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wonderbread403

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  • Your Drum Corps Experience
    Pacific Crest, Performer 2002-2005, Tour Director 2008-2011, Corps Manager 2012-2013
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  1. I marched four years and was staff for another six years. I didn't take notes this time so I give you my thoughts based on memory. The Rose Bowl has had its share of criticism for being not a great drum corps venue when championships were hosted there. Well, based on the size of the crowd, their reaction, and the post-show reactions of the performers on Facebook, the Rose Bowl is a fantastic venue. This show has been hosted at community college stadiums in prior years and last year, it was very apparent this show has outgrown these stadiums (especially if non-California corps show up). Fans were sitting in the backstands! So Cal fans and performers deserve a venue that can match Stanford stadium. OPEN CLASS Incognito Last year, I railed against this corps' staff for grossly underpreparing these kids for competition. I'm glad to say they've improved. They’re still playing music that doesn’t quite match the limited instrumentation of the brass (Holst’s Mars and Jupiter), but their musical and visual achievement is progressing. Watchmen “New” old uniforms are a good look for the Watchmen. They may be BD’s uniforms from 2004. They were a new corps last year and they looked promising back then. I’m not quite sure if they’ve progressed in their sophomore year. I can’t remember much of the show. They just got to get comfortable and perform better so there’s some emotional effect. Getting a corps off the ground is really tough, so best of luck to them. Golden Empire Another corps in their sophomore year and they were a big surprise last year. Literally big. They’re quite sizable for a young Open Class corps and their show design is very well put together. It’s a show revolving a diamond heist and Pink Panther is a recurring theme. The drill and staging are very strong elements. The music is fun and the show as a whole is very good package. Impulse Unfortunate to say, the corps looked smaller than in past years. When they’re robust, this corps can be a crowd pleasing Open Class corps. But this year, the brass and guard membership is a bit thin. The drumline was strong and got a lot of the effect. I hope they can regain some robustness soon. Gold First, I really appreciate the vision of this corps’ design staff. It’s definitely different and intriguing. The show is called Pop Star and the pit is set up in the middle of the field. The pit features a platform holding a drum set and two electric guitar players. There are three “factions” of brass dressed in varying black and white costumes that create good visual contrast. The guard are in costumes that some may deem...uh...scant. Britney Spear’s Toxic is a musical motif throughout the show. All of it is consistent with the Pop Star theme. What’s holding the corps back is achievement and ensemble balance issues. Among other people that attended with me, we all agreed the amps in the pit were overpowering the brass and there were a lot of horizontal and vertical musical alignment problems in the 2nd half of the show (fancy talk for musical “tears” and “phasing”). If the corps can smooth out these issues, there’s no reason this show can’t succeed in entertaining the audience. WORLD CLASS Mandarins It’s the Year of the Props in World Class. Mandarins started the World Class competition by wheeling out several giant drums, but they were simply two dimensional props that resembled drums. They also had many Terracotta Army-like props lined up on the back sideline.The performance was solid and entertaining. In fact, all the World Class corps that night were entertaining to some extent. No real disappointments. The drum props do move around the field, but it’s never clear why they needed to move them other than for the sake of making their stage design a little more challenging and varying. The Academy Really strong design and communication of their show, which is basically a Mary Poppins show. The audience got this right from the first moments of the show and to the very end. The props were chimney tops and used very effectively for staging and featuring soloists. There’s a moment in the middle of the show where the guard pretends to tap dance on the props while the tapping sounds came from pit members playing on a floorboard. I thought there was musical tear here and it felt uneasy. Other than that, the performance was solid musically. Visually not as a precise as Mandarins and Pacific Crest, but I’m sure they’ll catch up. In terms of long-term thinking, I’m not sure if this show has the legs to get them into Saturday night unless there’s some rewrites and additions to the show to make it clearly above their closest competitors (like Troopers, Colts, and so on). The brass staging seems a bit conservative, which benefits the music ensemble, but not boost their visual effect scores. Blue Knights Wow. I was blown away by BK. They’re avant garde, but not in an alienating way. The music builds up and goes into overdrive. Brass performance is phenomenal (brass beat Phantom that night). Choreography is abundant and effective as always. I was unsure about their new uniforms last year, but they’re visually stunning with the drill and choreo. Design is a strong balance of avant garde and “meat and potatoes” drum corps. The show was unfinished and I was unsurprised by this. There was so more choreo and I’m sure they spent a lot of