sax1210 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 May I throw out the name Jay Kennedy as a possible replacement? Please no. While I have liked some of his work for Boston, what he did to Les Mis this year was despicable IMO. As an extremely hard core Les Mis fan, I assure that his arrangements did very little justice to the source music, with the possible exception of Bring Him Home, which was so great because Charlie and the other soloists carried it. He even made a comment on BLL8 that he didn't think the musical had enough content to stand on its own. Guess he's never seen Cadets 89? Plus, he would not fit at Phantom seeing how he teaches at Berklee (a school not at all known for its classical) and became famous for his popular "jingles". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sax1210 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 So who comes in now? T Andre Feagin? I would love to see him there. I for one loved his arrangements at Santa Clara, he obviously knows how to do classical properly. As a music educator, I had the privilege of working with him for All-County Band, and he was clear cut above anyone we had ever had conduct. His passion for music is highly evident and he certainly inspired the best out of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanjrusMcRynky Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I would love to see him there. I for one loved his arrangements at Santa Clara, he obviously knows how to do classical properly. As a music educator, I had the privilege of working with him for All-County Band, and he was clear cut above anyone we had ever had conduct. His passion for music is highly evident and he certainly inspired the best out of us. Feagin never arranged for SCV. Those were Key Poulan arrangements, with Feagin as caption head. For what its worth, I think SCV should be doing everything within their power to get him back. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoln Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 This past season it was announced that Ryan Bybee would be the caption head for PR brass. It was at that point that I though something was up with JD. He was stepping back from his traditional role with the corps. Ryan did a wonderful job. PR Brass sounded wonderful this past season. I will always remember JD for the way he wrote the Mellophone/French Horn parts. No one presented these instruments the same way he did. No matter where he goes/what he does, everyone will remember what he did. Few people in life can ever claim that. Imagine being in that field of work and saying that you wrote Phantom's brass program......that is quite a legacy. Thank you JD for your brilliance. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Ryan did a wonderful job. PR Brass sounded wonderful this past season. I don't really agree with this statement, and there is a very different sound from the Mello/Trumpets from Rabon/Shaw to Ryan. Granted, we can't judge him too much because it was only his first year... however, the hornline was a 6th place hornline and the high brass was incredibly rough, moreso than we have probably seen since 98/99. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoln Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 (edited) ' Edited August 20, 2011 by LincolnV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 (edited) Please no. While I have liked some of his work for Boston, what he did to Les Mis this year was despicable IMO. As an extremely hard core Les Mis fan, I assure that his arrangements did very little justice to the source music, with the possible exception of Bring Him Home, which was so great because Charlie and the other soloists carried it. He even made a comment on BLL8 that he didn't think the musical had enough content to stand on its own. Guess he's never seen Cadets 89? Plus, he would not fit at Phantom seeing how he teaches at Berklee (a school not at all known for its classical) and became famous for his popular "jingles". Too each his own. I loved Kennedy's Boston's Les Mis this year as it fit the visual beautifully. The Cadets '89 version ( and Boston's version in '88 ) were in a different time where the music was more in the forefront of the scoring sheets. The '89 Cadets version today would have gotten killed on the Visual and Guard sheets of today. Kennedy did not write this Les Mis. version for 1989 judging sheets. He wrote the arrangement to fit the wonderful visual design that was created for Boston to be able to compete well under the current scoring sheets. For perspective, I can't think of much music from ANY the 70's and 80's Drum Corps that I believe was brought back again in these times with better music arrangements when looked at purely through a musical lens. From strictly a musical arrangement ( not profiency levels ), I enjoy on balance the arrangements written of all these songs better from earlier decades...including updated versions of earlier songs from top Corps like BD, SCV, and even Cadets themselves. Usually ,I find the earlier written arrangement have more depth, and are longer, not chopped up to fit the visuals that are now required of modern Corps and the modern judging sheets. For example, I enjoyed Cadets '84 West Side Story music arrangements way more than the updated WSS versions they did decades later. Few, if any of the modern arrangements brought back have better arrangements in my view. But when looked at thru the prism of the visual component, the visual and music go together much better for the most part with todays Corps than in the 70's and 80's combined music and visual. If I go to '89 Cadets Les Mis production on Fan Network and put on the mute button and just WATCH the visual of '89 Cadets Les Mis., the offering is subpar compared to the 8th place finishing Boston Crusaders visual from this year ( tarp and all ). Finally, Boston's version of Les Mis. this