BigW

Went with Boom last night to Reamstown to catch Rick K. and the Allnighters, Bob Menear, ex-Westmoreland Squires/Westshore/Westshore Alumni/Steel City/Steel City Alumni on Trumpet, real professional and serious cover band. Was just good to see him, he's playing better than ever and doing a good bit or all the arranging, serious pros, all of them. There's a lot of YouTube up of the band, the drummer's a real character but can play, as can Rick K., who normally does lead vocals, some neat percussion stuff between the two of them. Figgered I'd pass that along to the crowd.

Work's been tough, overtime, and exhausting. I'll try and get a couple more up before work, and if I get an early Twi shift, I'll do more. Next up, Cincinnati Tradition (7FE/1DM/6CG/13Battery/16 Horns), who had clearly started making serious moves based on their scores at the southern and midwest shows they attended.They were quietly going about their business with their "Breakdown" program and gave themselves a chance, which is what you want- the opportunity to go for it and take a crack at Finals. The opener, "Joy", was upbeat, energetic and well-nuanced, and was a good start to their run. There were some performance issues that detracted, but the corps is a much improved organization from 2012. The Bari section's really started to come to life in the corps, and that's an important element to give more body to the ensemble. The Bari-Mello duet was well-done. The percussion/horn features were well constructed, the upper brass had to worry a bit about overplaying, but made for solid moments and excitement. The visual package had a lot of new ideas and was well thought out, but there was still some form and performance issues, much to develop and grow into in the future. The corps descends into madness with "Creep", the Rorschach flags a nice touch, and then ends the program with a crazy-go-nuts section and a Girl that's obviously seen too much boring Drum Corps or something of the sort! The ending is what bugs me. I think it was the big issue that may have held the numbers down for this corps. I don't need a Disney ending, but, ending the show on the low emotional note- and that's putting it mildly, just leaves people upset and down. Yes, that could be the intent, but somehow, yah gotta bring some kind of closure that's more satisfying. How? I have an idea, and I think it would have had a better message that people in the stands and the judges would have tapped into. It would have had to be done in the planning stages and the time usage would have had to have been thought out. After the mental collapse, the corps figuratively circles the wagons and helps their corps-mate. We've all had moments where someone in the corps has helped us in a bad day. We can all relate, and if that would have been included with some kind of hopeful musical ending that she was eventually gonna be okay and her friends were there, I think it would have been a much more satisfying end to the program. I'll get back to the top 4 ASAP. I'll get my nose to the grindstone as best I can, there was a lot to think about this year, and everyone put forth an honest best effort, and I'm worried I'll short someone.

Yes, a recent change that I think runs across the activity. Rather see a number adjusted to better reflect what the adjudicator felt occurred and get the rating and rankings correct than end up with someone over or underscored myself. I;d think most organizations would prefer that as well. Generally, the adjustments I would wager are .2 or less in any directon. Also, I'd also bet this happens 5 percent of less of the time with a capable and experienced adjudicator, and likely early in the season. Most of the time, one can make adjustments immediately. Look at the sheet, say... "nope, that's just not quite right..."- and fix it then and there without much of a fuss.

BINGO. An entirely different game. When I see you, there are stories I can tell about that issue over and over with some individuals.

They know how to rehearse and get things done. No freaking out, well timed breaks/snacks, good attitudes and work ethic, etc. Between Friday at Malvern and the next Friday at BWI, BIG improvment. Some of that was later additions to the corps really getting their teeth into the program, more confidence from the less experienced personnel.

Heartliner's guard person was with Boston for 2-3 seasons, young, knows her stuff, the guard has their acts together. One of the first things I mentally took note of when I met them at Malvern for the first time.

Bah-Doomp *tssss* When in doubt drop back and pun.

No problem, that would mean the area had 2 corps for a time then, I'd guess!

It was the New Horizons corps out of Dansville, NY-- would that be what the White Sabres came from? Had like the orange spanish costumes, a mix of the Matadors and Cabs, and they even had one of those crazy Double Bass rigs in the battery.

They really fought like Demons this season, Jim. Talk about sheer, unadulterated willpower. I thought the Govies had a chance, but I think W-S grabbed destiny and took control of it. No one was stopping them the way they just kept pushing.