time learning it. Good stuff. Oh yeah, lots of semi-circle mirror props around the field. Pacific Crest I’m an alumni and I’m happy about how this corps progresses every year in their design and performance. Their new uniforms are beautiful and the guard pops out better this season. The guard staging is integrated really well this season. There’s a “catalyst” prop that the show is centered around, but it’s unfinished. So that’s holding back their effect and emotional impact of the show. There are moments when the corps interacts with catalyst and there are sound effects coming from the amps. But the catalyst was essentially just a metal frame and naked. So no visual cue to go along with the sound effects and musical build-up. There are some beautiful moments in the show, but the brass could do a better job of sustaining those moments. The sound projection wasn’t quite there Saturday night. The show design is there and it progresses from aggressive and dark to enlightening and angelic. Once the corps improves, this show should get a lot of crowd reaction. Phantom Regiment I’ve read several underwhelming reviews of Phantom, but I loved them! It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s solid “meat and potatoes” drum corps. The played well, the guard is beautiful, tubas had a feature, and the wedge. All the Phantom hallmarks. But this is not to say they’re stuck in the early 2000s. There were good integration of synths and electronics in the “An American in Paris” percussion break. Yeah, electronics in “American in Paris.” That was a different treat for the ears. Very tasteful and effective. The weakest part of the show, musically and visually, is Clair de Lune. It’s hard to top 2008 Carolina Crown on this one. Phantom’s brass staging is extremely conservative on this piece and they stay close together on the field for most of the piece (in contrast to Crown’s spread on the field, which blanketed the stadium in sound and win challenge points for keeping the sound together). Plus, Phantom’s brass had some issues maintaining balance and breath control. The guard has some moments, but the piece has nothing visually engaging at the end. So I hope this part gets reworked. Also, they were the only WC corps whose show didn’t rely on props. That’s quite avant garde these days. Blue Devils I tried. I really tried to keep an open mind. But….they….are……....so….spread….out…on...the…...field...that…..I….don’t….know..what….to look…….at. Musically, this show is accessible. Familiar themes and melody. And of course, best talent on the field in DCI. They perform their butts off and they sound amazing. They win for most beautiful moments and sounds. When you’re not distracted by the scattering of their amazing guard on the field, the brass actually has a lot of fantastic, flowing drill moves. But again, there’s a million things going at once on the field. It’s like a 3 ring circus, but with 6 or 9 rings. And yes, the Kpop feature makes absolutely no sense. Even the BD-friendly crowd was less enthusiastic at the end of that. That says a lot. Compared to last season at this point, this BD was a little less precise visually. I noticed a lot more missed spots and uneven lines. My bet is they won’t match their historic run last year, but hey, I’ve been wrong before. Santa Clara Vanguard I want to say they haven’t been this strong and solid this early in quite a while. They move well and play very well. They project their sound in an aggressive way that reminds me of their sound during the late ‘90s and that’s good. There was also a beautiful moment when a small brass ensemble do a fugue on amped mics and a reverb effect created a sound that was futuristic. Pretty effective. I’m not sold on the Tesla coil props. They’re so big and fat, they draw your eyes away from the guard work and drill, but they’re not really used for anything either. If they’re meant to create an atmosphere of spark and invention, it’s over-the-top. The closer in all areas were a letdown. The music was aggressive, percussive, and dark, and to me, it wasn’t different enough from the rest of the show. I would’ve expected a more uplifting piece to invoke optimism and hope for a better future (inventions are suppose to move society forward, right?). Lastly, the drill impacts in the closer were classic Cavalier style drill with the symmetrical small line rotations and follow-the-leader that resolve into an ensemble hold set (drill designer Pete Weber was a former Cavaliers drum major). It was like watching Cavalier’s “Spin Cycle” show. I was thinking, “Ok, I know how this set is going look like 10 moves from now. No surprise.” For a storied corps with tons of tradition, it would be nice to see something that isn’t a direct lift of another corps. Other takeaways: Last year, I ranted about amps, synths, and electronics. Well, I’m more sold after what I heard at the Rose Bowl with one caveat. I sat high up and on the 50 yard line. I could hear the judges above me. I was in prime seating position to hear the better, more creative, and tasteful integration of amps, synths, and electronics. I’m still concern about how all of this is heard for audiences outside of the sweet spot on the 50 yard line. Sitting in the upper deck at Lucas Oil around the 30 yard line a few years ago made me a huge pessimist about amped sounds because I didn’t hear any of it and if shows are increasingly relying on amped sounds for effect, corps are failing to reach paying fans. That’s not fair to fans and the hard-working performers if shows are literally reaching only to the judges and VIP audiences. And bring back G bugles.
