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jwillis35

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Everything posted by jwillis35

  1. Go Go Go and Keep Going! That is how I felt at the end of The Cadets show. Ending is not clean but OMG is that exciting. Overall this was their best performance top to bottom. Great show and a pretty fantastic performance, Cadets!!!! There are definitely a lot of goosebump moments in this show. I think there is something for everyone, even if you're not in the uniform camp. Still plenty to clean in the feet, legs and intervals. Brass, Percussion, and Guard are all performing very well.
  2. I want the Blue Devils to stay right where they are. They believe in Drum and Bugle Corps. They believe in competition. They believe in teaching young people to perform at all ages and they believe in kids and that those kids should have great opportunities to perform and express. It is because of the Blue Devils that the rest of the activity has a real benchmark. Why would we want to get rid of that? They are a benchmark in organizational structure, funding, and performance. Their hard work has provided a road map for the activity -- even if it can't always be duplicated it certainly gives the other corps a view of what can be achieved. We need them to stay right where they are and lead. Yes, they win a lot. That's ok. There will be years that another corps gets them. But without them we lose the high benchmark that I feel has been important to this activity. Losing Star of Indiana was a sad day for me. Yes, I appreciated what they brought to indoor theater and to awareness about our activity, but all of that was short term. Where are they today? Gone. To me this is a shame. We need our Premierer organization alive and healthy and leading the way. I believe the other directors and staff of the other corps would say the same thing.
  3. That is both good for the members, but also kind of sad in a way. I always want these kids to stay where they are so the corps can really build. I really want to see Academy in the top 12 again with the kind of program they had in Corpse Bride.
  4. Yes! That was the best Colts performance yet this summer. The music program is strong. They have really layered in some nice dynamic and expressive playing. They could add some more at the end when they go full bore. But not much to complain about. Visual looked good to me. Guard was strong tonight. Very good show and enjoyable.
  5. Colts brass line has some wonderful control at the start of this show.
  6. Agree. Not sure if Academy is a younger group, maybe just less experienced but the brass playing is safe, not well balanced at times, intonation issues pop up a lot, and they have control issues. That is common with younger lines. I do like the show too. Too much stuff on the field for me and I wanted more clarity in drill. Musically I enjoy the selections. Still time to clean this up.
  7. Really like this last tune by Crossmen. Show is beginning to come together.
  8. That's a good point. They had a shot last year with USC. I mean, I love my Buckeyes but after we lost to UM we were not going to get in the CFP...that is until USC decided to get smashed by Utah and TCU got slammed by Kansas State. I was glad we played a great Georgia team as well as we did because the other two games in the playoff were not so good. Back to the top 4 in DCI, I do not think it's quite over yet. It just depends on how Blue Devils perform. Last night they were OK and Boston was really close. Tonight Blue Devils put on a clinic. I think most people on DCP sensed it early in the show. When you are that strong in every caption it just exposes those few weak areas of the other shows. The other 3 corps are really really really good. But each of them have little areas that if not performed well will allow the other 2 corps in that group to push them down. And that is all that is needed for BD to create some spread. But tonight Blue Devils just absolutely put on a clinic!
  9. It's close between Cadets and Phantom in brass. The difference I hear (Flo perspective of course) is that Phantom seems to hit FFF or mp too often and do not show enough range in their dynamic peaks and valleys. It's like FULL BORE or off. The only time I feel they are crafting the dynamics at a higher level is in the ballad. This is perhaps a bit exaggerated because I know they are doing some great things dynamically but I don't need all their FFF moments to be at the same max volume. This is my gripe with Cavaliers too. At times they give me this wonderful nuanced sound like in the opening statement. But then I get too much full bore, all-out playing. I know they have a super talented brass line. I can hear it in their control and articulations but as of now the musical book is not crafted in a way to let them shine. If Cavaliers can add the musical nuances to this book and enhance that build from the end of the ballad to the diagonal front that leads to the close of their show then I can see their brass scores going way up. Considering how amazing their percussion is then I would say to Cadets, Mandarins, and Phantom you better not look over your shoulder too much. Their are some visual things they need to clean as well, but if they have a plan and can execute those changes I would say we may be adding Cavaliers to the middle pack along with PR, Cadets, and Mandy.
