Rules Congress 2016

[CDUB]

There have been some very nice guard unison movements in recent memory. I actually like the scarcity of the full guard unison movement because it makes those unified movements all the more impactful.

[GUARDLING]

There have been some very nice guard unison movements in recent memory. I actually like the scarcity of the full guard unison movement because it makes those unified movements all the more impactful.

you are right. and then it makse it special instead of same ole same ole for an entire show. Effect is not repeating something over and over

[TRacer]

I'd suggest that every corps with a featured vocalist be considered for a "Spirit of Disney"-esque "Best Vocal Performer Award" to be judged by a three-person celebrity and/or well-respected vocal judging panel (i.e., not Simon Cromwell or some other TV hack); for example, an operatic voice professor + Linda Ronstadt (a very versatile vocalist who successfully covered many genres before she became ill) + a Broadway musical/vocal director. After seeing the talent on display during the cinecast in August, this might be worth discussion.

[xandandl]

you are right. and then it makse it special instead of same ole same ole for an entire show. Effect is not repeating something over and over

which the dance-a-thon that has hijacked color guard has become.

Give me an old fashioned Rockford file, a 27th Lancers' guard or old school Boston, something that smacks of power (appropriate to the music) rather than all these pastel doilliies flitting about, one at a time so they can't be judged for simultaneous actions. "we planned it that way" bah, humbug. [End of rant about contemporary cookie-cutter color guard.]

Edited October 7, 2015 by xandandl

[2muchcoffeeman]

There have been some very nice guard unison movements in recent memory. I actually like the scarcity of the full guard unison movement because it makes those unified movements all the more impactful.

Now that is an interesting perspective.

I like the scarcity of clean snare-line playing because it makes those moments of clarity all the more impactful.

I like the scarcity of uniform intervals because it makes those moments unified intervals all the more impactful.

I like the scarcity of intonation across the horn line because it makes those moments of unified pitch all the more impactful.

For the record, I am not advocating endless repetition of the same rifle work for 11 1/2 minutes. "Unison" does not equal "repetition."

Do I enjoy color guard today? Sure. Do I wish they would knock my socks off with a few extended uniform licks? Absolutely. It's all too rare these days.

[GUARDLING]

Now that is an interesting perspective.

I like the scarcity of clean snare-line playing because it makes those moments of clarity all the more impactful.

I like the scarcity of uniform intervals because it makes those moments unified intervals all the more impactful.

I like the scarcity of intonation across the horn line because it makes those moments of unified pitch all the more impactful.

For the record, I am not advocating endless repetition of the same rifle work for 11 1/2 minutes. "Unison" does not equal "repetition."

Do I enjoy color guard today? Sure. Do I wish they would knock my socks off with a few extended uniform licks? Absolutely. It's all too rare these days.

its actually not rare at all...just look...many corps have unison segments in their shows and groups and even a great sequential can be quite musical as well have impact .

You also ignored that the poster you answered did say that there are some very nice unison moments in recent memory. They would be right also.

Edited October 8, 2015 by GUARDLING

[GUARDLING]

which the dance-a-thon that has hijacked color guard has become.

Give me an old fashioned Rockford file, a 27th Lancers' guard or old school Boston, something that smacks of power (appropriate to the music) rather than all these pastel doilliies flitting about, one at a time so they can't be judged for simultaneous actions. "we planned it that way" bah, humbug. [End of rant about contemporary cookie-cutter color guard.]

I loved those things back in the day also and a glimpse every now and then is fine. I would also like bread to be 29cents and gas to be 30cents a gallon.. Ain't gonna happen. Guard like the world and drum corps has evolved, like that or not. What we did bitd was great and exciting. Today's guard has much more demand as well as responsibility not just for themselves but the entire package. Unison moments carefully planned today are still great and exciting.

As far as cookie cutter. we also did many things the same as the next guard bitd as far as work. Loved that Rockford file BUT also loved the 27 file as well as the Anaheim Kingsmen file.

