HornTeacher Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Business aside...there ARE band directors everywhere who are confronted with the problem of getting that extra little bit of sound out of their smaller groups when in competition with their "bigger brothers" (and who, despite having the bigger groups, are most probably going to further enhance the sound of their own bands with whatever is available technologically). So, in a rather twisted way, this can also be seen as an educationally-based contribution as well. Do I like it?? I'm not really sure. However, I do recognize trends; and I grudgingly admit (and admire, to a certain degree) to the educationally competitive (or competitive education) benefits which this technology renders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 "bigger brothers" (and who, despite having the bigger groups, are most probably going to further enhance the sound of their own bands with whatever is available technologically). That's exactly what I have observed this season here in NJ - the largest class bands are the ones most likely to be trotting out a sound system. I swear, there was one band that for a big hit standstill had all the woodwinds on side 1 and all the brass on side 2, with all the sousaphones (6-7) on the outside, around the 35 no less, and yet this huge bass sound was coming from both side 2 AND side 1 ... from the loudspeakers, of course. I felt like shouting, "WHY DON'T YOU LET US HEAR THE ###### BAND!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornTeacher Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) That's exactly what I have observed this season here in NJ - the largest class bands are the ones most likely to be trotting out a sound system. I swear, there was one band that for a big hit standstill had all the woodwinds on side 1 and all the brass on side 2, with all the sousaphones (6-7) on the outside, around the 35 no less, and yet this huge bass sound was coming from both side 2 AND side 1 ... from the loudspeakers, of course. I felt like shouting, "WHY DON'T YOU LET US HEAR THE ###### BAND!!!" Alas, I again raise the general charge of "Keeping up with the Jones' ". (By the way: if I may ask, where in N.J.? If you'd rather keep that under your hat, please feel free to IM me. I can be trusted to keep it confidential -- just curious for a certain reason.) Edited October 11, 2014 by HornTeacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) East Brunswick, NJ (Which, unfortunately to my mind, also uses a synthesizer) Edited October 11, 2014 by Eleran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Poor Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, etc., having to make due with mere paper, ink and their minds. Those guys would have easily used modern tools had they been available. You're a poor button pusher. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 That's exactly what I have observed this season here in NJ - the largest class bands are the ones most likely to be trotting out a sound system. I swear, there was one band that for a big hit standstill had all the woodwinds on side 1 and all the brass on side 2, with all the sousaphones (6-7) on the outside, around the 35 no less, and yet this huge bass sound was coming from both side 2 AND side 1 ... from the loudspeakers, of course. I felt like shouting, "WHY DON'T YOU LET US HEAR THE ###### BAND!!!" I work with a small MB in NJ, and we use a synth and also micc the marimba with two suspended microphones. I have been miccing the marimbas and vibes since 2004 or 2005, I forget which year I started. I love the sound we get using the mics on the marimba. The synth player, who is an amazing pianist, is providing some amazing colors. I basically wrote a (fairly advanced) piano part for her, and then we try out various patches to get the sound we want in various spots during the show. Sadly she broke a finger on her right hand in gym class, and actually required surgery, so now I am REwriting parts of the synth book for what she can do with one hand. I have also used amplified Flute, Clarinet and Englih Horn solos, and an electric cello in 2010 and 2011. We even wireless micced most of the winds back in 2002 when our TOTAL band, including guard, percussion, winds and DM, added up to 32 people; our HS had just made a split into two HS in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Mike - while I still am not fond of amplification, I specifically called out the large bands that do it because I know the smaller bands feel a greater pressure to make up for what might be a greatly reduced instrument line. At the show I attended this weekend, the very first band that played - Div. II A, and probably closer to the Div I cutoff - probably had me the most emotionally worked up the entire night, because of the difficulties they must have to go through every year just to make sure they keep the program afloat. My own son's band increased in numbers to almost move into Class IV, yet at the same time went down from 10 to 5 trumpets - so dealing with the wildly fluctuating numbers of high school players is certainly not an easy task, especially at the smaller levels. But when I see a marching band with MORE members than a DCI corps, yet still feeling the need to pump up the bass electronically, it just get's my goat. I'm not there to hear the best musical performance possible, as engineered by an adult on a sound board - I'm there to here the best musical performance that the youth marchers are capable of giving on their own. [youth sports analogy deleted to save everyone's time]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Mike - while I still am not fond of amplification, I specifically called out the large bands that do it because I know the smaller bands feel a greater pressure to make up for what might be a greatly reduced instrument line. At the show I attended this weekend, the very first band that played - Div. II A, and probably closer to the Div I cutoff - probably had me the most emotionally worked up the entire night, because of the difficulties they must have to go through every year just to make sure they keep the program afloat. My own son's band increased in numbers to almost move into Class IV, yet at the same time went down from 10 to 5 trumpets - so dealing with the wildly fluctuating numbers of high school players is certainly not an easy task, especially at the smaller levels. But when I see a marching band with MORE members than a DCI corps, yet still feeling the need to pump up the bass electronically, it just get's my goat. I'm not there to hear the best musical performance possible, as engineered by an adult on a sound board - I'm there to here the best musical performance that the youth marchers are capable of giving on their own. [youth sports analogy deleted to save everyone's time]. Ah, OK. I have no issue with bands using any instruments they wish, and I like what a good synth can do to enhance the overall band sound. Like any instruments, it can be misused...I have heard many instances of that as well. I judged a lot of band shows in the 80's and 90's, before focussing on the band I work with, and bands could waaaay overdue the balance of the synths, and their score was not what it would have been if they had been in balance overall...but that could be said about any family of instruments. I've seen waaaay too many bands bury the WW in the back of the forms so that they were not audilble at all, and I have commented/scored on that as well, for instance. That was VERY common in the 70's and into the 80's when "corps-style" began to become more popular. While still an issue at times, it is not as bad as the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I've seen waaaay too many bands bury the WW in the back of the forms so that they were not audilble at all, and I have commented/scored on that as well, for instance. That was VERY common in the 70's and into the 80's when "corps-style" began to become more popular. While still an issue at times, it is not as bad as the past. Actually, I've been witnessing a corollary of that problem this year - a lot of bands keeping the brass and woodwinds so very much segregated, and too often on opposite sides of the 50, leaving them visually balanced, but aurally way out of balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Those guys would have easily used modern tools had they been available. You're a poor button pusher. ABSOLUTELY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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