INSIDETHEFORTY Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Ron, We met at the Stanford show in the ticket line; I was up there to perform with FAC. Having seen both the Northern & So Cal shows, my short & simple answer is this: BK is entertainment because they play famous wind ensemble music most musicians have either heard or performed at one time or another in middle or high school, and they play it loud. A lot. And in a good way. To be fair and balanced, I should also mention BK marches well and the Scottish tenor feature is fantastic. Back to the loud part, they do two complete pushes at high volume, which is a welcome departure from the usual: "PLAY ATONAL Z# AUGMENTED 14th WHOLE NOOOOTE WHILE RUNNING AT 190...!!" / (requisite drum gahks & tenor fill for four counts & Running Hornline not starring an Austrian bodybuilder) / "PLAY ANOTHER ATONAL Qb DIMINISHED 12th WHOLE NOOOOOTE....!!!" / (Monkey Drumming ensues for 4 more counts while the Running Hornline ups the ante with two near misses and one collision) / "PLAY CHORD RESOLUTION WHICH WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT LOUDER ON G's BUT WE WON'T BEAT A DEAD HORSE THEEEERRRRREEE...!!!" Or something similar thereto. Yes! BK is very entertaining! I enjoy their visuals and the msic they play also. The show doesn't have the emotional impact of Madison's show, but it is very good and enjoyable. Worth the price i paid to see it. Can't wait to see and hear it "clean"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 The question is directed to those of you who have actually been to a competition or two (or more) in 2011. If you have not actually been to a stadium to experience drum corps LIVE in 2011, please, do not post here! I am interested in finding out from the fans (myself included): 1) Which corps are putting out quality, entertaining shows this summer? The first corps I can think about is the Madison Scouts! Wow! They look and sound very much like the Madison corps that won my heart in 1974! 2) What are they playing? I don't know the names of all of the music they played. All I know is that I truly enjoyed the show! Both times I experienced it, Friday in Quincy, MA and in Lynn, MA on Saturday. 3) How good is the brass section and how expressive are they in their playing? On a scale of 1 to 10, with the Madison Scouts of 1975 and 1988 being 10's, I give this Madison brassline a solid 8. There is plenty of room for improvement, but baby, they have come a long way! They sound like the Madison Scouts! 4) Does the corps draw upon the music to evoke an emotional response from the audience? Does it? It most certainly does! An emotional response was definately eveoked in me! If I had been holding a baby, i would have been sorely tempted to toss it into the air at the end of the Scout's' performance on Friday and again on Saturday! 5) Do people want to get out of their seats and cheer the corps on during their performance? I know i did and I did so at several points during the Scout's performances! Many people joined me at the end, before the last notes were played, the crowd was on it's feet! 6) Is the corps' percussion section a star in it's own right? Super-star, no. Star, yes! I'm not a drummer, but I have been around drum corps for 40 plus years. I know a good drum line when I hear one. These guys are good! They are not Championships good yet, but Top 10 - Top 8 - maybe even Top 6 good! Gotta go. I'll finish this later. 7) Does the corps use the sounds and effects generated by the percussion effectively? 8) What segment(s) of the show is (are) mesmerizing? 9) How effective is the guard/auxiliary in the performance? 10) How well does the corps use color, contrast, shading, and such during it's visual presentation? 11) How well constructed, thought out and effective is the visual show? 12) Is the corps in constant motion during the entire show, or does the corps "mix it up" with moments of "stop-action"? 13) Does the corps use variations in tempo, marching technique, style, etc to convey mood and motion? 14) If this corps were the only corps in the show, would you feel that you got your money's worth? If you can think of some good and pertainent questions, please include them in your post. Let's have some fun, folks! Yours in Drum Corps, Ron Gunn Man, you and EuphMMXI need to get together and party. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQuinn Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Man, you and EuphMMXI need to get together and party. I actually LOL'd! Imagine all the untethered hype - all in one spot! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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