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BlooooContra

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    What other musical artist/group should the Bluecoats cover?

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BlooooContra

    1 hour ago, Elmo Blatch said:

    I'll play along. 

    The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire 

    Cosmic Girl by Jamiroquai

    Watcher of the Skies by Genesis

    Rehab by Amy Winehouse

    Temporary Secretary by Paul McCartney

    Smile on You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd 

    Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

     

     

    First of all, you and I have eerily similar taste in music. Foxtrot, Traveling Without Moving and Back to Black are all killer records. 

    I’ve heard Doug arrange Muse for my band down here in TX and let’s just say that it was a beautiful, beautiful thing that resulted in a 4A beating quite a few 5 and 6A groups. 

    • Like 1

    All time shows: Bluecoats

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    1. 2015 - Kinetic Noise
    My hands-down favorite show of all time. It has everything I could ever want. It makes me bob my head. The ballad is gorgeous. There's a stereo contra feature. I'm sold. 

    2. 2005 - Caravan
    Loved the music. Really fun concept that married the version 1.0 Bluecoats with Blood 2.0. Right show. Right year. 

    3. 2017 - Jagged Line
    Lots of attitude in the visual program. Though I usually FF through the ballad, Psychopomp and Zomby Woof are 2 of my favorite arrangements anyone has ever done. If anyone out there hasn't listened to the Thank You Scientist album that Psychopomp comes from, check it. One of my favorite current bands, and a potential killer source of more field material in the future for some groups. 

    4. 2016 - Downside Up
    I'll never forget seeing this live for the first time in spring training and thinking how the entire activity was about to change forever. The last 30 seconds of this might be my favorite 30 seconds ever in a show. These guys came out every night like a cross between rock stars and super heroes. If I could get a time machine and march any show ever, this is it. 

    5. 2001 - Latin Sketches
    The winter camp where the corps read through Red Cape Tango for the first time was the moment the corps shifted for good. Guard choreo. in the ballad was gorgeous. 

     

    Honorable mentions:
    1999 - The Music of Chick Corea (got me hooked with Armando's Rhumba)
    2008 - The Knockout (ballad and closer... YES)
    1998 - Four Seasons of Jazz (gratuitous screaming and maybe the Autumn Leaves that's aged the best)
    1986 - untitled (Hungarian Dance no. 5... only jazz? Really fun to listen to)
    2000 - Threshold (because I'm definitely gonna end this list on a biased note. Also, the closer w/ duet)

    • Like 4

    Blue Stars Switch to Yamaha Brass and Percussion in 2016

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BlooooContra

    Irresponsibly heavy?

    The weight and balance of the Jupiters is... let's say not super conducive to promoting physiological wellness in drum corps in 2015. In the spirit of being civil, that's about as far as I'll publicly go in terms of expressing thoughts on Jupiter tubas. :) Glad the Blue Stars switched, and I can see already on Facebook that the members are thrilled. Big win for the kids.

    DCI not on Itunes? WHY!?

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BlooooContra

    What new licensing agreements would have to be met when DCI already reproduces the audio and sells it in the form of CD's?

    This was a small part of a laaaarge discussion within our alumni group. I don't post much these days, but let's see if this will help a bit.

    The long-ish answer: licensing is infinitely more complex than that. What DCI already reproduces doesn't affect anything other than what DCI already produces. The contracts each individual corps drew up initially with the composers of ever. single. piece. has specific language regarding permissions to arrange, mechanical licenses, synchronization licenses, etc. etc. etc. To add another marketplace of distribution into the mix would be absolute chaos. I can't overstate this enough.

    The short answer: Donald S. Passman wrote a fantastic, easy-to-understand book on the ins and outs of the music business that's very cheap on Amazon right now. It's a fantastic read, and is one of the books they use in the Music Business MBA concentration at Belmont University. It will explain far better, and in far more detail, than I can on a simple forum without going into full-on dissertation mode.

    Hope this helps at least a little!

    • Like 1

    Designer Deliberations 2014

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Please, can we stop with the horribly un-funny/witty puns? My brain hurts...

    Interesting topic, though. :) Considering how story-heavy the activity went for a while, maybe the scales will shift again. It would be fun to see a quantitative analysis of the top 12/17 from 2000 to present in terms of concept vs. story design paradigms, particularly if there's a distant correlation to placement.

    Crossmen Visual Design

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    WOW, Thanks for the input guys.

    Question for BlooooContra; How does one get started in drill writing? Do you reccomend any free programs to practice on? (besides MicroMarchingLeague).

    Teach a band and get the gig. The rest is generally word of mouth. I got my first gig in '03 by offering to do it for a band I taught, writing on the super-cheap. Since many schools have people from elsewhere writing, having someone in-house seems to be helpful, especially for mid-season tweaks.

    Though the new Envision software looks interesting, I would recommend just ponying up and buying Pyware if you really want to write. Their forums are also a really great resource with no shortage of helpful people who will happily help you out along the way with learning the software.

    Crossmen Visual Design

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Is it really a matter of having the money to have Michael Gaines write the drill? And if so, how much would that cost (approximately)? I can't imagine drill writers getting any more than $500, but if I'm wrong, someone please tell me, I'd really like to know.

    If drill writers only got $500, I'd be homeless. :)

    $3,500 isn't unheard of for solid competitive high schools. For a sometimes-finalist unit, it's likely a nicer payday than $500.

    Let's pretend this happened.....what do you think would happen in

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Here's what would happen: the audience would applaud, just like any other show. The kids would exit the field tired and elated. The world would still be an ok place.

    Maybe a few musically trained people would notice a sacrifice in tone quality. Look at how far brass pedagogy in the marching arena has come in the last 30 years. Winning corps from back then sound like chainsaws compared to many of the middle-of-the-pack corps today. To compare the tone of the 2013 Troopers to that of their hayday is ludicrous. I'm sure the modern kids could play that loud, too, if they ignored what their current brass staff said about sound production. :)

    The biggest surprise of a corps marching G bugles in 2014 would be the time paradox, since someone would have clearly figured out a way to gun their Delorian to 88mph. Gs are dead and will be forever. When can we let this kind of topic be equally as dead?

    Full disclosure--I marched multiple years on G and multiple years on 2 different kinds of Bb. You couldn't pay me enough to ever marching one of those god-foresaken G contras ever again. **shudders**

    • Like 3

    Blue Devils 2013

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Have you heard the arrangement they're pulling from? Despite not liking BD in 2010 or 2012, I'm excited for this one. Very, very hip take on Rite of Spring. Lends itself well to darker, jazzier interpretations. Check out the source version if you get the chance. What did you think about The Academy last year?

    As for SNL, they were taking crazy musical risks during Lorne Michaels' first five years with the original cast. Go back and re-watch those seasons (not to mention some crazy risks in terms of structural formatting). The Jean Doumanian era was the real disaster. :smile:

    Cadets 2013 Show announcement

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    I just about had a heart attack when I read this. lol

    In 2003, I was arranging music for a smaller BOA band in Ohio (who finally made semis this year, woohoo!). The concept we had for 2004 was a show called "Duality." The source music? Barber 1... Adagio for Strings... and freaking Medea.

    The show, unfortunately, never came to fruition and the band went in a different conceptual direction, but I've always wanted to put this on the field. Now, if I try to finally bring it together, it will be a Cadets knock-off!

    Ah well. :) I'm usually not a Cadets fan, but I can't WAIT to see this production. Massive credit to George Hopkins and the behind-the-scenes looks he (and the organization) are always giving the public. I have a good feeling that this will be one of those rare seasons where I'm a big Cadets fan.

    • Like 2
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