HoltonH178 Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 (edited) I remember Cavaliers turning over their brass arranging to someone with no prior drum corps arranging experience in 2000. Didn't knock them out of box 5. Indeed, and if you weren't so busy taking my quotes out of context, you'd notice me saying that I think championship organizations are far better suited to this sort of move, not thirteeenth-place ones...if you can't be bothered to read my posts I won't bother responding to yours in the future. Seriously, dude, it's literally in the same post you quoted. Talk about frustrating. Edited September 15, 2011 by HoltonH178 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHdork Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 < Nothing like the smell of cow poo and being hypnotized by endless rows of corn while driving down the highway. Man, where do you think Toledo is? Nebraska? Sure, there are cows and corn there...but really...they do grow an AWFUL lot of soybeans... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iplaytimpani Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 While I agree with this statement ....... I think the organization needs to look back at what worked for them. 97-2001 were the most successful years for the organization. While I don't think they need to return to the extremely Avant-Garde programming style of 2001 .. I think the sound and book they achieved in the Gold years is the direction the corps needs to revisit in order to be successful. Regardless of who is writing the show, I hope they can get back to that type of sound (both in brass and percussion). Now Key is charged with that effort. I hope he takes a long hard look at those years and what was working for the Gmen. IMO, this would serve the organization well .. and bring back some of the fan base that has been taking naps for the past several years during their performance (no offense Matt). Not offended at all. You know I enjoy a good discussion especially about the Toledo Team. While it's hard to argue that 97-2001 were the most successful years as far as placement, I don't believe it's the right direction for the corps in this current age of drum corps. It's over ten years past those days and drum corps changes and every team must continue to evolve. Not live in past success. The most successful corps are the ones that have adapted every year to current trends and in the process created new trends. The corps current design team is a big proponent of a new direction they've been trying to carve out and I definitely feel Rob Ferguson is a driving factor behind this. And I believe it's a GREAT thing for the corps. But that direction may not be shared with all, especially old school drum corps fans that don't seem overly interested in change. (No offense Dan) To see Rob's work at it's best you only have to look as far as Matrix PIW and see what happens when he has full control over a program. And they've been quite successful especially working out of an area of Ohio heavily populated with good percussion programs. This success can be seen transferring to the Glassmen percussion section since he took over I believe. And while he is not the "program coordinator" by any means, he is a driving force for the Glassmen staff and educational team as far as I can see. And hopefully his writing and influences can gel and work with Key Poulan better than they have with Don Hill and those two can create the music style that as of now, the Glassmen have seemed to be trying to achieve. Will it work? Who knows. But I know I'm going to support the corps in any way I can, no matter if they continue on a marching band rave path, or go to a full on Catholic Orchestral Mass. I'm a supporter of the organization, and that extends way past the going ons of the performance. They may have "lost" some fan base, but maybe they're trying to appeal to a different group. I question those that they've "lost" though. Being a fan of a certain program or music is nice, but it's no different or better than jumping on a sports team bandwagon. Fan's stick by a corps for reasons way past the music on the field or the placement. I think that the corps, who is usually incredibly quiet, have at least made a name move in this crazy off season shows that they fully intend on competing back for Saturday night. Last years show may have been 13th, but I believe it appealed to the high school crowd very much. And oddly enough, those are the kids that are drum corps age and could be showing up at the renovated G-West in November for first camp. Those are the kids paying tour fees that want to be a part of the corps whose interest caught them, whether it was the techno vampire style, the carnival, or whatever else gets them interested in drum corps and specifically the Glassmen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 You know which corps I like the best? Any that entertain me, whether it's catchy show tunes, rock and roll, or classical/wind band literature. In the case of the Glassmen, what propelled those 97-01 shows was a musical line, performed very well. One of Key's strengths is writing a book with a melodic line and not straying too far from the source material. I think the Glassmen will be just fine, and it will be interesting to see their programming choices once they are released. On my personal list of shows to listen to (no video required) is the Glassmen from 98. They did justice to Borodin. Garry on Vegas 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 You beat me to it Garry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 < Nothing like the smell of cow poo and being hypnotized by endless rows of corn while driving down the highway. Man, where do you think Toledo is? Nebraska? Sure, there are cows and corn there...but really...they do grow an AWFUL lot of soybeans... Soybean crops is every other year. And I know exactly where Toledo is ... it's 91 miles South of me. Toledo, Cleveland and Cinci are good size cities ...... the rest of the state ... as previously described Now I'm hungry for corn and burgers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBD Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 well at the same time it was stated he was steping down from SCV for " family health issues" the article continues to state that he will also continue to wrtie for SCV cadets. I think the point is, he was dismissd from the Vanguard big boys Absolutely, Positively, WRONG. Key is a friend of mine and one of the nicest if not THE nicest guy ive ever met in this activity. Key has a wonderful family and home is where he is needed right now. Stop all the speculation and the theories, I promise you they will be all wrong. Jay 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoltonH178 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Not offended at all. You know I enjoy a good discussion especially about