Cadets 2009 to Focus on WSS

[doyle079]

The Cadets generate a lot of talk.

The Mandarins do not generate a lot of talk.

[HardCorp]

Here's hoping the Cadets have a member who is one hell of a pianist and can rip up the field with some hot licks.

for the record, i did not pay this woman to post this.

i would have, but i dont know her

[Galen]

If there is stabbing in this show like Phantom had last year, maybe I wont mind the jazz piano... as much....

Strangling/garroting with a piano wire might be more appropriate

[SaraNYC]

for the record, i did not pay this woman to post this.

i would have, but i dont know her

Eh she's just some old Dino that use to flap her arms in front of a couple of drum corps. I heard her play baritone once too

Good to see you dishin' it out Karen, I like what you served up in this thread so far.

[kstein]

Eh she's just some old Dino that use to flap her arms in front of a couple of drum corps. I heard her play baritone once too

Good to see you dishin' it out Karen, I like what you served up in this thread so far.

It's still amazing that you actually survived listening to me play baritone at those early Star camps. Amazing how "good" someone can sound after not having played a horn for 5 years! Or, as Pepe said to me once at a camp many, many years ago: "Play louder little girl." And I did. And he said, "Well, at least you can put out plenty of sound."

That still may be the nicest thing anyone ever said about my horn playing!

Cheers!

Karen

[Perry S]

I think what's sadly missing from the Cadets design team is the genius of Zingali and Prime. While I have seen and heard moments in the Cadets show since that era that were wonderful, I have never enjoyed the complete package as much as I did when that tandem was leading the charge.

I thought last year's show design with the "crutch" of narration was terrible. There were some technically wonderful bits of playing and marching destroyed (for me) by the insipid, distracting, annoying and amateurish voiceovers. I had hoped a return to simple, melodic Bernstein would help alleviate the need for the silly gimmicks, but apparently this year's crutch/gimmick will be a piano. Oh joy. If the level of writing and performance is as "high" as the narration, perhaps the jazz piano will sound something like a 10-year old's first recital. Yippee!

Seriously Hop, if you don't have the design chops on staff to write an interesting, complex, elegant, and groundbreaking drum corps show, go out and hire it! Stop loading up the field with this extraneous noise and get some folks who are interested in designing for the activity AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!

(And here I was trying to start off 2009 in a much more positive frame of mind...)

Karen

This!

[Perry S]

So all that's missing from the Cadets design team are two of the greatest designers in the history of our activity?

Well gee, it all makes sense now! If they only hired a couple drum corps legends, they'd be creating masterpieces in no time! Why it's so simple, so elegant! And the amazing thing is, I bet this would work for just about any corps out there. They could all follow the Cadets example and hire the very best minds the activity has ever seen, and I bet they'd be competing for a title while entertaining crowds by the thousands!!

Not This!

[Perry S]

Ah, well you see some of us were around long enough ago that we actually knew Jimmer and George before they were the revered talent the activity now knows and remembers. I'm optimistic enough to think that somewhere out there another great talent is waiting for an opportunity, or is growing into his/her own ability. If the design staff in place now can't achieve the very high standards set by these two talents, perhaps it's time to give someone else the opportunity...before we see this terrific corps resort to another distracting design "prop" like narration, singing, or (ick) piano?

But, hey, if you're aware of a couple of drum corps legends just looking for work who have the depth of talent that Jimmer and Zingali had, I'm sure Hop would welcome a call.

Karen

This!

[Perry S]

I don't think it's at all disrespectful to suggest that the recent history of the Cadets relying on gimmicks and props to mask deficiencies in their show design is a problem. And the fact that I haven't enjoyed their show design from beginning to end as much as I did when Jimmer and Zingali were writing is simply my opinion. If you read carefully, I noted there have been many moments in the shows over the years that I thought were terrific; I just didn't have the same "affection" for the entire product. Again, my opinion.

So, a suggestion that an addition or a deletion to their staff to avoid using these gimmicks is somehow disrespectful to those two gentlemen? I don't believe that for a minute.

Karen

This!

[Perry S]

Sorry, Mike, but to me amateuirsh narration, singing over the hornline, and electronics are not as much a part of drum corps as mellophones or snares. At least they're not in this dinosaur's book.

But I agree with you wholeheartedly that I want the Cadets to continue to push the envelope. It's one of the reason I've been a fan and supporter for so many years. But there are ways to reach and stretch...and there are crutches. I believe the narration and singing have not helped to stretch the activity or their show design at all, but have, instead, diminished the impact of the work that I know those performers are putting into the show they've been given. So push the envelope with a horn show that makes me absolutely gasp at its difficulty and brilliance (and let me hear it by not talking/singing over it), or knock me over with a drill move I've never seen or imagined before. And if you don't have the ability to reach those new heights of excellence with the folks you've got, perhaps it's time for some changes?

Sorry, but they're the Cadets. They've spoiled me. I want to be dazzled by their daring and innovation, and that hasn't happened in awhile.

Karen

This!