USMKLAVIER

I really like this response from you. Especially considering how Wagner used so much more, and was so much more of a revolutionary in terms of incorporating so many different elements of the senses into his works. Considering how he was so meticulous about every single detail, musical or not, imagine what he could have done with a medium like drum corps. (Of course, he would have been a dick to them while doing so. haha)

Huge phan, but NO. Don't mess with Wagner, even if it's not from the best work of art ever written (Der Ring des Nibelungen.)

As was said earlier...FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

As watching DCI is a summer event, and I'm not a beer drinker, I'd say it merits the perfect summer DRINK...Gin and tonic (Beefeater, that is.) ...at least for a good suthuhner.

Yes. With THAT piece, I'll take as much as they'll give.

Coolness, and on an online video, I heard a bit of Rach 2 in Crown's show. Sweetness.

In terms of playing music backwards, the 18th of the Rach Paganini Variations is a prime example...so I guess Phantom did this, technically. (Was that 95 or 96?) haha

I admit that I am a homer for Phantom. That having been said: I saw the videos to which you refer, and not only do I feel a lack in sound (mostly because of the bass voice,) but I feel a lack of the traditional Phantom sound QUALITY. This could be because I'm hearing the low-synth, or it could be entirely a placebo-effect from not seeing the 12 contras I feel are justified. Am certain someone will destroy me for saying this, but it's only what I've seen online. Maybe when I see them at USM I will feel differently. --JLS

A friend of mine in a corps other than PR said that Phantom just sent home another contra player. He/She seemed to be under the impression that they are losing them, and that as a result of this, they are adding contras to fill the line at the expense of quality. Please understand that I am not trying to start anything. I am pulling for PR as I always do, but I'm just worried about these speculations I hear. I hope it's all nothing. Does anyone have any news (especially good) on this?

I agree with you WITH GUSTO on one point specifically: using synth to increase bass (or almost any other) voice is, in my opinion, cheating. Don't want to hack anyone off by saying it, but I really think it is. Also, thanks for the link. I had not seen that before, and it was awesome.

That's not the first time I've heard that less contras cleans up a show visually, and that is a strong point. Also, I was sort of thinking last season that even if you found 16 top-notch players, good intonation becomes more difficult with each contra added. That is, it seems that 12 contras much closer to one-another pitch-wise have the potential to sound just as big as 16 when they are just the SLIGHTEST bit off.

I sort of agree. Do you think it was motivated simply by the fact that other corps were doing it, or for visual reasons?

This may have already been answered on another thread, but does anyone know the numbers for the sections? Looking at concert in the park pictures, I see only 8 contras: is this the total, or a smaller section for that particular occasion for some reason? Sure is weird to see after getting used to the big contra lines last year...

AMEN to the mount vernon thing. Wish they could pull THAT off again.

No NO. (Do two negatives make a positive?) Here goes... 1. No, tactile contact, finger technique, and pressure does not equal percussion. Finger technique (and tactile contact which includes pressure) is required for violin, viola, cello, bass..... Yet they are not percussion. Is clavichord percussion too? 2. I made no argument that mallet instruments are not percussion (marimba, xyl, etc.) I said that PIANO is in a category all its own. At your college, please ask your piano professors if they majored in percussion. 3. Please refer to where I said the "piano as percussion" argument doesn't matter because there are no pianos in drum corps...only SYNTHS. Is this when you tell me synths are percussion too?

Man, the Strads have gone downhill since the company has been bought and re-bought. I mean come on, they still call 'em Bach, but they went to Selmer (which makes them half Bach-half Conn) and then to Steinway. But I had this old Strad from the 60's (after the Bach-Selmer merger) that is still one of the BEST trumpets I've played. They are built like big old cars, except AIR doesn't cost $3 a gallon. :) I hope that S&Sons does something good with them. I think it's time to re-investigate the worth of good custom instruments. By the way, I played a Xeno the other day... NIIIIIIIICE. It's like Kawai pianos. Machines keep getting better and better.

Irony?

I agree with you to an extent. Firstly, I consider myself a part of the "concert crowd," (am on grad faculty for piano) and I do consider drum corps an art form. I LOVE drum corps. However, I have seen some of my music profs either: 1. Walk out of a drum corps show OR 2. Say, "Don't tell anyone I was here." So, gah, I don't know man. I wish more people liked this stuff.

Sorry, I HAVE TO: The argument has been tried without success; piano is, like organ, in a category all its own. (Organ is not a wind instrument, NOR keyboard percussion; piano is not keyboard percussion NOR string instrument.) The whole "piano is a percussion instrument" argument is moot anyway. I don't see pianos on the sidelines, not even pianos with microphones. SYNTHS ARE NOT PIANOS. edit: This is not taking sides on this argument. Just defending my instrument. :)

THANK YOU

Slide doesn't move on the valve trombone. One the superbone, however, it does. MAGIC. lol. Thanks Maynard.

I am confused as to what your question is.... You think you should have bought him a better one, or a cheaper one? Or are you worried about bore sizes or the required air? There are certainly some worse NEW instruments you could have gotten, and $230 seems pretty reasonable. I know that when I started playing brass as a kid, I started on a pretty BAD horn, and it was always a great motivation to me to EARN that next step up with my playing (AND to work my chops up to that next bigger mouthpiece.) I say throw (well, maybe not THROW) the horn and an Arban book at him ASAP and get him started now, while he's so excited about it. --JLS

Ok, here goes... Anything that helps to balance those instruments (keyboard percussion mostly) that cannot physically balance themselves with the brass ensemble is, in my view, a decent idea. (I say this granted that some of the over-amplification issues are worked-out.) That having been said... I abhor the idea that synths doubling/octaving the bass pitches with the volume jacked is allowed. Even though the sound isn't exactly the same, I'm tired of seeing corps on the field with 8 contras sound like they have 20. I'm all for advocating BALANCE, but...ok, I'll say it, doing it with amplified bass sounds from the synths DOES seem like...cheating.

Ultra-liberal? Seriously, what size can are you trying to open on this topic? Be careful. Even W.Buckley, JR wouldn't claim that the idea of "better and worse" is clear in the musical world. Certainly you wouldn't claim that there is NO subjectivity in this activity? I read a lot of things on here; as a musician, this is the first to which I have taken real offense. TERRIBLE.

When a corps has a bad year, they certainly know it. (We ALL know which corps is thinking that now.) BUT, that doesn't mean they throw in the towel. There is STILL something to prove. Just to move up a bit. Just to surge at finals. Just to show that this is STILL the corps we know. I'm close to certain that the kids still know that they are out there for a reason, and that they are gonna GET IT. (Even if "IT" is 6th or 7th) And yeah, they KNOW that next year they're gonna do something.... Even if that "they" is the design/visual staff. It's possible to look forward to next year while still HOPING for some validation this year. Take it from an 80's Brave's fan.