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There was a lot to see and think about on the Drum Corps Planet at Chester on Sunday night.

Memories of The Dream and Hershey Spectacular, two shows that featured DCI and DCA corps in the same evening. It was special back then, and odds were that it still would be tonight. It's a time-tested recipe for success.

I've been jonesing to see a good corps show for some time. I know all of you who read this "get it" when I tell you when I was in the ER last Thanksgiving that my main worry or care wasn't what the heck was wrong with me once they figured out my heart was okay (I figured it was anyhow) but that I wouldn't be able to play with the Alumni Corps in the spring. You all get it when I tell you I put off surgery until after the performance and have every surviving chicken in the US thankful that I finally got it done because otherwise, I'd have eaten all of them by now. I don't care what era we performed in, whether before DCA and DCI existed, or today. We all really enjoy performing for the audience and creating a special rapport with them, and feeling the audience return it when it all works as it should. We all take satisfaction with a good run-through, sometimes a deep satisfaction that we survived the run without screwing up and embarrassing ourselves and our corps.

I had a great time at Chester. I'll start with that so when I do criticize, the readers understand it's with good intent in mind and not because I felt was let down or underwhelmed by any of the competitors or the show designs. I wasn't.

Getting there was a bit odd. 68 miles an hour on the PA Turnpike put me in the slow lane. Once in Chester, I do have to say I haven't seen such bad driving in awhile, even compared to the bad driving here in Harrisburg. I parked in one of the outer lots for ten bucks. It made it a lot easier to get out. The signs outside the stadium were a bit misleading and unless you know better, you're kind of fed into the paid lots. Fair warning for those going next year.

Tickets were a bit pricey, but for a large contest with several top DCI corps in a quality stadium, it was a fair deal. I and a few other old schoolers took the 45 dollar seats under the primo VIP seating, and saved a load of cash. I recommend them. I was 6 rows up on the 50, and the way the stadium is set up, you don't get a perfect visual platform to view the shows, but the sound is great and you get some intimacy with the performers as well as a reasonable visual read.

I'll get a start before bed. For the DCA corps, I list sectional sizes by my best count. Individuals have corrected those counts before, and I appreciate that assistance when necessary. The DCI World Class units are all pretty dag-gone big and it's sort of unnecessary in those instances.

The first corps on, Windsor Regiment (2DM/12 CG/11 Battery/ 30 brass/11 Front Ensemble) with their program "Introspectives", which was mainly composed of some fresh perspectives on Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", mainly from "The Infernal Dance of Kashchei", the "Berceuse" and "Finale" with a touch of Simon and Garfunkel thrown in for flavor.

The corps' numbers are significantly up from last season, and that's a real positive. The brass tends to have a bright top heavy sound in the opening sequences, but when the low voices are staged closer, they're much more in balance. It also cold be that the low brass might be a bit timid early on and needs to gain more confidence in what they're playing. Overall, the book is by far the most ambitious this corps has attempted, and it's got a lot of great content and potential to be really exciting. If the corps can master the show, there could be some very, very fine moments in the program.

The percussion feature feels much the same, with a lot of musicality written within it that's unrealized right now.

It's still early in the season, typical feet, musical fluffs, the things that will only clean up as the season moves on. The run wasn't 'bad' at all, it's just that it left me with a real feeling of a ton of untapped potential. If the Corps membership buys into this program, makes a real commitment to it, really masters it and performs it with confidence and really unleashes the musicality that's contained within the brass and percussion arrangements, I believe they could turn some heads and pop some eyes open over Labor Day.

4 AM. Even after all the Starbucks espresso I chugged all day, it's time for bed. I'll get back to this after some rest.

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The next DCA competitor were the Bushwackers (17 Battery (We believed that #3 Bass Drum was missing)/9 Front Ensemble/33 (?) Brass/10 Guard/3DM) and their program "Resistance". From my observations of the show and from their video concerning the program it's about the nature of resisting oppressive force and how it relates to their corps and the expectations that play upon it.

It uses varied musical compositions- they manage to combine works of Hindemith, the British alternative rock band Muse, and Bob Dylan into their production.

It felt like the Front ensemble and brass were really nervous at the beginning of the program, and that the battery willed the corps on and pushed them, which they should have. When listening to the musical ensemble they 'know' the nuance in the show, it's just that they have to tackle and perform it with more confidence to get the most out of the book. The mid-voice needs to relax and project confidence. They do know what they're doing but sound timid. The front ensemble also felt very nervous and rushed, musical phrases needed to flow out and not sound forced at times. That being said, the fellow on cajón really added a great groove to the moment and set tings up well.

