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Lighting - the next frontier of "staging"


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Some groups have tried to add brass to the indoor arena, but it didn't last more than a few seasons (and it wasn't part of WGI). I think that the size of a regulation WGI competitive floor/gym is not conducive to brass being integrated with percussion and/or guard. I think what's more interesting and feasible (and has been done before a little bit) is to 'marry' the guard & percussion sides of the activity. I'd love to see more guards in WGI percussion ensembles, and I'd like to see them integrated well (interesting side note/trivia: in the late 90's WGI used to have a rule that any performers in a WGI percussion group had to contribute musically for a significant amount of time - we had guard girls in our WGI IW programs, but they had to play percussively, hold cymbals, etc).

The last years of Braddock HS Scholastic World, Circa 2001- 2002, they fielded a 10 person Wind Ensemble/ Jazz combo with their SW guard. They competed that year, Horns were playing to a soundtrack with the brass parts removed from the soundtrack.

Horns players consisted of all the horns players from the band that would usually be on floor crew so it worked out.

The model works, just need a group to pursue that track again.

Edited by Glenn426
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I was having a discussion with friends and staff at the beginning of summer and this came up, I think its only a matter of time, Starting with Independent groups, Maybe have Yokohama Scouts, or European-based corps as a model.

I think this is an untapped medium and a lot of Wind kids who want to be involved in the marching arts activity but have no way to do so other than learning how to drum, or spin a flag.

Maybe have all Brass groups compete and then a couple years after have a Indoor competitive theater shows, Were all elements can be mixed and molded into an 8 min show. Think Aimachi + Winds.

Maybe even have some of the top Drum Corps field the first groups. So instead of Vanguard Fielding a separate Guard and Percussion unit, they mold into one theater group. These corps can now operate year round, and develop and execute at a much hig. her level.

right on... My favorite music enseble in the world is a great brass quintet. So versatile. Bring small marching ensembles to a brass theatre stage.

It also opens up smaller schools that fields smaller bands an option to compete with the big boys. Those are the creative superstars.

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right on... My favorite music enseble in the world is a great brass quintet. So versatile. Bring small marching ensembles to a brass theatre stage.

It also opens up smaller schools that fields smaller bands an option to compete with the big boys. Those are the creative superstars.

Read: Jackson Academy out of MS. 10 winds marching on a tarp, w/ mics and a jazz style rhythm section made finals at BOA ATL for a lot of years at the turn of the century.

Great design.

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After seeing the financial data on that "how can corps survive" thread, I am not so sure.

I am trying to understand your concern. All the numbers that you are talking about are extremly consistent. Each of the corps are spending about the same amount of money.

remember - looking at BD & SCV. You are looking at multiple corps, ensembles, guards and extra travel expense.

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gotta be hobest, I have seen it done in indoor and for the most part it isn't that good. it just comes off as a gimmick

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gotta be hobest, I have seen it done in indoor and for the most part it isn't that good. it just comes off as a gimmick

I've heard the same argument with things like amps and electronics. (it might have been me :tongue:)

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The real test is prelims. How many are in their seats at 10AM to watch #35? How many at 2:30 to watch #23? How many at 7PM to watch #13? How many at 10PM to watch #1? That tells you a lot about which corps are causing the tickets to be sold.

Like what?

I noticed that corps #8 always has far fewer butts in seats than corps #9. I guess corps #9 "sold more tickets", then. Funny....it doesn't matter who #8 and #9 are, and it's true every year. At least, every year there's an intermission between those two corps. Perhaps this only tells me how many people got caught in the nacho line, and couldn't get back past the ushers during #8's performance....or how many people's flights to Indy were delayed....or how thick the traffic is around LOS on a Thursday evening....or how many people can't get Friday (or Thursday, if not local) off to travel to Indy....or how many people skip Thursday now that Friday has 25 corps instead of 17.

So say there were 250 people in the stands when Blue Saints started things off. Does that mean the Blue Saints sold 250 of the 6,647 prelim tickets?

And if 6,647 tickets sold, but only 6,600 people actually sat in seats, what corps sold the other 47 tickets?

Please....you can't tell me anything about what corps "caused" which tickets to sell. Fact is, many people buy a ticket to see a whole event. Once there, they might watch everybody....or if they can't sit still that long, and they have some way of knowing who the best corps are (like DCI placements that almost never change from day to day), then they are more likely to be in their seat when those better corps are on. That does not equate to tickets sold.

OK, here are two situations where you really can say a specific corps "sold X tickets":

1. Corps each get a block of seats from DCI, and they sell the tickets to their parents/boosters. At least here, the corps is doing the selling.

2. In rare cases, a single corps stages an event all by themselves (i.e. Academy's early June stage show). Then, there's no doubt that every ticket buyer is there to see Academy's performing ensembles.

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