Will Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 So, after a conversation with a friend today about our beloved color guard sport, I realized that after the year 2000 it just didn't seem like much fun anymore. Yes, there are the smattering of shows that I have liked since the year 2000 and that have stood out from the crowd, BUT I often find myself fast forwarding through a lot of shows just to get to the ones I really enjoy. Here are some of my thoughts: 1) STOP PLAYING THE GAME FOLKS! Get some creativity and do something fun and exciting! Scholastic A 2009 was the first time since 2000 that I really enjoyed watching all 15 finalists. 9 years!!! That's insane! WAKE UP FOLKS AND START MAKING THIS ACTIVITY FUN. The more fun it is for the kids to perform the shows, the more fun it will be for the instructors to teach, and the more fun it will be for the audience to watch. AND you will probably make yourself that much more memorable than sinking into the tar pit of whiney, dippy, little love shows that every other 'A' guard in the world is going to do. SET YOURSELF APART! 2) Copyrights - it is WAY too hard to get rights to music these days... mainly because of the cost. THAT SHOULD NOT MATTER. Get a synthesizer and start making your own music! Have a musician friend write a song for you and record it! Again, GET CREATIVE. 3) Teach your kids to perform. Obviously, if the kids don't like the show they aren't going to perform it. Take time to ask the kids if they like the song(s) you are considering! I do that each year and have had much better success because of that. I have yet to have a group that really wants to do a dinky little slow and pretty show. They want it to be fun! Yes, you can have a gorgeous soundtrack and have fun, but SET YOURSELF APART. Please share your thoughts on this subject. Let's make 2010 a year to remember (and not be fast forwarded through)!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quegrawks Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 (edited) I totally disagree with you. Sorry. There are tons of great shows in the local circuits and at Dayton. Not all of them make finals, so if that's all your gauging your comments on, then you're the one missing out-- attend a local show or a regional. Pay for the online streaming to see shows from around the country. Check out youtube as well. You'll find tons of great shows. And, every show that makes finals has something worthwhile to see in it, even if you don't see it at first, watch it again trying to figure out what they did to make finals, it will really open your eyes to all the wonderful things going on in this activity that you and your friend are choosing to ignore. ** I also wanted to add that as the director of an independent guard, the kids in our guard have tons of fun performing their show for thousands of fans during the season. They can't wait for the first show of 2010, and are looking forward to the entire season. They love it when other performers in high schools and other independent guards compliment them on a job well done, and they are quick to do the same to other performers in other groups. To them, performing is fun, and doing their best is fun, and seeing other guard performers doing what they love to do is fun. They may not always understand the shows they see, or understand why they are doing better or worse than some other guards, but they always enjoy the activity, and I and the rest of the staff love that they enjoy doing it as part of our group. Edited December 29, 2009 by quegrawks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick Stack Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I like color guard. I still think it's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam98 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I think Will makes some valid points, and good for him for speaking up. When did the fun get sucked out of the activity? In my opinion, much like No Child Left Behind forces educators to "teach to the test" in order to secure funding, too many guards design shows for the judges in order to secure placements--hence we see the same shows and themes repeated again and again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrishDish1002 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I like color guard. I still think it's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Denzer Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 The A class sheets are written to put emphasis on training and technique and to take away emphasis on innovation. While I think that many guards that did not make finals in A class had more interesting shows, I can see that the guards that were in finals had great technique and training. Everyone wants to make finals and be on the DVD. In most cases to do so you need to play the game. In regards to the music clearance issues...I will never for the life of me understand why an artist would not allow a non-profit performance unit from using their music. If anything it is free advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 The A class sheets are written to put emphasis on training and technique and to take away emphasis on innovation. While I think that many guards that did not make finals in A class had more interesting shows, I can see that the guards that were in finals had great technique and training. Everyone wants to make finals and be on the DVD. In most cases to do so you need to play the game. In regards to the music clearance issues...I will never for the life of me understand why an artist would not allow a non-profit performance unit from using their music. If anything it is free advertising. You are dead on right about A class and IMO it should be based on training 1st. There is nothing worst than seeing young untrained performers struggling through a show that their instructors thought was cool and way above their hreads. As far as music. we don't understand the situation because we are on the wrong side of it. I don't think it's not so much that we are a non profit it is about WGI selling tickets and DVDs that an artist wants their cut and I totally get that although I also hate doing it every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musical_Spinner Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 (edited) It's still fun. Still good shows since the 2000. How can you say there doesn't seem like much fun? Light Brigade? Braddock? Still a lot of fun out there. Edited December 29, 2009 by Musical_Spinner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugg Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) thanks will,great discussion here.... i love color guard and have for several decades [before most of you were born] and i think it's important that we don't forget to embrace the humorous,suprising and less serious sides of winter guard especially considering that this is in many cases a youth activity. Edited January 1, 2010 by dugg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick Stack Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 thanks will,great discussion here....i love color guard and have for several decades [before most of you were born] and i think it's important that we don't forget to embrace the humorous,suprising and less serious sides of winter guard especially considering that this is in many cases a youth activity. As well as world peace, existentialism, and shows about particle physics. The youths will have to be exposed to it eventually, so, colorguard's a good place to start. Question: How does one actually emote existentialism on a flag, exactly? Sarcasm aside, I'm pro-more fun. It's a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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