xandandl Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I believe it was George Zingali who was rather happy at having front ensembles/pits allowed and placed in the front because it made design easier since the "pit" contained the "ugly" instruments. Perhaps a 27th/Star/Cadets person can verify. From a visual point of view, I would think the front ensemble located any place else could potentially be a visual nightmare. Corps do use the pit to their advantage visually, but backfield would present challenges. It may also present challenges as far as electricity is concerned. 1. Check your tapes of '84 (Garfield) Cadets when, with Zingali as drill designer, Brian Hickman (later of Glassmen fame), Aaron Openheimer,and Louis of Quebec leave the front ensemble, pick up flat glockenspiel-like mallet keyboards and their shakos, and then march forward from midfield to past the hashes playing their feature. Playing from the front ensemble would not generate the same visual highlight of the musical effect. 2. Cadets '14 did use the front ensemble for visual effect: white uniforms in front of a scarlet covered stage on which the narrator, et al. performed. Not hidden or avoided at all. Edited January 14, 2015 by xandandl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 2. Cadets '14 did use the front ensemble for visual effect: white uniforms in front of a scarlet covered stage on which the narrator, et al. performed. Not hidden or avoided at all. well that was the theory at least. in practice no one looked there -- not even the camera. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloriousgoo Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Some of the best small marching bands I've seen had no battery and the pit in the back, with NO drum major!!! This allowed for awesome staging because there wasn't any visual clutter up front, bringing the action and drill right up to the track. The drum set was the drum major, basically. :-) I find this equally impressive since a lot of high school stadiums are low and the middle of the field usually has a crown. It makes for a much better presentation. I can never do that at my school though... the athletic director would kill me if I put all that equipment on the field every other week! Sooooo Tarpon a few years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 well that was the theory at least. in practice no one looked there -- not even the camera. Alas, Lord Blair of the video kingdom was a snare drummer with the Cavies in the days of marching timps. He shall be spoken to for ignoring such a key element of the corps. Front ensembles today are as large as the whole battery back in the days when he marched 40 to 40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoln Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Alas, Lord Blair of the video kingdom was a snare drummer with the Cavies in the days of marching timps. He shall be spoken to for ignoring such a key element of the corps. Front ensembles today are as large as the whole battery back in the days when he marched 40 to 40. Edited January 15, 2015 by Lincoln 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Kennesaw Mountain High School has had their pit on the field for the last few seasons I believe. Perennial BOA Finalist. Marian Catholic H.S. finished tenth in BoA Finals this fall with their pit placed at about the back hash. Here is a video of their show, which thematically made me think of The Abyss crossed with Gravity. It was my third favorite among the finalists, after Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs (in that order). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 First let me say. I DO NOT mean this as a "ANTI / hate or anything post. I was wondering why the Pit has to be in front of the Field Show? In Orchestra the Percussion things are in the BACK of most all instruments. Yet on Broadway and Los Vegas the pit is in the FRONT. with all instruments, and yes again even there the Percussion things in the back of that. Then even POP, Rock, Etc. There is the Percussion is to the rear of them. I do not go when I can because I almost always have to sit on the Field level or at best the Front row and See Very Little or Hear the Corps (or any at all. Just the Pit. (I am handicapped and use a wheel chair) Since almost all Pit instruments and are Electronic/miked. why does it have to be IN FRONT? It doesn't and there are shows where it isn't. Sometimes the pit is split, sometimes on the field. Check out Cavaliers last year. Check out Crown. Check out Star. Check out 90's Phantom shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) Marian Catholic H.S. finished tenth in BoA Finals this fall with their pit placed at about the back hash. Here is a video of their show, which thematically made me think of The Abyss crossed with Gravity. It was my third favorite among the finalists, after Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs (in that order).Off topic for a sec, that's the first time in awhile that I have watched a show without any prior knowledge, completely got it, and was absolutely enthralled by the story telling in it. The use of the field as the depths of the ocean and the programming.......that's the most fun I've had watching a show in a long time. I'm drooling at the thought of a corps using "The Frozen Cathedral", it's bound to happen eventually. Would love to see more shows like that. Such a cool and easy to get concept programmed and presented in an amazing way. Bravo to them. Back on topic, I've noticed, locally, that a lot of the bands here that don't have quite enough to field a drumline, will have a few of those instruments incorporated into the Front Ensemble and they'll be staged in the back. When Tarpon didn't have a drumline they'd always have their drum machine, electronic stuff staged in the back. Edited January 15, 2015 by DrumManTx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I'm drooling at the thought of a corps using "The Frozen Cathedral"; it's bound to happen eventually. On the DCA side, Carolina Gold has announced that piece will be part of their 2015 production, "Let It Snow". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Alas, Lord Blair of the video kingdom was a snare drummer with the Cavies in the days of marching timps. He shall be spoken to for ignoring such a key element of the corps. Front ensembles today are as large as the whole battery back in the days when he marched 40 to 40. It was the design of the set which made the FE disappear. They were swallowed up by the stage and -- even when there were moments written to highlight them -- never were seen again Might as well have dug a trench and thrown them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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