I agree about the funny, I think many aren't aware that BLAST! had a lot of people from many different corps. And as for Educators, yes, I'm one of those ejdamacated people myself, but the degree really doesn't matter- thought it can help. Listen to one good British Brass band in the UK- and realize no one in those organizations except the conductor has a Music degree by their rules. yet those cats can play a TON. I've ran into some Mus Ed peeps who truthfully weren't as strong a musician as peeps I marched with over the years who had no degree..

LOL! The arrangements aren't as simple as you make them out to be. The stuff within them really wants the performer to enjoy playing hard stuff. Frank Dorritie, another master at that. And yes, the theme and how everything meshes is also important, but I was mainly talking the mechanics of the brass section. No one in the activity is honest if they tell you they come up with everything all by themselves. Ideas from others of how to and not to do things are essential.

He and his son came to Westshore rehearsals to work with the battery once in awhile BITD, and he got a lot done, was good to everyone, and a kind soul. My condolences to his family- He set an example for me as an educator.

The Govies' "secrets"? I can tell you how they do it for the most part, with a couple of educated guesses: -Good onfield staging. They don't have them spread out over God's Green Earth marching at 4 step intervals running around while playing. One A Corps in particular needs their drill designer to watch Govies hi cam and see how to properly stage a 15-20 man horn line for best presentation and effect, because they're pretty much doing the exact opposite and well, they weren't anywhere near sniffing a finals spot. -An attentive and extremely musical Percussion battery that doesn't walk all over the horns and force them to overplay. -A corollary to the above, they play hard, but NEVER overplay. Because they're well staged and the percussion works as a team with them, they can just play hard and not get grotesque. -Some serious talent and skilled individual brass players. -Talent or not, EVERYONE contributes, no one is skulking/hiding. -VERY, INCREDIBLY smart arranging that from my educated guess really takes into account the individual talents and strengths of the brass players and writes around them for every person in the horn line. It also takes into account the instrumentation at hand so the ensemble sounds balanced and full. Whomever writes the horn book for them for them is a genius, period. There yah go. There's how they do it. A lot of common sense in place there at Govies.

Heh, thanks man. Missing a valve and not having them in line didn't help. I also thanked Ruben Aramaro (sp?) from Sky/Brassmen for the lesson. Man, he had some great compositional ideas and body moves, finished second, used a good 3 valve G bugle. Wonderful guy, we talked shop afterwards, but I did learn a LOT from his performance. The kid from Govies was solid, and the big guy from Kilties had a good solo, horn, etc. Some good folks. Also some guy from MBI who competes on 4 different horns I think was also there, well known. Kevin Hassan, the guy who takes care of I and E for DCA told me later it was like every BAMF Bari player showed up at once this year.

They don't have any DCA history- do they? Would that region's DCI fans come out? If so, how many? I know there's a connection between what were the old DCM contests that still exist and MBI, but now much of one? Many DCI fans don't give a rat's butt about all-age. There's that aspect as well.

