IllianaLancerContra
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Posts posted by IllianaLancerContra
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Instead of "Mars Attacks!" "Amps Attacks!"
Nicholson (as Hoppy) "We don't have woodwinds, but we still have amps and voice, and two out of three ain't bad."
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Ok, am I the only one who still thinks the Cadets don't move around as much as The Cavaliers? I just don't see it... maybe because the Cadets don't move around as fast? Even if that's the case, I'm sorry, but the highest visual demand for the hornline is still on the Cavaliers.
I remember in past some guy (in Utah maybe?) on RAMD that had it down to a science w/ a method for determining the difficulty of any drill. It will probably need to wait until DVD's are available.
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Yeah lets go back to those days of terrible sounding equipment and less instruments so that we have a limited amount of tone colors out there on the field. Thats what we need
And those young whipersnappers have is so easy running around the field at at 200 beats per minute as compared the good old days when they would go 132 (max).
Some of us like that sound. It is what Drum Corps sounds like. As for tone colors, there were a lot more types of horns then - flugles, French horns, piccalo sopranos to name a few.
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I am sitting here at work eating lunch and streaming the 1978 North Star show on Season Pass. I am sure its been discussed before but what happened to North Star? They were good! Secondly, does anyone know who the soloist was in 78? He was good also!
OK, back to lunch.
They rocked. Their 1979 show was the quintessential (sp?) of what was then called 'east coast style' - i.e., fast is good, loud is better, fast and loud is best. Also, the brass line was tilted toward the high end, they were to high brass what Phantom is to low brass. Their drums ruled, and color guard was right there as well.
Best part is the (Noonan) solo in 'Ole' - Maynard Furgeson was in the broadcast booth with Rondo (his first year). The solo was the only thing going on - everything else stopped (except a judge getting out of the camera shot), and he aimed it right at Maynard and nailed it. After they went off, Maynard had to try the bugle Rondo had brough to the booth. The whole stadium turned around, expecting a 3-octive rip....
I vote 79 North Star for Classic Countdown 3
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I've got to agree with Madison 1976. That was a fun season:
- They came in 2nd while defending their 1st DCI championship;
- The Bicentennial was being celebrated throughout the summer;
- Stars & Stripes forever was played both by Scouts & Bridgemen;
- Blue Devils debuted Channel One Suite and win their 1st championship.
Plus they changed the entire show mid-season.
The S&S arrangement was real similar to the version Argonne played in the early 70's. The fanfare at the beginning was used by many corps; Bridgemen 78 come to mind. I wonder where it originally came from - maybe Tru Crawford? Anyone know?
- They came in 2nd while defending their 1st DCI championship;
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I've got to be honest... if this was any other section, I'd say yea, just go around... but can we not show a little compassion for the kids lugging around heavy, expensive, wheeled equipment? I mean, for God's sake...
Ya know, if they would carry their equipment like in the good ol days, this would not be an issue. Plus, they (corps) would not need a second equipment truck to carry it (with fuel costs, etc), not to mention the second mortgage on the corps hall to purchase the equipment & truck.
Mike Boo (who carried the keyboards he played) wrote a real good Fanfare article a while back that was recently re-run. Those were the days....
And valve-rotors!!! Bring them back!!! These young whipersnappers today have it so easy....real buglers don't need a third valve!
Rant off
Flame shields up.
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I hate everything! :P
RM - m-12
But mostly I hate ampssuck
Sort of like Mikey in the Life commercial, but different.
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We sure did...and the reason was, because of the threat of rain we used Long Rangers to get the vocal sound out to the audience. Our real sound system will be out tonight in Westminster and I hope you guys can come out and make some noise for the BONES!
Best of luck to you. Y'all were probably 2nd loudest (Phantom #1) on Monday, not the best tone quality, but loud.
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Ahh..good old I-68. That ###### roller coaster of an interstate has destroyed many an engine.
for those of you who dont know, I-68 runs from Morgantown, WV to Fredrick, MD. For a corps caravan, it is a nightmare of a road filled with 6, 8 and 10 mile long steep grades..you are either overheating your engine or burning your brakes! the "dragonfly effect" "dragon" up the hills, and "flying" down the other side!
