Can "On Air" win ?

[PRPhan4ever]

Ok, I have listened to the PEARL video or Regiment, I've listened to two APD's (not just of Phantom) and saw videos of recent rehearsals. My question is this. CAN THEY win a championship with this show?

I mean, there are re-writes abounding in the Brass section, even MORE additions in the PIT - (which is hard to believe -- they hardly stop playing as it is!) These changes can be heard in several areas in the Omaha NE APD's compared to Elizabeth, PA - and even the rehearsal vids had some different harminics, volume adjustments and, a different lead in to "Firebird". Gone is the long contra hold leading into the solo, and in it's place, canonic chimes and pit combine with some subtle horn pitches to lead INTO the solo where before it was JUST contrabases/tubas.

There percussion is smokin', the brass charts are awesome when broken down and listened to individually by section and once combined, give us that deep, rich, passionate PR sound that everyone, and I'm convinced judges too, feel, "That's the way they always sound". What does Regiment have to do to pull even to say "Cadets" & "Devils" or, even "Cavies" who are really overplaying a very rushed show at this point.??

SCV is not far behind, and my secoond fave corps - "Crown" is right there, and in my opinion, almost as good as Phantom at this point. "Bluecoats" are very strong, but I'm not sure how they will strech this show out to grow any more, but then again, not sure where Phantom will go either. I KNOW that thhe ending of 'Firebird' will be changed by finals, as well as probably reworking "Suggestion Diabolique".

If anything, my opinion is the slowness in the evolution of the visual design. It's evident that there will be "something more" in a few weeks, but they are barely breaking 82.00 so far and NEED to do something quickly to maintain being in the upper four. If they don't, then surely "Crown" WILL overtake them.

If you were on Regiments staff, be it brass, percussion, visual etc --- WHAT would YOU be doing to catch up at this point ?

[The Tsar]

Ok, I have listened to the PEARL video or Regiment, I've listened to two APD's (not just of Phantom) and saw videos of recent rehearsals. My question is this. CAN THEY win a championship with this show?

I mean, there are re-writes abounding in the Brass section, even MORE additions in the PIT - (which is hard to believe -- they hardly stop playing as it is!) These changes can be heard in several areas in the Omaha NE APD's compared to Elizabeth, PA - and even the rehearsal vids had some different harminics, volume adjustments and, a different lead in to "Firebird". Gone is the long contra hold leading into the solo, and in it's place, canonic chimes and pit combine with some subtle horn pitches to lead INTO the solo where before it was JUST contrabases/tubas.

There percussion is smokin', the brass charts are awesome when broken down and listened to individually by section and once combined, give us that deep, rich, passionate PR sound that everyone, and I'm convinced judges too, feel, "That's the way they always sound". What does Regiment have to do to pull even to say "Cadets" & "Devils" or, even "Cavies" who are really overplaying a very rushed show at this point.??

SCV is not far behind, and my secoond fave corps - "Crown" is right there, and in my opinion, almost as good as Phantom at this point. "Bluecoats" are very strong, but I'm not sure how they will strech this show out to grow any more, but then again, not sure where Phantom will go either. I KNOW that thhe ending of 'Firebird' will be changed by finals, as well as probably reworking "Suggestion Diabolique".

If anything, my opinion is the slowness in the evolution of the visual design. It's evident that there will be "something more" in a few weeks, but they are barely breaking 82.00 so far and NEED to do something quickly to maintain being in the upper four. If they don't, then surely "Crown" WILL overtake them.

If you were on Regiments staff, be it brass, percussion, visual etc --- WHAT would YOU be doing to catch up at this point ?

To be fair to them, they got rained out at one show. They've been around 5.5 ahead of Blue Knights, if that trend maintained itself on the night that they got rained out, they would have scored an 83 already. I would imagine we will see an 84 or 85 from them in the next show or two.

