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Heh... way back in the day, especially with the smaller local-circuit corps, the horn instructor would put the short skinny guys on soprano, and the big husky guys on baritone. Balance and blend. :tongue:

I've never forgiven Bucky Swan for doing that to me in 1967. Bucky was my first horn instructor in the Raiders of 88. I was tall for my age and I had to haul around that #### thing until I stopped marching!....lol

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and they say the pit is the dumping ground.....

It used to be the cymbal line... again, especially in the local-circuit neighborhood corps.

The stumblebums who 1) couldn't cut the rest of the drum line, or 2) had no chance of being a horn player... put 'em on cymbals!!! LOL

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and they say the pit is the dumping ground.....

The front ensemble requires skill, coordination, and organization. Umm, I hate to say it... most of us Baris lack those kinda things. :satisfied: Short luynch break here- Hopefully I wont be working till 4 AM and I can finish this thing. Working 12 hours yesterday was fat for the wallet but KOed me. :satisfied:

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It used to be the cymbal line... again, especially in the local-circuit neighborhood corps.

The stumblebums who 1) couldn't cut the rest of the drum line, or 2) had no chance of being a horn player... put 'em on cymbals!!! LOL

We had some good peeps in ours BITD- my sister kinda kept everyone on task there. Someone had to. :satisfied:

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Well, at least the break was humorous. :satisfied:

But- I know, Get back to the Bucs, for Lord's sake!

Okay... quick review of what I already said, neat show, great flying start..., then the initial "BOO-YAH!" lets you know the Bucs are cutting right to the chase with the program.

The program's pacing is high-energy, nice and tight, and the brass shows that not only can they pour it on hard, but that they've got a mega-load of technical prowess to go with it. It's a great combination, kind of like DCA Crown.

I also really enjoyed the percussion feature. Percussionists who like all the techy stuff will love it for that, but what I enjoyed the most about it was the musicality of it all- like the brass, they show they can do all of the technical stuff, but that it's very musical and exciting.

The selections are, well, twisted. William Tell, the New World Symphony, the Barber of Seville... and throw in Conti's wonderful Rocky soundtrack, and you get the idea.

When this corps comes at you, they can turn up the wick in a serious way- and this is without the added boost with the electronics suite. Unlike Nigel Tufnel... they can really go to 11 during the program when they want to. How? I figured it out and then checked I was correct.

Throw in a pedal note an octave or two below the root in the Tubas- it doesn't have to be loud, more felt, low audible spectrum, my guess is above 30 and under 100 hertz, and it really opens up the sinuses. Whoa! Subtle and really effective.

Take a moment and digest here. I was also apprehensive about the electronics thing- my Old School Card and creds are pretty strong, but talking to the right people, asking the right questions, and getting thoughtful and great answers as well as hearing the results- it's not being abused or used foolishly. Sometimes, the right sample can be used instead of having even more gadgets around. Not all of the time, sometimes the real thing is still better. There's been a lot of thought and effort put into it so it's not sounding like a crutch, sounding cheap, or.... causes the fans to be thinking... "Shut up and play!" Believe me, this corps is playing. HARD.

The show vehicle's great. A lot of fun. But that's not the real secret with the Bucs in 2015. I've been thinking hard on this, and in short- it's the membership.

The last 2 seasons, particularly last season, there was a feeling of edginess, nerves, being too close to the extreme edge, and it held the corps back- last year, until they got on top of the program for Finals.

This season, I think the show's every bit as sophisticated and difficult, but the corps is a lot more laid back, in control, confident, (NOT cocky- there is a difference!) and even more important, the corps is having fun when they present the show. They're breaking the fourth wall and really reaching to the audience and bringing some great vibe to the performance. The musical ensemble speaks with a very seamless and unified voice. All I know is that the Bucs are having fun playing and marching the bejeezus out of a very challenging show. (Loved the Front Ensemble for this very reason, BTW)

I'm not one for hyperbole. Being someone outside the loop, I'm sensing that this could be a very special corps this season if they keep moving in the direction they seem to be going because of the membership and the way they present. I recently heard an interview with Philip Glass where he said that music was a tangible place that musicians take their audience to. This corps innately understands this at a very high level.