I realized as I ate dinner how long this was gonna take. 23 corps, all the fistbumps, the All Big W corps for 2013, and other stuff. To start with, there was a thread and a linked blog about the "State of Drum Corps". In terms of DCA, I'd say it's pretty good and the writer of that editorial really hadn't seen anyone in DCA this season. There were other comments needing some rebuttal, but really- DCA Corps for the vast part provided a great variety of exciting and thoughtful programs performed with quality that took into consideration the audience. The facilities were good as usual, and early on, the stadium was pretty hot, which made the early Class A corps performances a tough and grueling test of their stamina and resolve. Let's roll! I had great seats on the 50, right beneath the wheelchair accessible top row. I sat with some old schoolers from Sky, Generations, and the Matadors, a pretty engaging and thoughtful blend of great individuals. Again, a reminder for those first reading my stuff from this season, if I've seen the corps earlier in the season, you'll need to refer to earlier contests for more program details of those corps. Otherwise, this gets long, and people think I'm suffering from dementia from repeating myself. The Centurions (17 Brass/5 Battery/8 Front Ensemble/5 Color Guard/3DM) kicked off the show. The show was a blend of pieces from the Romantic, impressionist, and early 20th century orchestral genre, with portions of the "Firebird", "Claire de Lune", and the "Bachannale" from "Samson and Deliah" making up the program. The arrangements were thoughtful and well written. The feel of the horn line was that of one where everyone was still trying to find their place and get the feel of what type of ensemble sound they wanted to and should have. That's to be expected with a new corps and many new personnel to the activity. There was more than a bit of feeling that a couple of the leads were trying to do all of the work on their own, and some nerves from others. Again, totally understandable. I think the pieces are in place with this corps- they'll develop a better feel for musical nuance, ensemble, and musicality as they grow together, and I look forward to seeing future efforts. Next up, Shenandoah Sound. It was obvious to me that a lot of hard work and effort was put in by the corps between Reading and prelims, and it was noticed and appreciated. The corps was enjoying themselves, they were relaxed, relating to the crowd, and there were some very solid and readable moments that came off well from the horn book I hadn't heard before. Their feature work, the Bari/Tuba Duet sounded fine, and Dick Pomerleau (one M!!, my apologies again, Dick!) was saucy as ever, playin' for the ladies in this run. The Front Ensemble was into the program- no duds this week, and made solid contributions to the effort. I also liked the show tag at the end of the program- a nice change up. I just can't help but think to myself- man! I wish they would have been this ready at Downingtown, and also, what if they would have had an early opportunity to do the complete show at their own contest. They finished very, very well after a really rough season where things just didn't go their way at times. Hopefully, they'll have a solid off season, get a solid corps of people ready to perform and really start off great next year with more in place at the start. Excelsior (6CG/7FE/7 Battery/1DM/13 Horns/1 DM-Feature trumpet) appeared next, and I have to say the corps' improvement from last season's presentation was very impressive. The show comprised a few old school, hits like "Birdland" and Hank Levy's "Pegasus", and the feature work was impressive. The feature dance was fun and was done very well. Sometimes the rest of the ensemble needs to chip in to fill out the sound, and the last chord of the show after the reprise was a bit odd, but overall, the show was truly an respectable effort and a big move for the corps from last season. I hope they can use this season as something to continue to build from for their future. Next up from Ludwigshafen, Germany, Heartliner (17 Horns/6 Battery/4+2FE/5CG/2DM). I had the opportunity to help out a bit with the corps over the last two Fridays before Prelims, and it was a great experience for myself, and I hoped I helped them at least a bit. You can consider this some kind of disclaimer, I guess. The show, entitled "Up and Away", was built around their journey to the US, combining a mix of original music and the familiar, like "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "America". I can definitely say the corps earned the movement in score from the previous weekend. A lot of work was put in to gain confidence, clean the show, and to also reach out to the crowd to a higher level. The corps has a cadre of experienced individuals from DCA and DCI, the real trick was to get their new personnel up to speed and confident with presenting with inner confidence. I don't think some people realize the kind of advantage many corps have with new talent, especially ones that draw from hotbeds of competitive High School Band circuits. new people come in with the basic skills of musicianship and an idea of competition at hand in those cases, where Corps from outside the US have to train up their personnel from the ground up. Also it took some work to encourage the DCA angle of communicating and reaching out to the crowd- something DCA vets are aware of and work hard at, but seemingly not as much with DCE. The corps strengths lie in a solid Color Guard and a clean, tight visual package. The horns are capable of hitting hard for their size and respond well at the moments where the show's got a lot of energy. Sometimes when things get soft or slow down they have to worry about keeping up the mojo and intensity. Great people, hard working, great staff and support crew who know the deal and how to teach the right way- I got a lot out of my experience with them. If they got just one percent out of what I got from being with them for the time I was with them, I'd be thrilled. Heartliner moved up the level of excellence at the contest noticeably- would High Country Brass (7 Battery/7FE/19CG/16 Brass/1DM) respond to that challenge with their what I refer to in my notes as their "Bond, James Bond" show? Almost. Their brass was well controlled and balanced, but at times, I felt they were staged far, far too back to be able to just relax and play. The 4 step interval they used also added to the challenge, but also makes it a tough go for the musician. Shades of Bush the previous 3 seasons, and the same problems were there as a result. I did like the show programming- it felt comfortable and was really designed to relate well with the audience and felt good in that aspect. I think Carolina Gold could have taken a page from their selections with their spy show package, to be honest. The large Guard did a fine job, and the "007" finish, though the horns sounded a bit gassed, was a nice ending to the program. It was fun to see them here in the East, and I hope they'll return to DCA Championship weekend. Next up, in what could be their last DCA performance since they're headed to Open Class DCI competition next season, Tampa Bay Thunder (27 Horns/6FE/2DM/11 Battery/11CG) with their show that took the audience musically through the course of a year. Check my Nokesville review for more details on the music. Their initial statement off the line really sent a strong message that they were a cut above the previous corps, and I felt at Nokesville they had the potential to make the final four. Would it be enough? The horns had a fine sonority and balance, the arrangements were thoughtful and fresh, the percussion groovy when necessary, and the shout choruses in "My Funny Valentine" and "Summertime" were great moments for the corps. Some drill clarity was a bit fuzzy here and there, and the heat took its toll on at least one corps member during the performance. They fell .15 short of nipping Windsor for the 4th spot. Mixed Effect numbers proved their undoing- they made up for the gap they created in performance captions against Windsor, who really came out hard and hot the last 2 weeks of the season. A very fine effort, and I wish TBT the best in their future. Next up, Cincinnati tradition and their "Breakdown" show about a descent into madness or Manic Depression, take your pick, but that will have to wait until later. 6 corps down, 17 to go. Man... oh man....