  2. The spirit of the activity has always been the same: Young people who love performing in a large group and experiencing a tour. The output of the activity--the field show--has changed over time and that's where we debate often because that's why we buy DVDs and tickets. But how performers learn and perfect that show is still the same.The spirit of the tour is essentially the same. That's why a lot of corps volunteers still volunteer even when they no longer have children in the corps. They do it so today's performers have the same rewarding experience.
  3. I've posted a full review of the Glendora show: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/159904-glendora-ca-june-28-2014/
  4. This review is for Corps at the Crest Los Angeles held in Glendora, CA on Saturday, June 28, 2014. Citrus College Stadium is a large venue with one-tier of stands that go up to row W, which was where I sat with my wife and her parents. We got nice VIP seats under the press box, which was a nice perk for our financial gifts to the host corps, Pacific Crest. The show started at 5:30am and it was hot! 90 degree start time with the sun blasting in our faces. I kind of missed being in a covered stadium, like the Alamodome and Lucas Oil, but hey, it’s an outdoor activity dang it. It’s meant to be heard outside. By the way, any rumor that this show was not well attended is wrong. Very wrong. You'll notice spectators on the back stands in some of these pictures because the front stands were SOLD OUT! Full house, folks. View from my seats Introduction I’ve been a drum corps fan since my high school days in the late ‘90s. Then I performed with Pacific Crest starting in 2002, aged out in 2005, and been a marching instructor/tour director/corps manager since 2008. I’m taking a break this summer from any direct involvement with drum corps and this was my first major show attending as purely a fan in quite a long time. I’ve taught marching technique at high schools and still play tuba in a community concert band, so I’ll be commenting on visual, music, and design. My wife, Jenn, was in high school color guard and will comment that caption. Lastly, before I start, I have some strong opinions about the activity (which I’ve explicitly expressed in other posts) and my bias will show towards certain design aspects. To give you a sense of this, I’ll list some of my favorite shows in DCI history: 1999 SCV, 1993 Cadets/Star of Indiana/Phantom Regiment/Blue Devils/Madison Scouts, 1992 Velvet Knights, 2008 Phantom Regiment, 2008 Carolina Crown, 1986 Blue Devils, 1987 Cadets, and the list goes on. Open Class - In Performance Order Watchmen, Riverside, CA Show Title: Lost Souls. Placement: 42.5, 4th out of 6 I saw DCI’s newest corps at the SoCal Sneak Preview event three weeks ago and it was nice to see good improvement. The percussion-brass balanced improved with the battery not overpowering the brass as much anymore. It’s a small corps and they did a decent job of writing to their strengths. The color guard work for their last piece of the show was still developing and it was apparent that current choreography from the first half of the show was not being reinforced as much. All in all, good effort and keep on working! Watchmen Golden Empire, Bakersfield, CA Show Title: A Journey Begins. Placement: 49.2, 2nd out of 6 Also one of DCI’s newest corps, but they don’t seem like a first-year corps at all. Their membership was impressive and in a way, it shouldn’t be that surprising. As a Los Angelean (did I get that right?), Bakersfield is considered an isolated city that’s more Central CA than Southern CA. But there are large school programs out there and I’m glad there is an opportunity for those kids to perform in a drum corps. According to the show program book, Golden Empire is an extension of the Bakersfield College Drumline program. Their music repertoire is mainly from Dvorak’s New World Symphony and the show was well designed. Visual design was particularly strong. The sizable color guard was staged effectively and the drill bolstered the music effect well. Musically, drums were sometimes overpowering the brass. Likewise, the front ensemble volume was high during some of the soft brass parts. Despite the balance issues, I was thoroughly impressed by Golden Empire and I hope to see them grow. Golden Empire Incognito, Garden Grove, CA Show Title: <3 - less than love. Placement: 38.2, 6th out of 6 This small corps is back from several years of inactivity. Their membership seems very young and it was very clear they were doing their best. Major props to their effort. However, as an educator, I think their staff has made some highly questionable decisions regarding design and instruction. I’ve performed Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet in an orchestra and the parts require a very strong brass line with highly developed intonation skills, especially in the low brass. Incognito’s top-heavy instrumentation and young experience is not meeting the demand required by the arrangements. In other words, they are in over their heads. Likewise, the corps performed all this additional choreography, but missed step-offs and forgot pathways. They're trying to learn how to walk before they can crawl. Teach them