MikeN Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Awesome! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolguy166 Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Bigger, more powerful brass, accessible show, totally entertaining--that describes the Cascades in 2016. The audience loved them in the first two shows of the season at two sold-out shows in Auburn, WA and Tigard, OR where they performed the new production “O”. Befitting the title, the Cascades is celebrating its 50th anniversary with music that includes the up-tempo gallop of “Apollo Unleashed” from Symphony No. 2 by USC professor/composer Frank Ticheli. The darker and brooding “The Moment I Said It” follows, which is from the 2005 album “Speak for Yourself” by the visionary British pop singer/songwriter Imogen Heap. The show concludes with the mesmerizing “Orawa,” originally written for string orchestra by the Polish composer Wojciech Kilar. He is best known to American audiences for his film soundtracks, including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula” and Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist.” If you liked them last year, then you will most likely enjoy the new show even more. But will the judges reward them? Frankly, I have little faith in a system that is stacked in favor of the same corps. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81Freelancers Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 I didn't see them in 2015, but having seen them over the weekend, they have improved a lot. However, again, they are getting crushed in scoring. I have said for a number of years that they should move down to Open Class and really re-build. They had the genie in the bottle in 2002 (?) when they made Finals, but after they lost their bingo hall, it's been a tough road for them. I do think they need to open the organization up to more outside instructors and consultants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 it's been a tough road for them. I do think they need to open the organization up to more outside instructors and consultants. I have been thinking this for several years now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv4corps Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 They have made big improvements the past few years. There is a dedicated team behind Cascades. I don't think they should move to open. What good would that do them? Just build on what you've set up the past few years. I loved their show last year and I love their show this year. The brass sounds great. The guard looks great and the crowd loves their show. Go Cascades!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolguy166 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Who ever heard of moving down? The goal is to get better and move up. The problem was a personality issue with an individual at the top who alienated many and the fact that, due to financial issues, the corps ceased operations for a year. That's a death knell for many organizations, but the Cascades has come back strong. Of course there are things they need to do to improve the corps' operations but there are also things beyond their control that hold them back, like being located in an area with few corps (2 world class corps within nearly 1000 mi), the biases within the activity, few good high school marching programs in the area and the necessity of having to travel far to compete, to name a few. It helps to have folks around the country supporting them and cheering for them at the shows. Go Cascades! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake W. Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I didn't see them in 2015, but having seen them over the weekend, they have improved a lot. However, again, they are getting crushed in scoring. I have said for a number of years that they should move down to Open Class and really re-build. They had the genie in the bottle in 2002 (?) when they made Finals, but after they lost their bingo hall, it's been a tough road for them. I do think they need to open the organization up to more outside instructors and consultants. If they were going to move down to Open, which could have been a bit of an easier road than struggling with a tiny World Class corps in the first years of the 2010s, the time for that passed as soon as 2014 rolled around, when they debuted "Turn", and a new style, which turned into the very successful #newcascades movement. While still in the bottom five of World Class, earning their way back into Semis last season was a huge culmination to their efforts, and I doubt they will have any trouble playing again on Friday this year. They're improving RAPIDLY, and I expect them to be a solid Semis lock this year, hanging more with Crest & Mandarins instead of fighting hard with the 4th-6th place Open corps to get into Semis. Yes, competing in Open Class and a more concentrated tour might have been helpful during some recent years, but this #newcascades movement has truly returned them into a solid, filled-out, rapidly-climbing, World Class-caliber corps. Can't wait to see how far they go in upcoming seasons! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortAndFast Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 If they were going to move down to Open, which could have been a bit of an easier road than struggling with a tiny World Class corps in the first years of the 2010s, the time for that passed as soon as 2014 rolled around, when they debuted "Turn", and a new style, which turned into the very successful #newcascades movement. While still in the bottom five of World Class, earning their way back into Semis last season was a huge culmination to their efforts, and I doubt they will have any trouble playing again on Friday this year. They're improving RAPIDLY, and I expect them to be a solid Semis lock this year, hanging more with Crest & Mandarins instead of fighting hard with the 4th-6th place Open corps to get into Semis. Yes, competing in Open Class and a more concentrated tour might have been helpful during some recent years, but this #newcascades movement has truly returned them into a solid, filled-out, rapidly-climbing, World Class-caliber corps. Can't wait to see how far they go in upcoming seasons! I agree, they're definitely fielding an appropriate group and show for world class now, so it's hard to see what they'd get by returning to OC. I thought 2015 was a good show from them, and 2016 is also. It's more important for them to get kids into their program and make sure they have a good experience/enjoy what they perform/learn something at this point. There's no point in worrying over-much about competitive outcomes at this stage in their rebuilding. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjf20 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 are they fielding a full corps this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortAndFast Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 are they fielding a full corps this year? They may not have 150 - I didn't count - but they had normal-sized brass and guard sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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