Crown Narration: Take II

[SF2K4]

I am basically the latter. I don't think it 'needs' any one thing, but I do think that having no limits on instrumentation would be the best way to go.

See, I can see where you're coming from there. I don't see any reason to push for narration or woodwinds for the sake of... having them. However, wanting to give more creative freedom to the corps seems like a good idea... one is not supposed to limit art. :P :)

[Gator Eagle]

I AM OLD SCHOOL

Hate vocals

Hate amps

And concede to riding the short bus

But thats my right baby

[Gator Eagle]

I AM OLD SCHOOL

Hate vocals

Hate amps

And concede to riding the short bus

But thats my right baby

And my wife and I have $$$ to spend

[Gator Eagle]

And my wife and I have $$$ to spend

And Alabama is still scared of Troy and UAB.

[Gator Eagle]

And Alabama is still scared of Troy and UAB.

And UNA for that matter. Don't be scared to play them in baseball, BTW. Coach Lane may even give you a 2 run lead up in T'Looser

[euponitone]

its funny cuz noone cares about this thread right now

[Davy1dave]

So, for some reason, people can't seem to understand this, but let me reiterate.

It doesn't matter the extent of the narration. It doesn't matter the length, the quality, or the content. One sentence of well done, subtle narration is EXACTLY AS BAD as an entire show of poorly done, loud, overbearing narration. In fact, in many cases, a bit of narration is much WORSE than a lot of it. Why? Because it's that much easier for the show to work without it, and it was not designed around it. What's extremely tragic in this case is that they were performing the show without narration for THE WHOLE SEASON. Once a show has narration, that's it. I don't care how good the rest of the show is. A drum corps show isn't a collection of notes and features and drill that I can pick and choose what to like. It's a drum corps show, much like a movie is a movie or a book is a book. Either it's good, or it's not. Either it has narration, or it doesn't.

Would you make this same argument in 1983 about the z-pull (Drill should only be symetrical) or 93 about Medea (How dare they march with no music playing or move their hands around)? To blatlantly to say it's not a corps show if they have narration is about the most narrow-minded, snobbish thing someone can say about this art form. You know, why don't we just go back to high steps, marching tympani, and the tick system for judging.

How dare we say what is or what isn't corps? How about we sit back and keep our minds open to the possibilities of the unknown. Bigotry is defined as the stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. I know it seems silly to use such a word describing Narration, but is it not the best way to describe the attitudes we hear about this? If you don't like the show after it's played, fine. But don't shut your eyes and ears to the possiblity of doing something outside the norm because that wasn't the way you want it to be.

[skewerz]

come on hrothgar, thats such a closed minded way of thinking, let it be what it is, by saying you only want to like the latter. your denying yourself to be affected, by anything other than what you have set as a standard of what YOU want.and then you push those opinions on others. as if its the only way to think.

what if i said" i only like paintings that use primary colors? "and you made a beautiful painting with, lavender, bronze and lets say ...cranberry, would it make sence for me to say..."that is not a good painting, it doesnt use just primary colors and no one else should think so either?"

if that is the way you think, you should be making your opinions known at www.northkoreadrumcorps.com im sure there would be strict rules against, doing anything other than what the dictatorship warrents.

actually, saying someone is closed minded is in reality being close minded yourself. Drum corps have the right to use narration, and use it, whether everyone likes it or not. Hroth doesn't like narration, and he has the right to tell everyone he doesn't, whether you like it or not. I actually share his opinion on narration, but I don't go to the vocal (typed) extremes he does to let everyone know about it.

You say, in your own way, using simile, that it's only Hrothgar that wants narration done away with. Poll after poll on this site has shown that more people dislike narration than like it. ( yeah yeah, dcp'ers aren't the whole fan base, blah blah) If you go over to the reviews section, those giving reviews on Cadets shows are overwhelmingly against Cadets narration...(yeah yeah...all those giving reviews are Cadets haters...uh huh...sure they are) I'll even say the largest percentage of people don't care one way or another whether there is narration or not, because, even if they don't really like it all that much, they have the ability to "block it out" and enjoy the rest of the show.

