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Time to get this review started. I'm holding off on reading Jeff's so that if you read ours and they seem to be similar, it's not by design. I'll have to do it in chunks. 10 and a half hour work days aren't conducive to doing much.

As always, Big Sounds runs very well, is well attended, and the best thing to do is get there early- when the gates open at 530PM, pay the 2 bucks for close parking, and get into the stadium.

I'll try not to be biased with the Thunderbirds (10 Brass/6FE/9 CG/1DM/8 Battery) since I did hang out that afternoon with them and had a great experience. It reminds me why all of us do this- it's the time I feel like I'm most alive. Anyone who's performed at a high level understands this. It also keeps me grounded about how exhausting and challenging this activity is.

The show runs true to their tradition with classic rock tunes like "Under Pressure", "Fat-Bottomed Girls", "Another One Bites the Dust", and "Bohemian Rhapsody." The arrangements are solid and very accessible to the listener.

The real core of the T-Birds are their percussion ensemble, which are very hard-working and very musical. They work hard to do their part and keep a good balance with the brass. I've only seen 2 of the A corps this season, but from observation over the past few seasons when I have seen everyone- I think their percussion could prove to be a surprise at Prelims and could place very well.

The Guard has some experienced and talented individuals, but they need to stay healthy this week as well as do their homework and get the finishing touches onto their program.

The Brass are well-balanced, have a very hard work ethic, and need to get the new folks that have come on board integrated as well as gain more confidence in their talents. They're in G as well, and when they lock in, have a solid sound.

They have a small but very capable staff of educators that are trying hard to get a balance between getting some of the newer members integrated into the program as well as trying to stay fresh for the show. It's a tough and vicious cycle for any corps. The more reps you do to gain confidence also can wear you out. I think the corps was a bit tired and maybe a bit nervous when they saw the large Big Sounds audience, which was very receptive.

I know they're capable of a much better performance for Prelims. It'll be a tough balancing act for them to get the reps in, build stamina, yet keep everyone fresh enough and healthy. Could they do some damage? Sure. It seems the A scores have been in some stagnation and flux as the panels fine tune their ratings in A. This could continue Saturday at prelims. The corps owes it to themselves to have fun do the very best that they're capable of, and give it a go.

The T-Birds are establishing the foundations for what could be a very solid future with this corps. They do have a core of dedicated staff and members that if fleshed out, will be very competitive in A Class.

The region around Erie has some decent and upcoming band programs where if they can locate the right people, get them committed, and on board early next season- look out.

The Open show started with White Sabres, which found a new level of intensity, confidence, and aggressiveness in their performance. It's clear they love performing their program and they knocked me back.

I've been really into this show since D-Town and have enjoyed them at all 4 contests I've been to. Look- I stood for this corps. I think it's the first time I've stood for a corps since 2013 Kidsgrove. I dole out the standing O-s very sparingly. They MADE me do it. :satisfied:

I'll stop here for now. The next section will get rocky and it's 530 AM.

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The suspense is killing meeee!

Edited by thefrontensemblenerd
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Jeeeze ... what kind of work do you do? ... Consulting? ... Construction? ... Road crew? ... 10.5 per day is pretty rough on the bod and the mind ...

:sad:

Time to get this review started. I'm holding off on reading Jeff's so that if you read ours and they seem to be similar, it's not by design. I'll have to do it in chunks. 10 and a half hour work days aren't conducive to doing much.

Edited by ajlisko
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Well, I work as an "internal employee" for a well known large international corporate logistics company. I'm a Teamster. I work from 4-6PM until 230-4 AM. :satisfied:

Shows yah what a B.S. Mus.Ed. and an M.S. Ed. can get you in terms of job opportunities, huh? :satisfied:

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Well, I may as well lay it out with Carolina Gold and their "Let it Snow" program (@44 guard/24 Brass/10FE/16 Battery/2DM).

First, the good stuff.

Their props this year are very attractive and much improved in terms of aesthetic and design over last year's.

The Guard costuming is also much better, and the guard is quite, quite agile and talented, which has been a given over the last couple of seasons. They're truly splendid.

The percussion section looks to have gained in numbers and have improved, their feature is solid, but it can definitely get tighter.

Here's where things get rough.

Upside:

There's some solid Lower Brass writing in the second number- to a point, though there needed to be far more subtlety and precision. Some nice Tuba work.

At best, the musical book is, as I wrote in my notes, "pleasant" at best. Let's start by saying that I feel the Brass section is capable of more and deserves far more than has been written for them in the past 3 seasons.

