More Complex Drum Corps, yet...

[Jeff Ream]

Not last year.

and previous years? after all, if you want to blame the economy, it was worse last year

[Tom Brace]

and previous years? after all, if you want to blame the economy, it was worse last year

You're right Jeff....what was I thinking?

[Mello Dude]

I'd challenge you to go to FN and watch the 1990 Finalists. To my ear and eye, the technical ability of the 2010 corps far exceeds the 1990 corps. I might even say that taken as a whole, I find the 2010 (likely) finalists more entertaining than the 1990 group.

But it seems undeniable to me that there was a much greater diversity of musical styles and visual styles present in 1990.

Actually, if you actually LOOK and LISTEN the members play and march better in 1990..and play MUCH harder music and MUCH greater dynamic levels and with something called musicality and showmanship. Corps today are "playing wise" VERY technically proficient...but miss the ball on playing music instead of Arbans. This has a lot to do with visual trumping music. Today they run and play...and yes you can hear it through the horns when they actually do both at the same time. A LOT of bait and switch going on out there, go watch a rehearsal sometime. DIRTY feet today and a TON of un-judgable marching...foot phasing EVERYWHERE. It's just different criteria today is being pushed as "winning" material vs "non-winning". Try winning DCI without a synth or amp in your show..they won't let it happen.

[Tez]

Interesting but that isn't my point. BD IS the formula. They live and breath the formula which is why they're so successful. SCV is much more willing to try different things in different ways, but when was the last time they were a threat to win?

It is not like BD is 5 pointing everyone else. Their approach to show design is not the only one that can win. They just happen to be better than the other corps in recent years. Phantom won just two years ago with a much different approach and I think Cavaliers could win this year with a cleaner show. The Blue Devils won't be on top forever.

[Tez]

Actually, if you actually LOOK and LISTEN the members play and march better in 1990..and play MUCH harder music and MUCH greater dynamic levels and with something called musicality and showmanship. Corps today are "playing wise" VERY technically proficient...but miss the ball on playing music instead of Arbans. This has a lot to do with visual trumping music. Today they run and play...and yes you can hear it through the horns when they actually do both at the same time. A LOT of bait and switch going on out there, go watch a rehearsal sometime. DIRTY feet today and a TON of un-judgable marching...foot phasing EVERYWHERE. It's just different criteria today is being pushed as "winning" material vs "non-winning". Try winning DCI without a synth or amp in your show..they won't let it happen.

There are many people who would disagree with some of your points.

Much harder music..... maybe I'll give you that one.... but only in the brass. I don't see how you could argue what the drumline and pit is doing now is easier at all.

Much greater dynamic levels..... yes maybe the horns played a little louder back then, but did any corps go for playing full brass section at pianissimo like Crown has attempted recently.

Dirty marching today..... yes some of it can be considered dirty because of the the extreme demand level, but to me when you compare the "normal marching" of today and 1990, the corps at the top (Blue Devils) is about as good as there has ever been at individual marching technique. But they also do a lot more...... they have a much larger variety of visual demand.

Musicality..... Corps today go for a different type of musicality than in 1990..... I hear great passion and intensity in 1990's music but I hear great nuance and phrase shaping in today's music (as well as passion and intensity). Also under the realm of musicality is blend and balance, which to my ears, the recent corps easily beat the 1990 corps at.

[Grumpy]

Cavies got the largest sustained applause for the evening.

An agenda is emerging today. Hey, olde timers...even DCA corps use amps now.

I can't wait until one of them says, "You kids get off my lawn."

There were DCA corps in competition in Atlanta using amps.

Good try for you.

I went back and looked at the Atlanta VOD's, and if either CorpsVets or Alliance was using amps, they were small, well-hidden and wireless-but they didn't ruin the sound like many of the DCI corps amps did (IMO). <sarcasm off>

I couldn't see any amps on the VOD's

[JohnZ]

I went back and looked at the Atlanta VOD's, and if either CorpsVets or Alliance was using amps, they were small, well-hidden and wireless-but they didn't ruin the sound like many of the DCI corps amps did (IMO). <sarcasm off>

I couldn't see any amps on the VOD's

In a previous post he claims it was Alliance

I remember Alliance having amplification.

CorpsVets most definitely do not amp.

[Mello Dude]

There are many people who would disagree with some of your points.

Much harder music..... maybe I'll give you that one.... but only in the brass. I don't see how you could argue what the drumline and pit is doing now is easier at all.

Much greater dynamic levels..... yes maybe the horns played a little louder back then, but did any corps go for playing full brass section at pianissimo like Crown has attempted recently.

Dirty marching today..... yes some of it can be considered dirty because of the the extreme demand level, but to me when you compare the "normal marching" of today and 1990, the corps at the top (Blue Devils) is about as good as there has ever been at individual marching technique. But they also do a lot more...... they have a much larger variety of visual demand.

Musicality..... Corps today go for a different type of musicality than in 1990..... I hear great passion and intensity in 1990's music but I hear great nuance and phrase shaping in today's music (as well as passion and intensity). Also under the realm of musicality is blend and balance, which to my ears, the recent corps easily beat the 1990 corps at.

Technically? Watching and listening to what drum lines were doing then as opposed to now...ya they played a harder book then. More exposure, more playing risk vs, running around doing the "monkey walk" while doing rim shots. Lines only sound cleaner today because the snares don't sound like snares anymore because of the appearance of clean vs musical instrumentation.

You hear a different overtone series. The blend and balance was always there...but so was actually playing music. Corps today never get soft..they can't because the synth is constantly loud and the nuance is simply lost on the field. So what we get today is kinda loud and kinda soft with a visual program that makes almost no sense to what is being or not being played to reinforce it.

Visual demand...interesting. I have to agree the shows are most definitely harder to march today but are they as appealing? Do they make musical sense anymore or simply demand for demands sake vs...making sense to what is being played on the field? Dirty feet are dirty feet and foot phasing is foot phasing.

[WOOHOO]

Technically? Watching and listening to what drum lines were doing then as opposed to now...ya they played a harder book then. More exposure, more playing risk vs, running around doing the "monkey walk" while doing rim shots. Lines only sound cleaner today because the snares don't sound like snares anymore because of the appearance of clean vs musical instrumentation.

You hear a different overtone series. The blend and balance was always there...but so was actually playing music. Corps today never get soft..they can't because the synth is constantly loud and the nuance is simply lost on the field. So what we get today is kinda loud and kinda soft with a visual program that makes almost no sense to what is being or not being played to reinforce it.

Visual demand...interesting. I have to agree the shows are most definitely harder to march today but are they as appealing? Do they make musical sense anymore or simply demand for demands sake vs...making sense to what is being played on the field? Dirty feet are dirty feet and foot phasing is foot phasing.

Have you actually heard Crown this year?

[dcpincollector]

Cavies got the largest sustained applause for the evening.

An agenda is emerging today. Hey, olde timers...even DCA corps use amps now.

I can't wait until one of them says, "You kids get off my lawn."

I got to the show late and didn't see Corps Vets or Alliance (DCA corps). Did they use amps? Just wondering, as the DCA guys always rail against electronics. Did either of the corps use them?