Winter Brass Lines

[hboyce]

OK, MelloKid, you've obviously missed the points of my posts. Since I'd rather not go back through and re-explain everything, you should go back and reread my posts more slowly. As I mentioned before, I had a great experience in corps with one of the best brass staffs in the business. I've seen a ton of brass sectionals of different corps and the basic structure of the rehearsals is the same. The difference is in the staff's knowledge and ability to teach it. You don't seem to understand that I'm not putting corps down at all. I love drum corps or else I wouldn't be on this site at all. And, if you learned some musicality while in corps, great for you. But there is so much more to be learned than can be taught in corps.

Just because I disagree with you doesn't mean I didn't see the point. I'm not saying you are bashing drum corps either. I just spoke my opinion on the matter.

[MrNailbat]

Ok, let's try a scenario.

You take a group of talented performers. They march in the fall and perform concert music in the fall as well. In the spring they perform in concert and may or may not be preparing for drum corps in the summer.

They have other ensembles to perform in. This is understood. You're a band director. You've got horns (we'll think this is exclusively horns right now). So

You assemble the organizational structure (design, logisitics, instruction). You set a schedule in advance. This schedule will consist of a small set of performances in the Spring. None in the winter/fall period. The final performance will be the regional championships or WGI finals. So you have a 1 week critical period of the only performances you will absolutely require.

You rehearse during the winter break daily, and hold a WinterGuard's rehersal schedule following that. Obviously things are flexible in the same way Drum Corps allow students to miss their rehersals for obligations with school/family/etc.

You have 20-30 performers.

Someone mentioned that there are rules for WGI Brass. I've never heard of that, so I'm ignoring it. You perform in exhibition. You do exactly what you want for as long as it takes to do it well.

People applaud. The crowd enjoys it. The performers enjoyed it.

What's the problem?

[MikeD]

Ok, let's try a scenario.

You take a group of talented performers. They march in the fall and perform concert music in the fall as well. In the spring they perform in concert and may or may not be preparing for drum corps in the summer.

They have other ensembles to perform in. This is understood. You're a band director. You've got horns (we'll think this is exclusively horns right now). So

You assemble the organizational structure (design, logisitics, instruction). You set a schedule in advance. This schedule will consist of a small set of performances in the Spring. None in the winter/fall period. The final performance will be the regional championships or WGI finals. So you have a 1 week critical period of the only performances you will absolutely require.

You rehearse during the winter break daily, and hold a WinterGuard's rehersal schedule following that. Obviously things are flexible in the same way Drum Corps allow students to miss their rehersals for obligations with school/family/etc.

You have 20-30 performers.

Someone mentioned that there are rules for WGI Brass. I've never heard of that, so I'm ignoring it. You perform in exhibition. You do exactly what you want for as long as it takes to do it well.

People applaud. The crowd enjoys it. The performers enjoyed it.

What's the problem?

Why is this concept limited to brass??? Why not any instrument?

Mike

[mdsandz]

Please see GulfCoastSound.org if you want to know how Winter Corps works.

[bfhdznr]

Flat out there is no use for an indoor winter marching instumental ensemble and would only experience minor interest in an independant division. School programs have other ensembles they have to focus on to outside of the marching ensembles. Indoor gaurd and perc have flourished because they fill a need in schools. outside of band and corps WGI gives the colorgaurd members a forum to use thier abilities and hone skills outsie of band and corps. It gives tehm a chance to perform for the long months between marchign seasons. indoor percussion units give the same oprotunity to all the percusionists also. the typical concert ensemble has no use for the number of percusionists a marching ensemble does, Indoor drumlives gives the percusionists a chance to play outside of the band/corps forum. when was that last time you saw an orchestra or wind ensemble with over 20 percusionists. but schools and comunity and profesional ensembles give the instrumentalists more then enough oprotunities to play and perform so and indoor marching winter unit would just be excessive.

rant through. :)

[MrNailbat]

Why is this concept limited to brass??? Why not any instrument?

Mike

For sake of argument, because in this idea I am not yet trying to re-invent everything. Essentially it is the foot in the door method. Take what I have seen work, make slight adjustments, and then after that gets off the ground I would consider something even more Avante-Garde. That's the only reason I don't list other instruments.

But I bring up my first question. What's the problem? Yes there was definitely a need filled by WGI allowing the percussion and colorguard to perform in ways they otherwise would not. But there has also been created now an opportunity. An opportunity to explore another venue of performance. With an ensemble of 20-30 horns inside you could offer those who've got the time and ability to march year round a great opportunity to perform in a small setting. You could increase the visual demands, much the way Blast! did, taking those who've got the ability to that next level. You could perform at TRUE soft dynamics. You could have a brass quintet grow to a full choir. No, there is definitely something here. This would not just be indoor face blasting.

As for other instruments. I am one who is very strongly opposed to woodwinds in Drum Corps. It is an argument that is a dead horse and I'm not starting it here. But generally the principle opposing concept is woodwinds cannot project well enough outdoors to be a part of the ensemble. But my position is now reversed. In an indoor setting you definitely could use woodwinds. Heck you could use strings. You're inside. Acoustics are different. The environmental conditions are controlled (if we're considering wear&tear). So I hope some band director with a big brass pair tries it. I really do. I hope I get to see it too. :)

[brassguymike]

Flat out there is no use for an indoor winter marching instumental ensemble and would only experience minor interest in an independant division.........when was that last time you saw an orchestra or wind ensemble with over 20 percusionists. but schools and comunity and profesional ensembles give the instrumentalists more then enough oprotunities to play and perform so and indoor marching winter unit would just be excessive.

rant through. :)

Why would an indoor winter marching instrumental ensemble have to perform in a circuit? What's wrong with assembling a group of players that enjoy playing? They could work on music and perform at basketball game halftimes for fun. Playing music for fun... there's a concept.

Most schools that produce 20 man winter drumlines usually have 3 or 4 concert ensembles. 5 percussionists per ensemble. Your argument could bring up the question when's the last time you saw 18 euphonium players in a wind ensemble? Never in any given concert ensemble will there be that many euphonium players assembled at once. But there could be for a winter instrumental marching ensemble.

Performing music is never excessive. I don't care if it's marching kazoos and slide-whistles.

[MikeD]

Why is this concept limited to brass??? Why not any instrument?

Mike

For sake of argument, because in this idea I am not yet trying to re-invent everything. Essentially it is the foot in the door method. Take what I have seen work, make slight adjustments, and then after that gets off the ground I would consider something even more Avante-Garde. That's the only reason I don't list other instruments.

I only asked because since you were talking WGI and not DCI, and as WGI has such a large scholastic element, I'd not limit it to brass....that's all.

Mike

[ContraRich77]

First you said:

I think maybe you're confusing the issue.  I'm not saying corps teaches you to be a poor musician.

Then you said:

My point is that practicing an 11 minute show for however many months will probably make you a better player, but not a better musician.

So which is it? Either it makes you a better musician, or it doesn't, and if it's not teaching you to be a better musician, I would argue that it's not meeting its purpose. My only focus is hardly marching--as a music major, I spend the vast majority of the year in pursuits other than marching. But marching is and should be treated as a musical pursuit as legitimate as concert playing; students shouldn't be taught that it's not as legitimate to be musical when marching as it is inside. If you can play well moving, you can play well sitting down, and you can't be considered a good musician, musical or not, if you can't play your instrument well.

"I stomped them."

[Brasstechgod]

Hey guys my name is Ted and i'm from North Carolina and there is a group called Paltinum Indoor Ensemble and there are a competiting group. They are an Independent World Group. They Rock go check out their Website at Platinum.Indoor.googlepages.com