njthundrrd Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Ok, now I feel like a COMPLETE jerk! This almost brought me to tears! I definitely get it now. :tic:/>/>/>/> No worries. Though, I no longer work there, I didn't get it at first and it also bothered me...Then I walked the parade route and saw the faces of the people and how they reacted to Crown and saw that photo and it all came together in my mind. Crown is, and always will be, about making that personal connection with the audience. If you ever saw what the Crown kids did after the Music for All camp kids (or even the camps and clinics Crown runs on the road) got done performing with them, where before the camp kids could react, the Crown members ran up and started to ^5 them and treat the band kids like rock stars, you would know that this just isn't happening at parades with the public, it happens in all that they do. Edited January 6, 2013 by njthundrrd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Ok, now I feel like a COMPLETE jerk! This almost brought me to tears! I definitely get it now. :tic:/>/>/>/> And you know what? I think maybe what gets me more worked up than an "approach" (but I guess I got off track) is the quality issue. Here's the bottom line, I can accept that what Crown does with their approach is great because they do what they do, the way they do it GREAT and people appreciate it! I think what maybe IS an issue though, is when some corps (definitely NOT Crown) just slap a tune together with little care and then sound bad in front of thousands of people. Even some that try to keep things "traditional" don't always do a good job and I just think that an elite drum corps should always bring their best to any performance (regardless of the venue). Crown is obviously doing just that in a unique way and they do play well on the parade rout the more I check out their clips. Obviously, they are prepared. It's unfortunate to me though that some don't even try to do well and obviously Phantom, Boston, Cavies, Madison...AND YES....Crown come to their parades prepared. So shouldn't everyone? Oh well. I definitely get Crown now and again, I feel REALLY bad for what I originally said. Actually, don't feel bad or anything. What you said was right! In your original post, you didn't say that drum corps shouldn't try to entertain, engage, and-or even interact with the crowd. You were talking about the performance aspect and how they look when performing sometimes. And you were right on that! I think part of what adds to the awe of our activity is their ability to also inspire through music and performance and part of that could be looking sharp in parades and in performances. I mean that's what gives lesser bands or people who don't normally see our activity something to look up to. When people see drum corps, you want kids saying "wow, I want to learn how to do that" or "I wish I could be in a drum corps because what they did was so cool." We want to give people something different from what they see everyday, as well as them sharing their sentiments with their friends, co-workers, etc. with them going everywhere saying "man, did you see what the Blue Devils and what those corps did yesterday??? The drums, the sound, and everything was INCREDIBLE")!!!! So yes, performance, interaction with the crowd (via educating them or making them feel like they are a part of the activity), and doing things well are all factors that adds to this activity! Edited January 6, 2013 by En929 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 No worries. Though, I no longer work there, I didn't get it at first and it also bothered me...Then I walked the parade route and saw the faces of the people and how they reacted to Crown and saw that photo and it all came together in my mind. Crown is, and always will be, about making that personal connection with the audience. If you ever saw what the Crown kids did after the Music for All camp kids (or even the camps and clinics Crown runs on the road) got done performing with them, where before the camp kids could react, the Crown members ran up and started to ^5 them and treat the band kids like rock stars, you would know that this just isn't happening at parades with the public, it happens in all that they do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Alright, so lets take this thread in a more enjoyable direction now by enjoying some of the good clips of performances that drum corps have contributed with. I'll start with another good one I found. Yeah, another traditional march (what can I say, I like them) Go Cavies! .... Kind of neat too. This was the year Cavies used mylar heads during part of their show and wisely chosen for the parade was a cool fit. Feel free to post others! Old or current. Well, if you want parades, here's one! Edited January 6, 2013 by En929 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmjfelts1988 Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Well, if you want parades, here's one! Ohhhhh wowwww! Soooooo gooooooooood!