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7/24/16 Bushwackers Invitational - my first review!


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Hi everyone! I've been thinking for a while now to get into the whole reviewing scene. I marched the inaugural season of C2 as the mello section leader and afterwards, worked for a few years as the mello tech for Bushwackers in 2013 and 2014 and the mello tech for Cadets2 in 2015 as well as taught the mellos for a few camps at Cadets in the winter of 2015. I've also taught numerous marching bands and music programs throughout the past decade. So now that I am a full on spectator of drum corps and not affiliated with any corps anymore, I decided it was time to start writing reviews of whatever show I go to. I will be giving my full UNBIASED opinions of each corps. My reviews will be mostly music based as I don’t think I am qualified to give any real big comments on guard and visual or any big INTRICATE percussion commentary…

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So on my way back to Jersey from Ithaca, NY, which I drove for about 4 hours straight to get to the show, I missed seeing The Raiders... Sorry to my colleagues who are teaching there. I promise I'll catch you guys on the road!!

Woodbridge was a town I grew up in and left when I was 13 to go to South Brunswick for high school where my love of the activity began. I have to give so much props to my friend Jason Kohn for pumping up the Woodbridge HS program back to being a respectable one after years of disaster plagued the town in the music department. So kudos to you my friend!!!

The new stadium is amazing!!! It was just a scorcher today. It was about 100+ in the stands on my weather app, and I'm sure over 140 on the field. The sun was shining over the press box, high up and in the eyes of the corps. All the corps decided to go jacket-less to avoid overheating and potential heat-related injuries. I'm grateful for seeing that happen and all the corps directors should be commended for being accommodating.

So here goes the review part! If I am wrong on numbers of each section for the show, please let me know… I don’t know how you reviews vets keep an accurate count by just looking at the field without being distracted from what is actually important in the review!!

************ This is my first read on all these shows as I had NOT seen any video or audio prior to Sunday. *************

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My seats were on side 2 - 35 until the band director at WHS came over and told me to stand under the shade with him near the 50 right under the box. I felt bad so I went to the end of the box and sat there out of any other staff's way! You are welcome. ;) Oh the perks of having friends high up! :D

Fusion Core –

4DM

Brass - 12/9/16/8

Perc – 8/5/5/3/13

Guard – 33

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I just have to say I love the guard flags and arrows that point “UP!” I GET IT!!! It’s very cute. J The opening of the show I really enjoyed. The build to the opening hit was very effective. The front ensemble sounds great! When the backfield brass come in (low brass), however, there is a minor timing tear until the hit happens… But throughout the show, that was the only noticeable timing tear. I am sure that is on their staff’s docket to fix and will be achieved earlier than finals. Brass sonority and projection is quite good and really powerful when they sustain chords. Props to the low brass on their huge sound! They blew me back a few rows and I was ALREADY at the top of the stadium at the time when I was still sitting on the 35.

The brass feature later on in the show is extremely impressive for July drum corps, but much cleaning is needed if they really want to wow the audience and judges with their virtuosity to place them in the next box. I have to give the battery so much respect for all the movement they do in their break. They are very clean! But then again, I’m not a percussionist. I only know what it sounds like when it’s NOT clean. Hahaha!! The brass interjections during the drum break are quite good from my memory but heard some feet in the sound, which will be fixed as everything is with this caliber of drum corps.

Throughout the show, they keep showing us the many DIFFERENT ways to go UP, whether it’s the arrows, the boxes that soloists stand on, or the ramps they are VERY reminiscent of Bluecoats this season… ;) There is no question that the audience and the judges “get” the show.

There are moments in the show where clarity starts to fade when they are moving and playing. Chalk it up to the sun, but I lose some of that clarity when playing softer dynamics and moving at faster tempi. Feet through the sound is evident and so is a few moments of individual stick outs, mostly in the trumpets. I am sure all will be fixed as well, but for DCA, they are right on track at this point of the season. It’s almost that time of the season to do multiple runs per day!!

Final thoughts:

The whole package works and is VERY entertaining. It’s evident with where they are seated right now. The hornline sounds fantastic when they stand still, as is the case with almost every corps, but at times when they move at faster tempos, they start to show their fatigue. But it’s no question that they can finish the show! They play their behinds off from beginning to end and everyone knows how to fight the good fight. But as I have heard Matt Harloff of Crown say before, “It only counts when you can move and play.” I am not being overly critical, but it is a very big truth in the activity that applies to EVERY SINGLE CORPS. The corps with the least amount of errors wins... I am looking forward to seeing the finished product on finals night and if they keep their momentum, they will finish really high. I hate to compare this to the Bucs, but just looking at scores, if anyone wants to dethrone them, they will need to perform a finals show that is undeniable and deserving!

Anyways, will get onto Sunrisers in the afternoon!

Edited by MelloEvan
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Sunrisers -

3DM

Brass - 12/7/11/5

Perc - 6/2/4/4/9

Guard - 26

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This one review will be mostly be about the brass... Sorry percussion and guard!! I made a mistake not opening my ears and eyes up more to you guys. I will try to be better in the future! But the good news is... if you guys didn't jump out at me, that means it's getting cleaner!! :) I was just enamored with what the brass was producing... Anyways...

