WGI Percussion

[perc2100]

I've been watching videos of them for the last few weeks, and I still don't know what I think about Aimachi. I think that in a sense it is innovative and different, but the fact that they never once wore a drum and marched traditionally seems like maybe a slight negative. I don't know; I've really been struggling with that. Maybe if they marched/danced & played cleaner I'd feel different. Taking guard-style choreography demands and putting them on drummers (who traditionally are not accomplished dancers) just doesn't look clean visually. And while it was innovative in one sense, it was also one-dimensional in another sense: it sometimes felt like a cool gimmick that was exploited nicely and then got a little old-hat by the end.

BUT...

It was very cool, and it really was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It is the closest I've ever seen to a perfect marriage between percussion & guard WGI, and the use of color guard mixed in with the drummer's choreography was perfectly blended! It's really hard for me to figure out how I think of it, and if Aimachi executed at a Top 3 level maybe I'd feel more excited about the direction. But often I felt like I was watching drummers trying to emulate world-level guard choreography without the expertise or fundamentals: being blunt, it was like drummers trying to dance and doing it OK, but really dirty. I was never able to separate myself and think "this is masterfully pulled off" and instead kept thinking "dirty - that really is a bunch of drummers trying guard choreography."

I will be curious to see if it catches on. It might, but most units don't have someone has creative and outside-the-box thinking as Gaines designing. It's weird, but I think if Aimachi carried their drums for maybe the last 45 seconds of the opener and the first 30 seconds of the closer, and did the choreography as performed in Dayton, I'd feel different: they'd be at least demonstrating traditional execution of drill as well as non-traditional.

I don't know; I honestly don't know how I really feel about that show. If other groups emulate it, take it to the next level, etc. we'll know it was the next thing. If it's a minor fad or one-time gimmick, well, we'll know it was a one-time gimmick that was executed well enough to be Top 6 but not well enough to contend for a medal.

I also find it interesting how the judges scored it.

* In GE the judges seemed to uniformly believe that the music really suffered, scoring it significantly lower than overall effect.

* In Vis, they scored lower in comp than execution, which is really fascinating to me. Usually by the time you get to Finals, you're either scoring the same in both, or slightly higher in Comp than Execution (meaning "good design, you're just not quite executing). Aimachi scored lower in Comp. than Execution, meaning the judges thought they were achieving more performance-wise than design, particularly with Dave McCarthy who scored ranked them 7th in comp. and 5th in performance! This was similar in prelims, even with different rounds where Aimachi wasn't up against Rhythm X, Pulse, or Matrix who beat Aimachi in Finals.

* PA wasn't so good: pretty much 7th across the board. That also obviously bled into GE numbers. I'm not sure if that's because they were dirtier due to visual demands, but regardless they didn't execute.

[GREENBLUE]

Aimachis show design was quite brilliant...boy do I miss Michael Gaines :( The drumming on the other hand....meh. Overall, an outstanding show and a big hit with the crowd.

[perc2100]

Aimachis show design was quite brilliant...boy do I miss Michael Gaines :(

I'm with ya on that one...

[Jeff Ream]

I've been watching videos of them for the last few weeks, and I still don't know what I think about Aimachi. I think that in a sense it is innovative and different, but the fact that they never once wore a drum and marched traditionally seems like maybe a slight negative. I don't know; I've really been struggling with that. Maybe if they marched/danced & played cleaner I'd feel different. Taking guard-style choreography demands and putting them on drummers (who traditionally are not accomplished dancers) just doesn't look clean visually. And while it was innovative in one sense, it was also one-dimensional in another sense: it sometimes felt like a cool gimmick that was exploited nicely and then got a little old-hat by the end.

BUT...

It was very cool, and it really was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It is the closest I've ever seen to a perfect marriage between percussion & guard WGI, and the use of color guard mixed in with the drummer's choreography was perfectly blended! It's really hard for me to figure out how I think of it, and if Aimachi executed at a Top 3 level maybe I'd feel more excited about the direction. But often I felt like I was watching drummers trying to emulate world-level guard choreography without the expertise or fundamentals: being blunt, it was like drummers trying to dance and doing it OK, but really dirty. I was never able to separate myself and think "this is masterfully pulled off" and instead kept thinking "dirty - that really is a bunch of drummers trying guard choreography."

