An Open Letter to Santa Clara Vanguard

[kmansdrummin]

Santa Clara 2009 may not have won DCI, but is is a show for the ages. It will be talked about for years to come. That, in some ways is more important than coming in first. (Especially since today's judging is an exact science...) There are shows like that in the past as well.

[oldschooldbc]

The only problem I have with new compositions, is they all sound the same. Lot's of today's Drum Corps are a lot alike and seem like "cookie cutter" forms of the same show. (I've heard this from many others as well.)

I'll take tunes I know, and are performed well. It also makes the new Drum Corps observer feel more welcome. Just IMO.

I tried doing the inverse exercise. I tried finding repertoires that should be used, but aren't. I started looking at some of the great composers of the past century, and I was shocked to find this:

Jean Sebilius: zero uses, according to corpsreps.

Christopher Rouse: one uses, accoring to corpsreps. Pioneer used him once, a decade ago. Good for Pioneer!

Steven Stucky: zero uses, according to corpsreps. He gets a Pulizter Prize for his second concerto - but no love from the designers of drum corps shows.

Stephen Albert: zero uses. Apparantly, no one is impressed with Grammy Awards or Pulitzer Prizes anymore.

Michael Colgrass: zero uses. The big goosegg, for a Pulitzer and Emmy-award winning composer.

Ernst Krenek: zero uses.

La Monte Young: zero, nada, nothing.

Terry Riley: you guessed it - zero uses.

(I know that both Young and Riley might be a stretch, since they are primarily minimalist composers. But Philip Glass and Steve Reich have been used numerous times, and they are also minimalist. The Glassmen used Reich just this year.)

This leads me to draw one of four conclusions:

1) Corpsreps is wrong. I highly doubt that.

2) These authors have prohibited their works from being used by drum corps, for copyright reasons. That may be true in some cases, but some of these authors are deceased, so I doubt if this is the culprit for them.

3) None of their work is has been deemed suitable for use in a drum corps show. That may be true in some cases, but not for all of them.

4) These composers have been ignored by drum corps designers.

I think I will go with option 4. Why? Because I see a recurring pattern here. Quality works are being ignored by show designers, who instead are willing to simply parrot each other's work. That is why these composers have never been utilized on a drum corps field - but WSS has been used almost 400 times!

These show designers are parrots. They simply parrot each other, rather than attept to make creative, show choices, that incorporate new music into drum corps. This is the low-risk way to design shows - if a composition has worked previously, it will probably work again. Unfortunately, it leads to repetition, and stagnation.

I have only one thing to say to show designers, if you want to use WSS or AS again next year: "Polly want a cracker? Polly want a cracker? Ba-bawk! Ba-Bawk!"

Edited August 15, 2009 by oldschooldbc

[skajerk]

OK. The next off topic post and I'm shutting this thread down.

I didn't start this so you guys could argue about who played what or when or blahblahblah...

I started this thread to show my appreciation to the members, staff and volunteers of the 2009 Vanguard for putting on, IMO, a simply stunning and beautiful show. A show that will be one of my favorites for many years to come. If you (the general "you") can't handle that and feel you have to spread your wisdom... take it somewhere else. There are plenty of "so and so corps played this" threads out there. Or here's an idea...

START YOUR OWN THREAD!

[kmansdrummin]

Sorry to bite the carrot. You're right, this is about appreciating Santa Clara's 2009 show.

Thank you Vanguard! I'll buy your 2009 DVD when it comes out!

I saw your performance on Youtube, and I still got choked up.

[jamesjones0611]

I tried doing the inverse exercise. I tried finding repertoires that should be used, but aren't. I started looking at some of the great composers of the past century, and I was shocked to find this:

Jean Sebilius: zero uses, according to corpsreps.

Christopher Rouse: one uses, accoring to corpsreps. Pioneer used him once, a decade ago. Good for Pioneer!

Steven Stucky: zero uses, according to corpsreps. He gets a Pulizter Prize for his second concerto - but no love from the designers of drum corps shows.

Stephen Albert: zero uses. Apparantly, no one is impressed with Grammy Awards or Pulitzer Prizes anymore.

Michael Colgrass: zero uses. The big goosegg, for a Pulitzer and Emmy-award winning composer.

Ernst Krenek: zero uses.

La Monte Young: zero, nada, nothing.

Terry Riley: you guessed it - zero uses.

