Percussion Scores shakeup in NJ

[UNTdrummer11]

For once i can say DCI needs to be more like WGI. Last year Rhythm X had the body movement and everything but Pulse had the hands and played cleaner than BD last year. And in the end Pulse won from clean hands and not the body movement.

I definitely think DCI doesn't need to be like WGI. I feel that wgi more than anything is based off of the visual aspect of a performance. DCI is more about music and it should stay that way. Playing CLEAN shoul be more commendable than doing visual moves I believe.

[UNTdrummer11]

Yea I agree. Who wants to watch a boring drumline just play incredibly well written music with tons of technical difficulty without so much as a single ballet move, leg kick or dancing with the guard........oh maybe real percussionists would.

[bluecoats88]

Is there anyone here who marched percussion that can tell us the importance of a "center snare"? It just seems like if they have a name for the position, it carries a certain amount of importance and when she's not there, it could affect the rest of the line.

Just curious.

randy

normally the better players are towards the middle of the line. when playing as a unit all players listen in to the center, so your best player would be the center snare. Listening in is designed for the whole line to focus on and keep in time with the center snare. so in essence that center snare is the guide for the whole line. Without the center snare I'm sure Crown's drum line adjusted to listening in to one of the two next to center snares last night. So I doubt it was really that big of an issue for their line playing well. Now as for marching, having a hole in the middle of the line was probably a little challenging.

[BigPapiBass5]

I definitely think DCI doesn't need to be like WGI. I feel that wgi more than anything is based off of the visual aspect of a performance. DCI is more about music and it should stay that way. Playing CLEAN shoul be more commendable than doing visual moves I believe.

thats what happened.

[Jeff Ream]

I disagree. Phantom has slipped precisely BECAUSE they have lost their agressive old school style. Myron's got to go after this season. He's not a fit there.

And I guarantee you that Phantom Regiment will get their rich deep bass sound back we've all come to know, and there is no way in the world that Phantom Regiment will not have at least 12 Tubas out on the field next year, imo.

You know that Phantom Regiment is struggling a bit ( not a lot though ) when it is their percussion line that is their strongest section.

Phantom Regiment does not need to become Blue Stars ....or SCV.

Phantom Regiment just needs to become Phantom Regiment.

Myron's gotta go? yeah I guess all those years with SCV showed that he sucked

[Jeff Ream]

For once i can say DCI needs to be more like WGI. Last year Rhythm X had the body movement and everything but Pulse had the hands and played cleaner than BD last year. And in the end Pulse won from clean hands and not the body movement.

Pulse had body too...they just didnt have the acrobatics, which, when you look at X, wasn't really happening while playing except for 2 spots.

and pulse was just cleaner.

body can play a part in the what, but clean wins.

it's June. Anything can happen

[BozzlyB]

BOOYAH!!!!! Body Movement? Who cares? Phantom throws down - every time.......

Thats fine, but you simply can't say that corps DOING lots of body movement aren't also playing amazing books, because many of them are. Bottom line is corps playing a very demanding book with lots of body movement and doing it well, are likely to be rewarded higer than lines with little or no body movement, also with demanding books played well even if the 2nd group has slightly MORE musical demand. If lines doing body movment were sacrificing the book to pull it off then that is one thing. I don't see that as the case with the majority of the top lines. I mean look at BD, who moves like crazy and plays their tails off at the same time. Win over no body movement every time. Look at it this way, the body movement, while potentially just catering to the visual Gods, could also be seen as the natural progression of drumline "visuals" that have been well accepted and used forever, since the advent of back sticking and other tricks.

Edited June 30, 2010 by BozzlyB

[UNTdrummer11]

we'll just see as the season progresses. its just one night.

all im saying is... 08

Edited June 30, 2010 by UNTdrummer11

[parkbench]

normally the better players are towards the middle of the line. when playing as a unit all players listen in to the center, so your best player would be the center snare. Listening in is designed for the whole line to focus on and keep in time with the center snare. so in essence that center snare is the guide for the whole line. Without the center snare I'm sure Crown's drum line adjusted to listening in to one of the two next to center snares last night. So I doubt it was really that big of an issue for their line playing well. Now as for marching, having a hole in the middle of the line was probably a little challenging.

Interesting question and mostly concur with above posters response. Additional perspective from several roles played - line leader, center, co-center and as caption instructor over the years --

While the center is typically one of the "better" players, I suggest that role and selection is more about balance in accounting for ALL the attributes needed to drive a line and the battery overall. That is, consistency in drumming skills, style, interpretation and execution of technique, book, leadership, discipline, maturity and respect by line and staff to drive (and respond) to environment, etc. Thus, essentially, someone whom is consistent and reproducibly reliable as a "standard" to which others can conform and follow. And that isn't necessarly the "best" drummer. I certainly would never consider myself in my role as the best in comparison to chops amongst my Brothers. But across the skillset, I was reliable to "follow" -- stick heights, attacks, drags interpretation & execution, blah blah blah. And from the center outward, that (seems to be) the criteria for setting the lines.

Interestingly, this was fully tested when our Alumni corps (2008) line of 16 snares (which had as many as 24 in early camps) of absolute legends across our history came together; many drum sgts or captains in our respective eras. Add to that style and chops differences. There were guys in the line that could play circles around me (then and now) individually but consistency in approach and sound pushed for the center-most crew to set the tone (including to a degree, leadership). The big! lines of current corps I believe is not dissimilar in the hierarchy of line mechanics and politics. And snares' can have ego's; our CAC888 ended our "season" as the Sweet Sixteen but we certainly went thru a period where we were lovingly referred to as 'the DramaLine' while things got sorted out.

One last note, when the center player(s) are missing, adjustments to the above natural order does get a bit upset and others MAY play up or down their role momentarily which could upset the applecart. Particularly in combo with the drill aspect.

BTW. my forever hat is off to our CAC center, Hulka - a frequent contributor and artist to the nth, whom I had privledge of being his right-side wingman! A true testament to his balance, consistency, leadership, skill, respect to bring 60years of drumming to sweetness.

Edited June 30, 2010 by parkbench

[2000Cadet]

normally the better players are towards the middle of the line. when playing as a unit all players listen in to the center, so your best player would be the center snare. Listening in is designed for the whole line to focus on and keep in time with the center snare. so in essence that center snare is the guide for the whole line. Without the center snare I'm sure Crown's drum line adjusted to listening in to one of the two next to center snares last night. So I doubt it was really that big of an issue for their line playing well. Now as for marching, having a hole in the middle of the line was probably a little challenging.

Learn something new every day.