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Eleran

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Everything posted by Eleran

  1. Again, symphony orchestras playing outside are doing so to an entirely different audience, and realize that their strings won't be heard over the wind and the sirens by audience members 100 yards away. Please tell me which of the Berlin, Vienna, New York or Chicago symphonies use microphones in their natural setting - the concert hall? Because you know what? Orchestras don't have 24-person trumpet sections.
  2. Chester, PA. And at MetLife, Bluecoats were allowed to stop their show in the middle of some rain in order to wipe-down their props (and potentially protect their electronics) for a few minutes, then restart their show from where they left off.
  3. That's a subjective assessment, and one with which not everyone agrees.
  4. Exactly. Someone earlier said that all music performances in large venues do it, even citing outdoor classical music. Well, when I go to outdoor classical music I'm doing it to have a pleasant picnic, not to seriously listen for audio quality, since I know it's being delivered by speakers. If I want my classical music to sound GOOD, I go to the concert hall where no self-respecting orchestra (or opera) is feeding their sound through microphones. Same for drum corps - I want a live performance by the performers, not a mixed, filtered, aided-by-pre-recorded-tapes, designed and operated by adults with delusions of being DJs. Give the performance BACK to the players. Otherwise, just cancel the season and send us all a perfected recording from a sound studio.
  5. Hmmm ... I wonder what could have happened to explain that. What could they have done if Bilby had been there since November.
  6. That is what he said. - Copland's Lincoln Portrait, from 2014's Promise: An American Portrait
  7. Not that the judges seem to penalize corps now when their sound systems malfunction all by themselves.
  8. Next you're going to tell me that no corps has used taped synth patches of their soloists rather than playing 100% live ...
  9. I think he meant that neither composer (from 2015 and 2016) was American, which really goes more to my comment about Cadets using American music more than your comment about them moving away from it. However, even the Resphigi in 2016 was balanced with John Mackey for half the show, similar to prior use of American wind ensemble composers, not just orchestral composers like Copland and Bernstein.
  10. Tell that to the couple on top of the table in the back during Relentless.
  11. They lost the uniform. They lost the intense drill. They lost the quality classic, Americana source music. What exactly about 2019 is "trying to be Cadets"?
  12. Absolutely disagree with that. The last several years they were held back by designs that didn't do enough FOR their players, that were too casual and lacking in depth, creativity and competitiveness. The brand new design team wrote something for DCI, not for a college halftime show, and it showed. Compare with the 2015 anniversary show, for example, and note 2019's increase in sophistication in both drill and arrangement.
  13. Are we just talking about some corps having some brass members with individual mics? Because that's not new - especially for solo parts. Or are you saying that those players' mics are on throughout the whole show, with their performance being used electronically to cover up the sounds from players without mics? Mics in horn bells aren't exactly a secret - they're fairly obvious (just look at the below recent DCI pic and you can see at least three personal mics)
  14. "Story" shows are not inherently bad or worse than non-story shows (e.g. Spartacus, Drum Corpse Bride, Relentless, etc.), and can vary much as to how literal a story is presented or whether the show is merely alluding to the major themes of the story (e.g. As Dreams Are Made On, Inferno, Wicked Games). The problem is that writing a story (pr adapting one) that can be visually mimed by 154 people on a football field in 12 minutes without detracting from the music is a skill that most DCI designers do not possess (and often are unaware that they lack it). But similarly, most are unable to present a coherent, enjoyable non-story show as well, so there's that.
  15. No matter what happens (who stays, who leaves of their own volition, who is asked to leave) ... since in a week everyone's attention will quickly revert to real life, let me say before then: Every one of the Cadets staff was trying to bring success to the Cadets in 2019, and for that they deserve our thanks; Special Commendations to: the Media team (Josh Clements, Photographer; Jake Hutchinson, Videographer; Roxanna Peykamian, Video Editor; Will Richards, Social Media Specialist) who turned out excellent content (within the boundaries of what they were permitted to release) all season long - better than any prior year (though Robert Machado's videos in 2016 were also excellent); whomever designed, constructed and maintained the prop bridges, which were professionally realized and presented opportunities to the Cadets unlike ever before; the medical staff (Kenn Phillips and Daniel Auli) for what appears to have been a season mostly free of major medical concerns (though some of that could also be a result of the limited drill in this show, especially of the whiplash variety); Aaron Witek, assistant brass caption head, who appears to have the technical knowledge and methods to both instruct and motivate players - I think many Cadets wish he had been on tour all summer (he was limited to a few weeks during Spring Training, and then rejoined at Atlanta Regional); the Administration Interns (Israel DeMello and Alfred Braza), and especially the Tour Manager (Lauren Davis), who were asked to perform more than they undoubtedly bargained for, and appear to have done so with grace and professionalism beyond their years. I hope they all enjoy this Finals Week, for which they have worked so hard all summer, and I hope they hear the "thank yous" which they deserve from all the Members.
  16. Not to put words in his mouth, but why would he agree with that? He just told you he values the celebration of individual rock star members. How better than having unique costumes where those stars are more easily noticed? Not that I necessarily agree with that line of reasoning, but it's pointless to presume any consensus agreement.
  17. As bad as that is ... so much of the book is broken up into group features - trumpets only, mellos only, tuba's only, etc. ... that I calculated only 5:24 for lead trumpets. Take away the soloist times, and it might even be worse for 2nd/3rd trumpets. It's utterly abhorrent. If these kids had wanted to spend a fortune to dance all summer, they could have gone to the Abby Lee Dance Center instead.
  18. Then you don't write "the hornline" - you write the 'brass arrangement" or the "brass design". The "hornline" ARE the kids.
  19. The two of you take the cake for classless pieces of trash.
  20. Someone mentioned Holy Bass Alumni? They're live in Allentown
  21. This was the third year for Shanefield and Aungst running brass/percussion.
  22. Johnston was the Visual Caption head. When Jones was ousted during Spring Training, Johnston stepped in to finish/fix the drill. Jon Bilby was brought in a couple weeks ago to rewrite the closer.
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