Popular Post Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted July 2, 2014 Colts - what a nightmare. It is like 2006 Cadets all over again. Same designer (Marc Sylvester). Same hallucinogenic obsession with warping a classic childhood story. Same grotesque excess of dialogue. Props that do not work. A ballad featuring a female vocalist. Basic things like horns and drums shoved aside by all these distractions. What do they say about repeating the same actions and expecting different results? The definition of insanity. I respect that you don't like it. Really, I do. Let me see if I can help with understanding. I promise I won't attempt to make you like it. It's the type of show that people are either going to love or hate. We knew that going in.. no misconceptions or delusional thoughts of god-like creative status there. I would debate whether your characterization of "obsession" is accurate. Doing something with narration in a show again 8 years later... doesn't exactly indicate a pattern. Not understanding someone's creative expression doesn't mean the people with the vision are insane... it just means you didn't get it the first time. There is "purpose" and "form" to the show. It's our job to make sure that we allow the design and intent to be elevated through performance excellence, and make sure the thematic clarity and story-line are clear through focus and logical flow/pacing. Is it a finished project yet? Nope. Not yet. If the definition of insanity is scoring a 93 and finishing 5th... The Colts could do worse than to use that particular model. Are you sure you want to stand by your assertion that this is a classic children's story... that wasn't hallucinogenic to begin with? Looking a little closer, you'll see that this isn't "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".... nor is it Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon". Simply put, it is a warning... "Be careful what you wish for". The Scarecrow wanted a brain... It is a show that uses elements of both familiar productions... and tells a new story... not changing details of any of the original at all. It's just one possible outcome of what COULD happen after the story we all know ends... what happens after Dorothy leaves? The Scarecrow is the one with the brain... and a dystopian view of the world is not exactly unheard of... films or books such as "Blade Runner", "Fahrenheit 451", "1984"... "The Stand"... "Lord of the Flies"... "Earth Abides"... "The Gunslinger" series... "The Hunger Games"... or even the idea that the descent into madness (Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd fame) can be quite a study in chemistry and emotionally wrenching story-telling. Regret, laments, acceptance, new beginnings... all alluded to in the soliloquies that in most cases come directly from Shakespeare (no stranger to human tragedy), or from the lyrics of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" or "Eclipse". If you'd like to look at the following link you're likely to gain further insight: http://youtu.be/lUtnas5ScSE As well... the lyrics to the Pink Floyd music is readily available at www.lyrics.com Finally... you'd do well to become familiar with Shakespeare's "Richard III" Additionally, the idea that money and power corrupt? Look at how the main actor is dressed... hair slicked back... remind you of anyone? (Pat Riley is the wrong answer... )... but perhaps "Wall Street" rings a bell? Those things are there... if you listen and look. Clarity will continue to evolve... both in the performance and the communication of the story. Just part of the background of putting things together. I find nothing so boring as to have a show spoon-fed to me as though I'm an intellectual cripple. (That is a statement of my interest in all this... not a statement about anyone else's intelligence... please don't misinterpret that statement.) Regarding horns and drums shoved aside? Brass plays for over 9 minutes of the show and garner crowd reactions that the Colts haven't received in several years. Percussion is remarkably improved in just one season, and aggressive. Drill covering every part of the field. Part of the creative process is trying things... and seeing if they work. Sometimes they do! Sometimes they don't! There is no ego at work here... there is the willingness to experiment and achieve here. That necessarily means that in order to see if it works, you have to work through things that didn't necessarily come across as strongly as one would hope in the first iteration of the concept. Vocalist dominating? Hmmm... I wrote it... highly unlikely that it dominates to the detriment of the corps. More likely they're working out some balance issues, and the intent has not been made clear yet. I just rewrote that section... will be on in a couple of days. No matter what kind of trumpet solo I could write... nothing will ever communicate the original intent of Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" as well as a trained vocalist... and the Colts have a very talented young lady in the front ensemble that can bring it. It is an effect... that cannot be duplicated by a brass instrument, and is a creative choice we made. Many things yet to come, and many adjustments yet to be made. Haven't even seen the real show flags... or other visual things coming. We are aware of the pacing issues, especially in the last 1/3 of the program. We really DO want the audience to "get it"... like every other hard-working corps in the country. But unlike some, we're not afraid to let people see the dirty laundry as we work toward clarity. If you don't like it, that's okay. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I hope later, you come to like it, or at least come to appreciate that it's done well (and it will be). Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity. By that measure, the Colts are about to break into the world of the sane. all the best, Chuck Naffier 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Ensemble Dad Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) I respect that you don't like it. Really, I do. Let me see if I can help with understanding. I promise I won't attempt to make you like it. It's the type of show that people are either going to love or hate. We knew that going in.. no misconceptions or delusional thoughts of god-like creative status there. I would debate whether your characterization of "obsession" is accurate. Doing something with narration in a show again 8 years later... doesn't exactly indicate a pattern. Not understanding someone's creative expression doesn't mean the people with the vision are insane... it just means you didn't get it the first time. There is "purpose" and "form" to the show. It's our job to make sure that we allow the design and intent to be elevated through performance excellence, and make sure the thematic clarity and story-line are clear through focus and logical flow/pacing. Is it a finished project yet? Nope. Not yet. If the definition of insanity is scoring a 93 and finishing 5th... The Colts could do worse than to use that particular model. Are you sure you want to stand by your assertion that this is a classic children's story... that wasn't hallucinogenic to begin with? Looking a little closer, you'll see that this isn't "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".... nor is it Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon". Simply put, it is a warning... "Be careful what you wish for". The Scarecrow wanted a brain... It is a show that uses elements of both familiar productions... and tells a new story... not changing details of any of the original at all. It's just one possible outcome of what COULD happen after the story we all know ends... what happens after Dorothy leaves? The Scarecrow is the one with the brain... and a dystopian view of the world is not exactly unheard of... films or books such as "Blade Runner", "Fahrenheit 451", "1984"... "The Stand"... "Lord of the Flies"... "Earth Abides"... "The Gunslinger" series... "The Hunger Games"... or even the idea that the descent into madness (Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd fame) can be quite a study in chemistry and emotionally wrenching story-telling. Regret, laments, acceptance, new beginnings... all alluded to in the soliloquies that in most cases come directly from Shakespeare (no stranger to human tragedy), or from the lyrics of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" or "Eclipse". If you'd like to look at the following link you're likely to gain further insight: http://youtu.be/lUtnas5ScSE As well... the lyrics to the Pink Floyd music is readily available at www.lyrics.com Finally... you'd do well to become familiar with Shakespeare's "Richard III" Additionally, the idea that money and power corrupt? Look at how the main actor is dressed... hair slicked back... remind you of anyone? (Pat Riley is the wrong answer... )... but perhaps "Wall Street" rings a bell? Those things are there... if you listen and look. Clarity will continue to evolve... both in the performance and the communication of the story. Just part of the background of putting things together. I find nothing so boring as to have a show spoon-fed to me as though I'm an intellectual cripple. (That is a statement of my interest in all this... not a statement about anyone else's intelligence... please don't misinterpret that statement.) Regarding horns and drums shoved aside? Brass plays for over 9 minutes of the show and garner crowd reactions that the Colts haven't received in several years. Percussion is remarkably improved in just one season, and aggressive. Drill covering every part of the field. Part of the creative process is trying things... and seeing if they work. Sometimes they do! Sometimes they don't! There is no ego at work here... there is the willingness to experiment and achieve here. That necessarily means that in order to see if it works, you have to work through things that didn't necessarily come across as strongly as one would hope in the first iteration of the concept. Vocalist dominating? Hmmm... I wrote it... highly unlikely that it dominates to the detriment of the corps. More likely they're working out some balance issues, and the intent has not been made clear yet. I just rewrote that section... will be on in a couple of days. No matter what kind of trumpet solo I could write... nothing will ever communicate the original intent of Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" as well as a trained vocalist... and the Colts have a very talented young lady in the front ensemble that can bring it. It is an effect... that cannot be duplicated by a brass instrument, and is a creative choice we made. Many things yet to come, and many adjustments yet to be made. Haven't even seen the real show flags... or other visual things coming. We are aware of the pacing issues, especially in the last 1/3 of the program. We really DO want the audience to "get it"... like every other hard-working corps in the country. But unlike some, we're not afraid to let people see the dirty laundry as we work toward clarity. If you don't like it, that's okay. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I hope later, you come to like it, or at least come to appreciate that it's done well (and it will be). Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity. By that measure, the Colts are about to break into the world of the sane. all the best, Chuck Naffier Chuck, Thanks for this. I was just coming on here to respond to the "nightmare" comment. It's great to read your perspective as a writer! My son is in the front ensemble and we hear daily how the show is being tweeked and cleaned and it all sounds amazing! From my perspective, it is great to see the "controversy" that this show is having. When is the last time a corps fighting to make that jump to the top 12 caused this much controversy? Keep up the good work and we can't wait to see where this show goes (on a nightly basis)!!!! Edited July 2, 2014 by Front Ensemble Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdadx3 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 So, the show would make no sense without the narrator? Well Hello, it makes very little sense now. Most of the audience will only see the show once, and they won't "get it", nor will they really want to. The brass, percussion, and drill were great, which is what we want to see and remember. But there is a hell of a distraction at work. If you ditched the narration and the ugly guard uniforms, and just performed the show it would be improved. The audience would "get it" and the show would be remembered. As it is now, the narrator talking and moving around has about the same effect on the show as would a barking dog running loose on the field. The show would be forgotten, but the dog remembered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueDevils92 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I respect that you don't like it. Really, I do. Let me see if I can help with understanding. I promise I won't attempt to make you like it. It's the type of show that people are either going to love or hate. We knew that going in.. no misconceptions or delusional thoughts of god-like creative status there. I would debate whether your characterization of "obsession" is accurate. Doing something with narration in a show again 8 years later... doesn't exactly indicate a pattern. Not understanding someone's creative expression doesn't mean the people with the vision are insane... it just means you didn't get it the first time. There is "purpose" and "form" to the show. It's our job to make sure that we allow the design and intent to be elevated through performance excellence, and make sure the thematic clarity and story-line are clear through focus and logical flow/pacing. Is it a finished project yet? Nope. Not yet. If the definition of insanity is scoring a 93 and finishing 5th... The Colts could do worse than to use that particular model. Are you sure you want to stand by your assertion that this is a classic children's story... that wasn't hallucinogenic to begin with? Looking a little closer, you'll see that this isn't "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".... nor is it Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon". Simply put, it is a warning... "Be careful what you wish for". The Scarecrow wanted a brain... It is a show that uses elements of both familiar productions... and tells a new story... not changing details of any of the original at all. It's just one possible outcome of what COULD happen after the story we all know ends... what happens after Dorothy leaves? The Scarecrow is the one with the brain... and a dystopian view of the world is not exactly unheard of... films or books such as "Blade Runner", "Fahrenheit 451", "1984"... "The Stand"... "Lord of the Flies"... "Earth Abides"... "The Gunslinger" series... "The Hunger Games"... or even the idea that the descent into madness (Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd fame) can be quite a study in chemistry and emotionally wrenching story-telling. Regret, laments, acceptance, new beginnings... all alluded to in the soliloquies that in most cases come directly from Shakespeare (no stranger to human tragedy), or from the lyrics of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" or "Eclipse". If you'd like to look at the following link you're likely to gain further insight: http://youtu.be/lUtnas5ScSE As well... the lyrics to the Pink Floyd music is readily available at www.lyrics.com Finally... you'd do well to become familiar with Shakespeare's "Richard III" Additionally, the idea that money and power corrupt? Look at how the main actor is dressed... hair slicked back... remind you of anyone? (Pat Riley is the wrong answer... )... but perhaps "Wall Street" rings a bell? Those things are there... if you listen and look. Clarity will continue to evolve... both in the performance and the communication of the story. Just part of the background of putting things together. I find nothing so boring as to have a show spoon-fed to me as though I'm an intellectual cripple. (That is a statement of my interest in all this... not a statement about anyone else's intelligence... please don't misinterpret that statement.) Regarding