The tyranny and folly of abstraction - an open letter to the Cadets de

[WGI spells wedgie]

"The tyranny and folly of abstraction - an open letter to the Cadets design team"

Bravo on a brilliant choice of music for next year in Shostakovich’s 10^th symphony! Truly inspiring choice. With the right choice of concept, this could be a championship caliber program. And bravo for (I think) trying to tell the story without spelling it out through clumsy narration.

I have serious reservations about the choice of concept, and the tyrannical reign of WGI "inspired" abstractions and design in recent years of DCI.

In sum - The concept should arise from the music if the show will work for judges and audiences.

As described on the YEA website, the initial concept for this music is the number 10, or X. So the Cadets are considering sections in multiples of 10, and other permutations of the number as the core of the show concept.

When I read the Cadets' choice of music, I cheered. But when I read the concept, I cringed.

The number of a symphony, or most any piece of classical music, is arbitrary, just like an opus number, and has no connection with the music at all. It follows that this "X" show concept itself is arbitrary.

I’ve not yet heard of a more abstract, more arbitrary, and less connected to the music show concept since I began following DCI in the early 80s.

Imagine making the theme of a show featuring Copland’s 3rd symphony the number three. Nine snares, three quads, (or maybe quads with one drum removed), 27 guard members, and drill written featuring blocks of three, with the field divided into thirds, and a double Z-pull, I mean, 3-pull, resolving into the numbers 1, 2, and 3 to correspond to the rising opening G - C - G phrase of the "Fanfare for the Common Man" theme in movement 4. etc. Or Appalachian Spring’s show concept being based on whatever the heck the opus number is.

I thought spelling it out with narration could be bad. But now we're counting it out for the audience?

“Ten” is a meaningless number: meaningless to Shostakovich, meaningless in terms of the music, and will be meaningless to the audience and the judges. Thinking of sections of the corps in multiples of ten, for example, is a gesture reaching for a concept, but not itself a concept. It’s confusing actually. “10” isn’t a story or a concept. It’s a Bo Derek movie and Pearl Jam album and a volume setting on a guitar amp that’s one notch too low for Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel.

Why such a desperate reach into meaningless abstraction?

The alternative: The music itself is so profoundly full of narrative, emotion, and meaning, why muddle it with abstraction and arbitrary "concepts"?

In fact, choosing "X" to be the initial idea of what this show is "about" might be unwittingly revelatory of why the concept as such cannot succeed and become art, like all of the most successful Cadets shows actually did become by season's end. "X" is not a Roman numeral. It's an empty variable, and it will make Shostakovich's heart-wrenchingly, furious music become all sound and fury, but ultimately signifying nothing.

Instead of "X", tell a story.

Tell a story, like Shostakovich was doing with his symphony. Do it with the emotion of Dudamel and the SBYO, since they are mentioned on your website. They’re not playing “ten”, but they’re channeling the oppression, fury, fear, tragedy, and courage of Shostakovich, who was telling the story of the Soviet people living (and millions dying, and many millions more, freezing and starving in the Gulag) under Stalin’s totalitarian rule.

Ultimately, Shostakovich is a human being and artist trying to tell the truth in a regime full of lies, terror, fear, and brutal oppression.

Want inspiration for this show? Read “The Gulag Archipelago”. Read Shostakovich’s biographies. Read Vaclav Havel. There’s SO much emotional and historical content to work into a stunningly true and innovative show concept. Sure, abstraction is possible to tell this story - visual forms are most always abstractions - but like George Zingali was able to accomplish, that abstraction reveals narrative.

What’s the true show concept that this music is begging to have explored by The Cadets?

I think of drab grey oppressive Soviet ‘colors’ vs. bright individualistic colors of expressive freedom. I think of harsh shapes and angles vs. freeform curvilinear shapes. I think of the battery as a military force (like in his Leningrad symphony, with the incessant snare representing the Nazi army besieging the city), and the many solo voices in the symphonies versus the merciless and faceless collective state.

