Harmonious Cacophony

Adding insult to injury.

RainBEAT strikes again.

Drum corps comedy show? "What's the deal with the bluecoats? They're not wearing coats and they're not blue! What's the deal with that?"

Hope y'all stay dry over in Winston-Salem. We just had a short rain shower next door in Greensboro. Feels like NightBEAT gets rain every other year.

Don't forget that the Indians are leading the AL Central and are 2 games back from the best record in baseball.

Crown posted 97s and 98s in twelve of the 22 subcaptions--I think a few 100s may be possible on Saturday night in GE and Music.

Phantom is/will be fine. Most corps go through competitive swings. From what I've seen online this year (not in person, so take it with a grain of salt), Phantom's show design doesn't quite "work" yet. There are certainly some great moments, but their staff will need to do some tinkering for Phantom to make it back in the top 6. Don't forget that Phantom was a medalist just 3 years ago. I'm not worried about the direction of PR at all.

Easy: Cadets 2002, The Pledge of Allegiance spoken during the ballad. Major goosebumps every time.

The idea is that the addition of synthesizers, body movement, all standard brass, crazy props, etc, allow for better "art" and therefore a better curriculum and better education for the members. The addition of synthesizers allows for a wider timbral and textural palette. Body movement likewise adds to the possible visual repertoire and increases the "content" in a show. Corps have a competitive disadvantage by not utilizing contemporary techniques.

If you want to know what DCI is really "about," take a look at the mission statements of different corps. DCI is not about entertainment, it is about education. The purpose is not to entertain the audience, put butts in seats, or sell CDs. The goal of most corps is usually something like, "Creating lifelong excellence in youth through arts education." The point is that it doesn't matter what you (the audience) prefers. Shows are designed to provide the best arts curriculum for the education of the members. What constitutes the best arts curriculum is determined by what the judges value as having the best content. The cat is already out of the bag and it isn't going back in.

The show sounds like it is perfect for the Blue Devils, and should give the opportunity for a lot of really neat musical and visual ideas. I look forward to seeing it this summer.

I think BD wins it again. I would love to see Crown win a title, but I'm not sure if their percussion scores can improve enough to edge out the Devils. It'll be close, though.

I agree. The corps identity is a factor of more than just repertoire selection, but a combination of many factors. For the Blue Devils, I think what they're doing this year is right in line with their shows from 2007 to the present season. What BD has done in this time span is different from BD in 2001-2006 and BD in the 90s.

I think SCV already did this show

Definitely Duke.

This might be the best thing DCI has done in a while.

Oooh! Highlights! Thanks, DCI!

Hah. 1. BD (1st in GE, Visual, and Music) 2. Cavies (2nd in GE, Visual, and Music) 3. Bluecoats (3rd in GE, Visual, and Music) 4. Crown (4th in GE, Visual, and Music) 5. Cadets (5th in GE, Visual, and Music) Stat guys: has this ever happened before for the first 5 corps?

"Winning Championships since 1930"

This. Electric instruments are new for DCI, but not cutting edge in any way. Synths were available for use in DCI's inaugural season. For some reason, DCI didn't seem to think that they belonged in the activity for over 30 years. Now, all of a sudden, corps are disastrously limited in their creative potential without the use of these and other electronic instruments. How on earth did corps survive and put on entertaining shows without guys on keyboards doubling the contra part for all of these years?

I was just thinking today how odd it is that electric keyboard synthesizers have appeared in DCI before trombones and F horns. Back in 2001 I would have never guessed that I would see electric instruments before the full gamut of brass. Weird to me, I guess... ----------------- Here's another thought: If corps just want a huge loud low sound, then why don't they just buy a big 6/4 orchestral tuba for use in the pit. During big hits, the group's best contra player would go to the pit, throw the big tuba on his/her lap and play a glorious big dark round warm mezzo forte rendition of the contra part. The bell would be pointed into a microphone which would then send the tubist's warm tone to speakers that would play it at fffff. Why not, right? It would be the same thing as using a low-end synth, except it would be acoustically produced and amplified. Fair is fair, right?

How do we know what these "audience members" think? It isn't like SCV plays two shows every night (one with low synth and one without) and polls everyone in attendance to find which version was more preferable.

Ditch it. Please!!

Crown's pre-show is not a warm-up, it is their intro. This is the first part of Crown's show; it just happens to take place before the announcer says "...Carolina Crown!"

If we're talking chicken, I gotta throw Zaxby's into the mix.