Santa Clara Vanguard 2010

[I play the baritone good]

So the snare line has only one returning vet. Ouch

There's always something.

Ugh, when will SCV just catch a break?

[BRASSO]

I don't have any desire to view a show multiple times in order for it to "grow on me" (because chances are that the one and only time I'll see it is at the show) nor SHOULD I have to be "familiar with the source material" as a pre-requisite to enjoying the music. That's a ridiculous requirement. Grab me right away or forget about it. This is the entire problem with way too many Corps today. I don't want to think about the "meaning" of a show or have to have a deeper understanding of the freaking music. Don't make me think, just entertain me........

I wonder how many people ( or show staff designers ) here that are asking some others to " let a show grow on you " by going to view it multiple times.... would go " multiple times " to a movie theatre to watch repetitive trime a movie that they thought stunk the first time they saw it ?

If they are honest with themselves ( and us ) they wouldn' t go back a 2nd time to see a convoluted movie even if it was free.... let alone pay for a ticket a 2nd.... 3rd.... 4th.... or 5th time.

If the movie stinks, is confusing, or in some other way is unsatisfying...they're not going back to see it again. They know it.. We know it.

[NeutralNovice]

I wonder how many people ( or show staff designers ) here that are asking some others to " let a show grow on you " by going to view it multiple times.... would go " multiple times " to a movie theatre to watch repetitive trime a movie that they thought stunk the first time they saw it ?

If they are honest with themselves ( and us ) they wouldn' t go back a 2nd time to see a convoluted movie even if it was free.... let alone pay for a ticket a 2nd.... 3rd.... 4th.... or 5th time.

If the movie stinks, is confusing, or in some other way is unsatisfying...they're not going back to see it again. They know it.. We know it.

I watched Star Trek three times.... twice in a REAL IMAX theatre :).

As for me, it's definitely not my favorite show from SCV, but it's not bad by any means either, the music is just not clicking with me (yet). I'll admit though that my love for SCV & Star Trek will warrant me to come back again, even if something they put on is not my favorite.

[tommytimp]

I wonder how many people ( or show staff designers ) here that are asking some others to " let a show grow on you " by going to view it multiple times.... would go " multiple times " to a movie theatre to watch repetitive trime a movie that they thought stunk the first time they saw it ?

If they are honest with themselves ( and us ) they wouldn' t go back a 2nd time to see a convoluted movie even if it was free.... let alone pay for a ticket a 2nd.... 3rd.... 4th.... or 5th time.

If the movie stinks, is confusing, or in some other way is unsatisfying...they're not going back to see it again. They know it.. We know it.

False equivalency. MAJOR false equivalency. Play, musical, opera, or ballet is the correlative you're looking for. SCV can change their show and offewr a new couple of minutes (or more). You can't re-cut or re-shoot a movie after its release date, not for a few years at least.

F'rinstance: if a musical has potential but also has trouble spots, as many do in previews, the director and staff can cut, pace, add/subtract numbers or dialogue, redesign, recast if necessary. Only once in the history of Broadway has this NOT happened, and that was a great show to begin with. SCV is, I'm betting, a pretty good corps this year. Trust their staff to do the right things to make the show work. If you don't like it, that's taste and opinion; can't change that. But to compare a constantly-evolving drum corps show to a movie that's in the can is irresponsible.

[gellio]

I don't have any desire to view a show multiple times in order for it to "grow on me" (because chances are that the one and only time I'll see it is at the show) nor SHOULD I have to be "familiar with the source material" as a pre-requisite to enjoying the music. That's a ridiculous requirement. Grab me right away or forget about it. This is the entire problem with way too many Corps today. I don't want to think about the "meaning" of a show or have to have a deeper understanding of the freaking music. Don't make me think, just entertain me........

Maybe you should rethink that. I remember Star '91. I hated that show at finals and was stunned that the Cavies didn't win. A few years later and it was my favorite show and now I cannot believe it didn't win by a larger margin. Best show ever IMO.

[BRASSO]

False equivalency. MAJOR false equivalency. Play, musical, opera, or ballet is the correlative you're looking for. SCV can change their show and offewr a new couple of minutes (or more). You can't re-cut or re-shoot a movie after its release date, not for a few years at least.

