The Cadets - 2014

[chris ncsu]

Is yap-yap-yap now a key on your keyboard? :-p

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Is yap-yap-yap now a key on your keyboard? :-p

HA! I was thinking he had programmed a macro, or set Autocomplete...

[zigzigZAG]

I keep thinking about Cadets 2005. Narration that was hated, a prop that people made fun of, energy level that was said to be lacking, tepid audience response, outstanding performance levels, and a record-tying score. Now, 9 years later, that show is remembered in a much better light by many people. It's even a favorite, as many polls have showed us!

My point is, the passage of time tends to change things. As time goes by, people tend to develop a better appreciation. Especially in something that is a form of art.

Cadets had an amazing season, and I'm willing to bet people will still be talking about it 9 years from now and beyond. That's success!!

Comparing this year to 2005 is delusional other than both groups had similar talent. That show wasn't hated any more than Cadets 2011 or any number of BD shows in the last ten years.

The narration in 2005 wasn't pounding people over the head with patriotism and propaganda and MEANING, wasn't so darn LITERAL, and wasn't so darn HEAVY that it collapsed of its own middle-aged white male political weight. What so-called 'narration' there was was mostly drumspeak, something no one had tried before. Ain't no meaning in drumspeak, or the nonsense-speak of Bjork.

2005 was about art and concept. It was abstract without being inaccessible.

I wasn't a huge fan of most of the stuff coming from the mics in 2005, actually, but at least the show was doing something new, rather than trying to be the opening sequence of the Colbert Report. 2005 also - like a lot of great art - didn't take itself so seriously. It was whimsical, odd, fascinating, full of potential interpretations. Heck, they even ribbed the judges at the end of their finals performance when the girl came out with a clipboard and judges shirt.

What's so disheartening about 2014 is that this year's group was as talented as 2005. The design team didn't cast their net wide enough last year, didn't solicit their fan base's opinions about planned design ideas soon enough, so they made a doomed choice in November. As soon as I heard the music choices announced, and reinforced when I saw pics of the stage in spring, I knew the design would hold this group back.

Yes, this group of kids getting bronze is a failure. They have gold-medal talent. With a better design, they could tie or beat BD this year. BD's and Coats' designs elevated both groups all year; Cadets design had to have hobbled them emotionally and motivationally, especially toward the end of the season.

Bluecoats (and don't take this the wrong way) aren't quite as talented players or marchers (drumlines are equally talented though), but they had a design that had them playing a bit over their heads, giving them more motivation from an audience that was rooting for them. I venture to say that 90% of the audience was happy to see the Coats pass Cadets. What a letdown to be in this year's group and see that the design team wants you to jump the shark with tarps, etc. That's what dragged down their performance in the last week or so, and I think the patriotism schlock also began to wear very thin on the judges.

To me, it's good news that the Coats got silver. It means art triumphs over agit-prop marketing and jump-the-shark, Spinal Tap design excess. I hope this failed experiment is the last of its type for the Cadets design team.

I hope the Cadets staff learns the following lessons:

1. Anytime you repeat old material (a la Appalachian Spring) you will unfairly pit this year's group against another, and the comparison will always fail your current group of kids. (I've made this criticism of the Cadets in the last 10 years before, on this forum, when they've rehashed old material, but it seems they didn't learn the lesson.) No one on the planet would or could like this year's Appalachian Spring more than what more people cite as the best show ever than any other show: Cadets 1987. So before this year's corps even took the field, they lost vs Cadets '87. (Scores don't matter - I'm talking about the sheer beauty and impact and staying power of a show.)

2. Narration is - thankfully - becoming passé. You can do different things with mics and amplification than TELL US WHAT IT ALL MEANS like we're drooling idiots. You can Tilt, for example.

3. Patriotism and political speeches carry way too much baggage - to put it mildly - to succeed as art in DCI or anywhere, ever. Especially as this country bankrupts itself - financially and morally - with corporate-sponsored militarism.

4. The design team needs an infusion of ideas, new creative voices, and a new focus on innovation, and needs fan response to its ideas sooner, like in Fall. Since they seem to like business and marketing and politicians so much, haven't they heard of a focus group or a political poll? Why can't a certain degree of crowdsourcing be used every year? No corps has a greater number of fans, many of whom have quite some creative talent, so why aren't the Cadets using them?

I congratulate the kids for more than maxing out this show. Their talent this year is among the very best in Cadets history. They were just not given the product to match their potential.

I anxiously await a true ZAG with Cadets 2015.

Edited August 10, 2014 by zigzigZAG

[zigzigZAG]

And I can't think of a better way to show that the vast majority of fans prefer art over propaganda/marketing than this, a resounding roar of approval for innovation, art, and the accessibly abstract:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeyFOKesbg&feature=youtu.be&t=43m40s

Too bad we have to have our focus group on finals night, rather than in October 2013.

[drangin]

Is yap-yap-yap now a key on your keyboard? :-p

Hmmm...that's not a bad idea, especially if there's even more narration next year.

[Wadep66]

Comparing this year to 2005 is delusional other than both groups had similar talent. That show wasn't hated any more than Cadets 2011 or any number of BD shows in the last ten years.

