bhs alumni
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Posts posted by bhs alumni
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I like all of the input, thank you!
I am curious, though, as to why a corps like Blue Stars or Troopers, can be out and then come back even stronger than ever compared to a corps tht continues to field every year.
I know, there is the philosophies and such, but what makes a group like Blue Stars or Troop so much "better" for a lack of a term than Pio? Is it because of the talent pool that they are going after? Since they are not really local corps anymore, like most World Class?
We know that there is plenty of talent on Pio, but do Blue Stars have an "it" factor? Is it the age of the students?
I have heard instructors, show design, tradition (Irish), but I am really surprised to see a group, let's say Troopers, come back and do fairly well. I hope you understand what I am trying to say.
Also, do some corps have a "slotted" place? Would you ever expect Cavies or BD or Phantom to be battling with Mandarins or Cascades or Pioneer for position?
How can Mandarins be better, since they have about the same numbers each year and they play pretty much the same style music! Anyone for a taiko drum?
Age is a factor, Pioneer is usually a very young corps and that means a lot. Stamina, strength, chops...these are all things every corps works on every year, but if you start out ahead of another group in those terms (with older members) you can sustain yourselves longer. Recruiting and teaching also can play a factor. When the Troopers came back (if I remember right), they had a very different staff makeup and that, added with a VERY strong recruiting push, seems to have paid off. From what I can tell, a lot of Pioneer staffers (at times) are alum. That's both good and bad in that they would be very well versed in the "pio way" of doing things, but at the same time, by having little outside exposure you possibly limit yourselves in approach. Troopers and Blue Stars have a variety of people.
Mandarins are usually a smaller corps and visually use the style of "less is more." Their drill is not as technically demanding than some other corps, but they are usually very clean so they get points for achievement but less for demand. So yes, their music may sound similar but remember there are scores for visual as well. That being said, Mandarins do have more musical variety annually than Pio.
So to answer your question from a judge's standpoint (I've judged before but never judged DCI), one looks at so many things, and style of music is just one component. A quick over simplified breakdown of the score sheets:
GE -> overall score for Visual & one for Music: each caption gets judged on: repetoire (what the design/demand is) & performance (how well executed)
Visual -> performance: judging individual members, ensemble: judging the uniformity of the group, colorguard: demand, execution
Music -> brass, ensemble, percussion: each gets scored for demand & execution
Plus there are more definitions within these captions of what to look for.
So one could say Mandarins and Pioneer are of the same caliber because they are in the same general placement grouping but there are so many factors in determining that. The more experience one gains as a student, staff member, judge helps really understand the fine details that can seperate group A from group B. Yes there made be some slotting, but the only true way to know where a group should truly place is to put every group on in the same non-distinguishing uniform, announce no corps name, see no staff members near the group (basically a blind test where judges and crowd have no idea who the group is until after the scores are announced) and see what happens. A concept I would be curious to see but I know it would never happen.
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got my tickets...any one have a lineup including step off times? DCI doesn't have it and I'm trying to decide if we need a room for the night or not. I'm assuming it should end around 10ish, but is an exact time list available yet?
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There are a few things I could see that would put them continually in low standing. One is resistance to change. From what I could tell they are all good people ($1 to DP) but some are stuck in an old mind set. The way drum corps are taught and run nowadays has changed and as some have already pointed out, they aren’t willing to “play the DCI game.” Now in my case, I don’t mean they should run out and go all electronics or expand to a worldwide recruiting base, but a difference in thought at the top could do them some good. First of all music: Irish, lose it. I understand staying with tradition and sense or corps style, but since when does the word Pioneer specifically mean Irish?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary entry for “pioneer”:
1: a member of a military unit usually of construction engineers
2 a: a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development
b: one of the first to settle in a territory
3: a plant or animal capable of establishing itself in a bare, barren, or open area and initiating an ecological cycle.
