supersop Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 (edited) well........ all I can say to that.. and Im not a colorguar guru or anything, but if you really arent up on taking the skills and abilities of what is seen in Dayton, and applying them to the football field, then watch the drums, horns and the drill. ? ....... Im not all too sure what you really want..? Do you want the cadets "living room chat" on the 50 they had a year or so ago..? Do you want he guard to be wearing the "full uniform" that the horns/pit/drums do..?? What kind of equipment work are you looking for...?? just flags, rifles and sabres oh my? Are you looking for just 1 flag thru the enrire show and keeping to it..? Guess Im not sure what todays guard is doing that is so "drastic" from the years..? I just try to enjoy ...... I think the word INTEGRATION has been throw around enough in this thread that the answer is simple. Integration is overused just for the sake of doing it. Coordinated integrations used effectively are awesome. Parking the entire guard front and center or blocked off to the side for half the show is not always effective. In the judges eyes it is ... but not to the average fan nor the fans that have been involved with the activity for more than 15 years. Negative space really can be effective when the music calls for it. Throwing 5 rifles in there just to fill the space is often annoying to me. There are times in every show where the guard can follow the traditional drill design elements established long ago, where they frame the rest of the corps ... there's nothing wrong with it unless you're asking Mark Hart or any other Visual judge in DCI. Take the example of modern day pits ..... just because they're amped they feel they have to play a bazeelion notes constantly. Sorry but, that element is not always required in order to support the musical literature .. nor does it express the original intent of the composer. It's just using the amps to show off skill sets that we already know exist ... but they don't need to be in the spotlight from beginning to end. Same goes for the guard. Let them play a supporting role from time to time. Add color and nuance and huge tosses where needed. Come up front for a feature a couple of times and show off your finer skills.................. but doing it constantly up in your face isn't always going to truly be effective from up top. The only people getting the full effect of the movement/dance/equipment work are the people in the lower level that have 20/20 vision. There are just too many focal points at any given time on the field. Sometimes that's cool. But all the time? NO! It just seems like DCI has done everything in their power to max out demand in the pit and guard and battery and visual and thrown away the main element of drum corps ............... the Brass. Some shows I love because they have a better balance of the elements, even if they still have ramming pits and overamped at that. Some shows I love with 5 or more viewings so I can see the forest through the trees. Some shows .... I just have no respect for because they're too formulaic and overuse the guard and pit to hide weaker elements ...... and half sized jazz runs while athletic are not technical marching nor is it ever clean. The raw elements of what made drum corps DRUM CORPS are being masked by featuring other elements to the extremes and throwing away what made the activity unique. Simple answer made long ... and I'm sure some of my points are highly debatable ... but you asked for an answer so there it is. Edited July 13, 2010 by supersop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggs1 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Well.. Im an old fart too.. and I agree.. horn players/drummers... dont seem to be up the "level" of the colorguard members vocab..... so I can see your point on that.. and a solo guard member doing a toss on the 20 by themselves would also make me go .."wtf ?" BUT ...in an overall effect on the show theory.... I like what the corps are doing today. I do enjoy the guards of the 80s and 90's... loved Garfield of 82 and 87... and way too many more to add.... but I see you points of view on those "quirkly odd" moments.. Sometimes, I sit and watch the shows wondering what the SkyRyders guard from 85 would do with this music.. I see both points of view with you tho.. !!! peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutnout Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Well.. Im an old fart too.. and I agree.. horn players/drummers... dont seem to be up the "level" of the colorguard membersvocab..... so I can see your point on that.. and a solo guard member doing a toss on the 20 by themselves would also make me go .."wtf ?" BUT ...in an overall effect on the show theory.... I like what the corps are doing today. I do enjoy the guards of the 80s and 90's... loved Garfield of 82 and 87... and way too many more to add.... but I see you points of view on those "quirkly odd" moments.. Sometimes, I sit and watch the shows wondering what the SkyRyders guard from 85 would do with this music.. I see both points of view with you tho.. !!! peace Not all guard members are up to it either..lol...In Dayton a choreographer from the show So You Think You Can Dance did a class for many but also did a critique of dance and guards and her comment was " I love the activity you have but I think a fundamental beginning dance class of the basics is needed" Now this may not seem funny .EXCEPT she was viewing the World Class of WGI... I found that hysterical, and I have a World Guard. We in this activity have many self appointed dance experts, color experts, fashion designer and yes even experts in the judging field ( self appointed ) Oh well , for sure a quirk in our activity. But I do agree about what you say also about horn and drummers, although including them somehow inthe overall theme should be done for a total package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 During Drum Corps season I focus mostly on perc and brass. If the guard wants to stand on its head and bake a cake for me that's all well and fine, but that's not really why I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutnout Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 During Drum Corps season I focus mostly on perc and brass. If the guard wants to stand on its head and bake a cake for me that's all well and fine, but that's not really why I'm there. remember though it IS a visual medium otherwise it could be a sit down concert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I get disturbed by how much DCI looks like WGI these days, too, but the only place to look for blame is the member corps themselves who choose the rules and judging they're all rated under. exactly. it's a very inbred activity, and when yo have many of the same folks involved in both, there will be bleedover, good or bad. but it has become predictable and stale when a percussion feature comes up...i can call out the body moves in advance that you see almost as a compulsory like in figure skating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiosteele Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 (edited) What's harder? 1) Simply marching around and playing.......or 2) Marching, running, hopping, crabbing, dancing, emoteing, acting, interacting, posing and playing? Judges award difficulty and the latter is harder to do. This alone is why the activity is going in this direction. Don't be surprised if in 10 years a corps show looks like a gymnastics routine with silks and instruments. The corps that care not about high achievement in judging criteria will be the ones to deliver the old-school isolated caption-type shows. Others that want in semis, finals or on the medal podium? Get used to further visual integration, because this train won't go in reverse. Edited July 13, 2010 by radiosteele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 What's harder?1) Simply marching around and playing.......or 2) Marching, running, hopping, crabbing, dancing, emoteing, acting, interacting, posing and playing? Judges award difficulty and the latter is harder to do. This alone is why the activity is going in this direction. Don't be surprised if in 10 years a corps show looks like a gymnastics routine with silks and instruments. The corps that care not about high achievement in judging criteria will be the ones to deliver the old-school isolated caption-type shows. Others that want in semis, finals or on the medal podium? Get used to further visual integration, because this train won't go in reverse. well if they want gymnastics, look at most cymbal lines at the upper levels of WGI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 The venues are different, big green field, intimate gym. Whether the weather be summer or winter, it's about the music and how you respond to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNTdrummer11 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 You better stay indoors and take care of that nasty cough! im trying im trying. gotta get well for the dallas shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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