Narration hypocrites

[JimF-LowBari]

You know what I mean though, Jim. No matter what the age is there are some VERY immature people on this board.

Oh man, now we're gonna totally agree with each other.

Only reason I looked up the bone headed post was to see who made my age group look bad. The posters real age wasn't that important but my curiosity kicked in. My guess is the poster has had a charmed life so far and later he/she will doing the "what was I thinking" later in life (been there, did that, regretted it).

Oh yeah, other famous people close to my birthday Osama Bin Laden (few months) and Micheal Jackson (about a year) so I've got some real "winners" out there.

[CrunchyTenor]

I will preface my comments by stating that i will not be seeing the Cadets this summer, so specific comments about their narration and it's content will not be forthcoming.

Speaking of narration in general, however, I will state that I am firmly in the anti-narration camp. That gives me two options: watch or don't. Well, that's a dilemna, isn't it? I want to see the great performers, hear the brass and percussion, watch the guard and see how they sell the show. So if I'm going to be subjected to narration, why can't the show designers make it palatable?

Of the narration shows I saw in Pasadena, Bluecoats had "the line" that set up a great visual moment. It still could have been a great visual moment, but "the line"set it up in a different way. The rest was not so intrusive as to make it really uncomfortable. Discussion over the season indicated that Crown pared down their narration until it only consisted of one segment of the show.

I stated back in August that I thought the Cadets had one of the best performing drum corps on the field. Personally, the narration covered up that performance. From what I'm reading I doubt I could enjoy this year's show any more.

Admittedly, I'm not a huge Cadets fan. I am smart enough to know when a corps has done a great performance and the Cadets track record there has few peers. So, disliking a Cadets show has less to do with who's performing it than what is being performed.

I'm a huge SCV fan, but if they start covering up great performances with a lot of talking, my loyalty may be challenged.

Regarding cancer survivors, I have a very good friend who is a survivor. Even though the cancer didn't get her, the last 13 years of side effects from chemotherapy and a bone marow transplant have taken their toll. At the ripe old age of 32, she has had hip replacement surgery and is basically unable to work, completely disabled. I mention her specifically because I made a drum corps fan out of her. She is a very outspoken individual. I can pretty much guarantee that if she saw this show she would have something to say, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Why can't drum corps shows be about brass, percussion and guard? Why do we have to be told what is going on? Why does there have to be a "message"?

Without being a hypocrite, I can tolerate some narration. If it means sitting through it to see a great performance on their instruments and equipment I can suspend my dislike for a few brief moments. If it means preachy, message-oriented prattle, I'll pass.

Dear Cadets,

I think you have some amazing talent. I'm sorry I'm not able to enjoy your performance due to your choices in programming. Hopefully in the future you'll remember what it's like to express happiness through great music, performance and visual concepts without needing to explain them. You've done it before, even without a happiness theme. The smiles on the faces of drum corps fans should be happiness enough.

Turn off the mics. Blow down the house. Do amazing things.

Garry in Vegas

Edited June 29, 2008 by CrunchyTenor

[Lance]

Like anything else in a show, if it's done well, I like narration. "Well" for me is different from "well" for other people, whether we're talking about narration, equipment choice/color, arrangement voicing, etc.

[SF2K4]

My stance on narration is pretty cut and dry:

If a show can stand on its own without narration, then that's ok. If the show is dependent on narration, that's bad.

[iceman]

Not another one of THESE threads.

It is possible for one to like amplified voice, when used for various effects, and for one not to like narrarative story telling which is completely different. There can be a clear difference, which makes someone who likes one corps' use and not another's not a hypocrite at all. It just makes them someone with a different opinion then yours! Maybe their youthfulness yields them to more of an open mind, or they just happen to appreciate its aesthetic?

Regardless of reason, you can't seem to acknowledge that it may be ok for someone to actually think differently than you. So what do you do? Create another anti-amplification thread! That's surely the answer to let everyone know how right your opinion is, and how wrong theirs clearly must be. And you even incorrectly label others as hypocrites! What do you intend to accomplish by creating a thread like this? Seriously, the topic is worn out, and I wish they would just close these threads or create an entire new forum for people like you to ##### and moan on.

Also, just because a person typed something on the internet (referencing the comment about wishing breast cancer on someone) does not mean that their opinion speaks for masses of others, or even themselves for that matter (think about it... who actually would wish cancer on someone?). Instead of starting a thread about this statement that you saw (which I didn't see, nor do I care to), why don't you just PM the person?

