BozzlyB Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 If you think these are instructional techniques used by ANY of the corps today you are completely out of touch with the activity. I suggest you spend some quality time observing today’s instructors do their job before making such a ridiculous statement. If you are referring to my "I want to see bloody lips hanging out the end of their horns" statement, it was purely metaphorical. My point was that I want to be (and usually am) blown away by a wall of sound. The "highly trained" brass crowd is really becoming a bit tiresome with their constantly holier than thou attitude towards drum corps, so let me present you with a question that maybe you can give a little dissertation on. Why should it be assumed that brass playing technique be the same in all venues, for all styles of music? Is a cheek puffing, blat sounding trombonist in a New Orleans jazz club not completely justified in his approach to the instrument? Would you approach him after a show and criticize him for his lack of attention to "proper" technique? The same applies to drum corps, it is an outdoor activity that relies HEAVILY on the GE created by the corps to literally move the audience, both emotionally and from their seats to their feet. Loud is not better than soft, but it is equally as necessary and the absence of either is problematic in a drum corps show. I'm still curious to have my points addressed from this post if anyone feels like taking it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I'm still curious to have my points addressed from this post if anyone feels like taking it on. I absolutely agree with you. The problem, like any other activity that is in competition, is that the corps are going to do whatever it takes to get the best score they can out of those judges. If DCI has proclaimed (or heavilly suggested, wink wink) that you need XYZ to win you can bet most corps are going to do XYZ whether it's in writing or not. I think Mike Cesario said it best (paraphrase), "Those that are percieved to be moving the activity forward will be rewarded." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandanthebandplayinman Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 (edited) No, never, I would not say worse. But, look at the inverse of what you are saying, if one doesn't march drum corps they don't know how to practice or have standards? I am sorry but I can remember almost always having like a day to look at a couple pieces of music and being expected to play it almost to perfection by sight reading in ensemble. Not given 8 months of continuous practicing. I would say that your technique would be great, your appraoch to playing music in a college music program(s) no so good. Ill be honest, I didnt know how to practice before I started drum corps. Perhaps I was just young and immature, I like to think that drum corps made me a more mature musician, I attribute my loss of ADD to drum corps. I stopped taking ritalin when I was 17. I was 16 when I started to march. Again, could have been a maturity thing. By the time I got to college I could spend the time with a peice of music working on 3 bars for 4 hours, getting them perfect, or when I played with the city's symphony, I got the music and two days later had a performance. It wasnt The show that made me a better musician, it was time management, and approuch to rehearsals. Based on my experience, And those who I know, I would say that those that do not march drum corps, are less likley to know how to practice effectively, and are less likely to have as high of a standard as someone who hasnt. It wasn't so much what I was playing (in regards to a drum corps show, or a symphony peice) but how I approached the learning of it. Edited July 7, 2008 by dandanthebandplayinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmanarl Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 You can believe whatever you wish, but The Cavaliers have been awarded more championships this decade than any other corps by playing "soft". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 You can believe whatever you wish, but The Cavaliers have been awarded more championships this decade than any other corps by playing "soft". How many times since 2000 have the Cavaliers taken top brass at finals. I'm honestly looking for an answer to that question, because my gut tells me that they've won so much due to winning other captions. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure the judges tapes didn't say, "holy cow you play softer than any other corps, you win". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salad315 Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 How many times since 2000 have the Cavaliers taken top brass at finals. I'm honestly looking for an answer to that question, because my gut tells me that they've won so much due to winning other captions. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure the judges tapes didn't say, "holy cow you play softer than any other corps, you win". 2 And one of those times they won pretty much every other caption, so it wouldnt have mattered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 (edited) How many times since 2000 have the Cavaliers taken top brass at finals. I'm honestly looking for an answer to that question, because my gut tells me that they've won so much due to winning other captions. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure the judges tapes didn't say, "holy cow you play softer than any other corps, you win". Perhaps the better question is how many times they've won Music GE, since that would seem be a decent barometer of how the judging community views their brass approach as it pertains to the whole musical presentation. The answer to the question is that between 2000 and 2006, they won Music GE 5 of those 7 seasons. In the same span, they won brass twice (02 and 06), with an average placement of 2.2. Ensemble they won 4 times over that period, with two 2nd places in the caption, and one 3rd place. Apparently the judging community is pretty ok with their approach. ==== I wonder if there are certain sites for headbangers where the discussion level of their favorite bands includes judgments of quality based on how loud the band is? .... Edited July 7, 2008 by mobrien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millsy Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 The Cavaliers have better tone quality than just about any other corps. They also have a far narrower dynamic range than any other corps. When the Cavaliers I go to school with come back after a season of marching, they have poor control at loud and soft dynamics. Instead of properly playing soft, staging and facing backfield are used to feign lower dynamic levels. I fail to see how both this approach and the "opposition's" mindless blasting approach are educational or entertaining. There are a select few corps that run the gamut of dynamic contrast with tone quality in mind--you'd just never know it by looking at the brass scores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Apparently the judging community is pretty ok with their approach. ==== I wonder if there are certain sites for headbangers where the discussion level of their favorite bands includes judgments of quality based on how loud the band is? .... We should be questioning the qualifications and perceptions of the judging community as well. I would hope they are routinely checked for hearing and sight loss yearly. Interesting, you don't think playing music involves the use of extreme dynamics? How boring and unmusical. Headbanger indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikedrumcorps Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 The G bugle was loud.I loved the G bugle. G horns are hard to tune and hard to play loud(with quality of sound). I'm glad that drum corps are no longer using them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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