Jump to content

A Pseudo-intellectual on the K-Pop break


Recommended Posts

Purple Haze........ "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy"

The Ramones: "I wanna piece of David" :ninja:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

It's awful and now people are attempting to intellectualize it. Any other corps doing it, would to have referred to it as cheesy and a cheap shot at effect. I'm calling it as I see it regardless of what corps is doing it.

Look at the anger and frustration in this post, above. Marching members aren't taught how to analyze design. They're taught only to execute. Think about it. Drum corps is not a creative art form for the participants, only for the designers.

It's' true. We never ask marching members to create or question design, only to perform as instructed. As a result, you see comments like this where marching members are absolutely mystified and threatened when it comes to the very most basic design analysis. They call design analysis an "intellectual" pursuit. Doesn't have to be. Design analysis is not that hard, but to someone who has been taught only to execute, and not to question the artistic intent behind the music or show design, and taught that cleanliness is their only focus, then of course they have no ability to analyze what they're performing.

Sadly, most marching members are literally executing a performance art piece and they have no idea why. No idea what the meaning behind the show is. This is antithetical to the nature of the art of performance. For example, a pop composer has a creative impulse, writes lyrics and music to support that idea, and a song is born. He owns it. But in drum corps, someone else creates music with meaning, and marching members robotically execute it, and sometimes don't even understand it. That's just bizarre.

Marching members are watching other corps' performances and have no idea what they're watching, and get frustrated at the idea of having to research the artistic impulse behind a design element.

Sister Wendy, that crazy nun, walks around interpreting famous paintings. In her eyes, each element reveals a specific intent by the painter. She gives credence to the idea that the artist has a specific intent and his choices are conscious and meaningful. Drum corps design is the same way. For the most part, design decisions support the meaning behind the music, and each element reveals a specific intent by the designer.

I'm always shocked when drum corps participants think that show design elements are random or not worth researching. It's like, have you ever written anything? Have you ever composed music? Have you ever written or produced a film or a play? Created a collage? Selected a color pallete? Taken a class in art appreciation? And the answer is, of course not. (Now someone with a binary thought process, likely a drummer or musician will chime in here that not 100 percent of design decisions are objective, representational or conscious choices. Yay, congratulations. But most design choices are conscious creative choices, or at least influenced subconsciously by the theme. Create a drum corps show with completely randomly designed elements and I'll show you a corps in 43rd place.)

Drum corps attracts people who are essentially robots who execute, not creative thinkers. Drum corp attracts people who blindly execute music and drill. Drum corps draws people who get headaches when presented with design analysis.

Look at this message board. Very few here understand depth of concept, which is on the score sheet. Cadets created a frivolous show last year with absolutely no depth of concept, and binary thinkers on here couldn't understand why it didn't win despite its masterful execution. Most of the discussion on here is how ZYZ corps needs to really "execute" a lot better. Or how so and so's score will be a lot better once they "execute" XYZ better. And then people are mystified when their show doesn't score better than another closely scoring show with a stronger depth of concept. It's so laughable. There's little or no attention paid to why the music was selected, why the kids are performing this choice of music, and how the choreography, drill sets or choice of music supports a theme and how that impacts the score in a big way. Because that analysis requires critical thinking. That requires a creative mind. That requires the marching members to ask the show designers why they chose the elements they did. But that's regarded as insubordination.

A note to marching members, if you really want to select a corps with a winning show design, and if you really want to score well on your depth of concept, rise up! Ask the hard questions! Ask about your show concept! Ask about your depth of concept!

1) What's the meaning behind this music?

2) Who chose this music and why?

3) How do the drill sets, action and choreography support the theme?

4) Is the selected theme something you subscribe to? Something you agree with? Something with depth, humor, drama and humanity?

5) Did the person choosing the music consider you when they chose it?

6) Was this music selected simply because there's no royalty due?

7) Do the designers represent your vision?