I think of ONE versus the faceless COLLECTIVE. Solo versus oppressive tutti. That one versus many motif is found throughout Shostakovich’s music, and is all over the 10^th symphony. It is, in fact, the story of the man’s life, the life of an artistic genius, versus the arbitrary whims of Stalin and his totalitarian state.

In the symphony, I hear and imagine:

1. individual versus the collective

2. freedom versus totalitarianism

3. truth versus distortion

4. emotion versus oppression

5. expression versus abstraction

These are all abstract concepts that make little sense if ungrounded in the emotion of the music, but when a drill, or choreography, is written to narrate these oppositions, as in a ballet, great art is created.

The narrative in this symphony is also absolutely relevant today, and would resonate with the judges, and any audience – without having to spell it out for everyone through narration. If Shostakovich did what he did without narration, the Cadets can too.

Right now, people in Ukraine, the Baltic States, and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, are protesting against and fighting the very real forces that threaten their precarious and extremely hard-won freedom. The Russian military continues to invade Ukraine. Russians themselves are protesting the autocratic state, and journalists are facing prison, and even assassination, for criticizing the regime. Thousands have died this year in Ukraine defending themselves against the same brutal oppression that people in the Soviet Bloc suffered from during Shostakovich’s lifetime.

The summer of 2014, the Cadets tried to communicate with freedom means through the voice of Lincoln and other leaders. It was "American Politics" on parade.

If you do it right, next year’s show can much more powerfully, and artistically, communicate what freedom is, and what threatens freedom, than any propaganda-tainted wartime composition Copland wrote.

Shostakovich was the opposite of propaganda. Shostakovich communicated “The Power of the Powerless” (to quote Vaclav Havel’s famous essay) so much more powerfully than anyone I can think of.

What did Havel advocate as an antidote to oppression? "Living in Truth"

How amazing this show concept and show can be if you stay true to Shostakovich’s music.

Why slather meaningless WGI abstraction onto Shostakovich’s genius? Why not tell the story Shostakovich was telling with his music in a way no one has done before?

When concept trumps narrative, when abstraction trumps emotion, you lose an audience, you eviscerate a masterpiece in the process, and you doom a show to suffer from an inarticulate concept that ultimately makes no sense, and ultimately, will suffer on the scoring sheets no matter how well executed.

Trust the music. Trust the story Shostakovich tells.

Drum corps is about music. Visuals must draw inspiration and communicate the meaning of the music at all times, rather than an abstraction like "X" grafted onto the music.

Tell a story and give visual voice to the music, and this could be a show for the ages.

HNSAB.

Edited November 18, 2014 by WGI spells wedgie

[N.E. Brigand]

"Instead of 'X', tell a story."

As long as they don't interpret "story" too narrowly. Your fine post suggests ways in which they can avoid both traps, but too many shows that literally attempt to tell a story fail in that regard. Drum corps is not a storytelling medium.

[CCorps]

Or, they could do them. This is silly.

[Cappybara]

"The tyranny and folly of abstraction - an open letter to the Cadets design team"

Bravo on a brilliant choice of music for next year in Shostakovichs 10^th symphony! Truly inspiring choice. With the right choice of concept, this could be a championship caliber program. And bravo for (I think) trying to tell the story without spelling it out through clumsy narration.

I have serious reservations about the choice of concept, and the tyrannical reign of WGI "inspired" abstractions and design in recent years of DCI.

In sum - The concept should arise from the music if the show will work for judges and audiences.

As described on the YEA website, the initial concept for this music is the number 10, or X. So the Cadets are considering sections in multiples of 10, and other permutations of the number as the core of the show concept.

When I read the Cadets' choice of music, I cheered. But when I read the concept, I cringed.

The number of a symphony, or most any piece of classical music, is arbitrary, just like an opus number, and has no connection with the music at all. It follows that this "X" show concept itself is arbitrary.

