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DCI membership votes overwhelmingly to allow ALL brass instruments in


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... In my crazy mind, I think there should only be three judges. All in the box--a music judge, a visual judge, an effect judge. This would emphasize to designers and caption heads that the overall product/package is the most important thing. In the real world right now, caption head's like the idea of performance judges because they believe a dedicated performance judge can give them more credit because the judge is solely observing that caption (e.g. a brass judge, two percussion judges, a guard judge).

In ‘theory’ that might be fine; in reality what we would more than likely end up with in DCI, imo from a percussion standpoint, would be similar battery book writing styles like we now see in BOA after they eliminated the on-field percussion judge. The current BOA battery writing style, for the most part, is nothing more than rather simple two-height accent patterns with a few crescendos and diminuendos thrown in for musical effect and maybe a few diddle patterns. Gone are the cool nuances of the bouncy flam taps melding into the inside accent swiss-kicks; gone are flam-fives melding into cheese inverts; gone are the complexities which transported drumming in BOA as being a special place for the exhibition of more difficult performance goals. If someone like Jeff Ream thinks the DCI warm-up books are more complex and cooler now than the DCI on-field charts, just see what happens to the on-field battery books if the on-field percussion judge is eliminated!!!

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@ Jeff: Yeah, all valid points. As I wrote in my blog, there are multiple factors to why I think shows are less exciting as they used to be. Judging isn't the sole problem, nor do I think it's the biggest factor. It's just part of the problem. I don't think designers are ignoring effect at all. It's just that their idea of effect seems vastly different from what I've seen in past decades.

@ Stu: Thanks for bringing that up. I actually haven't thought about that. I like tasty percussion parts too and I don't think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier books. The talent level of DCI performers is so high, it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not utilize that for effect. On another note, the move to indoor venues have really hurt good percussion books. The echoes in the Alamodome, Georgiadome, and Lucas Oil pretty much negate the nuanced writing and amazing performances by the drumline. I remember when Jim Casella announced his "retirement" from drum corps writing and partly attributed it to the bad acoustics of Lucas Oil.

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... I don't think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier books. The talent level of DCI performers is so high, it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not utilize that for effect.

Many well intended people within BOA at that time did not think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier battery books either. The talent level of top BOA battery performers at that time was so high the people adjusting the judging criteria also thought it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not to continue to utilize that complexity for effect. But look what actually happened. Ya see, in reality if the reason to write with intricate complexity is not only eliminated by only having box-level judges, but more so if the risk of writing at that level is not competitively rewarded, the writing will most certainly always get watered down; whether in BOA or in DCI.

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@ Stu: Thanks for bringing that up. I actually haven't thought about that. I like tasty percussion parts too and I don't think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier books. The talent level of DCI performers is so high, it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not utilize that for effect. On another note, the move to indoor venues have really hurt good percussion books. The echoes in the Alamodome, Georgiadome, and Lucas Oil pretty much negate the nuanced writing and amazing performances by the drumline. I remember when Jim Casella announced his "retirement" from drum corps writing and partly attributed it to the bad acoustics of Lucas Oil.

Here is Casella's announcement. While he does say in passing that Lucas Oil is "very boomy (dare I say awful-sounding?)", he doesn't directly link that fact to his departure; in fact, he gives no reason at all for leaving. Maybe we were meant to read between the lines, though.

Have any other arrangers acknowledged publicly that Lucas Oil is a poor acoustical space for drum corps?

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Here is Casella's announcement. While he does say in passing that Lucas Oil is "very boomy (dare I say awful-sounding?)", he doesn't directly link that fact to his departure...

He does not say that in passing; he states it boldly and distinctly in his very first sentence after the greeting. That indicates to me it was a very important aspect.

in fact, he gives no reason at all for leaving. Maybe we were meant to read between the lines, though.

His reason though vague, was contained in the first sentence of his second paragraph where he stated he wanted, ".. to focus on some non-work and other professional projects". If you want to read about what 'projects' he has been working on since his departure from The Cavaliers go to his website jimcassella.com

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2000 Cadets. (Ok, I had to go look that one up. Cavies won GE, and Cadets and BD both tied for 2nd.) Last solo champ was the '97 Blue Devils (2nd behind Cadets).