To move to the midwest, there would need to be some confidence the crowd out there would provide similar numbers of attendance. I have no idea what kind of attendance DCA contests have out there. Very few reviews reach DCP from that neck of the woods that really say very much if anything about those kinds of issues. If they move to that region, it has to be a no-risk home run. Otherwise, it would be a serious debacle. If there was the necessary critical mass, why not? I'm just not seeing that mass yet, unless someone knows something abut it.

You talking about the mint Piston slide horn the fellow representing USAFA had? It was a nice piece. Don't have scores. Ruben was 2nd, I think the fellow from Kilties won, he was quite good.

Yeah, I have to wonder about potential sticker shock myself. I have to wonder though if making one larger out and back might not cost that much more than the out and back trips and distances the corps has to cover anyway in DCA. The thing is, if they have a committed corps of 17 year olds willing to pay up, absolutely, go for it.

Took 8th out of 10, Kevin Hassan told me the bari group was all world class badasses, the toughest solo competition of the evening. To have beaten ANY of those cats was good. Played as well as I could. I need a 3 valve horn that can play 3827587 notes a second next time.

Watched minicorps, will try and review later. All the arrangements were very, very accessible, and to be truthful, Star and GR's Copland arrangements were some of the best if not THE best arranging of maybe THE most done to death piece of music in this activity I've heard- so fresh, thoughtful and original, I was down with them both- particularly GR. Regardless of competing- really... if you're doing what you want to do with Sky, go and just do it. The Freelancers did just that and were inspring and FANTASTIC. Didn't matter if they had all the other accoutrements the other three did. I greatly valued hearing their inspired performance, and told them as much afterwards. It's one I will remember for a long time to come. I felt that way about all four entrants. Hey- I showed up for I and E, did my level, honest best in a group with 10 world class people. No dishonor in being in the bottom third. Beating any of those low brass powerhouses at all was a feather in my cap. People liked it, appreciated my effort, which really touched me. Sometimes that's gotta be the goal.

Reuben's there. Ex Sky/Brassmen as well, some good peeps!

Sousa had people come before him, too. I recommend finding a good recording- and they're out there- of the "Washington Grays March" by Grafulla, written in 1861. One of the earliest American marches that's still performed regularly. Find one that plays it at a moderate tempo, not too fast. Another old Italian march I also recommend, which I believe dates back to that era is "La Banda Nascente", which I played with a local concert band years ago. The Euphonium parts in the Trio are to kill for, and I'd love to play that one again. Yeah, I got a serious love for old marches as a kid before I went to corps by playing in some local adult concert bands. There's a lot in those compositions people gloss over, which is shameful. Marches are a Euphonium player's heaven because they have real parts and demand musicianship and skill. About the only guy who could write stuff like that for us BITD was Frank Doritte in 82 and 83 at Westshore, which we all thanked and continue to thank him for writing. You had to bring up Marches.... Just one of those things I love so much.

This prelims has a lot of potential fluidity in it from the start to finish. There's gonna be some seriously inspired performances and throwdowns through the day. I am so, so ready to watch and enjoy it.