Timing Hornlines

[jwillis35]

So, this is music today? Repeating phrases with practically no melody?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmfgNv2NP5w

Well, it's not music for the uneducated, and sadly you do seem to lack an understanding of this type of music. It's called minimalism. Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and many others made a living writing music like this. It takes a while to builds, but that's its charm. It builds rhythm and tension through repetition while layering in various instruments in various ranges. Color is then added with the pit, a percussion groove reinforced, and it eventually comes to a full corps tutti in octaves at a double forte before dying and making way for the first BIG hit of the show.

What they are playing there is not easy, and the timing is also not easy. Music doesn't always need a melody. Some parts of music only have a motif, a germ of an idea, a rhythm, and at times musical phrases end or begin with extensions. Those extensions may have no melodic content, or they may contain fragments of melodies, or short motifs.

In reference to the Bluecoats opener, most people I speak to feel the opening of the show is one of the most exciting elements. The constant build with clapping, the melodic pattern played by the brass, the battery groove, and the pit. It all comes together and creates and fantastic first hit point.

As they often say, "we mock what we don't understand." And clearly you do not understand this music, which is just a shame. However, no need to use your lack of understanding as a reason to conclude that DCI is "somehow" not as good today.

Edited August 3, 2016 by jwillis35

[Terri Schehr]

Well, it's not music for the uneducated, and sadly you do seem to lack an understanding of this type of music. It's called minimalism. Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and many others made a living writing music like this. It takes a while to builds, but that's its charm. It builds rhythm and tension through repetition while layering in various instruments in various ranges. Color is then added with the pit, a percussion groove reinforced, and it eventually comes to a full corps tutti in octaves at a double forte before dying and making way for the first BIG hit of the show.

What they are playing there is not easy, and the timing is also not easy. Music doesn't always need a melody. Some parts of music only have a motif, a germ of an idea, a rhythm, and at times musical phrases end or begin with extensions. Those extensions may have no melodic content, or they may contain fragments of melodies, or short motifs. He'd hate First circle/Pat Metheny.

In reference to the Bluecoats opener, most people I speak to feel the opening of the show is one of the most exciting elements. The constant build with clapping, the melodic pattern played by the brass, the battery groove, and the pit. It all comes together and creates and fantastic first big.

As they often say, "we mock what we don't understand." And clearly you do not understand this music, which is just a shame. However, no need to use your lack of understanding as a reason to conclude that DCI is "somehow" not as good today.

. First Circle takes nearly ten minutes to build. Worth every minute. Edited August 3, 2016 by Terri Schehr

[Lance]

Well, it's not music for the uneducated, and sadly you do seem to lack an understanding of this type of music. It's called minimalism. Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and many others made a living writing music like this. It takes a while to builds, but that's its charm. It builds rhythm and tension through repetition while layering in various instruments in various ranges. Color is then added with the pit, a percussion groove reinforced, and it eventually comes to a full corps tutti in octaves at a double forte before dying and making way for the first BIG hit of the show.

What they are playing there is not easy, and the timing is also not easy. Music doesn't always need a melody. Some parts of music only have a motif, a germ of an idea, a rhythm, and at times musical phrases end or begin with extensions. Those extensions may have no melodic content, or they may contain fragments of melodies, or short motifs.

In reference to the Bluecoats opener, most people I speak to feel the opening of the show is one of the most exciting elements. The constant build with clapping, the melodic pattern played by the brass, the battery groove, and the pit. It all comes together and creates and fantastic first hit point.

As they often say, "we mock what we don't understand." And clearly you do not understand this music, which is just a shame. However, no need to use your lack of understanding as a reason to conclude that DCI is "somehow" not as good today.

i can't speak for rocketman, but i know what they're doing isn't easy

as for enjoyment, it's just a matter of taste

[3PoC]

Barber's Medea's Dance of Vengance (the dance part) is essentially a 4 count ostinato (switching to 3 counts in some spots of the original) with some rhythmic motifs played over it. Music structured like this has it's own type of effect. Crown uses the driving Medea ostinato pattern to reinforce the "relentless" aspect of their theme. Bluecoats use it to "slow-burn" a building intensity as they layer and add in their ensemble sections. Melody is only one of many musical devices used to create musical interest and effect.