to march their drill first, then add choreo. One last major evidence of mismanagement was the existence of a preshow that had little to no relation to their show. They played and marched for a good minute it seemed. Stopped. Then walked to their opening set of their show. The rehearsal time spent for that preshow could’ve been used more wisely on the actual show. Come on, staff. Very frustrating. Incognito City Sound, Los Angeles, CA Show Title: Big Easy Blues. Placement: 42.4, 5th out of 6. I’ve always been a big supporter of City Sound’s mission, which is to provide an affordable, accessible musical experience to students who lack a quality musical education in the Los Angeles area. They’ve shown some huge strides this year and I’m so glad to see these members getting this FUN musical experience. I think they’re playing better than they ever have and the design is engaging and perfectly fits their talent levels. Similar to 1993 Phantom Regiment, they staged the front ensemble on the left and a few feet behind the front sideline. There’s an elevated stage behind the pit for featured solos and solis. I think it’s a good way to highlight parts of this small corps and their talent. Sometimes, the guard staging could be more effective. I think as a way to increase their presence, the guard is staged more on the outskirts rather than near or behind the musicians. But overall, fun show and it was great seeing the members having a good time performing. City Sound Impulse, Buena Park, CA No show title printed. Placement: 48.8, 3rd out of 6. Good to see a full show from Impulse and they made lots of progress in the three weeks I last saw them. They only had their opener done at the SoCal Sneak Preview event. Their strengths are still there. Good balancing between brass and percussion. I appreciate the fast tempo demands in the music and drill. However, as the show progressed, the tempo demands sometimes overwhelmed a few members. The color guard still has open spots and it doesn’t seem they are temporary (for injuries and such). So the visual effect is not reaching near its potential. The percussion book is fun and they had an impressive drum break in the closer that got the audience cheering. Good stuff for a show with mostly Beethoven music. Impulse Gold, San Diego, CA Show Title: The Journey. Placement: 55.35, 1st out of 6. Gold perennially improves in membership and quality of performance. It’s nice to see another strong San Diego corps after the folding of Esperanza. When I saw them three weeks ago, I had some serious reservations in the visual design, especially in the 2nd part of their show. It was marred by incoherent staging and guard work highlighted by neon PVC props. Some of these issues have been resolved, but the lack of alignment in the music and guard work is still present, especially in the 2nd half of the show. The guard had a huge flag ensemble moment, but the music was soft and decresendoing. Doesn’t make much sense. So in a way, it’s disappointing to see these missed opportunities for all that talent on the field. Gold World Class The Academy, Tempe, AZ Show Title: Vanity Fair. Placement: 63.55, 6th out of 7. They win the award for best preshow. I haven’t seen an effective preshow like this since 2008 Phantom Regiment. A medium size brass ensemble played Rondeau near the front of the field while the rest of the brass members escorted the guard (in very nice Victorian era style costumes) into their opening set. It was simple and set the tone for the show very well. It’s good to see this corps bounce back from a down year and go back to their classical roots. The music was accessible and audience friendly. The pit has a very nice and fun feature where they go down the line playing with one hand. The brass line seems to be rebuilding this year as their warmth and sound quality they’ve had prior years is not as apparent. A major concern is their music ensemble alignment. There were quite a few moments where the brass and percussion were not lining up. But it’s good to see them back in better form than last year. Academy Mandarins, Sacramento, CA Show Title: UnbreakABLE: The Human Spirit is Limitless. Placement: 62.6, 7th out of 7. The Mandarins’ strength is a controlled, balanced sound. Lots of good clarity and well executed show, musically and visually. The show design is noticeably more conservative (“safe”) than other corps. The demand is not as high, so there aren’t many “wow” moments in the show. So I felt their sound quality was better than the Academy, but their effect wasn’t. Their show theme as well was carried more in the narration than anything else on the field. Mandarins Blue Knights, Denver, CA Show Title: That One Second. Placement: 70.35, 3rd out of 7. The Blue Knights have a new look this year. Lots of white and grey, which a light, gradient blue on the top. Their white dots are now on their arm sleeve. I guess I’ve been out of the loop for a while, but when did they ditch their distinctive marching style that I remember from the late 90s to early 2000s? I kind of miss that because it was so unique and different. Anyway, their brass was particularly impressive. Very strong and clear. The first half of their show was good and the visual impact pretty strong. However, the