Most of the program gets repetitive, frankly, I'm not engaged for a lot of it, and it just broadly sweeps... sweeps... sweeps along, and sweeps some more without any rhythmic drive, punch or variety until "Into the Storm", and then- it's mostly the percussion that's carrying that rhythmical energy, and it's because of the lack of drive in the brass book. And the musical ending? :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: . Yeah, it left me very unsatisfied and shaking my head.

Look. I'm not all into "hot, fast, and loud" all the daggone time, but there needs to be more variety and meat within the brass book. I understand there's 24 brass, so please don't tell me I just expect them to be louder and that this will solve all the issues inherent. Untrue. This affects the entire program. How? It's a teachable moment. Follow me.

Without spice, excitement, and variety provided, what kind of equipment work and choreography can the guard design team create? One of the first things in the back of my mind was this: What could that guard do with the music for the Bucs', Cabs, Fusion. C2...truthfully, any of the other 10 open class brass books I've heard this season? That guard would be to say the least, explosive!

Right now, they're being hamstrung to a fair extent by what musical material they're provided with to perform to. They're so good that they create an illusion that the book is better than it really is by their elegant work and energy.

The same applies to the visual package. It has a sameness to it. Why? What can the drill designer do with sameness of music and a feeling of blandness? I think they did the best job they could have given the material to work with. Their hands are tied.

What can percussion do? They interact with and support the brass. With the top corps, this is an intricate dance. I've seen some ensembles- and Jeff knows where I'm going- that took the bull by the horns and just cranked out stuff in spite of the lack of brass. BITD- it got you into trouble because the sheets were very explicit about how percussion interacted with brass and vice versa, and it's even more of an issue now because of the Ensemble caption. Crack it out, get a great perc number, which would then be somewhat held back because of the lack of integration with the brass anyway- and then get blasted in Ensemble and called out in Effect. The percussionist's hands are also tied.

It's easily my least favorite brass book of the 11 Open Class corps I've seen. All of the others offer far more in terms of engagement and variety to me. Don't tell me I'm some DIno, either. A: I like "Into the Storm" as a concert work, and B: "Twist-it" would be considered high heresy to most Dinos and a revoking of their Dino Club card if they liked that show 2 percent as much as I do.

it leads to the next part. I think the readership realizes that for the Lion's share of the judging numbers and decisions, I'm very comfortable with them. I may quibble over .1 or .2 here and there, or about how Class A seems to have been overscored early in the season and that now adjustments are being made at the expense of the teams.

I just can't buy Bush and the Hurcs behind Gold in certain ways. I look at total package, variety, engagement, communication, and I'm finding myself in Bush and the Hurcs' corner when it all sorts out in terms of enjoyment and appreciation. Yes- I'm with the Hurcs on this. For an old Westshore guy to take the Hurcs' side, watch for the earthquakes and cracks in the Earth to form. :laugh: I'm also thinking- How are they this close to Sun!? How, how, how!?!?!? I haven't looked at the recaps. My guess is that the crack color guard is driving the visual numbers hard. There are other elements in the total visual package that also need to be factored in too, and I'm wondering if they really are. Perhaps.

It'll sort out at Prelims to what it sorts out to. Personally, folks had better be there early to see how it breaks down and to make sure they see all of the Open Corps. It'll make for some hard and serious all-out performances on the field.

Well, there yah go. I finally found something this season to get cranked up over. :confused: On the other hand, C2 got off my "to be picked on" list in a massive way, so I guess there's some kind of karma going on here. Fire away. Work calls. I need to get ready. More later.

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Yay! I got asked if I wanted to leave work early. I ran out the door. :satisfied:

The next corps on were the Bushwackers, I read my notes, and they're full of how much I enjoyed the variety present within the musical and visual program. Real MEAT in the brass book. I liked the wry humor within the narration. Whomever did the inflection and voice work for the intercom lady at the factory really gets the whole aspect of the beat-down and drudgery that pervades factory work.

They've fought hard this season, and been growing with every performance. I don't know if they'll crack finals. They're still very enjoyable and have a quality to the performance I deeply respect whether they get there or not.

All I can tell them is as the Brits say, they should have a go at it and they owe it to themselves to do so. I'll be disappointed if they let the placement and seeding get them down. They've gone too far and are too close to give up.

C2 took the field and I knew that they usually do very well at Big Sounds. They've fed off the supportive audience and I expected much the same for this year.