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) I'm old enough to remember "drum corps sharp" as a standard for any unit marching in a parade and I'm an old schooler at heart, so I probably should be reprimanding Crown, but I do enjoy Crown and think Crown seems to be getting quite a few lumps for their parade performances. They get quite a few lumps anyway, but I've seen Crown in parades. I've seen Phantom too, though it probably goes back a few years, though based on the video, the style is not different. Phantom's style is more regimented (no pun intended) than their field show. Crown's style is much like their field show. Now I have never seen Phantom at a moment where there's a pause in the parade. They've just marched by me and were playing music. Perhaps they get up close and personal, but I can't say. I've seen Crown march by in a similar fashion and I've been at points where they've had to stop at pauses along the route. When they are marching and playing they are in straight lines, the marchers are in step, though not as formal as Phantom and they may have some typical Crown moves, but they are in sync. When they pause they get up close and personal, may play a tune that is light hearted, and may let loose a bit. Crowds love it and it's well performed, and the crowd absolutely goes wild when they return to formation and march away. The styles may be different, but in both cases it's well planned. In the end I think it's personal preference. Also, there is a big difference in venues. The posted PR clip is from a Memorial Day Parade which requires a certain decorum. I believe most of the Youtube clips of Crown parade performances are from Bristol, RI's July 4th parade with floats, clowns, unicyclists (the Cycling Murrays seem to be at just about every New England parade--I think they can bi-locate), the Mummers, and various Shriner's groups. You don't find this at a Memorial Day parade, nor should you. Perhaps if we look back we can see that precision and traditional are not the same. One of drum corps most "revered" corps, the 27th Lancers (again, no pun intended...well maybe it is intended) was praised for their precision. The almost always perfect wheel, the rifle line that exemplified excellence, and their perfect lines in complex and difficult early Zingali drills were razor sharp. No one said this about 27th's arch-rival Bridgemen, at least at the time. they were entertainers and footloose and fancy free. They were often branded with the ever horrible drum corps insult "band" which was far more serious back in the day but when I watch Legacy DVD's today, while still loyal to my three Massachusetts favorites: 27th, North Star, and shamefully absent through no fault of theirs on DVD until 1999 BAC, I can admit now I did enjoy the Bridgemen and I'm often surprised at how clean and precise the Bridgemen were, especially the Bridgemen shuffle, perhaps not as crisp as 27th (or BAC for that matter), but still very good and better than most. .Nontraditional does not mean imprecise. Edited January 6, 2013 by Tim K 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) I think what maybe IS an issue though, is when some corps (definitely NOT Crown) just slap a tune together with little care and then sound bad in front of thousands of people. Well, now that you've had time to refine your thoughts on this, what you're Really saying is - you would not like the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band. I would not disagree with that. :lookaround:/>/> Edited January 6, 2013 by HockeyDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 so you mean handing out the parade tune the night before the parade and saying "learn this for tomorrow" results in a less than satisfactory product? hmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmjfelts1988 Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) so you mean handing out the parade tune the night before the parade and saying "learn this for tomorrow" results in a less than satisfactory product? hmm.... Exactly! And I know that a few out there just about do that and it's unfortunate. Of course, I'm not suggesting devoting one full 4 hour block per day for three weeks leading into the 4th of July Parade. 3-5 minutes a day during sectional time and one full ensembe RUN of the tune per day (a RUN of the tune....NOT an in depth rehearsal) for a few days or so leading into a parade day is probably not asking too much, nor is it going to take that much away from normal rehearsal time on the show. We're talking a whoppin total of about 6 minutes a day for just a few days. Just some attention. Enough to not sound ........WORSE........:lookaround:/> ....... than some of the high school bands that are at the same parade. Edited January 6, 2013 by bmjfelts1988 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 so you mean handing out the parade tune the night before the parade and saying "learn this for tomorrow" results in a less than satisfactory product? hmm.... Back in the mid '90's, I was part of a relatively small alumni corps. One of our corps' members sons marched in Spartans (Nashua, NH) at the time and marched with us as well when he was available. For one of our parades, he "recruited" 3 or 4 of his friends to join us for the day. It was an early season parade so nobody had started tour yet. They marched in Spartans, Crossmen and another DCI corps that I honestly can't recall. Music was handed out on the way to the parade line up, as well as trying to put together unis for them as well. The tunes were practiced several times in the line up area, and these kids performed them better than some of the members who had been rehearsing them for the better part of a year. Another time, we learned a Christmas song for a Christmas parade in one rehearsal session-and every year when I hear that song during the holiday season, to this day I can still remember my exact drum parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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