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old skool drmmr

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Posts posted by old skool drmmr

  1. Finally, while I understand the idea that for young players it might be easier to develop the left hand, I feel that developing the right hand correctly is even more important, and at the beginner level, teaching a slice in the right hand can be very hard to correct down the line. In my experience, it is easier to learn to play well on a flat surface, and adjust TO a tilt, than it is to learn on a tilt and adjust to flat. I consider my job at the high school level to prepare kids for opportunities beyond high school, so I choose to use flat drums knowing that the majority of the groups these kids will want to audition for will have the drums flat. If they never develop the extension required to play on a flat surface, then they will be at a disadvantage auditioning for a drum corps.

    This is why I don't tilt my high school group's snares. It is WAY easier to learn on a flat drum and adjust to a tilt than learn on a tilt and adjust to flat. So from an educational perspective, I feel that I am setting my students up for future opportunities better by having them play flat.

    Are the left hand mechanics easier on a tilt? Yes. Does one tend to develop bad habits in the right hand when playing on a tilt? Definitely. Which is more important?

  2. Whoa.. if true, whoever inserted and allowed THAT into their WGI show certainly came out of the closet and revealed themselves to be a crude misogynist. I'd say this absolutely fits into the category of " controversial ", and also of " pushing the boundaries " of what can only be described as uncommonly bad taste and judgment. My guess is this never actually happened however, as my sense is that the many good and decent people in WGI would have nipped this in the bud.( one would naturally hope, anyway. )

    Unfortunately, I've heard the story from too many independent sources for it to have not happened.

  3. I was surprised that I didn't hear more rumblings about Ayala tackling such a dark topic, especially in light of all the school shootings in the last 15 years. I know schools on the EastCoast that were denied the right to do a marching band show with the music of Jesus Christ Superstar, let alone show images of someone loading a rifle and the Zapruder film.

    That being said, I thought it was a phenomenal production and by far the best usage of a video screen I have seen yet in WGI Percussion.

  4. Aimachi was fantastic. I was the most skeptical of everyone going into it, but man did they have a great sound! It was burning hot in the arena that night for some reason, and they managed to stay in tune and balanced. Got me wondering why they don't field a DCI corps.

    Northglenn High School, however was another story. I clapped for the students after their performance because I know they worked hard. But man, if that's where the WGI Winds division is headed, count me out. The soloist/vocalist/narrator did a fantastic job, but I felt like I was watching corny high school music theater.

  5. but they're not entertaining... sloppy and dirty is never entertaining.

    both Bridgemen and VK did "fun", but they worked extremely hard at it, designed it well and were exceptionally clean... that's what made it fun and entertaining.

    by your logic McDonalds doesnt have to be good quality, just something to eat, regardless of how bad it makes you feel and look.

    oh, and dont overstate it by comparing them to a Lamborghini ... more like they are a Ford Focus

    "but they worked extremely hard at it"

    Are you insinuating that the Jersey Surf doesn't work as hard as other groups?

  6. I find it pretty interesting that people are knocking the design of the percussion section, saying it is to blame for their relatively low numbers. We all know who is in charge of percussion design, right? Even if his beats aren't the hippest thing on the block, he certainly knows what he's doing.

    Also, to the talent vs staff argument: I don't think it's either. To say a top 3 drum corps doesn't get top quality talent is ridiculous, on both the performer and instructor sides. What they do have a problem with, however, is talent retention in the percussion membership. Their strongest section in the battery this year was probably the quads. They had a few vets. The weakest section, the snares, zero vets. THAT to me is the big difference.

    For example: in 2012 the Cadets had very few vets (if any) in the snareline. The snares were the weakest part of that battery. In 2013, a lot of those guys came back and they had a bunch of vets, and we all know what happened next.

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