Forget Woodwinds – Beware of WGI

[N.E. Brigand]

Because someone referred to Broken Arrow's band in another thread today, I came across this old comment, which bears on our current discussion here:

"Part of [the reason that Broken Arrow's 2015 props moved more smoothly than Cadets' 2013 props] is due to bands being able to have as many members as they can recruit from their school enrollment. Half the guard can be moving the props while still leaving enough visual activity to interest the eye (and members to play). This year's fourth-place band at BoA finals, William Mason (from southwest Ohio), had a couple dozen members (half in guard uniforms and half in band uniforms) whose tasks were to move their large props around the field and to pose on them. (The props were double-decker scaffolding units affixed with chain link, to evoke the back-alley balcony of West Side Story.) BoA's live bloggers referred to those members as Mason's 'stage hands'.

Some DCP posters have argued that there should be no restrictions on the number of members corps can have, presumably to allow corps the greatest freedom to present shows like that. Others counter that this would lead to the loss of more lower-tier corps, that there are plenty of people who would rather be a stage hand at Blue Devils than a performer at Pioneer."

[E3D]

Word on the street is that Bobby Rush is going to be doing lead vocals for the Couchmen's WGI inspired show next year - title of the show is "Sit back and let it ride". 

[Jeff Ream]

9 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Sorry... not sure what you mean.  Do you know what shape this "new governance structure" will be taking?

No idea, but it has been discussed publicly that options for multiple scenarios were discussed. As it is, fewer directors have a seat at the table than they used to. My hunch would be to continue that trend, maybe even expand on it and the board size.

[Jeff Ream]

55 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Because someone referred to Broken Arrow's band in another thread today, I came across this old comment, which bears on our current discussion here:

"Part of [the reason that Broken Arrow's 2015 props moved more smoothly than Cadets' 2013 props] is due to bands being able to have as many members as they can recruit from their school enrollment. Half the guard can be moving the props while still leaving enough visual activity to interest the eye (and members to play). This year's fourth-place band at BoA finals, William Mason (from southwest Ohio), had a couple dozen members (half in guard uniforms and half in band uniforms) whose tasks were to move their large props around the field and to pose on them. (The props were double-decker scaffolding units affixed with chain link, to evoke the back-alley balcony of West Side Story.) BoA's live bloggers referred to those members as Mason's 'stage hands'.

Some DCP posters have argued that there should be no restrictions on the number of members corps can have, presumably to allow corps the greatest freedom to present shows like that. Others counter that this would lead to the loss of more lower-tier corps, that there are plenty of people who would rather be a stage hand at Blue Devils than a performer at Pioneer."

the big part is construction. done well vs. done cheap

[garfield]

1 hour ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Because someone referred to Broken Arrow's band in another thread today, I came across this old comment, which bears on our current discussion here:

"Part of [the reason that Broken Arrow's 2015 props moved more smoothly than Cadets' 2013 props] is due to bands being able to have as many members as they can recruit from their school enrollment. Half the guard can be moving the props while still leaving enough visual activity to interest the eye (and members to play). This year's fourth-place band at BoA finals, William Mason (from southwest Ohio), had a couple dozen members (half in guard uniforms and half in band uniforms) whose tasks were to move their large props around the field and to pose on them. (The props were double-decker scaffolding units affixed with chain link, to evoke the back-alley balcony of West Side Story.) BoA's live bloggers referred to those members as Mason's 'stage hands'.

Some DCP posters have argued that there should be no restrictions on the number of members corps can have, presumably to allow corps the greatest freedom to present shows like that. Others counter that this would lead to the loss of more lower-tier corps, that there are plenty of people who would rather be a stage hand at Blue Devils than a performer at Pioneer."

Interesting solution to the insult of having a talented musician donning steel-toed boots and hard hats to assemble the show props.  Hire a bunch of football/soccer/field hockey/hockey/tennis/foosball/baseball/basketball/bowling majors to earn a few bucks traveling with pretty peer playing music and pushing props around all summer.  Don't be seen, only need to know how to count or listen to ear bud instructions.  If the person on the mixing board is not required to be a performer, why would "stage hands"?  Why not let as many of them as needed (a whole bus-full!  Imagine the prop designs with 50 well-trained kids assembling/tearing down the show props.  And painting practice field lines!  Surely the "big" corps can swing this if the rules were changed to allow it.  So long as the direction is that stagehands can't be seen, who cares how many are on the field?

Dang interesting thought right there.

And aren't there HS drama students who have a desire to be a stagehand behind the scenes?  This is a great way for them to learn set assembly and movement wouldn't it?

NEBrigand, this is right up your alley.  Could the stagehands be designed out of the performance while still on the field?

 

[N.E. Brigand]

21 minutes ago, garfield said:

Interesting solution to the insult of having a talented musician donning steel-toed boots and hard hats to assemble the show props.  Hire a bunch of football/soccer/field hockey/hockey/tennis/foosball/baseball/basketball/bowling majors to earn a few bucks traveling with pretty peer playing music and pushing props around all summer.  Don't be seen, only need to know how to count or listen to ear bud instructions.  If the person on the mixing board is not required to be a performer, why would "stage hands"?  Why not let as many of them as needed (a whole bus-full!  Imagine the prop designs with 50 well-trained kids assembling/tearing down the show props.  And painting practice field lines!  Surely the "big" corps can swing this if the rules were changed to allow it.  So long as the direction is that stagehands can't be seen, who cares how many are on the field?

Dang interesting thought right there.

And aren't there HS drama students who have a desire to be a stagehand behind the scenes?  This is a great way for them to learn set assembly and movement wouldn't it?

NEBrigand, this is right up your alley.  Could the stagehands be designed out of the performance while still on the field?

Sure, as long as the props are large enough for them to fit inside.

But wouldn't remote control be better still? Although let me tell you, there's nothing like having your rotating stage platform's automation break down on opening night, so that your crew has to run out during scenes to move the set and the actors have to change their choreography on the fly to adjust.

[N.E. Brigand]

In another thread today, Jeff wrote:

"To be honest, woodwinds being added to DCI/DCA would cause me to seriously reconsider fandom. I go to band shows because I get paid to judge them, or if I am not working, to take my daughter to see mommy who is working them. otherwise, I don't go."

Since this is a thread about the possibility of adding woodwinds (whether ten years ago or next year), I'm curious how other people here would react if that happened.

[Ghost]

1 minute ago, N.E. Brigand said:

 Since this is a thread about the possibility of adding woodwinds (whether ten years ago or next year), I'm curious how other people here would react if that happened.

[garfield]

8 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Sure, as long as the props are large enough for them to fit inside.

But wouldn't remote control be better still? Although let me tell you, there's nothing like having your rotating stage platform's automation break down on opening night, so that your crew has to run out during scenes to move the set and the actors have to change their choreography on the fly to adjust.

Or behind the props, not in them.  Just "movers", dressed in field green or prop color, who stay behind the props and control their movement.

[mfrontz]

10 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

In another thread today, Jeff wrote:

"To be honest, woodwinds being added to DCI/DCA would cause me to seriously reconsider fandom. I go to band shows because I get paid to judge them, or if I am not working, to take my daughter to see mommy who is working them. otherwise, I don't go."

Since this is a thread about the possibility of adding woodwinds (whether ten years ago or next year), I'm curious how other people here would react if that happened.

I'd have to see how it was done.

But I think if woodwinds were to have been added, they would have done it already.