Yeah, but IMHO it sure beats the Penn Turnpike
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In 75 we diden't go and prelims were about a hour away that shows you how bad we were in 75
I think I remember reading somewhere that St Ignatius was even beating you...But you made up for in in '76 and never looked back.
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I just watched a little Crown 2003.
In my opinion, this is the greatest turnaround for a corps from one season to the next.
They went from 16th in 2002 to 10th in 2003. But not just placement, the show design was far more mature, drill was terrific, the new uniforms are classy.
What are some others?
27th Lancers - 1974 20th place, 1975 4th place
Bridgemen - 1974 26th place, 1975 did not go to DCI, 1967 6th place
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Saw Crossmen at Mon stand-still in Chesapeake. Horn line has quite a few real young looking members. They also had some significant feedback from the amps...
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Yeah all east coast corps should just cancel their season. :P
Perhaps someone "up there" is making a subtle hint on electronic amplification... :)
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Well, since they don't play that much American Football over there, I would imagine that there aren't that many football fields over there. So, I think they would be using a completely different field over there.
I guess you young'uns need something more than a 50 yard line?
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On just about every drum from the dawn of time onwards, drum heads were stretched by tightening the rim on top of them down over the shell below them.
(you tighten the screws at the top, it pushes the rim (and drum head) down over the wooden "shell" of the drum.)
This worked fine until the advent of kevlar drum heads, which are so strong that the drum itself would break if you tightened the head down too much! (It'd either pop those vertical lugs off the side or cave in the entire wood shell.)
In order to deal with the "high tension" heads, free-floating drums were developed.
A second metal rim is now under the top rim, so that when you tighten the top rim, it's now coming down on another piece of metal rather than the wood shell. In addition, the vertical lugs on the side no longer attach to the shell of the drum, meaning that the shell actually floats "free" inside the hardware. (Technically, it's held in place by the bottom drum head on the bottom and it sits under the lower rim on the top, but hey - it doesn't have stuff bolted into it, and that's where the name comes from.)
All of the major companies now have free-floating drums. Pearl's is above.
Yamaha's
Premier's
Ludwig's (these have a double rim on the bottom, too, so you don't need all of those vertical lugs around the drum.)
Dynasty's (rims bolt onto the wooden shell, so it's not technically a "free" free-floater.)
Anyways, that's the reader's digest version for non-drummers. :)
Mike
Thank you. I am glad it did not involve levitation.
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Oh, what a sweetie. Okay, okay ... I'm a grandma ... to 11 ... and what fun. Our 7 month old Ella came to her first show on Father's Day. She LOVED it ... waved her arms ... marched her feet up and down ...
Taking small children (who know how to behave BTW), is a great experience not only for them ... but for those around them. When a corps is on the field, children should be seen and not heard ... including ours.
He's beautiful ... and congratulations!
Grand (ma) Tye
Waved her arms = future drum major
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It's also rarely an issue unless you use the 'house" equipment. I used to run into that occasionally when my Army band used to pay in some places...one they realized I was using my own equipment (or was willing to work with the house sound man) it became a non-issue.
Honestly, I'd be surprised if it was a problem for drum corps at stadiums.
So much for that line of reasoning...
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Okay, these guys were bad #####! Would you walk into battle with nothing more than a fife?
Off topic, I know, but in those days the musicians were also stretcher bearers. And that was an especially grusome conflict, as the technology was way ahead of the tactics. But I digress
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Oh, and let me add:
8. Drums: snare heads from Mylar to Kevlar / free-floating drums. Changed not only the basic sound of the snare drum for really only the 2nd time in the last 400 years (rope tension to lug tension to free-floating), but changed the economics of it as well.
Mike
Pls don't flame, I am a brass player, but
What is a 'free-floating" drum? From what I see they still seem to be attached to the drummer.
Just curious
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C'mon man, you marched drum corps...would you really want to go out there and risk an ankle on a field at a show? That field was atrocious...I was glad they held a standstill. It was just too risky.
On a side note, I heard many people complain about the standstill in the crowd at Chesapeake. I would like to note that the people I heard complain would not walk through the puddles on the sidewalk. Grown men at that!
Point of order - I walked through the puddles, and also complained. So there.
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Now that the sound board can be operated by a staff member, does that staff member need to be a member of same musician's union to operate said board in some venues?
