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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/09/2014 in all areas

  1. Since we're all trying on theories, how's this one, still only half baked: Someone mentioned the early '80s, exemplified by '83 Garfield, as an era when innovation in the expression of drum and bugle corps was plain to see and hear, and was enthusiastically received by the mass audience. For purposes of this theory, I'll push back that era to the late '70s, when SCV introduced assymetrical design. Trophies were raining down on Vanguard in those days, and crowds leaned forward whenever they stepped on the field. They did the same with Garfield, whose brass technique, show design and approach to marching pointed the entire activity in a new direction. My hypothesis: The innovation of the late '70s and early '80s accelerated drum and bugle corps participants -- the kids on the field -- toward the limits of what a human body can do in the service of performing as a musical ensemble in motion on a football field. We have reached those limits, and further innovation in drum and bugle corps necessarily involves elements of art that are less tangible and much more open to interpretation, thus debate, thus ambivalence among the audience. That's the theory. The evidence: Tempos are up. Santa Clara stepped off the line at finals in 1981 at about 138 beats per minute. Later, in the same show, they cranked it up to 160 and briefly touched about 182 -- while parked in a concert set. In 1983, Garfield charged off the line and through the "Z-pull" at about 182, and DCI has had the foot on the accelerator ever since. Thirty years ago, the boundary used to be the far reaches of allegro. Today corps spend much of their time, on the move, at presto. From the start, you could see some of the effect on the drill. It became more follow-me, less dress-and-cover. More about individual responsibility, less about relationship to the form. And you could hear it in the music, especially in the battery. The Blue Devils in 1982 roared to the end of their opener at 132 bpm. The snare line was spitting fire, all 32nd-note rolls and what us dinos call "singles," or 24th-note sextuplets. The battery music was thick, thick, thick with notes -- and boy howdy it was c-l-e-a-n. Spirit's drum line of that era was the same; it seemed to be a contest which line could cram more notes into each measure. It was the stuff that made wannabe DCI drummers like me swoon. In 2014, you'll listen long and hard before you hear an honest-to-God single coming from a snare line. It was hard enough to get clean when you were marching 12 snares elbow-to-elbow in a straight line at 132. At today's tempos, with snare drums (usually only 8 or 9) scattered across the field, it's #### near impossible. Today's battery music is much more duple-based. Rolls, conversely, are much more likely to be 24th-note vs. the 32nd-note rolls of the older, slower, era. Today's battery music is less dense, but much faster, with much more drill demand. The change in the approach to brass has been even more dramatic. The early '80s introduced Donnie Van Doren's "breathe-dah" approach to playing on the field, and of course the instruments themselves have changed. It all improved tonality, balance and the overall quality of the brass sound in the activity, though perhaps at the expense of volume. According to my half-baked theory, for much of the past 30 years audience response to these changes has been generally enthusiastic. Why? Because fans saw the same activity -- bang drums, blow horns, spin flags -- but they saw it at faster tempos and with more complex, stimulating design. Company fronts formed out of nowhere (cool!) and then dissolved (even more cool!). The music was still largely familiar and accessible, but the activity was pushing the frontier of what a performer could achieve in terms of musicality, demand, expression. We could all relate to what the performers were doing -- pushing themselves to the upper reaches of their capability. We could cheer that, just as we cheer a sprinter who sets a world record in the most ancient and familiar of contests, the 100-meter dash. It's the same activity, performed to a superlative degree. One of the reaons why baseball was so cherished by so many for so long was that so many of its fans grew up playing the game. They could relate to the major-leaguers on some level because they were running the same bases and swinging the same bats. In a similar way (the theory goes), as long as innovation in drum corps resided in the realm of the physical, fans could relate to it. But there comes a limt to how fast you can move and play a horn with quality, to say nothing of having any air at all to supply to the instrument. There's a limit to lung capacity and aerobic demand, and the increased emphasis in modern drum corps on physical fitness is one piece of evidence that innovation during the past 30 years has come from maximizing the physical capability of the performers. Still, there's a limit to how fast the hands can throw down the sticks and maintain a cohesive ensemble sound that projects clarity and musicality across a large distance -- from the field to the press box. No other ensemble musical form demands so much projection of music across so great a distance. We've already passed the boundary where the body, if it is to cover as much ground as quickly as today's drill demands, must abandon military bearing and adopt dance technique. My theory says drum corps has moved closer to those limits during the past 30 years than it did during from its inception to 1980. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but really, how much faster than 184 or 200 bpm can a human march? How much faster than 184 or 208 does a listener want to hear? The upper limit of musicality, according to most metronomes, is 208. Today's drum corps spend much of their time on the field in close proximity to that limit. (Of course, today's corps play plenty of music at adante and adagio tempos, and indeed, some of the most beautiful and memorable brass moments come during ballads. But the theory, I think, still holds, if the activity has reached the physical limits of what can be achieved by 80 horns on a field. Perhaps there are advancements in technique or music education that will squeeze mo' betta' out of horn lines at these slower tempos, and possibly faster tempos, but as far as I'm aware, the "breathe-dah" approach to marching brass first mastered by Garfield in the early 80s remains the fundamental principle). So, where will innovation come from? As innovation leaves the realm of the physical, it enters the realm of the intellectual. It has left the realm of tempo, drill, and musical technique, and has entered the realm of design, theme, and meaning. There isn't much left to squeeze out of 80 horns spread across a football field already zooming around at 184, so innovation comes from new rules, new instruments, new themes and concepts. The programming moves from the familiar and accessible to the esoteric. From the fan's perspective, this is no longer innovation within a familiar form, but an entirely new form. It's no longer new kids doing the same thing only better; it's new kids doing different things. No wonder a lot of fans sit on their hands.
    3 points
  2. I'm homering this one a bit, but I'd like to throw SCV 11 out there for visual difficulty, as well as music ensemble difficulty, both to (extreme, perhaps?) excess.
    2 points
  3. I would imagine, he would be called a Dinosaur and and be told to not let the door hit him in the ### on the way out.
    2 points
  4. Crown? Avant Gardian? Ummmmm No! Sorry but no. They are only trying to ride the coat tails. All their productions for the last 5 years have been a Disney version of Avant Guard. They want to "kind of" seem artsy but still do the safe productions shooting for the lower common denominator. In essence they are still trying to "sell records" while playing the game.
    2 points
  5. Honestly, as a former pupil of Mr. Thrower, I could give two ##### whether Bluecoats medal or not, because I will love their show and his writing even if the corps finishes 20th. He has surpassed Downey as one of the most proficient composers/arrangers in the activity, and this 'Coats and those kids have been the ideal conduit for his genius. The corps needs the visual element to catch up to the other two captions for those looking at placements. Again, I'm not so much caring about it. I love the freshness of the corps over the past few years and their innovation, I enjoy the entertainment they have brought me. If you hate on them , OK, I can respect that - but go isolate yourself in a small room to rage on them - keep the vapid, empty trolling off of here. It does nothing for you but bring you stepchild-like attention. Thanks.
    2 points
  6. I'm just wondering if your belief that there is "universal truth" is simply your "perception of reality".
    1 point
  7. I forgot about the Long Beach show, thanks for the reminder. There were other ones going on that day through WBA and SCSBOA. Garfield does have a point that the "super-regionals" don't extend past San Antonio. I saw one of the ones down at USC, I think in 2005. So they were going on that recently. BOA is very slowly catching out in California, especially with a couple of the schools making the trip out for Nationals. I think Ayala has started going out more often, and one from SoCal (maybe Fountain Valley?) went out a couple of years ago.
    1 point
  8. OK. I have children who have been in color guard in the last several years. The videos of 27 blow them away: they say, "Mr. Director / Ms. Guard Instructor - can we do something like that?" Their instructors change the subject. So, why is it not done today? Especially since you say (and I agree) there were others clean and exciting also. Please, do tell. It's not done because as wonderful as it was--and it was--it would be a little outdated today. I was a very close person at the time with George Z. and the program, so I do know the wonderful program it was, BUT to say that it couldn't be done today or as clean with that same content is far from true. Corps could certainly be that clean, as well as MANY h.s. programs. That takes NOTHING away from how wonderful, exciting and trend setting it was at the time. And by "outdated", what you mean is "too easy", is that correct? Why is that we don't hear orchestral musicians complaining that Beethoven is too easy? Or do they? I've certainly never heard actors complain that Shakespeare is too easy.
