GUARDLING Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) Let me honestly admit it's the dark part that I have seen/heard as a reoccurring theme. Ok...so...how does one define 'dark'...right..obvious question. To me....dark is fragmented, choppy, predominately minor chords, dissonant and unsettling music. To many corps to list over the last couple of seasons that have a good portion of their shows that fall in to this category. Phantoms show in 2010 was "in to the light"...the beginning was def. dark in nature. This season...Cadets for sure...Colts....just dark would be cascades. With so many styles and textures of music to explore...I just feel like a lot of bases are being missed and overlooked. A majority of folks (even staffers, arrangers) have agreed there is a lot of homogenization....that's some of the reason why Michael C. has been brought on board The more moderation...the better. Does every corps need a musical reprise and a 200 bpm part in their shows ? HMMMMMMMMMMM so what youre saying is your defination of dark is types of chords or style in which music is played and not theme? if that isnt what you said it sounds it. If I got that wrong sorry. Edited May 14, 2011 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Let me honestly admit it's the dark part that I have seen/heard as a reoccurring theme. Ok...so...how does one define 'dark'...right..obvious question. To me....dark is fragmented, choppy, predominately minor chords, dissonant and unsettling music. To many corps to list over the last couple of seasons that have a good portion of their shows that fall in to this category. Phantoms show in 2010 was "in to the light"...the beginning was def. dark in nature. This season...Cadets for sure...Colts....just dark would be cascades. With so many styles and textures of music to explore...I just feel like a lot of bases are being missed and overlooked. A majority of folks (even staffers, arrangers) have agreed there is a lot of homogenization....that's some of the reason why Michael C. has been brought on board The more moderation...the better. Does every corps need a musical reprise and a 200 bpm part in their shows ? What you described are musical elements of a show, and not necessarily theme as you stated in your original post. So really you think there is a trend in "fragmented, choppy, predominantly minor chords, dissonant and unsettling music" in drum corps. Now we can proceed with some clarity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Really? I don't think so. "Deception" may fall into the "dark" category but just because it has a "dark" theme doesn't mean its instantly "dark vs. light". Not only do I think the "dark vs. light" theme hasn't really been used that often, but I also think that a single corps hasn't repeated such a theme so directly if they had done it in the past. More than happy to recant with other ideas, since ofcourse, this just my impression and not a "fact"... I think the point of this thread shows that we like to keep things in tight easy to understand categories. "Dark" and "light" are pretty messy bundles. Honestly like every thread here that brings up "dark" and "light".. it honestly depends on your definition of "dark" and "light". In the broadest terms I could say ANY and EVERY show is about "Dark vs. light", in some way shape or form. Or I can be pretty specific about what I exactly mean about "dark vs. light". And for me, that means understanding the nuances of shows. Every one can say the cadets show is strictly Good vs. Evil... Pretty freakin' obvious. And then you have other shows like "the devils staircase" and "Sinvitation" and "Pandora: A dark gift". That has a "dark" element to it but I don't think those can be considered "dark vs. light" material... that leads to the idea that maybe its only considered "dark vs. light" if that's what you want it to be... This is off of their own website. Inspired by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s epic ballet Swan Lake, and Darren Aronofsky’s mesmerizing Academy Award nominated film, Black Swan, the Colts present our own tale of deception about the jagged edge between innocence and the dark side within. innocence vs the dark side, light vs dark, not too much of a stretch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 pretty consistent just about every year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TastyWaves Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Ok....I am getting tired of ranting out here(Believe it or not) but I just can't contain myself when it comes to reading another show description of dark vs. light. Really ? I mean how many times have dci corps drank from this well ? Did a rule pass a couple of seasons ago I missed requiring all dci corps to play a good vs. evil, light vs. dark show ? Is this the best the creative staffs of dci can come up with ? man..... Am i the only one ? Does anyone else out here feel the same ? Yeah... your right. Maybe we should try something TOTALLY new and visionary like Slaughter on 10th avenue, Rhapsody in blue, New York New York or Malaguena. THATS new and inventive! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddyt Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 They're called Archetypes. They're found in every book, play, opera, TV show, Movie and even drum corps show. They aren't going anywhere and they don't really change, just how they're presented. Move on. I'm trying to remember a great movie or book that didn't have a good vs. evil type of theme and am coming up short. Perhaps the OP is after more of a straight-laced British drama type of show. "A Room With a View With a Staircase and a Pond," perhaps. +1 to anyone who can source the quoted reference. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvs me sum mello! Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 I'm trying to remember a great movie or book that didn't have a good vs. evil type of theme and am coming up short. Perhaps the OP is after more of a straight-laced British drama type of show. "A Room With a View With a Staircase and a Pond," perhaps. +1 to anyone who can source the quoted reference. :) Archetypes aren't just limited to good vs evil. Forget a room with a view of a pond. This is America. Give me a room with a view OF HELL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddyt Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Archetypes aren't just limited to good vs evil. Forget a room with a view of a pond. This is America. Give me a room with a view OF HELL +1 for implying the source. SCV is technically already doing "Staircase of Satan". Next year should be "Pond of Death". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple Forte Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 HMMMMMMMMMMM so what youre saying is your defination of dark is types of chords or style in which music is played and not theme? if that isnt what you said it sounds it. If I got that wrong sorry. It really has to do with overall presentation...... A presentation that predominately features the elements of "fragmented, choppy, predominantly minor chords, dissonant and unsettling music". The show has to include all of these elements...a choppy show alone doesn't qualify.....IMO wish I had time to present a more descriptive/extensive study.....it just seems we have heard "This show is about good and evil" or "This show is about dark in to light" quite a bit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) Perhaps the OP is after more of a British show. "A Room With a View With a Staircase and a Pond," perhaps. Are you referring here to something like a theme revolving around Led Zeppelin and " Stairway to Heaven " ? If so, I'm with you, as given a choice, I'd take this any day over something from Claire or Martha, etc. Been there, done that, when it comes to Bartok and the other obtuse, atonal, minor key, dissonance laden music, you know what I'm saying ? Time to give such music a rest now for just a little bit, don't you think ? Edited May 14, 2011 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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