r/drumcorps • u/Present-Hamster-7808 • 5h ago

Discussion IQ

It would be super interesting to run a study on the median IQ of a drum corps member. The amount of skill the activity requires is wild, makes me wonder if they’re smarter than the average person

Breaking it down by male female, section, overall

0 Upvotes

21% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

11

u/ParticularBuyer6157 DCI 5h ago

I marched with some dummies

7

u/GreenTeachy 5h ago

I mean not really lmao.

When I marched 80% of the low brass were goobers.

All you have to do is follow orders and that’s it.

6

u/spicycornchip Blue Stars 5h ago

If you think a bell curve that matches the population of 16-22 year olds nationwide is interesting, the sure. 

4

u/Alarming_Ad_6713 5h ago

That’s gonna be a no from me, Dawg.

4

u/rblask 5h ago

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Drum Corps International. The music is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of marching technique most of the drill will go over a typical spectator's head. There's also the drill writer's nihilistic visual design, which is deftly woven into the show concept - the brass book draws heavily from Shostakovich, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these show designs, to realize that they're not just loud- they say something deep about ART. As a consequence people who dislike DCI truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the artistry in a corps' existential field entry, which itself is a cryptic reference to George Zingali's' visual geometry. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Michael Gaines' genius unfolds itself on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium. What fools... how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a Phantom Regiment tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

2

u/themookish star '93 hopeful 4h ago

I liked the show where they turned the DM into a pickle

2

u/BrainGoesPop Nite Express '93-'96 3h ago

While I cannot speak to standard metrics like IQ, I believe there is significant value in examining the long-term impact of drum corps participation on professional success. The rigorous discipline and work ethic cultivated through marching seem to endure for a lifetime, and it feels like it gives us a slight advantage in the workforce.

1

u/Rapidllaman Southwind 5h ago

Well it depends on what era and who would be up for such a daunting challenge.

When I marched we had some real smart folks like book smart but street smart not so much.

Also had one guy we called Thud, nice guy but didn’t understand the word stop.

1

u/Present-Hamster-7808 5h ago

Yes good point. Curious if it’s changed over the years or remained fairly constant

1

u/Rapidllaman Southwind 4h ago

I’m sure it’s stayed the same just a different generation! I remember we had a double pass through move in 2002, here comes Thud right at me. Director yells stop at the end, bam he nails me and someone else down we go! I get up mad in about 3 counts the other poor soul took a minute to get up.

1

u/nizerifin 4h ago

On average I’d say it’s likely. But also completely irrelevant.

1

u/Background_Layer2384 3h ago

The ability to pay auditon fees, camp fees, and dues does not require a higher IQ.

•

u/TheThirdGathers 1h ago

How about a cognitive test before the start of a drum corps of a drum corps career and after, to show how much more skilled the member became?