G-horns
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Posts posted by G-horns
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Sure, "if it's made by Mattel it sounds just swell" -- or so ran the dig I heard in the '80s. But that was when I was in h.s., playing on a brass sousaphone. My first three years of college marching band was on fiberglass sousaphones, before funds came through to purchase a set of brass instruments my senior year. (For want of an music major in the tuba section, I was the one chosen to demonstrate to the potential funders the difference in tone between fiberglass and (borrowed) brass.) But was that all Brad T. was referring to? Or is there some reason that a brass BBb contra would have more "edge and power" than a brass BBb sousaphone?
I think Shadow_7's reply pretty much covers it.
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Hey, I can play a horn; but I'd play it with drum sticks!
Ray
sneaky way of bumping it up to the top again!!!!!
Good. Call "The Kid" and get one of his Getzen Concert Model frenchies. I'll save a seat for ya. You can use the drum sticks to hold down the music so it doesn't blow away.
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Interesting. What's the explanation for that?
Probably because the sousaphone is fiberglass. IMO, they may be more durable than all brass but they are just noise makers when it comes to sound.
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Before you concern yourself with special playing techniques, you gotta be able to hold the things properly. Depending on any sports or other activities you may do, holding a contra may come easy or difficult. For me, since I really don't do any physical activity aside from drum corps, my first few months holding the contra during indoor rehearsals were slightly painful. Now it's not so bad. Of course, any GG contra (ie. Open Class DCI or DCA corps only) with 3 or 4 valves will be noticeably heavier than any 3 valve BBb contra. However, my GG contra is still not as heavy as my 5 valve CC tuba.
As far as playing goes, most BBb contras will play exactly the same as a BBb tuba. They don't play the same as a Sousaphone though. You can get a lot more edge and power behind the notes on a contra than a Sousaphone. Imagine playing a concert tuba, except not holding back so as to not overpower the woodwinds in the concert auditorium. The GG contra takes some work however, since everything is a minor third lower, so even more air is required to play, well... everything. Once you master the secrets of the particular model of horn you will be on, you will learn to be a strong and "robust" player. This past season a DCI judge remarked on the comment tapes that I had a very robust sound, which is not a line you hear very often. They may have been referring to the fact that as one of two contras I was pretty much heard over the rest of the low brass and I wasn't really forcing it out!
Contra is like a bike, once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier and more fun, and then you get bored and start doing tricks and showing off... That's when I&E contests start getting appealing!
So, if you were "robust" were you sticking out?
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And ask that band drum instructor why in the world you'd want to play in a line that is completely covered up with synthesized bass?
Go Bluecoats, young man!
Ouch!
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Here's my situation. I'm a 16 year old tuba player looking to make the jump into drum corps. I'm not the best tuba player in the world, but I'm most definitely not the worst (Sam Pilafian has complimented my playing). When it comes to marching I'm pretty good at it. I still have room for improvement, but I'm willing to work hard to make that improvement.
I am most likely only auditioning for my local corp, The Academy. However, after my senior year I'll be free to do any corp I want. So I was wondering which corp would be better to march contra in? I really want to do either Carolina Crown or Bluecoats. My marching bands drum instructor(Who marched Blue devils 88' 89' keeps telling me to Blue Devils, but I don't think I'll ever have a chance to make it.
What should I do to prepare myself for the task of marching contra for a world class corp?
1. You will be auditioning on tuba, not contra bass bugle.
2. I agree with Shadow_7. Audition locally, spend a year with the corps if you make it in, and observe other corps whenever you can. Even from afar, a parking lot warmup can tell volumes about the way the members are treated. After making your observations you'll be better equipped to make a choice.
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,..................nowhere else to go with the numbers, especially if other corps are near 100, and you find a corps beofre you that is simply much better,...........
Okay, I'll play....
It wasn't like these judges live in Siberia all summer. Nor is this the first ever appearance of Star United. Would it have been too hard to leave enough room at the top so you don't HAVE to give 100? IMO, SU should have been a good 4 or 5 points ahead of #2. Not because GR wasn't deserving, but because SU was more than 1.5 better.
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A couple of years ago we had a kid at the middle school playing on a sax mouthpiece that was GREEN. Made me wanna puke. Told the kid to clean it or stay in study hall.
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About Judge #3 - I think he left plenty of room with the early corps so he wouldn't have to shave hundreths to fit someone in.
One question: How do you get 100 in Music from all 3 judges short of literally walking on water with a horn in your face?
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If anything, we would switch to vuvuzelas!
Your upper leads would still sound good! Good to see you and the rest of the 'Gades in Rochacha.
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Yes there's reasons. But when talking about used gear, it's about the same costs to buy as it is to rent. Over the long run anyway. Short term, or if you just don't have storage space, or don't know exact needs, renting has it's perks. Hence the curiosity.
Yes, buying used can be a good alternative to renting. However, I'll bet that the program hasn't the time to shop for used stuff as the marching band season begins in a week or two. Anyway, I hope they find what they need at a price they can afford.