[henry7184]

Well, it's not music for the uneducated, and sadly you do seem to lack an understanding of this type of music. It's called minimalism. Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and many others made a living writing music like this. It takes a while to builds, but that's its charm. It builds rhythm and tension through repetition while layering in various instruments in various ranges. Color is then added with the pit, a percussion groove reinforced, and it eventually comes to a full corps tutti in octaves at a double forte before dying and making way for the first BIG hit of the show.

What they are playing there is not easy, and the timing is also not easy. Music doesn't always need a melody. Some parts of music only have a motif, a germ of an idea, a rhythm, and at times musical phrases end or begin with extensions. Those extensions may have no melodic content, or they may contain fragments of melodies, or short motifs.

In reference to the Bluecoats opener, most people I speak to feel the opening of the show is one of the most exciting elements. The constant build with clapping, the melodic pattern played by the brass, the battery groove, and the pit. It all comes together and creates and fantastic first hit point.

As they often say, "we mock what we don't understand." And clearly you do not understand this music, which is just a shame. However, no need to use your lack of understanding as a reason to conclude that DCI is "somehow" not as good today.

I get where you are coming from. As a classical music lover, I am not in the least bit a fan of minimalism. Phillip Glass and John Adams are like finger nails running down a chalkboard to me. That being said, The Canyon is one of my favorite pieces. It is brilliant in the way it builds and builds and builds in to a massive climax. I can thank SCV from introducing me to this piece. I don't like Stravinsky or Barber either, but I love what Cavaliers, Regiment and Spirit have done with Stravinsky, and love what SCV and Star have done with Barber.

I like that we have different shows. I love that I can love a show like BK's weird #### this year and Madison's at the same time. But, I am glad everyone is not BK, just as I am glad everyone is not Madison. Melody is not necessary in music, but everyone doesn't have to have shows that have a lack of melody, and that's where we are heading.

These chop and bop arrangements that are designed much more for the sheets than the audience are the problem. The corps that are winning will influence the activity more than corps that are entertaining. Sometimes (Crown 2013, Regiment 2008, etc...) it's one and the same. More often than not, it's not.

What can I say, at the end of the day, when I listen to music, my personal preference is to not have it be mostly percussion. That's the way we are headed.

[henry7184]

Barber's Medea's Dance of Vengance (the dance part) is essentially a 4 count ostinato (switching to 3 counts in some spots of the original) with some rhythmic motifs played over it. Music structured like this has it's own type of effect. Crown uses the driving Medea ostinato pattern to reinforce the "relentless" aspect of their theme. Bluecoats use it to "slow-burn" a building intensity as they layer and add in their ensemble sections. Melody is only one of many musical devices used to create musical interest and effect.

Well said. I will listen to '93 Star all the time, but I will never ever ever listen to an orchestra play Barber's music. Well, except for the Adagio.

Edited August 3, 2016 by henry7184

[Lance]

Barber's Medea's Dance of Vengance (the dance part) is essentially a 4 count ostinato (switching to 3 counts in some spots of the original) with some rhythmic motifs played over it.

it's 2 different ostinatos actually, played back to back over the course of the 5-minute or so piece.

there's zero comparison to what either star or crown did with it when talking about bloo's horn book.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Lance

[corpsband]

Time a baseball game. You will be astonished at how little of a 4 hour AL game is action.

no i woudn't. thank god the NFL is almost here!

[Lance]

Well said. I will listen to '93 Star all the time, but I will never ever ever listen to an orchestra play Barber's music. Well, except for the Adagio.

You said earlier that you don't like minimalism. Broadly speaking, Barber was the opposite of a minimalist. He mostly wrote intensely melodic/thematic pieces.

Even his essays have a bunch of sweeping, beautiful melodic lines.