jjeffeory

I'm rooting for them too! It's time for SoCal to have a finalist corps come to Indy again. There's soooo much talent in the area, and it needs to stay home and build a champion!

I wish the BD students health!

U huh.

Sounds like some the Cavaliers would yell before a show! Blu EEEEEEEEEEEcoats

Sorry, I just wanted to put an Abbot and Costello meme here. I'm still looking for a chance to put in a "Slowly I Turn" meme. If this were another "sport", I'd say that's nonsense, but you're probably right.

I lived in Washington, DC. I've literally been in a loft business park ( aka open floorplan building) near Capitol Hill in the SE portion of the city and listened to a "think tank" strategize how they could spin the news in the favor of their congress critter. There were no doors between their office and our office. So, maybe the average person is too busy, but there are businesses that aren't, and there are lobbyists, and there are people in non-government businesses whose job is to spin and control the narrative in their favor. As far as the judges are concerned. I've read Don Warren's memoirs where he talks about trying to break the stranglehold of the East coast corps back in the day, and a judge suggested he should grease some palms to get a better score. So, if it happened then, it can happen now. Time to put my tin foil hat back on, but just saying... The world isn't always sweetness and light.

I agree with you about Crossmen, Academy, and Colts. I'm going to be pulling for PC over BK, but I think SOA is out of it right now until they clean. Madison's show doesn't connect with me. I'm trying, I'm trying... Maybe some more viewings live. Much of this stuff doesn't work on video for me anymore. Much also doesn't work for me in person anymore either. This year seems like a transition year for these corps, or maybe just me. I dunno.

Wait, Who's on First?

The BD reach is far and wide. USBands and Western Bands are both big circuits. BD influences will be here as long as marching band is a thing...

OK, I quoted ChapGPT, not an article. I've been watching anime since the 80s. The music is varied, but most of it is instantly identifiable. Have a great one!

Cool. The point is when they clean, their design is going to garner more points than corps currently scoring ahead of them.

I don't agree with that, but interesting that they only have a few opportunities to showcase their show.

We just want him and the other members to be healthy and safe! Glad they're making good decisions on member health and safety at the Mandarins! Truly world-class! We appreciate your updates!

One. Can. Hope. I'll grab onto the last third of the show for hope. Honestly, I still like Bloo, but most of the other corps aren't being as creative as they could be in the design department for me to get too excited about their chances of defeating BD other than Bluecoats.

I always like to blame flo! Actually, BD is impressing me more and more, which is blasphemy for me, but they're sounding good.

I'd love it if they did, but they won't. They're at the top of the mountain. No need to cause a stir.

Mandarins were very worthy last year, and they're even MORE worthy this year, but they do have some intonation issues, some percussion issues, and fewer guard issues to contend with compared to the field. The Tubas are top-notch ( gotta give them a special shout-out), and I love the show. I see Mandarins climbing for sure, but it's gonna be a tight year. They're definitely in it to climb.

I'll add, that the PIT is the biggest beneficiary of all of this. There's tacet time for the battery percussion, and now the pit has taken lots of musical focus away from the brass, which allows them to do other things mentioned.

I'm sure you're just as wise as any of us, certainly me. I'm just basing the Midwest/East Coast comparisons on Crown's score. I think Cadets will score higher than the Cavaliers head-to-head right now, but their score on the same day at a different contest relative to Crown was lower than the Cavaliers. I think I'm using Mandarins score as a baseline for the West Coast scores, and admittedly my viewings of them have been on video, where I've seen issues that put them smack dab around Cadets/Cavaliers/Blue Stars, but they've not beaten all these corps. We shall see. I'll be in Texas too, so I'll see it first hand.

Wow! You might be onto something!

I'm expecting significant cleaning and some reductions and tweaks in the score to make the music flow better. They've been busy in the Chicagoland area with their community commitments the past week and a half, but are likely on the road by now. I expect them to score in the low 80s when they get to Mississippi. Should be interesting!

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Tank ( Cowboy BeeBop) are VERY similar ideas musically. Seriously, have you ever watched anime shows and how they use these pieces of music? I've been watching them for decades and ALWAYS thought they were musically connected. Hmmm. ChatGPT says this: Both Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop are popular anime series known for their unique styles and captivating storytelling. While they have distinct themes and settings, they do share some musical connections: Composers: Both anime series feature exceptional music composed by renowned artists. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's soundtrack is composed by Yugo Kanno, who has created a diverse range of musical styles to match the show's various arcs and time periods. Cowboy Bebop, on the other hand, is known for its iconic jazz-inspired soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno (no relation to Yugo Kanno), which blends various genres like jazz, blues, rock, and electronic music. Influence of Western Music: Both shows draw inspiration from Western music styles and incorporate them into their soundtracks. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure often features musical references and character names based on popular Western musicians and bands. For example, characters like Dio Brando, Robert E. O. Speedwagon, and AC/DC are named after real-life musical figures. Cowboy Bebop heavily relies on jazz music, a quintessentially Western genre, which complements the show's futuristic noir setting and the adventures of the bounty hunter crew aboard the Bebop spaceship. Memorable Opening Themes: Both Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop are known for their catchy and memorable opening themes. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure has a tradition of unique and dynamic opening songs for each story arc, often performed by popular Japanese artists. Similarly, Cowboy Bebop's opening theme, titled "Tank!", is an energetic jazz piece that perfectly sets the tone for the series. While the overall musical styles and themes of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop differ, they share a commitment to creating memorable and fitting soundtracks that enhance the viewing experience. These musical connections contribute to the lasting impact and popularity of both anime series among fans.

It works fine for the winner, which everyone follows, so that's why they're all doing it. It's a current design trend, and showing multiple "skills" to a certain acceptable level of cleanliness is now the rage over doing fewer skills "more" perfectly and consistently over time. Show you can do something, then run to the next set and show you can do that. Doesn't matter if it honors the musical integrity of the piece being played, or if it is connected or makes sense. If that happens, cool cool, if not, no worries!

Looked similar to all current designs to me when I saw them in person in Cincy. All the corps are designing more to the front hash these days. It's all about highlighting smaller moments instead of full corps goodness.

Just add distortion and a flanger, and you're good to go? Do you watch Anime? I do. They borrow from 50s and 60s jazz riffs. 🥸