[jthomas666]

If anything, my opinion is the slowness in the evolution of the visual design. It's evident that there will be "something more" in a few weeks, but they are barely breaking 82.00 so far and NEED to do something quickly to maintain being in the upper four. If they don't, then surely "Crown" WILL overtake them.

If you were on Regiments staff, be it brass, percussion, visual etc --- WHAT would YOU be doing to catch up at this point ?

Well, since we all know that the only way to win is to play lots of notes and march really really fast, I'd replace the Firebird with Flight of the Bumblebee.

I haven't had a chance to see the show, but based on everything I've heard, On Air is one of the more challenging shows Phantom has done in a while. The biggest danger is, I think, Phantom's tendency to ramp things up at the very end of the season--at that point it may be more difficult to overcome the momentum built up by other corps. Also, they've not been competing regularly with the top corps--perhaps they need the head to head competition to kick things up to the next level.

Oh, and if they can figure out how the make a guard member fly, that might not be a bad idea, either. :angel:

Edited July 6, 2007 by jthomas666

[PeeWee]

Phantom Regiment, just like many other corps, is working on their "achilles heel" with design staff each season.

They've always had the horns. Now they've got the guard (Adam Sage and crew) and drums.

Although I haven't seen them yet this season, I'd say they've probably got one more design/caption head problem - drill! It really hits in the G.E. and visual performance captions.

Cavaliers are spreading the wealth with ex-Cavie members and staff now working with Vanguard and Bluecoats. Perhaps Phantom needs to pick-up a Cavies guy or two as well.

Edited July 6, 2007 by PeeWee

[LaSqueegee]

Phantom Regiment, just like many other corps, is working on their "achilles heel" with design staff each season.

They've always had the horns. Now they've got the guard (Adam Sage and crew) and drums.

Although I haven't seen them yet this season, I'd say they've probably got one more design/caption head problem - drill! It really hits in the G.E. and visual performance captions.

Cavaliers are spreading the wealth with ex-Cavie members and staff now working with Vanguard and Bluecoats. Perhaps Phantom needs to pick-up a Cavies guy or two as well.

Michael Gaines.....meet the Phantom hornline!!!

[rut-roh]

Phantom Regiment, just like many other corps, is working on their "achilles heel" with design staff each season.

They've always had the horns. Now they've got the guard (Adam Sage and crew) and drums.

Although I haven't seen them yet this season, I'd say they've probably got one more design/caption head problem - drill! It really hits in the G.E. and visual performance captions.

Cavaliers are spreading the wealth with ex-Cavie members and staff now working with Vanguard and Bluecoats. Perhaps Phantom needs to pick-up a Cavies guy or two as well.

Though it should be noted that they won the General Effect Visual caption at finals last year. It's early, folks.

[The Tsar]

Phantom Regiment, just like many other corps, is working on their "achilles heel" with design staff each season.

They've always had the horns. Now they've got the guard (Adam Sage and crew) and drums.

Although I haven't seen them yet this season, I'd say they've probably got one more design/caption head problem - drill! It really hits in the G.E. and visual performance captions.

Cavaliers are spreading the wealth with ex-Cavie members and staff now working with Vanguard and Bluecoats. Perhaps Phantom needs to pick-up a Cavies guy or two as well.

They HAVE picked up a Cavie guy....Jamey Thompson is an alumnus of Cavaliers.

For the life of me, I don't know why his designs get so much guff...I think it is very good stuff that compliments the musical book very well. This is NOT A SLAM, but the simple fact is that Regiment does not play music arranged in the manner of the music of -say- Cavaliers or Blue Devils. Therefore, I imagine that it is a very difficult thing to come up with 4- and 8-count moves when the musical phrases are fleshed out longer than that. That's just the style that Regiment seems to go for, it is neither right or wrong, and I am making no value judgments here. It is what it is.

