Jake W.

Ok. Watched the Hillsboro run about 5 times between last night and today, and I'll relent on my earlier skepticism. I'm definitely enjoying this show FAR more than I ever though I would upon first viewing. The small visual nuances being added in --- all of the bug-like body movements --- are really completing the show for me. I never had a problem with the monster brass book, and I'm still just as impressed by their performance of it. The lack of demand in the visual book is what I took issue with upon the first few viewings, although many on this thread have stated over and over how it would grow through small layerings, and it certainly already has done just that. They're offering up a lot more substance visually now, and I'm a fan. I definitely thought I wouldn't enjoy this year's edition of the corps, but I keep finding myself going back to the Hillsboro video to catch more, and am really appreciating this show more and more every time. Still a few glaring design issues, I believe, but I'm now pretty confident based on what's been added that all of those will be sewn up within the month. Maybe this is just the first season I've really paid attention to BD's style of growth and teaching --- how incredibly unique among the approach that all other corps take! This has been very intriguing to watch develop.

If I remember right, this show is often exhibition only. Any idea if that is the case, or if it is judged this year?

In terms of the music book only, I'm consistently struck by how unbelievably dirty they still are. I think that tends to get lost in the awe of the demand that this show has tended to generate, but their brass line is dirty as hell right now. My best guess is the fact the BD is so much cleaner right now has held down SCV's GE scores. I realize that doesn't cover the scope of the caption, but it's certainly a part of it.

I'm very interested to see the results of Jersey Surf's debut tonight. I think debuting within a point - point and a half of Genesis would be a nice start for the corps that would set them up for a season that ends with playing in the Friday show, which I assume is a main goal the 2017 Surf. I really enjoy this corps and their mission and purpose and want the best for them. After a good few years of meandering (too fun and no design, too serious and not entertaining), this show initially looks like they've struck a good marriage of entertaining, current, and well-designed. A few murmurs from the members in the off season leads me to believe that they've set themselves up for a good season that is both fun and competitive. We shall see tonight!! Best of luck on your 2017 competitive debut, Surf!!!!

Fun fact, and this is the fun in music, you don't even need to know the history behind Music for Prague or the make up of those crunchy chords to like them. "Does this super dissonant chord create a cool moment that portrays the chaos and intensity of this world the Scouts are trying to draw us into?" "Oh hell yes it does." "How about this one?" "Oh HELL yes it does!!" "And this one in the closer??" "Jesus #### yes it does!!!!" Then you can applaud ridiculously at your computer like the godd***ed fool you are. That's a page directly from my play book, anyway. : )

Disagreed. It's just that the visual demand has risen to match musical demand, vs. drum corps in the 1970s & 80s. And as I responded earlier, many of the people watching our activity have music degrees, teach music, and have a working knowledge of orchestral literature. In regards to the bulk of everyone else, "the average fan", they are parents who have been exposed to the performing arts for a minimum of a few years --- most often they've been watching a good decade --- and they are alum of the corps who have also been around the performing arts for at LEAST a decade by the time they're in the audience. In regards to the Scouts' repertoire specifically, Music for Prague is a concert band staple that I would wager every high caliber high school concert band in the nation has attempted to tackle at some point, and it's absolutely no stranger on the marching field. Why should we pretend that the parents and alumni, with no music degrees, would be unable to recognize or recall a piece (especially one so jarring) that they've most likely either heard or performed before? What SHOULD drum corps be playing? Pop music only? Or....La Suerte de los Tontos and other popular charts from old drum corps eras? Is that what you're getting at here? Why are you assuming that the average fan and parent can't remember the music they played in high school, or can't remember music they heard or played while marching, or remember music they've heard repeated a few times on the field over the years? And even further, why are you assuming that the average fan and parent is incapable of looking up a new piece of music based on something cool they've heard or seen in a repertoire list? How many laypeople were exposed to Vienna Teng after Bloo's use of "Hymn of Axiom"? I'll give you that SCV has chosen some obscure material this season. Does that make it unenjoyable to listen to, though? Hardly. Reactions have been incredibly positive to the show so far. On the contrary, reactions to Blue Star's Moulin Rouge closer HAVEN'T been as positive, and that's pretty well-known stuff. I truly believe that if the source material is good stuff, often enjoyed in a concert hall or from any stage WITHOUT any visual component, then chances are great that said piece will translate well to audiences from the field. Rant over. And apologies for derailing the Scouts thread so much today. This thread has been chock full of blanket statements that have very little merit ("Much of the music being performed now is intended for those with extensive musical background", "Today's shows are designed for the judges, not the fans", "Nearly every single show is chop and bop", etc.) that need some light shone on them.

