Einstein On The Beach Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I think a corps should do an original show based on the poems of Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, with 3 different female narrators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouthpiece1234 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Having been in shows with and without narration and seeing that I've a good amount of years left... I don't really mind narration anymore. Honestly I really didn't like it in the beginning but when you rehearse with it for 50 billion hours everyday it becomes a natural innate part of your programming/rehearsal/performance. Yes it becomes natural. Whether it's one line like in 06 BD or a crapload like 07 Cadets, I'm sure it'll be fine. You get used to it (as a member of course). When the mic's don't work and you run the show without narration, it feels as though something is missing. -Side Note- Personally I feel that the biggest difference between Drum Corps and Marching Band is the work ethic and high quality execution, and the ridiculous amount of hours that you put into it. You define what drum corps is. For an audience member to say, "That isn't drum corps", it really is an empty word because they do not undergo this first hand experience of placing blood sweat and tears... every...single... day...rain...or blazing sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einstein On The Beach Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I agree, it's pretty easy for an audience member to talk crap when they can just sit there, watch and critique while sipping their wine cooler. Drum corps is a lot more complex than "loud obnoxious all brass all percussion all guard blahblahblah". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Audience members are just as much a part of the activity as the marching members are. So my opinions about what is and is not drum corps are empty simply because I'm speaking as an audience member? Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einstein On The Beach Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 That's a thin line for me. On one hand, I could care less what the audience thinks, on the other hand I still want to connect with people. I mean, if you don't connect with people on some level you've pretty much completely failed as an artist. But I don't see how narration itself (as a concept) doesn't connect with people I mean that's kust silly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouthpiece1234 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Audience members are just as much a part of the activity as the marching members are. So my opinions about what is and is not drum corps are empty simply because I'm speaking as an audience member? Really? No that's not what I said. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But opinions like that saying what is and what isn't drum corps, that's where it kind of draws a line from a member's perspective. As a member, the meaning of the word Drum Corps is defined by endless repetitions, a work ethic like none other, possibilities of injuries, a lot of pain, a lot of sweat, no free time, living on a bus, sleeping on a gym floor, practicing in the rain, running of underwear, getting yelled at, called out for missed stepoffs etc... Say what you want, but when you take away that definition and call what a group did wasn't drum corps because of different sound of a human voice being projected, it also takes away what I put into the activity. It really does. For the readers digest version. When an audience member says "That's not Drum Corps", members will think in the back of our heads two things: "You have no idea what your talking about." or "Here take my dinkles, uniform, and horn and try to do what I do and go through what I go through for 3 months." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 (edited) I think a corps should do an original show based on the poems of Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, with 3 different female narrators. Look, if you are going to do narration with musical background, go all out. Get something actually designed for that.... FRANK ZAPPA. I would even like THAT show! :) Edited August 24, 2007 by prodigal bari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I think a corps should do an original show based on the poems of Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, with 3 different female narrators. ... who would all 'commit suicide' at the end of each performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Look, if you are going to do narration with musical background, go all out. Get something actually designed for that....FRANK ZAPPA. I would even like THAT show! :) Actually his Welcome to the United States, from The Yellow Shark would be quite interesting for narration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarimbasaurusRex Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 To me, the biggest problem with extended narration is that it makes everything else into background music. If you want to hear the words, the words have to be prominent or they won't be understood and the point is lost. Another issue with narration is that words for the purpose of information are usually not very entertaining. If the text itself is entertaining and it is delivered well, then it could work beautifully, even if it still puts the corps in the background. The Zappa suggestion is a good illustration. It could work simply because the words themselves are entertaining. The music is also very demanding, even as accompaniment. But, what corps would do Zappa? The good stuff is a little raw. Although I'd love to hear Dangerous Kitchen on the field. I also doubt the Zappa's would go for permission to arrange in that way. According to Ed Mann (one of my teachers and an old friend), the family strongly discourages adaptation of his work. They won't even allow his band mates to use the original sheet music, they have to do it from memory. But, I digress... Get some entertaining text... I'd love to see what Bridgemen would have done with narration - A funny thing happened on the way to the stadium, ladies and germs... and narration could be a really fun element of the show. Take it too seriously and it just gets lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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