I thought the 2005 drill was pretty good stuff for Regiment...they had just had a so-so drill package in 2004, and I thought that 2005 was just the right amount of challenge for them at the time. Last year's drill gets a lot of crap (again, I don't know why), I thought it was very well-written and well-performed. The maltese cross, the angel wings, the church foundations being shaken, the rings, etc, I thought it all worked very well. Frankly, I thought it was much better than Blue Devils' drill (my opinion only). The only thing I can recall from BD is cross after cross after cross (this doesn't mean it was bad, by the way...I thought BD's drill was much better last year than it has been in quite some time).

I've said it before, and I will say it again: If the choices are between A) sacrificing the music in order to have 4- and 8-count/ 200-page drills that are "cool" to today's visually-oriented drum corps crowd and B ) staying the course, then I'm all for staying the course, even if it means that they never win another title. I love the Phantom Regiment. I love their products most every year (with a few exceptions). And I am a fan of Jamey's writing. I have a feeling that most of what you're seeing now is a stigma, a remnant from the years when Regiment had bad visual packages.

Oh well. I still love 'em. Sue me.

Edited July 6, 2007 by The Tsar

[stockman365]

I have a feeling that most of what you're seeing now is a stigma, a remnant from the years when Regiment had bad visual packages.

Oh well. I still love 'em. Sue me.

w/Stp:

[Meaghatron]

They HAVE picked up a Cavie guy....Jamey Thompson is an alumnus of Cavaliers.

For the life of me, I don't know why his designs get so much guff...I think it is very good stuff that compliments the musical book very well. This is NOT A SLAM, but the simple fact is that Regiment does not play music arranged in the manner of the music of -say- Cavaliers or Blue Devils. Therefore, I imagine that it is a very difficult thing to come up with 4- and 8-count moves when the musical phrases are fleshed out longer than that. That's just the style that Regiment seems to go for, it is neither right or wrong, and I am making no value judgments here. It is what it is.

I thought the 2005 drill was pretty good stuff for Regiment...they had just had a so-so drill package in 2004, and I thought that 2005 was just the right amount of challenge for them at the time. Last year's drill gets a lot of crap (again, I don't know why), I thought it was very well-written and well-performed. The maltese cross, the angel wings, the church foundations being shaken, the rings, etc, I thought it all worked very well. Frankly, I thought it was much better than Blue Devils' drill (my opinion only). The only thing I can recall from BD is cross after cross after cross (this doesn't mean it was bad, by the way...I thought BD's drill was much better last year than it has been in quite some time).

I've said it before, and I will say it again: If the choices are between A) sacrificing the music in order to have 4- and 8-count/ 200-page drills that are "cool" to today's visually-oriented drum corps crowd and B ) staying the course, then I'm all for staying the course, even if it means that they never win another title. I love the Phantom Regiment. I love their products most every year (with a few exceptions). And I am a fan of Jamey's writing. I have a feeling that most of what you're seeing now is a stigma, a remnant from the years when Regiment had bad visual packages.

Oh well. I still love 'em. Sue me.

I enjoyed Phantom Regiment's visual program last year. The Pentagram set was probably one of my favorite combined visual/music moments last year. I didn't enjoy some of their transitional sets, but for the most part, I thought they had a great visual year.

As much as I enjoy The Cavaliers visual program, I would not want that duplicated throughout every corps. Like you said, Phantom's musical package would not go well with 4/8 count sets. I hope Phantom Regiment continues on their current track with their visual program. I cannot wait until I see them live in Atlanta. :)

[PRAng]

Cavaliers are spreading the wealth with ex-Cavie members and staff now working with Vanguard and Bluecoats. Perhaps Phantom needs to pick-up a Cavies guy or two as well.

Jamey Thompson, PR's current visual designer/drill writer IS, in fact, an ex-Cavie. But I would agree that his drill is not all that well-written initially....... Staging is a problem in the early season and often the hornline is working harder rather than working smarter and not getting the impact from their movement. It takes most of the summer and a collaborative effort by a number of people, namely Tony Hall, to create the final product.