I like to think they're designed for both; some certainly lean stronger one way than the other, however. Some years, I think most of the shows were a little too esoteric, judges-catering, and not too rewatchable for pure enjoyment; other years, like 2016, I see the pendulum swinging the other way and the season is chock full of audience friendly shows. Take last year's top 5. *YOU* might not have enjoyed Down Side Up, As Dreams Are Made On, Relentless, Force of Nature, & Propaganda, and I'm sure we can find others to dislike a few shows on this list as well, but I would hope you're not short sighted enough to ignore the overwhelmingly positive response these five shows received all season from crowds, the majority of DCP posters, alumni of those corps, and from high school students (I teach, so maybe I'm a little closer to the perception of future corps members than most). And two to three corps is all you enjoyed between this year and last year? I sincerely do not mean to offend, but if that is honestly the case, analyze how open your mind is. Drum corps reaches massive audiences nationwide and many shows last year ended the season with overwhelming support. It was a good season to be a fan. Please consider that the problem could be in your perception and openness, and not with current designs.

Yes, arrangers, those with a music degree, band directors, etc....but please don't forget that the vast majority of kids marching in top notch corps came from terrific band programs as well. I would wager that every high level concert band in the country has attempted Music for Prague at some point within the last 30 years. Also, the high school marching band world is no stranger to Music for Prague & Miraculous Mandarin; both pieces have been used by top level BOA groups for years now (granted, Music for Prague much more so than the Bartok, although Marian Catholic has used both within the last 10 years). You don't have to be a music major or a band director to pick up on distinct musical themes you've heard a couple times throughout your performing-arts-watching tenure, and that includes parents and corps alumni who were never music majors.

Oh my god, I spent all last season (happily) arguing with various members on the 2016 Scouts thread about the "chop 'n' bop" arrangement style, are we really going to do it again this year? New trends are tried in our beloved activity all the time. The good ones stick, the bad ones don't. A couple "bad ones" , in my mind, that thankfully didn't stick: all original music books for the top corps over using real source music, and the trendy fad of arranging 967 pieces of music into one thick, new tapestry. Blue Devils, of course, pioneered this arranging style, culminating with "Through a Glass, Darkly", the whole point of which was to morph and mesh popular drum corps tunes into an entirely new musical quilt. They also used this style in the various years surrounding 2010 to create some of my least favorite championship music books, although I always appreciate their depth. But even BD started bucking their own trend last season, with their entire Giachinno ballad standing on its own merit, unaltered. They're at t again with Flight of the Bumblebee this year. Bloo & Crown are really leading the way *AWAY* from this trend (and Cadets, to some extent, who never succumbed to it, either out of stubbornness or just a general lack of awareness of what is fashionable at any given moment in drum corps), and as of last year, the vast majority of corps seem to be following Bloo & Crown away from chop 'n' bop. I'll even wager that the 2016 & 2017 music books, from 1 - 22 (23 this year) are much more enjoyable than, say, the top to bottom music books of 2014 or 2015. Trends come and go, the good ones stick, and this arrangement style seems to be fading rapidly, save for a few corps like Scouts last year who embraced it about two years too late and then complained that their show paled to everyone else's flowing musicality. Cavies this year are included, but try to find me a few more corps that make Cavies the rule rather than the exception. I'll add another layer, too: using source material that lacks a hummable melody does NOT equate to chop 'n' bop. Scouts this year have fleshed out Music for Prague & Miraculous Mandarin in some really nice ways. Neither piece is hummable, but so many of those famous Husa cluster chords and suspensions are INSTANTLY recognizable to most of us, and they're allowed to stand on their own, unedited. The Bartok piece has the famous frenzied cello melody lifted and translated pretty nicely to the brass & pit, although not performed well at all yet. Again, the use of atonal source material does not mean that a chop 'n' bop arranging style was used. I quite like the Scouts' book this year, and if it's cleaned and fleshed out properly, I believe will be incredibly musical and audience-friendly by August. They're just cleaning some "out there" stuff, and finding the musicality in this book is a different beast than screamers during standard jazz charts or than making famous Broadway melodies sing.

