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n. and adj.
plural: blan-dos
Derogatory term (except sometimes when used defensively by blandos themselves) applied to a performance music member, staffperson or other profiteer more interested in hype, marketing and supporting a political network than in music and genuine performance genres.
Original form was "bando", in order to distinguish those of mediocre intentions from genuine band and performance members and supporters. Similarities to the word "bland" are intentional, reflecting this impression of mediocrity, i.e., less than what could be as evidenced by hype and politics. Most usually related and applied to highly competitive marching band circuits and Drum Corps International (DCI).
"The best marching bands at the show didn't win, because the blandos were judging and put the blando school first." (both noun and adjective forms)
6π 4π
A marketing goal and methodology which involves elevating hype over substance; of imparting great value to the name whether or not the thing so named is worth anything at all.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi are successful examples of branding, even though the value of soft drinks and preferring one over the other is debateable.
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n. and adj.
Acronym for Drum Corps International, a political organization formed by a few persons in 1972 out of a short-lived precursor called The Combine. The originally stated goals of both The Combine and DCI were to provide a consistent, single nonprofit organization to serve independent drum and bugle corps, which at the time numbered in the many 100s, rather than a broad mix of sponsoring organizations. Today, DCI serves DCI and its member groups, which are estimated as numbering 70 or so interrelated groups. These member groups resemble marching bands without woodwinds more than they do drum and bugle corps. Discussions as to whether DCI is drum and bugle corps are hotly political. DCI's primary interest today is one of continued corporate branding rather than support of and service to the drum and bugle corps genre.
DCI may be drum corps of some kind, but it's not drum and bugle corps nor is it the best marching band I've seen.
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In modern times, marching band for people too stupid to spell properly - or care enough to use a spellchecker. Such people are usually woefully ignorant about a lot of other things too. Sometimes this is due to the presence and influence of mediocre teachers, purported leaders and even predators who use children for reasons of sexual or financial exploitation. All of these are very bad signs of something no one decent should want to be involved with. Amusingly for "drumcorp" critics, "corp" is also the abbreviation (without the period) for corporation - and corporate exploitation is often one of the reasons for the ignorance and lack of care such mispellings reflect.
The use of the terms "drumcorps", "drumcorp", "drum corp" and "corp" are all signs of ignorance and a lack of respect for drum corps, drum and bugle corps and other genuine marching musical history.
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n.
A musical genre which uses drums as its only instrument or drums and other instruments. Drum corps may be marching or non-marching. Use of the term to describe more complex instrumentation combinations may be either a commonly-used shorthand within the particular genre, or a misapplication of the term as a result of ignorance or misinformation. The specific type of drum corps depends upon the type or types of drums used, the presence of other instruments, and the character and history of the specific genre. See also fife and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, pipe and drum corps.
"Drum corps means many things to different people, but one thing to its supporters."
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In modern times, marching band for people too stupid to spell properly - or care enough to use a spellchecker. Such people are usually woefully ignorant about a lot of other things too. Sometimes this is due to the presence and influence of mediocre teachers, purported leaders and even predators who use children for reasons of sexual or financial exploitation. All of these are very bad signs of something no one decent should want to be involved with. Unfortunately, these misspellings and contractions are also being intentionally used in order to further disguise fraud.
The use of the terms "drumcorps", "drumcorp", "drum corp" and "corp" are all signs of ignorance and a lack of respect for drum corps, drum and bugle corps and other genuine marching musical history.
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n. and adj.
Marching band, simply, is a group of people who play certain types of musical instruments - notably, brass, woodwinds, drums/percussion - and march with them.
Some marching bands are comprised of people who have written these other Urban Dictionary definitions. Some marching bands are comprised of people who are offended by these other Urban Dictionary definitions, which in either case are describing far more than simply marching band.
Marching band, as a genre, is not limited by the season of the year; school, organization or community membership; age of the individual performer; musical selections or styles; and most obviously, level of devotion, values, character, focus, as well as hype or other nonsense. Just as there are good and bad performances, there are good and bad marching bands and good and bad members and players. All of these variables are determined by the individual marching band's membership, requirements and leadership/organization (or lack).
The general reader is advised to learn about marching band from people who are excited about marching and the playing of musical instruments, and ignore input from those who need or prefer to focus on other alleged characteristics.
Marching band instrumentation became focused on the three instrument classes of brass, woodwinds and percussion due to the combination of increased portability, durability and ability to be heard both indoors and outdoors. There are other sorts of instruments - notably strings, such as violins and guitars, and larger percussive instruments, such as pianos and harps, which are welcome in indoor orchestra halls but never became popular as a part of bands due to problems with durability and portability. Woodwinds are an instrument class which are sometimes eliminated from marching bands for these reasons, and such marching bands are more properly termed brass bands due to being comprised solely of brass and drums/percussion. Alternatively, woodwinds are often valued by other marching bands, whether due to the quality of their indoor woodwind players, their contributions to the total sound of the band in all settings, the desire to be inclusive to all members, or combination thereof. Such outdoor portability and performance utility no doubt contributed throughout history to the formation of what we know as a band, which can perform well both indoors and outdoors without a large scale change of instrumentation.
Marching band was developed by people who played instruments indoors who wished to play and perform outdoors, as well as people united by other interests and associations who chose playing band instruments as an activity. Examples of the former are musicians who play trumpet, saxophone, drums, etc.; examples of the latter include fraternal organizations and businesses (such as those who built the British brass band movement in the 1800s, or those seeking a method to advertise their name such as the USA's Goodyear Community Band).
"Marching" can range from a group of individuals merely walking together to the most perfectly uniform and military-styled precision, in step and in time with the music. The term "marching" is sometimes misused to signify other forms of outdoor performance.
In addition to the music makers, marching bands may have auxiliary units such as drill teams, dance squads, honor guards, color guards and other sections associated with them. These other sections may or may not be considered an integral part of the marching band, again depending upon the individual marching band.
Marching bands have developed in most countries over the past two centuries as a way to provide live music to listeners, both indoors and outdoors.
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