The sound the brass hit me with for the first notes of the show was VERY IMPRESSIVE! I had no idea that Sunrisers could produce such a robust sound, and they really surprised me! High brass had a piercing sound that was oh so satisfying to hear, especially with their numbers. So kudos to the brass. The percussion and battery is sounding really clean, as with the rest of the DCA corps this season. From my notes and what I can remember, the corps made a wise decision making the drill less demanding to be able to maximize sound and to be able to achieve excellence and entertainment. You can tell the corps really built on the foundation that was established last year and ran with it. The obvious passion that the members had, came across to the audience without question.

After quite a strong opener with very no noticeable tears or running out of gas since the scoring was quite full and loud, the ballad started to see a few issues. I know as a performer, it's very tough to switch gears when the heart rate races high and the adrenaline kicks in. The brass started to have that fatigue set in. Saw a few brass players start to sag their horns a little as well. But sometime during the middle of the ballad the corps got their second wind and finished strong with a big sound! Special kudos to the trumpet trio. Sounds great guys! In the 3rd tune, again, the lead screamers took a big role. It was very enjoyable and what DCA is all about. Just watch out mellos. The mello lick in there was a bit strident and got blatty, but the effort was very much appreciated! It might be the mello tech in me, but keep a nice relaxed air stream, even if you are playing full, and fog up the sound!! We want to hear a rich mello tone when there are solis. The percussion break was also quite good and communicated really well. The interjections between brass and percussion were very well staged. I can't wait to see what the next level of performance will be achieved!

Finally onto the closer. It works very well between all sections and the brass delivered every ounce of strength they had left, leaving it all on the field. It was an exhilarating end to the show. They fought hard and they were given the credit they deserved from the audience. Just one small gripe being a mello player myself... There was a mello note that was held through that is scored too low to give any real entertainment value. If the staff is reading and would like my opinion, if you guys took that note, whatever it was, (seemed like an F4 or a G4) up an octave, it would be much more effective. But as I said, that is just my opinion.

Final thoughts - The corps has seen continuous growth and success over the last few years and they are a corps I will be keeping a closer eye on, going forward. The brass have a great sound which they must have great instructional staff as well as great talent in the hornline. Just a few critiques... Some members of the hornline still don't quite know where to point their bells during a given set. I saw a few people playing to the front sideline when others were to the box. I'm sure that will be hashed out soon. Also when moving and playing just like every other corps at this time of the year, there are stick-outs and feet in the sound. That will take more stamina building and ultimately falls upon each member to dig down and see what they can accomplish through hard work and discipline to not let mistakes they can control, happen. They will be a shoe in for finals this year and could see some upward movement if they stay the course!! Keep the passion alive for your show and magic can happen!!!!!!

Cabs tomorrow morning-ish!

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Caballeros -

4DM

Brass - 17/10/13/7

Battery - 9/5/5/14

Guard - 24

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I will begin by saying how extraordinary the entire corps was in the opening hit. The clarity of all the musicians on the field, being able to hear all the different colors blended together was a feast for me ears. If they were anymore on fire, the extreme heat that was already on the field would have literally caused them to UN-spontaneously combust!!! Now I will also say this... their percussion is on another level. I'm not even a percussion guy but they caught my attention. The battery was well staged all show. The quad feature in the opener was unbelievable, as was the rest of the battery. They have a DCI quality line this year and I can't wait to see what they sound like at the end of the season.

The excellence level of the multitude of brass sustains throughout their show is absolutely MONSTER. All but ONE of the sustains which I'll get to later, gave me goosebumps and was also on the level of DCI. And as with Cabs every year, you have to expect the trumpets will be fabulous and very soul/body snatching. The trumpet trio was extremely entertaining. I just wanted to hear someone scream even higher, but alas, that is probably not written in the music. :/

Even with such a highly polished show this early in the season, there were a few "weird" moments, which could maybe be chalked up to the heat/sun, or random small details. There were few moments of visual uncleanliness where some hornline members missed a movement by only a 16th note or so, and how some of the high brass started to peter out before the big hold at the end of Malaguena. Once they do hit the form however, they sound fantastic. There was also some weirdness coming out of the ballad hit where the sustain was not strong and we could hear stick outs, primarily in the high brass. Closing drill is also quite fast with lots of velocity. It is extremely entertaining, but the level of excellence needs to be higher and undeniable, which I have no doubt the men and women of Cabs will be able to achieve way before finals weekend.

Final Thoughts: With their show Red, White and Black, and the multiple guard uniform changes, I totally get it. The brass is as strong as ever and all the moving parts in the show work well together. I was right on the money in calling their hornline the winner of the contest. Staging is absolutely paramount in their show. Whoever their designers are should be commended. When you guys wanted me to see/hear the percussion, I saw them. When you guys wanted me to see the guard, I did. It's this level of detail that I saw that was most enjoyable. I think if they keep doing what they all obviously know how to do, they could not only pass Fusion, which they are already extremely close to doing, but they could be a possible contender for the title by the end of the season. Good luck to you all!