Oh honey, speak for yourself : ) I love their music selections and source material, and really enjoy the way it's arranged --- just not the way it's performed yet. Music for Prague & Miraculous Mandarin have always translated very well to the field (see: Marian Catholic). Enjoyment is in the ear of the listener, but those pieces that form the bulk of the show are classics that are typically met with lots of applause, both in concert halls and on the field.

I think for this show, I'm most curious about Music City's competitive debut for the year. Their preview show recordings look really solid, and I would assume that they're going to try their hardest to make a big statement this year before they apply for world class status for 2018. Seems like a mature group this year and I've heard they have a lot of vets.

Speaking of Key Poulan, did anyone ever find out Mandarin's repertoire for the season? Or is it all original Key Poulan stuff again beyond Sound of Silence?

Ok, FINALLY got to see the show via YouTube. I really think this is going to either be a big swing & a miss for Madison, or a serious home run. It all depends on where the staff takes this show throughout the next two months. Right now, I love the foundation, but from the performance I watched, none of the members seem to be selling it or 100% on board and confident in their jarring direction shift just yet (yet being the key word). The bones of the show are there, and with some tweaking and fleshing out of a lot of the ideas that currently exist, this could be something intensely special and memorable for the Scouts. I actually *REALLY* loved the music book, despite a lack of melody or exposed small groups/soloists, as mentioned in previous posts. The opening Husa statements are totally great, just not being performed with their written intent yet (to my ear). Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin meanders a bit for now, but that is SUCH a cool piece of music and this arrangement has real potential. Doesn't sound like the performers know what to do with that section yet though. And those crunchy, dissonant chords in the return of Music for Prague in the closer...man. That already gave me chills, and that passion in the closer is what makes me think they have the collective stones to eventually embrace this show and sell it like crazy. But....it's not there yet. Here's my opinion, not that it matters: if the staff tries to keep this one under control, not venturing too far outside of the established drum corps game, this will become a failed experiment. On the other hand, if they proceed forward tossing caution to the wind, ditch every presupposition about what they "should" be doing to get back into Saturday night, and just go grittier, dirtier, darker, more primal, intensely visceral, and wrap themselves up in this show, I believe it will be a wild hit that audiences will love and embrace and that will set the Scouts up for a nice next couple years (oh, and easily land them back on the Saturday night roster). But I only see hints of that now. Ok, Scouts, you've got our attention. You've taken huge risks this season, and now is no time to keep a couple toes in the safety zone. Throw the playbook out the window and just grow this nasty, primeval, visceral show into something totally unique to your corps this year, a show that is whispered about and that people can't wait to see to confirm what they've been hearing rumors about. *THAT* will reclaim your organization's pride and uniqueness after such a down year last season. But really, there can't be a single thing half-hearted about this show.

I too am super excited for Genesis' World Class debut. I would LOVE to see them hang with Spirit & Colts; my prediction is they'll land about 3 - 4 points behind both corps --- *IF* their approach to the season is at all like last year. Last year they bit off a massively demanding show (in order to demonstrate they could handle world class depth & demand, in my opinion), and took all season to grow and blossom. On the other hand, the year before, with the Phantom show, they came out strong with an easier design and remained quite strong throughout the season. Which one will this be?? Somewhere in the middle? If so, I'm guessing they'll place a couple points behind everyone tonight with plenty of room to grow throughout the season. On another note, after watching that Spirit premier video a couple of times now, I'm calling it that they debut ahead of Colts tonight. I don't have any dogs in the fight one way or the other, I'm just really impressed with their noticeable turnaround in design and quality this year. I think they'll be leaping up into the Troop-Colts-Mandarins tier, and they'll make that statement tonight.

I'm very curious as well to see how this pans out. I watched a Periscope of their first competitive showing and was blown away, absolutely in love. I also watched the FloMarching broadcast last night and was so much less impressed. It seemed like a super flat, unenergetic, let's-just-get-through-this kind of run. As i said in The Academy thread, the Periscope version of the show I watched from their first competition absolutely had the legs to keep them in finals, and handily. Last night, they deserved to be overtaken by The Mandarins. Talk about two totally different performances from the same corps.... It's early season. The bones of this show have a more challenging brass book than the other corps in their tier (Crossmen & Stars, at least), and a package that already shows terrific guard staging and weapon writing. But I definitely can't explain the massive difference in performance levels and swings in design perception between the two nights. I think a few more performances will really tell us which night was the real one.

