Michael Boo Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I respect and appreciate their sacrifice for our country, and I do think they sound great, but I would enjoy them more they had a colorguard. The original drum and bugles corps did not have color guards, and when they finally got one, it was exactly as the name implies...a group to guard the colors. Eventually, flags were added, but they didn't do anything except move around the field in close order drill. The USMC D&B Corps is the true example of the origins of drum and bugle corps, as much as one yet exists. (No rope snares and they do use valves.) We're the ones that some have said should be known by a different name...something more accurate. Some have suggested Brass and Percussion Corps, but that still leaves out the color guards, which no longer guard the colors. Musical Arts Ensemble International (MAEI) or Outdoor Performance Bands International (OPBI) just don't have a good "ring" to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubabeard42 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I just watched the entire show again and still have no idea what's going on. I thought the drill segues were quite effective and the band sounded good, but I still didn't know what the horse meant, or the castle and the moving "M." I thought it was a poke at Michigan, but saw Ohio was playing Nebraska. I would deeply appreciate it if someone would go through each move and comment on what each was representing. I'm not feeling so hip at the moment. Lessee here. Opening form: Space Invaders. Things at the top are the enemy aliens, in the middle are "bunkers" (which in the game are used to protect you from a limited number of enemy shots), and at the bottom is the missile platform/whatchamacallit you play as. The commentary/effects represent shots being fired between the aliens and the player. Opening music is the intro to a battle theme from the Pokemon games, with the next forms being two Pokeballs (things which the titular Pokemon creatures are kept in when not battling). Form transitions into the face of Pikachu, arguably the most famous Pokemon. As the face breaks off, the music transitions into the Tetris theme song. The forms steadily resolve into the block-like formations and two lines, representing a game of Tetris. As the blocks move, they fit together at the bottom, like how Tetris is played by maneuvering each block so it fits with the rest at the bottom. Not sure exactly what the next held form is, maybe a castle. The music transitions into the theme from Super Mario Brothers. The next form is a set of three question-mark blocks, which in the game you hit to get coins which give you points. The character running across the field is Mario, and the sound effects, are the blocks getting hit, and the coins being received (represented by the yellow tarps at the top of the field. The next form is a star that in the game makes you invincible for a brief time. The music transitions into the music that plays while you are invincible from said star. The music transitions from there to the theme from Super Mario World, and the form is the face of Mario, the titular hero of the Mario games. I'm honestly not sure what the form after that is (something to do with the Halo games maybe). The singing is the opening of the theme from the Halo games. The theme continues as the form transitions into something else I'm not sure of (I don't know a great deal about Halo). The next form is the Halo logo/Title. The next piece of music is the theme from The Legend of Zelda, as the form transitions into another sort of logo/emblem (the triangles are the triforce, which the game is in a way centered around). I'm not as familiar with the music as the horse is formed, but I assume it's Zelda music. The horse is (I think) Epona, a horse from one of the Zelda games. The motions are meant to be it galloping and then rearing up, as the Zelda music continues. The form after the horse is the Master Sword, the main weapon used by the hero of the Zelda games. The music after is some sort of Mario arrangement, which transitions into the castle and flag, which Are at the end of most levels in Super Mario Bros. The Mario Bros. lower the flag, as in the game. The fireworks going off represent a thing in the game where a number of fireworks will go off at the end of a level if you did something or other (I could never figure out quite what, maybe something to do with completion time). The next piece of music is from the Pac-Man games. I don't know what the front of the field is supposed to be, maybe a bit from a level. Below the line at the top, you see Pac-Man being chased by a ghost, as he tries to get to the cherry (an item in the game that gives you points). The ghost catches up to him, and the death sound effect from the game is played. As the music continues, the words "GAME OVER" are made, signifying the end of the show. Hope this helped. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I used to teach with Aaron. We taught opposing drumlines in the same district until this year and we've done some indoor work together. He's doing some great stuff there. The OSU drumline has improved a ton since he took over last year. OSU has always been good, I think they're saddled by the marching style and the instruments they have to play on. It's certainly not much like those used in DCI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Great Show!! The Halo piece was the best one of this show, but what I want to see is something done with newer, better gaming music...such as Elder Scrolls (pick a version), Battlefield (pick a version), Medal of Honor (pick a version), etc. Heck, even old stuff like Final Fantasy would be better than Tetris, for god's sake. ...and it would be less "video game like" and wouldn't be as recognized. Those other games are things that so many more people recognize. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Stanford's band did it better. And their football team can actually go to a bowl game this year. Funny hearing the words "Stanford's band" and "better" in the same sentence. Great school, not the same focus for their marching band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 The point is: there *is* nothing to it. It does what drum corps does best, which is pastiche together the best pieces and parts of visual and audio: this time from video game history, from tunes many, many people are familiar with. People didn't care that the lines weren't straight, or that your contras triple-tongued that section: they saw something they could relate to from a niche performance ensemble (sound familiar?) and then reacted accordingly . . .with just brass and percussion. Yep, people were applauding a horse moving on the field. Deal with it. In other words, the reason this hit Deadspin and elsewhere on the web is because it was ####### cool, and something a good bit of Gen X and Y can relate to pretty easily. Does that mean that every show needs to be fat, dumb and happy and a clap-fest? Nope, but it's well beyond time to consider the fact that the audience isn't going to be well-versed in band or wind ensemble literature all the time, and, unless everyone wants to play only to their insular buddies in BOA and WGI going forward, designers might want to throw the "laymen" in the audience a bone every now and again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Uh, oh; I feel even more out of touch now. I've never even heard of "Wreck It Ralph." I'm going to have to Google it now. How come no one talks about Perry Como anymore? It's a movie. I don't recall a video game of that name, but it looks like the character borrows ideas from several video games. Just saw the trailer for the movie Saturday and it looks like a really fun movie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) I just watched the entire show again and still have no idea what's going on. I thought the drill segues were quite effective and the band sounded good, but I still didn't know what the horse meant, or the castle and the moving "M." I thought it was a poke at Michigan, but saw Ohio was playing Nebraska. I would deeply appreciate it if someone would go through each move and comment on what each was representing. I'm not feeling so hip at the moment. The moving horse is a reference to The Legend of Zelda video game. M was probably for Mario. The Castle is probably a Mario Brother reference as well. Mario has to go into castles to rescue the princess all the time. There are also castles at the end of many of the Super Mario Brothers levels... Anyway, lots of castle references in Mario games. Edited October 9, 2012 by jjeffeory 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peel Paint Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) The point is: there *is* nothing to it. It does what drum corps does best, which is pastiche together the best pieces and parts of visual and audio: this time from video game history, from tunes many, many people are familiar with. People didn't care that the lines weren't straight, or that your contras triple-tongued that section: they saw something they could relate to from a niche performance ensemble (sound familiar?) and then reacted accordingly . . .with just brass and percussion. Yep, people were applauding a horse moving on the field. Deal with it. In other words, the reason this hit Deadspin and elsewhere on the web is because it was ####### cool, and something a good bit of Gen X and Y can relate to pretty easily. Does that mean that every show needs to be fat, dumb and happy and a clap-fest? Nope, but it's well beyond time to consider the fact that the audience isn't going to be well-versed in band or wind ensemble literature all the time, and, unless everyone wants to play only to their insular buddies in BOA and WGI going forward, designers might want to throw the "laymen" in the audience a bone every now and again. Here's what I think would rock Hop about that show: the viral view count, the crowd was so into it, the music must be available without a huge rights hassle (or OSU wouldn't have done it--although there could still be an issue with video rights, since it was only on YouTube), and that as good as it was for two weeks of rehearsal, The Cadets could do it better. He is always looking for show ideas. This one likely will be mentioned to his designers as a possible show theme to consider. Edited October 9, 2012 by Peel Paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 ...and another article about marching band shows, because of OSUs show... http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/7-amazingly-cool-marching-band-routines/28991qsb2?q=msn+now&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhpvidmod&form=msnrll #7 Cal (State????? Uh, isn't that just the University of California or Cal??? Why does he call them Cal State? There are several Cal State Universities, but I digress)... #6 Cal (State?????) #5 Hawaii ( Stick Figure kicking field goal, didn't Stanford do this too) #4 UCLA ( Cursive UCLA) #3 Jackson State #2 Purdue ( Why did he include this one? Not about Video Games) #1 Notre Dame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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