So there you go, you can keep the name Pioneer but look into other avenues of music. Possibilities could include military music, or new music, ala “being the first” or traditional folk music of “first settlers” but from different cultures. That being said, there can definitely be a way to create more accessible shows including Irish music that isn’t so folksy and traditional. It has been said time and time again on these boards that there is a huge segment of Irish music that can be used that could at least keep the concept but would explore more updated sounds.
Another area of opportunity is a mind set of understanding who you are. It’s admirable to strive to be the best, but focus on getting out of last place (congrats to them for doing it for the first time in a few years), instead of believing you have to compete with the Blue Devils. In a horn rehearsal once, instead of working on basic technique there was more focus on volume and the reasoning was “we have to compete with BD.” With proper technique comes volume, and then you can work on expanding it later. The corps switched from G to Bb, which from a competitive standpoint is a plus (heard of a judges tape that said ‘if you want to be competitive, you need to switch’). By taking a proper approach and realizing it’s not a one-year process, they can achieve great things, but by thinking each year that it’s all going to fall into place immediately is naïve.
The best idea in my eyes would be bring in a program consultant, someone with a great understanding of drum corps as a whole, to evaluate the entire organization and together create a five- or ten-year plan for growth and development. The corps will be around for a long time and that’s a good thing, but if they wish to increase their perception of competitiveness, there needs to be a lot of changes that I just don’t see coming.
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there are other judges whose practices are far more suspect than Kyle Miller's from SA. so much so that it prompted an investigation into two of them on the tour in '07 (though nothing seems to have come from it cause they're still out there)
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even bigger shocker: this just in from dallas...Pioneer beat SOMEBODY!!!!!!!! in this case the cascades, but its someone....that's gotta be a milestone for them as well. apparently gone are the days of describing day/evening shows as 8th through Pio for the day show. (not by me but i have heard this said more than once before)
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indeed, a typo, but not necessarily a hack...check out the recaps from Denver...numbers are all over the place for placings and the scores list has zero's next to the places. happens from time to time, not with a div III or extinct, and i was surprised to see both, but just a typo i'm sure
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first about me to qualify...i'm a vis guy, i've marched and i've taught. a tuba player by trade but i know a decent amount about percussion. i know next to nothing about guard, but my comments on them are because it sticks out to me.
thoughts from Michigan City...my seat was 6 rows up, on the 25 (or 30 i forget), side 2.
my seats were really bad for vis and i was honestly paying more attention to music than vis, but seemed pretty good compared to other corps' mid-season form. musically seemed pretty solid, heard strains of "malaga" but i wasn't sure if they were playing 'malaga' or just quoting it. (just looked it up and they aren't playing it).
the guard comes out wearing red-hooded robes which really made me wonder, especially after last year's costumes. i knew they were, like most corps' guards, going to take the robes off at some point and when they did i wasn't sure what to make of it...kinda looks like a bad spider-man outfit. now i seem to remember reading somewhere that the concept was built around Lucha Libre, so based on that it makes sense and they "fight" amongst themselves and the corps members at different points.
guess that's probably not very detailed, but i enjoyed them more than most of the corps and am a little surprised of their scoring this season...a little low for my tastes, specially compared to the other corps at the show.
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Couple (well, more than a couple) of questions, since I've been on a Santa Clara kick lately, and have really enjoyed their drill design in the past...
4. When did Rosander stop writing the drill for SCV?
5. Why?
yes, as pointed out, he did write for Madison in 2006. to answer why, a source once told me (though i have not independently confirmed, but i trust my source) that it was politics. the SCV BoD gave strict restrictions for the show design, including that there was to be no step size bigger than 8-5 (i believe i was told it was because of too many injuries from 2004, but very weird if true)and thus after that season, he decided to part ways (during the time when Rick Valenzuela and others left) but i do believe i had also heard he was back with SCV in some capacity.
