Hrothgar15 Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 all the way up till the great use from Cavaliers and Bluecoats this year. It's one of those things that corps will get more used to using, and come up with better, more creative uses for it to help please everyone. Speak for yourself. Nothing more cringe-worthy than three trumpets screaming into a microphone on the front sideline when you're ten feet away from an amp. Most of Bluecoats' show was physically painful to my ears. I remember semifinals ending feeling extremely disappointed; luckily Star of Indiana (worth the price of admission alone) made forget about what I had just heard... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Drum corps, same with life, society, and technology, are always changing and evolving. doesn't always make things better tho does it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 No comparison of the evolution drum corps to the evolution of technology can ever be valid. but I thought science proved it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Having caught myself up on the posts related to the evolution of the activity, this one seemed to have slipped through with little attention even though it is so important to the discussion. It is the restrictions and limitations put on the activity that forces the creativity. The rules say "Play anything you want to but do it with only brass and drums", forcing arrangers to be truly creative to get the source material's intent across within those rules. For me, grounding the pit and G to Bb didn't change that paradigm. A&E pushed the limit but voices, strings and, if it ever happens, woodwinds will mostly eliminate this most unique aspect of drum corps music. There are many but, for me, one of the most clear-cut examples of this effect is '88 SCV's Phantom. I saw the drum corps show, then flew to NY to see the play live, and came away even more in love with SCV's version because it was so true to the original source while only using horns, drums, and guard. What we're approaching today, with the "evolution" of drum corps, is taking the full cast and pit orchestra of Phantom of the Opera and adding a corps of drums and horns as accompaniment. When drum corps approaches so literally the source, in instrumentation and voice, then it's lost it's unique creativity. I agree with you 1000000000000000000000000000000% as I too did the same with Phantom after seeing SCV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Well, considering I don't follow DCA closely, and DCI kinda has the market cornered on the drum corps I DO follow... yeah. I see your point though. I guess I'm just going to continue supporting the activity and going to shows as long as I'm entertained by them. I think this is ultimately the case for everyone. I #####ed about amps, narration, and electronics, and still went to shows last year because the aspects of corps that I love are still apart of what has just become a bigger equation. A LOT of people including myself draw a line in the sand at the inclusion of woodwinds, which is part of why so many people are freaked out about their ever increasing presence in the periphery of judged competition, whether it be in encore performances or now in "extra show material" fot the TOC shows, if that is indeed what the extra material encompases (this has yet to be proven to be the case). For me, as long as the sound of woodwinds remain absent from the judged portion of the show I'll be happy. If they are included as a synth patch I'll just chalk it up as pathetic use of a synth, but the second an amped woodwind quartet or God forbid a marching woodwind section hits the field the whole scene changes for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Speak for yourself. Nothing more cringe-worthy than three trumpets screaming into a microphone on the front sideline when you're ten feet away from an amp. Most of Bluecoats' show was physically painful to my ears. I remember semifinals ending feeling extremely disappointed; luckily Star of Indiana (worth the price of admission alone) made forget about what I had just heard... I never said I speak for anyone else, thank you very much. I only put that down as my own thoughts and opinions. I know you're completely anti-amp and synth, but please, just realize that some of us do enjoy them, so just give some respect if you ever plan to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 No matter the type or quality of the show, is it impossible to enjoy it just because of the use of amplification, even if it's tastefully done and utilized effectively? Does it become a deal killer the moment someone plugs something in? well, i think given the balance issues 7 years later, I guess besides deciding what is is and what drum corps is, we have to decide whats tasteful and effective. but do me a favor, when you answer yell. my ears are still bleeding from Crown's pit volume in Allentown in 09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Not forever. We only have a couple of years left there, sadly after I age-out, but there will be a change of venue in 2014. I never said I don't enjoy Lucas Oil, I was just saying the acoustics really aren't an optimal listening environment, but it's a dream field to march on. And I think that given more time, we will see better uses of the synths and amps. I mean, even track the history to now. We started out with Crown '04, which was pretty cringe-worthy....(Beat poetry anyone?) all the way up till the great use from Cavaliers and Bluecoats this year. It's one of those things that corps will get more used to using, and come up with better, more creative uses for it to help please everyone. hunch...they'll sign a new deal for Lucas Oil before this one expires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 but I thought science proved it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 hunch...they'll sign a new deal for Lucas Oil before this one expires Well, that I'm not sure on. It could happen, but it might not happen. You never know. They could say we don't like this anymore, and bail on it to go back outdoors. We'll just have to wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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