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Carolina Crown 2018


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22 hours ago, Cappybara said:

My fingers are crossed that we see a return of the 2012/2016 Crown, not the 2014/2017. 

Biggest thing on my wishlist:

please please please stop with the "hey look how fast I can play, and look I can quadruple tongue at the same time too.. oh wait this is starting to sound like an on-field warm up so let's play a really loud chord to get the audience riled up" type of arrangements. 

Crown brass is phenomenal. But when they do these type of arrangements, they lose their shine and sound robotic. Runs and double tonguing are awesome, but they have their place, and every other line of music is not it. 

This is reminding me of my take on the Cavies back in the 2000's. My one gripe with them was always that the shows seemed to lack any emotion from the members. They were literally a machine in my eyes with how well they were performing, especially on the visual side of things. They just seemed like robots out there.

Crown's brass the last couple years is starting to get this same "robot" type vibe, but I only really get that during warmups or standstill (basically anytime other than a performance). They are just so GOOD that it sounds like a computer is playing it. I don't believe Klesch's arrangements are really the issue. It's just the kids get so good and perform it almost perfectly that it starts to come off as this robotic hornline. Just my opinion anyways...

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50 minutes ago, wilme861 said:

This is reminding me of my take on the Cavies back in the 2000's. My one gripe with them was always that the shows seemed to lack any emotion from the members. They were literally a machine in my eyes with how well they were performing, especially on the visual side of things. They just seemed like robots out there.

Crown's brass the last couple years is starting to get this same "robot" type vibe, but I only really get that during warmups or standstill (basically anytime other than a performance). They are just so GOOD that it sounds like a computer is playing it. I don't believe Klesch's arrangements are really the issue. It's just the kids get so good and perform it almost perfectly that it starts to come off as this robotic hornline. Just my opinion anyways...

Mm I agree and disagree. I do agree that they perform it so well that it sounds robotic. BUT part of the reason for that IS the arrangements. Crown 2012 had one of the greatest hornlines, and definitely the best of that year, but they never sounded robotic. That's because they were playing music that was technically challenging but was also melodically sound. The technical moments flowed with the music rather than being abruptly interjected.

Think back to 2013 when Crown formed a big line and performed that long run up and down the line. It was impressive, yes. But, how did that make any sense with what was being played before and after? It was done to flex some technical muscle -- an overt self-pat on the back -- but it made no sense.

And since that year, Crown's been doing it a little too often. They did it in their 2014 closer (though they ended up watering it down because it was too difficult with the drill), they did it in Dies Irae in 2015 mid season, and they did it a few times in their 2017 production. I found the 2016 technical passages to be a bit more tasteful. 

I want to see a return to the pre-2013 type of arranging that made Crown famous, and it does not look like I'm alone on this. 

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1 hour ago, wigwam said:

I love the technical stuff they do, it's amazing.  But I see your point and agree they might have gone a tad overboard this year with the runs. 

I prefer something like  OOTW in 2014 which had lots of technical stuff, but was very musical.   

There are some parts of OOTW that really toed the line between excessive and perfect in regards to the extent of technical writing, but I agree it was overall a tasteful production 

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I agree, some technical passages can seem sort of like "we're playing a melody, now here's a bunch of double tonguing and runs, and now back to melody!" However, I do appreciate the technical prowess that Crown flexes and I really do hope they find a way to incorporate it more organically.

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What I know about Carolina Crown's 2018 show : Their brass will be amazing. 

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1 hour ago, Cappybara said:

 

Think back to 2013 when Crown formed a big line and performed that long run up and down the line. It was impressive, yes. But, how did that make any sense with what was being played before and after? It was done to flex some technical muscle -- an overt self-pat on the back -- but it made no sense.

 

Im an established BD fan, but I just wanna ask a question.  Wouldnt you say Bumblebee is the same way?  I love it obviously, but its really just thrown in as a technical passage.  If you take out Bumblebee BD 2017 is a (relatively) simple book.  How does Bumblee play into the rest of the show.  I would argue, like BD, its Crown playing to the sheets, and it works pretty much everytime.  I actually enjoy it, and in my opinion I think Crown was doing a great job of getting away from those technical passages this year with the use of a more rhythmic/groovy book that showed much more demand than the runs that they typical do (and did sometimes this year).  IDK, just a thought.

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On 8/12/2017 at 11:38 PM, cube said:

Hopefully this... occurrence... deters the rest of DCI from featuring vocalists.

Or have a strong backup plan (second mic on the singer?) or planting the singer at a wired microphone.

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On 8/13/2017 at 0:31 AM, Cappybara said:

Me, I miss 2007-2012 Crown that prioritized musicality over showing off their technical muscle. Seeing that they won a few Otts in that time period, I don't see why they couldn't go back to that style. 

I thought 2012 was more show-offy and sterile than 2013.

Relatively speaking, I mean. I like Crown '12 more than enough to still go back and forth in my mind as to whether Crown or BD should have won. (I have no doubt about Crown deserving their '13 win. With SCV in second and BD and Cadets tussling for third.)

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10 minutes ago, BoaDci said:

Im an established BD fan, but I just wanna ask a question.  Wouldnt you say Bumblebee is the same way?  I love it obviously, but its really just thrown in as a technical passage.  If you take out Bumblebee BD 2017 is a (relatively) simple book.  How does Bumblee play into the rest of the show.  I would argue, like BD, its Crown playing to the sheets, and it works pretty much everytime.  I actually enjoy it, and in my opinion I think Crown was doing a great job of getting away from those technical passages this year with the use of a more rhythmic/groovy book that showed much more demand than the runs that they typical do (and did sometimes this year).  IDK, just a thought.

Hey, that's totally fair :) and you're right, bumblebee is pretty similar in that it's a highly technical piece meant to showcase how well you can play fast runs. 

I treat bumblebee a little differently because it's a very commonplace piece that is almost melodic in the way it is written. But that's just the way I personally see it, you are technically correct. 

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13 minutes ago, BoaDci said:

Wouldnt you say Bumblebee is the same way?  I love it obviously, but its really just thrown in as a technical passage. If you take out Bumblebee BD 2017 is a (relatively) simple book.  How does Bumblee play into the rest of the show?

I was too busy to keep up with announcements this spring, but I assume someone brought up Drumline the moment BD mentioned "Flight of the Bumblebee".

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