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Matt and the entire Kidgrove Scouts organization,
We owe YOU a big THANK YOU for coming to the USA and showing us what drum corps is all about in so many ways. If anyone ever asks me, you're welcome back ANYTIME.
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I'm assuming you've check with all the usual suspects. Some folks don't read DCP (Surprise, surprise).
Shadow_7: Renting is sometimes a good business decision. It has nothing to do with longevity. The school district may not have money budgeted for purchasing instruments (7 bari's would run about $10K) but can rent because it doesn't come out of the capital equipment account. Also, if the band boosters are paying, they may not be allowed to purchase capital equipment but can spend money on rentals. Businesses rent all the time for these reasons.
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Getting more serious, I recall seeing somewhere online a book on marching technique.
Just remember: Practice makes permanent. If this line has been doing it wrong for a long time, you won't be able to change them overnight.
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let's keep Kidsgrove out of this... they are some of the happiest people on the planet this week...
and yes, their score went up 7 points in one week, but I prefer to believe THEY brought it up that far... I can tell you that while their brass both horn wise and marching wise were on the highest level... it's the Percussion and Guard that improved in leaps and bounds from the Bridgeport performance and even from my first viewing on Tuesday morning though finals... The guard especially popped a show at finals and got a very good score for it...
So rather than a negative toward the judges - I prefer to recognize the hard work of a great bunch of drum corps people...
I agree with you, Tom.
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Where you place in a competition is out of your hands once you perform. If the Renegades were happy with their finals performance, they should live with that. Brooding over the placement would only serve to blight the memory of a great performance.
Wow, Frank. (In a good way)
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Also I understand MBI had some trouble with their equiptment truck prior to comming out to DCA.
Which brings me to only one conclusion.....It's a conspiracy. It's not enough we don't get enough shows, or get scored badly at DCA.......now they're trying to kill us.
You couldn't make our story up yesterday. One thing after another, after another. This weekend in general was a strange combo for the Kilties. Bad luck, good luck, bad karma, good karma. didn't make finals, but had a great show, truck breaks down, but at exactly at the right time to be rescued by other members, van suspension breaks, but on a fuels island so no one was hurt. It was an amazing weekend. I could say that I would have rather flown home, but I'm not really sure that's true. I don't think I would have liked missing that experiance.
Here's to getting home safe after one of the best drum corps years in recent history, hope all of your travels were safe.
WWBD
Not quite targeted at the Midwest. I understand that Grennies' equipment truck broke down on the way to Rochacha and they had to rent.
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BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!
Around approximately 1830, the souvie van broke down again in Elkhart, Indiana. People were shuffled between vehicles and 6 of us made it to Racine (w/trailer in tow) around 0030 Racine time. Last I heard the folks we were forced to leave behind with the van made it into racine around 0330 (without the van). Yesterday was one wild day. What are the odds of suffering two vehicle failures in 15 miles, and then ultimately having both vehicles quit before the day is through?
Look on the bright side - it all happened on the way home (not on the way to Rochacha) and nobody was injured (i.e. breakdowns, not accidents).
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Great show, congrats to Ghost Riders, have not heard you play any better. Whole I&E experience was trememdous, but the din continues at back of mini corps venue, wish people that show up just to show up would SHUT UP!!!!!!!!
I have to agree. Sometimes I couldn't hear the soft passages in the music. I honestly don't know HOW the judges could do their job with all that noise. All of the corps deserve some respect for the work they put into bringing a quality product to the stage - FOR FREE! You wanna talk? GO OUTSIDE!
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.... Trumpet player Rachel Rodriguez took first in the trumpet solo competition.
Shouldn't that be Dr. Rachel Rodriquez?
Sorry, Andy, this one frosted my flakes.
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Please check back in a day or two for a new topic discussing what I believe to be a necessary change to the I&E rules. That's all for now.
I have been advised by someone I respect very much to not post anything about this on DCP for a while. Sorry to if I caused anyone to tremble and shake.
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DCA people are more social than DCI? You go to a DCA show and everyone knows everyone, probably thanks to DCP. What do you all think?
I don't think it has as much to do with DCP as it does with the general attitude of DCA corps toward each other and outsiders. I was told by someone (can't remember who) that the people from Kidsgrove Scouts found it impressive that members of a corps would socialize with members of other corps. I guess in the UK, nobody socializes outside their corps. Of course, in DCI virtually every waking minute of a member's time is programmed and I'm sure the schedule doesn't include time to chat with members of other corps. I'll take the DCA model any day.
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I agree. But if you want the alumni activity to die,,just add in judges. Then everyone will have to go to a younger membership to keep up with the Jones's.
It would kill the alumni activity and that is something that I could not stand to see.
Can't agree more.
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Please check back in a day or two for a new topic discussing what I believe to be a necessary change to the I&E rules. That's all for now.
Audience types at Mini Corps competition
in DCA - All-Age Corps Discussions
Posted
Pass the bucket, like they do at the "free" jazz fest in Hartford. Even if the money doesn't go back to the corps, at least DCA will have some help in paying for facilities, etc.