F'rinstance: if a musical has potential but also has trouble spots, as many do in previews, the director and staff can cut, pace, add/subtract numbers or dialogue, redesign, recast if necessary. Only once in the history of Broadway has this NOT happened, and that was a great show to begin with. SCV is, I'm betting, a pretty good corps this year. Trust their staff to do the right things to make the show work. If you don't like it, that's taste and opinion; can't change that. But to compare a constantly-evolving drum corps show to a movie that's in the can is irresponsible.

'Hate to break this to you friend, but if Joe and Judy Sixpack ( or Ted and Samantha Chardonnay ) take in a Drum Corps show in Anytown, Pa. and SCV ( or any Corps ) is confusing or unsatisfying, it doesn't matter how much SCV might alter the show down the line and make it more coherent at some future show somewhere elsse. They won't know, nor care that SCV got their schlitz together later on. All they know or care about was that SCV was unsatisfying when they forked over the dough for the tickets saw them.

Edited June 24, 2010 by BRASSO

[tommytimp]

'Hate to break this to you friend, but if Joe and Judy Sixpack ( or Ted and Samantha Chardonnay ) take in a Drum Corps show in Anytown, Pa. and SCV ( or any Corps ) is confusing or unsatisfying, it doesn't matter how much SCV might alter the show down the line and make it more coherent at some future show somewhere elsse. They won't know, nor care that SCV got their schlitz together later on. All they know or care about was that SCV was unsatisfying when they forked over the dough for the tickets saw them.

Wow. Major news flash. Someone might not like a drum corps show.

That wasn't my point. The point you made was comparing a drum corps show to a movie. My point was that, unlike a movie, a corps' show can and will be changed over the course fo its life, like a play or musical in previews. I couldn't care less what shows Willie and Winnie Winecooler like or dislike.

[perc2100]

I don't have any desire to view a show multiple times in order for it to "grow on me" (because chances are that the one and only time I'll see it is at the show) nor SHOULD I have to be "familiar with the source material" as a pre-requisite to enjoying the music. That's a ridiculous requirement. Grab me right away or forget about it. This is the entire problem with way too many Corps today. I don't want to think about the "meaning" of a show or have to have a deeper understanding of the freaking music. Don't make me think, just entertain me........

Well, I guess not every show can be simplistic and crowd pandering. God forbid something should be intellectually challenging and force the audience to absorb the content and think about the presentation for a bit past the initial fifteen minute performance.

[Lance]

nobody is so stupid that a drum corps show is ever beyond their ability to understand. that's just silly.

they either like it or they don't.

[perc2100]

I wonder how many people ( or show staff designers ) here that are asking some others to " let a show grow on you " by going to view it multiple times.... would go " multiple times " to a movie theatre to watch repetitive trime a movie that they thought stunk the first time they saw it ?

If they are honest with themselves ( and us ) they wouldn' t go back a 2nd time to see a convoluted movie even if it was free.... let alone pay for a ticket a 2nd.... 3rd.... 4th.... or 5th time.

If the movie stinks, is confusing, or in some other way is unsatisfying...they're not going back to see it again. They know it.. We know it.

But of course, the shows are designed to be viewed multiple times by judges. And of course not everyone has the same tastes, so what you personally might dislike, and what you're friends might not like, there might be thousands who absolutely love SCV's show, and have no problems giving it multiple viewings. Personally, with the affordable Fan Network price, I bet the majority of fans will be watching multiple shows this year. Anyone who's experienced a year of "modern era" drum corps, even as a fan, knows how much shows change and evolve from week to week and most are used to the concept that multiple viewings are required to get the full impact/intentions of a show (unless you're one/only viewing is finals week).

Your analogy doesn't hold up as movies are released as a finished product. Musicals are released on Broadway as finished products. Albums are released on CD/mp3 as finished products. Drum corps is not. Sure, directors release altered cuts of their films on DVD and sometimes re-released, but if we're being honest that is almost exclusively 100% a money grab to milk more revenue from the secondary home video market.

Maybe you can think of the drum corps season as broadway musical 'workshops' where designers play with themes, ideas, concepts and tweak throughout the year; once the shows get to DCI (Broadway), they are in their finalized state (good or bad).