Granny Smith Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What the #%&$! happened last night!? Yes...I'm admittedly a Trooper fan, but I consider myself to be fairly objective. The Troopers' show should be seriously challenging the Crossmen--although they may be getting the same "sentimental bump" the Troopers received in 2009 and I can live with that--but to have the Colts pass them up left me stunned. I'm doing my best to act like an adult in the stands and set a good example to my grandchildren, but I may come unhinged tonight if the judges don't get it right. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railfan Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) I totally agree with you. Seemed to be a total disconnect between the audiences' take and that of the Judges, not to mention a disconnect between the Judges (at least one of them) and the corp on the field. Edited August 8, 2014 by Railfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeldrum Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Troopers need more narration to make sure the judges know what they're portraying........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Smith Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Perhaps they need some tarps and a giant american flag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2muchcoffeeman Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Here's one big thing that happened: Propserie thinks Troopers have a 19th-place drum line. He had a lot of lines to arrange on the sheets yesterday, to be sure, but he dropped their percussion content and achievement scores to a number they haven't seen since San Antonio. If "content" is supposed to mean anything -- if there is any objective basis to it at all -- then it defies reason that the compositional elements of the music Troopers are playing would have actually regressed. Hey, if their cont/ach scores of 80/77 at prelims are legit, then don't give them 80/78 at the first regional of the year. Yes, it's about the placements and spreads, not the interior points. But if the interior numbers are meaningless, why go through the trouble of creating them at all? Why subject the members to the insult of a prelims score that's lower than the scores they were getting weeks ago? Maybe it was a bad run last night. The members know when they're on and when they're off, and the reports from the front are that the drum line had their best performance of the season Thursday. So they look at the sheets and find out that no, actually, they were worse than they were in San Antonio. No matter how large the grain of salt you take with the scores, that is a gut-punch. If they're just supposed to ignore that and shrug it all off and worry instead about placements, then fine, the judges should simply announce placements after the shows, not scores. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railfan Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I hope the Troopers can recover and just stick it (no pun intended). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearwy Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I think the judging is broken. I've never been so disappointed in the activity I have loved for so many years. I love the Troopers. America loves the Troopers. DCI doesn't see to care about the Troopers. Maybe I need something a bit more positive to focus my time and energy on. Keep your heads held high Troopers... I'll try to do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Smith Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 For those of you following this thread I'd welcome your opinion: As I watched the show last night I honestly felt (and I realize I'm a bit biased) that the Troopers simply sounded bigger and more mature than both the Colts or the Crossmen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CACTSC Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Well as much as I enjoy the Troopers, from where I was sitting it's accurate. Crossmen have held at least a point and a half lead all season. No matter what panel. It's justified. And Colts had a solid run last night. That could easily flip tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2muchcoffeeman Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) To my ear, the Xmen have a very concentrated, focused and polished sound to their brass. It makes for great impacts. By comparison, the Troopers sound is more open, dry and lush. It sounds broader than Crossmen. Not sure either quality is superior to the other; it's just a different way of approaching the ensemble sound you're after. I do think the Troopers have a more "mature" musical book,with a greater range of styles and more complex composition. But that's only according to my amateur ear. Percussion: Troop and Xmen are very comparable, by my estimation. Colts are a noticeable, but not large, notch below. The pit writing alone in Troopers is significantly more sophisticated and demanding than in the others. Visually, Xmen are very clean, and have been for some time. Troopers have been catching up with visual execution all year, and last night their show jumped off the screen, visually. The kind of wobbly bits I noticed in the Trooper's marching last night was no more or less prevalent than the fuzzy bits I saw in every other corps, frankly. Visually, Colts are fun, but nothing that is obviously superior to either Troop or Crossmen. Troop definitely has the most "serious" show; it's an obvious attempt to reach for quality and sophistication. Xmen has a show that is more pure drum-corps extract, something of a throwback to the throwdown days (in a very good way). Colts are reaching for showy and edgy, and doing it well, with a high-quality horn line. In that way, they remind me of Sky Ryders, and not because of the Wizard of Oz theme. Edited August 8, 2014 by 2muchcoffeeman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.