    1 point
  9. Jimmy was indeed a virtuoso ... Sky played Concerto in 69, 70 and 73 ... Jimmy solo'd all three years ... in 69 he also played the solo in Bumblebee when Pee Wee took some time off ... Pee Wee then resumed that mastery in 70 ... Pepe once said that Ednie played like a squad of three (he was that powerful) ... but, then could finesse a solo the next moment ... Thanks for the brief trip down memory lane ... :-)
    1 point
  10. As I recall, the first few weeks of last season were full of complaints from people about how Crown, in adapting a difficult Philip Glass opera and including extensive spoken vocals, had abandoned audience appeal in an attempt to win only the judges' hearts.
    1 point
  11. Yes, indeed! And the solo by Jimmy Ednie was just about the most soulful thing I ever heard. Many years later, I was consulting with the Glassmen at the behest of the impresario Cesario when they covered this piece. I believe it was arranged by that other avatar, Robert Smith. I brought a dub of the Skyliners version to a rehearsal and just said, "Try to capture some of this. If Gershwin were writing for drum corps he would approve of this treatment." The general reaction was, "Holy s..t! Those guys did that with one valve?" We must value what we did in those days. If we don't, who will? The current subject seems to be known to some here. Let's name him and give him his props. He played with one valve, too.
    1 point
  12. The sound you hear in the background is Nanci sharpening her ninja stars as I go OT again - please forgive me - I just thought that the only people that would understand what I was thinking about are all on this forum: To keep my sanity in Texas I go to the Fort Worth Symphony every couple of weeks. Pretty good orchestra that plays relatively progressive concerts, although the local blue haired ladies complain (fairly loudly) about dissonance and modern music and why do the trumpets have to be keyed in Bb, etc. Tonight the featured piece was Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F. For many of us, the first time we were introduced to that piece was as arranged by Hy Dreitzer for the NY Skyliners during the late 60s - I have to defer (as always) to Andy here, as CorpsReps doesn't list them ever even playing it, but I trust my memory. (about drum corps, if nothing else) The amazing thing is to think about us growing up back then and Hy would bring out Concerto in F - then Joe G would do Rhapsody in Blue, then Sasso would crank out "American in Paris" and voila, instant Music Appreciation at a level that a lot of college kids don't get even now. I don't much subscribe to the Buglemageddon, end of the world, Look what they've done to my corps, ma... school of today (on RAMD or the other 39 forums on DCP) but one thing I do miss is the way that folks like the aforementioned 3 great brass guys would get kids hooked on great music. We were hooked on West Side Story, and Malaguena, and Gershwin, and Carmen (the opera, not the drill guy), and so much more. So throughout the Concerto in F tonight I sat in my (front row - can't see as well as I used to) seats and closed my eyes and thought about Hy, and Joe, and John, and the good old days, and how lucky I was, and how lucky we were. Brought my daughter tonight too, but I didn't bother to tell her or my wife that I knew the Concerto inside and out because I got hooked 50 years ago by a "bugle guy". My daughter, who has been playing piano since she could reach the keys and played synth with Crossmen last year thought "That was about the best thing I've ever seen..." I wanted to say "you should have heard it with Pepe's solo at the end."
    1 point
  13. Truth be told, I am a bit torn over SCV's selection of Scheherazade. On the plus side, the work is a perfect match for SCV's style. Scheherazade is a luscious piece of music, and if you have never heard the original in it's entirety, you owe it to yourself to do so right now (preferably with a high resolution recording, using good headphones or stereo gear). Rimsky-Korsakov is a superlative orchestrator, up there with Ottorino Respighi. Scheherazade is ear-candy from beginning to end, and spell-binding throughout. But, programmatically, Scheherazade is a completely safe and predictable choice. It is a symphonic war-horse, performed over and over by orchestras great and small. It is used for commercials and figure skating competitions and quinceañeras and high school proms. SCV is pushing no artistic boundaries with this choice. They are playing to the audience, and perhaps thumbing their nose at the wild-eyed avant-gardians like BD and Crown. Someone in the forums mentioned that it would be nice if SCV took the term "Vanguard" more seriously. I agree, though in truth, SCV's history has rarely reflected the cutting edge of programming innovation. Their 1999 show was a striking exception, and that show happens to be one of my favorite drum corps shows ever. I keep waiting for them to return to this route, but I think SCV's main concern at this point is to return to the top three. I sure hope they do, so next year they can play that Brian Eno / Fela Kuti show they keep promising....
    1 point
  14. good to hear he's on the mend. thanks ray.