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Since I want to actually be finished TONIGHT and I'm feeling inspired, here's my final review...

Bushwackers -

3DM

Brass - 9/3/7/6

Perc - 6/3/5/4/8

Guard - 23

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The corps has seen much improvement over last season from what I can tell by just seeing them as a spectator now. The guard is very large and performing at a high level. It's really nice to see that recruiting John Lemire was a great investment for them, whom I've worked with during my time at C2 and can attest to his work. The rest of the corps looks stronger at the start. The opening hit works really well with Fran's pre-recorded announcement. The corps sounds great and the brass are firing on all cylinders right out of the gate. Feet in the sound was pretty much absent during the beginning of the opener while they have more intricate drill running around. Battery playing is especially tasteful. There was a slight tear with the baris on side 1 with their melody during the opener which could have been disastrous for the whole musical ensemble, but they recovered well. Those moments of clarity issues will be fixed I am sure.

The sets leading up to the big hold/final form of the opener, the brass start to fatigue big time, but as soon as they hit the form, the sound hits as well. The ballad had a similar issue where everything leading to the hit was unclear and fatigued. I was expecting more sound as soon as they got to the hit, but they got to about a Mezzo Forte at most. They need to fight for every second of the show to achieve excellence, and they showed me they are capable by the good sounds they were able to produce when not moving. They need to find a way to get those sounds while moving as well. If they can do it at the beginning of the show when they are fresh, they need to remember what that feels like throughout the rest of the show. I think it'sthat time of the season that individual work becomes paramount. I challenge all the brass to go home and find an empty parking lot or field or something and just track parts of the show that seem daunting. Do it once, then repeat 50 more times making each rep better than the last. Mimic the step-size, the direction you are moving in, the volume, etc... Many reps are needed to ensure excellence is achieved 99% of the time. Everyone must dig down deep to see what they're made of.

The battery is VERY good and shines through the show, especially in the drum break. I loved the little interjections of Chop Sticks that were integrated. SOLID ENTERTAINMENT VALUE! The bass drums are also on another level from the rest of the battery. KUDOS to those guys and my buddy Crease for whipping them into shape, who he told me he's not finished with them yet! I wouldn't expect anything less my friend. My only gripe is there was way too much time between the percussion feature and starting the next movement.

Brass get a good break to refresh their chops and sound much bigger now after about 2-3 minutes of their face, but is the percussion feature innovative enough to be able to leave the brass out entirely? That's just a question. But the break was much appreciated and from there on out, no one should have any excuses not to show up. The low brass sound full and gave the brass a nice solid foundation when they did come in. The low brass really complement each other well, but the trumpets get no help from their alto voice unfortunately...

So what I really wanted to hear more of was the mid-voice mello sound. It was practically non-existent throughout the show. I hate to be overly critical, and I know they only have 3 right now, who might be new members who jumped in late in the game, but they need to step it into high gear ASAP to support the rest of the brass. This story is mainly for the mellos of the corps, but I remember back in 2013 when I first was hired and came on board in March, the entire mello section that season just UP AND QUIT because they had no tech until I showed up the EXACT weekend everyone decided to not show up... Now we did not have a mello section that season until around the beginning of July when we recruited HARD and I even helped pay for 2 members FULL TUITION for a total of 4 mellos, but we ALL worked our ##### off and we got them playing strong by the end of July, where we are now this year. And as I can recall, not to stroke my own ego and I am NOT an egomaniac like some certain political candidate which we won't get into here because HEY IT'S DRUM CORPS, but reading the forums at finals night, and hearing all the judges in the meetings throughout August, every brass judge agreed the mello section was the strongest section in the brass that played with the most finesse. No one knew they had only been in the corps for about a month... So moral of the story is... anything is possible. It's all about fighting for what you want, and wanting to power through when the going gets tough. Your tech can only meet you half way. You are the ones who need to cross the finish line.

Final thoughts: I don't mean to rip on them. The very reason I rip on them is because I believe in them and want to see them succeed. There is so much potential and they have a show that is written well enough that if they fight to the end every time they step on the field and max out every rep, they will see their success and make it back into finals. The vehicle is there, they need to drive it home. You all have the ability, so do it.

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So that was my take on all these performances! I hope you all enjoyed reading and think my comments are useful as I sit here at 1:32AM. My only aim is to help everyone, and want to see everyone win the championship, but alas, only 1 corps a year can take the title... but that doesn't mean you are not successful!!! The late and great Bill Kellerman whom many of you in the community knew, and who was my brass caption head and orchestra director at South Brunswick High School in NJ right up to the year he passed away once told me, which is forever immortalized in my mind, "You know what you want. Take it!" We all knew we wanted to be successful and whether win or lose, if we walked off the field and left everything there and knew there was nothing else we could have done, we knew we achieved excellence.

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We were missing 2 mellophones last weekend due to personal issues unfortunately but they are back in this week. Thank you for a great review!

Jay

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What BigW said. I wrote and did photography for many years for Drum Corps News and Drum Corps World. Your first effort is better than most of the stuff that I wrote after years of working at it.....

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Outstanding review... and thanks for the photos, too!!!

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