Popular Post whitedawn Posted August 2, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2012 Dear Show Designers, I know for a fact that you're out there. Please take 3 minutes and hear me out regarding programming. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I have to say that today's "remix" shows never work as well as you want them to or as well as you think they do. Rehashing old "hits" (Madison, Bluecoats, Boston, Phantom) or "mashing up" material (Cavaliers, BK, BD) into a "cohesive," "modern" production doesn't, in my opinion, create a product that is memorable, timeless, or even re-listenable. I don't think anyone has really brought down the house musically in 6 or 7 years. With that in mind, I would urge you to consider working some "original" content into next season's shows. At the same time, please stay away from wind band literature. It all sounds the same, and it feels like it's being played at the audience, instead of for the audience. There has been some excellent "pop" music created in the past 20 years. Take a look at what's out there -- you might be surprised. Do something new and daring, and create something that will cause people to feel something and something that they will actually want to listen to on their iPods. I've included below some examples of tunes that I think could work on some level. Check em out -- melody, atmosphere, musicianship... it's all there. It IS possible to take ourselves a bit less seriously, but still perform music that is fun. I hope you see what I mean. Thanks for your time. Best, Me (Yes, this sounds a bit "college band," but with the right arranger, this could be outrageous.) (This could be a really fun percussion feature.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QMeAbvv51g (Yes, seriously. This thing COOKS.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0azWDHttQo (stick it out until 3:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr_MJAOyOeU (big hit at 4:40; also, beautiful video)) 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoln Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I recently started listening to a lot of Janelle Monae - everytime I listen to "Sincerely Jane" I think about what a great piece it would be for Bluecoats. She has a few other songs I can see being done on the field. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 +1, whitedawn. Less new toy requests, more using what you have. You've barely scratched the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schickmeister Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post flammaster Posted August 2, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2012 If you want Pop go watch Empty Vee. I am so glad there is something like drum corps that exposes people to interesting music in other time signatures and tonalities than the banal and insipid that is corporate media. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) There has been some excellent "pop" music created in the past 20 years. Take a look at what's out there -- you might be surprised. Do something new and daring, and create something that will cause people to feel something and something that they will actually want to listen to on their iPods. I've included below some examples of tunes that I think could work on some level. Check em out -- melody, atmosphere, musicianship... it's all there. It IS possible to take ourselves a bit less seriously, but still perform music that is fun. I hope you see what I mean. Thanks for your time. Best, Me Yes! You know those facebook posts that have a picture of The Beatles and then a Picture of Nicki Mainaj and says "What happened to Music?" or "I'm 13 and I'm sorry what my generation has done to music." It's seriously a bunch of BS (Not Blue Stars!). There is Amazing current/Pop Music being written and performed! You just have to not be pretentious to see! I disagree with your comment about the Wind Band. Some of it very VERY Awesome. But it's definitely a good idea for Designers to explore enjoyable modern/Pop music. Edited August 2, 2012 by charlie1223 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris ncsu Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 How the heck did you know I was listening to Sam's Town right this very moment... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloooTubaDad Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Not sure what you mean by the Bluecoats rehashing "old hits" unless you mean the Phantom of the Opera peice, but I will move on from the point. One reason may be costs and copyright rules. Many of the classical pieces, I think, are public domain, and would be less expensive, maybe free, for a corps to perform. Just an idea. BloooTubaDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 If you want Pop go watch Empty Vee. I am so glad there is something like drum corps that exposes people to interesting music in other time signatures and tonalities than the banal and insipid that is corporate media. Fair enough, although MTV doesn't play music anymore. I'm just saying that when designers create shows with "interesting," "atonal" music, the product doesn't generally appeal to me. They largely overreach on some aesthetic level, and it ends up being... forgettable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) If you want Pop go watch Empty Vee. I am so glad there is something like drum corps that exposes people to interesting music in other time signatures and tonalities than the banal and insipid that is corporate media. Time Signature? Really? lol Great music has been written in 4/4 just as not so great music has been written in 7+3/16. How can you, being of such an open mind to music, can shut down on music becuase of the time signature its written in, the tonalities used, or whether its genere can be categorized as "Pop" or not. Good music is good music. Bad music, is bad music. In your words... Shouldn't Drum Corps expose its audience to as wide a variety as possible? To show that good music can come from anywhere and that interesting music CAN come from even big names and modern artists? It's one thing to be a Dino and it's another to be SUPER Drum Corps Hipster! lol Edited August 2, 2012 by charlie1223 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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