I think they need a day where they can put the music staff in a tower and tweak the musical balance of the corps and push those not pushing to match the stronger players, adjust sectional balances, and to work some of the brass/percussion balance. It's not a bad situation, but it needs to improve to max the corps' potential out.

There were some cool moments on the show such as when the percussion battery got imprisoned. I know many of the percussion folks out there are thinking that only a low brass clown would think that was cool. They could be right. :cool:

Even with all of these picky things I've discussed, the corps did finally settle down for the last third of the program and really produce with a solid groove, though some people did stick out in ensemble. I'm thinking it was perhaps because some people need to gain more confidence and learn the book rather than that some people were too loud. Only the staff knows for certain. :satisfied:

I'm hoping to see Bush later this season when everyone feels more comfortable with the program and settles in. I think there will be some good and thoughtful moments coming out of the corps when, not if this happens.

Next up, Fusion Core (9 FE/19 Battery/26 CG/ 3DM/ 36 Brass), whom I'd think were looking to win a contest. It's just nice to win a DCA show and leaves you with a good feeling after all of the work that was put in for the weekend. The show's obviously about dreams and the nature of dreaming (either that or it's about getting a good nights rest in a really big bed), but I'm unsure if there's an official title to it.

The running start flies into the opening segment, and two things became immediately evident. One, that the six Tubas generate a very fine sonority, and that the musical ensemble is very nuanced and musical. They appeared very well prepared and confident on the field.

The Front Ensemble's articulation was notably crisp and clear, and the battery's continued to take further steps forward in terms of book and performance from last season. The growth of Fusion's percussion is noteworthy and deserving of respect.

There's a rather fine segment where they blend "Pure Imagination" from the original Willy Wonka film with "Somewhere over the Rainbow", and it works rather well.

The percussion feature is a lot of fun to watch and listen to, and leads in to a small brass ensemble section. I have a guess that all of the July 4th parades began to catch up here for some of the performers, and it's understandable. I'm sure when I see Fusion again it'll be fine. The only real glitch was at the end, and again, i think all the parades caught up. There's one of those ubiquitous 9 chords people like to use at the end of shows (including myself when I arrange) that got a bit loose on the final release. When the rest of the program was so well performed, things like that can getcha because they really stick out.

I also have to mention the guard in fairness to them. They more than deserve mention in this review. They've won three of the four contests they've competed in, beating the Cabs and Bucs in doing so, two of the mainstays in DCA in this area. Last season, there were issues out of their control that caused them to have to fight like tigers last season in a tough uphill battle and make it to the end. This season, those problems have been rectified, and I'd think it shows the character and grit that they have by their success this season. They're making solid contributions to the success of the corps at this point, and it's obvious there's an all-around ensemble effort coming out of Fusion in 2014.

I think and hope some people may be finally smelling Fusion's brand of coffee and waking up. I hope so. If they haven't by now, they have to be in a coma.

I only have one gripe. For whatever reason, I keep missing the Swag stand for Fusion every time I go to a contest. I need a pin for my cap, a cap, or a shirt. It's been mentioned before in other threads and not by me- the corps is gaining fans, and they want some purple swag. People want to give the corps money for stuff! Why won't they take it from us!? :satisfied:

I type VERY slow. This took an hour and a half. I've got to start getting ready for work. I'll hit Carolina Gold, C2, and those DCI corps during break of after work early Tuesday AM. :satisfied:

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420PM to 4AM work day yesterday. Things conspire to stop me here! I'll try and get Carolina Gold (6FE/2DM/24CG/24 Brass/8 Battery) in before dinner and work.

Others have commented on the tombstones, and it's a visceral thing on multiple levels for some of us. It's kind of eyebrow raising when you see *your* corps out there, but then again, I'd have been a bit perturbed had Westshore not had one. The dates might be a bit off in some cases- I believe Westshore's final season was 2000 for instance, but I remember seeing and competing against a large chunk of the tombstones.

The show's entitled "The Darkest Hour" and uses cuts from many well-known examples of 'darker' music such as the "Moonlight Sonata" and Night on Bald Mountain". The costuming, dark and Gothic.

