tubabeard42

You're welcome! It's not the most common of things, but it happens occasionally. We used it as a vocal (along with a rock salute) for trooping the stand after our show my junior year in high school. That's the last time I used it, I think.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how "multiquote" works.

I don't know why he's calling them "Cal State". "Cal" is University of California Berkley (Cal being a common nickname for it).

Lessee here. Opening form: Space Invaders. Things at the top are the enemy aliens, in the middle are "bunkers" (which in the game are used to protect you from a limited number of enemy shots), and at the bottom is the missile platform/whatchamacallit you play as. The commentary/effects represent shots being fired between the aliens and the player. Opening music is the intro to a battle theme from the Pokemon games, with the next forms being two Pokeballs (things which the titular Pokemon creatures are kept in when not battling). Form transitions into the face of Pikachu, arguably the most famous Pokemon. As the face breaks off, the music transitions into the Tetris theme song. The forms steadily resolve into the block-like formations and two lines, representing a game of Tetris. As the blocks move, they fit together at the bottom, like how Tetris is played by maneuvering each block so it fits with the rest at the bottom. Not sure exactly what the next held form is, maybe a castle. The music transitions into the theme from Super Mario Brothers. The next form is a set of three question-mark blocks, which in the game you hit to get coins which give you points. The character running across the field is Mario, and the sound effects, are the blocks getting hit, and the coins being received (represented by the yellow tarps at the top of the field. The next form is a star that in the game makes you invincible for a brief time. The music transitions into the music that plays while you are invincible from said star. The music transitions from there to the theme from Super Mario World, and the form is the face of Mario, the titular hero of the Mario games. I'm honestly not sure what the form after that is (something to do with the Halo games maybe). The singing is the opening of the theme from the Halo games. The theme continues as the form transitions into something else I'm not sure of (I don't know a great deal about Halo). The next form is the Halo logo/Title. The next piece of music is the theme from The Legend of Zelda, as the form transitions into another sort of logo/emblem (the triangles are the triforce, which the game is in a way centered around). I'm not as familiar with the music as the horse is formed, but I assume it's Zelda music. The horse is (I think) Epona, a horse from one of the Zelda games. The motions are meant to be it galloping and then rearing up, as the Zelda music continues. The form after the horse is the Master Sword, the main weapon used by the hero of the Zelda games. The music after is some sort of Mario arrangement, which transitions into the castle and flag, which Are at the end of most levels in Super Mario Bros. The Mario Bros. lower the flag, as in the game. The fireworks going off represent a thing in the game where a number of fireworks will go off at the end of a level if you did something or other (I could never figure out quite what, maybe something to do with completion time). The next piece of music is from the Pac-Man games. I don't know what the front of the field is supposed to be, maybe a bit from a level. Below the line at the top, you see Pac-Man being chased by a ghost, as he tries to get to the cherry (an item in the game that gives you points). The ghost catches up to him, and the death sound effect from the game is played. As the music continues, the words "GAME OVER" are made, signifying the end of the show. Hope this helped.

I got all of it, but then again I'm 18

Oh, okay. The rest of what you were saying was comparing the two corps, so that sounded like it too. All good.

Because marching Cavaliers is definitely a vacation.

Michael Boo, now with 100% more troll.

I'll go with Turandot because it's the only one of the two I've seen live. After my first ever DCI performance, I got back to the stands just in time for the start of Nessun Dorma. That was the first live drum corps I saw being a DCI fan (I'd seen one tourney a couple years ago, but I wasn't into DCI then).

In an attempt to outdo the cube in Crown's closer this year, they'll make one on the field.

Billy Mays, is that you?

Hm. This reminds of championships (SCJA specifically) my senior year in high school. My school got first in Visual Performance but third in Visual Effect. The High Visual caption in our division went to a school that didn't get first in any visual category, having gotten second across the board. In DCI, it does seem quite unlikely, but it would be interesting to see it happen.

I think the baritones are snowballing. They look at this thread, see other baritone posts, and add their own. I'm a contra myself.

It had music from Bourne and The Matrix.

I agree. Variety in show types/concepts/presentation is essential.

