ScribeToo Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 It will remain legal on the rule books, but will it be used? Marching timps are still legal on the rule books but the use has passed into history. Did you read my entire post? In particular, did you read the part about narration not yet reaching it's full potential as a creative element? I presume you did because you quoted it but maybe you didn't. Sorry to break you and your old-timer friends' hearts but I am 100% certain that marching timps reached their full potential as both a creative and musical element in drum corps long ago -- that is why use of them passed into history. The tympani were designed to be played as a set instrument.. at least two played by one person. Making marching tympani legal actually LIMITED the impact and creative contribution of the instrument in the genre. It was like saying, "okay, see what you can do when we tie one of your hands behind your back -- now go do a hand stand and walk up those stairs." Not so for narration or amplified voice. Making them legal has expanded our capability to be creative on the field. Now it's like they said, "okay, we want you to walk on your hands up those stairs.. but do it backwards and we'll give you mirrors.. now go figure out how to make it work and show us what you got.." I can see how you would miss that key difference so I am sure you don't mind me pointing it out for you. You probably can't see it past your blinders. Stef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Did you read my entire post? In particular, did you read the part about narration not yet reaching it's full potential as a creative element? I presume you did because you quoted it but maybe you didn't. Sorry to break you and your old-timer friends' hearts but I am 100% certain that marching timps reached their full potential as both a creative and musical element in drum corps long ago -- that is why use of them passed into history. The tympani were designed to be played as a set instrument.. at least two played by one person. Making marching tympani legal actually LIMITED the impact and creative contribution of the instrument in the genre. It was like saying, "okay, see what you can do when we tie one of your hands behind your back -- now go do a hand stand and walk up those stairs." Not so for narration or amplified voice. Making them legal has expanded our capability to be creative on the field. Now it's like they said, "okay, we want you to walk on your hands up those stairs.. but do it backwards and we'll give you mirrors.. now go figure out how to make it work and show us what you got.." I can see how you would miss that key difference so I am sure you don't mind me pointing it out for you. You probably can't see it past your blinders. Stef I did read your whole post and that was my point. I disagree about timp lines. We don't know what they might have done next because they didn't survive the change to grounded timps. In the 1980's people might have thought basslines had come as far as possible and put them in the pit as well. Basslines survived, field timps did not. Now it may be that narration dies this year - I sincerly hope so. If that's the case we will not know what it might have become, but that's what happens to ideas that are relegated to the dustbin of history. But it will still be on the books, and it may be that the odd corps will dust it off once in a while. The same may happen with a marching timp line someday, but I doubt both scenarios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I don't see it dying in its entirety, but I do believe the outright explanation of the show while it is being performed is deader than a doornail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washingtoncorpsfan Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 No, it's not dead yet. It's place in marching music is cemented; but it's a matter of how it's used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 No, it's not dead yet. It's place in marching music is cemented; but it's a matter of how it's used. Cemented in BOA maybe - drum corps fans seem to be a testy bunch.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsOnTheField Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Cemented in BOA maybe - drum corps fans seem to be a testy bunch.... Oh...there are people in BOA and USSBA and ....well, every marching circuit that hate it. *shrug* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMichael1230 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Did you read my entire post? In particular, did you read the part about narration not yet reaching it's full potential as a creative element? I presume you did because you quoted it but maybe you didn't. Sorry to break you and your old-timer friends' hearts but I am 100% certain that marching timps reached their full potential as both a creative and musical element in drum corps long ago -- that is why use of them passed into history. The tympani were designed to be played as a set instrument.. at least two played by one person. Making marching tympani legal actually LIMITED the impact and creative contribution of the instrument in the genre. It was like saying, "okay, see what you can do when we tie one of your hands behind your back -- now go do a hand stand and walk up those stairs." Not so for narration or amplified voice. Making them legal has expanded our capability to be creative on the field. Now it's like they said, "okay, we want you to walk on your hands up those stairs.. but do it backwards and we'll give you mirrors.. now go figure out how to make it work and show us what you got.." I can see how you would miss that key difference so I am sure you don't mind me pointing it out for you. You probably can't see it past your blinders. Stef Of course, this is all an opinion, a heated opinion, bordering on condascending, as if coming from someone with vast experience of both disciplines, but opinion, nonetheless. God bless you !! Geoffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 (edited) Oh...there are people in BOA and USSBA and ....well, every marching circuit that hate it. *shrug* So that proves that we don't have BOA or USSBA up here in Canada because I just assumed it was there, it was omnipresent and it was universally accepted. At least that was an impression I formulated based on some of the threads here. Very interesting - thanks. Edited August 9, 2008 by kusankusho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Why does everyone think the Bluecoats only use narration for effect. I heard plenty of talking during their show that was not simply for an effect. It seems that people are okay with narration as long as it is not coming from the Cadets. IMO, Coats could lose about 10 lines, especially from the mumbly bad Mickey impersonator and it would help. like Dennis said...if used right, it works. George hasn't found right. It's almost like he thinks more is better, and in hindsight, less is more. But Boston 04, Yowza, the Rent show...all too much. whats funny is the number of corps who did use it that got away from it since their turn blew up. George gets his flak because he keeps trying to cram it down everyones throats, and when people complain, he chooses to dismiss them as close minded and anti innovation. I guess he better look at most of World Class now, because their shows are, by and large, closed minded and old school when it comes to this...and thrilling fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 OMG you guys. Stop already. It's times like this I almost wish we DIDN'T know about rule changes for a year ahead of time. I was thinking back to when narration was passed.. and how I personally felt about it. I kept quiet, for the most part, because while I wasn't looking forward to it, I wasn't sure what it was going to end up being like so I wanted to give it as much of a chance as I could. Lo and behold, it finally arrived and some of it I liked and some of it I didn't like.. as time passed, and more corps used it effectively and/or well, I started liking it more. I still don't look forward to it, but I have learned to give it a chance in each individual context because there might just be something I can be shown by trying to see someone else's vision if I just stop trying to impose my own expectations onto it long enough to see it before I pass judgement. I don't know if that made any sense once it got out of my head but it made perfect sense in there. Narration, dead? Probably not. I think it would be a premature death because we've only started to see it's full potential as a creative element. Stef it's full potential, good and bad, has been on display in WGI percussion and BOA and other band circuits for years. in fact I find it amusing the only thing not copied from WGI to DCI is how narration and amplification is used. But given the number of corps who did try, and haven't tried since is larger than those still trying, i think maybe people are realizing it's not all it's cracked up to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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