kdaddy Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 (edited) I really like Crown as a corps. I think if they push the difficulty in the other sections to match the guard, they should be serious contenders for some time to come. Getting into top 3 is the first hurdle...could happen this year, but I see them clearly a 4th place corps at this point. But, they are moving up very well. I still go back to 2006 and wish that they would have had another week. That show was coming on strong and was one of my favorites for finals week. Another week. Or Lee Beddis one year earlier... Edited July 16, 2008 by kdaddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruckner8 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have a question for Bruckner: if you were a horn caption head, would you write in difficult keys knowing that not all brass judges could tell the difference? If I were horn caption head, I'd understand Competitive Inertia, and be sure to lobby the judges at every opportunity about the difficulty inherent in my show, and how I work to overcome certain obstacles (the horns) to achieve variety of sound, color, mood and subtlety impossible to achieve in Bb. I'd put immense pressure on the judges to become aware of these things, since it's their fundamental responsibility to discern such things. If one of the judges had the attitude "key doesn't matter," I'd lobby (Using CI again) to have that judge removed from all competition. I claim every judge today CAN tell the difference, and are perfectly qualified to make a call. One doesn't need perfect pitch...judges are so attuned to discerning EVERYTHING that I'm sure they're "surprised" when they hear something different, and they reward it, assuming it's being achieved. I assume all brass judges are brass players, so they know what they're doing. I would encourage my brass arranger to explore alternate keys, but BE CERTAIN TO MAKE THE LOUDEST PART OF THE SHOW IN Bb! HA! But I wouldn't want to listen--and teach--Bb/F/Eb all Winter and Summer...I'd go insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The attitude of these kids is also unreal, so frickin nice to talk to and engage in conversation with. They are so gracious when complimenting them and arenot rude when critical, they have a sense of humour and everyone I talked to this year so far just stopped and chatted away as if not a care in the world. This orgamization is just overflowing with class and they deserve all the success they achieve. Wow, Geoffrey What do you guys think ??? personally i'll be honest and say that i've found them to be one of the least classy corps in dci, and know countless others who share this opinion with me. arrogant and obnoxious winners, and immature losers. this is from the perspective of someone who marched in a corps who typically placed somewhat close to them, with friends in various corps who've directly competed against them for years now. i have very strong opinions about reacting to score announcements, and have seen them do so consistently, whether in or out of uniform (when wearing their corps jackets in the stands, for example). sorry if my bluntness offends some, but i'm just offering my firsthand perspective here. i wouldn't have mentioned this if the OP hadn't made a contrasting point to start the thread off. i hope people don't read the first paragraph and ignore what i have to say in the rest of my post. behavior around retreat time aside, i like their show a lot this year and hope it places as well as it seems to be doing. its possibly my favorite show out of the 8 or so i've seen this summer. i LOVE the placement/integration/timing of their first impact moment. i admittedly don't usually like their programming very much, but i think this'll be their strongest show and corps ever. the competitive success of a show like theirs in dci, in my opinion (surely some will disagree), represents very good things for the future of show design in the activity. i'm glad they've clearly established themselves along with the bluecoats as a serious challenge to the "traditional" top 5 corps. i haven't seen cavies/scv/bd/phantom, but don't think it's unreasonable that they might crack the top 5 or even 4 this summer. they might need to make their version of clair de lune more emotional (right now i very much prefer the phantom '94 version), and add some more visual G.E. moments (especially in the closer), but if they keep cleaning, they'll be a very dangerous corps late in the season. oh and mr. bruckner, you're making very good points, i must say. definitely a perspective that hasn't gotten much attention among the dcp community in the past, but certainly one worth bringing up for discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 (edited) On the flip side, if hornline A is playing a run follow by a chord in Bb major, and hornline B plays an equivalent run and chord in D major *just as well performed*, who should the brass judge give more credit to? Maybe some people think it shouldn't matter, but if thats the case, why give credit for any of the other things brasslines do that have technical merit?? nice, simple equation but well put. i will add though, that the first time i saw crown's show in valdosta, i thought it was the hardest musical book i've seen them put out.....note-wise, at least. i only took a semester of music theory so my ears aren't really advanced enough to discern keys that easily, but to the "untrained ear," it seemed to me like they continued to step up their game this season. this also makes for the second season in a row now where i have no complaints about their visual demand, so good for them. :) Edited July 16, 2008 by Jared_mello Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadep66 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 This sure sounds like all the hype in 2006 that the Bluecoats were on a steady and fast rise to the championship in the same manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple Forte Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 (edited) It's GOOD, but strikes me as falling just short of having that extra level of intellectual design built in that usually places at the top. Time will tell. The concept may not be as "deep" (I call it abstract) as some of the others......but the performance level of such exposed musical content is unbelievable. The other top corps musical presentation are very disjointed and abstract in comparison that honestly....it is really hard to tell if the intent behind the music is there or not. In general I feel this judging system definitely seems to place way to much emphasis on concept/design. The members of the corps are the "Key" element in bringing a drum corps show to life. The emphasis should be almost solely based on performance..... Edited July 16, 2008 by Triple Forte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 (edited) In general I feel this judging system definitely seems to place way to much emphasis on concept/design. The member of the corps are the "Key" element in bringing a drum corps show to life. The emphasis should be almost solely based on performance..... im with you....maybe not "almost solely," but definitely much more so than is the case now. crown shouldn't be at a disadvantage because fans aren't expected to have an intellectual epiphany at the end of their show. Edited July 16, 2008 by Jared_mello Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washingtoncorpsfan Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I can see that happening VERY soon. It would be nice to see a new name on the trophy. I believe the last time a corps not named the Blue Devils, Cavaliers, or Cadets was in 1991 when Star took home the goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TealEuph7 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I think both Crown and Bluecoats have put out some awesome shows the last few years. Both corps are finally breaking into the top 7, and are really starting to challenge even the top 3. 2 years ago I would have probably given the edge to Bluecoats, but this year the advantage definitely goes to Crown. Great show design, great performance from the corps. I think either Crown or Bluecoats will be the next new champion. Right now I would guess Crown. As much as I love Bloo, I think Crown will get their first. Not to say that Bluecoats are ambitious but based on what Crown vets have told me, Crown is quite ambitious. They have a goal and they are steadily getting there. They will get there in a few years. GO CROWN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_S Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 It's a little funny to me that people talk about wanting someone new to win, as if this stretch of familiar faces is something new. Sure, we actually had three first-time DCI champions in the 90's, Cavaliers, Star, and Phantom, which must've been exciting. But prior to that, from 1973 to Cavies win in 1992, the only break in the monotony of Cadets/Devils/Vanguard were two wins by Madison. That's 18 wins in 20 years, split amongst three corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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