relmquist Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 my experience having marched "fast" shows and "slow" shows and "fast" shows with "slow" parts, marching and playing at 216 is much harder than being expressive -- but that's just me. It might be harder physically, but is it more demanding? Sometimes a lot more errors in marching (look at the feet)are open to be seen when the corp is moving slowly. So it may be more physically demanding, but is it really harder? I don't think that one is "harder" to clean than the other. I have seen more errors in a slow moving section than I have been able to see when the corps is moving at 216. Maybe it is just my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 So it may be more physically demanding, but is it really harder? achieving some sort of aesthetic of "expression" reaches a ceiling in my experience. anybody can get to a point where they are doing "enough" musically to qualify as "music." few groups actually DO this, but all of them CAN. BUT -- drum corps can do things physically that no other groups in the world can do, and they can do them at a higher level than anyone else. i watch drum corps not to be moved by some great expressive ensemble (though i respect the continuum of "control" required in nuanced performances), but to see performances that i can't get anywhere else. truly "world class" performances. i still say that running around out there is more difficult, because there is no chance for a mental break. everything is passing too quickly. playing a great ballad certainly isn't easy, but it isn't a beast like medea's dance of vengeance, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k3ndall Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 FACT #1 THE CADETS ARE GETTING BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY! AT AN ALARAMING RATE! FACT #2 CAROLINA CROWN'S DEPETH OF DESIGN IS UNMATCHED THIS SEASON! FACT #3 CADETS AND CAROLINA CROWN WILL BATTLE ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL FINALS NIGHT! FACT #4 DCI 2009 TOUR WILL BE THE MOST ENTERTAINING SEASON THUS FAR! K3NDALL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesjones0611 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Wow, I just sort of had an epiphany... I guess no one is really saying that Crown's show is easy, or that the Cadets are far better than them...I guess some people are just saying that the Cadets' show is harder...which is totally fine...haha. Glad to see so many people are really into the battle between the two corps. One thing is for sure...both groups are EXTREMELY good this year...Crown improved in 1 year more than anyone thought was possible, and Holy Name is out for BLOOD, and they're doing whatever it takes to reach their goal...I'm excited to see this unfold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan of the Arts Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Crown's 3rd portion of their show, Sensemaya, is at over 200 bpm...so you are completely wrong about that. {{grin}}...I stand corrected :) Irving Fan of the Arts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 IMHO the HNC visually this year are like a rollercoaster which consists of one continuous drop at 120 mph. It's thrilling at first but after 3 or 4 mins of dropping down that hill, the effect starts to wear off. Musically its much the same: smack, smack, smack. Its fun at first (who doesnt like to be smacked by a wall of brass?) but eventually it becomes....well...just more of the same. Variety of effect is very important to ANY production in ANY venue. A rollercoaster with that long lift hill and loops and turns and inversion is WAY more entertaining than a one trick coaster. Pacing and variety of effect lead to successful productions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxingfred Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 IMHO the HNC visually this year are like a rollercoaster which consists of one continuous drop at 120 mph. It's thrilling at first but after 3 or 4 mins of dropping down that hill, the effect starts to wear off. Musically its much the same: smack, smack, smack. Its fun at first (who doesnt like to be smacked by a wall of brass?) but eventually it becomes....well...just more of the same. Variety of effect is very important to ANY production in ANY venue. A rollercoaster with that long lift hill and loops and turns and inversion is WAY more entertaining than a one trick coaster. Pacing and variety of effect lead to successful productions. So Says the Carolina Crown Booster. That watched his corps do a show called FINI in which his corps played the most high powered popular parts of songs back to back in one show. So you mean to tell me that wasn't effective. I think your comment was off by less than half a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 FACT #1 THE CADETS ARE GETTING BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY! AT AN ALARAMING RATE!FACT #2 CAROLINA CROWN'S DEPETH OF DESIGN IS UNMATCHED THIS SEASON! FACT #3 CADETS AND CAROLINA CROWN WILL BATTLE ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL FINALS NIGHT! FACT #4 DCI 2009 TOUR WILL BE THE MOST ENTERTAINING SEASON THUS FAR! K3NDALL FACT #5 K3NDALL DOESN'T USE SPELL CHECK! FACT #6 BD WILL BEAT TH3M BOTH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DcFr3aK Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 So Says the Carolina Crown Booster. That watched his corps do a show called FINI in which his corps played the most high powered popular parts of songs back to back in one show. So you mean to tell me that wasn't effective. I think your comment was off by less than half a point. Okay, look at 'Finis' and now look at WSS of 2009. The two shows are designed completely different. It's like apples and oranges. They are both great, but are completely different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treadstone Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I don't think that the Holy Name Cadets will catch Crown. Of course, I am (admittedly) being a "back seat driver", but here is where I think the Cadets have left a weakness........ 1. Crown's show is well-punctuated by tension and release in terms of creative moments of abstraction from which the scripted moments of highly concrete drill and audio/visual materialize and each (abstract and concrete) serve to enhance the other through contrast. If you watch, the Hornline goes from being a unified and cohesive ensemble to a theatrical cast and back again. Same with the guard and the percussion. 2. Holy Name Cadets are technically and dynamically very impressive, but the one element that is missing (they they have had in some of their more successful shows) is some characterization by the hornline and percussion. Indeed, even the guard is so "uniform" that personality and characterization do not seem to surface. So, Cadets are an incredible study in "CONCRETE" ensemble, but seem to lose the human element on the theatrical end (which is the element that led Phantom and Cavies to great success last season). HNC does not provide the reinforcing CONTRAST that Crown provides. In that regard, their performance while CLEAN is somewhat sterile in the abstract creativity department. 3. Again, as backseat driver, I offer that the HNC have 3 potential opportunities in their show to consider some interjection of character within their hornline. Beginning about mid-show, they have 3 (maybe 2) places in which some or all of the hornline is tacet and focused on marching. Rather than rigid drill the while time - they should consider reworking 1 (2 to be bold) spots and create some vignettes that offer "atmospheric characterization" to the whole conflict and resolution theme. At least on spot, which is the song from the orginal musical in which the women is singing in a sultry alto voice in a very tense way - would be PERFECT for such and opportunity. 4. Conclusion - the Cadets should take and chance and consider interjecting the same strategy as Crown, but within the character of their show. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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