Thank you! And as to what you are saying, that is a great example of it depending on how it's used. Themes, as anything else, can be misused. You bring up an excellent point.

I am what you might consider a "tadpole" or whatever term you like to use for the new people to the activity. 2012 was my first season following DCI closely, and also my first year marching in a corps. I feel like saying from my perspective, I LOVE DCI today. 2011's shows and watching clips and the like from those was a big part in my getting into the activity. The sound of today's corps is the sound I fell in love with (performance recordings are pretty much my favorite kind of music to listen to right now). Personally, I don't mind electronics, as long as their used correctly. Correct use is of course quite subjective. I'm fine with it if it adds something, which it can do. Especially in arrangements, there might be bits and pieces that are best presented electronically. The show I marched this year had a brief synth feature before the final chord. The part was a pipe organ in the original piece, so a synth was the best thing to use. I'm not so fine with it in excess, pretty much. For example, if synths/canned recordings are used for an extended period instead of the brass/other pit to present a melody (nothing against synth players, of course). Teal Sound had a section like that in 2011 (for the record, I liked their show overall, just not that one section). In a nutshell, it all comes down to usage for me. "Theme" as a term and the use thereof can be interpreted in a wide variety of different ways. Some themes are simply such as a show featuring music by a particular artist. Other themes might go deeper, presenting music that explores a particular idea or set of ideas. A theme often helps to make a show a complete and unified presentation. Specifically, the OP presented the question of getting rid of themes and going back to recognizable music. That seems to imply that a show with a theme must needs have music that is not recognizable, that themes and recognizable music are somehow mutually exclusive. Also, as many have mentioned, recognizability is extremely subjective. A show with a specified theme can just as easily have "recognizable"music as a show without. Eliminating "themes", as the OP put it, I think would be a bit too broad of a task. If this were to be done, would DCI mandate that a show must not have theme?How then would "theme" officially be defined?Would the corps not be allowed to have any sort of common idea connecting their music (one way a show theme might be defined)? These are just a few thoughts on the topic from the perspective of a rookie.

Music from Howard Shore's score to "The Lord of the Rings". Blue Devils C and a few international corps have done it, but I want to see/hear a World Class treatment. Someone in another thread mentioned Crown as possibility. They'd be perfect for it.

For the sea-faring Blue Stars, a real-life story of sailing: For Vanguard, something a bit more practical: For the doom-saying Mandarins: For Phantom, a darker sort of love story: For Cascades, something to accompany their Shinto ways: A guide on how BD designs shows that win :

I have glasses and a full beard, and no problems where I am, though they did say it's preferred you keep any facial hair neat/clean.

Entirely unrelated here: I'll give BD at least one thing: they designed some darn good marching shoes. My school used to use Dinkles. My junior year, the director switched us to Drillmasters, and there wasn't a person that didn't at least like them. Those things are comfortable.

What? Is this next year? I'm in Impulse, and I haven't heard anything about this.

Please! I'd love to see how'd they present the Lumberjack song. If any corps could pull off Monty Python and really get the spirit of it, it would be Surf. A show idea: "Musical Assaults"- featuring music by P.D.Q. Bach (I'm not deeply familiar with his music, so this is just a rough proposal) -The Unbegun Symphony (an excerpt, optional) -Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz -Echo Sonata for 2 Unfriendly Groups of Instruments -Rondo Mucho Grando -Chorale Variations on "In Der Nacht so Hell, der Petrus ist Mein Freund" -Schleptet -Eine Kleine Nichtmusic -The Art of the Ground Round -1712 Overture As for the corps to do it, I really don't know. It would be cool to see a top-12 corps do music like this. Done properly, it could be a unique and very entertaining show. The sense of humor in Shickele's work is just something else. Other requests: -I'd like to see a corps do at least one piece from The Lord of the Rings. The music's well-known and accessible, but it also has the intricacy and power to really benefit from a drum corps treatment. Maybe Phantom? It's not classical, but they've got the right sound for it. -Just because they're my favorite band, I'd love to see someone do some They Might Be Giants music. I've yet to see any kind of marching group, band or corps, play it. Surf might be a good fit. The song "Older" would work well in a time-themed show.