To me, it's good news that the Coats got silver. It means art triumphs over agit-prop marketing and jump-the-shark, Spinal Tap design excess. I hope this failed experiment is the last of its type for the Cadets design team.

I hope the Cadets staff learns the following lessons:

1. Anytime you repeat old material (a la Appalachian Spring) you will unfairly pit this year's group against another, and the comparison will always fail your current group of kids. (I've made this criticism of the Cadets in the last 10 years before, on this forum, when they've rehashed old material, but it seems they didn't learn the lesson.) No one on the planet would or could like this year's Appalachian Spring more than what more people cite as the best show ever than any other show: Cadets 1987. So before this year's corps even took the field, they lost vs Cadets '87. (Scores don't matter - I'm talking about the sheer beauty and impact and staying power of a show.)

4. The design team needs an infusion of ideas, new creative voices, and a new focus on innovation, and needs fan response to its ideas sooner, like in Fall. Since they seem to like business and marketing and politicians so much, haven't they heard of a focus group or a political poll? Why can't a certain degree of crowdsourcing be used every year? No corps has a greater number of fans, many of whom have quite some creative talent, so why aren't the Cadets using them?

For someone who felt I took a personal attack on them previously, your first line sure seems a bit "attacky".

So the Coats getting silver proves what again? Since the top 5 corps had more props than 10 broadway shows combined I disagree that that is what it means.

I don't dislike that the corps played Appalachian spring again. Or that SCV has played it more than once. It is presented differently and fresh each time. Your opinion is yours and not something the design team "needs to learn". George has mentioned before that some of the fans don't like music repeated, ever, but if it it serves the mood perfectly they feel it is necessary. Can you share why you believe the design team should take your posts to heart over the many others on this board?

Maybe you could present your crowdsourcing idea to DCI and persuade them to make it available? Based on your philosophy, movie studios, broadway theaters and artists across the country need what you are offering.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Wadep66

[chasgroh]

Wallace I think you've isolated the key design failure of this (very well executed) show. The music of Copland is music of the people. On the other hand, the show's selected quotes derive from presidents' perceived need to inspire people during (with one exception) wartime. The linking of American identity to wartime identity is hugely problematic, especially when promoted to youth and framed as art.

...I think this is a valid point. I'm a combat vet and very much behind my brothers and sisters serving today...or any time. But sometimes I tire of the war-this, war-that pervading our national consciousness. Thank you for helping me to expand my thinking. Our drum corps are super powerful communication machines when design clicks...keeping this power in mind is a fiduciary duty, or should be. Personally, I don't appreciate a designer using his performers to try to *teach* me something, or push me in a desired direction politically...I much prefer being entertained. This is not a knock on Cadets, or George...simply an "if the shoe fits" kinda thing.

[jordsterr]

For someone who felt I took a personal attack on them previously, your first line sure seems a bit "attacky".

So the Coats getting silver proves what again? Since the top 5 corps had more props than 10 broadway shows combined I disagree that that is what it means.

I don't dislike that the corps played Appalachian spring again. Or that SCV has played it more than once. It is presently differently and fresh each time. Your opinion is yours and not something the design team "needs to learn". Can you share why you believe the design team should take your posts to heart over the many others on this board?

Maybe you could present your crowdsourcing idea to DCI and persuade them to make it available? Based on your philosophy, movie studios, broadway theaters and artists across the country need what you are offering.

This.

As m father says, "The masses are #####."

[George Dixon]

Comparing this year to 2005 is delusional other than both groups had similar talent. That show wasn't hated any more than Cadets 2011 or any number of BD shows in the last ten years.

2005 was scoffed, laughed at, booed and belittled. And then it rolled into finals week and steamrolled everyone. It's viewed a lot better now than it was at the time. And it was hated A LOT MORE than the mostly universally loved 2011 program

Edited August 10, 2014 by George Dixon

[jordsterr]

...I think this is a valid point. I'm a combat vet and very much behind my brothers and sisters serving today...or any time. But sometimes I tire of the war-this, war-that pervading our national consciousness. Thank you for helping me to expand my thinking. Our drum corps are super powerful communication machines when design clicks...keeping this power in mind is a fiduciary duty, or should be. Personally, I don't appreciate a designer using his performers to try to *teach* me something, or push me in a desired direction politically...I much prefer being entertained. This is not a knock on Cadets, or George...simply an "if the shoe fits" kinda thing.

The Cadets and others have ben criticized for "teaching" rather than "entertaining" for over 30 years. I can tell you that, when designing a show, one always hopes to entertain. Sometimes if works better than others. This show was clearly meant to entertain and inspire. It worked for some and not for others. If was so clearly NOT a call to war, and don't understand why people keep alluding to that. If you were not inspired by what they were saying, OK. They made a choice, and it didn't resonate with everyone. But several people keep attempting to say that it's something that it's not. It kind of makes me wonder if those people even saw the show. I will say, that even though some people are saying it didn't touch the crowd, the people standing and cheering all around me on Friday and Saturday seemed to like it. And many of them were clearly Bluecoats people.