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BrassTeacher
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2 hours ago, Hrothgar15 said:
I have heard Don Taylor is out at Blue Knights.
Really? Do tell...
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I understand those. I personally asked Mr. Holsinger (while I was working the TRN Music booth at a convention with him) about that, and he told me that particular movement was just too personal for him, written as it was about Christ's crucifixion.
If I remember correctly from the program notes, the Barnes symphony (subtitled "The Tragic") was written in memory of his deceased child.
RE: Barnes Symphony: Yes, the slow movement was written for his deceased child, while the last movement was written in honor of his newborn son.
Who says no to a youth organization that encourages music education?? That's just insane.
Arrogant composers who really don't care about anything else except how they want their music to be heard.
Well, to be honest, and a little blunt (no, not the smoking kind), in recent years there have been more than a few drumcorps that have absolutely BUTCHERED some composer's works. I feel comfortable saying that because I was involved with teaching two different corps that either didn't like what we did, or that I hope never got to hear how their piece mutated radically during the season. For instance, I wouldn't be surprised if Frank Tichelli's music was on the "Don't bother to even ask" list, given what one corps I worked with did to "Blue Shades". I wasn't embarrassed by the kid's performance, but by what a certain person did, supposedly for "cleaning purposes" or "GE purposes". Interestingly enough, this same person is responsible for the ultra-strict rules that the people who handle Bernstein's music have for marching bands and drumcorps asking for copyright permission.
As for Steven Melillo and "Stormworks", I worked with a corps that used that piece as an opener, with his permission. He simply just didn't like what was done with it, but it was hardly what I would call butchered, and I don't think he would either, but something about it he just didn't like. It may have been that he would have preferred to do the arrangement himself, as opposed to our arranger at the time. Believe it or not, and I cannot remember the corps, but he was (if not still is) the arranger/composer for one of the DCA corps.
And, let's face it, there are a lot of things that are wonderful pieces of music, but just don't translate well to drumcorps instrumentation and format. Say, like John Cage's 4'33", or Phillip Glass' "Einstein on the Beach" (a full "opera" where each movement is over 15 minutes long), or the soundtrack to the movie "Forbidden Planet"...
And, one that you wouldn't think would translate all that well that I thought was bad ### and enjoyed immensely, and sorry I can't remember the year, but the Velvet Knight's arrangement of Alice Cooper's "School's Out"!
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I may be mistaken, but the signature difference is that they're conical...as opposed to cylindrical, like a piston trumpet...
It offers the opportunity for more more warmth and depth of tone than a standard horn -
I believe they are cylindrical, just as in a normal trumpet. BUT, there is a store nearby that has a rotary-valve fluegelhorn that I have my eye on!
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Quoted from over a decade ago:
I will weigh in by responding to a post by Don Taylor. He writes:
>I really can't see the big deal behind this. It has been my experience that it
>doesn't matter what key, or brand, or how many valves the horn has when it
>comes to playing in tune, or blending the sounds together, or even playing
>"loud". The difference is in how well the performers are trained. The quality
>of the instrument can either help or hinder the process of putting together a
>fine brass section.
I have to strongly disagree. Because of the fundamental length and proportional
bell size, the G instruments are much more powerful and robust than their Bb
counterperts; be they $1200 Bachs, $2000 Schilkes, or $XXX(indeed financially
obscene) Monettes. The C trumpet has a narrower, more penetrating sound than a
::Large amount of snippage::
atively simple and make it complicated and
expensive. Is this being recommended for the same activity whose rising costs
set people to wailing and gnashing teeth?
>IMO, even if these pass, it will still be drumcorps. The activity is moreabout
>the experience, and the life lessons learned, and the intense quest for
>perfection than it is about what kind of horn you play.
IMO, it won't be drum corps. It will be something else. And it may still offer
the same experiences, but only for the rich.
Change if you want, but learn the real reasons, and what the consequences could
be.
Peter Bond
Pete,
Why drag this dead horse up and pick up a big stick now? I mean, really...
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Okay guys, so I just finished up watching Suncoast's Vietnam show (still one of my favorites), and the crowd reaction and standing ovation after the girl releases the balloon in requiem seems to last forever. For anyone who marched that year, were you used to waiting for the reaction to end so you could continue the show?
No, we were not used to that reaction at all. In fact, there was usually such a sense of shock at the end of "Aquarius" as the siren faded, and when "The Wall" seemed to come up out of the ground that often the reaction was muted, or sporadic, or sometimes just silence.
In fact, the reaction at finals was so drastically different from what we had experienced or anticipated that when it happened we were not prepared for it. By not prepared I mean that there was never any discussion on how to start the closer if the vocal command from the drum major could not be heard everywhere on the field. I was back behind midfield in that form, as well as 1/3 of the hornline. That night, we never heard the vocal that started the closer. We were still kneeling when we saw "The Wall" come down, and we were supposed to already be standing at that point and taking the first step into the drill. If anybody who was watching, and paying attention to the back of the form, they saw the back 1/3 of the hornline start popping up at random and jumping into the drill. Somehow, by 8 counts into the drill, we were all back into our spots, and back in time. From what I've heard by asking around, almost no one noticed the missed start.
The crowd reaction that night at the end of "Requiem" is something I will remember for the rest of my life, and not because of the snafu starting the closer...
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We are looking for Brass Teachers on all Intruments for a Private Studion that will have full classes to teach in the Metro-Atlanta Area once a week throughout the school year. These Classes will also form ensembles to perform on the regualr basis. The objective is for these classes of young musicians to become the greatest musicians they can be.
Forward all Bios and Resumes to davidllc2004@gmail.com
I'm curious, has this project taken off?
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Have you considered Don Taylor? Marched Suncoast in '84 and '85, brass instructor for Carolina Crown, Magic and Crossmen in the '90s. Also my middle school band director. Unfortunately, I think he no longer works in music education.
Why anybody would want to contact that hack is completely beyond me...
Staff Merry-Go-Round 2019
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
They haven't totally erased me yet:
https://ascendperformingarts.org/blue-knights-announce-2017-brass-staff-2/
It is amusing to me how this is considered "news", it is irritating to me that there seems to be some implication that I should have been/have been let go. The amusement comes from the fact that I came home a little after Memorial Day. It seems a combination of altitude and blood pressure was making both ankles swell significantly, and the next week the corps was going to be a few thousand feet higher in elevation. So I went home for awhile. After getting home, I found out one of my cats has inoperable cancer in his sinus passages (He's fine and happy right now, as long as one of us is here to give him his pain medication exactly every 8 hours).
The Blue Knights is a wonderful organization, with wonderful kids (Let's face it, EVERY corps has wonderful kids!), and a great administration! I enjoyed my time there immensely. That said, I am looking for a new home that does not require spending large amounts of time at 5,280 feet above sea level.
If any of you have read this far, please remember folks that you are not only discussing real human beings here, but real human beings with real lives, and involved in an activity that they are very passionate about.