Changing the Game

[Medeabrass]

To add to some of the other great shows mentioned here (80 SCV, mid-80's Cadets, 93 Star, mid-90's BD, 00's Cavaliers, etc), I would like to add SCV 1991 for their percussion innovation. I think that show, and its use of percussion effect, helped change the way designers approached percussion writing: it's not just beats, melodies, and impact. There were so many great percussion effects in that 91 Vanguard show, and I think it paved the way for other great writing after.

Totally agree...Love their percussion that year...sadly, I think we won't ever see drumlines try to creatively create effects like this anymore because they can do it all with the push of a button on a keyboard.

[byline]

Totally agree...Love their percussion that year...sadly, I think we won't ever see drumlines try to creatively create effects like this anymore because they can do it all with the push of a button on a keyboard.

Yup. '91 was Santa Clara's "Miss Saigon" show, correct? No synthesizers were needed to create the sound effect of a helicopter, just some creative use of percussion. I think that with the addition of synths, we lost a huge amount of potential for creative thinking and performance.

[corps-mudgeon]

Yup. '91 was Santa Clara's "Miss Saigon" show, correct? No synthesizers were needed to create the sound effect of a helicopter, just some creative use of percussion. I think that with the addition of synths, we lost a huge amount of potential for creative thinking and performance.

I tend to agree with this point of view in theory, but everyone points to the Miss Saigon show as an example of creative percussion. Have we gone almost 20 years without another example of creativity? If so, one might conclude that the potential for creativity wouldn't be realized in the absence of synths either. I find that mildly depressing.

[lindap]

I tend to agree with this point of view in theory, but everyone points to the Miss Saigon show as an example of creative percussion. Have we gone almost 20 years without another example of creativity? If so, one might conclude that the potential for creativity wouldn't be realized in the absence of synths either. I find that mildly depressing.

It's taken 3 days to watch and listen to my 2009 vid...Fri/Sat/Sun this past weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at the subtle and tasteful use of technology...as compared to the 3 other years I'd purchased, one of which I've yet to see and hear. Personally, I watch vids non-sequentially. Has the game changed? Yes. I still like drum corps then and now. btw I rarely talk about drum lines; good golly I'm an colour guard lady! :-)

[byline]

I tend to agree with this point of view in theory, but everyone points to the Miss Saigon show as an example of creative percussion. Have we gone almost 20 years without another example of creativity? If so, one might conclude that the potential for creativity wouldn't be realized in the absence of synths either. I find that mildly depressing.

No, I really don't think we skipped 20 years of creativity. That's just one of those really outstanding uses of percussion that will always stand out in my mind . . . and, I think, stand the test of time (as demonstrated by the fact that we're still talking about it 20 years later).

[mg9175]

This may have been mentioned in previous posts. I believe Zingali is/was a revolutionary in terms of visual design, but I would also suggest that Steve Brubaker revolutionized the use of geometric pattern in drill. Agree/disagree?

[perc2100]

Yup. '91 was Santa Clara's "Miss Saigon" show, correct? No synthesizers were needed to create the sound effect of a helicopter, just some creative use of percussion. I think that with the addition of synths, we lost a huge amount of potential for creative thinking and performance.

Only time will tell. The current generation of percussion designers are pretty well versed in producing both acoustical and electronic effects, and I think it will stay that way. But it's undeniable that the use of synths will augment musical effect.

[perc2100]

Have we gone almost 20 years without another example of creativity?

Oddly enough, on the other side of that spectrum (lots of cool sound effects from SCV 91), I think that Star 1993 was just as creative and innovative in it's use of space and necessity. I'm convinced there isn't one note that isn't in that percussion book that isn't absolutely vital to the overall music design, and I think it's demonstration in restraint was innovative for it's time.

Also, some of the effects used in Cavaliers 2006 were incredible; not only were cool "toys" used for color, but the way the front ensemble keyboard book was orchestrated was done to incredible effect as far as the timbres used. Same with Phantom's pit intro in 2007, as far as orchestration and the way the book was written to evoke birds in flight. I'm not a huge fan of that show overall, but the pit writing, especially that intro, was pretty innovative.

[sdstar]

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Edited February 2, 2010 by sdstar

[fourouttheforty]

Gotta disagree about Star '93 pushing the "write the music to fit the visual" paradigm. That was all Cavaliers. Listen to the original works and tell me where Jimmer took creative license to stress a visual moment. I think it's a fair argument to say that Star '93 changed the vocabulary of visual but there is no way you can tell me that the music was written to the visual. Jimmer never operated that way.

That isn't my claim. Star did its thing in '93; without that program I don't think hornlines would be having dance blocks during spring training.

Seven years later Cavies take their own huge step in visual/music integration.