QUESTION about Hopkins, Blame

[Sexyguardcap]

For those of you in support of the Cadets' narration, I have two questions. Please, those that are anti-narration need not respond. I know how you feel.

1) Did you like it? I'm not asking if you appreciated the "innovation" or the right of the corps to do it, or who is a Cadets fan. I mean, did you like the actual narration? Did you think it was done well? Did you find the content uplifting or entertaining? There are no right or wrong answers... I just want to hear your personal opinions.

I started to love the narration during the west coast run around Ogden, Utah. I thought the narration was very well done. I glad The Cadets didn't find trained voice people. The voice of drum corps is not this monotone trained professional. The voice of drum corps is the voice of youth, young people with all their flaws, striving to become better and grow. The content along with the great visual and audio impact points worked very well. You don't get less than a point from the championship without being great.

2) If you were judging narration, how would you do it? I'm not asking you to guess how DCI is doing it, or how you think they should. I want to hear how you would do it, and how your judging would have affected the scores.

Narration is not on the judges sheets but if it were I would give The Cadets the highest marks. In My Opinion:

The first song/ chapter is like a young persons guide to drum corps as The Cadets introduce different sections of the corps.

The second song/ chapter takes you inside the corps a day at practice, Like the Martha Grahm quote.

The third song takes you on one young mans journey and then the best ending in drum corps this year!

Minus the narration The Cadets show was like pre 2000 drum corps with complex drill moves, crazy solos, company fronts and a kickazz ending.

I'm glad My Devils won but The Cadets had the best show in drum corps this year.

READ ABOVE

I ask that nobody attack any sincere response to these questions (but I know the chances of that...). I honestly want to understand the feelings from both sides of the debate.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Sexyguardcap

[Sexyguardcap]

For those of you in support of the Cadets' narration, I have two questions. Please, those that are anti-narration need not respond. I know how you feel.

1) Did you like it? I'm not asking if you appreciated the "innovation" or the right of the corps to do it, or who is a Cadets fan. I mean, did you like the actual narration? Did you think it was done well? Did you find the content uplifting or entertaining? There are no right or wrong answers... I just want to hear your personal opinions.

I started to love the narration during the west coast run around Ogden, Utah. I thought the narration was very well done. I glad The Cadets didn't find trained voice people. The voice of drum corps is not this monotone trained professional. The voice of drum corps is the voice of youth, young people with all their flaws, striving to become better and grow. The content along with the great visual and audio impact points worked very well. You don't get less than a point from the championship without being great.

2) If you were judging narration, how would you do it? I'm not asking you to guess how DCI is doing it, or how you think they should. I want to hear how you would do it, and how your judging would have affected the scores.

Narration is not on the judges sheets but if it were I would give The Cadets the highest marks. In My Opinion:

The first song/ chapter is like a young persons guide to drum corps as The Cadets introduce different sections of the corps.

The second song/ chapter takes you inside the corps a day at practice, Like the Martha Grahm quote.

The third song takes you on one young mans journey and then the best ending in drum corps this year!

Minus the narration The Cadets show was like pre 2000 drum corps with complex drill moves, crazy solos, company fronts and a kickazz ending.

I'm glad My Devils won but The Cadets had the best show in drum corps this year.

READ ABOVE

I ask that nobody attack any sincere response to these questions (but I know the chances of that...). I honestly want to understand the feelings from both sides of the debate

Edited August 20, 2007 by Sexyguardcap

[George82]

Lol...i was in the corps and i thought we changed it because of her . Oh, and the right foot step off thing...yeah that was just to be different :P

I'm pretty sure the right foot stepoff began in 1985 and had more to do with time signatures in the show. In that show you will also see the advent of the "stop 'n go"

[NVCadet]

I'm pretty sure the right foot stepoff began in 1985 and had more to do with time signatures in the show. In that show you will also see the advent of the "stop 'n go"

yes, it was '85.

[Jamesdrum007]

I'm pretty sure the right foot stepoff began in 1985 and had more to do with time signatures in the show. In that show you will also see the advent of the "stop 'n go"

[/q

George,

If 1985 was their show with Bernstein's Mass, then you are correct about the right foot lead. A brief story about their right foot lead: Each year Ridgewood NJ would sponsor a big July 4th Independence Day parade. They'd pay for many good drum corps to march there, the best of which was always the Cadets. Eric Perriloux was a reknowned, old-school percussion instructor for Reilly and then Skyliners. He lived in Ridgewood and would always judge the parade. Each year the Cadets would NOT win the parade award for best drum corps, because Eric would always intentionally penalize them for being "out-of-step"!! :P

[euponitone]

I'm pretty sure the right foot stepoff began in 1985 and had more to do with time signatures in the show. In that show you will also see the advent of the "stop 'n go"

Well regardless of what time signatures you have, stepping off with either foot would lead to problems. The way I heard it, it was one of the 'sully moments'...you know the one where he changes the technique on the spot without really having a clear idea of why himself. I thought the meters were so strange in 85 that it didnt matter what foot led, which is why it was a good time to change.

[George82]

Jim...