We are what we are today because of who we were yesterday, and that's a good thing

Edited October 8, 2015 by GUARDLING

[xandandl]

I loved those things back in the day also and a glimpse every now and then is fine. I would also like bread to be 29cents and gas to be 30cents a gallon.. Ain't gonna happen. Guard like the world and drum corps has evolved, like that or not. What we did bitd was great and exciting. Today's guard has much more demand as well as responsibility not just for themselves but the entire package. Unison moments carefully planned today are still great and exciting.

As far as cookie cutter. we also did many things the same as the next guard bitd as far as work. Loved that Rockford file BUT also loved the 27 file as well as the Anaheim Kingsmen file.

We are what we are today because of who we were yesterday, and that's a good thing

Guardling,

You are certainly glossing alot. It's almost 20 years that we've had the dance-a-thon guards. That means that those aging out of DCI this summer have known only this type of guard presentation. For what you consider "old school" and your "youth" would be new for them.

Isn't the reason for a Rules Congress to present changes in approach, finesse the present and spark the future, not to maintain the status quo? Can't have it both ways, Guardling.

[actucker]

Now that is an interesting perspective.

I like the scarcity of clean snare-line playing because it makes those moments of clarity all the more impactful.

A snare line is more comparable to a smaller section of the guard (like a rifle line). A better comparison would be fully unison percussion playing. How much do you see that in a show?

I like the scarcity of uniform intervals because it makes those moments unified intervals all the more impactful.

Again, you're choosing one aspect of a moment, but the word we're discussing is unison. How many completely unison statements do you see in modern drill programs (every member takes the exact same step size and pathway)?

I like the scarcity of intonation across the horn line because it makes those moments of unified pitch all the more impactful.

There's a musical word for the comparable musical phrase. How much unison playing do you hear in a modern brass arrangement? Intonation is simply one aspect, more similar to uniform facings, or small technique details in the guard.

For the record, I am not advocating endless repetition of the same rifle work for 11 1/2 minutes. "Unison" does not equal "repetition."

The fact is, guard has gotten more musical through the years. If you pay attention to what they are doing texturally, it usually fits what the music is doing texturally (assuming you've got a good guard designer. Drum corps is not a unison performance. The guard shouldn't be either. Those moments are effective because they are a focusing of the other things going on on the field. If you didn't have those contrasts in texture, the show would be boring.

I'm not even close to a guard expert, but I can tell you that if you're only blown away by unison flag work, you either need to pay more attention to what's being done, or you need a better understanding of what you're seeing. What the performers are pulling off is incredible. And yes, it can be judged, both from a design perspective AND an achievement perspective. This is why experts get paid more money than people like me to do that job.

[GUARDLING]

Guardling,

You are certainly glossing alot. It's almost 20 years that we've had the dance-a-thon guards. That means that those aging out of DCI this summer have known only this type of guard presentation. For what you consider "old school" and your "youth" would be new for them.

Isn't the reason for a Rules Congress to present changes in approach, finesse the present and spark the future, not to maintain the status quo? Can't have it both ways, Guardling.

You are right , although if you took old school and what we consider that, you can bet that today it wouldnt look anything the same. i also do believe you can have it both ways and in many cases we do.

You are right,about rules congress but it can also be to see what works or has worked even if it means staying the same, at least for now. IMO status quo needs to always be looked at BUT does not mean it's not working. It does seems that as far as this subject the activity will continue to grow , evolve, in some cases revert back and re- invent ( as we have done ) and maybe completely change. Most of which IMO makes it most interesting and challenging to all involved . Does it all work? of course not, but when did it ever.

Just curious though, glossing what? I have learned in this activity to deal in the real not what we might wish. It's proven to work for me and many programs.

My point though about old school was a response to your wording as far as cookie cutter. I was just pointing out that it was no different back then either. we all did quite a bit the same. We may have approached it a bit different but still the same. I think in some cases we can say the same today.

Old can be new again for sure. Not as we remember but can be brought to 2015. Not that everything should be.

Edited October 8, 2015 by GUARDLING