The brass have a strong sound for 25 personnel, but there's an awful lot of work to be done in certain areas of the show where they're concerned. I know they know this. They're a tough, gritty bunch. They do need to watch their feet getting into the sound on long tones, they do need to work on clarity in speed passages. (take a page from Doc Severinsen and slam the valves, you won't break the horn)

The guard continues to be a strong asset for this corps. When they're all using rifles, their work is impressive and solid.

The final percussion segment showed off a very determined snare effort as well.

The ending, and I have to wonder about certain other show segments appeared to be slower in tempo than intended and things started to slog on musically in the end segment. It was a long ride North, a lot of parades, and a busy weekend for Carolina Gold, and I know they'd make no exxcuses for themselves as to being tired. This can be a cruel activity in that way. What matters is what is performed and seen on the field, and there are no bonus points for distance traveled or for marching in several parades the previous day.

I though Windsor had beaten Gold, but a look at the recaps made things very clear. Gold's visual performance and strong color guard effort pretty much overwhelmed the gaps Windsor had nicked out musically. I've noticed over the past season or two how Color Guards in DCA have started to exert a stronger influence on the end results of contests, and I think this is a good thing. They comprise a major portion of the personnel, and should get the credit when it's done well and they enhance the total package. I'm certain Gold will clean up musically, and since Jeff, myself, and a lot of other people I know and remember are kind of out on the field with Gold 'in spirit' as it were, they'd better! :wink:

Edited by BigW
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420PM to 4AM work day yesterday. Things conspire to stop me here! I'll try and get Carolina Gold (6FE/2DM/24CG/24 Brass/8 Battery) in before dinner and work.

Others have commented on the tombstones, and it's a visceral thing on multiple levels for some of us. It's kind of eyebrow raising when you see *your* corps out there, but then again, I'd have been a bit perturbed had Westshore not had one. The dates might be a bit off in some cases- I believe Westshore's final season was 2000 for instance, but I remember seeing and competing against a large chunk of the tombstones.

The show's entitled "The Darkest Hour" and uses cuts from many well-known examples of 'darker' music such as the "Moonlight Sonata" and Night on Bald Mountain". The costuming, dark and Gothic. (to be continued)

W, I think the tombstone "dates" were for the first year a corps appeared at DCA Finals through the last such appearance... not their entire existence.... for the corps of the DCA era that were represented.

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W, I think the tombstone "dates" were for the first year a corps appeared at DCA Finals through the last such appearance... not their entire existence.... for the corps of the DCA era that were represented.

If I read right though, they claim a "Death of Westshore" in 2007, when the last season and appearance at Class A finals was 2000. Could be my bifocals! :w00t:

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420PM to 4AM work day yesterday. Things conspire to stop me here! I'll try and get Carolina Gold (6FE/2DM/24CG/24 Brass/8 Battery) in before dinner and work.

Others have commented on the tombstones, and it's a visceral thing on multiple levels for some of us. It's kind of eyebrow raising when you see *your* corps out there, but then again, I'd have been a bit perturbed had Westshore not had one. The dates might be a bit off in some cases- I believe Westshore's final season was 2000 for instance, but I remember seeing and competing against a large chunk of the tombstones.

The show's entitled "The Darkest Hour" and uses cuts from many well-known examples of 'darker' music such as the "Moonlight Sonata" and Night on Bald Mountain". The costuming, dark and Gothic. (to be continued)

2001

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if the '1' had a big enough flag, yeah, these bifocals could have read it as a '7'. :turn:

Forget which source I read that said 2000. I just wasn't around at that time.

I remember it painfully well

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The final DCA competitor represented the host, Cadets2 (10FE/20CG/3DM/24(???)Battery/42 brass) with their show entitled "Our Favorite Things 2", which brigs back well-loved Cadets chestnuts like "Rocky Point Holiday", "On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss", and the 1993 Cadets closing segment using Holsinger's "Ballet Sacra".

I'll start with the upsides to the program:

Tasty brass arranging. Very, very tasty arranging. I'll get back in line for seconds.

A drill I think that's smart, well-written, and will be able to be achieved at a high level.

The entire percussion ensemble never disappoints. Ever. Bass Drums, rock on. Good run. Thank you!!!

The feet are better then they've ever been at this point in the season for this corps. yes, there are still issues, but I didn't see massive levels of fighting and struggling that I've seen the previous two seasons at Downingtown. Much, much, better.