the Toledo Team. While it's hard to argue that 97-2001 were the most successful years as far as placement, I don't believe it's the right direction for the corps in this current age of drum corps. It's over ten years past those days and drum corps changes and every team must continue to evolve. Not live in past success. The most successful corps are the ones that have adapted every year to current trends and in the process created new trends. .... They may have "lost" some fan base, but maybe they're trying to appeal to a different group. I question those that they've "lost" though. Being a fan of a certain program or music is nice, but it's no different or better than jumping on a sports team bandwagon. Fan's stick by a corps for reasons way past the music on the field or the placement. I think that the corps, who is usually incredibly quiet, have at least made a name move in this crazy off season shows that they fully intend on competing back for Saturday night. Last years show may have been 13th, but I believe it appealed to the high school crowd very much. And oddly enough, those are the kids that are drum corps age and could be showing up at the renovated G-West in November for first camp. Those are the kids paying tour fees that want to be a part of the corps whose interest caught them, whether it was the techno vampire style, the carnival, or whatever else gets them interested in drum corps and specifically the Glassmen. This post is just so very well put. I have loved the Glassmen's productions since 2004, and as much as every member of the G-Family have a reverence for and love of the 97-02 "Golden Years", I don't believe that a reprisal of this style is desirable or, tbh, even possible. The Glassmen did a wonderful job of "classical with a twist" in 04-07, and have done a similarly wonderful job with their more thematic productions 08-present. As someone who was raised on BOA before DCI, I believe the corps has done a very good job shifting the productions to be more appealing to the sort of individuals whom would consider performing with the organization, namely, the under 18 demographic. Not to say that the corps is "kiddie" today, but I have yet to have someone give me a really good explanation of the thematic ideas behind IMAGO, and I've been looking since 2005. Now for many of us, this doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the program, myself included; however, I must admit to finding it somewhat baffling at the age of 17 and transitioning from BOA, where themes are everywhere, to DCI. I believe the programs of the last few years are infinitely more accessible to those who marched state competitions in high school than they were when I decided to become a member. More importantly, I totally agree with the sentiment that winning people over with certain programming selections does not automatically equate into developing a strong corps family, especially in the cases of people over the age-out limit. How many of these individuals are really going to commit to volunteering, donating, etc. because they liked their 2011 program? Not many. These individuals simply will not have the opportunity to build critical, life-long friendships as a member of the G-Family. But if even a few kids end up joining the corps and marching for 5 years because the 2011 program was their favorite, it has an entirely different impact. Viewed from this angle, I think it would be simply untrue to say that the Glassmen haven't been programming very successfully for the last 8 seasons since 2003, and I'm certainly not a member of the club when it comes to believing that 2011 was a weak production from the corps. While everyone wants to see their team get as many points as possible, I think it's much more important that the corps is able to adapt and excel in today's market, and for a corps that so often seems to have an average age that is younger than the rest of DCI, the Glassmen have done a phenomenal job of staying competitive. I would much prefer the corps retain its status as a perennial finalist and develop its evolutionary identity than reprise what worked a decade ago. One of the things I always really loved about the corps was the different shields for each year. I really do believe that every year, the corps reinvents itself and develops its own identity in a way that many other corps do not. Comparing the 2001, 2006, and 2011 Glassmen I see much more unique individual corps than I do watching, say, the Blue Devils or Boston Crusaders programs in the same years. Some may view it as inconsistency in identity, but I much prefer the concept of an "evolutionary identity" to a static one. Every year the corps really owns and redefines itself, and that is way cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdaddy Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 well at the same time it was stated he was steping down from SCV for " family health issues" the article continues to state that he will also continue to wrtie for SCV cadets. I think the point is, he was dismissd from the Vanguard big boys A recent facebook post of his would suggest that his wife has cancer. My speculation on why he'd stay with SCV Cadets and join the Glassmen? It would probably take far less of his time. I'm guessing that a corps like SCV would demand rewrites, would demand that arrangers be around occasionally to hear the production live. And I'm guess SCV Cadets don't, and that he could work out a deal with Glassmen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 .........snip......... More importantly, I totally agree with the sentiment that winning people over with certain programming selections does not automatically equate into developing a strong corps family, especially in the cases of people over the age-out limit. How many of these individuals are really going to commit to volunteering, donating, etc. because they liked their 2011 program? Not many. These individuals simply will not have the opportunity to build critical, life-long friendships as a member of the G-Family. ........snip Totally disagree. I'm one of those people. If I enjoy what the corps is putting on the field; If I think the programming is going in the right direction; If I believe the show designers are starting to "GET" what the crowd wants from them ..... I open my wallet. I do it every year. I do it for several corps that deserve it. It's not about being on the band wagon. It's about rewarding an organization for hitting my soft spots. Not only do I give money .. but I buy food, medical supplies ... you name it. And I often stick around for a day or two and help out in the food truck or wherever they want me. I don't do it for the recognition of the corps ..... I do it because they've earned it (above and beyond buying a t-shirt and a ticket to the next show). I'm sure I'm far from being alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.