I get the strong feeling that Hrothgar is a "musical purist*". I would put myself in that category. The most important thing, by far, is the music. The marching is nice, and the color guard is nice, but it's the MUSIC that is his passion...and I'd have to put myself right there, too. Drum corps MUSIC is the thing that raises the goosebumps on our arms...makes our minds salivate with anticipation every time a marching corps hits a company front... I'd rather hear Phantom doing a standstill with no narration, then listen to the Cadets with narration. We CAN'T block out the narration...It's just how we are. Don't you think that if we could block it out, we would? Do you think we enjoy not liking an obviously incredible show? For 20 years, Garfield was my favorite corps. Their playing was (still is) incredible. Their marching skills are second to none, and equaled by few. Their guardwork has been and is still amazing...what changed??? Narration...

There is no other place to get that drum corps sound from except, well, drum corps. When they went from G to Bb, the sound changed...not much, but it changed. I don't think Hroth was around before that change, but I was. The overtones are completely different, and the volume is a little different (next year's 150 members will change that, I'm guessing) I accepted the change because of the educational issues with younger players, etc. It still SOUNDED like drum corps. Then, they added amp'd pits and narration. Amps made it possible for corps to use less equipment, while maintaining the same volume, and actually making changes in volume more available, thereby allowing the corps to have smaller pits, and actually spend less money...but, that also allowed corps to add more instruments into the pits...whether this is a good thing, I still haven't decided yet. And then there is abortion topic of drum corps...narration. To those that place themselves in the drum corps "musical purist" category, narration is anathema. To the drum corps "musical purist", the spoken word shouldn't exist. Drum corps is about horns and percussion, with some hot marching and pretty guardwork in the background. Drum corps is about a group of very talented kids that can do something a lot of those in the stands can't...playing beautiful music. Anyone can regurgitate trite, sophmoric phrases into a microphone. The difference in skill between their playing and talking is about the same as if Paul Potts was singing Nessun Dorma on Britain's Got Talent, and halfway through his performance, a kid came out scratching under his arms making monkey sounds...Maybe if the Cadets narration wasn't so blatantly condescending (and overwhelmingly cornucopian) it wouldn't get the reaction it's been getting all year. I haven't seen the addition to the Crown show yet, but from the sound of it, it's done sparingly, comically, and tactfully, and the Bluecoats use of narration this year is done the same way.

Innovation is all well and good. The Merriam-Webster online has this definition of innovation...1 : the introduction of something new 2 : a new idea, method, or device. This doesn't mean, however, that something new is necessarily innovative. Something new just for the sake of being new isn't innovative...it's altering. Two thirds of the definition is a new idea or new method. Sadly, innovation lately in drum corps has been about the other third...a new device. That's what narration is. It's not ground breaking...bands have been doing it for years. In extreme circumstances, it's a crutch. (yeah, I said it...a crutch) There has been argument on this all year. Face facts...a musical show was designed around talking. There's no way around that. Instead of thinking of a truly innovative way to show us what they believe, they instead decided to take a shortcut (yup, I said it..shortcut) and TELL us what they believe. Anyone can walk up to you on the street and tell you what they believe, but only a very few, incredibly talented people can actually SHOW you what they believe.

You stand there in judgement of another person's passions...you belittle his passions, while exonerating yours. You can either enjoy the narration, or block it out. I'm actually happy for you. I wish I could do that..I really do. Alas, I can't, and a lot of others can't block it out, either. It's not about close-mindedness...(wheee...close-mindedness..a new word!!) it's about passion. I am thankful that Hrothgar has such a great passion for music. I am thankful that you have your passion for music. Without passion, what are we?

* - "musical purist" that's my definition, anyway, in this context.

Edited August 5, 2007 by skewerz

[horndevil]

everytime i see "n-word" used in this forum, i get mildly offended and very confused...

then i realize what being spoken of

HOLY NAME!!!!

[AFcorpsvette]

actually, saying someone is closed minded is in reality being close minded yourself.

Not if the person who is being called closed minded really is closed minded. Otherwise what is anyone to do but sit there and look at each other with a half cross eyed look because they are too worried about comments like that.