last half of the show was marred by bad prop staging in the near left corner of the field. The props were plastic screens and only of them had designs on them. The others were mainly dark grey. The guard spent a good amount of time there while the rest of the corps was at mid-field. Then as the show reached its final sets, the guard flags were in the back, but they lacked enough movement to make the impact needed for the finale. So some missed opportunities there for a very good corps. Oh yeah, there’s cheesy narration. Blue Knights Crossmen, San Antonio, TX Show Title: Alma Gitana: A Gypsy Soul. Placement: 67.35, 4th out of 7. First of all, thank you so much for coming out to the West Coast. We love visitors! Somebody on this forum said Crossmen is bringing back their groove and that is definitely true. They started out sounding like signature Crossmen. Lots of rhythmic layering and hemiola-like rhythms. This was very much what I love about drum corps. Good visual design and lots of creative staging and drill, especially with the color guard. They even effectively park and blow (parked and blew?) near the end of the show and the drill was fast, ending with the Crossmen logo. The one, big criticism I have is the show theme. The Gypsy theme is a bit of a stretch. I’m not a Gypsy music expect, but it doesn’t sound Gypsy-ish, like Van der Roost’s Puszta. The guard costumes also look more Native American than anything else. Other than the theme, this is groovin’ show. Crossmen Pacific Crest, Diamond Bar, CA Show Title: No Strings Attached. Placement: 63.7, 5th out of 7. I’m very proud of my alma mater and the strides they make every year. At the Sneak Preview, I thought this was one of their best designed show in a while. The percussion and brass parts fit well and the staging better than ever. I was glad they made considerable improvements in executing their ballad, which was flat at three weeks ago. They end their climatic sustain with acapella brass and the release echoed well. It got a good response. The weakest part of the show right now is the middle of the opener at a trumpet/baritone duet and some isolated impacts that follow. The pacing is awkward and it’s unclear how this portion fits with the rest of the show. The guard has kept improving and adding more to support the show’s theme. The guard is dressed as marionettes and using stretchy lengths of fabrics as strings. The show begins quietly as the guard slowly emerges from the front sideline to show their strings. A very intriguing opening as the music slowly builds. As with three weeks ago, the impact is still not quite fully there as the corps has a difficult time sustaining with balance and volume. A rewrite in staging or music arrangements might be in order. The show finishes very joyfully and memorably with Orpheus in the Underworld (better known as the Can-Can). This is when the marionettes are free from their strings. The leadup to the final impact and finale was marred by a musical tear between the drumline and brass. This wasn’t an issue three weeks ago and in fact, performed quite well early in the season. Despite the tear, nearly the rest of the show was executed well. They moved better than Academy and PC’s drumline was very effective in their breaks. Keep it up. Pacific Crest Blue Devils, Concord, CA Show Title: Felliniesque. Placement: 79.5, 1st out of 7. They clearly had the best execution and the most talent on the field. There were some great moments of achievement on the field and these performers performed their butts off. Amazing brass quality, great guard, and the drumline always impresses the crowd. That being said, the show design did little for me. Just like how Michael Jordan got calls to go his way in the ‘90s or the saying about how the Yankees always win because everyone can’t stop looking at their pinstripes, BD gets away with show design flaws simply because they’re claiming to “push the envelope.” If any other corps did what BD did with staging, they would get hammered at the judges critique (and I’ve seen these exact staging comments at judges critique). No other corps can get away with the guard doing work on the other side of field away from the music (or brass playing in the corner of the field with guard in the center). But I suspect Blue Devils have this freedom with they execute it with awesome precision. I came to this show with an open mind, but it was pretty incoherent. I was pretty frustrated by how much talent there was and the lack of connection and engagement for me. As many have said on this forum, if the judges keep rewarding incoherent show designs, other corps will simply be pressured to follow the trend because of the competitiveness. We see this already the prop creep affecting almost every World Class corps. Blue Devils Santa Clara Vanguard, Santa Clara, CA Show Title: Scheherazade. Placement: 76.65, 2nd out of 7. By a large margin, I prefer this version of Scheherazade over the 2004 version. The arrangements and drill design were far more effective and cohesive. They didn’t execute as well as Blue Devils, but the development of tension and climax were far more clear and engaging. The beautiful guard had great presence and the colors were fitting. The brass was full and