SFZFAN Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 So I watched the Scouts in Denver last night. I like the show for the most part. The white uniforms are a miss I think. It just doesn't seem like Madison on the field. The quiet ending is a real let down. My interest in Drum Corps as a whole has been dying the last few years and watching last night just solidified that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmjfelts1988 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) So I watched the Scouts in Denver last night. I like the show for the most part. The white uniforms are a miss I think. It just doesn't seem like Madison on the field. The quiet ending is a real let down. My interest in Drum Corps as a whole has been dying the last few years and watching last night just solidified that. I feel the same way about the soft ending. The show has all the elements to be the making of a classic in your face Madison make the crowd go bolistic production and then you leave them with no opportunity to leave the field with a standing O. Disappointing. Edited July 13, 2014 by bmjfelts1988 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Short and sweet: the show is about the idea of transition (specifically in a 1960s context). It's actually a pretty good idea for a show using these two composers. And yet, what should be the central action of the show (the act of transitioning) is non-existent. The actual metamorphosis from the Mad Men 1960s to the Carnaby Row/Haight-Ashbury 60s never happens on the field except via costume changes in the guard. Shouldn't there have been a piece of music that was very specifically arranged to highlight this radical shift in style and sound? Probably, yeah. It's a good idea that was never fleshed out past the barest essentials. Edited July 13, 2014 by Slingerland 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmjfelts1988 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Short and sweet: the show is about the idea of transition (specifically in a 1960s context). It's actually a pretty good idea for a show using these two composers. And yet, what should be the central action of the show (the act of transitioning) is non-existent. The actual metamorphosis from the Mad Men 1960s to the Carnaby Row/Haight-Ashbury 60s never happens on the field except via costume changes in the guard. Shouldn't there have been a piece of music that was very specifically arranged to highlight this radical shift in style and sound? Probably, yeah. It's a good idea that was never fleshed out past the barest essentials. Well I suppose if you handed out a program to everyone in the audience with that story, we'd all get it (and I do get it). But nobody wants that from Madison. People want to stand up and scream for Madison. Come on! Just give us a friggen ENDING! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalletMom Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 They are calling the ending "the curtain call." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Short and sweet: the show is about the idea of transition (specifically in a 1960s context). It's actually a pretty good idea for a show using these two composers. And yet, what should be the central action of the show (the act of transitioning) is non-existent. The actual metamorphosis from the Mad Men 1960s to the Carnaby Row/Haight-Ashbury 60s never happens on the field except via costume changes in the guard. Shouldn't there have been a piece of music that was very specifically arranged to highlight this radical shift in style and sound? Probably, yeah. It's a good idea that was never fleshed out past the barest essentials. Its not the theme itself so much as it is the fact that regrettably Madison Scouts have not figured out the fact that the way to move up in DCI is not primarily thru the music, ( nor theme cohesion ) its thru the Visual and the Guard. For example, Madison Scouts fans... and there more of us out here than any other Corps, bar none... that have access to Fan Network should try this exercise : shut off the sound, and just watch Madison's Visual show with their Guard and then ( for just one example ), Santa Clara Vanguard's Visual and Guard ( no sound ) and one can see the difference in Show Design. Show Design is EVERYTHING, and it must be Visual, with forms, and colors, and movement, and props and so forth. It doesn't need all that much execution to score higher either as to be quite frank about it, SCV marching execution is a mess right now, imo.. that show is chock full of spacing errors, interval errors, cover errors, distance errors, feet errors, etc.... and marchers drifting in their movements like nobody's business. The SCV snare line drifts big time throughout the entire show.. its very subpar in fundamentals of marching. BUT... it doesn't matter when it comes to their higher placing Corps and Madison's 8th-11th place Corps as SCV gets the credit in the Visual and Guard integration into that Visual, that Madison does not have. SCV's Visual Design is stellar. Its positively first rate, their fine Guard smartly intergrated well into the SCV show throughout, and thats primarily the reason they score and place where they do. I don't believe for a second that Madison doesn't have the MM talent of the Corps in the 4th, 7th range. I think they do. But it looks to me that Madison's Guard staff are not involved much in the offseason in input on the Show Design as the Guard is not interwoven into their Visual except only marginally. Madison wants to put out front and center brass soloists, brass duos, brass combos, brass sextets, up the ying yang. These brass section performers are talented and can play, and the music is good, the arrangements appealing, and the crowd still responds favorably. But thats not where the points are to found and garnered on the current sheets.. One silent watch of Madison's show with no music played compared to a silent watch of SCV's played with no music shows you why they are in placements and scores they and their fans don't want them to be at. The judges are increasingly marinated in the WGI Visual and Guard world. Madison in the future needs to get marinated in that world, or no matter what they do musically, nor what composers they give tribute to, no matter what they do theme wise, no matter how many fine brass soloists they feature out front in the show, it won't mean a hill of beans with the judges if Madison has any hopes of moving up in placements. Its not the Music that Madison needs to address, its the Visual and Guard, as THATS the pathway for Madison to move up... the ONLY way, imo .Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth from someone that has always enjoyed Madison and wants to see them do well. Good luck to them the rest of the way, as no matter where they finish and no matter the heat they get from people, musically I like their show, and find it still more appealing than lots of other Corps, and what those Corps are doing musically this season. Edited July 14, 2014 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjordansc Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Its not the theme itself so much as it is the fact that regretably Madison Scouts have not figured out the fact that the way to move up in DCI is not primarily thru the music, its thru the Visual and the Guard.For example, Madison Scouts fans... and there more of us out here than any other Corps, bar none... that have access to Fan Network should try this exercise : shut off the sound, and just watch Madison's Visual show with their Guard and then ( for just one example ), Santa Clara Vanguard's Visual and Guard ( no sound ) and one can see the difference in Show Design. Show Design is EVERYTHING, and it must be Visual, with forms, and colors, and movement, and props and so forth. It doesn't need all that much execution to score higher either as to be quite frank about it, SCV marching execution is a mess right now, imo.. that show is chock full of spacing errors, interval errors, cover errors, distance errors, feet errors, etc.... and marchers drifting in their movements like nobody's business. The SCV snare line drifts big time throughout the entire show.. its very subpar in fundamentals of marching. BUT... it doesn't matter when it comes to their higher placing Corps and Madison's 8th-11th place Corps as SCV gets the credit in the Visual and Guard integration into that Visual, that Madison does not have. I don't believe for a second that Madison doesn't have the MM talent of the Corps in the 4th, 7th range. I think they do. But it looks to me that Madison's Guard staff are not involved much in the offseason in input on the Show Design as the Guard is not interwoven into their Visual except only marginally. Madison wants to put out front and center brass soloists, brass duos, brass combos, brass sextets, up the ying yang. These brass section are talented and can play, and the music is good, the arrangements appealing, and the crowd still responds favorably. But thats not where the points are found on tghe current sheets.. One silent watch of Madison's show with no music played compared to a silent watch of SCV's played shows you why they are in placements and scores they and their fans don't want them to be at. The judges are increasingly marinated in the WGI Visual and Guard world. Madison in the future needs to get marinated in that world, or no matter what they do musically, nor what composers they give tribute to, no matter what they do theme wise, it won't mean a hill of beans with the judges if Madison has any hopes of moving up in placements. Its not the Music that Madison needs to address, its the Visual and Guard, as THATS the pathway for Madison to move up... the ONLY way, imo Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth from someone that has always enjoyed Madison and wants to see them do well.. Good stuff here. You do not need to do this exercise with SCV, do it with corps in the Scouts placement group, BK, BAC and Blue Stars. You see the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 (edited) Good stuff here. You do not need to do this exercise with SCV, do it with corps in the Scouts placement group, BK, BAC and Blue Stars. You see the same thing. Yes. Even in the mid range, Phantom ( for example ) incurs the same dilemna that their Visual Design, while still pretty good, takes their MM's out of any shot of a run at a 2014 Title from day one, as no matter how well they might play, or execute their show musically and march well, their Visual Design alone takes them out of a title run this year. ( BUT... its still good enough in Design to keep them ahead of those in back of them.) Edited July 14, 2014 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPutnam Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Brasso makes some very valid observations... Ironic, that in an age of DCI where brass lines across the board are playing better than ever, their efforts are less and less important to the overall placement of the corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 (edited) Brasso makes some very valid observations... Ironic, that in an age of DCI where brass lines across the board are playing better than ever, their efforts are less and less important to the overall placement of the corps. except for the fact that its not just the visual package that takes some corps out of the running for a title. I dont think whoever is 8th is winning horns...but we'll see I guess yes visuals are up there and needed but top spot needs it all or darn close to it all Edited July 14, 2014 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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