I will be curious to see if it catches on. It might, but most units don't have someone has creative and outside-the-box thinking as Gaines designing. It's weird, but I think if Aimachi carried their drums for maybe the last 45 seconds of the opener and the first 30 seconds of the closer, and did the choreography as performed in Dayton, I'd feel different: they'd be at least demonstrating traditional execution of drill as well as non-traditional.

I don't know; I honestly don't know how I really feel about that show. If other groups emulate it, take it to the next level, etc. we'll know it was the next thing. If it's a minor fad or one-time gimmick, well, we'll know it was a one-time gimmick that was executed well enough to be Top 6 but not well enough to contend for a medal.

I agree PA killed them...they seemed much cleaner in prelims. I'm not sure people would do a whole show with it, but I can see it done for extended chunks.

[oldbandguy]

:thumbup:/>/>

4 of the 5 @RhythmXBassline will be in the 2013 Bluecoats bass line.

The bass drum section leaders of 4 of the top 5 finishing world lines this year were from the 2012 Bluecoats basses.

Bluecoats bassline was pretty awesome in 2012 and looks like they will be in 2013 as well. Great basslines are actually becoming a tradition with 'Coats.

Rhythm X was most deserving of the Gold. I believe they are the first WGI line to break 98 in finals history.

I can also see why Father Ryan was voted "Fan Favorite"...

very entertaining show!

[dcsnare93]

Rhythm X was most deserving of the Gold. I believe they are the first WGI line to break 98 in finals history.

In IW, yeah.

[Michael Boo]

...

I can also see why Father Ryan was voted "Fan Favorite"...

very entertaining show!

And how about Infinity, the 11th place line that won Fan Favorite for Independent World Class?

[zachariaswmb]

And how about Infinity, the 11th place line that won Fan Favorite for Independent World Class?

I thought they did some pretty cool stuff visually. Not sure about fan favorite, though. I'd say that belongs to Matrix, but I'm a bit biased.

[perc2100]

Rhythm X was most deserving of the Gold. I believe they are the first WGI line to break 98 in finals history.

Yeah, that was a pretty great show + members executing this year for them!

As for breaking 98, just last year Woodbridge scored an incredible 99.6 ( ) in Concert World. Probably the best-playing high school percussion group I've ever seen, in any medium. Living in So CA I'm fortunate to see them at local shows, and it was awesome to see them last year.

Don't remember the recaps to see where they might've popped perfect captions (if any), but I do know the spread between them and everyone else was ginormous:

1) Woodbridge - 99.6

2) Ayala - 96.35

3) Muscle Shoals - 94.225

Woodbridge was incredible, and beat everyone without any real challenges

Don't get me wrong: Rhythm X was incredible this year, and it's rare in WGI for one group to win every single caption across the board (Rhythm X only lost 2 sub-captions, by only .5 each w/one of the being to Aimachi's 99 in overall effect)

[actucker]

Yeah, that was a pretty great show + members executing this year for them!

As for breaking 98, just last year Woodbridge scored an incredible 99.6 ( :omg:/> ) in Concert World. Probably the best-playing high school percussion group I've ever seen, in any medium. Living in So CA I'm fortunate to see them at local shows, and it was awesome to see them last year.

Don't remember the recaps to see where they might've popped perfect captions (if any), but I do know the spread between them and everyone else was ginormous:

1) Woodbridge - 99.6

2) Ayala - 96.35

3) Muscle Shoals - 94.225

Woodbridge was incredible, and beat everyone without any real challenges :babies:/>

Don't get me wrong: Rhythm X was incredible this year, and it's rare in WGI for one group to win every single caption across the board (Rhythm X only lost 2 sub-captions, by only .5 each w/one of the being to Aimachi's 99 in overall effect)

Only one judge DIDN"T have them with perfect scores. One of the performance judges had them with a 99 in comp and a 98 in performance. I suppose someone had to keep them from getting a perfect 100.

I'm so glad they started the tradition of having the concert world winner perform between PIW finals and awards. The concert classes don't get nearly enough exposure, and my students pretty much lost their minds when they saw Woodbridge last year.