horns and drums shoved aside? Brass plays for over 9 minutes of the show and garner crowd reactions that the Colts haven't received in several years. Percussion is remarkably improved in just one season, and aggressive. Drill covering every part of the field. Part of the creative process is trying things... and seeing if they work. Sometimes they do! Sometimes they don't! There is no ego at work here... there is the willingness to experiment and achieve here. That necessarily means that in order to see if it works, you have to work through things that didn't necessarily come across as strongly as one would hope in the first iteration of the concept. Vocalist dominating? Hmmm... I wrote it... highly unlikely that it dominates to the detriment of the corps. More likely they're working out some balance issues, and the intent has not been made clear yet. I just rewrote that section... will be on in a couple of days. No matter what kind of trumpet solo I could write... nothing will ever communicate the original intent of Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" as well as a trained vocalist... and the Colts have a very talented young lady in the front ensemble that can bring it. It is an effect... that cannot be duplicated by a brass instrument, and is a creative choice we made. Many things yet to come, and many adjustments yet to be made. Haven't even seen the real show flags... or other visual things coming. We are aware of the pacing issues, especially in the last 1/3 of the program. We really DO want the audience to "get it"... like every other hard-working corps in the country. But unlike some, we're not afraid to let people see the dirty laundry as we work toward clarity. If you don't like it, that's okay. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I hope later, you come to like it, or at least come to appreciate that it's done well (and it will be). Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity. By that measure, the Colts are about to break into the world of the sane. all the best, Chuck Naffier Thank you for putting this show into perspective. I will be watching to see the changes and what you have just discussed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 So, the show would make no sense without the narrator? Well Hello, it makes very little sense now. Most of the audience will only see the show once, and they won't "get it", nor will they really want to. The brass, percussion, and drill were great, which is what we want to see and remember. But there is a hell of a distraction at work. If you ditched the narration and the ugly guard uniforms, and just performed the show it would be improved. The audience would "get it" and the show would be remembered. As it is now, the narrator talking and moving around has about the same effect on the show as would a barking dog running loose on the field. The show would be forgotten, but the dog remembered. Like I said... people will love it or hate it. There are plenty of corps out there that will spoon-feed it. It's okay. Just didn't want to be one of them this year. No point in being mad about it... I've said my piece. Moving along.... best, Chuck Naffier 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleveland1 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 My two cents on the Colts show. Having just this moment watched the show for the first time on the fan network. This was one of the shows I was most looking forward to this season. Colts and Boston going for edginess, darkness, depth. And both Colts and Boston doing a narrative story, only one doing narration. And I hold that Boston could benefit from some narration. I am usually not a fan of narration, for reasons that i am not here to explain today. On to the colts show. Visually they do a lot, use the whole field. Without field props, they find a way to make the corps seem massive still. Other corps seem to use props to make themselves seem bigger, which is fine, but the Colts are showing how it can be done without them. Musically, i enjoyed it. Sometimes the narration and music competed with the music, especially near the end. It felt like the narration was tugging with the music, and it was awkward. Either the corps needs to get softer at those points or the narration needs to be louder. The ending of the show felt uncomfortable because of it. Narration itself was done well. I like how the scarecrow is A. live and B. michael douglas. Respect. The story itself is great, goes through a few of the moods. darkness, fear, sadness, and hope. As with most Colts shows, I adore the first act. They pull you in. I was a bit disappointed that the "death" or destruction of the other Oz characters was not a part of the show, and was dealt with in a few lines. I excpected that the show would be about the descent of Oz into a dystopian world, but once I got over that I moved on. I love the narration itself, except for the (i'm guessing) stuttering in-beat part with the "beware of the shadows". Was he supposed to be mimicking the Lion? Because the lion was the one that stuttered, not the scarecrow. If so, then it is nice they did it but i still find it cheezy. And if not, i only see it as a way for the narrator to interact directly musically with the drumline. The fan network recording I am watching, for whatever reason, the female vocalist I could not hear much. I think her Mic was not working or something. As with most shows with