LancerFi
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Posts posted by LancerFi
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76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 94
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1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1994
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Nancy, there are many fanfares that are march-like in their musical style. But if the composer titles the work as a fanfare, that's what it is.
A fanfare does not follow any particular musical form. Neither does a prelude.
A march is generally a series of related strains - each a complete melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic entity. In military marches these strains are often repeated, to get more mileage out of a dinky page crammed full of little black dots.
Grand marches, such as Crown Imperial, are played at stately tempos.
Circus marches often are played at blazing speed. Because there really are no marching acts in a circus.
Since we usually have two feet, most marches are written in two or four beats to the measure. The exception is if you are writing for a procession of nobles.
Thank you!
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We had 3 corps show up at a McD's at once, ate them out of food, last people in line had very little to choose from.
I didn't read every post in this thread so I don't know if anyone mentioned this yet. If there was a drive-thru at either the BK Lounge or McyDees, 4 of us would go there, put our order and then proceed to the window. There was a piece of rubber that we had to jump on so that they would think there was a car there. We would even pull up with someone pretending to drive, 2 of us in front and 2 in back. The hilarious part of it was when we got to the pick up window the whole corps in line inside would see us at that window and some would freak, some were a tad envious, others thought "why didn't I think of that".
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I'm very disappointed about this thread!!!
I read through all 5 pages and didn't see a reference to the most inspiring show and performance ever.
After the tragedy that these kids went trough how could we all forget Spirit 1980!!!
To this day - and I go back to 1967 - the loudest performance I"ve ever heard!! and the most emotional. Jim was proud of his kids.
Actually they were mentioned I believe maybe page 3 or 5 by DCI kid.
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By marches do you mean like "Fanfare Prelude"?
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Does Drums Along The Rockies count? SORRY WRONG YEAR!
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Just had the pleasure of watching '80 PR again and, WOW!, what a pretty show.
"Eat off that drill" is very, very apt. I know it was not pure asymmetrical drill but it was clean, clean, clean.
That guard sure worked their butts off, too. And I love the old snaps at the end of the phrase in the rifle line.
And twelve snares (that sound like snares), deep-tuned tenors with scoops, and basses that have tone depth that you can feel.
Good, old fashioned, in your face drum corps.
Really, I'll need to go back, I found it disjointed and dirty for them although I love them all years.....I felt the music was that deep music and the guard did pretty difficult stuff, but not so clean.
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Once you get through the clarification process (which Nancy described) then everyone knows what is suppose to be where. Then, repetition creates muscle memory which creates consistency.
OK, so I believe Ralph Pace said it best: Practice does not make perfect, if you're practicing something incorrectly it will never be perfect. Practice something correctly and practice makes permanent....I'm paraphrasing here, I never forget that, it made so much sense to me!
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Thanks, Linda, for commenting on Nancy's observations. I had missed them on the first pass (thanks to a little "excitement" over the announced closing of the plant where my husband works), and so I'm glad you reminded me, and also added your own thoughts.
I completely get what both you and Nancy are saying about the differences in style, especially for the guards. I think it's important to add that there were other, more fluid styles, as well (I thought of those as the West Coast style, and then there were equally distinctive Midwest and East Coast styles), and while those tended not to be recognized as a "trained" style, they were every bit as trained as variations on the more military style. And in my experience, the more fluid style was harder to pull off. I can't really explain why. I think it's because "snap" is a more naturally intuitive response, and it's all self-contained as one sharply defined movement, whereas the more fluid style has multiple gradients of movement that make it more complex.
That's not to say that, for example, even a simple right-shoulder-arms on flag doesn't have multiple gradients. It does, and that's the beauty of teaching technique so that the timing is spotless. But the more extraneous movement you add to the right shoulder -- or if you slow it down to half-speed -- the harder it is to clean across the ensemble. People think fast equipment work is hard to clean . . . and, for obvious reasons, it can be, just as a fast section of music can be hard to clean. But slow work is a challenge, too. As an instructor, I often found that slower, softer sections were far, far harder to clean than the faster, more physically demanding sections. It's kind of like my guards knew that the harder sections demanded more, so they gave more. The softer sections seemed easier, and so they treated the work accordingly. A lot of it was a mental game, and the mental game was harder to conquer than the physical one.
OK, now that I've really confused the issue with my ramblings . . . do carry on!
No confusion or rambling, I love that you have an almost scientific explanation, way above my head. I do have to agree, in most cases, especially while on the competition field even doing something more difficult faster sometimes made it cleaner and almost easier because there wasn't time to think (IMO) about it or even time to make a mistake unless it was a drop.
