Accessible vs. Avant-Garde

[BRASSO]

The beauty of Drum Corps shows... for the last 40 years anyway.... is that in any Top 12 shows, there will be diversity in styles, approaches, music, visual, themes, etc. Some shows will be new and fresh and will " work " for many in the audience, and others will "flop". Some shows will attempt be more accessible and will be" a hit" with many, or they'll be a consensus "flop " with many. In my opinion, there is nothing particularly enobling or satisfying playing something that only a few people enjoy, whether it's attempt is " Avant- Garde " or it's attempt is " Accessible ". The key is to make the performance engaging for most of the people in your audience. That said, I do know that a few designers and arrangers design a show to impress 12 people ( judges ) more than than the paying audience. I respect that, and it's their choice. I simply have no interest however in what 12 judges think of a show performance. I can enjoy both an " Avant- Garde " show as well as an " Accessible " show ( as mentioned above, some can be simultaneously both, ie engaging and interesting. ) It's all in the presentation. It would be a shame if all we had in Drum Corps is one or the other. Fortunately, we've never had that before. Diversity of styles and approaches has been a hallmark of DCA and DCI Drum Corps shows since it's inception.

Edited March 29, 2011 by BRASSO

[Rifuarian]

Both, of course. There's plenty of room for both in drum corps, and I've always felt a little sorry for that handful of people who restrict themselves to enjoying only one or the other. Maybe I'm just a little too easy to please.

That said, I think the ratio should be 3 or 4 to 1 in favor of "accessible". The reason being that accessible is far easier to pull off than an avant-garde style show. The problem with bad avant-garde style shows is not that they are inaccessible, head-scratching, or esoteric - I've never really encountered that in a drum corps show - but that the "avant-garde" and "intellectual depth" of these shows is phony, forced, and sometimes just plain embarrassing. Much cheesier, IMO, than any pandering. Unfortunately this doesn't stop a good many corps and designers from trying to create and perform a style of show they're incapable of doing well. The problem is worst among some of the lower-ranking World Class corps, who shoot themselves in the foot by churning out bland, forgettable, and distinctly unintellectual "intellectual" shows year after year.

The ideal show is both avant-garde and accessible. SCV accomplishes this in most years, which is one of the reasons why it's my favorite corps. The Cavaliers seem particularly adept at this as well.

[SFZFAN]

Is Avant-Garde fancy talk for Artsy Fartsy?

[BRASSO]

Is Avant-Garde fancy talk for Artsy Fartsy?

the etymology of the term " Avant- Garde " is that it is a French word from the late 1700's that describes a small cadre of select soldiers that advance into a new forward terrain of battle ( the vanguard or " vangarde " in french )to explore the terrain to decide whether or not to tell the main army in back to advance or not.... and how in their view to advance, if at all. Today it would be the CIA, KGB, or Navy Seals, 82nd Airborne, etc or some select small military or intelligence gathering unit in foreign terrain. Over the years, in the art or music world it has be used to describe an innovative or exploratory work that rejects tradition in the quest to move something from it's currently accepted norm. Since it considers it's work to be ahead of the majority, it sometimes can be seen by the majority as elitist. " Avant- Garde " does not mean " intellectual " neccessarily. Some artists work simplified what already was too intellectualized in their view, and went toward more primal basic instinct motives as the motivating factor in their work. ( for example the art work of Andy Warhol, is considered both " Avard- Garde " as well as "unintellectual " as this was the artists intent and how it was received by modern art lovers as well. ) The most descriptive phrase ( one that would not constitute a judgmental position ) for " Avant- Garde " as it relates to Drum Corps show design might be ... " exploratory " You are certainly entitled however to use the more judgmental phrase " artsy fartsy " if the work tends not to be your cup of tea.

Edited March 29, 2011 by BRASSO

[Plan9]

A good way to understand the term “accessible” (at least how I believe it's being bandied about on these boards) might be to imagine a conversation of a DC design team laying out the first run through:

Designer #1: “OK, here’s where we visually state the confusion and depression of the musical moment……atonal effects and a dark departure reflected in the dissonance, then….”

Designer #2: “Wait a frickin’ minute….we can’t put that artsy crap in here….no one’s gonna understand it, it’s far too dark and inaccessible! You know these DCI crowds! They have the attention span of a kangaroo rat and musical range of a juice harp!”

Designer #1: “Accessible? You mean like 4/4 time? Look…I’m trying to create a mood here that shows the highs & lows of musical & visual emotion; deep fractures, then beautiful resolve, so……”

Designer #2: “Oh, please! Spare me the Philip Glass interprets Mahler bit….have you looked at the stands lately? That thousand yard stare?….it’s confused brain cells colliding like bumper cars! We need to do the familiar… long phases so their brains can imprint and process the sound!”

