Madison Scouts Cymbal Line Returns

[Triple Forte]

agree that the cymbal line is musically irrelevant - I'd go so far as to say they are musically disruptive

I am hoping adding a cymbal line means the Scouts are going to keep exploring jazz. Snares playing cymbals (ride cymbal style)provided by the cymbal line is an awesome sound we rarely hear anymore.....hopefully Madison will add this wonderful sound back to dc music.

[tesmusic]

I am hoping adding a cymbal line means the Scouts are going to keep exploring jazz. Snares playing cymbals (ride cymbal style)provided by the cymbal line is an awesome sound we rarely hear anymore.....hopefully Madison will add this wonderful sound back to dc music.

With Boerma and Sparling taking care of most of the music, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

[MikeD]

SCV, Colts, Crossmen come to mind. Bush the last few years has been pretty happening in DCA. I agree some plate lines are nothing more than steel slammers at impacts and visual focused...but because marching cymbals have become a dying art, the amount of people that actually know how to work with them has dropped

One of my all-time favorite cymbal lines was the one Surf had a decade or so ago...the four young ladies did an outstanding job, back when Surf was div II. To me they were the equal of any line, regardless of division.

[corpsband]

Cymbal lines can be a lot fun to watch and sometimes even listen to.

But if I were in the position of choosing, I'd have a hard time selecting plates over more hornline or more guard.

Cymbals are mostly a distraction visually and musically they're made (mostly) irrelevant by the front ensemble.

[Madrid]

So people can rationalize 15 Tubas even though the Synths basically carry the bottom end sound these days for a lot of groups, but having 5 people out on the field adding color, texture, nuance, shaping, direction, motivation, and impact to the marching percussive musical package is a distraction?

Interesting.

A poorly written cymbal visual show is no more distracting than poor guard costumes, poor flag work, dirty guard work, bad visual design, poor marching technique, etc.

[tesmusic]

So people can rationalize 15 Tubas even though the Synths basically carry the bottom end sound these days for a lot of groups, but having 5 people out on the field adding color, texture, nuance, shaping, direction, motivation, and impact to the marching percussive musical package is a distraction?

Interesting.

A poorly written cymbal visual show is no more distracting than poor guard costumes, poor flag work, dirty guard work, bad visual design, poor marching technique, etc.

Yup.

[Jeff Ream]

So people can rationalize 15 Tubas even though the Synths basically carry the bottom end sound these days for a lot of groups, but having 5 people out on the field adding color, texture, nuance, shaping, direction, motivation, and impact to the marching percussive musical package is a distraction?

Interesting.

A poorly written cymbal visual show is no more distracting than poor guard costumes, poor flag work, dirty guard work, bad visual design, poor marching technique, etc.

amen

[Cappybara]

So people can rationalize 15 Tubas even though the Synths basically carry the bottom end sound these days for a lot of groups, but having 5 people out on the field adding color, texture, nuance, shaping, direction, motivation, and impact to the marching percussive musical package is a distraction?

Interesting.

A poorly written cymbal visual show is no more distracting than poor guard costumes, poor flag work, dirty guard work, bad visual design, poor marching technique, etc.

Id just prefer a larger hornlike than more percussion.

[DrumManTx]

Taking 4 or 5 away from the horn line and guard isn't really that big of a deal IMO. If they're utilized well and add to the percussion ensemble, why not? They obviously didn't drag Vanguard down any in 2014, and could you imagine them without one?

[corpsband]

So people can rationalize 15 Tubas even though the Synths basically carry the bottom end sound these days for a lot of groups, but having 5 people out on the field adding color, texture, nuance, shaping, direction, motivation, and impact to the marching percussive musical package is a distraction?

Interesting.

A poorly written cymbal visual show is no more distracting than poor guard costumes, poor flag work, dirty guard work, bad visual design, poor marching technique, etc.

Interesting that you had to introduce "poorly written" to try and make your point. Don't think I said that anywhere in my post.

Have you ever caught yourself following the SCV plates for minutes at a time during their show?

Yep. Distraction. Cool. But they pull they eye AWAY from where it's supposed to be.

And anyone who says they make a musical contirbution to the ensemble is pretty much lying. You just cant hear them most of the show -- even if what's written is musical as crap. In fact the more musical the book is, the less the audience will hear them.

Indoor is another story. But outside the hard truth is that using those spots for brass or guard will contribute *more* to the show. Sad but true.