loud. I appreciate the design staff’s decision to make this show a drum corps fan’s dream (part tres?). This is what made me fall in love with drum corps when I was a high school student. It was loud, exciting, and a spectacle. What didn’t work as much were the trombones (and not just because I was against the rule change). Brass arrange JD Shaw was a clear proponent of the rule change and it felt he needed to add trombones at the opening impact to make a point. Yes, it was loud and the trombone timbre came through. But 15 seconds worth of 20+ trombones seem like a waste of resources and a missed opportunity. I’ve accepted the rule change, so now go big or go home. At least it wasn’t a mic’d solo. Lastly, the 20 or so props that were used to stage section features worked sometimes. Other times, they seemed unnecessary (or not worth it), especially as they were moved out of the way after a section feature was done. But don’t let my criticisms get in the way of my preference for this show. This is what drum corps should be. Vanguard Final Observations I think most designers and staff have their hearts in the right places. Rarely have I met a designer, arranger, administrator, or instructor that didn’t care about performers and doing the best for the corps (remember many who run and teach corps once performed on the field too). However, I do think we are occasionally misguided, primarily due to competitive pressure. Every corps wants to beat the corps ahead of them and the people in charge are willing to find any edge they can get, whether it be props, amps, mics, synths, narration, or trombones. I’m a professional teacher and teach for a living. While I like having computers, tablets, and other resources, in the end, it’s all about the teaching. What are we teaching and how are we teaching it? Things like synthed bass, which every corps had, is frustrating, especially for a tuba player like myself. So rather than staging and teaching tubas effectively, we rely on a single push of a synth key for a subwoofer boost that only about 50% of the audience gets to hear because the front ensemble speakers are only good for the middle of the stands (good luck if you’re in the upper deck at Lucas Oil). Vanguard were the smallest offenders in this area. Mic’d solos are nice for the soloist, but I find it far more effective when a soloist can learn to project his/her sound acoustically and he/she can be staged on the field as part of the drill. Sometimes, we overthink about what audiences want as well. What the audience want is pretty simple. They want creative, loud, fun, colorful, exciting, well-executed shows. But much like most of the entertainment industry, it’s easier said than done. But unlike the entertainment industry, corps have 10 minutes to get the audience to like the show (not an hour or 90 minutes), which is an achievable task. There’s a reason why I list so many 1993 corps as part of my favorite shows. They were exciting back in 1993, exciting in the late ‘90s when I first saw them on video, and still exciting today. The answer to better designed shows is already in front of us.
  5. I attended the show, but declined to post during the show because...ya know...I like to take in the show and not furiously text my thoughts onto the interwebs. Kidding aside, I'll post a full review by Sunday evening.
  6. Having worked on a drum corps staff for several years, there's a lot to putting a show together and teaching it. It can get very complicated for many different reasons. Writers, arrangers, designers, caption heads, and instructors have to work in tandem, and ideally, everyone is on the same page and on schedule. However, they're humans. The production schedule can be put on hold due to a personal issue, conflict in design ideas, rewrites, and staffing. It's not that corps staffs lack motivation or don't care to complete a show. There's a lot of advantage to put a full show on the field at the beginning of the season, but again, it's complicated.
  7. Every show is essentially incomplete until the corps' last show of the season.
  8. Troopers is projected to be at 13th, with Crossmen at 12, Blue Stars at 11. Boston Crusaders and Bluecoats have yet to compete and they should be top 12, unless they drop significantly this year.
  9. As I wrote in my original post, the closer Troopers get to a 63 at the Rockford show, the more likely they'll be in Top 12 contention. They scored 61.1. Since 2003, only two 12th place corps scored below a 62 at the first show. Troopers, as with any corps, have the potential to make a great run and increase their scores enough to take 12th place (or higher) at semifinals, but history is against them.
  10. Thanks for expanding the data, N.E. Brigand. Taking a quick look, I see the last time a corps who scored under a 60 at their first show, and still made it to finals was 2001 Colts. However, their 59.6 was scored very early on June 15th and there were 56 days to semifinals (rather than the typical 50 days or so). By June 20, they scored a 63.3, which is close to what most 12th place corps, in recent years, score around June 20th. By the way, can I ask you how to compiled your data? I'm still figuring out an efficient to collect and input data into my spreadsheets.