8) Do your designers avoid discussion about why a piece of music was selected? Or give frivolous responses to questions about the meaning behind the music like "color" or "tempo or "volume"?

9) Do your designers talk more about color palette and frivolous associations that the music has, rather than on its social context, the intent of the composer or its historical context or its application to your theme? If so, it's a big red warning flag. And not a cool flag with another flag rolled up underneath it.

Edited by Channel3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at the anger and frustration in this post, above. Members aren't taught how to analyze design. They're taught only to execute. Think about it. Drum corps is not a creative art form for the participants, only for the designers. Etc., etc., etc. ....

Well...Merry Christmas to you, also.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blue Devils have won all their DCI Titles by giving their MM's info on a need to know basis. It seems to work. MM's are 18-22. They are not paid professionals. The Adult staffers are. Its like college athletes. You either trust the coaches to put you in position to win with the right designed plays, or you don't. College athletes that would be engaged in lots of " critical thinking " of the Coaches, would be asked to transfer. Adult Coaches ( and Adult staffers in Corps ) don't owe Marchers a litany of answers to the litany of questions posed by Channel3 here. Some day, perhaps the MM's when they grow up, they will get the opportunity to design shows with music selected, themes selected and what not, and be paid to professionally put that creative endeavor together. Its like the College athlete, Pro Athlete that someday might get to run the ship as a Coach, and design the offensive schemes, defensive schemes, design the plays, etc. But until that time, as a player, they learn to trust their Coach(s), keep their trap shut, and execute the plays given to them. Period.

Finally, most staffers do explain the theme in some level of detail to marchers... what emotion, messaging they are trying to convey, and background info on the themes, and why such music was chosen for the theme. Not all Corps do this, of course. But my experience is that many Corps DO Impart some of the info behind the theme selected... with verbal teachings, suggested readings, film watching, and the like. The notion that MM's are usually kept completely in the dark on theme explanation is about as ludicrous as believing that college football coaches generally do not explain why they believe they will be utilizing the Spread Offense this season over the Pro Set Style Offense. They give the players the plays, but they also explain why they believe these schemes and design of plays will work for them. But the players role is to execute what is given to them.... not design the plays, or be involved in " critical thinking " of the designed plays given to them by their Coaches. Coaches Design and Coach the players with THEIR plays selected. Players keep their trap shut and play. Same as it ever was. Drum Corps is no different. Staffers are paid to design. MM's role is to execute that design. No MM's know the show in detail in the offseason either. Thats because its usually a work in progress by the Corps Design team as well. It comes down basically to trusting in the Design Team. If you don't trust them, then maybe you shouldn't have chosen to march there in the first place.

Edited by BRASSO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at the anger and frustration in this post, above. Members aren't taught how to analyze design. They're taught only to execute. Think about it. Drum corps is not a creative art form for the participants, only for the designers.

This is hardly exclusive to drum corps. Actors can give good performances without being able to intellectually analyze the film or play they're in. Sometimes an actor's intelligence prevents him from fully embodying his character, by thinking too much and acting too little.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its like college athletes. You either trust the coaches to put you in position to win with the right designed plays, or you don't. College athletes that would be engaged in lots of " critical thinking " of the Coaches, would be asked to transfer. Adult Coaches ( and Adult staffers in Corps ) don't owe Marchers a litany of answers to the litany of questions posed by Channel3 here. Some day, perhaps the MM's when they grow up, they will get the opportunity to design shows with music selected, themes selected and what not, and be paid to professionally put that creative endeavor together. Its like the College athlete, Pro Athlete that someday might get to run the ship as a Coach, and design the offensive schemes, defensive schemes, design the plays, etc. But until that time, as a player, they learn to trust their Coach(s), keep their trap shut, and execute the plays given to them. Period.

One main difference being that college athletes may be a getting a free ride to college in exchange for their role, whereas marchers are paying for the privilege.

Edited by Eleran
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...