    1 point
  15. The G7 "mindset" in this circumstance seems to be quite different than the old G7 mindset, if you ask me. They aren't proposing to take over de-facto control of DCI They aren't proposing to kick non-G7 corps to the performance curb They aren't proposing to eliminate funding for non-G7 corps They aren't dictating a schedule that favors them on weekends They aren't proposing anything at all that would affect other corps, which is quite different from their introductory aims, don't you think? In fact, they are proposing to "...go off and do their own thing..." as many here suggested they do and said they'd be fine with, and they are doing it in a way that doesn't compete with DCI or the other corps. In fact, if you put your nefarious hat on and call this "money motivated" (of COURSE it is, why else do it?!), you could easily see that the door for other corps to participate could be wide open. MiM's band footprint could spread to all corners of the country with the dispersion of corps, and all the corps have to provide is the same commitment that the G7 corps have, run a profitable show on the circuit, and return that profit to the group without funneling it through DCI's dilutive pay scale in the process. Even the season doesn't compete with the DCI tour. If the straw man argument is that "some" have changed their minds about the G7 then, as of now, count me among that group. As in my business, my vaticination is data dependent. If the data changes, my opinion might, too. Not all of our feet are stuck fast in concrete.
    1 point
  16. From Scouts Facebook page, they will be performing Don Ellis Bulgaria Bulge, Star Children, Open Wide, Miner Two, & Final Analysis
    1 point
  17. Quick off-topic aside: Called Jimmy Cossetti yesterday but he was out (giving trumpet lessons - good). Dot says he is much much better with the single exception that his eyesight has not returned to 100% and he's currently unable to drive. Glad to hear he's concentrating on music - the great healer.
    1 point
  18. 1) My predictions mean nothing 2) this is just a rote exercize in pride and arrogance 3) that being said, here are mine (but not as a ranking) What each corps needs to do to achieve their highest... POTENTIAL WINNERS - Top Tier Blue Devils - for the love of pete - revisit the vibe you had in 2003 with "Phenomenon of Cool" - That was the last year the drum corps community begged for BD to win. Entertain the crowd - first - innovate like you have over the past decade - second - and the Devils will win, without a doubt. But I do not think they will do so......esotericism seems to suit their staff, so.... Bluecoats - Yeah, I SAID IT!! GREAT selections with Thrower's arrangements will have the 'Coats challenging Crown for high brass this year. If the visual/guard captions can break through and set a new standard - the Bluecoats will be in the running for a medal. Regardless of how they do, I will like this corps' show anyway go now and listen to the source material. Now. Cadets - This is a safe show for them, and for that reason, especially with rules changes, I don't feel they can win this year, but should stay solidly in the top 5. Carolina Crown - They will have to follow one of the best drum corps shows in 15 years this season, and I cannot comprehend how they - or any corps - could. That being said - a lock for top 3, but will be challenged by Bluecoats and Blue Devils. SCV - A dark horse - BIG time. If they do a rehash of their former Scheherazade show - forget it. If they can do a more aggressive - old-school treatment like they did with the AWESOME Les Mis' show last year, then watch your ### - Vanguard will be coming for you. Top 5 lock. RESPECTABLE SHOWING - Second Tier Phantom Regiment - I think 2014 will be an in-your-face year for drum corps, and Swan Lake's artistry and elegance I think will go somewhat unappreciated by judges. That being said, I think this corps may have "goose bump moment" potential. Regardless of how they place, they will not be forgotten. Madison Scouts - The Scouts have regained something in the past 5 years they lost for most of the new millenium - swagger. And Kenton/Ellis is 1000% BALLS. I think the boys will perform the dogcrap out of this show, and maybe snag 6th or even 5th from an unsuspecting corps this year. The climb continues. Cavaliers - Unfortuately, the Cavaliers have been making design moves away from "Cavalierishness". Last years show could have been done by the Blue Knights and you wouldn't have known the difference. They need to revisit some older material to re-establish their brand, something I know Mr. DeGrauwe would love to see. How about bringing back the incredible 1986 opener "Canzona"? Which I felt was THE part of their show that got them in 3rd place that year. Put a modern spin on that - resymmetricize the drill - and the Cavies will climb up. This will not happen, so Green Machine will drop down again - because Boston Crusaders - This corps deserved 7th or higher last year. I loved "Rise" and I think they can grow from this if their hornline can smooth out some rough edges. I'm confident they can, this corps