kinigit Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I have been working with a pretty well known college marching band for the last couple of years. I'm looking for cool musical effects that would work well in a corps style college band show for this coming fall. We have had a trumpet screamer for awhile, but he won't be with us in the future. We do one show, and this year we will be playing some custom arrangements of some Louie Bellson and Don Ellis tunes, so think 70s big band stuff. We are sort of modernizing the tunes for the field as well, so the effects (particularly brass) can run the gamut of drum corps musical effects. Anything from compositional elements (especially impact moments) to Blue Devils crunch space chord effects. I'm looking forward to reading your responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NR_Ohiobando Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 (edited) substance > effects I'm by no means an expert, but if I were you I'd definitely just try and get to know the composers a little better and try to emulate them rather than worrying about putting Neapolitan to Root resolution 'power chords' everywhere. Don Ellis is somewhat famous for "electrophonic" trumpet playing similar to what you heard from the Bluecoats bari-solo this past season, so maybe you could incorporate that somehow? Or expand upon it? Probably not the most fan friendly music in the world, but if I ever got the helm of a drum corps designer position I'd be all for it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0fgpN_Rcg Don really gets to show off with his tape delay at the end! Or if you're totally against electronics, maybe you could arrange a trumpet soli in the manner of a tape-delay-trumpet solo? So rather than the electronics doing the echoing, it's the entire trumpet section echoing each other? Edited June 6, 2011 by NR_Ohiobando Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinigit Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Hey excellent ideas! We aren't against electronics at all. In fact, I've been pushing for more of this kind of thing. Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 One of the effects I liked best was vocal drumming. Bluecoats '05 and Cadets '05 come to mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general_tsos_chicken2 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 traveling sound/traveling runs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinigit Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 (edited) I like the vocal drumming, but the band did that a few years back already. One of the trends I've noticed from a compositional standpoint is the mellophone parts written as sort of a textural emphasis in sustained chords, sometimes high, always very loud. Call and response figures, features, electronics, horn moves; any specific shows or moments that come to mind? Edited June 6, 2011 by kinigit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skewerz Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Boston's example of the Matrix theme hook was pretty awesome...SCV helicopter...Madison and Bluecoats have both done some innovative things with percussion.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeme70 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 '93 Freelancers nailed the echo trumpet parts of Bill Chase's "Open Wide" - no electronics. SF Renegades with their midrange sticking megaphones in their bells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I have been working with a pretty well known college marching band for the last couple of years. I'm looking for cool musical effects that would work well in a corps style college band show for this coming fall. We have had a trumpet screamer for awhile, but he won't be with us in the future. We do one show, and this year we will be playing some custom arrangements of some Louie Bellson and Don Ellis tunes, so think 70s big band stuff. We are sort of modernizing the tunes for the field as well, so the effects (particularly brass) can run the gamut of drum corps musical effects. Anything from compositional elements (especially impact moments) to Blue Devils crunch space chord effects. I'm looking forward to reading your responses! Awhile back the band I teach did a 'pops' chart that used an electronic device to add different intervals to a soloist (I think we added two octaves below + a fourth or fifth). The effect was VERY cool, and sounded a little bit like distortion w/crazy harmony. If you have a good sound system & know how to eq well, you can make a great effect. We bought a wireless solo mic and another very small device we plugged into out sound system. We did very well competitively with the show, FWIW, and it combined with the other effects and execution of the show, were a big hit with audiences and judges all season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoarPower Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Horn pops ALWAYS add more power. ALWAYS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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