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wow, starting at 5:30 central time....aren't these times kinda early? since i don't get home from work until at least 6 and not sure if the wife is gonna wanna go, i'm definitely gonna miss some of the show.
oh well cool cause i was wondering about info on this
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haha no actually never saw that
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yeah, i too was quite disappointed at no stand-still but as they were trying to clear the stadium and force people in to the (murNer, not murDer) field house, at one point a cop came back and said it was already full, and there were plenty of people still in the stadium so i guess there wouldn't have been any room for one.
it does of course make me wonder why isn't something like that considered when selecting a show site...we all hope no show ever gets rained out, but of course at least one does every season, and especially since there are only two shows in the northern IL area (i know i for one couldn't make it down to normal on a friday night in time for the show) all season, i would hope for the future that they would consider if the show site can support a standstill or not.
of course i also find it slightly outrageous that the only shows in IL, one state (and only three hours) away from Championships are done in the first week of the season. wouldn't it make soooo much sense to bring the corps back through here on the way to IN????? oh well, this is how CA feels every year (though i don't live there anymore!!)
please scheduling guru, look into this for next season. thank you
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yup....again it depends on the corps. almost everyone has openings for members deciding to drop out, for not paying fees, or for other reasons...some advertise the spots, some go to their call back list. as far as reduced fees, as previously mentioned it depends on the corps but it makes sense to a point....you shouldn't be expected to help pay for the fall/spring camps since you weren't part of the corps so why should you pay as much? it also depends because some corps have camp fees and a seperate complete tour fee, so either way its probably a slightly prorated if not heavily discounted fee for a person coming in this late.
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this just in: they're in Illinois and will be kicking off the season this friday night
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I shortly after receive a message from an acquaintance on facebook about how absolutely rude it is to judge like that. How, having not marched with X or Y specific corps, this person felt that I have no idea where that organization is and what they're doing before the season has even officially started.
acquaintance meet DCP
DCP meet acquaintance
nuff said
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daring choice to go with a stripe on the pant leg....i have been in discussions (and probably some on here) about whether or not a corps will ever go with a leg stripe again and the usual argument against it is how obvious any vis issues will be.
very nice, and good luck on a successful season
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kappa psi
SLIBFS
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well i assumed it was exhibition, more than likely a standstill, but either way, to promote for a show in 2 weeks (now) seemed kinda late if the intent was to recruit. like i said, either way glad to see another corps trying to put it together, and good luck in the future.
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Hey, all,
What would you do with a Pokemon show?
J
hook it up to some TNT, call in ACDC and let it rip...sorry
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I think their plans regarding DCI competition are for 2010, so that would be 54.5 weeks.
"In the inagural season the corps will have two major performances within the greater Bridgeport area on June 27th and August 29th ."
just assumed he meant this year. specially with the Brockton, MA show on 6/27...good luck folks
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Have you been around many drum corps staffs? It's the same market!
to the office!!! -
two and a half weeks before first performance? wow...good luck. always great to see another corps out there.
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very simple, its early season...you expect to see dirt, but you also expect to see a show, so why not give us a full show?
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A few thoughts:
Can you say DRUM CORPS PLANET, did you get the drum corps part??? Can't think of a better place to post all corps needs. The Cadets have posyed amoung others but no questions about that.
Good for you Randy only having to fill the few spots you have, plenty of WORLD class groups are looking to fill 4, 8 and even 10 spots this year. The economy has hurt all.
Jim
well i posted something about the Pioneer openings and it was immediately assumed i was being negative (i haven't posted again in there so those assumptions may or may not be correct), so i ask in here
Attention Tuba Players
in Brass Forum
Posted · Edited by bhs alumni
Both of these books are exactly the same source music. For any serious tuba player, I recommend the Rochut. The Bordogni (edited by Chester Roberts) has some different keys and is differently numbered which is really only a problem for someone practicing with SmartMusic. It is written in the tuba range (as previously mentioned, Rochut is written for trombone an octave higher), but almost all of the phrases are shortened or some other change to make them less fluid. Also the Rochut gives the advantage of getting familiar with reading up the octave which opens up a wider variety of music for the advancing player. When I was in college, everyone had the Rochut and discussing exercises is much easier if you're reading out of the same book.
Also recommended for upper high school:
40 Advanced Studies for Bb Bass - H.W. Tyrell
70 Studies for BB flat Tuba (in 2 volumes) - Vladislav Blazhevich