Usually on 1rst tour Denise
would go thru e-a-c-h c-o-u-n-t, and where e-a-c-h hand was supposed to be. We'd go over and over it and generally the timing would come together so much better because each hand and angle was in the same place and we'd have conversations about where it should or end up being. It was a long and very draining arduous affair but sometimes when I watch the video, some of the easiest movements make me go OH MY GOD....it's like we had the same habits...it's not habit that I mean, it's something I'm unable to explain, I guess it might have to do with timing maybe, the way the rifle would go up ever so much during a move, but each one did it the same....guess I really cannot explain this part. Intangibles? I don't know....I'm not going to apologize for hijacking this thread as I spent hours and hours scanning and posting pics...so I"m not going to feel guilty on this one!!
ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE 1994 PICS ARE OF OUR REUNION CORPS ARE? I cannot locate them but saw them a few years back on DCP. They were taken from the side of the stadium while we were laying back to spin in Danny Boy, I'm dying to see them and also ask if I may post them to my Face Book? Thanks all!!!
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I was wondering if there are any female drill writer or caption heads?
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This pic for some reason made me remember the differences in styles of marching...I was thinking about this like a week ago while watching a few videos.
So, if you watch Phantom Regiment (my era) their guards snap happened from their shoulders/using their equipment to kind of make the statement, kind of the same with Guardsmen. It was mostly the top of the body.
Ours was more the total length of the body, the whole thing moved at once, top and bottom snapped together. I was watching the turns and flanks etc. and theirs was separate.
Don't know why I added this in this thread or if anyone even knows what I'm saying, but if you go to the video it will make more sense I guess.
All were hard core, but the differences were obvious during that era.
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I always thought it was dumb to call a rifle or flag drop a 'penalty'...it was a physical error, just like a blown attack or bad release.
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1974 Auburn Purple Lancers
At our recent reunion in Rochester over DCA weekend, one of my old corpsmates brought this sparkling memory from my best year of competition. This was from our OTL playing "Divergents". We finished tenth accomplishing our goal to become a DCI finalist. We are still the only NYS corps to achieve this.
I remember seeing this on sale at a photo table at a show that season and thought it was a lost memory until the reunion.
Does anyone know if this was the year that there was a male rifle member who would throw 10s and 12s thruout the show? Or was it maybe 73?
I enjoyed it!
Loved that corps!
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Sorry, I forgot to add that we during many of our songs went to I believe 200 bpm....Can Can 1977 and many others, I could be incorrect about the exact cadence....nothing compared to now!
I am only talking about the corps I marched in because that was my experience.
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As far as the low mark time it Bobby Hoffmen and the Bridgemen were the first to use it. I think around 77 or 78. When they changed to the Yellow raincoats and pimp hats.....
And the gun during the 75 Madison show was to singal surrunder by the other corps because they blew everyone away...
OK, so I'm not disagreeing with you however if you watch 1975 2-7, I see low mark time in many places, especially the rifle line....also the 4 or 8 count turn arounds were also done extensively in 1975....any thoughts on this Blackstar?
I'm not doubting you however I will go to both 75 and 76 to watch again just to be sure of my memory.....
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Sad looking back on that time on our great activity.... I think often about how many friends that I didn't get to meet BITD...
Thank you! The one thing I KNOW is I am is Blessed. God put us together and for that I am thankful every day.
I think I literally spend months messing up the "quote" thing till I figured out that all I needed to do be sure that the part I was replying to had the "[ quote ]" (start quote) in the beginning and the "[ /quote ]" (end quote) at the end.... LOL (see I had to edit this post. I added the spaces so it won't actually quote...hehe)
DCP makes a lot of the quoting much easier because all we have to do is left click (highlight) what we want to quote and click the "Wrap in quote tags" button above the text box where all of this is typed...
See, this old dog can learn some thing new!
I just screwed up again, so I'm going print these directions out! Thanks!
You're so right about friend that didn't get to meet...so true!!!
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No quotes around byline in the above post....so sorry...
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P.S. I definitely understand what you mean about the nerves. I was the same way . . . though it wasn't as bad for me in corps as it was performing music solos in high school and university. That's when I wished a big hole would open in up the floor and swallow me up, thus rescuing me from the stress. Never happened, of course! The only times I was nervous to that level in corps was when-minute changes were made to the show right before we had to perform. I had a pretty good idea that I would never remember them all . . . and I was usually right! I always dreaded that, and cursed my poor memory!
I know Sue, right? Loved those changes we would learn while marching in to perform..!!!
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Ontario was huge! We used to travel over the border for more shows there than we did in NY. In 1976 we competed against Seneca Optimists, Oakland Crusaders, Precious Blood Cardinals, Flying Dutchmen, Krescendos, Ventures, St. John's Girls, Midlanders, Opti-Lancers, Opti_Knights, etc. It was great!