  11. In 2013, the Troopers missed making finals by .15 point. This past Wednesday was DCI’s Opening Night and the Troopers scored a 61.7. Is this enough to break into the final top 12, something they haven’t done since 2009? I did a basic statistical analysis (something I’m learning more about this summer) and found out that since 2003, corps that made 12th place at semifinals had a wide range of “first show scores.” I charted these 12th place corps, their semifinal scores, and their first show scores. The lowest first show score was a 60.9 by 2007 Spirit and the highest was 70.3 by the 2010 Glassmen. That’s a wide range. Let’s assume the 2010 Glassmen score was an outlier, 62-63 points seem to be the ballpark score to be in top 12 contention. In fact, the average first show score for these 12th place corps (excluding the 2010 Glassmen) is 63.67. This is not to say that this year is going to be the same. A lot can happen from now to championship week. Looking at 12th place semifinal scores since 2003, the magic semifinal number seems to be around 85-86 to make it to finals (average is 85.89). But remember, hundredths of a point can mean the difference between 12th and 13th. How much corps improve from the first show to make it to 12th place matters a lot and how much corps improve is not consistent, nor predictable from year to year. Like the stock market, past performance doesn’t necessarily predict future performance. What does this mean for other corps hoping to make 12th place, like Crossmen, Colts, and Pacific Crest, and Academy? Since 2003, no corps who scored under 60 at their first show has made it to finals. So the Troopers can breath a sigh of relief. Given that most of these first show scores are based on shows on or around June 20th and the Troopers scored 61.7 on June 18, we’ll need to see how the Troopers do on Friday night at Rockford to give us a (somewhat) clearer sense. The closer they score a 63.67, the better their chances to be in top 12 contention.
  12. This review is for the SoCal Drum Corps Sneak Preview that took place on June 14, 2014 at Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, CA. If you’ve never heard of this show before, it’s an exhibition show for Southern California drum corps and usually the first public performances for these corps before the competitive season. This night's lineup included the Watchmen, Impulse, Gold, and Pacific Crest. Introduction I’ve been a drum corps fan since my high school days in the late ‘90s. Then I performed with Pacific Crest starting in 2002, aged out in 2005, and been a marching instructor/tour director/corps manager since 2008. I’m taking a break this summer from any direct involvement with drum corps and this was my first show attending as purely a fan in quite a long time. It’s a pretty fun event with gourmet food trucks parked in front of the stadium as your dinner option. It was nice catching up with friends, alumni, and current members and feeling the new season vibe from fans. My wife and I sat near the top of the stand by the pressbox. I’ve taught marching technique at high schools and still play tuba in a community concert band, so I’ll be commenting on visual, music, and some design. My wife, Jenn, was in high school color guard and will comment that caption. Having performed at this event in the past and it’s the FIRST public performance for all these corps, I know nerves play a part in the performances, so I won’t be too critical on individual issues. I hope you enjoy. Open Class Watchmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Riverside, CA Congrats to DCI’s newest competitive corps. It’s good to see more opportunities for performers in Southern California. I’ve seen several corps come and gone in my home state since the ‘90s. It’s tough to run and sustain the competitive organizations, like drum corps. I hope all the best for the Watchmen. They came onto the field under the lights in black and white uniforms. The tops were the classic band jacket and tuxedo shirt combo, similar to the 1980s Blue Devils. I didn’t count exact instrumentation for any of the corps, but I remember a full drumline and a very large front ensemble. The brass and color guard were smaller captions. I forgot their show theme and it’s not published on Corpsreps.com, but they performed a lot of their show, including a ballad based on the John Cale cover of “Hallelujah.” The drumline was the strongest and most developed section. The parts were interesting and garnered much of the audience engagement. However, the cost was ensemble balance issues. The percussion consistently overpowered the brass, unfortunately. The color guard technique is still emerging and will continue to develop. Marching technique was decent for a young, inexperienced corps. Good effort for the Watchmen’s first public performance as an Open Class corps and I look forward to seeing progress this season. Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps, Buena Park, CA Impulse is Southern California’s oldest running Open Class corps. They’ve had the same uniform design since their first years: black bottoms, yellow/black tops, and a black baseball cap with their ! logo on their tops and caps. Their show is based on Beethoven themes and their first musical impact was impressive in terms of balance and control. Like the Watchmen, the drumline and front ensemble were the more developed sections of the corps, but the brassline held their own. I was told by one of their instructors that a few low brass members went down, so their low end is a priority area for improvement. The color guard was small and seemed to missing members. So in this area, the visual impact of the show was more emerging than developed. Marching execution was satisfactory at this point in the season. They only performed one part of their show, but I liked how the music parts were written. I look forward to seeing more later in the season. Gold Drum and Bugle Corps, Oceanside, CA It’s been a pleasure seeing Gold develop over the years. They’re performing original music by Scott Director and the show is entitled The Journey. Their uniforms this year are similar to their 2013 uniforms: all black with red trim with black plastic armor on their torsos (similar to football pads). It’s a nice, unique look that helps develop their identity. First impression made is the size and presence of their color guard. They made a good