  10. The Blue Devils do need to clean up that closer...and that's about all I got for critique. I mean, we are talking marching excellence at a different level. The visual analysis of this show is superb. The brass and percussion were on FIRE tonight. If you listen closely to intervals, key signatures, range, articulations, and the agility to handle those crazy licks then you can appreciate just how good that brass line is. Much better performance tonight. I love the dynamic contrast they put into the ballad push that I don't think I heard last night. The show feels so smooth and so seamlessly put together. Congrats to the design team once again. I thought their guard was again outstanding and I love the content. It felt like a clinic tonight.
  11. I love how that box is always in flux and sort of building and only hits on the final first verse of the ballad. Incredible.
  12. The attention to detail in the body when marching or doing other types of movement is just so good.
  13. What a brass book! What a percussion book! BD on fire musically.
  14. Bluecoats are beginning to put some real Mr. Clean on this show! The Ballad and Bump were just incredibly good. Whether you like the narration or not I think it's undeniable that this corps has been cleaning. I know they had to do a stand still concert last night and they were still missing 1 or 2 tonight, but their GE is really starting to hit. Brass is playing much better. Percussion were really good tonight and their guard is outstanding. Thought the ending worked better as well. Some of the timing things they do musically, rhythmically and visually are really impressive...and they handle it so well.
  15. Oh gosh, no! I love your posts. 🙂 Sorry about that.
  16. Not much to say about Carolina Crown other than WOW WOW and WOW! Brass is stunning! Great music. Great guard. And yes I think they have one heck of a percussion section too. They are getting better. It's a top 7 line in DCI. That is GOOD! Percussion is just a tough and very competitive field this year. But I do feel this show has legs. Just about all of the components are there. They are a solid top 4 for sure but I would not be surprised to see them move up. It's a beautiful and entertaining show.
  17. I don't know who Poppycock is but I always enjoyed their posts. Sharp eye and good knowledge about DCI. Very well educated.
  18. Cavaliers intro is one of the things I love about them. Perfect sonority in the brass. The Rutter Gloria in the 2nd section is nice too but I want them to back off on volume and bring out the nuance of that brass line. They have the players. I think the visuals have come a long way. The 3rd section of the show confuses me. But when it leads into the percussion feature all I can do is SMILE. Like holy cow!! Percussion section is an absolute monster. Musically in the brass though I think what they are playing before and after the percussion feature is probably not the best material they could have used for a 75th Anniversary show. Somewhere from West Side Story is nice. This song does not need to peak at such a high volume. I think they can make this more tasty and subtle. They are getting into the diagonal front much better but the build to it out of Somewhere is not really developing. They need the music to seamlessly go from a more subtle ending of Somewhere and build with more development in the theme or a well crafted transition to that front. Overall the corps is really getting a lot better. I think they have way more talent that some may think. Obviously the percussion section is incredible. But they have a brass line that with better musical nuance and perhaps more of a subtle build through Somewhere into the closer could score a lot better. They can articulate well and have excellent tone when they are in control. I keep waiting for this show to pop. I definitely like a LOT of things about it.
  19. DANG Cadets!!! That is one awesome show. I am liking that ending even more today. That will be tough to clean. Big field use, tough drill, and some major brass sustaining and power needed. But I love it! Most of the show felt much cleaner other than the ending. I think there are still some tweaks to be made in this show but for the most part I am not complaining. Good gravy the brass and drums are good.
  20. Fantastic pit and drum set work. Sabre work in the guard was nice too. That is one of the small sections that I feel they need to bring more impact visually.
  21. Their guard is really beginning to communicate. Silks are wonderful in that ballad.
  22. Crowd loved that intro. So effective. Nice Cadets!!
  23. Give me that harmonica any day. Bring the feeling of their theme in a more characteristic way. We're getting plenty of brass.
  24. Love the tuba use in the intro with sound effects and percussion. The whole opening build in their opening section is really well done. They take time to bring you into the feel of their show and it's well done. Percussion seems to have really stepped up. So has guard. This show really uses the entire field. Crowd going nuts for the ballad after the harmonica solo, then again near the end of the trumpet solo when the full corps comes in. Some intonations issues today (pushing very sharp). But in this kind of heat that will happen. Overall that ballad is nicely staged. That last company front is wonderful. Crowd went nuts. Still lots of visual dirt in this show. There is a lot of wonderful GE in this production. Cleaning the visual will help pull this to another level. Brass was also losing some endurance in the last few minutes. Mostly due to heat. Keep it going, Troopers. This is one great show!
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