Just watched the preview show on YouTube. Really impressive. Should be a great year for Spirit. I think what impresses me the most is that despite the last few years of blunders and lack of direction, the corps is still able to recruit a LOT of talent. They sound absolutely terrific already, and that's no slouch of a music book. To me, this seems by far their most complete package and successful design since their "fall" in 2014. It's SUPER hummable, quite engaging, and written with outstanding flow & direction. Plenty of meat is offered up in the Mackey piece, plenty of beauty in the Vienna Teng song. Just plain cool arrangement of Shokufan in the closer. The show just works, and keeps you watching. I know the guard was the weak spot in 2015; and while they improved greatly last year, this show looks to have the guard writing to match that improvement a bit more. I know last year was just sort of a "keep our heads above water financially and field a corps" year (if I'm remembering that right); this year's show seems to be shaping up to be a 360 degree turnaround in terms of a competitive product that, to my mind, should have the bones and the talent to hang with Troop & Colts (as well as Mandarins, who preliminarily seem to be moving up into that tier). Great job, Spirit. I'm super impressed with what I see so far.

Finally got a chance to sit down and watch the Periscope video from tonight. I am head over heels in love!!!! Before I start gushing in detail, all of my initial read can be summed up in one ideal: this corps no longer looks like they're fighting for a Finals spot. I mean, really...they don't. They're mature, confident, and proud of what they're selling. I was so scared of last season's magic turning out to be lightning in a bottle instead of the new norm for them...but oh my god is it the new norm for them. This show is pure enjoyment and fun, backed by class and elegance and lots of demand. The musical selections are PERFECT and make the show so #### accessible. Every audience member will recognize these classics. The design is brilliant; not just in entertainment, but musical pacing, guard staging, visual appeal, and of course those elegant uniforms. And that Anvil Chorus hit in the middle of Hungarian Rhapsody!!!! Ahhhh. What a moment. I have to note what a giant step up in skill the guard has taken. This show does NOT let up on the relentless and high demand weapon work, and said weapons are showcased up front for the majority of the show. The music demand is also notably higher, although I still maintain last year's book offered much more demand than people gave it credit for. But, in my opinion, this year's brass and percussion books are rising outside of bottom-few-finalists territory, in terms of demand. I have not had the pleasure of catching a bootlegged recording of Blue Stars' show this season (someone...plz?), but have watched Crossmen a good number of times now, and while Crossmen have a terrific show lined up this year, The Academy, to me, seems to have a show designed with much more "gas in the tank" (to quote drum man tx) than anyone else in their tier. What they do with said gas and distance remains to be seen, but I don't see this show having to fight for a Finals spot. Two years of terrific designs from this corps. I can't wait to see what the future, and the rest of this year, holds for them. Thank you, Academy, for giving us another show that's so audience-friendly, well-written, and enjoyable. I'm already in love.

Love love love love the uniforms. So theatrical and well done. Thumbs up!!!!

Ok, I've watched that video about six times now, and it has to be said: the visual design is super lackluster. I see almost nothing that matches the INCREDIBLY well-designed and intense music book. Everything flows so stunningly musically and there is SO MUCH INSANE DEMAND....and I get none of that visually at this point. Maybe it's even more glaring following the last three years of visual magic? And I know it's super super early; however, drill design is drill design, and what I see is terribly ineffective (in my mind). As an example, BD had my absolute favorite drill moment last year: the entire ballad matched that gorgeous Valezquez movie piece F**KING PERFECTLY. Starting the movement backhash behind the scaffolding, ending on the front sideline in the company front, the swirling and unfolding and spiraling in the middle, the guard reaching upwards to match that massively exposed impact perfectly....I mean, sheer brilliance. That whole middle movement should be used in classes on how to match drill to music in an utterly perfect way. I don't see anything resembling that same brilliance in this design. It lacks forward movement, purpose, intent, and, honestly, difficulty. BUT. I know it's been said many times that BD has an incredibly unique style of learning drill that sort of builds on itself? Is that what happens here, and the last few seasons' visual ingenuity also started out in similar slow fashions?? Or, people more familiar with the design, PLEASE feel free to correct me and tell me what I'm missing in the video!! The brass & percussion book is an absolute insane monster....in fact, I'm going to go ahead and boldly assert that this is a more demanding music book than any corps has put out in recent years. And the visual design just does nothing for me to match that. I mean, truly, the visual design at this point shows the structure of an egg laid, not a home run. So what am I missing?? There's got to be something.

