RContra Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 You had me at The Cinematic Orchestra. Can't believe I'm saying this (and still, I hope there isn't narration in this show), but I would LOVE to hear the intro to this tune, vocals and all, sampled and utilized. Combined with Adams' minimalism... just... yeah. And that type of music fits beautifully with Saucedo's arranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranintothedoor Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I think you stumbled into your own answer. For many people, linen goods evoke a homey quality. Maybe the Blue Stars will construct a house from sheets and towels during the show, in an homage to the Blue Devils' 2011 show. Tee hee... thought the same thing, but let it go Honestly, though, I agree with Stu on this one. From a judge's or an audience member's standpoint, if I know the story of a piece of music and it doesn't jive with what the show is portraying on the field, there's going to be a disconnect. I don't think this is necessarily the best example for the argument, but to say that the background/inspiration of a piece of music isn't important to its interpretation actually robs the music of it's power. For instance, Mahler 5, Mvt. IV... 10 minutes of "UGH! Just resolve the freaking chord already!" if really frustrating... but when you find out it's a love song to his wife and it represents the longing he has for her while he's away... that constantly elusive resolution makes perfect sense, and the piece of music becomes much easier to digest. I used to be one of those who just wanted to listen to the music and not dig too deep. I listened to Rammstein for a long time... I figured, "I can't speak German, so I don't know what they're saying, so it's cool!".... but when I found out what they were saying, I realized I'd been jamming for years to some stuff that made my stomach turn. However, I also agree that you should judge the music, not the artist. I listen to Wagner (even though he was anti-Semitic) and Michael Jackson (even though... well...) because the actual music has its own meaning and power beyond the flawed artist that created it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Totally off topic: Racine Scouts forwarded a Blue Stars Facebook post about the Blue Stars on a Gatorade label. I think this was a limited run, but I love the connection between athletes, drum corps, and Gatorade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Lenin, Linen; well that is what I get for again typing too fast and relying on spellcheck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Still, I have no problem with Stu bringing this issue up, because if it were Hitler and Eva Braun I suspect Blue Stars wouldn't use it. Anything that can be perceived as romanticizing dictators is an ok subject for discussion at least, it seems to me. Many people today do not see, or more to the point do not care to see, the shear brutality of Mao, Lenin, Pol Pot etc… in the same manner as Hitler; and I believe that I know why. However, we are not supposed to discuss on DCP the particular ‘political philosophy’ Pol Pot, Lenin, and Mao have in common with most of the people who today overlook their atrocities as opposed to the way these same people view the atrocities and political philosophy of Hitler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 man Stu, you must hate when people play Miss Saigon. my hunch is the connection to the concept comes visually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Lenin, Linen; well that is what I get for again typing too fast and relying on spellcheck! "A sheet folded often enough becomes the smooth." - Linen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) man Stu, you must hate when people play Miss Saigon. Nope; I thoroughly enjoy the musical Miss Saigon; and I thoroughly enjoy Chairman Dances (as long as these pieces are performed in some sort of context which somewhat reflects original intent). Miss Saigon is a story about an American Military Service Man who falls in love with a Vietnamese girl and they are tragically torn apart with the fall of Saigon. And SCV portrayed this in their show in a way which was respectful to the original story line. And if Blue Stars utilized Chairman Dances in a way which contextually placed the chart in some sort of connection to Mao and his wife, or placed in a show which conveys the historical aspects of China, or placed it in the context of reflections on the various forms of leadership within Far Eastern Countries, or even placed it in a more abstract context such as the relationships of leaders and their spouses have to each other, that would make relative show-concept sense. However, Blue Stars are apparently crowbarring Chairman Dances into a story line of, “Where the Heart Is and what it means to build a home, and how that environment shapes and forms the love of a family”; apparently simply because, according to DrumManTx, the music ‘sounds’ upbeat and has an optimistic feel. Which, by the way, is a far, far, far, far, far, far cry from what the music of Chairman Dances is meant to convey. my hunch is the connection to the concept comes visually My hunch is that they just liked the music irrespective of the context; and they will not visually connect the original perspective to their show design but create their own non-sequitur visual concept. Edited February 6, 2014 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 ... Blue Stars are apparently crowbarring Chairman Dances into a story line of, “Where the Heart Is and what it means to build a home, and how that environment shapes and forms the love of a family”; apparently simply because, according to DrumManTx, the music ‘sounds’ upbeat and has an optimistic feel. Which, by the way, is a far, far, far, far, far, far cry from what the music of Chairman Dances is meant to convey. My hunch is that they just liked the music irrespective of the context; and they will not visually connect the original perspective to their show design but create their own non-sequitur visual concept. Now that's a problem? A few posts ago you had a problem with the song being about a tyrant. Now that others have pointed out that the song isn't actually about the tyrant himself but about his wife missing him, you seem to be morphing the argument to one in which you object to Blue Stars changing the mood of the piece to fit the story, despite not having seen the show. Actually, the feeling of missing someone is related to home life and that might be exactly why they are using the piece. But if you're right that they will change the mood, well that's fine with me. Changing the mood of a piece is quite common outside of drum corps, it should be OK inside it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RContra Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Jesus H., Stu, Adagio for Strings wasn't about Vietnam, but it still worked in Platoon. By your logic, almost zero film music that isn't purely instrumental makes any sense. Hell, soooooo many drum corps shows wouldn't work either. Maybe we turn this thread back to the Blue Stars and away from your fun little musical quirks. I'm curious... will this show stick to the Pleasantville/Norman Rockwell-esque vibe it seems to give out, or will things get dark at times inside the house? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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