Amplification/Electronics: 2011 Season

[garfield]

Uh, no. Not wrong at all. Not being there you'd have no idea how it was back then. GE judging never stopped. Execution did...at the first gun. That was the intent of that gun. It had nothing to do with GE at all. In my marching days it was at 11:30 of the show, and the corps had another 1:30 to complete their performance. That way every corps was judged in execution for the same amount of time.

BTW...GE judging in that era was quite varied, depending on the sheets being used. In 71 VFW Nats GE was a single 10-point caption. At the 71 World Open it was 30 points.

And Mike, wasn't that 11:30 execution cutoff an attempt to recognize fan reaction? It wasn't just a static decision to recognize execution for the same amount of time, I don't think. After all, they could have judged execution until the second gun at 13:00. IIRC this was a decision to let crowd appeal take precedent over the tight confines of execution.

[audiodb]

Uh, no. Not wrong at all. Not being there you'd have no idea how it was back then. GE judging never stopped. Execution did...at the first gun. That was the intent of that gun.

And that's what he was saying....after that gun, the corps was judged on GE only, not performance execution.

In my marching days it was at 11:30 of the show, and the corps had another 1:30 to complete their performance. That way every corps was judged in execution for the same amount of time.

Actually, when you marched, it was 11:00, with an additional 2:00 to complete the show. The change to 11:30 went into effect in 1974. Of course, not being there, I'd have no idea how it was back then.

[audiodb]

And Mike, wasn't that 11:30 execution cutoff an attempt to recognize fan reaction? It wasn't just a static decision to recognize execution for the same amount of time, I don't think. After all, they could have judged execution until the second gun at 13:00. IIRC this was a decision to let crowd appeal take precedent over the tight confines of execution.

No, I think it was simply a measure to standardize how long each corps could be "ticked". Of course, not being there, I'd have no idea how it was back then.

(Not kidding this time....the concept of execution judging ceasing at the minimum show duration probably dates back to the mid-1920s, and I have no way of knowing for sure what their mindset was at that time.)

[mobrien]

My daughter's school band did it last year, and did it very well. Personally, I think the piece is a pretentious mess, but what the hell, if Garfield is attracted to it, it would make sense to use the vocal bracketing that's built into the original piece.

[N.E. Brigand]

it would make sense to use the vocal bracketing that's built into the original piece.

This is a fundamental point of disagreement to me, for whom one of the joys of drum corps is the clever transformation of works from other settings so as to showcase use the beautiful brass and percussion instrumentation. Gimmicks like singing or guitars or pianos just serve to remind the audience of what drum corps is not, rather than emphasizing what it is, and to highlight the arrangers' lack of imagination to adapt the original to drum corps. (And amplification makes it all too easy for them to do so.)

That said, while for that reason it's unlikely that I'll enjoy the singing in the Cadets' show next year, it could very well be brief and inoffensive -- an annoying but not insurmountable distraction, like Little G. in this year's show, which was one of my favorites of the season.

[Jeff Ream]

My link

Educate yourselves please.... Listen before you rant.

i've heard it. Im meh on voice on the field

[Jeff Ream]

Uh, no. Not wrong at all. Not being there you'd have no idea how it was back then. GE judging never stopped. Execution did...at the first gun. That was the intent of that gun. It had nothing to do with GE at all. In my marching days it was at 11:30 of the show, and the corps had another 1:30 to complete their performance. That way every corps was judged in execution for the same amount of time.

BTW...GE judging in that era was quite varied, depending on the sheets being used. In 71 VFW Nats GE was a single 10-point caption. At the 71 World Open it was 30 points.

you're right I wasn't around drum corps back then or havent seen or listened to or talked to many people...including judges from back then.

[MikeD]

And Mike, wasn't that 11:30 execution cutoff an attempt to recognize fan reaction? It wasn't just a static decision to recognize execution for the same amount of time, I don't think. After all, they could have judged execution until the second gun at 13:00.

13:00 was the max...corps could end their show at 11:30 if they wanted to. Most went into the 12's to get across the line and turn for their finale.

IIRC this was a decision to let crowd appeal take precedent over the tight confines of execution.

No, not really, since for much of the remaining 1:30 the corps was pointing away from the crowd until they got to their final hit from the endzone, which was aimed at putting a nice big 'bow' ending to the show. The problem? The corps was at least 50 yards away, plus any distance to the stands, so it lost some of the impact it might have had...and did have..ending on the field.

In 71 they finally allowed corps to cross the goal line and then move around so that while not moving on to the field, they could come a little closer to the judges. That was the first baby-step to the eventual elimination of the starting and ending line.

[MikeD]

And that's what he was saying....after that gun, the corps was judged on GE only, not performance execution.

Actually, when you marched, it was 11:00, with an additional 2:00 to complete the show. The change to 11:30 went into effect in 1974.

I think it depended on which rules were in play at the show, but you may be right. I remember 11:30, but that may have been from when I started judging and teaching.

[MikeD]

you're right I wasn't around drum corps back then or havent seen or listened to or talked to many people...including judges from back then.

apparently not, from your comments.