Listening to Russian Christmas Music, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. There is that one spot that we concert Euphonium players get a little honked off as I mentioned on another thread, but still, I was impressed with the overall impact. The overall ensemble shading sounded great up top, and the brass section are starting to throw out some weighty and really mature sounds.

The rifle work in "Tumblers" also caught my eye. Zounds!

I know folks are starting to think, "is this the year!?!?!?" I like these guys- they've made a serious turnaround. They've got me to stop blasting away at all the easy-peasy performance issues that plagued them since their inception, the feeling that the only a few brass players were pulling the train and everyone else was in panic mode, etc.

Even though I think the Brass book is very, very conservative as compared to the other top brass books in DCA- as much as I gripe about that- I do still have a lot of love for them. They need to be taking more compositional risks with the Brass like they do with the mello writing in Scheherazade. If there was more of that in the program that was done as successfully as the Mellos do with that... then.... maybe......

Win it all? I'm not thinking that. I just believe when I look at the totality of the entire program/coordination of the Cabs and Bucs, they're just not *quite* there yet. Maybe... pick some caption awards off? Percussion? Guard? I wouldn't be surprised with that achievement. To me, their big achievement this season has been to show up, perform at a high level of quality with an enjoyable and accessible program and get the doubters like myself on their side. Thank you! :satisfied:

Fusion took the field after C2, and I felt a strong hype and vibe from the pre-show. Things were starting to shape up in a big way at Clifton. Could they take it further? Yeah, they could. :cool:

The brass work was a lot clearer, which was something I was concerned about at Clifton. I know the staff was thrilled with how the show tempos were right on, and how the program came alive in the way it was meant to be both musically and visually. I was also musing in my notes whether the top number in brass might have been ahead of C2's. I don't know- I haven't spied the recap yet. It wouldn't be crazy to think it. The Brass content's starting to gel. The quality of it, better--- but not yet by Fusion's standards.

It was good to see my man Eldon out there on Bari. He's a way better Bari player then I am on Mello- he's truly multi-talented and a heckuva good guy. :worthy:

Evidently, the guy I saw got whacked hard on-field on Tuba at Clifton didn't file an accident report and is obviously just fine. They think he might be the new guy at Fusion. Call him the Iron Man. Definitely Nigh-Indestructible. :biggrin:

Last on, the host corps. The Bucs came through at Clifton with every gun aimed at their heads in enemy territory and got it done. Would they keep pulling ahead and make sure they got the #1 seed for Prelims?

They cut into the flying start, and I'm watching, listening... anyone with half a brain turned on could feel that something special was about to happen. They were obviously beyond just going through the motions or performing a careful/conservative run of the program. That special corps I felt at D-Town was definitely on-field.

What's cool to me is how well-assembled and thought out the entire pre-show/flying start is. I worked in radio, and the way the drill and music is arranged, they're doing ensemble and sectional sound checks which enable everyone to get mentally locked into the program and also to enable the sound board and electronics to be in proper balance before the show kicks off. Add to that the fact the piece of music sounds fantastic, is exciting as *bleep*.... you've got everyone hyped in the corps and audience before the initial salute.

The whole set-up and initial impact was pretty much the DCA equivalent of this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn1GghOkvMg :tic:

I can't put down what I put in my notebook as a reaction to it. I tried to find my Bucs' friend Keith after the show to show him for a laugh. :winky:

In short- everything clicked. The Guard's still pushing and getting way, way better. I have a feeling the Percussion's still peeved about that 3rd at Scranton and is now playing out of their minds. The battery's clearly inspired when they're out there.

I also can't re-print my notes on the ballad. Needless to say, I did like it- a lot. :sly:

The Bucs are ready. Very, very ready. I'm sure the Cabs and MBI are, too.

The show finished off with a very polished performance by the Bucs Alumni that was well-appreciated.

All in all- a great contest. I'm still stoked.

240AM: I'll take care of all of the thank-yous and fistbumps later as well as the 2015 "All-BigW Corps of the imagination". :biggrin:

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Oh ... UPS - huh? ... they had a nice PT shift loading trucks in the early 60's from midnight to 4:00am ... paid a pretty decent wage for college kids ... but, you had to buy your Union Card and pay the Teamster dues (~$75/mo at that time) ... I sure hope you're doing the supervising and not the grunt work ... them 40 footers are nasty inside ...

