Phan_of_Drumming Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 (edited) If you had to summarize each corps' individual style - whether musical or visual - in a single phrase, what would you pick for each corps? We all know that certain corps conjure certain moods with each year's show; the Madison Scouts might regularly be referred to as "ballsy" or "in your face," and Phantom Regiment certainly has a claim to the orchestral or grandiose, operatic mood. Every corps' has its own identifiable sound and visual flair. But for some corps the description might not be so easy to articulate in words, even if the feeling is pretty clear. So how about it? Describe each corps' stylistic identity as succinctly as you can. I'll give it a go with some of this year's top corps. In parenthesis I've included an example from a recent show of that respective corps which I think best demonstrates my description. Blue Devils - High-brow, modernized jazz. Cerebral and innovative. (All of 2012) Bluecoats - Darkly tender and emotional, with a tendency to groove. (Ballad 2014 or Closer 2013) The Cadets - Rooted in tradition, but unafraid to be bold. (Closer 2011) Santa Clara Vanguard - The perfect blend of elegance and passion. (All of 2014) Carolina Crown - Bright, shiny, new - a modern combo of speed and constant motion. (All of 2013) The Cavaliers - Aloof and brooding; intimidatingly dark. Coolly self-confident and unafraid to just execute. (Closer 2011 or Intro 2014) Phantom Regiment - Like the majestic soundtrack to some grand adventure. (All of 2013) Blue Knights - Ethereal and free; without solid grounding (in a good way!). Like flying. (Intro 2013 or Closer 2014) Blue Stars - A pioneer in explosive emotion and raw sentiment. (Ballad 2014) Boston Crusaders - Defiant and unafraid, with a deeply rooted pride. (All of 2013) Madison Scouts - Balls-to-the-wall, in-your-face jazz with passion. (Intro 2012 or Closer 2014) Crossmen - Intimidating and powerful, with a wild streak. (Intro to 2012) Colts - Bright and brimming with positive excitement. (Ballad of 2010, or Intro 2013) Troopers - Traditional, red-blooded American patriotism. (Closer 2014, or Closer 2013) Personally, I thought corps like Carolina Crown, Phantom Regiment, and Blue Devils were easy, but some of my harder decisions came with Blue Knights, Blue Stars, and Boston Crusaders. Do you agree or disagree with my descriptions? Try it yourself! Are there any corps that are easier than others for you? Which recent show or part from a show do you think best aligns with that corps' identity? I think this is a fun off-season exercise that challenges you to think about how you listen and watch drum corps shows (or music in general). I hope this provokes some fun discussion. P.S. - Keep it positive, yeah? Edited August 29, 2014 by Phan_of_Drumming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 2005 and 2006 might be even better examples for Cadets, although I agree with the 2011 zipper closer. Cavaliers' "darkness" is only a recent phenom of the last few years, their non-medalist years in fact. Kaleidescopic macho presence otherwise. No mention of Crown's brass??? (most years) Blue Stars have to be noted for an innovative and excellent guard in their early and present years. The comeback kidz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 2005 and 2006 might be even better examples for Cadets, although I agree with the 2011 zipper closer. Cavaliers' "darkness" is only a recent phenom of the last few years, their non-medalist years in fact. Kaleidescopic macho presence otherwise. No mention of Crown's brass??? (most years) Blue Stars have to be noted for an innovative and excellent guard in their early and present years. The comeback kidz. Cavaliers: kaleidoscopic machismo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 INT : " Maelstrom in the Middle " ( its better than Malcolm in the Middle anyway, imo, ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I think most of your observations are spot on, especially regarding this year's shows.I'd suggest a few additions I might change majestic grand adventure for Phantom to majestic grand opera, though I do know to non-opera fans, that may seem stuffy. I'm not sure I'd label Cavaliers as dark but to me, swagger needs to be in the description. Ever since their uniform change in 1977 and the subsequent variations, I've seen them as Errol Flynn like swashbucklers. Crusaders need tradition in their description. I don't know if any corps, even rich in tradition corps such as Cadets, Troopers, Cavies, and Madison stress tradition as much as BAC. Madison needs entertainers and brotherhood in their description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phan_of_Drumming Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 2005 and 2006 might be even better examples for Cadets, although I agree with the 2011 zipper closer. Cavaliers' "darkness" is only a recent phenom of the last few years, their non-medalist years in fact. Kaleidescopic macho presence otherwise. No mention of Crown's brass??? (most years) Blue Stars have to be noted for an innovative and excellent guard in their early and present years. The comeback kidz. I think what I was going for with Crown was basically a description of their brass sound. Their shows always feel soprano-heavy (not in a bad way) to me, which gives it that bright, shiny, chrome-esque feel. Like the outside of a spaceship, or something... I very much appreciate "kaleidescopic macho presence." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I think what I was going for with Crown was basically a description of their brass sound. Their shows always feel soprano-heavy (not in a bad way) to me, which gives it that bright, shiny, chrome-esque feel. Like the outside of a spaceship, or something... I very much appreciate "kaleidescopic macho presence." Soprano heavy? Hmm id describe BD or Cavies as soprano heavy... Crown? Not really. They're a lot more similar to Cadets in sound than BD in my opinion. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phan_of_Drumming Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Soprano heavy? Hmm id describe BD or Cavies as soprano heavy... Crown? Not really. They're a lot more similar to Cadets in sound than BD in my opinion. Maybe not soprano heavy. Bright. Definitely not akin to BD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Pioneer, Mandarins, Pacific Crest : I'm drawing a blank here... somebody want to help me out ? Edited August 30, 2014 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anstig Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Pioneer: same #### different year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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