MikeD Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I can believe that DCA pit members, having so often used amplified mallets outdoors by now, expect it when they play in DCA. I cannot believe that audience members of any age are clamoring for pit instruments to be amplified. But amplified pits, much as they are philosophically dubious (but then so was the idea of the pit in the first place), weren't of themselves much of a problem in DCI 2004-2008. (The amplified voice, however, of at least Crown 2004, Blue Devils 2005, and Cadets 2007-2008 were disastrous.) It's the past four years where almost every DCI performance has at least a couple minutes where one person at a keyboard is playing as loud as 60+ horns that is so terrible. And sadly, I can believe that younger audience members think that a brass choir needs a synthesized bass subwoofer to sound full. They just don't know any better. Wow..Crown 04 is one of my favorite shows of the 2000's...and I also loved Cadets 07. Both used amplified voice in different yet excellent ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Well Pandora's box has been opened. DCA will in years to come follow DCI's lead and we will have the growing pains of Narration,Vocals,Singing Synthesizers and rockbands on the sidelines. Hope they follow sooner rather than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Wow... Crown '04 is one of my favorite shows of the 2000's Yes, I know. For me, the singing is OK (I don't care much for the song) but the poem is atrocious. and I also loved Cadets '07. Both used amplified voice in different yet excellent ways. I am certain that you are in the minority as to their vocals. That doesn't make you wrong. It's just another disagreement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Well Pandora's box has been opened. DCA will, in years to come, follow DCI's lead, and we will have the growing pains of Narration, Vocals, Singing Synthesizers, and Rock Bands on the sidelines. Hope they follow sooner rather than later. Actually, "Hope" is the last thing that comes out of Pandora's box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle B Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 2007 Cadets was probably the best example of how to ruin a drum corps show using vocals. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 2007 Cadets was probably the best example of how to ruin a drum corps show using vocals. YES! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldManDrumCorps Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Wow..Crown 04 is one of my favorite shows of the 2000's...and I also loved Cadets 07. Both used amplified voice in different yet excellent ways. Funny, I've always found Crown '04 hard to stomach (good closer, though) and Cadets '07 is one of the worst shows I've ever seen right up there with Cadets '08. To clarify, in case Hop is still reading this crap, all I could think while watching the '07 show is "I think there might be a good drum corps behind all that noise." I can hear when a pit is amplified, and I can't stand that. I don't like the artificial sound of an amplified pit. One of the things I love about drum corps is that beautiful sound. Something that DCA has had over DCI for the past 10 years, IMO. I don't need to hear the pit THAT badly. Even as a percussionist I can't think of ANY show I've EVER seen where I thought "man, I wish I could hear more front ensemble right now". Not to say that there haven't been some moments in DCI in the past 10 years of DCI that I enjoyed. The drum feature for the Bluecoats in '08 would have been amazing without A&E, but it definitely added to the entertainment value of that segment and the show as a whole. Ironically, th most famous moment from that show was a capella with no mics. The singing that took place in '04 was a disaster, as was the narration from the Cadets in '07 and '08. I can easily think of more things I disliked than I enjoyed due to A&E and SO MANY times where A&E was a non factor and the effect would have been the same without it. Just another opinion for which no one asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) By THAT metric, Pioneer should only be exhibition, too. Don't buy it. Placement would be a non-issue. Why SHOULD be Commandant's Own not put forth a competitive DCA show, even if only once? Hell...LAST year at Annapolis would've been freakin' perfect timing! Pioneer exists *as* a competitive corps. They just aren't a very good one. The Marines aren't a competing corps. They are an exhibition corps, and a very good one. I'd hate to see them go competitive, because they do what they do very well. If they went competitive, one of two things would happen: 1) They would get murdered on the score sheet, especially in all visual captions and GE music. Brass and percussion performance wouldn't be enough to save them. or 2) They would change their show style, particularly in terms of design. Do not think for one second that if the Marines did go competitive, they wouldn't take advantage of the new rules. They sure as heck would, A&E and all. So, I ask again, what's the point? If anything, they're more like the alumni corps than the competing ones. Just way better than any alumni corps. Edited December 10, 2012 by Kamarag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 2007 Cadets was probably the best example of how to ruin a drum corps show using vocals. What! 2007 is one of my top 5 favorite drum corps shows of ALL time! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I can believe that DCA pit members, having so often used amplified mallets outdoors by now, expect it when they play in DCA. I cannot believe that audience members of any age are clamoring for pit instruments to be amplified. But amplified pits, much as they are philosophically dubious (but then so was the idea of the pit in the first place), weren't of themselves much of a problem in DCI 2004-2008. (The amplified voice, however, of at least Crown 2004, Blue Devils 2005, and Cadets 2007-2008 were disastrous.) It's the past four years where almost every DCI performance has at least a couple minutes where one person at a keyboard is playing as loud as 60+ horns that is so terrible. And sadly, I can believe that younger audience members think that a brass choir needs a synthesized bass subwoofer to sound full. They just don't know any better. the younger generation of show goers are used to it everywhere else, so to not see it to them is "old school, out of date". exact words said to me by kids I've taught at the HS level. See guys, DCA is looking to build the future. The future is kids who will become adults whoa re used to it being there. That's why I said the rest of the electronics stuff will eventually happen too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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