Ive not yet heard of a more abstract, more arbitrary, and less connected to the music show concept since I began following DCI in the early 80s.

Imagine making the theme of a show featuring Coplands 3rd symphony the number three. Nine snares, three quads, (or maybe quads with one drum removed), 27 guard members, and drill written featuring blocks of three, with the field divided into thirds, and a double Z-pull, I mean, 3-pull, resolving into the numbers 1, 2, and 3 to correspond to the rising opening G - C - G phrase of the "Fanfare for the Common Man" theme in movement 4. etc. Or Appalachian Springs show concept being based on whatever the heck the opus number is.

I thought spelling it out with narration could be bad. But now we're counting it out for the audience?

Ten is a meaningless number: meaningless to Shostakovich, meaningless in terms of the music, and will be meaningless to the audience and the judges. Thinking of sections of the corps in multiples of ten, for example, is a gesture reaching for a concept, but not itself a concept. Its confusing actually. 10 isnt a story or a concept. Its a Bo Derek movie and Pearl Jam album and a volume setting on a guitar amp thats one notch too low for Spinal Taps Nigel Tufnel.

Why such a desperate reach into meaningless abstraction?

The alternative: The music itself is so profoundly full of narrative, emotion, and meaning, why muddle it with abstraction and arbitrary "concepts"?

In fact, choosing "X" to be the initial idea of what this show is "about" might be unwittingly revelatory of why the concept as such cannot succeed and become art, like all of the most successful Cadets shows actually did become by season's end. "X" is not a Roman numeral. It's an empty variable, and it will make Shostakovich's heart-wrenchingly, furious music become all sound and fury, but ultimately signifying nothing.

Instead of "X", tell a story.

Tell a story, like Shostakovich was doing with his symphony. Do it with the emotion of Dudamel and the SBYO, since they are mentioned on your website. Theyre not playing ten, but theyre channeling the oppression, fury, fear, tragedy, and courage of Shostakovich, who was telling the story of the Soviet people living (and millions dying, and many millions more, freezing and starving in the Gulag) under Stalins totalitarian rule.

Ultimately, Shostakovich is a human being and artist trying to tell the truth in a regime full of lies, terror, fear, and brutal oppression.

Want inspiration for this show? Read The Gulag Archipelago. Read Shostakovichs biographies. Read Vaclav Havel. Theres SO much emotional and historical content to work into a stunningly true and innovative show concept. Sure, abstraction is possible to tell this story - visual forms are most always abstractions - but like George Zingali was able to accomplish, that abstraction reveals narrative.

Whats the true show concept that this music is begging to have explored by The Cadets?

I think of drab grey oppressive Soviet colors vs. bright individualistic colors of expressive freedom. I think of harsh shapes and angles vs. freeform curvilinear shapes. I think of the battery as a military force (like in his Leningrad symphony, with the incessant snare representing the Nazi army besieging the city), and the many solo voices in the symphonies versus the merciless and faceless collective state.

I think of ONE versus the faceless COLLECTIVE. Solo versus oppressive tutti. That one versus many motif is found throughout Shostakovichs music, and is all over the 10^th symphony. It is, in fact, the story of the mans life, the life of an artistic genius, versus the arbitrary whims of Stalin and his totalitarian state.

In the symphony, I hear and imagine:

1. individual versus the collective

2. freedom versus totalitarianism

3. truth versus distortion

4. emotion versus oppression

5. expression versus abstraction

These are all abstract concepts that make little sense if ungrounded in the emotion of the music, but when a drill, or choreography, is written to narrate these oppositions, as in a ballet, great art is created.

The narrative in this symphony is also absolutely relevant today, and would resonate with the judges, and any audience without having to spell it out for everyone through narration. If Shostakovich did what he did without narration, the Cadets can too.

