BigW Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 True, but the arrangements of the music will also factor in the success of the show in a major way. Yes, but-- in the Cavies purple patch of successes for over 20 years, the book helped, but their particular visual vocabulary really made this corps what it is and made it what people identify with. Even the years with the "weaker" music books, they still placed very, very well in spite of that. I think they've learned that it's a cornerstone to what they are- it was perhaps the the one big reason they fell hard a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Here is a huge list of immortal characters they might invoke for this show. Some are surprising, many are obscure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_immortals Never mind characters for old fashioned squares, like Puck and Merlin, Dorian Gray and Jesus (yawn!) ... There are several - SEVERAL - immortal My Little Pony characters, including Princess Celestia! <- This must be included for that one person who would otherwise take this post seriously. (P.S. Jesus was not actually in this list, which is of fictional characters only. But given "A Walk on the Water," that could be the direction they go in. I guess technically we're all immortal according to that view. Hmm. Imagine if that's the message... Who's immortal? You there in the audience.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vhsmbdm Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wh00iMa2s I love this piece of music! Goodness. Here's hoping they utilize those french horn background riffs beginning at 10:18, old-school. Based upon the source music alone, I feel like this is going to be one of those shows where I don't even care where the Cavaliers end up placing. I just want to hear and see what they do with it. Good luck boys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 Yes, but-- in the Cavies purple patch of successes for over 20 years, the book helped, but their particular visual vocabulary really made this corps what it is and made it what people identify with. Even the years with the "weaker" music books, they still placed very, very well in spite of that. I think they've learned that it's a cornerstone to what they are- it was perhaps the the one big reason they fell hard a couple of years ago. Yes, I agree with what you're saying being historically, but they've pretty much lost that specific brand of visual vocabulary the last two years; last year was better though. We'll see if they get that brand back this year. I believe that the brass arrangements have really hurt them the last two years, so that's why I have been saying that the arrangements will make or break them this year. I feel the brass performance level will be quite a bit higher this year than the previous two years, and the brass book design needs to get back to where it was before "the fall". The source material has promise, especially if done right and I have faith that Drew Shanefield and company will work hard to get it right, but it's going to be tricky: Design is so important today. The drill will probably improve as well and I have faith in Mitch Rogers. I also have faith in the guard designers. Anyway, just hoping for a return to the top 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummer5485 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Hey, it's Jeremy. Where are you these days? Still down there close to Mexico? Ha, no not anymore. Haven't been down there since 2010. I'm up in San Antonio now as Percussion Director for a high school cluster here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 The visual identity is what has made their brand, how they visually support this program will make or break it. The Cavaliers are big on visual demand... There is no doubt about it, but I think if you don't plan things out well enough then the show design flops. I just want to be entertained... 2012 was eh... It did grow on me... 2013 I thought the show design was greatly improved. I'm just interested in the growth of this direction the corps is going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 It seems to me there are three things a drum corps can do: 1. Do what you've done. Reminiscence. 2. Do something new, but adapted to your style. Improve and Extend. 3. Do something completely new. Reinvention. In general most drum corps should focus on #2 most years, with just a touch of #1. This is because people don't like excessive reminiscence, but they do want some elements they can attach to the corps, so to speak. And nobody is able to reinvent themselves every year. Granted, Crown can do it - that's their expected style. But nobody else. Madison has been criticized for doing too much of #1, while Cavaliers could be said to be doing too much of #3 lately. You can't set out to do #3. You have to have the idea and be so blown away by it that everyone involved is willing to fundamentally change the way people view your corps forever. Andy Warhol wasn't good enough to be that show. But they seem to be headed back to #2, which is the right direction I think. Just a fan's perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twerk_miley_twerk Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 i would really really like to see the cavaliers make top 6 this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frachel Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 It seems to me there are three things a drum corps can do: 1. Do what you've done. Reminiscence. 2. Do something new, but adapted to your style. Improve and Extend. 3. Do something completely new. Reinvention. Maybe it should be it's own thread, but #1 got me thinking (well anytime I see people complain that a corps has already done something I think about it) - how long is "long enough" where it is fine for a corps to rehash old stuff? My daughter (14) has just started going to shows the past 2 years. She's never heard West Side Story, Appalachian Spring, The Bottle Dance, etc, performed by any corps, ever. How much of the audience was around 10 years ago and don't want to hear the "same thing from 10 years ago" vs. how many are "new" fans where everything is new? A kid I know is in the Cadets, and was excited they were originally doing part of Appalachian Spring because he's never done it or heard it live.. but ask on DCP, and it's "omg no more AS please it's been done to death". Anyway, I think we tend to forget that the people on DCP are probably pretty "hard core" and been around a while and too often think from that perspective, especially when it comes to the music being played. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Maybe it should be it's own thread, but #1 got me thinking (well anytime I see people complain that a corps has already done something I think about it) - how long is "long enough" where it is fine for a corps to rehash old stuff? My daughter (14) has just started going to shows the past 2 years. She's never heard West Side Story, Appalachian Spring, The Bottle Dance, etc, performed by any corps, ever. How much of the audience was around 10 years ago and don't want to hear the "same thing from 10 years ago" vs. how many are "new" fans where everything is new? A kid I know is in the Cadets, and was excited they were originally doing part of Appalachian Spring because he's never done it or heard it live.. but ask on DCP, and it's "omg no more AS please it's been done to death". Anyway, I think we tend to forget that the people on DCP are probably pretty "hard core" and been around a while and too often think from that perspective, especially when it comes to the music being played. These are good points and questions. As far as #1, I mean a given corps repeating it's own traditions over and over. So for Blue Devils to play Appalachian Spring would count as #2, or even #3 given what a departure that would be for them. But to respond your main point, in order to appeal to young and old I suppose "a few years" could be somewhere in the ballpark. According to corpsreps, both Cadets and Carolina Crown played AS in 2008, and Santa Clara played it in 2009. Perhaps more significantly, a work by Copland has been played every year going back to 1989, generally by multiple corps. That's a testament to how great his music is, but it's not surprising that older fans want a little space in between. But you bring up a key point that the focus is (and should be, IMO) on the members, not so much the fans. But then, this website is all about the fans. So maybe the lesson is, go ahead and do it, and accept the fans' griping. That's pretty much what they do, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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