Hrothgar15

Ahhh...it's back! The anticipation of going to dci.org and clicking that link...the little tables that come up and those scores that start out mediocre and gradually get better and before you know it, the corps are pushing 95...I love it!

The argument is this: there are thousands of people who enjoy and pay money for either live or recorded performances of a marching ensemble of brass, percussion, and colorguard, and just that. Without discussing if woodwinds would or would not work in drum corps (which is completely irrelevant to this argument), if DCI decided to add woodwinds a fundamental aspect of drum corps, such an activity that so many people enjoy (one containing brass, percussion, and colorguard) would cease to exist. Now don't get me wrong. I love all types of music, and I love woodwinds. I heard the recording of the Cadets playing Cadillac of the Skies with the USBBA, and it provided the most beautiful, lush, rich sound, one impossible for drum corps. I say, go ahead, start Marching Band International. But keep DCI the way it is...don't intentionally cause an activity to cease to exist and leave hundreds of thousands of people without an activity they've enjoyed for so many years.

1. The Georgia Dome...I think it's close by. 2. Try the Westin Peachtree. 3. The World of Coke museum...haven't been in a while but it's really interesting. 4. The Varsity, of course. 5. Me.

Yeah...what is up with the middle two notes of that descending four-note motif in his solo (the last time he plays it)? I'm not a brass player so I don't know, but it's like a really weird sound, almost like something is stuck in the instrument. Amazing show, by the way. Favorite Phantom show by far, with '89 a close second, then '03, then '96, then '93.

Nah, they picked up and finished strong. Amazing show.

It's really great writing...he's supposed to hold the high A or whatever it was for four counts or so and then continue on...on the finals recording he tries to get the A out two more times after the first attempt, the short "fwee" and then the much longer "wayyayyah," the note you hear after that though is what's supposed to come directly after the fermata. Great player though...hopefully it didn't freak him out too much (although he looks ###### during the closeup at the end of the show). Talking about this show reminds me...let's go, BD, get back to the no-titled, no-themed, melodic, arranged-as-true-to-the-original shows and play three or four classic jazz charts. Please?

As many people have mentioned, that soloist gets too much crap, there have been many other fracked notes of that proportion...well, close at least. Chris Lewis in Garfield '85 during Make Our Garden Grow...best tone I've ever heard on a mellophone, ever, though (and plus she is/was hot), and supposedly she botched the opening solo the year later (though I haven't heard the finals recording...what really happened?) And I'm sure there's more...which ones can you think of?

Hmmm...am I missing something? Why would I want to watch SCV 1999 arranged worse, played worse, with worse drill and with...trombones, when I could watch the real thing? I applaud what these groups are doing to the fullest extent, but can't they be more original in their show design?

I'm not bashing it, I think it's great. I just hope it stays great come finals. Exerting effort to make a show WORSE than it already is one of the most tragic things that can happen in DCI (Cadets '02, anyone?).

That may be the case, but I am still a firm believer that it does detract from it objectively. However, I will offer an argument no one can reject: I personally would not like this vocalist to be featured in the "History Repeating" seciton, and, if nothing else, I would prefer she not be included so that it can maximize my own personal enjoyment of the show when I see it live, listen to the recordings, and watch the DVDs.

I'm not. But if you think about it, quality has objective properties as well as subjective properties. Adding an amplified vocalist singing a rock and roll song to a show of symphonic music objectively detracts from its quality, no matter what any fan thinks.

Exactly, that's a very creative idea. Don't ruin it by having an amped vocalist sing a rock and roll song. There are many more tasteful, appropriate ways to convey this idea. If the majority of fans would think something would detract from the quality of the show, don't put it in. Though you have to see where I'm coming from with this, I'm incredibly traditionalist when it comes to drum corps. I firmly believe that DCI should have stayed the way it was in 1999, until the end of time, same instruments, same rules. Not that the shows today aren't great, but I'm just saying, in my opinion, that would have been DCI's best course of action in order to allow for the best quality shows to be put on the field. Bb horns were a step backwards, and the incorporation of amplification was a step backwards, in my opinion, of course. Completely changing the structure of drum corps to the extent that having solo, amplified vocalists singing a rock and roll song, is a huge step backwards. I am a firm believer that drum corps should stay exactly how it is (or preferrably how it was in 1999), without DCI changing a single rule, to make it the most enjoyable activity it could be. There are MILLIONS of idas and musical sources that have yet to be implemented...once all those are dried up, THEN I can see changing the internal structure of drum corps. How is it that the orchestra has remained exactly the same for hundreds of years and saw the production of thousands of masterpieces? That's how, I believe, drum corps should be. Anyway, back on topic. This will be a great Cadets show, no doubt. However, I have to categories of shows: shows that are legendary, and shows that are pretty good. The inclusion of the "History Repeating" section with the vocalist could very easily be the determining factor in where this show will lie. The rest of it is great, but when I think about the greatest shows like Vanguard '89 or '99, Cadets 2000 or 1995, or Blue Devils '86, or '88, or '89, there's not a single thing I would change in any of those shows.

