N.E. Brigand Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 Technically, I think Phantom used five movements from New Moon / Old Moon (preshow, opener, ballad, drum feature, soft closer). Thanks. And yet that still leaves fewer songs used by 2010's top twelve (60) than by 1980's top twelve (65). Break down SCV's Bartok performance into a few different movements and we still won't see corps trying to play more songs nowadays than back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Thanks. And yet that still leaves fewer songs used by 2010's top twelve (60) than by 1980's top twelve (65). Break down SCV's Bartok performance into a few different movements and we still won't see corps trying to play more songs nowadays than back then. Right, it has nothing to do with amount of pieces being played. But in today's design, it's no longer about the tune. The tune is there to serve another purpose, it seems, with obvious exceptions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 (edited) Some more that I can think of: Classic baritone soli of the main theme, with a soprano response to finish... ...led into by a sixteenth note scalic pattern Laid-back swing section bridging the two themes Climbing triad topping off the sop soloists Edited November 17, 2010 by Hrothgar15 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 Not sure if I can link to this clip, but it's rehearsal footage of the Madison Scouts Alumni Reunion Project playing "The Way We Were." Give it a listen.Pretty much a "who's who" of idiomatic drum corps brass arrangement elements. Elements that exploit and are endemic to the unique instrumentation of a drum and bugle corps. Yet I can think of virtually no corps that used any of them in their brass book this past season, save a few corps with arrangers experienced in the idiom at the helm. The drastic change in arranging style is astounding, and mostly what's responsible for a decreased personal emotional connection (this I'm sure of) and audience emotional connection (just a conjecture, don't want to speak for others, IMO, IMHO, what have you). What's caused it? Instrumentation seems to be a big one...you can't do what they did with a G midvoice section on F mellophones, for instance. But there has to be more to it. Influence of wind ensemble? Less experienced arrangers with the tried and true ones moving on? Shifting current member interest? Surely it's not due a decrease in hornline talent. As another observation, this arrangement takes on a level of musical maturity dwarfing that of a lot of what was on the DCI top 12 field this past year. Played on so-called "inferior instruments" with players 20 years on average older. Why is that? Let's find the arranger of this piece as it was played, because that person should be arranging for the junior corps activity. Bonus: Can you identify the idiomatic arrangement components from the chart? Instead of doing what I usually do when you post pure silliness, I'm going to compliment you. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Instead of doing what I usually do when you post pure silliness, I'm going to compliment you. :blink: Both of my statements are factually true, since in the first I'm talking about the connection I personally feel, and in the second, I'm comparing two different instruments and claiming that one cannot exactly match the sound of the other. You realize that, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catan Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 Not sure if I can link to this clip, but it's rehearsal footage of the Madison Scouts Alumni Reunion Project playing "The Way We Were." Give it a listen.Pretty much a "who's who" of idiomatic drum corps brass arrangement elements. Elements that exploit and are endemic to the unique instrumentation of a drum and bugle corps. Yet I can think of virtually no corps that used any of them in their brass book this past season, save a few corps with arrangers experienced in the idiom at the helm. The drastic change in arranging style is astounding, and mostly what's responsible for a decreased personal emotional connection (this I'm sure of) and audience emotional connection (just a conjecture, don't want to speak for others, IMO, IMHO, what have you). What's caused it? Instrumentation seems to be a big one...you can't do what they did with a G midvoice section on F mellophones, for instance. But there has to be more to it. Influence of wind ensemble? Less experienced arrangers with the tried and true ones moving on? Shifting current member interest? Surely it's not due a decrease in hornline talent. As another observation, this arrangement takes on a level of musical maturity dwarfing that of a lot of what was on the DCI top 12 field this past year. Played on so-called "inferior instruments" with players 20 years on average older. Why is that? Let's find the arranger of this piece as it was played, because that person should be arranging for the junior corps activity. Bonus: Can you identify the idiomatic arrangement components from the chart? As much as I enjoy the older musically driven shows (many of my favorites are pre-2000), I do think many arrangers nowadays create beautiful arrangements. I personally enjoy the visual side of the activity equal or perhaps more than the musical side, and not just because of music arranging now. In 2010, I thought Sullivan, Prime, Downey, Shanefield, Thrower, Shaw, Poulan, Bocook, Klesch, and Kennedy all wrote amazing brass books. In all honesty, I felt as if this year, there was less "snippet" arranging than ever (although I don't mind that when its done well). Some melodic musical highlights of the year for me : BD/Cavies/BAC/BK ballads, Gmen/Scouts/Crown/Bloo openers, Bloo/PR closers, Cadets entire show. Today's music excites me personally just as much if not more than the music of the g bugle era. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcpincollector Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 Not sure if I can link to this clip, but it's rehearsal footage of the Madison Scouts Alumni Reunion Project playing "The Way We Were." Give it a listen.Pretty much a "who's who" of idiomatic drum corps brass arrangement elements. Elements that exploit and are endemic to the unique instrumentation of a drum and bugle corps. Yet I can think of virtually no corps that used any of them in their brass book this past season, save a few corps with arrangers experienced in the idiom at the helm. The drastic change in arranging style is astounding, and mostly what's responsible for a decreased personal emotional connection (this I'm sure of) and audience emotional connection (just a conjecture, don't want to speak for others, IMO, IMHO, what have you). What's caused it? Instrumentation seems to be a big one...you can't do what they did with a G midvoice section on F mellophones, for instance. But there has to be more to it. Influence of wind ensemble? Less experienced arrangers with the tried and true ones moving on? Shifting current member interest? Surely it's not due a decrease in hornline talent. As another observation, this arrangement takes on a level of musical maturity dwarfing that of a lot of what was on the DCI top 12 field this past year. Played on so-called "inferior instruments" with players 20 years on average older. Why is that? Let's find the arranger of this piece as it was played, because that person should be arranging for the junior corps activity. Bonus: Can you identify the idiomatic arrangement components from the chart? The arranging in drum corps is better than it ever has been!!!! Have you even listened? Just compare the arrangements from today with those you revere and you will see that the old arrangements are not even close to the quality etc. of the newer arrangements. They are not even in the same league!!! Even the 12-23 place corps have superior arrangements to the "old" style. There is always something to appreciate if you just take the time to listen!! There is no logical reason why the arrangers shouldn't "arrange" their music to use various elements from multiple pieces. By definition they are "arrangements" which are not an identical copy of the original. It allows the arranger to put his own emotions and musical thoughts into someone elses music. By the way: what modern music would be arrangable? Is there any Maynard? Chicago? There is very little music that is composed today (except classical, jazz and brass/ wind band music) that would be arrangable into the drum corps idiom. Popular music just doesn't have much to offer today which is totally different than it was in an earlier time (60's, 70's and maybe the 80's). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 What? F mellophones can play anything that a G could, given a good horn, mouthpiece (there's the BIG problem. Try the new Warburton 3FLMT!), and player. One HUGE difference from back in the 70's and early 80's is the lack of French Horns! I REALLY miss that sound!There has been a "change" in expectations of sound quality (for the better IMHO), and influences of other performing mediums, but the biggest change IMHO is the style of music chosen, and the advent of so much "snippet" arranging instead of playing tunes in more complete pieces. Trying to play 12 songs in one 11 minute show doesn't lend itself to much complete development of a piece or even inclusion of complete phrases in some instances. Most of this is not the purview of the arranger, but the design staff, where the arranger may or may not be included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 win Let me guess at these elements: 9th chords...and lots of them - (I LOVE 'em...) Slow intro, using themes from the show... Morphing into the tune itself, at double the tempo Mellos doing 16th runs underneath the 2nd theme (there is 'old' style arranging, encapsulated in one term: Second Theme. There are no 2nd themes in drum corps anymore - only 1st themes, and 'hits') As the tune nears the end, harmonic progressions somewhat distant from the home key are employed...and...cleverly!...they turn back around to the V7 of the home key...with a HUGE crescendo, including sopranos driving up to the top of the range... The sop soloists either: hold the about to happen tonic note, WHILE the V7 chord is still going...or they resolve to the tonic note when the rest of the corps does. This is the cue for all babies in the audience to crawl swiftly and securely as close to their mothers as possible, to avoid gratuitous throwing. How'd I do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 By the way: what modern music would be arrangable? Is there any Maynard? Chicago? There is very little music that is composed today (except classical, jazz and brass/ wind band music) that would be arrangable into the drum corps idiom. Popular music just doesn't have much to offer today which is totally different than it was in an earlier time (60's, 70's and maybe the 80's). Who says it has to be composed today? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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