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Holy hell that SCV opener on periscope. I don't see any reason why that can't hang with BD & Bloo, having seen both videos. That was pure intensity. Oh, and they're still obviously Vanguard : )

Watched the tour premier and today found the HD full rehearsal run through video that a few had referenced. Hands down agreed, just comparing the two, that last night seems to have been a rougher run. Full disclosure, I adored last year's show and am certainly no slave to tradition or the way things used to be, so none of what I saw last year or this year is bothersome. Just the opposite, actually --- I'm in love with this show already. THIS is what the bones of a seamless, detailed, fully-integrated design looks like. Visually, the design is just plain masterful. They don't just stand on the giant prop; they march through it march on it, march down it, hide in it, use it to complete forms...it's truly, TRULY an integral part of the drill, as much as the hashes or yard lines, and that's so cool. I know this is for another thread on here, but I vehemently believe Bloo's lasting legacy of these shows they're putting out will be that they were the first corps to really explore visual books that exist in multiple planes. On a lighter note, once the hullabaloo around these shows subside in a few seasons, I also think these shows will be remembered as uncannily FUN, and will hold their listening & watching value over years to come. On another note, completely agreed with the multiple posts about this being a smart, current reincarnation of the best 90s shows. I spent a good portion of last season arguing on the Madison thread that the activity as a whole had moved on from the chop 'n' bop (even BD) style that was experimented with for a few seasons, and most of the moving past that is thanks to Crown, but Bloo is playing a MASSIVE roll in that as well; producing absolutely magical music books that let the source material stand on its own. Final note, I also thought that this was Down Side Up.2 upon initial viewing, and was even sort of meh about it, but something has kept me hooked and I've rewatched it a couple of times today, appreciating and then finally falling in love with it in a rapid turnaround from last night. I think I mistook innovation with vertical planes to mean similarities all around, but beyond exploring that concept further this year, there's very little that resembles last year. This is a monster of a show. I'm ecstatic at the thought of seeing what it develops into by the end of the season. I've seen a video of BD, and they too have a masterful design lined up. This will shape up to be quite the dogfight!

This. There are certainly a fair number of corps that I usually enjoy more than The Cadets, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and last year amazed me with their august execution levels after spending so so so much of the season on rewrites and full spectrum design changes. The fact that they were as clean as they were with such a hindering season and progression of events gives me great ideas about how good they'll be on a season not overtaken by rewrites, with as much time to clean as the other corps in their neighborhood.

I'll just do entire music books, and I'll even limit it to 2016. If I need an example of absolutely lush, gorgeous brass blend, I'll play SCV from this past year. I truly think one would be hard pressed to find a brass sound from the 70s or 80s that sounds so full and concertesque. If I want to show an example if pure musicality and lyrical playing, The Academy's closer fits the bill. Tons of exposure, lines that rise and fall with such amazing nuance and detail. The difficulty of BD's ballad impact, while not pulled off 100% (in my opinion), fits the bill for swirling lines that lead up to a giant, MASSIVELY exposed impact, the orchestration of which truly would have given any brass line from any decade a serious challenge. I would put Oregon & Mandarin's brass books up against any 16th & 17th place world class corps from any year in terms of difficulty and demand. Obviously, the technical prowess of Crown, Coats, & BD from this past season sticks out amongst any decade. I would put Blue Stars' hornline's blend and balance and full sound up against any 9th place corps throughout drum corps history and wager them to come out on top in terms of tone quality. Phantom's delicate approach to Young Person's Guide in their closer demonstrated some top notch technical abilities matched with exceptional balance and blend. It's not that I decry the merits of brass lines from previous decades....I *REGULARLY* (every season) play SCV '89 to demonstrate to my students what passion sounds like on the field, it's just that mots of my example of musicality and balance and blend and skilled execution of high demand passages come from this century. And it makes sense, the bar gets set higher and higher every year, as it should.

i'm just curious, would you mind listing out your main arguments for why this line blurring is a bad thing? In the end, we are looking at multiple facets of what is the epitome of a niche activity. In the end, it's all band and flags and drums. I have yet to hear a good rational argument about keeping these lines between our niches in a niche activity so starkly drawn, other than the standard appeals to tradition (not that tradition doesn't have it's place). I'm more than willing to hear them, I just have yet to hear a solid argument in this regard.