visual impact for their show. The drumline and brass were appropriately balanced and the drill was challenging at some points, which I really, really appreciate. The marching technique was clearly at an emerging level and there were many signs of inexperience or lack of proper training (note: many Southern California schools get out in mid-to-late June, so June “all-days” are tough to attend). Their performance started well, while the second part of The Journey may need a major redesign. The color guard utilized varying props in neon colors, such as long PVC tubes, sticks shaped as Xs, and rifles inside plastic hoops. However, the staging of these different elements lacked cohesion and alignment with the musical staging. There was guard work in different parts of the field while the music was performed on opposites parts of the field. In effect, it felt like an unorganized, incoherent product. I’m looking forward to see what they have for us this season. World Class Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps, Diamond Bar, CA (Host Corps) This year’s production is No Strings Attached. They came on the field in their standard white, teal, gold, and black tops. This looked like a full 150 member corps and they performed their entire show (impressive!). On the field, there were several pods of varying ramps as props. The brass started the show on the props in varying “marionette” poses, tying in with the No Strings Attached theme. The show began as a slow, growing build up with the brass playing backfield until their turn to the front for their first impact. The impact was clear and it crescendoed to the release, but it could have used more volume and “oomph.” For the size of the corps, there were high expectations for musical impact and volume and it didn’t reach near its perceived potential that night. The visual staging was particularly impressive and well-designed for their first part of the show. The brassline had plenty of choreography already under their belt and helped with the Strings theme. The color guard had a developed level of presence and performance energy even when they were tacit. After the first part of the show, the Strings theme didn’t seem as developed, but Jenn said the guard carries a major part of the theme throughout the show. Like many of the guards tonight, PC’s guard was not in their costumes and I’m certain their costumes will increase their presence and communication of the theme to the audience. The percussion parts were particularly impressive (fun). The integration of the percussion parts with the brass parts have improved and as result, the musical impact has improved. It’s a more coherent and cohesive product. There’s a lot of fun and cuteness in the music (like a slidewhistle solo...unamped!) that can be expressed more in the visual program, especially in the closer, which is from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. The corps seems younger in experience than last year, so they still have plenty of work ahead for them (especially in the endurance area), but a full show under the belt and a well-designed show is great foundation for them. This show was entertaining and well-paced and it can only improve from here on out. I’m excited to see what they add to this show and what impact they can make on the audience.
  13. Instrumentation rule changes don't make that much of an impact on attracting performers as one thinks. People audition for drum corps for the exciting design, challenge, the higher performance level, and the touring experience. I marched for four years and worked with a World Class corps for another six years (all in the 2000s). I was a marching band nerd and nearly all the people who audition these days are still marching band nerds. My first year, we were still marching with G bugles. My rookie peers and I never worried about switching to G. We just did it. We worried about everything brass players worried about, regardless of key, which were tone, flexibility, volume, breathing, etc. In the end, we wanted to be loud, exciting, and entertaining. That hasn't changed one bit today. B-flats, synths, amps...all of these new additions don't really register with members. They just want to perform for an audience.
  14. @ Jeff: Yeah, all valid points. As I wrote in my blog, there are multiple factors to why I think shows are less exciting as they used to be. Judging isn't the sole problem, nor do I think it's the biggest factor. It's just part of the problem. I don't think designers are ignoring effect at all. It's just that their idea of effect seems vastly different from what I've seen in past decades. @ Stu: Thanks for bringing that up. I actually haven't thought about that. I like tasty percussion parts too and I don't think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier books. The talent level of DCI performers is so high, it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not utilize that for effect. On another note, the move to indoor venues have really hurt good percussion books. The echoes in the Alamodome, Georgiadome, and Lucas Oil pretty much negate the nuanced writing and amazing performances by the drumline. I remember when Jim Casella announced his "retirement" from drum corps writing and partly attributed it to the bad acoustics of Lucas Oil.
  15. Good point, Jeff. They don't propose to change it simply because most don't have the same opinion that I have (and my perspective is more of a "big picture" POV). I've seen a lot of angst and stress from instructors and caption heads over their performance numbers, but it drives them to work harder. While this has a lot of benefits for the corps and the performers (more technically excellent shows), I think there has been an overemphasis on these numbers. It drives designers and instructors to prefer safe (boring) over risk (exciting). In my crazy mind, I think there should only be three judges. All in the box--a music judge, a visual judge, an effect judge. This would emphasize to designers and caption heads that the overall product/package is the most important thing. In the real world right now, caption head's like the idea of performance judges because they believe a dedicated performance judge can give them more credit because the judge is solely observing that caption (e.g. a brass judge, two percussion judges, a guard judge).
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