I remember hearing stories about senior corps not being able to perform in some venues because the corps members were not members of the musician's union.
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Rained today. Did not rain during the show. The field was dubbed 'unsafe'
Although this is wasn't the ideal situation, I got to hear the music w/o drill. At this early stage in the season it gives us a chance to hear the music as played without visual responsibility.
when i put a score on things it doenst matter at all, its just fun to do. and I base it purely on music effect and performance
TEAL SOUND
good things:
this corps has a very strong drumline. I compliment the tenors for a very clear articulations and good balance with the rest of the battery. The hornline is strong, putting out quite suprisingly high volumes. During warm up I heard them work on a fast 16th note lick and they sounded like a bottom 6 div 1 corps. Drum major is a good time-keeper. Interesting timbre variations with congas on snares. They must be a little awkward to march. At some points, half the snare line was playing ie. every other. This technique helped balance very well.
could be improved:
Music ensemble in certain places could be tighter. The mellophones don't quite have a clear tone yet and that is partly to blame on certain intonation issues. That 16th note lick I was talking about,...didn't happen in the performance. The drum major could be more clearer on entrances-releases-dynamics. I think that would make the ensemble tighter. There is a certain lack of dynamic contrast, its almost there...but not quite yet. Because of the staging on the track the battery was overpowering.
the show: Entertaining and Uplifting. Powerful young group. Well written book.
my score: 57.9 d2
THE MAGIC
good things: The first big release in the ballad was worth the price of admission. The uniforms look sharp. Why is it that the low brass always look older than everyone else? Girl in the contra line is a plus. Thh e unison note held by the mellos towards the beginning of the opener...very very very in tune. The pit seems to be very much into this show. The show features mellophone soloists. The way the corps sections are featured in the 3rd chart is a postive.
could be improved: on a track show, have the trumpet soloist come all the way down front, the hornline was overpowering. Mellophone soloists need to put more air through their horns especially in the low register. Very exposed solos ...good music...make it more musical. The 'chaos' section of the show sounds exactly like the title. By far the weakest and most difficult part of the show. It will be interesting to hear them when they clean it up some more.
the show: My biased is that it is a little on the 'really good marching band' end on the show design pendulum, but that is just me. The theme works well and my personal old school piston valve conservatism up hill in the snow barefoot opinion should not matter at all.
my score: 58.0
CAROLINA CROWN
good things: musical ensemble is very clearn. During the 'pep band' section of the show, the mellos sound very tight and are in the grove. The contras feature starting the second tune. The trumpet soloist's first attack and tone quality. The mello/trumpet duet is balanced very well. Again it was very tight and clean enemble wise.
could be improved: musical ensemble is very safe. THE THNG THAT BOTHERED ME THE MOST ABOUT THE ENTIRE SHOW IN VIRGINIA was the fact the the timpani amp was very fuzzy and needs to be fixed immediatly, in my opinion get rid of all amps but that for another place. The kids marching their have no control over weather they are amped or not. I felt bad for the timpanist who sound very good only to be ruined by the less than steallar sound equipment.
the show: the show? I don't remember I was in 'a trance' I over heard the guy sitting next to me telling his wife that 'last year they were a little more spicy. I hate to be negative, but musically, the show is lacking impact, it is somewhat choppy. But remember that is subjective...something everyone on here is very good at being.
my score: 72ish
BOSTON
good things: Honestly, I have never really liked this corps. I was not expecting much. I was wrong. They are loud, there is no way that they will finish lower than crown. the warm up was much louder than the end of crown's show. loudness is not what its all about i know, but all I can say is that my face was ripped off. Never thought I would ever say that about the BAC. but tonight they WERE the BAC. I will never forgive them for 2003, but we must move on. They are better than they have been in quite some time. I like the 'conquest' theme strung out througout the production. soloists were all very good. The lady sitting next to me said "man they are sharp" she wasn't refering to the pitch.
things that could be improved: dynamic contrast, still shaky in some places. Could use a touch more melody. They seem to have 3 dynamics, loud, a touch louder, and half the corps playing. There is a certain refinement that must happen if they are ever to be considered for getting back into the upper 6. A certain euph/bari 'boo boos' toward the end of the show. Very obvious missed releases, pushups necessary.