Wow, you're right. There were so many great corps! Now I see why they wrote on the chalk board DCI after erasing DCN when forming DCI.... It should have been bolded out!!! Whew what a sentence...
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There are too many to name, but I must say that because Zingali made me feel like I was making progess, or growing, I'd have to give him the nod.
In 1979 when we he was teaching us how to march in the middle of winter - , marking time was almost totally on the toes/supposed to be an even distribution as the foot is coming down so that our heads didn't bob. The heel almost didn't touch the ground.
He called out Kathy Howell (the best) and I in front of the whole corps and began a rant and made us do it along with the heel toe roll.
This type of thing was both good and bad. But to made to feel special regarding technique and "emotion" was a thrill beyond belief. Believe me, probably the next hour he was sreaming at me for something, but to believe you've actually "gotten it" was a thrill.
It happened many more times with items used in the basic block. He was very generous!
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Hey...it was BD...our busses didn't have mushrooms growing out of the floorboards, either! (at least, that was the story told by a couple of 27th guys who moved to BD in 84)
That happened to me on my first night in BD. Mike Moxley put me up for the night the day I moved up north from San Diego. That also happened to be the first night the visual staff met to discuss drill. Mike invited me to watch and I was smart enough (first time for everything!) to keep my lip zipped.
They were going over the opener, "Bacchinalia"...remember that a bacchinale was a Roman orgy.
So they're discussing the first bit halt/hit in the show and I see that the drill's expanding. I #### my head a little, Mike asks if I have an idea, and I answer that "if everyone's coming to the orgy (Mike's actual description!), shouldn't the form be coming together?"
And THAT was my one contribution to drill for the 84 Blue Devils!! Always felt kinda pleased that people with their experience took seriously a suggestion from someone who had NEVER marched corps style...just one of the things that made me love that year....and regret that I didn't discover BD sooner.
That's a fabulous story.
What I don't or didn't like is when people assume certain things and state certain things and they have no idea what really happened. I guess I now feel like the cat that ate the canary. People are sometime in their own little worlds and talk themselves into facts that don't exist.
I'm sorry if I'm sounding a bit bitter but I hate that I did something nice for people and then they believe it was talent that gave them certain positions. I guess that's what it is.
I had some great years and a lot of them, and wanted others to get a taste of that, but no good deed goes unpunished.
Sorry for this rant!!!
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I hear that! I don't remember a time when I wasn't at least a little nervous before the starter's pistol... (yea, I'm THAT old...LOL)
I've had that happen as well.... 74 Hurcs. (I know it's not the 27th but it was me....)
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Please don't say that, the field is the field......
Been there too as both a horn player missing an attack or release and I've cracked a note or two as a soloist...
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Understood!
And it seemed like (when it did happen) it would always happen in front of the judge AND Moe Knox...
LOL... As a DM I worried that I would forget a song or how to start it! I do remember getting a cramp in my right arm during the concert in one of the shows in 1983.
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Of course and that must have been a nightmare worry of yours, but I bet it never happened!
And your show ended the same way every time I saw 27th perform, "we" were on our feet screaming and clapping...
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Thanks, but for some reason, I could have a good show and the staff would say that was not good....
When I met my wife (Donna) she and her mom lived in Revere. Her mom went to school with Mr B.... Donna marched in the Majestic Knights, (Charlestown) I kid her that if she HAD marched in 27th we never would have met and married. We met in the Renegades (RCA Corps from Everett) in 1970 and married in 1971. (for those that don't remember or know about the Drum Corps' of the 60's a guy marching in BAC would not have married a gal marching with 27th BITD... LOL No disrespect meant, that was just the way it was way back then. I'm amazed at how many friends I have today that marched in rivalry Corps back then and even more surprised at how many marriages survived to today like ours.... (next year will be our 40th!)
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Believe me, I had 2 older sisters involved with the BAC stuff along with my dad, I remember that as a young girl some of it scared me, but you're right, that was the way the game was played back then. It's wonderful that you'll be reaching 40 years....God Bless!
I don't know how to separate quotes, so I bolded my responses....thanks for some interesting info, I enjoyed it!
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Nancy:
Oh my, these photos are so great! It truly brings a tear to my eye.
I hope we can meet some day. You, me and Malibu...
I know we will, and I hope it's sooner rather than later!!!
N
27th Lancers 1980
in Historical Junior Corps Discussions
Posted
I realize this is a bit off topic however I wanted to clarify that we did not lose due to a missing rifle although I may have mentioned missing one it is in no way rhe reason. We were flat, BD was fabulous. Of course so much more involved but I needed to clear that up.