Carolina Crown 2011: Rach Star

[cowtown]

I get that it’s challenging but I don’t agree that it’s beautiful, tastes are subjective though

In my opinion and not meant to be offensive, it ups the dork factor and detracts from the cool factor in drum corps, big time. No, I’m not saying dance is necessarily dorky but dancing and rolling around on a football field while playing a horn softly is (IMO)….I don’t think you’re really broadening the appeal of the activity, narrowing it in fact. Show a horn line blowing your face off with mad runs versus rolling around and doing dance moves at a pianissimo to average high schoolers and do a poll, which one is cooler and which one would they more likely want to participate and I can’t help but feel that most high schoolers would vote against the dancing horns.

Let the dancers dance and the horns play, what is this kitchen sink approach…it’s jack of all trades and master of none. I don’t expect the guard to play horns

Plus it feels so tacked on, so spastic and ADD. It’s like you don’t have the patience to allow the music to breath and develope, like you are selling the music short, saying it’s not good enough to stand (pun here) on it’s own

And it’s so over-done

So, if you are going to have it all over your Rach Show, I hope the movement is at least appropriate and projects rock star style if used in rock parts which, would mean an entire new movement vocabulary, something we'd see at one of those bands shows, on stage

I really feel it’s just band-wagoning, follow-me tacked-on, lazy show design to up the demand regardless of the music or show's content

And really, wasn’t it Blue Knights thing? At least they fully committed to it through out their entire visual package including marching style – so it was easier to take there

again, just my views

Edited April 27, 2011 by cowtown

[TubaJon]

I get that it's challenging but I don't agree that it's beautiful, tastes are subjective though

In my opinion and not meant to be offensive, it ups the dork factor and detracts from the cool factor in drum corps, big time. No, I'm not saying dance is necessarily dorky but dancing and rolling around on a football field while playing a horn softly is (IMO)….I don't think you're really broadening the appeal of the activity, narrowing it in fact. Show a horn line blowing your face off with mad runs versus rolling around and doing dance moves at a pianissimo to average high schoolers and do a poll, which one is cooler and which one would they more likely want to participate and I can't help but feel that most high schoolers would vote against the dancing horns.

You're right, the use of dynamics is totally an awful idea.... loud, Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!!!! Thats drum corps at its finest

[Todd Tanji]

Bravo Crown for doing a multi-genre show!

This is going to be fun!

[cowtown]

You're right, the use of dynamics is totally an awful idea....

if that's what you took from my post, well, spoken like a true music ed major

Edited April 27, 2011 by cowtown

[DcFr3aK]

if that's what you took from my post, well, spoken like a true music ed major

That is one thing to take from it. Dynamics come in many forms, sound and sight. Color and shape create dynamics in the visual art. Decibel levels are that of sound. Perhaps you are not seeing that each of Crown's shows brings in new movement techniques. Take "Triple Crown" for instance. Their entire visual 'theme' was based around the gallop of a horse ie. Blue Knights. In the 2008 and 2009 programs, everything was much more elongated and length to the leg in both marching and dancing techniques, and at times more expressive movement to go along with the music ie. Puck and Barber of Seville.

I am not trying to devalue your argument, I'm just trying to show you (as a FMM of Crown) that there is a rhyme and reason for EVERY motion our body takes. Perhaps they just aren't doing it well enough for you to fully enjoy/understand the story they are telling on the field. I for one loved doing it, and now from the stands, I absolutely love watching them express the music not only with sound, but with their bodies.

I hope you try and understand that the ideas put onto the field are done for a reason, not just whilly-nilly to add that "everything including the kitchen sink" and to make it harder than it actually is!

Much love

[SFZFAN]

You're right, the use of dynamics is totally an awful idea.... loud, Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!!!! Thats drum corps at its finest

Correct.

[thirdcoast]

You're right, the use of dynamics is totally an awful idea.... loud, Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!!!! Thats drum corps at its finest

This is such the truth! loud, Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!!!! You may have just came up with a tour t-shirt! Love it.

[charlie1223]

This is such the truth! loud, Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!!!! You may have just came up with a tour t-shirt! Love it.

I don't like drum corps shows that can be described by 1 adjective.....

Edited April 28, 2011 by charlie1223

[troon8]

Marching is a very formalized form of dance.

If you "buy" that statement then the rest of it follows. Accepting that is where a lot of folks get "stuck".

Funny, I thought marching is a very formalized form of walking.

That's all I've got here...curious to see how this show turns out!

Edited April 28, 2011 by troon8

[corpsband]

Funny, I thought marching is a very formalized form of walking.

dance :to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music

looks to me that marching fits dance's definition just fine.

at first -- it does seem an odd way to thinking about marching. after all marching's genesis *was* efficient locomotion and in the military that's still (largely) the case. but it actually makes a lot of sense. a field show is just choreographed movement. if you start there then it's easy to extend it conceptually to include any expressive movement.