very first band to be crowned Grand National champion. In 1977, they were 1st in Open Class and 2nd overall by just 0.05 points (they lost due to both a penalty and a controversial judging score). In 1978, they again placed 1st in Open Class and 1st overall, becoming the first band to win two Grand National titles. Although their time at the top was brief, Live Oak was certainly one of the best bands in county in the 1970s.
This rather lengthy video, one hour and 23 minutes, is full of vintage video clips of the Live Oak band and color guard from their 1970s glory years. It contains clips of field shows, parades and winter guard performances (Live Oak also had a very good winter guard). The video also contains clips of their performances at the 1976, 1977 and 1978 MBA (as it was known then) Grand Nationals. I think the audio for the 1976 clip is dubbed as were many of those early videos. Sometimes there was a a lot of sound distortion on the early home recordings. Near the end of the video, there is a clip of the 1976 band returning home after having just been crowned the very first Grand National champ. You will also see some footage of the large traveling trophy (there is a cup on top; years before they put an eagle on the top).
I for one am so glad Live Oak made this video. It is a unique look inside one of the greats during the early years of competitive high school marching bands.
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