soloists and small ensembles

[sburstall]

In 1986, Cadets had 90 brass - AND soloists! I heard them (soloists) just fine.

You need to remember now Dale, DCI is about control, not entertainment.

[JimF-LowBari]

I seem to recall a comment by Chuck Mangione in the 1983 DCI broadcast about the Spirit mellophone soloist. Mangione was amazed that he could be heard while playing so effortlessly with the whole brass line playing behind him.

And that was in the 80's - with G bugles, and the "crass", "illegitimate", "overblowing" (using the most appropriate negative adjectives people used about G bugles) brass sections - especially Spirit of that vintage, annually one of the loudest horn lines in DCI.

I would've thought, with the "evolution" toward perfection (you know, Bb brass, improved players, better instruction, etc) in 24 years, that comment had become the conventional wisdom , not the post I quote above.

Read this and thought of "Mind of Mancias" De De De song on Comedy Central. The song is a rant (Carlos term) on people who are too lazy or (lacking common sense) dumb to push themselves to better themselves. Instead they cry and whine until "they lowered the standards" (Carlos term) or "made things easier" (my term). So after decades of people applying themselves to make soloists heard, we'll just "lower the standards/make things easier" by using amps.

Asked this in another thread and will ask here: Where does the educational part of DC fit in here?

Edit: Yeah I'm 50, white and a fan of Mancia.... go figure

Edited January 28, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari

[xmenjeffb]

As i posted in another place. This has nothin to do with " hearing brass solo's" !! This is the opening to adding woodwind voices in the near future .That is what will have to be amped up to hear .With this in place 5 or 6 woodwinds can add a whole new color to the sound and arranngements. IMO it is the next logoical move for the creative voices in the activity .

[euponitone]

As i posted in another place. This has nothin to do with " hearing brass solo's" !! This is the opening to adding woodwind voices in the near future .That is what will have to be amped up to hear .With this in place 5 or 6 woodwinds can add a whole new color to the sound and arranngements. IMO it is the next logoical move for the creative voices in the activity .

Yeah...probably. Although i dont really think they had to pass electronics for brass to get to woodwinds. I think if the board was far gone enough to permit woodwinds, they certainly would have been liable to mic them with the same breath.

[Blueemrld8]

The only thing I could think of would be if they wanted to stage the ensemble/soloist in extreme locations on the field and the sound of the group or soloist not being as audible from the location they might want to use. Not supporting the idea necessarily, but rather trying to come up with an idea of why.

I kinda see this as "hiding" the soloist. I LOVE seeing them break away from the Corp., come and stand on the center front line and play like there is no tomorrow. I love the way it highlights thier talent, as it should be.

[Bari-Player]

As someone that has played multiple solos... On a baritone no less.

I can see how having a mic for my solos would have been easier, or better for the audience to understand since I was in a corner for one, and between the hashes on the later one.

But - at the same time, I don't think people had too many problems hearing me /boggle

I guess I don't completely understand why they want to mic soloists. Trumpets almost never have any problems soaring over an ensemble, and I can't really picture a sweet tuba or baritone line that would need to be projected over a full ensemble. If you want a specific tone color, then the music can be written and people staged to accomidate the soloist's ability to project to the audience.

That's all I got.

Wow - I just realized how much I lurk around on these boards... member for 5 years and only 140 posts. People above me have almost 6k in the same time =P

/cheers

Edited January 28, 2008 by Bari-Player

[JimF-LowBari]

Wow - I just realized how much I lurk around on these boards... member for 5 years and only 140 posts. People above me have almost 6k in the same time =P

Seems ever time I swear I'll spend more time in the "real world" and step away from the keyboard, something comes along that hits my interest. Almost as addictive as doing corps.

Of course I went to my first show in 10 years and ended up re-upping after a 19 year layoff... and still there

[Tekneek]

Logistically it will catch up with you eventually, you'll have the night someone forgets the batteries for a wireless pack or something and it will "ruin" that part of the show. I don't know that I would want to risk it.

You can get some of the always enjoyable pop and crackle from a wireless mic in the solo, or just breaking up completely.

[JamMan]

I would have loved to have been able to better hear the opening small ensemble from Crown '07.

[Jared_mello]

My two sense.....

Take this into prospective:

Last year with Cadets......they did Blue Shades and they had a trumpet soloist playing over the rest of the line. I believe that was one brass against 63 other brass players. And that was with the membership limit at 135.

Now membership is up to 150...what if The Cadets wanted to add 15 more brass players...that would be one brass verses 78 brass players.....and everyone is blowing their balls off.

I kinda feel sorry for that one trumpet player.

Lets try to think of all prospectives before we get all pissy.

And yes this is my opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion and blah blah blah...this is America.....free speech.....so on and so on......

...and I voted no in the brass caucus.

you could have still heard the cadets soloist if they added 15 more horns. its in the arranging; soloist volume is a simple "problem" to solve or work with.