Schickmeister Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Along with this: The idea that every performance, regardless of quality (or lack thereof), deserves a standing ovation. I remember the rationale. "But the kids tried really hard!"Sorry. This isn't little league tee-ball. Not everybody gets a trophy and there are no awards for "trying really hard." You're performing for cash-paying customers who expect to be entertained. If I went out there and my corps took a dump on the field, I wouldn't expect it. Unless you're at Normal. Those bandos will cheer for anything. Tough to say whether I agree or disagree with this but... I must go back to the argument saying how much of the design and effectiveness really comes from the performers? Sure they execute it, but if NOBODY likes it doesn't that fall on the design staff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ussglassman Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Tough to say whether I agree or disagree with this but...I must go back to the argument saying how much of the design and effectiveness really comes from the performers? Sure they execute it, but if NOBODY likes it doesn't that fall on the design staff? What I dont care for has to do with overstaging of colorguards in regards to an undertold story. In lamens terms, Phantom Regiment 2006?!?! I love PR, and the guard that year was very strong (among other things) But the random shirtless dude running around the field.....just...running...aimlessly...and flailing his hands in random poses, etc....Did this really tell any kind of story? Oh, and other corps who use a random guy and random girl just ballroom dancing all over the field...why? I dunno, I think unless you use narration, you really cant tell a "story" on a football field. And since I think narration (and the man who imposed it upon drum corps) is the devil, I guess that means storytelling in drum corps just doesn't really fit.... OH! and I don't like Bb band instruments and indoor stage electronics in drum corps..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGCpimpOtimp Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 4) to much crap in the pits- they'll drag a gong out and hit it once in a 11 minute program then drag it back. ...or when the timpanists has five drums but never hits the top one once.... :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryfe Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 But then I see this caption on the promo site, featuring the "S" word: "Students pose for a shot after last year's edition of 'The Countdown.'" Apparently, DCI is framing it as more of a 'student' event than a 'fan' event. What about us legacy students? I'm pretty sure the "students" in question there are actual students of a high school, not members. Note the uniform youth, the fan shirts (I have that Firebird '07 shirt), the lack of corps jackets, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Swiss Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 or played a bugle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontwan2know Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 What I dont care for has to do with overstaging of colorguards in regards to an undertold story. In lamens terms, Phantom Regiment 2006?!?! I love PR, and the guard that year was very strong (among other things) But the random shirtless dude running around the field.....just...running...aimlessly...and flailing his hands in random poses, etc....Did this really tell any kind of story? Couldn't disagree more. Faust, to me, is the conclusive inarguable proof that drum corps can absolutely tell a story through music, drill, choreography and weapon/flag work without resorting to narration. I went into that show with only the barest knowledge of the Faust story (guy sells his soul to the devil and it all goes to hell), having never read it nor seen any of the various other productions of it on stage, movies, tv, etc. and I was able to follow everything quite clearly. The choreography and staging of the guard told the story clearly without having to hit you over the head with it in the way some recent programs have. I really can't overstate how much I think of that show. Exquisite design combined with inspired performance. If they had been cleaner in the beginning of the season I think they would have won comfortably on finals night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Speaking of signatures: signatures with huge fonts and images, life history back to the womb, and six favorite movie quotes, all of which take up three times more space that the actual post. You guys wear out my scrolling finger. Those thin horizontal corps banners are cool, but I don't see any reason to stack more than, say, three. Fortunately, those space hog signatures easily enough avoided by adjusting view options. You never saw Lee Rudnicki's signature block a few years back, did you? Reading it was like reading "War & Peace!!" I'm guessing his sig was the reason there's a length restriction now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4181jay Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 what bugs me..... Bringing new rules to the party when the old ones haven't been creatively explored to the limit. Surely designers show more creativity in using a limited set of instruments to put a show on the field with artistry, passion and originality than just adding 'effects'. Having to re-explain what Drum Corps is every year or two due to added instrumentation. Reading posts from a few DCPers who actually seem happy that a medium I love is being changed beyond all recognition. Saving up all my hard earned for 4 years in order to take the trip of a lifetime with my wife to see finals week next year and then suddenly realising that what I planned to see and hear doesn't really exist anymore. Being too far away to be involved. (distance and years!) Nobody designing shows has the bottle to say, 'screw storylines, lets just put 4 or 5 kick ### tunes on the field that sort of go together and everyone can recognise just to see where it gets us'. Corps seem to want cerebral shows rather than simply catching babies. Basildon won in '89 (yes, i'm still bitter!!!) ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamMan Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Couldn't disagree more. Faust, to me, is the conclusive inarguable proof that drum corps can absolutely tell a story through music, drill, choreography and weapon/flag work without resorting to narration. I went into that show with only the barest knowledge of the Faust story (guy sells his soul to the devil and it all goes to hell), having never read it nor seen any of the various other productions of it on stage, movies, tv, etc. and I was able to follow everything quite clearly. The choreography and staging of the guard told the story clearly without having to hit you over the head with it in the way some recent programs have. I really can't overstate how much I think of that show. Exquisite design combined with inspired performance. If they had been cleaner in the beginning of the season I think they would have won comfortably on finals night. I couldn't disagree more. I felt Faust was just intermittent story-telling. It seemed to me, every once in awhile, they'd remember a story was supposed to be taking place and they throw some guard people up front. When I actually got the story, it didn't seem that deep, and I still wonder why it would be so difficult to pull of something that easy. Bringing new rules to the party when the old ones haven't been creatively explored to the limit. Surely designers show more creativity in using a limited set of instruments to put a show on the field with artistry, passion and originality than just adding 'effects'. Having to re-explain what Drum Corps is every year or two due to added instrumentation. Saving up all my hard earned for 4 years in order to take the trip of a lifetime with my wife to see finals week next year and then suddenly realising that what I planned to see and hear doesn't really exist anymore. While I agree it's kind of silly to keep adding new instruments while the old one haven't been used up, where would the music world be if we had all decided that? Still playing orchestra music. No rock. No electronica. Just orchestral music changing with time. Drum Corps has, and always will be, a group of people marching around on a field and playing brass instruments simultaneously, while drummers play different kinds of drums, percussionists play the oldest and latest in accompany percussion, and a bunch of other people spin pretty flags, guns, and swords. I think that still describes drum corps. No more symmetrical drill? Darn. No more lacks of tosses in the guard? Miss that. No more easy music played terribly because there were just so many corps? Dang. Drum corps has continued to increase in quality over the years. To remain on the cutting edge of design and execution, drum corps has to stay modern. Also, by using electronic instruments, this ensures more corporate tie-ins, which means more money for the corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4181jay Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 While I agree it's kind of silly to keep adding new instruments while the old one haven't been used up, where would the music world be if we had all decided that? Still playing orchestra music. No rock. No electronica. Just orchestral music changing with time.Drum Corps has, and always will be, a group of people marching around on a field and playing brass instruments simultaneously, while drummers play different kinds of drums, percussionists play the oldest and latest in accompany percussion, and a bunch of other people spin pretty flags, guns, and swords. I think that still describes drum corps. Also, by using electronic instruments, this ensures more corporate tie-ins, which means more money for the corps. Let the orchestras have the strings, rock bands have the guitars and electronica bands have the synths. Traditional English Brass Bands haven't changed their instrumentation much. Swing bands haven't either. Drum Corps people who pushed for the change just showed a distinct lack of creativity in my opinion. It still bugs the heck out of me that I will only see 'education' on the field and not 'entertainment'. Cant work out the more money for corps thing. how many corps have corporate tie ins with synth makers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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