Right now, people in Ukraine, the Baltic States, and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, are protesting against and fighting the very real forces that threaten their precarious and extremely hard-won freedom. The Russian military continues to invade Ukraine. Russians themselves are protesting the autocratic state, and journalists are facing prison, and even assassination, for criticizing the regime. Thousands have died this year in Ukraine defending themselves against the same brutal oppression that people in the Soviet Bloc suffered from during Shostakovichs lifetime.

The summer of 2014, the Cadets tried to communicate with freedom means through the voice of Lincoln and other leaders. It was "American Politics" on parade.

If you do it right, next years show can much more powerfully, and artistically, communicate what freedom is, and what threatens freedom, than any propaganda-tainted wartime composition Copland wrote.

Shostakovich was the opposite of propaganda. Shostakovich communicated The Power of the Powerless (to quote Vaclav Havels famous essay) so much more powerfully than anyone I can think of.

What did Havel advocate as an antidote to oppression? "Living in Truth"

How amazing this show concept and show can be if you stay true to Shostakovichs music.

Why slather meaningless WGI abstraction onto Shostakovichs genius? Why not tell the story Shostakovich was telling with his music in a way no one has done before?

When concept trumps narrative, when abstraction trumps emotion, you lose an audience, you eviscerate a masterpiece in the process, and you doom a show to suffer from an inarticulate concept that ultimately makes no sense, and ultimately, will suffer on the scoring sheets no matter how well executed.

Trust the music. Trust the story Shostakovich tells.

Drum corps is about music. Visuals must draw inspiration and communicate the meaning of the music at all times, rather than an abstraction like "X" grafted onto the music.

Tell a story and give visual voice to the music, and this could be a show for the ages.

HNSAB.

I think your narrow-mindedness makes you sound silly. What I got out of your post:

"Blah blah blah Im in love with REAL drum corps blah blah blah WGI is ruining drum corps blah blah blah please make shows like you did in the 80s Blah blah blah."

This is stupid. Everything evolves. Keep an open mind and give it a fair chance or be left behind. They haven't unveiled any drill or anything, I think you're jumping the gun.

[drangin]

I thought spelling it out with narration could be bad. But now we're counting it out for the audience?

Maybe the guard will dress up as fingers and toes.

Actually, the number 5 was considered rather important in the symphonic tradition. Ever since Beethoven's 5th Symphony, many composers from then on, including Mahler, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, felt that their 5th Symphony better make a profound statement. Brahms' 5th would have been killer.

Edited November 18, 2014 by drangin

[Eleran]

I’ve not yet heard of a more abstract, more arbitrary, and less connected to the music show concept since I began following DCI in the early 80s.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they were passed by at finals by the abstract, arbitrary concept "Tilt"

[chaddyt]

Whoa.

Methinks you may be taking this show announcement a tad too seriously. My take away from their webinar was that they were going back to playing kick A music while marching some kick A drill. I don't think they're trying to give us another history lesson, and I'm more than okay with that (as they have a penchant for going overboard with extraneous elements).

Could they make this show "mean" something more? I'm sure they could, based on the examples you gave. But they're not (thankfully). I'm looking forward to just enjoying Bocook's take on Shostakovich while watching some (hopefully) vintage Sacktig drill.

[lumbargleeful]

Whatever you do, OP, do not watch Frisco Centenniel's show Queen of Hearts from a few years ago. Your head may explode.

[George Dixon]

holly molly

maybe we should let the DESIGN hit the field before we start drawing conclusions...

For me the basis of the show has been explained as aggressive/dark/fast music with high-speed drill and they have said to expect a non-literal interpretation - no narration, no "story"

The "Ten" thing is just a play on the composition and maybe just a little bit on the ten world championships cadets have had - another "layer"

No more or less meaningful than titling, or round tarps as "planets" etc etc...

Anyway - it's just a design layer. Probably will go completely unnoticed by most in the audience, and at this point it's frankly just an IDEA.

G.

[HockeyDad]

Jump the gun much, OP?