Mike

right. but that's a HUGE rarity in DCI history

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In ‘theory’ that might be fine; in reality what we would more than likely end up with in DCI, imo from a percussion standpoint, would be similar battery book writing styles like we now see in BOA after they eliminated the on-field percussion judge. The current BOA battery writing style, for the most part, is nothing more than rather simple two-height accent patterns with a few crescendos and diminuendos thrown in for musical effect and maybe a few diddle patterns. Gone are the cool nuances of the bouncy flam taps melding into the inside accent swiss-kicks; gone are flam-fives melding into cheese inverts; gone are the complexities which transported drumming in BOA as being a special place for the exhibition of more difficult performance goals. If someone like Jeff Ream thinks the DCI warm-up books are more complex and cooler now than the DCI on-field charts, just see what happens to the on-field battery books if the on-field percussion judge is eliminated!!!

I think less dilution will happen at the DCI level to be honest. In fact, it may make them harder since someone won't be down there parsing diddle interp

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@ Jeff: Yeah, all valid points. As I wrote in my blog, there are multiple factors to why I think shows are less exciting as they used to be. Judging isn't the sole problem, nor do I think it's the biggest factor. It's just part of the problem. I don't think designers are ignoring effect at all. It's just that their idea of effect seems vastly different from what I've seen in past decades.

@ Stu: Thanks for bringing that up. I actually haven't thought about that. I like tasty percussion parts too and I don't think eliminating an on-field percussion judge would result in easier books. The talent level of DCI performers is so high, it would be a failure of writers and instructors to not utilize that for effect. On another note, the move to indoor venues have really hurt good percussion books. The echoes in the Alamodome, Georgiadome, and Lucas Oil pretty much negate the nuanced writing and amazing performances by the drumline. I remember when Jim Casella announced his "retirement" from drum corps writing and partly attributed it to the bad acoustics of Lucas Oil.

here is IMO, the big reason, and it ties to judging, because this is how the corps want it done;

General Effect has a triad of effect....emotional, intellectual and aesthtic. Now, in theory, to max out your scores, you should be heavily vested in all 3 right?

But, the shows aren't. Too often they tie to the intellectual third, with these super duper deep ( aka faux intellecualism) themes etc. And because they get rewarded for it with scores, they keep going that way. The same thing happens in the band world.

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here is IMO, the big reason, and it ties to judging, because this is how the corps want it done;

General Effect has a triad of effect....emotional, intellectual and aesthtic. Now, in theory, to max out your scores, you should be heavily vested in all 3 right?

But, the shows aren't. Too often they tie to the intellectual third, with these super duper deep ( aka faux intellecualism) themes etc. And because they get rewarded for it with scores, they keep going that way. The same thing happens in the band world.

Not agreeing or disagreeing with you ( ok maybe agreeing ...just a little ...lol...DUDE! ) but give some examples....see IMO when we think intellectual I think sometimes we give way to much credit to drum corps. Personally I dont see most of it being so high brow intellectual at all...it's just drum corps....lol and there are far more things truly intellectual in the world. Not taking anything away at all from any corps BUT knowing many, if not most of the designers I don't think they feel like they are writing some cosmic, change the world, zen inspired, profound piece of art....many say " it's just drum corps man "...now is some of it far from the toe tapping top 40s or the swing swing swing of the war era, comedy of those who achieved it ( or those who havent ) or some dead composer which we are familiar with ( only because its been done so many times ) maaybe not for some BUT high brow intellectual...hmmmmmm not so sure about that......jmo

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Not agreeing or disagreeing with you ( ok maybe agreeing ...just a little ...lol...DUDE! ) but give some examples....see IMO when we think intellectual I think sometimes we give way to much credit to drum corps. Personally I dont see most of it being so high brow intellectual at all...it's just drum corps....lol and there are far more things truly intellectual in the world. Not taking anything away at all from any corps BUT knowing many, if not most of the designers I don't think they feel like they are writing some cosmic, change the world, zen inspired, profound piece of art....many say " it's just drum corps man "...now is some of it far from the toe tapping top 40s or the swing swing swing of the war era, comedy of those who achieved it ( or those who havent ) or some dead composer which we are familiar with ( only because its been done so many times ) maaybe not for some BUT high brow intellectual...hmmmmmm not so sure about that......jmo

it is ok to agree with me DUDE...lol.

ok...BD, the Dada show. show me the emotional or aesthetic in that show.

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