the show: the opener was very loud, but the loud sections only lasted a few measures. When we get to the end, they play loud for a long time then get louder. Although this corps is not really one of my favorite corps, this show fits very well with the established identity of the corps. I
think they could squeak into 6th place. Mind you I haven't seen the visual program yet.
my score: 74ish
CROSSMEN ie the new VK?
goodthings--they sound like the crossmen, that distinct crossmen brass timbre. This is good. I hope the judges will recognize corps dont all go for the exact same sound. They kept their hats on. The colorguard came out in uniform to support the musicians. More facial hair this year, possibly older corps? The first encore tune was great.
things to be improved: They need to be like all the other corps if they want to get into finals, they are non-conformists this year and that will hurt them. That was sarcasm, I hate to see corps all do the same thing. This was refreshing. If they clean it up, they should be in good shape. There show went in a different direction than all the corps who went on previously. Not quite as loud as often as Boston. There were some definite phasing that needs to be worked out. Remember this is without drill.
the show: I couldn't believe what i saw in the 'radio frequency section" is this the cleverly disguised rebirth of VK? It was.....entertaining. The closer was VERY 'crossmen' sounding. The members were having fun with the show. A postive corps.
my score: 69
the second encore.....malaguena...............if you dont have anything nice to say don't say............
Phantom
good things- I saw a drum corps. up until now, besides crossmen, I saw themed shows that all took place in the mind....in a trance ...in a dream....that's all fine and well, but when regiment came out I heard a tough book played well, clear cutting sound......forgot to shave this morning, so I just stuck my face in the middle of their arc. Had a good seat too, right behind the DM, all horns were pointed my direction. Drums were very tight esp. snares. They are loud. The sops are on fire. did I mention they were loud.
things sans good- alot of the book is covered up right now and a little raw, the delicacies, finger techniques ect are buried in a midst of raw razor edge loudness. Refinement is necessary, obviously....its early. I h append to catch a glimse of basics block....people missing direction changes....ect....phantom has a different pace at visual technique in my opinion only having seen they do some basic excercises, they are behind at this point in the season.
The show: they are playing A DRUM CORPS show. If there is any artsy stuff, it is in the visual. The music chosen is very emotional, great contrast, they could win horns this year. not as much double tonguing as usual. sounded to be like really fast single tonguing.
my score: 77.5
so here's the deal, i am not a huge fan of phantom, i marched with a rival corps, but tonight for the encorps, they played the closer from 1989, and elsa. I don't care who it is , when a corps playes their corps song, there is a certain amount of emotion in the air. It was magnificent. Obviously I would love to see my alumni corps beat phantom this year, because they would be placing ahead of a very talented, entertaining, and phenomenal group of musicians.
I haven't seen a show live in 4 years, I was busy marching. One thing I have to say is that audiences have changed, its not like a football screaming enthusiastic crowd, its more like Tiger just shot an eagle. another thing I have to say is that I was impressed by how loud it is. Teal sound blew me away....... The last time I saw a show about half corps were using G bugles. I miss those. Now about have the corps are using......art/imagery...shows you could write a thesis on. These are topics all so heavily debated, but you know what........I got my face ripped off tonight....and when it comes down to it...thats all that matters.
I was there too - agree w/ what was said above, but a few more thoughts
Teal - much better than I expected. They remind me of Crown about 10-12 years ago when they were starting to make their move up
Crossmen - a lot of real young members in the horn line (or maybe just small-boned?). They were the second-loudest to Phantom, but that came at some price w/ intonation issues. Amps had some major feedback & voice dropping out problems
Phantom - Absolutely ripped my face off. Good thing lady 2-rows below had left w/ her infant daughter earlier - folks were looking for babies to throw...
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It rained really hard for an hour or two in the morning in Williamsburg, but cleared up after that. I'm not sure about Chesapeake, but the weather report says 60% chance of T-storms tonight. Here's hoping that the show goes on...
Thunder right now in yorktown, raining off/on for a while
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GO BONES .
I'll be there, but it is raining on-off, for last 18 hrs... :(
Imagine This If You Can
in Historical Junior Corps Discussions
Posted
Coccoon plus Space Cowboys comes to mind.
Can I judge field M&M side 1?