That's a funny story. 1985 was "Jeremiah Symphony", "Make Our Garden Grow", & "Overture to Candide"

[NVCadet]

Well regardless of what time signatures you have, stepping off with either foot would lead to problems. The way I heard it, it was one of the 'sully moments'...you know the one where he changes the technique on the spot without really having a clear idea of why himself. I thought the meters were so strange in 85 that it didnt matter what foot led, which is why it was a good time to change.

The music for Jeremiah Symphony was so far from "normal", with time signatures in 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, 6/8 and everything in between. A set could be 23 counts, 35 counts - anything. Left, right - it didn't matter. Plus, you just did what you were told and didn't question it at the time.

What was weird was going on for retreat and marching next to another corps that was marching "normal", stepping off with the left. You would start to correct yourself, then go "d'oh!" and get back to leading with the right.

[euponitone]

The music for Jeremiah Symphony was so far from "normal", with time signatures in 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, 6/8 and everything in between. A set could be 23 counts, 35 counts - anything. Left, right - it didn't matter. Plus, you just did what you were told and didn't question it at the time.

What was weird was going on for retreat and marching next to another corps that was marching "normal", stepping off with the left. You would start to correct yourself, then go "d'oh!" and get back to leading with the right.

I love watching corps coming on the field for retreat under the cadets cadence...and the try to match the cadets marching.... :P

[Brutus]

For those of you in support of the Cadets' narration, I have two questions. Please, those that are anti-narration need not respond. I know how you feel.

...I started to love the narration during the west coast run around Ogden, Utah. .[/b]

...READ ABOVE

I ask that nobody attack any sincere response to these questions (but I know the chances of that...). I honestly want to understand the feelings from both sides of the debate

1) Did you like it?

GET A SPEECH COACH.

From a technical performance standpoint, the narrators broke every standard guideline of effective speech and communication. Like, "Never emphasize the word 'I' in a sentence. Never make 'I' the operative word." Never point to yourself and say the word I. Avoid a sing-song pattern to spoken text that sounds rehearsed. Use standard techniques to make the text you say sound spontaneous, unrehearsed, and meaningful in the moment. I mean, these are basic, common, intuitive high school speech tournament type rules that were broken, and to disastrous results, technically. The kids sounded canned, and straight from a grade school newscast project. Sorry. So fixable.

THE SHOW OBJECTIVE

What Hopkins said in the DCI broadcast interview was something to the effect of "If you knew these were kids, you would never boo them" and that this year, he wanted a show that brought the humanity and vulnerability of the performers back to the forefront. Well, my God, what happened? The last thing you want performers to say if they're trying to expose their vulnerability and likeability is to literally scream, "This, I believe!" and "we are performers Of God". Sounds to me like Hopkins was angry, and assembled passionate, defensive, inflammatory, hostile text that he later wanted to cover up and label as "vulnerable" and "artistic". Ultimately, that text made these kids sound scorned, angry, posturing and defensive. An unforgiveable gaff. (Okay, forgiveable, and I can't wait to see next year's show because I secretly worship the Cadets, who doesn't?)

WHOSE WORDS ARE THESE?

What is shocking is to think that perhaps this text didn't come from the performer's diaries, but from Hopkins' own hand. That is unthinkable. And that management was able to put these grandstanding, fist-waving words into the kids mouths. (By the way, "I believe in Now!" What does that mean?) And that the words put into their mouths were defensive, posturing, pseudo-philosophical, and totally self-absorbed. And that the kids agreed to say them, and in such an angry, posturing way. (Had they all been hypnotized?) And worse, if these words were taken from the kids' performance diaries, who would think these self-absorbed words were suitable for public display? If you're angry, be angry, but don't disguise it as upbeat performance philosophy.

PEFORMANCE COMMON SENSE

The biggest mistake in the selection of words was that the production began without a likeable, self-effacing, modest introduction. Where was the humor? If Hopkins wanted to develop a show where the kids were really addressing the booing issue, really addressing the audience respect issue, and really trying to develop an honest rapport with the audience, then start with a likeable, modest vernacular. Endear the audience to the performer. For God's sake, don't shout aphorisms. (This text might as well have been drawn from a young Evangelical speaker's convention.) Dangerously self-involved, fist-waving, self-righteous and angry-sounding. So very, very wrong. Again, everyone secretly worships the Cadets, and we can't wait to see what they do next year.

2) How would you judge narration?

I don't have a problem with the narration in this show, other than the choice of words and how they were delivered. hahah. The thing about this show that I thought was disappointing was that it wasn't cleverly designed. If you want a show to do these things a) increase likeability of the performers, B) increase perception of vulnerability of performers and C) reveal what happens behind the scenes, then do it cleverly. It seems so offhanded to give the kids microphones and have them scream about how hard they work and what they believe. Yuck. This whole thing was way too "on the nose."

Genius as he is, could Hopkins be overtired? I think he needs a couple of weeks off. And he needs to spread the artistic burden to keep him and the corps from going off the deep end with their choices. And why were they so in love with this text that it couldn't even be changed, not even slightly tweaked for audience likeability? Unforgiveable. Okay, forgiveable. What's next years show?