Stop all the Storytelling

[SFZFAN]

Over the 15 years of my DCI fandom, there has been a strong move toward explicit theme and direct storytelling.

In 2014, Crown did a show about outer space. It's pretty much the consensus view that it wasn't the greatest design, but hear me out. In the beginning of the season, there was the Major Tom introduction, an overly-long but timbrally-intriguing percussion feature, the echo effects etc.

One of the (many) great things about Space Oddity by Bowie (RIP) is that it trails off at the end. The listener is left to wonder what happened to the astronaut. Did some small valve on his spaceship fail and cause him to asphyxiate? Did he go into a wormhole? Did mysterious radiation transform him into an interdemensional squid-creature? But in Crown's final narrative with added narration, Major Tom goes into space, some things happen, then he comes home. There's not a lot of space for the audience to contribute to the narrative with their own creativity.

One of the reasons that I (and many others) prefer the movie 2001 (an inspiration for the Bowie song) to Arthur C. Clarke's novelization is that it shows, rather than tells. Everything is spelled out in the book, whereas the viewer has to interpret the images, etc. in the film. Drum corps, I argue, is the same way. Would Cadets 2005 been better with giant waterfall props in Liquid? Subtly and discretion can be good things, but I feel like judging is pushing everything to be SO literal and forcing everyone to tell a LITERAL story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Drum corps is a ~13 minute audio-visual medium. Hard to tell a simple story in a coherent and compelling way in that time, let alone something deeper, even with narration etc. Even Crown 2013, which some see as the greatest show designer ever, basically comes down to "love is nice."

TL;DR: Stop trying so hard to be "deep" and tell some profound story in your show, use music and visuals to create a mood and err on the side of subtly

I could not agree more with your statement. Well said!

[emc2]

Let the corps do what they want to do.

[N.E. Brigand]

Let the corps do what they want to do.

I don't think anyone is arguing otherwise--just that storytelling may not be the most effective path to a good show.

[defeldus2]

I don't think anyone is arguing otherwise--just that storytelling may not be the most effective path to a good show.

Everyone loves the hell out of Spartacus

[HornTeacher]

Hybrids with some of those elements, but more about the essence of the inspiration:

Blue Devils

Boston Crusaders

Troopers

I like your "hybrid" categorization. To me, something is always a little bit more interesting when there remains room for one's imagination to roam free. Providing an essence is great for this. It sets a general tone, yet allows the listener to lose himself in the pure sights and sounds. To a degree, it almost makes one feel that he is a part of what he is seeing -- rather than simply existing as an entity to which a lecture or sermon is delivered.

Earlier in the thread, MikeN opined "Sorry, my point really is that the easiest way to a man's heart is through his emotions, and the easiest way to get emotion is to tell a story. And in drum corps, the best told stories are sometimes the simplest." While I agree with some of what he was saying, there is a part of me which disagrees with his above contention. I don't believe that telling a story is necessarily the easiest way to get emotion. Sometimes, it is little more than a sheer power or content of the music in and of itself. I would contend that Barber's "Adagio for Strings" would be a most suitable example. Our associations -- what we "see" as a vision or story -- is not based on any overt reasoning on Barber's part. We may have associations, but they derive from sources and times when that music has been used in a supporting role (Platoon, et. al.). But throwing all of those extra-musical associations aside -- it remains, on it's own, one ###### emotionally wrenching piece of music. And one which can mean many things to many people; and the beauty of this is the realization that none of those things are wrong. It is much akin to words of Stephen King: "It is the story -- not he who tells it." In this art, the music is the story. All else is simply a narrator.

[N.E. Brigand]

Everyone loves the hell out of "Spartacus"

Yes, which is why that show has been mentioned several times in this thread as the best example of drum corps storytelling--and as a model that has led other corps (including Phantom Regiment) astray since.

[skevinp]

Everyone loves the hell out of Spartacus

Except for that one drum major.

[ouooga]

Everyone seems to be arguing either or. Storytelling is fine, if it's done right. Abstract can be fine, if it's done right. The problem isn't whether one is better than the other; it's that there's a lot of designers out there who miss the mark when they try one or both of these. Sadly, that's the nature of drum corps.

[MikeRapp]

Everyone seems to be arguing either or. Storytelling is fine, if it's done right. Abstract can be fine, if it's done right. The problem isn't whether one is better than the other; it's that there's a lot of designers out there who miss the mark when they try one or both of these. Sadly, that's the nature of drum corps.

To me, Machine is the near perfect example of what I think all of us would want. There is a story, a theme, awesome drill, and world class playing. It's a legendary show, and when a legendary show reaches that pinnacle no one cares whether there is a story or not.

[DrumManTx]

To me, Machine is the near perfect example of what I think all of us would want. There is a story, a theme, awesome drill, and world class playing. It's a legendary show, and when a legendary show reaches that pinnacle no one cares whether there is a story or not.

That show has a story?

I would love to hear what it is. Guess I never caught it. But I still enjoyed it.