GMichael1230 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Great post, and you know what else? Using spoken word creates a language barrier. Can you imagine designing a show that revolves around narration, and taking it overseas? Performing it in Germany or France or Japan where people's English isn't as good? Even if you perform it in North America, there will still be audience members who won't get it because English is a second language to them. That's one of the reasons ballet is such a great art form. Anyone can watch it and enjoy it the same, regardless of what their native language is. Drum corps has been and should be the same way. This is the exact think I talked to folks about in Allentown with the Olympics looming large. Supposed the top twelve performed in Beijing ? All shows but two would connect with the international audience, Bluecoats and Cadets would fail. Music, an unspoken, universal language. Narration, a defined obstacle. Game over. Geoffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxmanSilver Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 NO!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Great post, and you know what else? Using spoken word creates a language barrier. Can you imagine designing a show that revolves around narration, and taking it overseas? Performing it in Germany or France or Japan where people's English isn't as good? Even if you perform it in North America, there will still be audience members who won't get it because English is a second language to them. That's one of the reasons ballet is such a great art form. Anyone can watch it and enjoy it the same, regardless of what their native language is. Drum corps has been and should be the same way. The DCI tour doesn't even go to Canada, so IMO that's a bogus issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo lets do this Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I dislike narration, mics, etc because I lean toward the traditional side. But I couldn't come up with a decent enough reason for my dislike until I came up with my "Top 10 Shows" response .If you remember back in 1984, Suncoast's Vietnam show, where the girl with the balloon dances along the makeshift Vietnam Memorial? Do you remember her doing sign language and "talking"(mouthing) to the crowd? Did that ruin it for everyone that no one knew what she was saying? But did we all still get the meaning of the show and did we all enjoy the show immensely? Now fast forward to today with that same show. Now the girl has a mic and we can hear what she's saying and it goes something like this... "I lost my father in that war...." or "So many people died needlessly..." or "War is hell..." You see how narration limits us and our thoughts and imagination? That show has a different meaning for all who saw it. Without narration it allows each individual fan to take from the show whatever meaning perceived at that particular moment. What a great gift to all of us. If we did hear her words, then some might say, "Ah...too political" or "That hits too close to home and offends me" and on and on. Let the fan take from the show what he or she observes. Don't baby us with mics and storytelling. Great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 The DCI tour doesn't even go to Canada, so IMO that's a bogus issue. didn't BD take Yowza on the road to Europe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlvalet Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 The DCI tour doesn't even go to Canada, so IMO that's a bogus issue. They used to, back before narration I smell conspiracy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 #### canuckians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 The DCI tour doesn't even go to Canada, so IMO that's a bogus issue. Does it go to any state with a significant Hispanic population? There are DCI corps in Canada. We had a couple of Open class shows here so yes Mike - the DCI tour goes through Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 #### canuckians Hey - we're being very obliging in making you Yanks look really good at the Olympics right now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trionbd Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Ok, I've sifted through bunches of pages on this thread at this point. The narration thing...It's always going to be polarizing. DCI isn't going to outlaw it. Many fans are going to not like it (more than the yay sayers realize), many fans are going like it. Very few will be in the middle ground of indifference. I just don't get why the people who do like it, fight so hard to get the others to come to their side of the fence. Those who don't like it aren't ever going to like it. It's that extreme. I feel as though I am in the majority with the casual fan (even though i'm not a casual fan) in that it does nothing for me. It's a matter of taste. The one thing I would like to throw out there (and not in an attempt to get others to be on my side of the issue, 'cause I know that ain't gonna happen) is that narration, and the show design that comes with it, has and continues to drive fans away from buying tickets. Would the same happen to those in favor of narration if it suddenly went away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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