TheClutch Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) How do you guys think the arranger and staff did compared to previous years? I know people used to always complain about volume.. was this fixed? Do you prefer the new or old? Where do you predict them going in 2011? Just haven't heard or seen much about the topic :) Edited February 25, 2011 by TheClutch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Can't say I was a fan of their brass book last year or the year before. But they do sound a lot better than in years previous. Never was really a fan of their sound, but 2010 seemed like a step in the right direction. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hostrauser Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) Can't say I was a fan of their brass book last year or the year before. But they do sound a lot better than in years previous. Never was really a fan of their sound, but 2010 seemed like a step in the right direction. No offense, but if you didn't love their brass sound in 2002 you're completely and utterly tone deaf. For the longest time brass was the Cavaliers' weak spot. It pretty much cost them the title in both 90 and 91, but brass managed to not "lose" the title in 92 and 95 (no doubt visual and percussion still powered the corps to the Championship in both years). Starting in 1999, though, Cavies brass started to come around, and by 2002 they were a marvel of great tone and amazing intonation. 02-06 Cavies brass lines were all delicious, but then they regressed. The 07-09 weren't quite as strong, and I think the staff knew it because they wrote a set of shows (07-08) that really avoided featuring the brass for extended sections (I think I counted in one of those two--2007 or 2008, can't remember--that the Cavaliers brass was playing for about 6 minutes and NOT playing for about 5.5 minutes of an 11.5 minute show). 2010 was much, much better compared to the previous three years. Definitely a step in the right direction that I hope they continue on in 2011. Edited February 25, 2011 by hostrauser 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) No offense, but if you didn't love their brass sound in 2002 you're completely and utterly tone deaf. For the longest time brass was the Cavaliers' weak spot. It pretty much cost them the title in both 90 and 91, but brass managed to not "lose" the title in 92 and 95 (no doubt visual and percussion still powered the corps to the Championship in both years). Starting in 1999, though, Cavies brass started to come around, and by 2002 they were a marvel of great tone and amazing intonation. 02-06 Cavies brass lines were all delicious, but then they regressed. The 07-09 weren't quite as strong, and I think the staff knew it because they wrote a set of shows (07-08) that really avoided featuring the brass for extended sections (I think I counted in one of those two--2007 or 2008, can't remember--that the Cavaliers brass was playing for about 6 minutes and NOT playing for about 5.5 minutes of an 11.5 minute show). 2010 was much, much better compared to the previous three years. Definitely a step in the right direction that I hope they continue on in 2011. Never saw them live in '02, but from '05 onward it just never really did anything for me. Give me Crown's hornline from those years any day of the week and twice on Sundays. If I can't feel the sound, I'm out. Just hearing it won't cut it. (Keep in mind I'm a software engineer, not a musician. I don't know the first thing about brass playing. But I'm absolutely certain as to what I like and what has an emotional effect on me.) Edited February 25, 2011 by Hrothgar15 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Never saw them live in '02, but from '05 onward it just never really did anything for me. Give me Crown's hornline from those years any day of the week and twice on Sundays. If I can't feel the sound, I'm out. Just hearing it won't cut it. (Keep in mind I'm a software engineer, not a musician. I don't know the first thing about brass playing. But I'm absolutely certain as to what I like and what has an emotional effect on me.) But can you quantify that emotional response? THAT is the true question. I enjoyed the Cavaliers' brass in 2010 but I really enjoyed the balance and blend they brought to the field. It was unique, if not "characteristically drum corps." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCISuperfan Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Pretty much what hostrauser said, the cavaliers this year had the best sound I have heard from them since 2004. That isnt saying much though, since 2005-2009 were terrible years for them when it came to brass. It has been a LOOONNNGGG time since I have been able to say that I enjoyed cavaliers the most musically out of any corps in a given year, and I am glad that I can say that for 2010. 2011 will hopefully even kick it up a notch and really take out all the stops on what their hornline can do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd Glasgow BB Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (Keep in mind I'm a software engineer That's ok, all the cool kids are... or were back in the 90s. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerseyboy Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 No offense, but if you didn't love their brass sound in 2002 you're completely and utterly tone deaf. 2002 was 8 years ago. not relevant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Knob Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 2002 was 8 years ago. not relevant. Beethoven was 200 years ago. Mozart 250. Not relevant? It's like saying 1976 Blue Devils are not relevant to the activity because they were 35 years ago. 83 Cadets? 91 Star? Sorry, I don't buy that. We need to be careful of what aspect of Cavies hornline we are talking about. Content or execution? As a brass judge in the early 2000's, I judged the Cavies in field brass many times. From an individual execution standpoint, they were wonderful, some of the best brass playing I ever heard on the field (up to Crown 2008 IMHO). But, while the individual playing was excellent, I couldn't sing you 5 seconds of their show after they came off the field. Even as a brass judge, I remember visual parts of the program. Judging them in GE was not fun because of the big disconnect between the technical playing and the content of what was being played. I think they are getting back on track brass-wise, but it's still not like the early 2000's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHdork Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 As a brass dork, I have to agree with Hostrauser and Steve Knob: Cavies brass became the state of the art in the early part of the decade...truly marvelous horn playing. Even in the years others cite as 'weak' in this decade, I thought the Cavies brass acquitted themselves well within the parameters of the show they were given to perform. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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