Rochester Review

[TheMoonlightChef]

As the voted crowd favorite last year, I'll take the crowd response.

[wishbonecav]

When it comes to Brigadier nation, I have upset the apple cart. Since I appreciate esprit de corps, I will not memorialize in writing some of the private replies I have recieved Since the rhetoric has calmed down, I have been asked to clarify a comment or two (thanks for asking). I figure "why not" so here goes!!

After the ballad, the emphasis in the brass is on several attack-release segments. There is a high degree of difficulty here and through the close of the show(this is what I meant when I said the ensemble demand is extreme).

There are gaps in the horn chart that allow the percussion to make an exposed contribution. Unfortunately, this is where the perc chart gets awfully thin. This is a section that allows for snare-tenor-base vignettes, as opposed to snare feature / tom feature / bass feature. But the lack of impact (no read-able bass unisons for example) combined with front to back parts that didn't line up from a performance standpoint (phasing) and you have a section that simply falls flat. Like I said, the execution is paramount to generating the proper emotion. And the writing has to be more than heavy note playing and a bang at the end. It almost seemed as if they couldnt wait to get to the end of the phrase.

Dynamically, the horns need to play much louder but would likely sacrifice even more control so,, from a performance standpoint, that is a death spiral. No one said it was EASY!! And the battery, purely from a quality of sound standpoint, sounds awfully muddled. You can crank on those things all day in the sun, but the depth of sound that reaches the box comes from a lower pitch.

Important point: Impression is part and parcel of the GE score and performance boxes, so we have to be cognizant of that. Intention (and I know there are capable writers and techs on staff and we all "do our best") is not something one can interpret in a musical performance. The audience, unlike the judges in July, give credit for delivery, not degree of difficulty or "intent". With the audience it's "what did you give me?" And if I liked it, I'll give you something back. They don't care about rewritten drill, holes in the voicing or esoteric musicality. If the audience member gets to see ONE show all summer, they demand delivery THAT NIGHT in order to be satisfied.

Edited July 9, 2007 by wishbonecav

[Gary Matczak]

PS: Fire extinguishers work every time, and that is a proven fact!

I love that old gag,....................wouldn't be as cool if someone grabbed the wrong one and covered everyone with powder,........................

[Cabsleadbari79]

Wishbonecav

Thank you very much for the review it was clear and concise and very well written, if one can’t take criticism they need to find another activity to be involved in. All of the corps are working very hard to put out the best possible show for the fans and the judges. And as they say anything can happen on any given Saturday or Sunday.

To clear up one observation regarding “Carmen” We are playing music from Carmen. It’s not reasonable to think any corps with 10 minutes to perform could tell a story that needed 2 and half plus hours to develop on stage.

Thanks again I hope you get a chance to see the shows progress during the season.

Please keep witting your reviews you are very knowledgeable with great recall, I have problems remembering what I had for breakfast.

[stansea]

THANKS for the review!! It's your opinion and I respect the fact you have one and shared it with all your readers.

Has anyone seen Minnestota Brass this year? I noticed they slipped past the Cabs to take the #2 spot on this week's scores survey:

1. Bucs

2. MBI

3. Cabs

If anyone has an opinion on the 2007 edition of MBI, it would be great to hear it. Won't get to see them at all this season, unfortunately.

[VOReason]

Here's an idea...let's turn the DCA's into a "clap" show...judges (slotters if you will) can rank the corps with adjectives...Superior, Excellent, Very Good and Good. Everyone will get a participation trophy and enjoy a giant group hug on retreat!!

[Cabsleadbari79]

I looked at DCA website and they do not have MBI listed in a DCA show yet this year. Not sure what sheets they were judged on and if the judges were DCA approved. So scoring could be off a bit.

MBI always puts a nice show on the field, it’s just hard to match them up with the other DCA corps until they compete against them. The first time they compete against DCA corps will be July 28th is Salem Ohio.

[cmguard87]

This is all IMO.....

Empire - not as thrilling as I expected, but the most entertaining of the night. A couple of 'dead spots', but overall a nice show. M&M needs a lot of work, and the drill is not exciting at all. Guard is the sloppiest I've ever seen this corp, surprised here!! "Taps", although a nice Ferguson tune, is not good for this show.....this was a 'dead' spot. Then the show ends so abrubtly with the best charts of the night. A big powerful ending would be great here to get the crowd. Most were surprised that , that was the end of the show. Come-on guys, give the crowd a reason to stand up and scream.

Should have been 1st but close with Cabs, not that rediculous spread. The spread should have been between 2nd and 3rd. THAT was way too close.

guard is very young this year, but we are improving a lot every weekend!! thanks for your thoughts we are having a lot of fun with the show and its nice to be with a group who works extremely hard!!!... hopefully next time you see us you will like it even more :-)

[FPonzo]

Frank and Curt are soloing in the Alumni corps with Jimmy on the podium. We miss them all, too, but we have Michael "Gordito" Ferriera (Act I), Mike Celia (Processional Call & Toreador March in Act V), and Jose Oliva (trumpet solo in the end of Act IV and the Bull Call in Act V) as our trumpet soloists this year, and they are all doing an amazing job.

I don't think we 'really need' Curt and Frank, and they would be the first guys to tell you that passing the soloing torch to new talent is a Caballero tradition. Gordito has been soloing for Cabs since 2001, and this is the first year for both Mike and Jose.

I'll say it again, these three guys are upholding a great Caballero tradition and are playing and marching extremely well.

Wellsaid Laura, and I'll back you up 100% on your statements. Gordito, Jose, and Mike are ALL doing outstanding jobs, and are making us alumni VERY proud of them. ^OO^

Oh......and your not too bad yourself there Laura......you have come a LONG way in your playing, and your solo this year is nothing short of BEAUTIFUL!!!

Thank you to all the fine soloist of the 2007 Hawthorne Caballeros. Tradition means EVERYTHING to us, and you are ALL doing a GREAT job!!

[John H]

I looked at DCA website and they do not have MBI listed in a DCA show yet this year. Not sure what sheets they were judged on and if the judges were DCA approved. So scoring could be off a bit.

MBI always puts a nice show on the field, it’s just hard to match them up with the other DCA corps until they compete against them. The first time they compete against DCA corps will be July 28th is Salem Ohio.

We are judged on DCA sheets in all of our shows this year. Our hunch is that the reason(at least for us in MN and WI) all the all-age corps go on first is so the judges can use one set of sheets, then switch to the DCI sheets for the rest of the corps, instead of trying to switch back and forth during a show.

And you are completely right, our numbers are sure fun to look at right now! But we've been dealing with the 'numbers' question for a looooong time. As our caption head says: arbitrary, arbitrary, arbitrary. We've gotten some real quality judging feedback, but the number is just floating out there in space.

Can't wait for Salem!