(I know that both Young and Riley might be a stretch, since they are primarily minimalist composers. But Philip Glass and Steve Reich have been used numerous times, and they are also minimalist. The Glassmen used Reich just this year.)

This leads me to draw one of four conclusions:

1) Corpsreps is wrong. I highly doubt that.

2) These authors have prohibited their works from being used by drum corps, for copyright reasons. That may be true in some cases, but some of these authors are deceased, so I doubt if this is the culprit for them.

3) None of their work is has been deemed suitable for use in a drum corps show. That may be true in some cases, but not for all of them.

4) These composers have been ignored by drum corps designers.

I think I will go with option 4. Why? Because I see a recurring pattern here. Quality works are being ignored by show designers, who instead are willing to simply parrot each other's work. That is why these composers have never been utilized on a drum corps field - but WSS has been used almost 400 times!

These show designers are parrots. They simply parrot each other, rather than attept to make creative, show choices, that incorporate new music into drum corps. This is the low-risk way to design shows - if a composition has worked previously, it will probably work again. Unfortunately, it leads to repetition, and stagnation.

I have only one thing to say to show designers, if you want to use WSS or AS again next year: "Polly want a cracker? Polly want a cracker? Ba-bawk! Ba-Bawk!"

Maybe SIBELIUS hasn't been used because you spelled it SEBILIUS.

Great job this year SCV....but fans in this thread, it would show more class on your part to not stomp on the triumphs of other drum corps by saying things such as "no drum corps has as well of a balanced sound as you" and "clearly the fan favorite" and "judging isn't an exact science."

Loved the show, but come on guys.

[chrisNAtlanta]

I said this in the Finals thread but I just wanted to say it again here:

Thank you for giving me chills again! Thank you for bringing tears to these eyes and a lump in my throat again! Thank you for reminding me what what drum corps was and can be. Thank you for exhibiting class that just pours out every time I see you. But most of all...

Thank you for just being Santa Clara Vanguard!

YOU ARE MY CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR!!!

I have to admit, I thought no one should/could touch 1987 Cadets.....I was wrong. Utter beauty and classic drum corps. Bravo!

Truly one of, if not the, most memorable moment of 2009 for me is the entire SCV show.

[CorpsRelic]

While on tour with "The Academy" I had the incredible thrill of experencing the "Ballet For Martha" in Walnut and Riverside, CA and again in Glendale, AZ.

I must say, even thought I've heard portions of "Applachian Spring" a countless number of times throughout my 58

years, I really was oblivious of the history of the composition. My has my musical horizons expanded thanks to SVC this season!

Thanks to the Vanguard, I am today the proud owner of two incredible CD's of Aaron Coplands works: For anyone on this thread who hasn't really experienced Mr. Coplands complete "Ballet for Martha/Appalacian Spring I'd like to highly recommend the following:

1) COPLAND CONDUCTS COPLAND on Masterworks Extended Editions (Best Value at only $11.99 at Borders

2) COPLAND on Bernstein Century CD by Sony Classical (Also only cost $11.99 at Borders).

Quite frankly I was most impressed with the wide array of the works performed by All of this years World Class members of DCI's Marching Music's Major League....and yes for the first time since the inception of DCI, I will be purchasing the complete DVD/CD package from DCI. I didn't make it to Indianapolis this year, so I'm making this

an early Christmas present to myself.

BRAVO SCV!

[Feathers Up]

Maybe SIBELIUS hasn't been used because you spelled it SEBILIUS.

Great job this year SCV....but fans in this thread, it would show more class on your part to not stomp on the triumphs of other drum corps by saying things such as "no drum corps has as well of a balanced sound as you" and "clearly the fan favorite" and "judging isn't an exact science."

Loved the show, but come on guys.

Hmmm, I think one person mentioned "no drum corps has well of a balanced sound as you". And even if many people said it, it's still just an opinion. I thought the hornline played beautifully. The rest is a matter of opinion.

Someone saying "clearly the fan favorite" is a lack of class? Odd considering they were clearly A fan favorite. Who was the "fan favorite" could also be a matter of opinion. Crown and Cadets were also "fan favorites", but then again this is a SCV appreciation thread is it not?

And of course "judging isn't an exact science". Doesn't take a genius to know that. Oh, and I have no problem with the outcome.

This thread has nothing to do with trying to "stomp on the triumphs of other drum corps". Come on, why can't we have just one thread without this nonsense?