DrumManTx Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 That YouTube video sounds a billion times better than my theater did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Bluecoats Front Ensemble If this is already in discussion, please point me to the thread/page whatever. I've been offline/out-of-town most of this past week and haven't had time to pour through the myriad of updates since the first performances recently. Of all the years for DCI to get rid of full recaps, this is KILLING ME!! We won't know until the end how percussion judges are reacting to Bluecoats' front ensemble orchestration & set-up! If I'm seeing the pics & video properly (i.e. there aren't a ton of members cut-off on the edges), it looks like 'coats front ensemble is: * 4 main mallet players - marimba & vibe * 1 marimba & glock * 1 metallics & aux. * electronics * drum set Am I missing timpani & chimes? Regardless, there are seemingly many places with some fairly thin orchestration: with often everyone playing only marimba, sometimes playing only vibes. On the flip side, there are some really cool arts where they're playing chordal stuff on RH vibes, and inner notes on LH marimba. The orchestration helps a bit as far as chordal non-unison passages (i.e. harmony during the big run/solo, harmony during "Heat of the Day" melody, etc) but I can see some judges not liking that, or feeling it's a bit thin/sometimes one-dimensional compared to the modern huge voicings of modern front ensembles. Seeing Crown win overall music may not bode well for Bluecoats in the long-term. Right now we have ZERO clue where judges are at: for all we know Crown has an off-the-hook brass line and squeaked out the Music win winning brass (or maybe their percussion is substantially better). Obviously the loss in Music to Crown (by a mere .05 margin) didn't hurt Bluecoats with the win: and when it comes to analyzation of recaps, I can sometimes overthink some things. At this point it's all guesswork as to what were each corps' highs and lows caption-wise. But what do any of you think, especially percussionists who are also judges in various marching circuits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) Bloo is certainly the early season victors. Look at GE scores. Can they win it all, absolutely BUT it's so early. Cadets won first show last year and first 1-2 regionals and finished 4th. I think it's theirs to lose right now but someone could come out of no where and erupt at the end, Edited June 25, 2016 by Tobias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Bluecoats Front Ensemble If this is already in discussion, please point me to the thread/page whatever. I've been offline/out-of-town most of this past week and haven't had time to pour through the myriad of updates since the first performances recently. Of all the years for DCI to get rid of full recaps, this is KILLING ME!! We won't know until the end how percussion judges are reacting to Bluecoats' front ensemble orchestration & set-up! If I'm seeing the pics & video properly (i.e. there aren't a ton of members cut-off on the edges), it looks like 'coats front ensemble is: * 4 main mallet players - marimba & vibe * 1 marimba & glock * 1 metallics & aux. * electronics * drum set Am I missing timpani & chimes? Regardless, there are seemingly many places with some fairly thin orchestration: with often everyone playing only marimba, sometimes playing only vibes. On the flip side, there are some really cool arts where they're playing chordal stuff on RH vibes, and inner notes on LH marimba. The orchestration helps a bit as far as chordal non-unison passages (i.e. harmony during the big run/solo, harmony during "Heat of the Day" melody, etc) but I can see some judges not liking that, or feeling it's a bit thin/sometimes one-dimensional compared to the modern huge voicings of modern front ensembles. Seeing Crown win overall music may not bode well for Bluecoats in the long-term. Right now we have ZERO clue where judges are at: for all we know Crown has an off-the-hook brass line and squeaked out the Music win winning brass (or maybe their percussion is substantially better). Obviously the loss in Music to Crown (by a mere .05 margin) didn't hurt Bluecoats with the win: and when it comes to analyzation of recaps, I can sometimes overthink some things. At this point it's all guesswork as to what were each corps' highs and lows caption-wise. But what do any of you think, especially percussionists who are also judges in various marching circuits? Crown (brass and musical analysis) I'mSure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) nm. just my smart phone either being stupid or being smarter than me or both. Edited June 25, 2016 by Jurassic Lancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I saw earlier that you've been watching drum corps for 40(+?) years. I totally respect your opinion, but I just love this show. I've been watching for 28 years. The Bluecoats show this year reminds me a bit of how a lot of fans reacted to Star's Medea show. I think Garfield and I started drum corps about the same time. But comparing this show to Star 93 is interesting. Star was much darker. I was one of those who loved Star that year. I love this show, too, but this show is a GE powerhouse that connects with a much larger base. It is polarizing for some, but not nearly as Star was in 93. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Will someone please just plainly state that this year's Bluecoats show is the most perfected premiere of a drum corps show in history? It was simply breathtaking. It's one of those corps shows that is so flowing and captivating that you lose track of time and forget who you are. Clearly this corps is justifiably thrilled with its brilliant visual design team. The drill and choreographed movement is so seamless, eye popping and stunningly innovative in its flow and staging that it doesn't matter that the show is meaningless. It's visually that strong. However, as in recent Bluecoats fashion, the show has only the thinnest thematic allusion and little or no heightening progression. The corps director says it's inspired by a dance troupe who were translating architectural forms into movement. Can someone tell him that's an "influence", not a show theme? No viewer could possibly glean this allusion to architecture intuitively. This throughline is something that needs to be aggressively explored and heightened, and integrated further into the performance. Only then will this show win. Frankly, I think the design team came up with the slide idea and worked backwards to try to apply some significance to it-- and that's fine. But how does the theme of overcoming challenges fit into the architecture theme? What does that have to do with the half pipes and the dance troupe you saw? Keep working on it. Develop it. Incorporate the dance troupe's ideas. Keep pursuing this with all your might. I was waiting for the ending where someone would either jump off of the half pipe, ride it, hump it or dismantle it. Well I was close. Depth of concept isn't something you smear on top of your show like frosting. It comes from the selection of music and the selection of theme. It comes from within. Now there must be someone on that brilliant visual team that understands metaphor, and thematic substance. Or are they all just brilliant savants of visual design? If you're really going with the offstage concept that you were profoundly influenced by this dance troupe, and are modeling your lifestyle and point of view from them, perhaps you can invite them to interact with the corps. An artist in residence. That's meaningful. Interaction with and mentoring from the dance troupe may suffice in the depth of concept category and if developed, far surpasses last year's depth of concept. My only other criticisms of this show is that the performers seem to be facing the audience quite a bit in presentation mode, with eyes and teeth bared, almost in talent show fashion. Also, there seems to be a limited range of emotion in the musical pieces, most of which is hard driving eye popping razzle dazzle, stunning and satisfying as it is. After the first paragraph I nearly fell off my chair ... then I read the rest, felt the world restored to order. I am glad you like the show abstractly, but remember, the closer is not the ultimate closer. I don't know if it will be Frank Lloyd Wright, but it will be bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I think Garfield and I started drum corps about the same time. But comparing this show to Star 93 is interesting. Star was much darker. I was one of those who loved Star that year. I love this show, too, but this show is a GE powerhouse that connects with a much larger base. It is polarizing for some, but not nearly as Star was in 93. If Star had come out in 93 and done what they later did with Blast!, then I'd say the comparison between them and Bloo 16 would make sense. In short, Bloo's show is more of a paradigm shift, IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 That's it! Blooooo is Elvis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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