Could someone beat 'em? Sure! Another corps with a great show vehicle that can also break the fourth wall would have a strong chance to do so.

I know there are folks thinking- "Oh, Gawd! Come on! Wasn't there anything you disliked!? They can't be this cool or wonderful!!!!"

I tried to think of something. The closest thing I could think of were the Guard unis, which have a bit of the "High School Clash Day" vibe to them, but I still thought they were well-thought-out and well-tailored, and actually channeled a bit of Duchamp/Futurism into them, so I thought they were pretty cool, too. So, I can't think of anything I can say I disliked. Believe me, I tried.

I'll get those Fistbumps out later as well as some Big W Talking Points. It's kind of scary to me that some corps look for those fistbumps. I know it's because some folks are out there on the field killing themselves and wonder if anyone actually watches what they do and appreciates it besides the staff and their parents. Yeah, they do. :satisfied:

The good news is that the next 2-3 shows I'll be at, I'm on vacation. I won't have to worry about work biting into my time to type. :cool:

Edited by BigW
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I'm glad you were able to conclude your (as always) comprehensive review. I suppose there are flaws somewhere in the Bucs' 2015 production. Maybe they just move around so much, and so fast, our minds become too twisted to discern those. They really have uncorked a beauty this season. Almost a night and day comparison compared to last year, to me.

Yes, conditions could align that will bring another corps to the top. Just doesn't seem to be enough time. That will take a big effort, but possible, sure. The Bucs have never been known stall out. They did come close to doing that in Clifton, though.

But, last year's championship proved it ain't over till it's over !

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I'm glad you were able to conclude your (as always) comprehensive review. I suppose there are flaws somewhere in the Bucs' 2015 production. Maybe they just move around so much, and so fast, our minds become too twisted to discern those. They really have uncorked a beauty this season. Almost a night and day comparison compared to last year, to me.

Yes, conditions could align that will bring another corps to the top. Just doesn't seem to be enough time. That will take a big effort, but possible, sure. The Bucs have never been known stall out. They did come close to doing that in Clifton, though.

But, last year's championship proved it ain't over till it's over !

There are issues. Staff and Membership know what they are and are working on them. When you're intimate with a show, you know every croodle, bunion, and wart on the program that someone who's not seen it for the first time might easily notice. This goes for any corps.

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It used to be the cymbal line... again, especially in the local-circuit neighborhood corps.

The stumblebums who 1) couldn't cut the rest of the drum line, or 2) had no chance of being a horn player... put 'em on cymbals!!! LOL

or what Westshore did with Larry when he joined LOL

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fistbump.png

Time!

A quick review. I give these out to individuals or sections that might not get noticed- or maybe I've never seen before that do great jobs. I only give them out once for an individual or section per season. For some reason, these seem to be as good as caption awards to some people, even though I don't give out beerballs for them. Fran and I remember '82 Utica where they did award beerballs for caption awards.... talk about incentive....

Excelsior: The Guard and the fellow on tenors. The guard's the one section that's really making some great contributions to the effort, and the Tenor player's driving the section. Good stuff, asnd appreciated.

Sky: The battery dealt manfully (The term means the ladies as well...) with the split-fingered fastball thrown at their heads that weekend. Anything out of the plan can wreck a group, but they held it down.

Bush: The Bass Drums.

White Sabres: The "LB's". Clean and focused, top to bottom.

C2: The whole Brass section. FINALLY. Keep the momentum.

Hurcs: Rich Yelnick and the Tubas. Rich has been around- but he's really doing some very fine work in this program that is truly appreciated. Check for the Tubas in Nutville when you see them. Good stuff.