Drum corps isn't exactly like it was in 1984, and it probably never will be again. Just like the rest of the world, it continues to evolve and change, and I know that is tough for some to deal with. I suggest picking a route of resolution that you have control over, not starting another one of THESE threads. Here are a few options...

A. Learn to cope with change. (Therapy? Counseling?)

B. Stop supporting this activity and find something that you can truly enjoy, one where everyone's opinion is just like yours!

C. Start your own Drum Corps, with all programs free of amplified voice.

[byline]

If you loved the narration, then if you might look up the term in a dictionary, then try to be cool in a new way. Your post makes no sense as is.

Do you always work this hard to interpret things so literally?

OK, here's the relevant portion of your original post:

So everyone hates the Cadets because they have a story line being told. People have even WISHED for the person doing the narration, to succumb to breast cancer. REALLY. People are that completely STUPID. We all know that the Cadets will have narration and then when we hear it, we act surprised and insulted. REALLY. I am assuming then, that the crowd response would be positive towards the Cadets if they didn't have narration? SOOOOOOO, where is all this venom and hate for the SECOND biggest talking corps ( with pathetic mics that only work once in a while ) You know the BLUUUUUEECOATS. Maybe they aren't blooing and they are booing?

To which Rich replied:

Since I unconditionally loved the 2007 Cadets show with narration and all, and wasn't bothered by 2007 Bluecoats use of it (2007 Bluecoats MY FAVORITE SHOW OF THE YEAR).....

..........I guess I should come out of the closet as an official Narration Hypocrite. Are there any rehabilitation centers for people with my affliction?

The point you may have missed is that generally speaking, Rich is not a fan of amplified narration, yet he loves those particular shows . . . which, according to your original post, would make him a "hypocrite." Get it?

Edited June 29, 2008 by byline

[ShouldveMarchedAgeOut]

Well I guess you can call me a hypocrite as well, but I feel that its all about moderation. Last year, the Bluecoats used narration, yes, but they also used it sparingly to help accentuate certain parts of the show (i.e. the "pull over now, stop drop your weapons" segment). I feel that the Cadets have such great hornlines and guard, why distract the audience with constant talk? I feel both this year and last for the Cadets could be definite crowd pleasers if they used it in moderation...just my opinion.

[BigSnareline]

I don't know about anyone else, but I thought it was cool that the Bluecoats mikes cut out last night. It proved beyond a doubt that their show is fine without amped voice.

[sarnia sam]

I'm simply saying that they are, in fact, trying to tell a story but the only thing that conveys that story is the narration. Take away the narration and their story's gone.

So, why is telling a story so important. I've been to hundreds of concerts (rock, jazz, blues, country, orchestral, etc) and not one of them had a story to tell, yet I still had a good time.

Drum corps sucks if there's no story?

Regards,

John Swartz

[codyIL03]

You are correct ... and that's part of the problem.

The narration is the content in the 2008 Cadets' show, reducing the music to an underscore ... punctuation if you will. Much like the soundtrack to a film.

That's also precisely what is wrong with the show ... The music should be what drives a drum corps show. If the music is there to serve anything, some would say it is there to serve the visual ( I don't agree with that, and have always felt the visual should support the music.)

Aside from that, "Pursuit of Happiness" is a deeply flawed program. Cadets' staff have delivered a formula show entirely derivative of "This I Believe" ... The music and narration have changed, but it's basically the same.

Don't think they're going to be getting farther than 7th place with this show.

(Oh, and there is so much hate and utter nonsense going on in this thread that it's hard to take seriously ... )

I absolutely agree, I REALLY think that Narration should be used (if they decide to use it) to only ACCENT the show, not be the BASE of the show. Cuz if you took away the narration, you wouldn't get the show. And that sucks cuz you want the music and the colorgaurd to tell the story. Not someone blabbing away for 3/4 of the show. I was at the Madison show last night and people barely reacted to their show. People rarely clapped except for the Cadet staff, and I brought a drum corps newbie and I didn't tell him anything negative about the Cadets, just that at the end i wanted his opinion. At the end when the girl "Snapped" he looked at me and said "what was that? in disgust. Which really sucks because the Kids are absolutely awesome, they can play!! And the audience appreciated it when they had a drum feature with the colorguard outlining them in the background dancing. That part we liked, why? cuz you heard the MUSIC, not the TALKING. Again Accent the show please, I know narration is here to stay so at least just use it very little for us folks that love MUSIC. Music is why we come see shows...