Singing is sounding MUCH better. I actually like it! It blends very well as an extra voice. This is shaping up to be one of the best Cadets ballads since '99. This is turning out to be a really great show. However, George Hopkins (and I know you'll eventually read this) take this word of advice if you want this show to be truly magnificent. You know the "History Repeating" section (that isn't on the Myspace site)? Please don't have the vocalist singing "History Repeating." Really. It's completely inappropriate and has nothing to do with the rest of the show. You can't add some random rock and roll song, SUNG BY A VOCALIST, nonetheless, to a program of symphonic music. It simply doesn't work. Yes, you want to try new things, I understand. But it's really simple really. You want each Cadets productio n to be the best it could possibly be, correct? At least, that's exactly how it's seemed for the past 25 years (and believe me, they have been). In the opinion of most, leaving the "History Repeating" section in would detract from overall show quality. Why would you intentionally choose to produce a show that is very clearly less in quality than an alternative? For the mere sake of showing that vocals can be used prominently? Drum corps isn't about proving that things can be done...at all. It's about performing the best shows that can be formed. I love the recording from Memorial Brass, and it will make a GREAT show when put on the field. Yes, there will be changes to the music, I'm sure, as there were last year. Keep in mind, however, that no change should ever, ever detract from the quality and prove to be worse than the unchanged version. It's as simple as that. Before adding, say, vocal interludes into the percussion feature, ask yourself "Will this make the show better in the eyes of the fans, judges, and performers? Or am I only doing this to show that it can be done, that voice is now an integral part of drum corps?" It's that simple. We can't force drum corps to evolve by forcing to change its standard features, like ensuring that voice is used in every show. Put the best product on the field, and the activity will evolve on its own. I understand that the "History Repeating" section is used to explain that this is a sequel to last year's show, but here's the solution: put that in the program notes. This way, you can get the best of both worlds: allow viewers to understand what the show is about without detracting from its quality by adding a chart that provides nothing to the program musically. If you had done this instead of the narration in last year's show, I would think a lot more highly of it, as would many other drum corps fans. Make use think of this year's show as highly as possible. You've got a great product so far; don't do ANYTHING that would detract from its quality.

Yes...one of the greatest shows of all time. Great music, great drill. I mean seriously, there is a factual, technical definition of "good music," and all of their selections fall into this category. One of the most mature, elegant, least cheesy shows ever produced. What more could you want?

This picture is floating around online somewhere...anyone have a link?

Nope. No way. No ****in' way. This is ridiculous. You can hold opinions, but this is where I draw the line. For some reason, you have something against the Cadets, and you simply aren't unfamiliar with many of their shows. If you actually familiarized yourself, you'd realized that they quite possibly the most masterful productions to be put on the field, and this is undeniable regardless of anyone's opinion. I refuse to believe that there is not a single show from them that you like. What is it, then, that must be in a drum corps show for you to like it? Not all Cadets shows are even remotely similar to each other, so you obviously have something against the organization. Sure, you and I may disagree on some of their shows like '88 for example (which I think of as an absolute masterpiece), but not a single one? What about 1983? Or maybe 1984? '85 then, or '87? Surely you seem to be forgetting about '89 and '90. And the golden years of 1992-1998...how is there not a single show from this era that you like? These shows are considered legendary for a reason...your tastes must be EXTREMELY different if you cannot see that, and honestly, I feel bad for you. OK, I'm mostly just kidding, and that might have been a little overboard, but seriously, head on over yea.org and get yourself those DVDs! :P

I don't get it, how did they teach that guard member to play that high concert D? Not exactly an easy feat.

Imagine knowing that you wrote music SO good that you actually got audience members to dress up as pirates...

Cadets 2000. Best drum corps show ever.

No contest here. Pirates of Lake Mendota, by far. Scott Boerma is a certified genius. This man knows EXACTLY what he's doing. Every note in that show is just placed perfectly, it's beautiful. I won't go into detail, but that opener, you've got... Fanfare Introduction of theme 1 Maestoso with theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 2 repeat, into crescendo Theme 1 into hold Theme 1, loud chords/percussion Transition Soprano duet (!!!!) Theme 1 spread out with percussion interludes Theme 2 into chords Ending using theme 1, major chord into dissonant chord to finish it off Ahhh...it's perfect. Following guidelines of good music without being minimalistic (yuck). I love it! What about everyone else?

Why on earth is there an electric guitar in a marching band show? To the show designer, you do realize that the removal of this instrument from the show would exponentially increase the quality of the production, no matter the circumstances, right? Let's imagine what the following DCI shows would have been like had they incorporated an electric guitar (and it were allowed by DCI): Star 1993 Garfield 1987 Blue Devils 1986 Phantom Regiment 1996 Santa Clara Vanguard 1989 Imagine how ridiculous that would be and how it would completely destroy any form of integrity each of these shows have. Show some class, marching bands. There are thousands of orchestral and wind ensemble pieces that would be spectacular on the field and have yet to be played that you could have chosen. But no, go ahead playing a "rock" show with electric guitars. And to think people compare DCI and marching band... </rant>

1988 Blue Devils.

Santa Clara Vanguard 2003. No acting, props, narration, amplification...just a throwdown the whole way through! Great sounding hornline and and a drumline that knows how to throw it down. Give me more!

Yes. And Madison 1999 reaffirms my theory that if you choose excellent source music, great show design will automatically follow...no need to overprogram as corps of late seem to be doing.

Madison Scouts 1999.