Fred Windish Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I'm hopeful Cadets will produce a 'happy medium' with the narration. Right now, the QUANTITY of the spoken word that permeates the entire show is annoying and takes too much stage presence away from a magnificent corps. Narration is obviously needed in a show like this, just less. Maybe replace some, if not all, of the Presidential recordings with changing signage of some sort. Short phrases like "We hold these truths . . . " or whatever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Are the judges allowed to say to a corps, "What you're doing may be essential to the source material but just doesn't work in drum corps"? They can infer [=imply] it by being more specific to the show and not generalizing by saying narration just doesn't work. In fact, I love the Cadets narration, and so do A LOT OF PEOPLE. I think the show is brilliant!! So I think it's important for everyone here to be careful when making sweeping statements like "narration doesn't work." In your opinion it doesn't work, and in others it does. This is the beauty of drum corps. Diversity. Why would we want to change that? Why would we say to all the drum corps "Only please this kind of fan and not this other kind of fan?" Or why would be tell fans "only expect one kind of entertainment and if it's not your cup of tea...well too bad? I think each fan will get something out of a drum corps show, and there should NEVER be any guarantee that every corps will please you. We all have different tastes. In the end, we all win because the unbound and unrestricted creativity can win out, and that ultimately paves the way for the best and most diverse drum corps experience. I'm not sure this post won't show that we're in violent agreement, but: I actually haven't decided how I feel about Cadets' narration yet. Some of Hopkins's claims in support of it seem phony, but what he says about Cadets' shows doesn't always match the shows themselves. 'Tis often so with artists. Likewise your point about diversity in drum corps could apply to any art form, but I wonder really what does it mean? If I don't like a movie, you're not saying that I should say nothing about my displeasure, on the grounds that other people like it more than I do. If I may not criticize it, then they may not praise it. Likewise for people who don't and do like Cadets show--particularly if the show is successful and inspires other corps to follow their lead. More like this, please! No more like this, please! I am reminded that right now there is apparently a disconnect between the public and some highbrow critics concerning Donna Tartt's very popular novel, The Goldfinch. Attempting to explain the critics' point of view, Lorin Stein of The Paris Review, who may not be right specifically about The Goldfinch, but is surely partly right about why we have standards in the first place, he writes the following: “What worries me is that people who read only one or two books a year will plunk down their money for The Goldfinch, and read it, and tell themselves they like it, but deep down will be profoundly bored, because they aren’t children, and will quietly give up on the whole enterprise when, in fact, fiction—realistic fiction, old or new—is as alive and gripping as it’s ever been.” Criticism, at its best, derives from love of an art form, from wanting that art to be at its best. Those of us who act as drum corps critics, among which, broadly speaking, I count all the participants in this forum, are supposed to be arguing about the standards that make drum corps great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daave Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I hate money. "...but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar. That's where you come in." ($1 to Adam Sandler / The Wedding Singer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I did notice George Hopkins' Facebook post, and in as is often the case, he can be persuasive as well as adamant about his choices. In general I am not a fan of narration, but as one poster mentioned, it is not new. I know some people found it "glaring" but I have found that in some venues the narration works better than in other venues. I will withhold my judgment about whether narration does or does not work in Cadets show until I see it on the big screen tomorrow (love my iPad but it does have limitations), but the claim it is "essential" is questionable. Simply by arranging the piece for drum corps we are eliminating one essential element--a symphony orchestra. Also Cadets are not the first corps to use "A Lincoln Portrait" and I can't recall narration in the past. My guess is that by the end of the season, it will work. People critiqued Crown last year for narration and Bluecoats in 2012, but in both shows it seemed natural at the end of the season. Yeah, a lot of people last year defended Crown's narration on the grounds that it came from the source material. But that was wrong. While the spoken words came from the Philip Glass opera, Crown chose to have them intoned over different music entirely. Arguably, it was through being unfaithful to the source that Crown succeeded. Likewise Hopkins refers to the necessity of narration partly on the grounds that Copland's original piece included it. But Lincoln Portrait obviously did not include the words of FDR or JFK, or recordings thereof, so to some degree Hopkins is talking through his hat--but that doesn't mean that the narration and even the recordings don't work, only that Hopkins's justifications for them are doubtful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Likewise your point about diversity in drum corps could apply to any art form, but I wonder really what does it mean? If I don't like a movie, you're not saying that I should say nothing about my displeasure, on the grounds that other people like it more than I do. Not at all. I feel everyone has the right to criticize these shows. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't criticize in such a way that we're assumming everyone agrees with us, or that our opinion is fact. A lot of folks do that on here. They assume their voice is the voice of reason, the voice of the majority. This is what we have to refrain from. I've been critical of many shows, but I try to make sure people know that my opinions are just that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurebluecoat Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I was at the show last night so I'll give my opinion. First of all, this show (my second live DCI show) reminded me that drum corps sounds so much better in person than through a computer. Okay, so here is a mini review of each show. It's in order from least favorite to favorite. 7. The Cadets: To be honest (and this is just my opinion) I've never been a big Cadets fan. I love their past two winning shows, 2005 and 2011, but other than that, their shows just don't interest me that much. They have a great hornline so I did like hearing them. The narration distracted me too much to be able to pay much attention to the show musically. Percussion sounded amazing like always and I enjoyed it. Overall, decent show, but not my cup of tea. 6. BAC: I really like the Animal Farm theme. Unfortunately, I didn't really see them take full advantage of the theme, especially musically. There were some cool moments that put this show ahead of Cadets imo. I don't see the point of the guard guy who walked slowly and did a flip at the end. If they work more on perfecting the show and connecting with the theme, it could be great in August. 5. Madison Scouts: When I heard about the theme I was not very excited. I don't know either of the musicians whose music they played. Considering I didn't know any of the music I got pretty into the show. The opening hit was phenomenal. Great hornline. I also really liked the use of trombones in their show. Also, the drumset guy was very enthusiastic and it was fun watching him play. I thought their show was pretty good. 4. Phantom Regiment: I was kind of excited to see what they would do with Swan Lake. The show had some really cool moments. The hornline sounded awesome and I loved the uniform change. That's about all I'm gonna say about this show. I liked it and think it will be even better at the end of the season. 3. Cavaliers: I really liked the show. I love the corps and guard uniforms. The hornline sounded amazing. Percussion was great and pit did some really really cool things. One of my favorite parts was the concert euph solo. I can't wait to see this show in August. 2. Carolina Crown: This was my first time seeing them live and I really liked it. I had watched this show 4 times on Youtube so I was already very familiar with it. Crown brass was soooo good. I expect another perfect brass score. SIDE NOTE: When I was watching Cavaliers hornline warm up I said "Man it would be cool if I saw Matt Harloff" and then I turned around and he was right behind me! Crazy. But their is so much going on visually and they have a lot of work to do with the middle section of the show. I like it and hope it's close to last year by finals. 1. Bluecoats: I watched them rehearse and during the rehearsal and show I was so impressed. AMAZING hornline, especially low brass, and they did some very cool things. Also, the show was great visually. Everyone needs to see it live. There is a lot of synth but I don't mind it as much as usual. Definitely my favorite show of 2014 so far. I think it may be their best scoring show ever. Can't wait to see it August. BLOOOOO! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geluf Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I hate that the Akron scores will be obsolete by the time we get them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroberts Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I hate that the Akron scores will be obsolete by the time we get them. Yeah, the three shows from today will render those scores obsolete. So unless they're holding today's scores too... we don't really need to go to the theater to hear scores. Because we'll know the most up-to-date ones from tonight... Did we just outsmart DCI?? lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Thats fine... and based upon your opinion of it, my guess you don't currently possess very much of it , and probably won't in the future either ( which is cool and all too, as its in your personal domain to choose " hate money ", of course. ) I hate drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleveland1 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Yeah, the three shows from today will render those scores obsolete. So unless they're holding today's scores too... we don't really need to go to the theater to hear scores. Because we'll know the most up-to-date ones from tonight... Did we just outsmart DCI?? lol This happens every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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