ThirdValvesAreForWimps
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Posts posted by ThirdValvesAreForWimps
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7 minutes ago, Flguardman said:
Carolina Crown 72.7
Cavaliers 71.5
Blue Stars 66.1
Crossmen 66.0
Madison Scouts 64.6
Colts 60.6
Pioneer 49.2
Partial panel; no brass scores other than music analysis. I can't wait to see The Cavaliers in Hamilton tomorrow.
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Cold is the worst enemy of brass players. I remember a contest at Lambeau Field in Green Bay in July 1981. It was 38F!
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Just now, vhsmbdm said:
Ah man, Cooper Stadium. I drove by there last month and nearly teared up over the state of that place. It was supposed to be repurposed into an automotive research and testing facility; Columbus was even going to use it to test driverless vehicles. Sadly, that hasn't happened. The developer seems to have abandoned it without notice. I remember seeing a lot of Clippers games there when I was a kid, not to mention the years when OMEA state marching band finals were hosted there.
The US Open Finals used to be there too. We did prelims in Marion in the morning and went to Columbus that night for finals.
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Just now, tommynev said:
Ames Field is one of the best small stadiums in the country and is perfect for drum corps. The stands are so close to the field, and as a performer the natural grass feels better than most artificial turf.
This is a great point. I loved performing where the stands were as close to me as possible and places like Ames Field, NIU Huskie Stadium, and Legion Field in Birmingham were among the best venues. The worst, from a performer standpoint, were places like Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, the small stadium in Centerville, and of course Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
There's a big stadium close to me in Ohio which would be perfect for drum corps: Roush Stadium in Kettering. It has no track so the performers are up close and personal.
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When I was marching with The Cavaliers we used to have a camp over Mother's Day weekend in Michigan City. I can remember many hours on the turf at Ames Field cleaning drill, working on the brass sound, etc.
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3 hours ago, BRASSO said:
Until shown otherwise, the Bluecoats are the Corps to beat this summer. They are the front runner. Not the Blue Devils. I have not seen the Blue Devils, but hope to catch them on Flo for the 1st time tonite. Musically, the Bluecoats are playing music that I can really get into. Its has a great groove. The attire is far better to me than last season's, and the visuals intriguing. The percussion writing is out of this world too, and the Guard is 1st rate. They have no noticeable weaknesses in any sections, nor even in their show design, imo. Its the whole package, and they will be tough to beat, imo once the early season dirt is cleaned up, and the show tweaked here and there. I think at the moment they have a great chance to repeat.. not an easy thing to do if you are not the Blue Devils these days now.
I have seen the Blue Devils and while your assessment of the Bluecoats is spot on, the Blue Devils brass line -- trumpets specifically -- might be the best ever. They sound like studio professionals.
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Someone probably noticed this already but the opening drum cadence is from "Legend of the One Eyed Sailor" which the Blue Devils played in 1976 and 1978.
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6 hours ago, wonker said:
wow....not a single Cavaliers post in an entire day???
Real men don't feel the need to constantly yammer.
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1 hour ago, BoaDci said:
True more air, better arch. Still though, the amount theyre hitting them, is absolutely crazy.
Faster air, not more. Low notes take lots of slow air. High notes take less air but the air they take moves faster.
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17 minutes ago, BoaDci said:
Bloo's show is good, but I will stand by my statement that every aspect of this show will be one of the all time greats come August. This might be crazy but a new score record/perfect brass score both seem achieveable. Cant wait to see how this show develops.
I would agree about BD's sopranos. They have had GREAT ones in the past. The ones this year are doing serious work. Generally double g's are the highest you'll hear during an ensemble passage with the standard "high mom". This year though, I believe Ive heard trumpets doing the double c above double g, which is absolute insanity. Double c's are notes generally only played by professionals. I dont know how they do it. Im happy to get 5 double g's in a day, theyre averaging about 10 in 1 run...crazy.
It's not a big distance from Double G to Double C -- and with the right technique it can be done.
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I've spent the last half hour watching that YouTube of the Blue Devils and this is a trip back to the awesome 1980s in every good way possible. This might be among the best Blue Devils' programs EVER. The lead trumpets have that "retro" sound the best players had thirty years ago: The "edge" or "burn" or "sizzle" or whatever you want the to call it.
The brass arrangements are beyond compare; nobody voices an ensemble like the Blue Devils!
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You should be extremely proud. As your son is a current Cavalier and I marched with the corps years ago, that means he and I are brothers now. This is the most special part of being in The Cavaliers: The brotherhood lasts forever.
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This is a long way from the old PBS broadcast.