Well, I work as an "internal employee" for a well known large international corporate logistics company. I'm a Teamster. I work from 4-6PM until 230-4 AM. :satisfied:

Shows yah what a B.S. Mus.Ed. and an M.S. Ed. can get you in terms of job opportunities, huh? :satisfied:

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Heh, I do a bit of what's needed, sometimes but rarely load and unload. Lot of sorting stuff. Mainly the specialty stuff that requires some figuring out at times. Dues are a tad spicy, but yeah I'm an hourly. I decided early on I didn't want to be joined at the hip to the overlords. :satisfied:

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Now for the final season Fistbumps!

T-Birds: Their Contra player and the Bass Drums. Great attitudes and a lot of heart.

The Bucs' battery: Hardcore performance that really shone through.

Not a lot this week- I'm running out of people!

Now for the 2015 "All-Big W corps":

I look for sections and people of character that may not get a lot of attention that are doing great work on the field. I can take 'em from Alumni, anywhere, as long as I've seen the corps this season. I also look for well-grounded folks to keep me on the straight and narrow. A corps needs a good balance of the dreamers like myself and the down to earth.

Man... that's gonna make this tough. No CV this year. No trumpets, no Dan Detwiler. I think the CV trumpets were 2 years running, They have a very good Tymp player...and I need a good Drum Major!

Hmmm... I think I may have some good people to help out. Who?

I'm starting by stealing the T-Birds, all of 'em. Why!?

I realized that this corps was Sean Bartlett's and Gary Matzack's corps of their imaginations, but they with the members of the corps made it their reality. This, I admire. Everyone on board has a great attitude. It's a start! It also gives me a very fine young Drum Major who is very bright, humble, professional in her attitude, wise beyond her years, and someone who really understands what needs to be done to make the corps successful from the podium. If she stays with it- She'll be very much a Drum Major in the mold of Andrea Gwyn.

Gary Matzack is also a very good and sublime Tymp Player. Never anything out of place. As sublime as Ricky Lee at Westshore in the early 80's was not. :laugh:

I also get Sean Bartlett as my sideline solo guy. They're becoming rarer to find. Sean marches a spot but in my Corps of the Imagination, He gets a break from the drill. I can also grab Rich Yelnick from the Hurcs. Man... if I get Ponzo on board, I've got a DCA trinity of cool.

Assistant Drum Majors-- I always come back to Chris Fontanelle at the Cabs. Assistant DM's are unsung heroes, period. Frank Ponzo's one now, but in my corps if he wants to pick up an instrument and go for it on the sideline as well as conduct, no one will stop him. :wink:

Hmm, I do need more Trumpets since I lost CV this season. How 'bout those White Sabres? They PLAY.

Mid-range Brass: Let me tell you- for me to call out a C2 brass section and say, get over here and come play with my crew...It's about time. :worthy: I'm happy they've really made a strong statement this season. I'd also like to steal Horn Sergeant Matt Heckman and Kappa brother Chris Burkey from the Bucs. They love corps as much as I do- and they're more grounded than I am. You want two cats you can count on to play and to lead by example? Look no further.

Baris: Well... I didn't see Kidsgrove. Matt Williams knows I love those guys to death, though. But, those folks at White Sabres are also the kind of animals I like to hang with. Sun's baris are young, but very good and hungry. Also the kind of people I like to hang with. They'll push me to bring my A-game. And I'll take Eldon from the Core for the same reason I want Chris and Matt. Eldon is always spot on. He'll keep my feet on the ground, too.

Tuba/Contras: The T-Birds have a guy who's totally into the scene. Intense, hard working. I want the Iron Man from Fusion. I need guys who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. John, bring your Tubas from the Cabs over here to finish the roster. I need a man of sharp wit on board, a thinker that's not a yes-man. And, I want the people he educates.

Hmm. I have the T-Birds percussion, but I need some more folks.

Get me the White Sabres' battery. The more I observe, the more I like.

What about filling out the Front Ensemble? I'll grab the Cabs'. They've been flying under the radar far more than they should be. They make me geek out. :worthy:

As for Guard, the Cabs as well. Yes, I know the corps is seeded 2nd- but I like the guard, and maybe... they've been under-appreciated this season. Other guards have stolen their thunder, they're still quite good, I believe. :thumbup:

I need an electronics guru. Hey! I want this corps to have everything working and be relevant in today's DCA! I know a guy. Frank Franko at the Bucs. Every time I've been around him, I learn, and learn a lot. He's a true educator and someone who's another great thinker. Knowledge is power. A corps can never have enough of it.

Well, that's it for 2015. I really enjoyed the 4 contests I attended, and the presentations. All I wish is for the very best performances for every corps in the coming weekend, and for everyone to stay safe and healthy. If everything keeps going as it should, I'll see everyone again next Spring come concert season. :thumbup:

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