year received a 7th, 8th place in GE Music from the 2 GE Music judges and 8th in Brass at Finals. This year's Corps I'm told had 90 High School aged students in line. Way more than most recent years. Jay Kennedy wrote the arrangements that fit the visual and in keeping with the anticipated young talent level he would have in the brass line that he expected this year. When looked at from this perspective, it seems clear that he knew what he was doing. Additionally, Boston was a hit with most audiences with this year's Les Mis. production, and that can not be lost either. The Berklee School of Music in Boston's national and worlwide reputation for first rate faculty instruction stands on its own. Jay Kennedy's has been on the faculty at the Berklee School for Music for years. He's also been a DCI judge in the past. Boston is very fortunate to have him writing the Crusaders music, imo. There are very few audiences the last decade that think that Boston is " boring " musically, or that they generally play music most people have never heard of. Kennedy could easily write the most esoteric music from the most obscure composers one has never heard of for the Boston Crusaders. Thankfully, for its many fans he has not chosen to go down that path with this Corps and with Drum Corps audiences. Thats how I see it anyway re. Jay Kennedy and his Music arrangements for Drum Corps audiences, and in particular with the Boston Crusaders. Edited August 21, 2011 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcvet95 Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 (edited) I don't really agree with this statement, and there is a very different sound from the Mello/Trumpets from Rabon/Shaw to Ryan. Granted, we can't judge him too much because it was only his first year... however, the hornline was a 6th place hornline and the high brass was incredibly rough, moreso than we have probably seen since 98/99. They've been 6th in horns for the past 3 years... sooooooo.... Edited August 21, 2011 by dcvet95 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catan Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Too each his own. I loved Kennedy's Boston's Les Mis this year as it fit the visual beautifully. The Cadets '89 version ( and Boston's version in '88 ) were in a different time where the music was more in the forefront of the scoring sheets. The '89 Cadets version today would have gotten killed on the Visual and Guard sheets of today. Kennedy did not write this Les Mis. version for 1989 judging sheets. He wrote the arrangement to fit the wonderful visual design that was created for Boston to be able to compete well under the current scoring sheets. For perspective, I can't think of much music from ANY the 70's and 80's Drum Corps that I believe was brought back again in these times with better music arrangements when looked at purely through a musical lens. From strictly a musical arrangement ( not profiency levels ), I enjoy on balance the arrangements written of all these songs better from earlier decades...including updated versions of earlier songs from top Corps like BD, SCV, and even Cadets themselves. Usually ,I find the earlier written arrangement have more depth, and are longer, not chopped up to fit the visuals that are now required of modern Corps and the modern judging sheets. For example, I enjoyed Cadets '84 West Side Story music arrangements way more than the updated WSS versions they did decades later. Few, if any of the modern arrangements brought back have better arrangements in my view. But when looked at thru the prism of the visual component, the visual and music go together much better for the most part with todays Corps than in the 70's and 80's combined music and visual. If I go to '89 Cadets Les Mis production on Fan Network and put on the mute button and just WATCH the visual of '89 Cadets Les Mis., the offering is subpar compared to the 8th place finishing Boston Crusaders visual from this year ( tarp and all ). Finally, Boston's version of Les Mis. this year received a 7th, 8th place in GE Music from the 2 GE Music judges and 8th in Brass at Finals. This year's Corps I'm told had 90 High School aged students in line. Way more than most recent years. Jay Kennedy wrote the arrangements that fit the visual and in keeping with the anticipated young talent level he would have in the brass line that he expected this year. When looked at from this perspective, it seems clear that he knew what he was doing. Additionally, Boston was a hit with most audiences with this year's Les Mis. production, and that can not be lost either. The Berklee School of Music in Boston's national and worlwide reputation for first rate faculty instruction stands on its own. Jay Kennedy's has been on the faculty at the Berklee School for Music for years. He's also been a DCI judge in the past. Boston is very fortunate to have him writing the Crusaders music, imo. There are very few audiences the last decade that think that Boston is " boring " musically, or that they generally play music most people have never heard of. Kennedy could easily write the most esoteric music from the most obscure composers one has never heard of for the Boston Crusaders. Thankfully, for its many fans he has not chosen to go down that path with this Corps and with Drum Corps audiences. Thats how I see it anyway re. Jay Kennedy and his Music arrangements for Drum Corps audiences, and in particular with the Boston Crusaders. 7th in brass at finals if I'm not mistaken I agree with most of this post though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 They've been 6th in horns for the past 3 years... sooooooo.... The term "relative placement" comes to mind. Each caption is expected to meet or out perform their placement. If not, they are considered a "trouble" section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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