"Open Source" returns for Cadets in 2008

[2000Cadet]

If I was going to do a concept like the "Declaration of Independence", you look at it from two angles:

1. either a literal interpretation (some patriotic/ American tunes by Bocook arranged in a nice manner, with attendant "serious" voice over work quotes from Jefferson, Franklin, etc) or

2. one that takes creative license.

This being a creative artform, I'll go with the latter.

Let's take it in a direction much like "This I Believe"....what the concept of the Declaration of Independence means to us now, and what it has throughout history.

This can be done by incorporating several American composers and playing a musical American "history lesson".

I. Preshow "America The Beautiful" with small brass choir with tradtional honor guard...trite? Maybe. Then again, what better to set a mood?

II. to opening, based on themes from "Chester/Dormant"...or other Billings works... "David's Lamenation", even. Crib from Star's 1992 "Chester" a little bit.

III. end opener to backfield overlay of the solo trumpet main theme of the "Glory" soundtrack, along with field snare...to:

Want to get people on board with vocals? Use a small choir and play the main theme of "Glory" as your ballad. Emotionally powerful, and creates more of the "symphonic timeline" idea I'm going for here. :)

IV. to production piece, based in part on William Grant Still's "African American Symphony"...blues based, intricate...Bocook can make this a "Blue Shades" type romp...outro this movement with spurts from Charles Ives "Central Park In The Dark": two disparate voices, both uniquely American and "independent".

...not sure how to close it yet, or for guard concepts and staging....but it's a start, and would definitely be something with enough old and new to appeal to a big cross-section of fans.

Then again, I didn't major in music...so what do I know? :P

Wow, that's a GREAT idea!!!

[bawker]

ives is an excellent idea for a "declaration of independence" - they could do the segment of three new england pieces that was meant to simulate two marching bands passing one another playing different music at different tempi (itself an orchestral recreation of an experiment ives' father performed in their hometown in connecticut).

couple ives' uncompromising dissonance with some real formal innovation in the visual program and the musical-visual relationship and you could have a show as groundbreaking as star 93, but given the cadets' recent trend in show design, it'll probably end up as a cheesy affirmation of bland americana. I can already hear the triumphant swells accompanying "we hold these truths to be self-evident..." maybe have a black guard member do a dance solo for extra ge points. oh, and soldiers and fireworks and apple pie!

YES!

Thank you for jogging my memory on "New England Pieces", I was trying to think of that to put into the closer as a segue from "Central Park".

...and, you're right...it has the danger of going waaaaaay into Velveeta land with quotes if they do end up doing a "Declaration" theme. The challenge is to take this above all the easy jingoism and chest-thumping and make it truly a piece of American art, as much as drum corps itself is uniquely American art.

Creating something that plays loud, plays well and puts convention on its ear...it'd be fun to see. :)

[bawker]

Wow, that's a GREAT idea!!!

Thanks. :)

If you see Hop this season, pass it along. :P

I'd pee my pants to see Cadets take some of it and run with it.

[MikeD]

From the Hop Blog:

So, it's back next year...but this time Hop looks like he will come up with a general theme, and ask you for input.

Still pretty cool, though.

What about that "Declaration Of Independence" show idea? How could that work?

See....Garfield Cadets 1971...the Revolutionary War show. :P

Opening set:

Yankee Doodle:

Peace sign/color pre:

Closer, Profiles in Courage:

OK....the show is done. I win. :P

[bawker]

OK....the show is done. I win. :P

:lolhit:

[katysand]

92 Star? :P

Actually... have any of you seen 1776? The musical/movie, starring Mr. Feeney as John Adams?

I have seen it many times. I can see a cool guard feature to "Mollassass to Rum to Slaves" song! I love that song and the passion in it.

[drumcat]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&saf...amp;btnG=Search

[Harmonious Cacophony]

When I saw this thread, I immediately thought of two songs, both on a West Point Concert Band CD -> http://www.usma.edu/band/recordings/vol_4.htm

In a Cause Called “Glorious” by Steve Melillo and Overture 1776 by Thomas Duffy. In a Cause Called "Glorious" is perfect for a drum corps closer, and tough enough for a top-notch corps like the Cadets. I didn't read the middle pages of this thread, so I'm not sure if these have been mentioned before or not.

When I think of the Declaration of Independence, I get the mental image of Thomas Jefferson and a group of old men in wigs giving King George the finger. I think the show could be a representation of the events leading up to publication of the DOI, a show about "sticking it to the man" that uses the DOI as the prime example, a show about revolution, or many other great themes.

I would like to see a DOI show that starts off in chaos, has a ballad about unity, and a closer about hope. There are tons of ways the Declaration can be used to make a great show.

[Huntington Mallets]

Uh oh I like this

Might be a chance for me to get more dvds ^OO^

[thx3838]

From the Hop Blog:

So, it's back next year...but this time Hop looks like he will come up with a general theme, and ask you for input.

Still pretty cool, though.

What about that "Declaration Of Independence" show idea? How could that work?

I think the declaration idea works great, its an awesome show idea. Especially when West johnston High school did it at boa last year! It was one of the best programmed ideas last year! Does hoppy go to boa to get ideas?? it looks like there are strains of kennesaw mt. high school 2 years ago, in this years cadets show! alot actually!

personally i will laugh if the cadets did a decleration show as it was just done and done well i might add, best props at boa!! not to mention the band marches justlike cadets and have cadet uniforms, and the band director at west johnston has been the tour director for cadets for a while now..... interesting.......