Many of the YouTube videos have a number of comments from viewers. Some of these comment "threads" are decidely "un-pc" {not politically correct}, meaning some of the comments were racially derogatory...

But other commentators on those video clip "threads" tried to address the differences between the two styles of performance without judging whether one style is better or worse than the other.

For example, I found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heaV1d2LkAg

The Real Drumline Drummers (we started it all in 1982)

Added: January 05, 2007
From: ptrol06

The person who posted this video wrote:

"These 4 young men changed Black Drumlines in America. Natives of Durham, NC they attended Hillside High and Later went to North Carolina A&T State University (the school that the movie Drumline was based on). While joining the Marching band in (1984/1985), they shared the techniques with the Drumline (Cold Steel) and learned new techniques as well. These techniques laid the foundation for all Black Highschool and Black College Drumlines across America. This footage was filmed in 1982 in Greensboro, NC where these 4 young men placed 2nd in an all white Talent Show. These 4 men started the drumming techniques seen in the Block Buster Hit Movie Drumline, at the high schools and colleges they attended. Some would even argue that the Movie was clearly inspired by and was perhaps even based on one or all of these individuals. Pernell Briggs, Gerald Tharrington, Timothy Bryant, and Daryl Spellman"

-snip-

There were a number of people who posted comments about this video who challanged ptrol06's statement that these high school students had originated a new style of drumming. A lot of commentators described the high schooler's drumming as "sloppy".

Imo, there is nothing wrong with making that judgement. As to whether it is true or not, I couldn't say. But what was concerning to me {as a reader of that comment "thread"-and what was addressed by some of the commentators to that thread, is that whether the drummers played well or not is one thing. To jump from there to a statement that therefore the Corps performance aesthetics and performance standards are the only standards that are valid.

For instance, Vestman95 writes:
"Why do some of us Corps types instantly slam this? I think it's flattering that show bands have taken ideas from DCI. There's a part in the movie Drumline that sounds alot like the Madison's 92 warm-up. And it's cool what they did with it. Sure, it's not as tight, but these guys are going more for the groove than the precision. Plus, when I marched Madison, we practiced 12 hours a day. These guys don't rehearse near that much.
I guarantee that if they did, they would have the precision.

-snip-

Also, from that same thread, tigonian02:
"Some people think that precision is too robotic but precision and groove a world apart [If you don't like this clip] Thats your opinion. Corp style and HBCU style are two completely different things and should not be compared. Btw I am a corp style marcher that made crown last year. The whole point im saying is, those guys up there [in the video clip] are sloppy."

-snip-

I think that tigoniano2 is saying that it is alright to critique the quality of a performer's playing using the performing standards that he or she is operating within, but it isn't alright to judge that performance using a standard that is different from the one the performer uses.

I agree.