a lot of narration, it does distract me from the corps. I am constantly looking at the scarecrow, and listening to him over the show. The good thing though is that the scarecrow interacts with the show on the field. +1 in that regard. And he stands out from the corps so he is easy to find. "could this show have been explained without narration" Maybe. Some of it at least. Overall the show is kickin, i am saddened that i will not see it live this year. Unless by some miracle they make finals. And they missed on a great opportunity to attend the "emerald city music games" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlemm Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 So, the show would make no sense without the narrator? Well Hello, it makes very little sense now. Most of the audience will only see the show once, and they won't "get it", nor will they really want to. The brass, percussion, and drill were great, which is what we want to see and remember. But there is a hell of a distraction at work. If you ditched the narration and the ugly guard uniforms, and just performed the show it would be improved. The audience would "get it" and the show would be remembered. As it is now, the narrator talking and moving around has about the same effect on the show as would a barking dog running loose on the field. The show would be forgotten, but the dog remembered. You don't have to like it or "get it", but the vitriol you are spewing, especially without the credibility of having posted more than 7 times is just coming off as "trollish" and pedantic. I saw the show in Madison, and while it needed work (like most of the shows that night), I enjoyed it very much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amusicman Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Like I said... people will love it or hate it. There are plenty of corps out there that will spoon-feed it. It's okay. Just didn't want to be one of them this year. No point in being mad about it... I've said my piece. Moving along.... best, Chuck Naffier Sir, thank you for all that you have done. I have loved your writing for every show you have done for corps. I also think we all on here can not thank you enough for your posts. No other designer comments like you do and it is awsome for fans to hear a designers intentions and thoughts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Sir, thank you for all that you have done. I have loved your writing for every show you have done for corps. I also think we all on here can not thank you enough for your posts. No other designer comments like you do and it is awsome for fans to hear a designers intentions and thoughts. I guess the thing with me is... I still feel like that 17 year old rookie with my enthusiasm for drum corps sometimes... so it's always a reality check to read something like this. Thank you for the kind words.... it's kind of overwhelming. I'm just a drum corps kid who got to grow up and write for the activity I love. I don't know why others don't write about their thoughts here... I suspect I'm looked at as an outlier in that regard. (I wouldn't really know... only one other brass writer in the country is one of my FB friends... unless I got deleted... lol) Regardless, I never did drum corps for anyone's approval... just pure enjoyment of teaching, performance, writing, music and a little adrenaline boost wherever we can find one! :) Back to work now... looking forward to improvement and growth from both of my groups... and giving the members of today the same opportunity I took advantage of growing up. Again, thanks for the kind words.... back to the darkness for me now. best, Chuck 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMcomguy Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 So, the show would make no sense without the narrator? Well Hello, it makes very little sense now. Most of the audience will only see the show once, and they won't "get it", nor will they really want to. The brass, percussion, and drill were great, which is what we want to see and remember. But there is a hell of a distraction at work. If you ditched the narration and the ugly guard uniforms, and just performed the show it would be improved. The audience would "get it" and the show would be remembered. As it is now, the narrator talking and moving around has about the same effect on the show as would a barking dog running loose on the field. The show would be forgotten, but the dog remembered. I wouldn't have typically agreed with your comments had I not experienced something like this IN ACTUALITY in my lifetime. If any of you were at the Belding, MI show in 2007 and remember the Blue Stars show, please let me know. Because all I truly remember from that entire night was this: He barked, ran around (end zone to end zone) for a good 3-4 minutes of the show. This moment was a nice company front where the crowd was going absolutely bat#### crazy because the dog ran from the end zone on side 2 all the way to the other end zone on side 1. And I mean they EXPLODED and were on their feet during this company front, a moment that I'm sure most of the Blue Stars had never expected. Little did most of them know (sans drumline) that the crowd was only going insane because of the dog. Yeah, so, let that inject a bit of perspective into this discussion. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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