gets better every season - and my gut tells me they will break through. HAPPY TO BE HERE - Bottom Tier Troopers - Last year's staff, it seems, kept the show difficulty down to develop consistency within all captions, and to present a show for the fans. They DID!! I loved 2013 - but now it's time to turn up the heat big time. The corps now has the talent. They need the difficulty, and the theme of the show this year is 100% Troop-friendly. I think by the time they hit "America The Beautiful", the crowd will be throwing babies with red-white-and-blue diapers. Not 12th - but 10th - you watch I'm right on this one. Blue Knights - They should be happy with being consistent, because this year will be insane for a finals spot. There will be 6-8 corps that could reasonably get in this year. They are: Spirit of Atlanta - Who were taking the year off, according to that part of my cortex that forgot they weren't Crossmen - fresh show ideas and an awesome hornline Colts - Pink Floyd - if they pull this off, the crowd will cry out for a Saturday Night appearance Blue Stars - Love the performers, but the Troopers beat them last year and everyone knows it. This year the judges will score them fairly. Need a fresh creative direction to keep from getting lost in the fray. Mandarins - YEAH I SAID IT. Wow - what improvement from these guys last year, and I strongly feel they can excel. If they still progress, Mandarins will challenge for a finals spot. Oregon Crusaders - HUGE improvement from 2012 to 2013. The creativity and cleanliness of their visual package last year got to me. They will definitely be in the hunt, but may likely see 14th or 15th due to the competitiveness of the season. This concludes my opinion and it is COMPLETELY worthless. But at least I feel better now that it's out of my system.
    1 point
  19. I’d like to see Blue Devils and Cadets go full Hopkins and leave DCI Bye-bye, good ridden, don’t let the door hit you on the way out but please, take that door with you
    1 point
  20. Who we are… For those of you who may not have heard of us, we are the Centurions Drum and Bugle Corps. We are an all-age corps entering our second year of competition in DCA’s Class A division. The Centurions are one of a handful of competing corps in New England. Practices are “weekends only” and are conveniently located between Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA. We offer a lighter rehearsal schedule and one of the lowest dues of any competing drum corps. If you want to march but are not sure if you have the time or money, we may be the corps for you! We have a dedicated, friendly staff and membership that have been involved in the activity at all levels. Some of these corps they have marched/taught include the Cadets, 7th Regiment, Americanos, Reading Buccaneers, Hurricanes, and Sunrisers. We work hard but also have a great time! Our 2014 show is “The Journey,” which will depict the Centurion regiment’s march from Rome to the East. Music includes Fountains of Rome, March Slav, The Young Prince and the Young Princess (from Scheherazade), and Bacchanale (from Samson and Delilah). Our members are having a great time learning these pieces, which are popular in both the classical and drum corps world, and we know that the audience and judges will love them too! Come down to our next camp, which will be held March 29 from 12-6 and March 30 from 10-5. We rehearse at Sacred Heart Parish Center, 1103 Springfield St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. All we ask is that you come down and watch, there is NO obligation…once you see and hear what is going on, you will WANT to join! We invite you to take “The Journey” with us this summer!
    1 point
  21. As a drum corps and Floyd fan (Wizard of Oz is cool too I guess), this could be awesome. That logo is perfect.
    1 point
  22. Will be interesting to see if they try 'Great Gig in the Sky' as brass or vocal. I vote brass.
    1 point
  23. I must say....BACK TO THE LEVEL!!!! GO COLTS!!!! and GO KINLEY!!!!! (my namesake sponsorchild in the mello line this year)
    1 point
  24. Okay, this might be the coolest show of the year. Pink Floyd and Wizard of Oz? Brilliant Question though, will they be passing out joints in the audience so that everything lines up correctly?
    1 point
  25. This show is going to be AWESOME! Going to take the Colts to another level!!!
    1 point
  26. so with domes/roofs, we stay dry and air conditioned but we sacrfice sound. i'd rather be wet
    1 point
  27. I guess for this thread you would have to also consider what was achieved and not just what was difficult.
    1 point
  28. of course they could..any good cleaner could make it happen. Apply the basics and breakdown of every angle and it can easily be done...No doubt 27 was the best of the best of the time but certainly there were others clean and exciting also . YES it can be done today..
    1 point
  29. Without taking anything away from anything more recent, I think you could make a convincing case for Star 91 as one of if not the most difficult horn books ever.
    1 point
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