Designer #1: “I quit!”

Designer #2: “Fine, don’t let the door hit you in the ###!” “Now, where was I? Oh, yes…. company front and simple gifts!”

[nemesiscorps]

A good way to understand the term “accessible” (at least how I believe it's being bandied about on these boards) might be to imagine a conversation of a DC design team laying out the first run through:

Designer #1: “OK, here’s where we visually state the confusion and depression of the musical moment……atonal effects and a dark departure reflected in the dissonance, then….”

Designer #2: “Wait a frickin’ minute….we can’t put that artsy crap in here….no one’s gonna understand it, it’s far too dark and inaccessible! You know these DCI crowds! They have the attention span of a kangaroo rat and musical range of a juice harp!”

Designer #1: “Accessible? You mean like 4/4 time? Look…I’m trying to create a mood here that shows the highs & lows of musical & visual emotion; deep fractures, then beautiful resolve, so……”

Designer #2: “Oh, please! Spare me the Philip Glass interprets Mahler bit….have you looked at the stands lately? That thousand yard stare?….it’s confused brain cells colliding like bumper cars! We need to do the familiar… long phases so their brains can imprint and process the sound!”

Designer #1: “I quit!”

Designer #2: “Fine, don’t let the door hit you in the ###!” “Now, where was I? Oh, yes…. company front and simple gifts!”

Hmmm...

That's borderline offensive, which is strangely intriguing (or should I say "accessible") to me.

You paint Designer #1 as an intellectual giant and Designer #2 as dolt, though your implication of the conversation being between equal contributors of a design team suggests collaboration among talented, knowledgeable professionals. Clever.

I love it... even though I personally don't agree with the connotation. It's a very effective method of drawing people into the discussion. And shame on you for the poke at the corps from the Bay area.

Anyway, I voted for both.

[chaddyt]

A good way to understand the term “accessible” (at least how I believe it's being bandied about on these boards) might be to imagine a conversation of a DC design team laying out the first run through:

Designer #1: “OK, here’s where we visually state the confusion and depression of the musical moment……atonal effects and a dark departure reflected in the dissonance, then….”

Designer #2: “Wait a frickin’ minute….we can’t put that artsy crap in here….no one’s gonna understand it, it’s far too dark and inaccessible! You know these DCI crowds! They have the attention span of a kangaroo rat and musical range of a juice harp!”

Designer #1: “Accessible? You mean like 4/4 time? Look…I’m trying to create a mood here that shows the highs & lows of musical & visual emotion; deep fractures, then beautiful resolve, so……”

Designer #2: “Oh, please! Spare me the Philip Glass interprets Mahler bit….have you looked at the stands lately? That thousand yard stare?….it’s confused brain cells colliding like bumper cars! We need to do the familiar… long phases so their brains can imprint and process the sound!”

Designer #1: “I quit!”

Designer #2: “Fine, don’t let the door hit you in the ###!” “Now, where was I? Oh, yes…. company front and simple gifts!”

Why does it have to be black or white? I'm sure there are probably more audience members out there than you give credit to, that actually do get what it is the corps are trying to convey with the esoteric stuff, but it leaves them stale because there's no connection for them to relate to.

Do the mind-bending, artsy, WTF-did-I-just-see stuff.

But make me care about it. Make me wanna find out.

[BRASSO]

: “Wait a frickin’ minute….we can’t put that artsy crap in here….no one’s gonna understand it, it’s far too dark and inaccessible! You know these DCI crowds! They have the attention span of a kangaroo rat and musical range of a juice harp!”[/size][/font]

Well, it would be most unfortunate if Corps show designers think that DCI audiences have the attention span of a " rat ", and no musical range appreciation. In my opinion, any show designers that have such negative attitudes of the paying customers in the audience really are being destructive to that activity. If such sentiments are conveyed to the performers, those performers are ill served by such staff members too. My hope is that you have used hyperbole here ( or said it tonque in cheek ), and that no such designers with such destructive attitudes are currently working with any Corps. That thought would be quite chilling if it were to be so.

Edited March 29, 2011 by BRASSO

[rkfdPRphan]

To me, watching an " Avant- Garde " program is like attending a live 4th year music class.

If you skipped the first 3 years - you are lost during the music and program, even if it is presented really well.

[corpsband]

IMO Accessible = content that keeps the audience's attention without any required prior exposure or interest in it.

Plan's definition is a kind of least-common-denominator interpretation. I don't think it describes accessibility at all. Instead it attempts to define accessible as the opposite of creative. That (in my opinion at least) is silly.