Bucs: Over the years, I know I've thrown out good stuff to the Front Ensemble, and I will again. The vibe off these people is fantastic. They're not showing off, not trying to be a show within the show, you have to listen and pay attention, but this band of corsairs are in the groove, having a lot of fun, and play with a lot of panache. A lot of fun to watch and listen to.

Also, the person in the brass who kept their cool when the drill went a bit off plan and moved some people ahead of them. Everything relies on everything being there like rehearsal in a show run. Every musical and visual cue has gotta be there to keep in the zone, and this time, it wasn't there, and the person kept their cool and saved the situation by doing the right thing. That's the kind of person you want in your corps.

Talking Points:

This section's kind of like the post-show diner or pub conversation with friends. Hopefully we can get some good stuff brewing here. Some of it might be about the season in general....

- Normally, the DCI numbers when DCA units are evaluated at those shows have been about 2-4 points lower then what they'd get with a DCA panel. Chalk it up to tolerance levels and the fact the DCI cats are nitpicking at a sub-atomic level.

Right now, from the looks of it, the numbers seem to be around 5-12 points low. For whatever reason, the panels are seal-clubbing the corps. I've been looking at the numbers and cringing.

The good news is this: It seems when the corps get in front of DCA panels the corrections look to be taking place. Also, the input from the DCI panels has obviously been excellent.

- On that tangent, Dad has a saying: "Don't make excuses, make good". It looks like the Kilties have been making good, even when they've been taking these number beatings. It's paid off for them. Can they keep their momentum while everyone else chases? Also.... What kind of number bumps will we see when the Govies get in front of a DCA panel... and for that matter, what about the big, quiet elephant in the room from Minnesota that everyone knows is patiently sitting there on the couch, not making a fuss, and waiting to take his turn? We'll have to see.

- Last season, MBI proved that an outlier corps can get great DCI input, not have to make the trek to the Northeast, and have a wild finals ride. On one hand, this is great for the corps, but I do miss seeing them. For that matter, I also will miss CV. I've seen them a few times over many years, and even in the early "CorpsVets" days at Hershey- I've always thought they had a product I've enjoyed a lot. I've never been disappointed by them.

-Open Class looks to be very strong this season. Sun's thrown down a number at the last show. All 13 corps look like they're quite good- no corps that I'm sitting there and shaking my head at. It's gonna be a very, very hard fight for finals. I said it earlier, it may take a Nine-Oh to guarantee yourself a Finals position. I also said that folks had better get there early for prelims so they don't miss some very good corps that might fall short.

I plan to be at Scranton and Big Sounds, and am looking very seriously at Clifton- if I can get some answers. :satisfied: Everyone, take care, and keep at it. I'm looking forward to seeing Fusion and the Cabs for the first time, and I figure this to be a very tough contest for everyone involved. Every corps in it needs to make strong statements and jockey for positions. See you there!

Edited by BigW
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  • 3 weeks later...

When this corps comes at you, they can turn up the wick in a serious way- and this is without the added boost with the electronics suite. Unlike Nigel Tufnel... they can really go to 11 during the program when they want to. How? I figured it out and then checked I was correct.

Throw in a pedal note an octave or two below the root in the Tubas--it doesn't have to be loud, more felt, low audible spectrum, my guess is above 30 and under 100 hertz, and it really opens up the sinuses. Whoa! Subtle and really effective.

The lowest open note on a BBb tuba, i.e., the highest "pedal" tone, should be about 29 Hz (what beginning tubists think of the regular "low Bb" is roughly 58 Hz), with the theoretical ability to play down to about 15 Hz using four valves. Being but an untrained amateur, I certainly cannot lip or breathe anything so low as the latter, nor anything of much volume below about the G at 24.5 Hz, but I don't know what the experts can manage. Bucs had a moment in last year's show where the tubas played something like pedal Bb; it was pretty faint, but you mentioned it in one of your reviews.

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