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Just now, Cappybara said:
Curious why you would blame the rules committee. No one is forcing any corps to use a certain vocal/instrument. Plenty of corps choose not to have singing or to not use trombones/French horns, etc
You're right. I just wish vocals were expressly prohibited.
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I'm going to say this as sweetly as I can: I don't like singing in drum corps but it's unfair to take this out on Crown's singer. It's not her fault, it's not Crown's fault, and it's not even the fault of "younger" program designers.
The issue is with the Rules Committee. We're not going back to the tick system, we're not going back to G bugles, we're not going back to flag presentations, we're not going back to a double gunshot at 11:30, and we're not going to eliminate electronics -- but the singing needs to go.
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The only good thing about rain in Whitewater is it discourages the Wisconsin state bird from flying.
Their state bird is the mosquito.
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7 minutes ago, MotoSurfBass said:
Cadets or Crown? I like the usage in the Cadets show, doesn't fit well in Crown's though.
It doesn't fit anywhere on the field. That Rules change to allow singing was a YUGE mistake.
The Crown vocal should be replaced with a trombone. The Cavaliers should not have any singing in the big hit in "My Way." If I want to hear singing at Mass I'll go to Mass for real; I want to hear horns on the competition field.
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Two days later -- and the singing still bothers me. I tried to let it go but I can't. I'll be in Hamilton for the contest on Monday night and maybe it goes over better live.
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13 minutes ago, mjoakes said:
Not an FMM. But still this. The tune is so good, a vocal so isn't necessary. Worse, it's diminishing.
Yes that's true. It will probably go away by the end of the season. The corps has a good brass section this year and singing over it is, as you said so well, diminishing.
With all that being said I always thought Frank Sinatra would translate well into drum corps.
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As an FMM I have three comments about Men are from Mars:
1. Play brass like men.
2. Get rid of the singing in My Way.
3. Play ALL of Sprach.
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7 minutes ago, Newseditor44 said:
The only way that happens is if you can eliminate it in the marching band and WGI arenas as well. All of the marching arts activities feed off each other, creatively and financially. It driven by business as well as creativity, and companies like Remo, Yamaha and others push their influence. It's the evolution of the activity to a place where many of us saw it moving years ago and it will never go back to what it once was.
I don't see that. DCI should be different and unique. That's why we love it -- and that's why some of us did it.
We're not going back to the 1980s; I'm not saying that. I don't care how weird BOA and WGI get but I like my drum corps pure.
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45 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:
Who said so? Is there a book with these rules for all of us to read? Hey, everyone can have their say, and I get that most do not like vocals on the field, but there are no rules that state only brass and percussion can be on the field. Singers belong where ever we decide to try them. Same for brass, percussion, strings, mallets, synths, guitars, you name it. If you don't like them fine, but don't throw out these idiotic rules or stereotypes. I've been a professional musician all my life and what I saw from Carolina Crown was no different than what many other professional music ensembles do -- they featured a singer. It could be an orchestra, jazz ensemble, brass band, wind ensemble, large concert band, rock band, heavy metal group, you name it -- but they all feature singers here and there. Ah...but for some reason this is blasphemy in drum corps. God forbid we hear something other than brass and drums.
I absolutely respect your opinion; I've read your posts and your perspectives are excellent.
But extended vocals?
Let's think this through. There's definitely a place for voice overs using electronics. I'm okay with that in limited circumstances -- but vocals are like sung narration. If I want to hear vocals I'll watch American Idol or something. I'm not bashing singers in general or even Crown in particular. Singers are great in their particular venue but, respectfully, I find extended vocals detract from the performance in drum corps.
Brass, drums, and limited electronics should be the order of the day; I cannot see the usefulness of woodwinds, strings, or vocals. This isn't band.
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1 minute ago, cfirwin3 said:
It just isn't idiomatic. I don't think that there is a manner in which that could be performed such that it would sound compatible.
Sure there is. Have her lip synch while a brass instrument plays the solo.
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2 minutes ago, BigBadMadMan said:
Ummm...pitchy was being polite. I don't want to rag on the girl, but your comment would be more appropriate if compared to a trumpetsoloist who blows his entire solo, IMO.
Also, a trumpet belongs on the field and a singer doesn't.
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Harrowing Hamilton - June 26th, 2017
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
This will be my first live show of the season and Hamilton High School is a terrific venue except for parking which is a nightmare. I'll be high up in the stands on the right 40 yard line so I'll be able to hear and see things clearly. I'm a Cavaliers alumnus and I'll have a 27th Lancers alumnus with me. Who remembers the 27th Lancers? I do!