Now, I have to get tough. Very tough. I'll preface by saying I was a 16 year old rookie in DCA- my sister was 15. I remember what it's like to be a "kid" and getting wailed at by visual staff. Stories are still recounted over 30 years later as ha-ha funny about my first 2 seasons as a performer and my relations with visual staff. Ream knows most of them and he wasn't even born. :satisfied: Playing wasn't my issue. I know this is tough, frustrating, and incredibly demanding in every which way possible.

At C2, the brass seems to be the polar opposite of me at that time. There's a term brass players tend to use about developing a "mature sound", and this section sounds really, really young and inexperienced in producing a solid, characteristic brass timbre this season. The term "mature", by the way, isn't a comment on the maturity of the player, there are guys in their 50's who sound thin and weak and 16 year old kids who get it who can crack concrete.

They just sound very thin, the sound really unfocused at times and too spread, and there aren't any of the devastating impacts coming out of the brass book that I know are in there. There are some wonderful, wonderful moments built into the book that won't happen by playing black notes on white paper and just playing to survive and not get yelled at by the staff.

There's got to be more from the heart, more musicality coming forth. If I were on staff, I'd bring all of yah in, wave my arms like crazy with a friendly smile on my face, and tell you all to "PLAY LIKE MEN AND WOMEN, NOT LIKE BOYS AND GIRLS!" :satisfied: I know it can be done. A pretty young Westshore brass section full of people your age lost high brass in '82 by .05. (I was one of the old men at 19.) Work on getting a full, confident, round, focused sound out of the bell. Stop apologizing for what comes out of that bell.

Also, I think there are 6-8 horn holes. Last year showed that filling them August 10th this year won't guarantee anything and it's not that easy to knock off a corps with veteran players who know how to perform and perform clean by filling in holes at the last minute. Empire taught everyone a pretty powerful lesson about that. Also, it's obvious that Fusion and CV are hungry, very hungry. There's gonna be some very, very difficult competition ahead this season in DCA, put it in the bank.

Well, that concludes the DCA portion of the show. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this craziness as much as I had watching everyone. I'm holding off the fistbumps until I can get the DCI portion done. DCI folks also deserve them. Now to jump into the crazy end of the pool and write about those DCI corps. Lord help us all. I hope I don't scare Ray Fallon too much.... :laugh:

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I have time to start the DCI portion of the contest. For me, DCI's been kind of bi-polar over the past several years. Moments I buy totally into and think were marvelous and brilliant (I even count 2012 BD in that mix so I'm not all that closed-minded, folks) and moments where I've been left thinking to myself, "What in the sacred cartoon trinity of Space Ghost, Jan and Jace did I just see out there!? GAAAH!"

There's been the appearance of an electronic Genie. One that a lot of people have promised would do all sorts of magical stuff and make things really great. The problem is, many folks didn't realize Genies aren't always cooperative or helpful just because you got one in the lamp. You have to know what to wish for and use them at the right times. It's taken some corps a while to figure out how to properly entreat with the Genie and get the wishes they really wanted.

I'll repeat what I said at the beginning of the DCA portion in case you're a DCI person who skipped the first part. I thoroughly enjoyed every presentation and would gladly see every one of these corps again. It doesn't mean I have a few questions or concerns about certain things in some of these shows. I ask many questions. I don't assume all is perfect.

I didn't worry about numbers for the DCI corps. All of them looked like they had enough people on the field in the sections they want them. They're all pretty large. Comparing numbers isn't anywhere near as a critical issue in DCI as it is in DCA.

Let's Start with Spirit of Atlanta and their "Magnolia" program. Spirit's had some decent years lately, and done some fun and thoughtful things. This year, they went back to the one thing that's always been part of their brand that old-school fans have always loved- what I term as "Southern-Fried Drum Corps". The show's got a great zen to it, and it's easy on the ears and eyes, a very pleasing experience to see and to listen to.

Their battery's aggressive, the Bari section's strong with a great soloist, and the brass book's very tasty and I really enjoyed listening to this program. Their T-Bone feature was well done, and their feature players are noteworthy.

The only thing that concerned me was the use of the recorded vocals later on the program. My feeling on that is that you have some really talented musicians in the corps. Why not let one of them play that segment? Perhaps, there's a good vocalist that could have sung it? If the soloist was a live performer, I stand corrected, but I looked all over for them if they were. :confused: It's a pretty minor sticking point with the show, but could be playing into the overall effect numbers. The talent's there, use it. :satisfied:

Next up, The Boston Crusaders....

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